Castlevania: Untested (14/27)

[patriciatepes]

Title: Untested
By: PatriciaTepes (AKA Patricia de Lioncourt @ fanfiction.net; PatriciaLouise @ TTH)
Chapter Title: An Unlikely Alliance
Links to Other Chapters: Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve
Fandom: Castlevania
Rating: Pg-13
Disclaimer: I don't own Castlevania, any related characters, or the images used below.  Yes, Aly (of Aly & AJ fame) is my model for my main OC.  But please, don't let my inability to draw hinder your imagination, as Ria really doesn't look exactly like that. :)  Also, the pattern in the art at the bottom comes from IceyTina.
Summary: Adriana Smith is just a normal girl...or so she thinks. However, as her mother and she move into a house known as Belmont Manor and a strange storm and decoration enter her life, she will find that her mother has not told her the truth of her family...
Author's Notes: Just a warning, this chapter will probably be a lot of talk. Of course, I have this unexplainable love for dialogue, so I'm okay with this. haha. Enjoy!

Chapter 13: An Unlikely Alliance

Ria slowly closed her door, feeling Sara's tense gaze on her as she did so. Isaac, for his part, had made no move. His smiled widened when she turned back to face him. His red hair shone, even in Ria's currently darkened room. He reclined back on her bed, and she noticed that he had still not changed shirts since their battle the previous evening. It was clear through the cut in the fabric that the wound she had given him had almost healed and looked barely more than a fading scar. Black tattoos nearly covered his pale skin.

"What are you?" Ria asked, speaking quietly.

Isaac's smile faltered for a moment, but only a moment. He followed her eyes to his wound, and gazed back at her with his smile now firmly in place. "Human, child, just like you. Just with some…enhancements."

She shook her head, leaning against the door. Even with the whip coiled tightly inside the purse at her side, she knew that she could not reach it in time. Isaac would move faster and strike her down…leaving her mother defenseless. She glanced at Sara, more aware than ever that only she could see the ghost-like woman. Sara shook her head, her face contorted with worry. She knew that there was no help to be had…just like Ria did. With her face set, Ria turned her attention back to Isaac.

"We're not fighting. Not here. If you want me, we'll take it outside. I won't involve my mother," she said, her voice sounding much steadier than she felt.

Isaac laughed, sitting upright once more. "Dear, are you hard of hearing? I said that I come in peace. I'm offering you my hand, as it were."

At this, he lazily held out a hand, as if to help her up or to lead her off to some hellish domain, Ria really couldn't decide which one suited the situation better. She pressed her back to the door, hating the feel of the rough wood beneath her hands.

"Don't tell him about me!" Sara said quickly.

Ria nodded, making herself look like she was digesting the devil forger's words. She hoped that Sara understood that she really meant that she had acknowledged her comment. Sara sighed, nodding back. With this, both took a step forward. Isaac dropped his hand.

"What do you want?" Ria asked.

She crossed her arms, bending her right knee ever so slightly. She damned the jitters that she still felt within her frame, but she had them fairly under control. She gazed, the most serious look she could muster on her face. A few years ago, she remembered coming upon this television show about a teen vampire slayer, and she recalled this pose whenever the young woman was going to interrogate anyone or was simply standing her ground. Ria desperately hoped that it would work for her.

Isaac laughed at her. Hard. She sighed and dropped the pose.

"Just answer the damn question!" she hissed.

Once he had caught his breath, he stood, towering over her. She backed up so that she would not have to look up at him. Spending quite a bit of time watching television before her father had become ill, she remembered from some nature show that showing your neck in the wild was usually considered a weakness. She was sure this was doubly true for vampires and their lackeys.

"I wish to make an alliance with you. For my part, I will tell you all of Walter's plans and moves and assist you in any way possible," he said, stepping closer to her.

"And for my part?" Ria asked, knowing that she was just asking for trouble.

Isaac had an altogether different smile on his lips as he began to back Ria up against her bedroom door. Remembering a similar situation, Ria firmly planted herself in place.

"No, uh-uh," she said, waving a finger in his face. "I'm not playing this whole let's-make-Ria-feel-awkward game again. No way. Tell me what my part in this alliance is, straight and to the point."

Sara beamed proudly at her. Of course, no one else saw it. But Ria saw it, and it was good enough for her. She had to fight smiling right back, since it would be inappropriate for the moment. Isaac chuckled and backed off a few paces.

"Very well. Your part in this alliance will be to help me restore Dracula to his throne."

Ria pursed her lips and nodded. "Okay, uh…two questions."

Isaac motioned for her to continue.

"One, why can't you do it yourself? And two, why, why, why, why in the wide, wonderful world of all things rational and sane would I help you do that?"

"Well, in answer to your first question, I'm under a blood bond with Walter…purely against my will, you understand."

"And what's a blood bond do?"

"It ensures complete loyalty to the one who issued it. When he resurrected me, he put it upon me before the spell was completed. I must follow all of his orders. So far, he's only given me two specific orders. To find Dracula, and not to assist him in any way."

Ria inhaled deeply, her eyes closed. When she opened them, she did so slowly, as to allow her annoyance to fully shine through.

"Aren't you helping him now? By asking me to help him?"

"No. I'm helping you. My alliance is with you, not him. Should I come face to face with him, I would have to fight him. But, through you, I won't have to. You'll find him, and you'll restore him. I'll have personally done nothing. Sometimes, life is just simpler if you search for the technicalities."

She wasn't sure if that last bit was supposed to be as funny as it sounded. She chose, instead, to progress the subject.

"And the answer to number two?" she asked.

"Because, Walter's plans go much further than what he has already accomplished. Aren't you wondering why he just hasn't gone after Dracula himself?"

Isaac reseated himself at the foot of her bed. Sara, of course unseen by him, moved and took a seat beside him. Looking up at Ria, she gave her a bewildered look.

"That's not a bad question," she murmured.

Ria sighed. She was having a bad night. She groaned and nodded.

"Okay, I'll bite. Why not?"

The devil forger grinned a grin that was a bit too…serpent-like at her words. But he answered without comment.

"Because his hold on the Crimson Stone is not complete. Although Dracula may have stolen Castlevania from Walter years ago—and I'm still debating the truth to that—"

"He did," Sara interrupted for Ria's sake.

"He was still the rightful owner of the Crimson Stone. He has to find a way to bind his power to it before either Dracula or Death can recover the castle. However, Lord Dracula knows when he is outnumbered. I'm sure he's developing a plan as we speak, but we cannot afford the time. And Death is trapped within his own dimension. It'll take his own scythe to free him, which Orlox has. I believe you met Orlox last night?"

Ria grimaced. "Yeah, we're acquainted. Unfortunately."

"Yes, very unfortunate. Walter now knows about you. However, he does not seemed concerned, since he has given me no orders to hunt you," Isaac said, reclining back.

Ria shivered. She glanced back at the door, as if suddenly remembering her mother's presence downstairs. With two quick strides, she had her hands pressed up against the door. In another swift movement, she locked it, putting her back to it.

"Afraid of your dear mother coming in and finding you with a man in your bedroom?" Isaac quipped.

"In a manner of speaking. Not to mention a man insanely older than I am! But back to the point, why would I help Dracula, and why should I care that Walter hasn't decided to take it upon himself to off the MIA vampire?"

Isaac hesitated before he responding, appearing to translate Ria's slang in his head. Finally, with his sly grin still in place, he spoke.

"Because there are two things he could use to ensure his hold on the Crimson Stone. Either the blood of its previous owner or the blood a powerful vampire hunter. Back when he thrived, neither existed. Now, there's Lord Dracula and the Belmont Clan, namely yourself and your mother. And you don't want Walter to have permanent hold on the Stone and to Castlevania."

"Why not?"

"Because Dracula wants to remake the world, which doesn't necessarily mean total destruction like some believe. But Walter…he wants to make the world his plaything. Which would you prefer to face?"

Ria's eyes widened. She looked, discreetly she hoped, to Sara, who looked as alarmed as she did. She paused, weighing her options. It wasn't long before she realized the truth. Really, she had none. It was help Isaac or get creamed. Seeing this in her eyes, he stood and extended his hand for her to shake. Reluctantly, she took it and shook once before releasing it.

"That's a deal then, Ria," he said.

"Adriana. You don't get to call me Ria."

He placed a hand at his chest and took on a look of mock pain. "Ah, dear, you wound me to the quick! Why can I not have the honor to call you by your shortened name? It's… cute."

"Because that's a privilege that extends to friends and loved ones, only. Frankly, you're really neither."

He nodded. Then, very theatrically, he performed a sweeping bow. Turning his face up towards her, he smiled.

"Then, I shall take my leave. I'll visit again tomorrow to discuss the more…intimate details. But first…let me see your…uh…small communicator?"

He straightened as Ria eyed him. "My what?"

He made the motion of putting a phone to his ear. "It's this new technology that you have. I can never remember the name of it…oh, yes, cell phone!"

Still staring at him as if he was the strangest creature she had ever seen, she approached her laptop case and withdrew her flip-phone. He took it from her eagerly, eyeing her strangely now.

"Why was it in there?" he asked, flipping it open.

"I never carry it with me," she replied, shrugging.

"Well, you should do so," he said, typing on the number keys. After a few moments, he closed it and handed it back to her saying, "There. I've given you my…number, is that the term? Contact me at noon, tomorrow, while Walter sleeps."

She stared at her phone as if she had never seen the tiny, silver device. The pink cord and metallic flower that swung from it, her charm, gleamed up at her.

"What era were you from again?" Ria asked incredulously.

"Long, long, long before you were even thought of, child."

"How the hell do you know how to work a cell phone?"

He laughed. "I learn quickly. Now, don't forget. Be seeing you."

With a flash of light, he vanished. Ria sighed, pocketing the phone. A moment of silence passed. Then, Sara stood.

"Um, I hate to bring this up now, but…we should go see Alucard now that the sun has fully set. We'll be sure to catch him at his room, I think," she said.

Suddenly, all the nerves that Ria had been successfully kept locked up during her conversation with Isaac broke free. She found her next words coming out rather rapidly.

"Sure, yeah, let's do that. Two birds with one stone, and all that," she said, picking up her laptop case, shoving the whip from her purse to the case, and throwing the strap over her shoulder. Turning towards her bedroom door, wondering how she was going to get past her mother at this hour, she added, "Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't we just shoot me while we're at it?"

"That's not funny, Adriana!" Sara shouted as Ria unlocked and threw open her bedroom door and began to descend the stairs.

##

Both Sara and Ria watched as the elevator ticked off the rising numbers with a sharp ding. Ria had made up some half-excuse to get out of the house. She had the feeling that Sophy had not bought it and had simply decided to give in to her daughter's strange actions. She just asked that she be home before it got too late. And to take her cell phone. With great confidence, Ria assured her that she would do both. They had stopped at the front desk of the hotel, each finding that they could not remember the exact room that Alucard was in. Upon description by Ria, the concierge had given up the number.

"Are you sure that's the room number? I don't remember the elevator ride being this long," Sara asked, tearing her eyes from the pressed floor button to look at Ria.

"It's the one that the concierge gave me, saying that Alucard left a message that I was expected and welcome anytime. Besides, it's the top floor. That's where the suites are usually at, and I definitely remember it being a suite," Ria responded as the elevators opened.

The two took to the hallway, quickly finding the room number that the desk had directed them towards. With only a tiny hesitation, Ria lifted her fist and rapped lightly on the door. She jumped when it was answered almost immediately. Alucard smiled down at her, stepping aside and ushering her in.

"What brings you here this evening?" he asked once they were seated—safely, Ria noted—in the sitting room portion of the suite. "Has there been a development?"

Ria glanced quickly and unnoticably once at Sara, who nodded. With a small gulp, she nodded.

"Sort of."

She related the story of Isaac's visit to her room and the information he had shared with her. When she had reached the end, Alucard reclined pensively in his seat.

"So that's his plan…" he murmured.

Ria looked on in silence as the half-blood continued to be lost in his own thoughts. Then, as if suddenly remembering she was there, he looked up and smiled.

"Excellent. We could use an advantage such as this. When will you go to my father's castle?" he asked.

Ria's face paled. "Um…I'm not, that is…Not right away. Just knowing this isn't enough, I think. We need to formulate a plan first, and I think we'll need to know a bit more for that to happen. I'm…meeting with Isaac tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully, I'll have more then."

Alucard nodded, pushing himself to his feet. Ria followed suit.

"Yes, that sounds like a good course of action. Please, come see me tomorrow night, after your meeting. And please, keep your alliance with me from him. He may fear my influence upon you."

He led her to the door. She looked at him in confusion.

"But he knows that, even though I've agreed to restore Dracula, inevitably I'll just have to defeat him. Why would he fear that?"

Alucard smiled in a way that Ria couldn't place. "Better safe than sorry, Ria."

With that, he opened the door, escorting her out into the hall. After wishing her luck, he returned to his room and shut the door. She stared at it for a moment before finally starting towards the elevator. Once she and Sara were onboard, she sighed.

"Sometimes…I feel like it's just piled higher and deeper," she muttered.

"And stranger," Sara added.