Castlevania: Untested (17/27)

[patriciatepes]

Title: Untested
By: PatriciaTepes (AKA Patricia de Lioncourt @ fanfiction.net; PatriciaLouise @ TTH)
Chapter Title: Charges
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 Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen
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. :)
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:. Enjoy!

Chapter 16: Charges

Isaac had returned from Adriana's home to Castlevania a tad perplexed and very worrisome. Of Ria being a necessity to take down Walter, he had no doubt. However, this new development—the taking of Sophy Smith—had moved Ria forward too quickly. The girl could barely hold her own against him, a human—for all intents and purposes—devil forgemaster. Walter would break her like a dried twig. But Ria was in Castlevania now, the creatures of the castle's stirrings confirmed this. They could smell the Belmont in her, and they thirsted for her blood.

Isaac arrived in the castle's throne room, finding its only occupant being the wizard vampire, Orlox. His skull-like countenance grinned at Isaac, who groaned. Isaac had come seeking Walter and, in turn, Sophy. Ria's mother's survival was key to keeping the young girl going, he was certain. But his willing pledge to watch over this woman confused him. She meant nothing to him, who was only using her daughter to restore his master to his rightful place. And, by rights, Ria would come to Walter still if Sophy died. The woman was a mere blip in the plan…but then, why was he going to go through with keeping her alive? Surely it was to keep Walter from consolidating his power…surely.

"Isaac," Orlox said, stepping down from his place by the room's throne.

The way he had snapped his name made Isaac sound like a mere, mindless zombie. His face contorted with anger, snarling. This seemed to only amuse Orlox as he approached the devil forgemaster.

"Walter has summoned us to the coliseum. We should hasten. The time has come for Walter to finally solidify his hold on the Crimson Stone," Orlox said, stopping just before him.

Isaac fought hard to keep his face neutral. Walter intended to sacrifice Sophy immediately? This would ruin everything, and Ria would certainly fail. Isaac nodded once.

"Very well," he said evenly.

Two flashes of light, and both Orlox and Isaac reappeared in the vast battle room of Castlevania's coliseum. Walter stood at the far left from the new arrivals, looking up at a large cage shaped not unlike that which a bird would be housed. From the distance Isaac was at, he could see Sophy, playing the role of the bird squawking for freedom. Her hair—the same color as her daughter's—was coming loose from the short braid that extended to mid-shoulder blade. Her slender hands gripped the cage's bars and shook at them with all her might, and her body trembled with the fear and anger that pervaded her voice as she screamed at Walter.

"Monster! Let me go! Let me go!" she shrieked over and over as Isaac and Orlox approached.

Walter turned as his two servants bowed on one knee to him. He smiled, in a rarely seen jovial mood, and motioned for them to rise. Isaac's eyes were on Sophy, who was quite literally screaming herself red. Walter laughed and smacked the bottom edge of the cage, shaking it and throwing Sophy off her feet. He turned his attention on Orlox.

"Are you prepared to perform the spell? I'll waste no more time," Walter said, turning a very deliberate eye to Isaac before continuing. "Since Dracula could not be obtained, I followed your suggestion to steal the Belmont girl's mother. She's quite a lively prisoner…Oh, I haven't played this game in ages!"

He laughed, and Orlox's grin was grotesque as he joined in on the dark merriment. Sophy had fallen silent and had crawled to the edge of the cage, looking down at them. Her eyes were wide and watery, her form still shaking. Once the laugher had subsided, Orlox closed his eyes, his mouth moving quickly in words that Isaac recognized as some sort of summoning spell. A bright red light flashed just off to the right of Sophy's prison. When it cleared, a stone table, with dark ruins carved upon it, stood in the spot. Its top was laden with a pestle and mortar and herbs of all kinds. A ceremonious dagger was also amongst the items. Sophy gasped. She knew that her life's blood was meant for this dagger. She began her screaming again.

"Silence!" Walter roared at her.

She fell silent in such a way that it seemed against her will. To Isaac's experience, it probably was. Orlox grinned like a dog having its belly rubbed.

"Shall I begin?" he asked, moving towards the table already.

"Master!" Isaac exclaimed before Walter could reply.

He dropped again to one knee, lowering his head. When he lifted it again, he saw that Walter gazed impatiently at him, while Orlox looked dubious.

"If I may but make a humble suggestion, my lord," Isaac said, remaining bowed before him.

Walter gestured for him to continue. Orlox's eyes were livid. Isaac fought a grin.

"Oh, noble Walter, would it not serve you better to double your hold on the Stone?" he asked.

Walter raised a brow.

"What? How?"

"As we speak, my master, this woman's daughter, also of Belmont descend as you know, enters and traverses this castle to rescue her."

Walter growled. "I am aware, Isaac, and my patience is wearing. Arrive at your point soon."

"If you were to use not only this woman, but the girl Adriana's blood also…my former Lord Dracula could never hope to defeat you!"

There was a heavy silence that followed. Sophy's eyes were wide, anger and fear again the dominant emotions. Orlox was looking incredulously between the two crimson-haired men. Finally, Walter turned to the skeletal-like vampire, who bowed quickly at the waist, bobbing back up just as fast.

"Is this possible, Orlox? Would using the blood of both Belmont descendants double my hold on the Crimson Stone?" Walter asked.

Orlox spluttered, tripping over his words.

"Why, yes, but, Master, my lord, I beg of you, the time—!" he managed to spit out before Walter held a hand up to stop him.

"Then it is decided," he said, with Orlox looking like a stake had been driven through his dead heart. "We will wait for this…Adriana. Then, once we have her, we will perform this spell. Isaac!"

He whirled on Isaac, who stood once more. He smiled a serpent's grin at him, crossing his arms over his chest.

"So helpful…what became of your fierce loyalty to Dracula?"

"I fear your anger, my lord, and I know that your great self would have discovered such a thing as what I proposed. I wished to avoid punishment," Isaac said, hating the words even as they left his mouth.

Walter's laugh boomed around the coliseum. "Very well," he said. "Very well. Isaac, as I'm sure you are aware, the creatures of this castle long for Belmont blood. They will feast on this woman's blood if left unprotected."

Sophy whimpered.

"You will watch over her and keep her alive until I have need of her. That is an order," Walter said, gesturing to Orlox.

This plan had worked even more perfectly than Isaac had expected. He bowed as both Walter and Orlox vanished from sight. Of course, Orlox had not departed without first hissing at Isaac. As soon as they were gone, Isaac turned to Sophy, who immediately began to rage at him.

"Bastard! How dare you offer my daughter like a sheep to be slaughtered! Rot in hell! If I get out of here, I'll—" she screamed, but Isaac sighed and interrupted her.

"You'll do nothing, Sophy. I am allied with your daughter and committed to seeing her through to destroying that usurper. I am guarding you under her orders as well," he said lazily.

This shocked her into silence. She gripped the bars of the cage so tightly that her knuckles turned a bright white. Her lips were pressed thin against each other, and the tears in her eyes threatened to spill over.

"Ria's really here?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Isaac nodded. Her mouth contorted as if it could not decide upon the proper expression. She settled it by keeping it shaped by worry.

"She'll be killed!" she said.

"I intend to see that that doesn't happen."

"But…she's just a child!"

Isaac couldn't argue with that. And he had no other truths or promises to comfort her with. Finally, Sophy stood, looking resolutely down at him.

"Isaac is your name?" she asked.

He blinked at her, confused.

"Yes."

"Okay. Isaac, I know that you owe me no favors, but…I need you to keep my Adriana safe. I don't care what happens to me. Let that monster kill me, I don't care. But whatever happens, keep her alive…make sure she lives to see the rest of her life."

Shock rooted Isaac to his place. Sophy stared down at him, her eyes filled with a fierce protectiveness and concern. He had seen that look before…when Ria had begged him to maintain her mother's safety. And now, here was the mother asking of him the same thing of the daughter. Keep her safe…Both voice's sang in his mind.

He smirked, not really feeling it, but unable to think of another reaction.

"You and your daughter are more alike than I would wager that you know. Apparently, neither of you ever realize what I say, seeing as I just said I was going to do the same exact thing you ask of me," he said.

"But now I'm—"

Isaac cut her off again. "Asking? I've heard that before. There's no need. I have every intention to seeing that Ria lives through defeating Walter."

Through defeating Walter…because he had no other obligation to her than that. But…why did those words sound strange coming out of his mouth? Sophy smiled at him…another feature the two Belmont women shared.

"Thank you," she said.

And Isaac was speechless.

#

Ria was on a rock, and she was wondering why the hell a giant rock was protruding towards the ceiling inside a huge castle…in the middle of one of its halls, no less. Knowing that her question about the rock wasn't important, she kept it silent. Instead, she had her cell phone out, open, and held it up to the ceiling. A castle filled with dead things…of course there would be no cell reception. She snapped the phone shut, shoving it into her backpack as Alucard whirled to her.

"What do you think that you are doing, Ria?" he hissed. "We've no time for games!"

Sara's eyes flashed at this. Five minutes into Castlevania, and Sara had already glared at Alucard twice…each time he had scolded Ria for something she had done or said. Apparently, Sara did not like the idea of someone else reprimanding her student. But Ria was taking it all in stride. After all, they were all pretty tense. Who wouldn't be inside a demon and monster infested castle?

"If you must know, I was trying to see if I would be able to communicate with Isaac instead of waiting for him to contact us. You know…in case we needed something from him," she said, walking deliberately past him.

She stopped just a few inches in front of him, looking back. His mouth opened to protest but found no argument there. Ria fought a strong urge to stick her tongue out at the cranky dhampire. He huffed and moved past her once more. Ria smiled at Sara who had come once again to stand beside her.

They had fought very little thus far within the castle…but they had, after all, only gotten a few rooms in. The few things they had encountered—something called a Warg and some zombies—they had been able to dispatch easily. Even though she had avoided injury or mishap so far…this did nothing to comfort Ria.

"Alucard?" she asked suddenly as they were about to enter into another hall.

She stopped, hoping that it would encourage him to stop as well. It did. He turned to her, a bit annoyed.

"Yes?"

"What if…what if I really can't do this?" she asked. "What if I just can't make it to Walter? What if Mom dies? What if I'm not good enough?"

His face softened a bit, smiling almost kindly at her.

"Those are a lot of lofty questions, Ria. Ones that no one could possibly have the answers to," he said gently.

Ria felt her heart sink. She gulped, trying to swallow the lump in her throat she called "fear." But Alucard chuckled softly.

"I'll promise you this. I'll get you to Walter. On my…life. We'll save your mother, and you will defeat Walter. I give you my word," he said, drawing a sword he had acquired from Ria-didn't-know-where.

Ria smiled at this, feeling Sara's hand coming to rest on her shoulder. With a nod, she unfurled her whip in her hand.

"Let's go," she said as the three of them charged headlong into the next room.