Dark Legacy Part Two: The Darkness Returns

Raziel turned around to see Reinhardt, his ten year old "nephew." In all reality, he was his adopted brother. The heir to the Belmont bloodline of vampire hunters, Reinhardt was adopted by Katherine, and given the name Schneider. "Yes, Reinhardt?" Raziel asked.

Reinhardt scratched his head momentarily. "I thought you said that Dracula wouldn't come back for another eight years. What happened?"

"Well," Raziel began, not knowing how to begin. "Every century, Dracula returns to power. And every century, a new Belmont arises to the challenge. This time, they attempted to bring him back when there was no heir to the holy whip. Namely, you."

Reinhardt nodded. "So they tried to bring him back when I was too young to fight?"

"Absolutely. And if I were you, I'd be really careful." Raziel warned, shaking a finger.

Reinhardt smiled and said, "Why zat, Uncle Raziel?"

"Because if the minions of darkness would try a cheap trick like that, there's no telling what they'll try next." Reinhardt's eyes widened momentarily, then realized that he was joking.

"I'll talk to you later, Uncle Raziel!" Running off, Reinhardt snapped a pretend whip.

Raziel smiled. He loved that kid.

Someone covered his eyes from behind. "Guess who?" came a deep guttural growl from behind. Bending his knees, Raziel grabbed the person under the armpits and hoisted them over his head. He was now face to face with his wife, Lacuna. "What did I tell you about doing that?"

Lacuna smiled at him and whispered, "That next time, you wouldn't be so gentle."

"Right."

"Well, you seemed fairly gentle that time. Does this mean you lied to me?"

"Never. Why would I want to lie to you?" Raziel cocked his right eyebrow.

"To save your skin?" Lacuna purred.

Raziel leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "I never run out of ideas. I don't have to lie."

"Everyone breaks sometime." Lacuna mumbled. Raziel draped an arm around her shoulders, and led her back to their home.

"Oh." Raziel said, looking at Lacuna. "I have some fun in store."

"How so?" Lacuna asked, cocking her right eyebrow.

"Well," Raziel began. "It seems that the darkness still maintains a feeble grip on the forest. So, tonight..."

"...We go hunting." Lacuna smiled. "Which reminds me. Remember our friends, the Fernandez family?" "Yes. And their newest addition, Chanaur?"

"Poor little guy. Did you hear what happened to him?" Lacuna assumed a sympathetic look.

"No, did you?"

"As far as I know, his father was killed when he distracted the werebeast while Chanaur and his mother escaped. However, Raine was gravely injured, and only just made it the Fernandez's house in time to give them Chanaur. Imbrium and Carrie were stupified. As Carrie comforted Chanaur, Imbrium listened to Raine's final requests, and saw her off to the afterlife." Lacuna's voice broke. She looked at the ground, hiding her tears.

Raziel squeezed her shoulder, telling her she didn't have to pretend to be strong. "It's alright, Lacuna. Why they had to go that way, is beyond me. Poor Chanaur. He'll be nine this year, right?"

"And Carrie, too."

"One more thing." Raziel whispered. He wasn't sure if he should ask this. "What was her final request?"

Lacuna looked him straight in the eye. "To watch over Chanaur, and keep him from harm."


That night, Raziel and Lacuna went hunting. "Finally, a little action. It's been damn dull around here." Lacuna shined her sword as they walked into the forest. "It's been a while since I used this...."

Swinging it expertly, she muttered, "Hope I'm not rusty."

The sword she held could morph into any weapon she chose. The sword was double edged (naturally) with a jeweled hilt in the form of a pair of wings. Silently, they moved into the forest.

And the darkness fell over them like a blanket.

A voice sounded in Raziel's head. THERE'S NO ESCAPE NOW.

"We'll see about that." Raziel growled, morphing into a werewolf.

Skeletons erupted from the ground. They attacked in groups of at least four or five. Fundamentally stupid creatures, they had no attack patterns except for surrounding and clubbing. Also, they broke apart quite easily.

"You were right, Raziel." Lacuna laughed, chopping one skeleton's legs off, and watching it crawl after her. "This is fun."

Raziel smiled back. A roar came from in front of him. Looking ahead, he saw a flash of gray, and barely ducked the claws that grazed the side of his head. Reaching out, he grabbed the arm of the werewolf, and sacrifice threw him over his head, kicking him hard in the stomach.

Howling in pain, the werewolf somersaulted and landed on its feet. Turning on Lacuna, it charged forward. In a surprise move, as she raised her sword, the werewolf looped around and attacked her from the side. Unfortunately, it still lost its head.

As the lifeless body struck the ground, the same hollow voice shouted ENOUGH!! Out of the shadows stepped a well built form, shrouded in the black robes of a Necromancer.

Raising his hand to the sky, the necromancer started to mumble in the dark language.

Hands shot out from the ground and clasped around Lacuna's ankles. Deftly slicing them off at their unseen wrists, she took a step forward. More hands grabbed her ankles, this time pulling her into the ground before she could blink.

"And so you die, troublesome bitch." The hollow voice became a living voice.

A familiar voice.

Vankar's voice. Lacuna, knee deep in the dirt, screamed in rage, ripping her legs from the ground. "Not at your hands, Dark One!" Charging forward, Lacuna sidestepped a lightning bolt, ducked under a fireball, and thrust her sword into Vankar's belly.

Screaming in pain, Vankar wrenched the sword from his body as Lacuna jumped back. The scream changed to a roar of anger, as he pulled back his hands, and flung them forward with his dying strength. A Darkness, dark enough to make the forest light up in contrast, washed over Lacuna in waves. The range was too wide, she couldn't evade.

Raziel leapt forward, grabbing Lacuna and dragging her back at top speed. Lucky, because if she would have been standing where she was two seconds ago, she would have died in three seconds flat. As the Dark One convulsed and collapsed, dead, the forest all around them started dying. There was one word that could describe the way the forest died:

Withering.

The tall trees wilted like flowers, and shrank into stumps. The spell the Dark One had cast sped up the aging process to an exponential rate. The first waves of darkness paralyzed, making the target immobile. Smiling in relief, Raziel muttered, "That was a close one." He turned to look at Lacuna.

The smile died on his lips. Lacuna was laying there, gagging, spitting up blood. Looking down, Raziel's heart sank like a stone.

A hole was all that was left of her chest, the sturnum had melted away, exposing her heart underneath.

"Good god." Raziel croaked, his voice breaking. "Lacuna.... I'm sorry...." He ran a hair through her flaming hair, hoping it would do some good. He was at a total loss. "I'm sorry...." Raziel wept.

"Raziel..." Lacuna groaned, closing her eyes. Reaching up, she grabbed his head. "It's not your fault." smiling, she muttered, "I told you that Vankar was no good." Her face drew into a painfilled grimace. Opening her eyes, she stared up at Raziel and sobbed, "I'm dying, but I will always be with you. Give my sword to Chanaur... Tell him to use it well." She drew another shallow, ragged breath. "Good bye... Farewell...." Her body went listless in his arms. "...My love......."

"Well my lord it would seem you have failed." The Dark One's apprentice sighed. "But at least you got rid of her."

My mortal body can be broken, but my spirit lives eternal.

My Lord!

Yes. I may have been killed physically, but now I inhibit you, my apprentice.

Thank you. Now, how do we get you a physical form back, Lord?

Sacrifice. I need the lives of fifty children. It doesn't matter which ones, just get me fifty children's souls.

Yes, Lord. Dissolving into a black mist, Actrise drifted away, searching for new souls. Coming to a house, she melted through the wall, and into a child's bedroom. Washing over the sleeping child, the child's soul, a glowing blue orb escaped from the body, grasped in the wraithlike hands of the mist.

The child's mouth opened in a silent scream, that no one would hear but Actrise. Finally, the bonds were severed, and the girl sat bolt upright in bed. Her eyes were hollow, no spark of intelligence existed.

She was a Cadaver, a shell without a soul.

Three hours later, the sun was about to rise. Forty nine souls had been harvested.

Have you anyone in mind for the last one, My Lord?

Yes. That Belmont child. He must be eliminated.

As you wish.

Actrise drifted over to her mother's house and floated through Reinhardt's window. Looking at the supine child asleep on the bed, she felt no remorse. She had come too far to become swayed by human emotions. She had grown stronger than that. She had felt no love for anyone in this world, but herself. Not even her own child.

Her lord had promised her power. Power beyond comprehension. Power over the ice to rival Shiva herself. She couldn't be stopped now.

Again, just as before, Actrise washed over the child's sleeping form. The glowing blue orb clutched in her transparent hands. The bonds to the body stretched, and Reinhardt's mouth opened in the silent scream...

And his soul returned into his chest, as he let out a deep yawn.

Ah. He's protected. I should have guessed as much.

What now Lord? Do we kill him outright?

No. We'll deal with him later. How about that child of ours?

As you wish, my liege.

The work complete, Actrise died, and moved on to life among the Damned. Dracula Vlad Tepes would return in eight years, at the height of his power.

Now, to do something about those children. Carrie Fernandez, Chanaur Majere, and Reinhardt Schneider. But not for a couple more years.

End part two.

Part three