Castlevania: Untested (13/27)
Title: Untested
By: PatriciaTepes (AKA Patricia de Lioncourt @ fanfiction.net; PatriciaLouise @ TTH)
Chapter Title: Tension
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
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: Just a little shorty of a chapter, with a cliffhanger ending. Enjoy!
Chapter 12: Tension
Isaac appeared outside the doors to the throne room of Castlevania with a sigh. He flicked the minuscule amount of blood from the girl's cut from his spear and sheathed it. She was growing stronger; there was no doubt. Her first move had been inspiring, knocking his weapon from him. And he had been stupid to fall for it.
He simply stared at the closed, double doors. He was not yet ready to face Walter, with a report that would have to be mostly fabricated. He had made no progress on his search for Dracula… that much would be true. But this girl… this Adriana Smith… he had learned much about her. He had been in the shadows, watching her since their first battle, whenever he could spare the time without looking suspicious to Walter. He was sure that this girl was key in restoring Dracula to his proper throne of Castlevania… but he was not quite sure just how she would help.
Many things mystified him about her. He had not forgotten the unexpected "shock" that ended their first battle. Again, with as much free time as he could rightfully spare, he had scoured spellbook after spellbook for an answer. He had found none. It was too powerful to be considered mere… friction as these modern scientists called it and not powerful enough to be actual lightning. It had been its own entity, and yet still apart of both the battle participants. And the mere moment of that "shock" was driving Isaac mad.
He resigned himself to fact that he must face Walter and pushed open the right-side, decaying door. When his eyes rose to the crimson-haired vampire, he paused. Smiling at Walter's side, his face upturned toward Isaac but his body bent as if he had been sharing a secret with the new master of Castlevania, was Count Orlox. Isaac expelled air through his nose-the best growl he could make, given his situation and company. He approached the throne as Orlox backed away, back still bent in a bow, and left the room. Without sparing Orlox much of a stare, Isaac knelt.
"My Lord, I've come to report-" he began, but Walter interrupted.
"Nothing, I suspect."
Isaac's eyes shot up, finding Walter looming over him now. He stood, slowly, unsure what exactly this usurper meant by his words.
"Nothing, milord?"
Walter laughed his booming, room-filling laugh and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I suspect that you've made no progress on your hunt for Dracula… nor do you have… anything other to report… do you?"
Isaac fought a grimace. "No, milord. I haven't made progress… and why would I have something else to report?"
Walter said nothing and turned his eyes away from his blood-bonded slave. Isaac took this as a dismissal and turned to leave. This was a mistake, however. He heard the attack too late, turning just in time to see a ball of orange fire hurtling towards his chest. Isaac unsheathed his spear, but it did no good. The blast connected and sent the devil forger across the room. He skidded an extra foot or so on his back. When the pain finally subsided enough for him to catch his breath, he looked up.
Walter towered over him, an evil look of loathing upon his twisted, downturned face. Isaac could not help but let his eyes widen in shock-and what Walter would probably assume was fear. The vampire stooped and easily lifted Isaac well off his feet, holding him aloft by his throat. Isaac let his spear drop, despite his wishes to strike the offender down-knowing that the bond made him choose to do the former. He gagged, kicking ever so slightly in the air.
"Miscreant! How dare you keep information from me!" Walter shouted.
And on the count of "me," he hurled Isaac against the nearest wall. He slid to the floor, gasping for air. When finally he had a sufficient supply back in his body, he glared up at his master.
"What do you mean?" he croaked, rubbing in vain at the soreness of his throat.
"The Belmont girl! Do not play the fool, Isaac! I know you are not one, given the fact that I have chosen you! Why hide the miserable human from me?" the Lord of Castlevania roared.
Isaac tore his eyes away from Walter, unable to come up with a suitable answer. As it seemed, silence was also wrong. The vampire drew back his hand and swung it around to land a resounding smack across Isaac's right cheek. He groaned, sure that Walter had broken his jaw. When he felt of it, he found it only dislocated. With a cry of pain, he pulled it back in place.
Walter grinned down sinisterly at his slave. Then, he shook his head, clucking his tongue in mock pity.
"Learn your lesson and your place. Do not cross me again."
With that, he returned to his throne. And this time, Isaac was sure this was dismissal, gathering up his fallen spear. However, he did not leave without grumbling, "Yes, master."
##
The next day, for Ria, passed quickly and…well, there wasn't a word for the level of anxiety that pervaded every bone of the teen's body. She had gone through three mugs of coffee at the café, which Sara had insisted she go to in order to lift her spirits. Ria was now sure, as she made her way home from her "celebratory" outing, that that had been a bad idea. She was quickly discovering that caffeine plus anxiety equaled extra special jitters. She was almost physically shaking when she found herself on the dusk-lit road to Belmont Manor.
"Are you all right?" Sara inquired, peering nervously at her trainee.
Ria shook her head and waved her hand dismissively. "I'm fine, fine. Fit as a fiddle. Just… want to get home."
Sara nodded, eyes wide and almost assuredly wanting to not agitate Ria further. As the two turned onto the pathway to the door of the manor, Sara cleared her throat.
"As much as I hate to suggest it, perhaps tomorrow night we ought to see Alucard again… he hasn't been at the café…"
Ria nodded, knowing that she meant that they would have to go to his hotel room. Ria did actually shudder at the thought of her last meeting with the half-blood. He had been nothing like she had expected, and she did not relish the thought of any more… odd advances.
Ria opened the door to the manor, a little dismayed to find it unlocked. She passed by the living room, noting that Sophy was busily-and safely-arranging newly acquired furniture around. She took the stairs two at a time not bothering to acknowledge Sara's presence for the moment.
Which would explain the reason she did not so much as even blink as Sara muttered something about "a bad feeling." Instead, Ria simply pushed open the door to her bedroom… and froze.
"I come in peace," Isaac said, sneering from his seat at the end of Ria's bed.