Castlevania: Untested (16/27)
Title: Untested
By: PatriciaTepes (AKA Patricia de Lioncourt @ fanfiction.net; PatriciaLouise @ TTH)
Chapter Title: No Other Choice
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
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 15: No Other Choice
"Adriana."
Ria whirled to find Isaac standing in the doorway, his spear drawn. She withdrew her whip from the laptop case she had just barely taken when she had stormed out earlier and struck at him, growling as she did so and dropping the laptop to the floor. He held his spear out to catch the whip and used the opportunity to pull Ria to him. He held her firmly by her shoulders.
"Let me go! You did this! You led him to her! Now, she's…!" she yelled.
"Get a hold of yourself, Ria! Your mother is not dead yet, but if you don't move now, she might be. I didn't lead Walter here!"
Ria was still screaming things at him. Finally, Sara stepped forward.
"Adriana Smith, snap out of it! Your mother needs you!" she yelled.
Ria stopped, her breathing harsh as she leaned heavily on Isaac. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind.
"I'm sorry. You're right," she muttered, stepping back from him.
"Ria, you're not ready, but we've got no more time," Isaac said. "Gather whatever you need…and go to Castlevania."
Ria nodded, finding herself still a bit unsteady. Finally, she planted herself firmly, trying to tell herself to get a grip. "Okay. I'll be ready in just a bit."
"I can't go with you. But I can meet you at various times inside the castle. There are safe rooms within there from when Lord Dracula was married to Lady Lisa. You can rest in them when you need to, but do so as little as possible. I will try to keep your mother alive as long as I possibly can…but it won't be able to last forever. You must hurry."
He turned, about to leave, when Ria caught his arm. He looked back at her, confused.
"Please…keep an eye on Mom…" Ria said, trying her best not to dig her fingers into his arm through the silky fabric of his shirt.
"Isn't that what I just said I would do?" he said.
"But now I'm asking…please."
Isaac blinked at this. Finally, he nodded, and Ria let go. He disappeared in a flash. Ria turned to Sara.
"We've got to hurry, Ria!" she said, pointing sharply to Ria's room.
Ria nodded, darting up the stairs. She threw open the door to her bedroom and immediately went to her closet. She dug inside, throwing the things she didn't need to the left and the few items she did need to her bed. Once she had finished, the bed held a pair of comfortable hiking boots, a different shirt that was a bit sturdier than the one she had one, the whip which she had been clutching through the whole ordeal with Isaac, her cell phone, a small first aid kit, the Belmont Journals, and a large-ish-but not too large-backpack purse. She dashed to the bed, changing her shirt and shoes in faster time than she ever had before. Then, she packed the Journals, the cell phone-thankfully fully charged, and the small first aid kit. Sara blinked at her.
"What's all that for? All the other Belmonts' only ever took the whip," Sara said, crossing her arms.
Ria shook her head. "Well, I'm very unprepared. I'm taking everything I think I'll need."
At this, she went to her jewelry box and withdrew a small, silver cross on a chain, fastening it about her neck. She paused for a moment after letting her hands drop. Sara narrowed her eyes at her.
"What is it, Ria?" she asked.
"I yelled at her, Sara. I yelled at mom right before they took her…I…I have to get her back," Ria murmured back.
Sara nodded. "We will, Ria. I know we will. Let's get your things, then."
Ria nodded, snatching up the backpack purse and whip. She slung the backpack over her shoulders, still keeping the whip in hand.
"Let's stop by the gallery on the way out," Sara said.
"Okay, I need to stop by the kitchen and get something, actually. Why to the Gallery?" Ria asked, running down the stairs.
She ran into the kitchen first, locating a thermos inside one of the hanging cabinets. She filled it with the reasonably fresh and warm coffee from the pot. Sara scoffed.
"Are you kidding me?" she asked.
Ria took her backpack off and slipped the thermos inside after ensuring that it would not spill. She then replaced the backpack purse to her back.
"I'll need the energy!" she snapped, starting to the Gallery door.
Sara sighed again. "Just kick the door in."
"What?"
"It's old and wooden, Ria! Just kick really hard; we don't have time for you to picklock it!"
Ria nodded, realizing the truth in this, and did as she was told. The door came swinging violently opened in just three kicks. She stopped just inside the room, blinking.
"Why…?" she asked again.
"The mantle, where the whip was. Remove the plaque where the whip was hanging. There's a hidden, small opening behind it. Inside are some weapons. You might need some of them," Sara explained pointing to the red velvet-covered plaque with the now empty trio of silver hooks.
Ria moved to the dead fireplace the display plaque hung over and removed it, seeing a seam in the form of a thin, small rectangle. She pulled at the fading, crimson wallpaper, finding it to be hollow beyond. She groaned at the semi-dark space. She reached inside, fearing spiders and any other gross creatures, and felt something leathery. She pulled, withdrawing a belt equipped with an attached, sheathed dagger. She knew that there were more weapons inside, she could just barely make out their shapes, but she knew all she would probably be comfortable with was the dagger. She buckled the belt about her waist, noticing that it also had a place for her whip. The belt itself fit nearly perfectly, only a little lopsided, but it was in no danger of falling. She turned to Sara, a question in her eyes. Sara smiled.
"It was Sonia's. It might be useful."
Ria nodded, feeling a little bit more at ease than she knew she should. This piece of history…a piece of one of the Belmonts before her that had fought Dracula and lived to tell the tale. She felt strong, bold. She nodded towards the door as she put the whip on the belt.
"Let's get going," she said, exiting the Gallery.
She made it all the way to the front door of the manor, dreading the steps that led her closer to Castlevania, but was stopped as she saw a figure approaching from outside. She paused, reaching for her whip. However, as soon as the drawn back, white-blond hair was visible, she sighed.
"Alucard…what are you doing here?" she asked.
"You ran off in such a hurry. I feared there might be something amiss," he said.
He looked about the manor from his place just outside the threshold, noting the destruction. His eyes found Ria's again.
"What happened?"
"Walter took my mother, Alucard. I'm…I'm not prepared, but I have to go to Castlevania. I've got to save her. I've got no other choice," she explained.
His eyes looked as if he was in a far off place, dreaming of neutral, unfathomable things. Ria, meanwhile, stared at his feet just behind the house's threshold. She wondered why he had not entered the home yet. She shook her head after a second, thinking that that was not what was important for the moment. Maybe it was just that half-bloods were bound by some of the same rules as their vampire kin?
"Alucard?" she said after a little bit. "I don't really have a lot of time…"
"No, you don't. I'm coming with you. Do you have the necklace I gave you?"
She blinked at him, not fully processing his words.
"You're coming with me?"
He nodded. "Yes. I had always intended to accompany you when the time came. The crest on the necklace, Adriana. Do you have it?"
She felt a sudden relief course through her. She had read about Alucard's exploits in Castlevania. An experienced fighter would be with her…she could do this…
"Ria!" Alucard and Sara said simultaneously.
Ria jolted back to the present. "The necklace! Yeah, be right back!"
She dashed back upstairs to her room, rummaging through her three jewelry boxes. Finally, in her antique oak box, she found it. She snatched it, slipping it over her head to hang over her silver cross. She arrived back downstairs.
"Ready," she said.
Alucard stepped aside and gestured for her to lead the way. She moved outside, shutting the manor door behind her. The three of them headed towards Eternal Night-Alucard, of course, only knowing of himself and Ria.
Night had somehow become darker. Every noise-owls, bugs, anything-made Ria tense. Even Alucard looked fairly anxious. The paved road and sidewalks gave way somewhere past the graveyard where Ria had fought and defeated her first real fight. It wasn't long before the forest loomed over them. They stopped just at the barrier.
Alucard made a motion like inhaling, but Ria did not hear any air rush in. His eyes were closed, like he was trying to rely only on his sight or smell or something. Finally, his eyes opened.
"He's finally cast the spell…" he muttered.
"What spell?" Ria asked.
He turned to her. "The spell that the forest takes its name from. This is the point of no return, Ria. Once you past through this barrier of trees, you cannot return until you have killed Walter. And it will night within this forest and surrounding Castlevania, never daylight. Are you ready?"
"Really? No. But he's got my Mom. No way am I turning back," she said, taking her first step into the forest.
An odd feeling passed over her…like she had just walked through a barrier of Jell-O. She turned and gasped. She could not see beyond the trees. She had stepped past only three or four closely planted trees…but it looked like nothing but thick, dark forest all around her! Soon, Alucard appeared at her side.
"What's with this? Is it fake?" Ria asked, motioning to the forest behind her that shouldn't be.
"No," Alucard said. "Castlevania invites victims. The spell transports anybody who enters the forest halfway to it. Come, we must move on."
Ria looked to Sara as Alucard passed in front of her. Sara's eyes were wide, terrified, and, even for a specter, she moved stiffly. Each step she took appeared to shake, and she had her arms clasped very tightly around herself. Ria let Alucard get a little ways ahead of her. Then, she turned to her whip-bound friend.
"Are you okay?" she whispered as low as she could get.
"What?" Alucard asked without turning.
"Nothing," Ria answered in a voice too chipper for her surroundings.
"It's…been years…but it's still not easy. I'm dead, and this damn place still terrifies me," Sara said.
Ria had to fight either gasping or laughing; she wasn't sure which one. She had never heard Sara, whose voice for all his modern vocabulary was still rather dainty, swear. She reached out, placing an arm around her shoulders, surprised to find that she felt as solid to her as any living person might. Sara smiled at her, a small one, and nodded. The ghost let her arms drop to her side and tried to relax her walk. She succeeded…until they came to the miniature cliff that separated them from Castlevania.
The castle was big, gray, stone, and looked every bit as menacing as Ria thought it would. She could see black figures circling the top of a tower, and she prayed that they were only bats. She turned to Alucard, taking off the necklace with the crest and holding it.
"So…how does this work?" she asked.
"Hold it up, invoke the name of Tepes, and order the drawbridge open," Alucard said.
Ria nodded, stepping forward. She held the necklace by its crested pendant. She swallowed down the urge to yell, "By the power of Greyskull," and cleared her throat.
"Uh…" and she mentally scolded herself for this moment of tripping over her words, "By the…name of Tepes, I command the drawbridge open!"
She fought a laugh as she realized that she remembered an episode where He-Man had said something similar. But it worked. With loud creaks and groans, the drawbridge hurtled to earth, throwing dirt skyward.
"After you," Alucard smiled.
Ria swallowed again, harder, and put a tentative foot onto the drawbridge. She stopped, looking back at her companions. Sara smiled and took a position directly on Ria's right. Alucard stepped up on Ria's left. Shoulder to Shoulder, they entered Castlevania.
End Notes: Okay, all the things that Ria took with her will be explained in their own time…although most of them are probably self-explanatory. Another note, about something I've stated in two previous chapters…and no one has mentioned this, it has just been personally bothering me…I mentioned in chapter one that the air was chilly to Ria. I also mentioned in the chapter past that Ria feared how cold she would find it in the fall…Folks, I've never been to Transylvania. I'll also admit that I have not taken the time to look up the general weather for the area. But, it's mountainous, so I figure it's colder than where I imagine the region of the United States that Ria's from is. Being that I live in northern Alabama, I imaged that Ria was from a hotter summer climate than Transylvania. Also, there are a couple of things I'll be incorporating into this story's sequel that will be based on an Americanized system…I know it'll be totally inaccurate…but I beg your forgiveness…since the only time I lived in a foreign country, it was in an army provided housing, base, and schooling. Okay, so, sorry about this long thing. Just wanted to clarify that. Please review.
Fun Fact: From the point they left for Castlevania (actually stepped out the door) until the end of this chapter, the song playing on my media player was "The Night Calls My Name" from one of the Forever Knight soundtracks. Haha. Very appropriate.