Castlevania: Of Darkness and Light

Infiltration

"Wouldn't it have been better to do this at night?" I asked as we lay hidden in the cover of the deep forest, silently overlooking the shadowy fortress down below.

"For the last time no."  Trevor answered gruffly. " It is too dangerous, security is heightened when the Whisperers return to their  stronghold at dusk. They cast a ward over the vicinity that alerts them to the presence of magic. We'd also have night creatures to contend with." He gave me an inpatient glance. "Don't look at me like that.  It was your idea to sneak inside a magicians' lair causing as minimal bodily harm as possible." 

"I know." I said sharply. "I just thought we could act on it sooner, instead of waiting for the night to pass. If I knew we had to wait, I would've been all for rushing in  staff alight and swords blazing."

We had spent the night planning out our heist, using the detailed map the Whisperer girl snuck into my pocket, the Panacea's location marked with a solid dot. Once we figured out our strategy, the duo advised I should get some rest for the trial tomorrow. "We're not doing this tonight?" I countered. Trevor stated the risks and stuck to his guns despite my protests. Thankfully Sypha was the voice of reason, even though she agreed, it was still comforting to hear it from her.

My sleep was anything but peaceful ;  I kept waking up from nightmares of Alucard dying before I could reach him, his cries echoing  in my brain even after I awoke.  At one point at midnight, I took a step outside and sat on a chunk of old stone, gazing up at the moon and the distant stars. I prayed the first time in memory, for the success of our mission and that Alucard held on long enough for me to come home and cure him. I was alone, with only the stars and moon as witness to a fallen angel's prayer,  I didn't feel the need to conceal my arms.

" Beautiful moon tonight." Sypha observed. I didn't realize she was beside me until hearing her voice. I instinctively pulled my sleeves down. "Hey." I said, trying to sound casually. 

Sypha didn't react to the markings on my arms."It's all right, you don't have to hide those from me,  I don't think you're a demon or anything like that. I can sense you've got a pure soul. Call it a Speaker's intuition."

"I know a little about that." I smiled, the tension in my shoulders eased. "I traveled with the Speakers for a short time. Your grandfather sends his regards." That immediately earned her trust if I didn't before. We spoke about her family and my short time with them. "I'm so relieved  they're still alive, and they're okay."

"Do you miss them?" I asked.

"Yes, terribly." Sypha nodded quietly. "Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice in leaving them." A darkness cast in her eyes. "Especially after  witnessing the cruelties of humankind, but then I realize how wiser I've become, how more experienced I am now of the world. I was a child when I left my family and now I have grown."  She cocked her head to the thunderous snoring inside the run-down house. "Helps that I have a good travel companion too!"

"You seem to be more than just companions." I noticed.

"Oh! Yes, you're very right in that." Sypha chuckled. "I'm sure you already know what it feels like. I see it in your eyes when you speak about your friend."

"I do." I remarked. "At least, the emotional part of it. That's another thing, why it's so important to save him. If something happened to Trevor,  it'd be terrible and you'd be heartbroken, but at least you'd have a family to go back to. I don't have that blessing, I woke up in a field with no memory and no name. I have nobody else. Sure I could find my way to the Speakers again, but I never felt like family with them (even though they're the nicest bunch around.) The one I love is my only family. He took me in , tended to me, and gave me a home. I can't lose him like this, it was my fault he was attacked. If I hadn't run off in fear...." I was near tears when Sypha took my hand.