Castlevania Nocturne: A Guardian's Tale (Part 1)

The Peacekeeper

Emma didn't fear walking the streets at night. She was well equipped at handling vampires at this point. With her sword, teeth, claws, vampiric strength, and divine powers, she was more than a match for any vagrant vampire who dared to sink her teeth into her. She could go toe to to with any of those blood hungry predators.

Humans, on the other hand, were a different matter. It wasn't as if she couldn't best a human, with her superhuman prowess and divine ability she could easily beat even the strongest one, she was reluctant to combat them. Emma possessed the innate reluctance to harm a human being, a trait inherent in her angelic side. She'd rather fend off humans than fight them, which is what she did when a throng of the Abbot's knights  apprehended a small group of revolutionaries .

She was first alerted to this group on her way to the bakery for a late evening snack, hearing a familiar voice speak passionately to a small group of listeners. Shit. She snarled, hurrying to the small square, with her hand on her hilt. Maria stood among a group of four people as they listened to her speak of injustices plaguing France. How now was the time to stand up and fight back, as many of their people were doing now across the entire country.

Talk she was way too familiar with. "Same shit, different language and continent. It's Boston all over again." Emma muttered under her breath. She wasn't the only one alert to their dissent. A quartet of knights appeared in the square and attempted to arrest them for disturbing the peace. Emma put a stop to them immediately, disarming the knight apprehending Maria and repelling others with her sword.

"Drop your weapon!" Commanded the head knight. "You dare draw arms against  knights of God?"

" I do if they're persecuting those they've sworn to defend. What business have you arresting innocent civilians? " She demanded the knights.

"They are disrupting the peace." The knight bellowed.

"The only one disrupting the peace is you ." Emma growled. "They've done nothing wrong. Leave them be and let them speak of whatever they wish."

"We will not allow anarchist discourse spreading poison throughout this town."

Maria was about to rail back at him, but a threatening glare from Emma kept her silent. Even she knew not to mess with her Nephilim ancestor.

Emma sighed exasperated. "'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.' That's the first amendment of America's new basis of government. I quite like it and I think the Abbot and Monarchy should follow. The more you suppress their freedom of speech, the harder they'll fight against you. Let them go, there's no need for trouble."

Emma saw the smile on her descendant's face.

The knights glanced at each other and nodded. "Only this time to keep the peace." The knight warned. "If we catch any of them speaking discord among our streets , we will deal with them accordingly." He shot a glare at Maria. "Regardless of age."

Emma stepped in front of Maria defensively. "I assure you that won't happen again. These meetings are over. Everyone go home!" At the command of her divine voice the group dispersed. Leaving only Maria and Emma with the knights.

"The Abbot will hear of this."

"Fine by me." Emma remarked undaunted. "Let him know you're not the only peacekeepers around here. I want a stop to this revolution as much as he does."

"You bloody turncoat!" Maria spat at Emma disbelieved.

"Quiet!" Emma barked at her and excused themselves. "You'll get no more trouble from us." Her pace quickened until she no longer felt the eyes of the knights burning into her back. "Come on. Let's go." Emma urged Maria hastily through the streets. Her blade glimmered in the lantern light gripping it close to her side.

"You had me convinced." Maria glowered.

"I'm a very convincing woman." Emma replied nonchalantly.

"I thought for a moment."

"You thought wrong."

"I can't believe you!" Maria huffed trying to keep as much distance from her. "I thought you'd be on the side of freedom."

"I am."

"You of all people should have stood with us."

"I should."

"We're fighting for the same things you were."

"That's great. Now move."

Maria scowled at her direct ancestor. "I thought you would care."

Emma gave her a flinty glare reminiscent of her father. "I do. I care about you not getting shot by a knight or drained by a vampire from your obvious rallies. You don't know how risky this is. Speak up loud enough and you'll paint a target on your back."

" Let them see me! It's a risk I'm willing to take!" Maria declared brashly.

"Really?" Emma clicked her fangs. "You'll do no good for your cause if you're dead. And what would your mother think if you were killed in the name of liberty and equality?"

"She'd be proud I died fighting for it."

"Oh, so you think." Emma hissed. "Pride wouldn't be her biggest emotion, trust me."

Maria kicked a rock several feet ahead of her. "Why do I even bother with you? You're impossible!"

"I thought I was a bloody turncoat." Emma quipped.

"You're worse." Maria wheeled around and glared daggers at her. "You're complacent. You'd rather bury your head and ignore everything. I don't understand you, how is this any different from the revolution in America?"

"Because my own family is involved in it!" Emma snapped losing her composure. She breathed heavily, bearing her teeth with her hand on her forehead. "I'm not going to dissuade you for fighting for what you believe in, I just need you to be careful. I don't want you holding meetings in town anymore, it's too dangerous."

"I'm not afraid of the Abbot's dogs." Maria seethed.

"I'm not talking about the knights." Emma bore into her. "I mean vampires."

"Vampires!?" Maria exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yes. Vampires." Emma rasped. " Back in the colonies, when things were heating up, the rulemakers employed vampires to dispose of revolutionary insurgents. Of course it wasn't outright known the local governments were hiring vampiric hitmen, but it was obvious with their victims. Most, were opponents of British rule, or members of revolutionary groups. Many of the Sons of Liberty died until they  employed bodyguards, usually vampire hunters, or those equally skilled in killing them." She touched the hilt of her sword.

"You!" Maria gaped.

"Yes." Emma spoke quietly. "I needed the money, and they paid decently enough. It was hard living with all those damn taxes."

"So you were just a mercenary?" Maria said harshly.

"At first." Emma thumbed the ring in her pocket, thinking of how much Caleb would have loved Maria. "Then I saw how colonial rule also meant vampire oppression of humanity , and I was very much against that." Emma yawned, clicking her fangs. "Still think I'm a turncoat?"

"No. I still think you're too bloody complacent, and impossible to understand." Maria scowled

"I can live with that." Emma blinked her golden eyes, sniffing the air. The bakery was near and all this revolutionary talk and recollection made her wanting for a snack.