The Rondo Of Blood: A Rewrite of Castlevania Nocturne

Prologue

1783...

That fateful night in Boston, Massachusetts sprang to life as fireworks crackle in the sky and the sounds of joyous festivity filled the streets. But Richter Belmont only remembered it for the horrible tragedy that came with it. What was once an hour filled with celebrations of independence ended in a bloody massacre in the blink of an eye. What was once the proud lineage of the Belmont clan, of legendary vampire hunters gifted with the magical arts of the Speakers, swiftly ended not with a battle cry but with a faint whimper...

The forest roared like a ravenous beast behind them. He felt the horse carrying both of them quiver from the saddle as it continued to gallop against the narrow wood despite of the horrors chasing after them. The blood of his uncle Lucian was still warm and dripping from Richter's rosy cheeks. His frail body trembled from within his mother's clutches as he clung to her tightly.

"Hold on, Richter!" His mother's voice persisted through the strong winds and the cold rain. "Hold on!"

He was still frozen from shock after what he witnessed. An hour ago, he and his uncles were celebrating the end of the war at their family home. And by his side was his mother. Sonia Belmont, the Lioness of the Revolution. And he, her son, her little cub. A legend among their family, embracing the end of a long war. The family was singing, and dancing to the sweet taste of victory. And Richter was happy with them.

And then began the screams. Of his uncles, their own kin, and their companions from the war, screamed from the monsters that preyed on them from their drunken daze. It was all a quick blur but Richter managed to get ahold of their distinguishing features. The monsters were anything but human. They had skin so dark and scaly, saw through many eyes that looked so empty and hungry, held bodies with hands so mangled and clawed, and they feasted with mouths full of sharp ravenous teeth, and hunger dribbling from their misshapen lips.

His family had a name for them. They were known as night creatures. Demons born from Hell that exist only to destroy any living being they see, from the comforts of the darkness. And it seemed as though they were catching up to their horse and leapt around the forest from the shadows, surrounding the duo.

But Sonia was not to deal with these fiends empty-handed. For she held the ancestral Vampire Killer, a whip consecrated to slay both demons and vampires. It was passed down from generation to generation of the Belmont Clan to great use, slaying every vampire and night creature it ever faced. Sonia pulled the whip out of her belt and began twirling it around the humid air, waiting for the first one to strike.

Her wishes were answered as a night creature dared to pounce on her and her son while on horseback, claws sharpened and its teeth bared. Sonia cracked the whip with such force that the creature lost its head mid-flight and fell into the dirt dead. She conjured an icicle from her fingertips and aimed them on her foes. Many more night creatures followed suit, but Richter was at ease knowing that his mother will defeat them no matter what.

"Hold on, Richter!" His mother told him again. "We're almost at the pier!"

Richter opened his eyes and his mother was right. They leave the horse, and ran across the empty pier at the hour when everyone has gathered at the city square to celebrate. Everywhere the duo looked, there was not a single person at any ship or boat docked around that could help them escape. They heard a roar again, this time there were more of those creatures screeching along from the distance, and it was getting louder as they come closer.

Feeling his mother's hand trembling as he held on it, Richter turned to face his mother. He saw her beautiful face pale white with fear, sweat was dripping down profusely from her long blonde hair. Noticing her son Richter, she looked at him dead in the eye. He was often told that he had a pair of dazzling turquoise eyes just like his mother.