Castlevania Nocturne: A Sneak Peak

Sneak Peak: Cave of Forgotten Dreams

"Vampires." The hermit glared. "Even in the ancient days humans were preyed upon by those monsters. That hasn't changed in the millennia since these paintings were created. They will always hunt us, and we will always be prey to them."

"That's not true." Emma disagreed. "Not all vampires are bloodthirsty beasts. There a few that have retained their humanity."

"But those are few." The hermit shrugged. "And far in between. Perhaps I am biased, and I will never see past it. How can I, after what they took away from me??

"What happened?" Emma asked.

The hermit sighed, gazing at the cave walls, his torchlight flickering on his solemn profile. "A vampire killed my father. He attacked our village on a hunting raid. My father confronted him while the beast drank the blood of our neighbor, but the demon lashed and tore his throat clean out. He died before his corpse hit the ground. He would have gone after me but...."

 He clenched his throat. "He was subdued. The vampire warned me if I were ever foolish enough to confront him, like my father, I would share his fate. I was twelve, a boy on the cusp of manhood. I never forgot or forgave that monster for taking away someone so dear to me."

"I'm so sorry..." Emma sighed quietly, thinking of Richter.

"Thank you.."He clenched his knife. "From that day on, a hatred burned in my heart that would never be extinguished. I swore I would grow stronger, become smarter, and protect those in ways I couldn't protect him. I became a vampire hunter, and for many years, I cultivated my craft, saving those in honor of my father who died by their fangs."

"Did you ever find the vampire who killed him?" Emma wondered. The hermit gave her a long stare. "Yes, but I could not kill him. He was too strong,and I couldn't risk my life on vengeance. I had loved ones to think about who would needlessly attempt to avenge me if something happened. I had to come to terms with it and let him go, he was an ancient vampire, and even in my strength I was no match for him. Don't pity me, madam, I'm at peace with it." She could see him smile through his thick black beard. "I've more important things to prioritize. Getting you out of here is one of them."

"And finding my companions, the missing boy too..." Emma strode close to him.