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

Striga and Morana

Vance hated leaving Emma behind, but he knew she'd be safer with her mother. He silently moved on the dirt path, feet barely making a sound and wearing a dark coat and hat. His mahogany eyes gazed toward the shadow of the new moon. Prime hunting time, with the moon darkened , prey would have a harder time detecting any prowling vampires in the shadows.

He looked back at Machecoul on the hill. Emma was right; Striga and Morana could decimate the entire town by sunrise, and they would if they sensed Vance was hiding there, or though he was being held captive. Get them away from the humans and hope they were in the mood to talk. Hope he could successfully convince them to leave.

That was the plan...

Vance stopped when he passed the Renard's house. He cautiously approached with sharpened claws and urgently knocked on the door. Please be Maria or Richter. To his worse scenario, Tera answered.

He immediately stepped back.

"What do you want?" She demanded venomously.

"You must go to Amalie's." Vance informed her maintaining his calm demeanor. "There's a great danger in Machecoul tonight. My sires are here and your family will be safer in Amalie's protection."

"Your sires?" Tera's eyes widened horrified. She understood, though she wished with all her soul she hadn't. "You must go! If your sire is here, your presence will draw them to us."

"That's what I'm doing." Vance lowered his head. "I'm leaving on my own to see if I can reason with them. I only wanted to warn you to keep you safe."

" Your lingering on my doorstep is only leading them here." Tera glared at him with all the hate she possessed. "Leave now before your put my family in danger."

" Will you go to Amalie?"

"What I decide is not your business, vampire." Tera seethed. "Now leave."

"I will once I know Emma's family is safe."

"Leave!" Tera lashed a coiling flame at him. Vance recoiled backward bearing his teeth in a hiss. He would've struck down and drained that woman dry if it weren't for Emmaline's own blood in her veins. "I'm not your enemy Tera. I want to help you."

"Only because of Emmaline." Tera glared and Vance didn't refute. "Leave. I won't warn you again." The fire blazed in the Speaker's palm. Vance lowered his head and nodded, moving on his way.

"Was that Vance?" He heard Maria's voice before he vanished into the woods. He hoped they'd heed his warning.

                                      ......

The closer he got to Striga, the tighter the knot pulled in his heart. It would lead her to him  like a rope through a labyrinth, Morana too.  Vance kept his head high, breathing in the night air and letting the scents of the woods trail into his nose. The stars glimmered over the midnight woods with the hill of Machecoul far behind him, the lights of the houses flickering dimly. I'll keep you away from the humans while I figure things out.

Vance halted and bared his teeth, feeling his chest clench. His eyes pinned on the ring of standing stones on the nearby hill, making out two shadowy figures in the center. His heart lurched, but not from the connection.

"Should be easy." He took a deep breath. "A good greeting and a catch up. Not like you haven't seen or heard word from your own brood in over five hundred years." Another deep breath. Emmaline, you need to keep Emmaline safe. Muster it up for her. She was his child as much as he was theirs, bound by blood without inheritance.