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

Blood Price

Edited 3/7/24

Striga and Morana pinned their progeny down and kept him immobilized with iron claws.

Vance instinctively struggled. Twisting, writhing, and hissing like a captured cat before his sense returned and he kept still. He knew he couldn't escape Striga's grip, the massive vampire kept him restrained with nearly all the might of her body. He relaxed, not wanting to wound himself further, and jerked up his head bearing his fangs. "Let me up this instant are you mad!?"

"How could you betray us!?" Striga hissed.

"What!?"   Vance spat.

"Don't play fool with us, child!" Morana snarled. "You've aligned yourself with the Nephilim!! Her reek is all over you. I smelled it the moment you crawled to us on the hill. Why!? How could you turn your back on your own people and throw your alliance  with them!?"

"Let me up so I can explain!" Vance growled, pained by the heartbreak in his sires' voices. "It's more complicated than you think!"

"So you admit it." Striga's voice wavered.  "You're in league with the angel and her bastard daughter. Vance, my son, why?"

"He did not betray you." A powerful voice  bellowed, seeming to come from everywhere. The vampires found themselves trapped in a force-field  surrounded by mists.                                            The mists parted, revealing a woman  holding a gleaming staff. Angelic glyphs shone brightly on her arms, but she retained her human eyes, a bright spark kindled within them.

"I wouldn't try to break through that." Amalie advised. "Not unless you want third degree burns. Now let him go." At her divine command, Striga released Vance, who scrambled onto his feet.         

"Good, you're smart enough not to fight me. Don't even think of harming him, not unless you want a better close up of this modest display of arcane magic."  She curled her fingers and the shield shrunk an inch before expanding to its regular size when she flattened her digits.

"Amalie, you know I'm in here too! That shield will hurt me!" Vance exclaimed.

"I know." Amalie winked. "I just can't have your two moms running loose on a killing spree. I'm a bonafied angel, I've got my duties." Her sharp eyes locked on the vampiresses. "And will not allow you to harm the people of this town."

"You fucking bitch let us out!" Striga lunged at the field only to get blasted back. 

"Striga please!! You don't know who you are dealing with!" Vance begged.

 "I've had enough of you, traitor!"  Striga struck him sharp enough to knock him out cold and pinned down his throat.

The fuck did I just say!? Amalie shrunk the shield, intending on crushing the vampire on the inside. A panicked scream stopped her.

"Mal'akh. If you dare to harm my beloved I'll do worse to yours. Drop the shield or I shall rip your spawn's throat out."   Morana warned from outside of the forcefield. The ancient vampire strode from the shadowed mist,  savvy enough to arcane attacks she shifted into mist out of the field as it materialized around them.

 Morana's claws dug into the scalp of her prey.

"Emmaline........." Vance's  dazed eyes quivered on her.

Emma glanced balefully at the mage and her guardian. "I'm sorry, she threatened to kill Richter.  The three of us tried to fight her but.." She lowered her head.  "I've never seen a vampire this strong, she would've slaughtered them all if I hadn't offered myself.."

"You were wise to surrender for their lives." Morana said pleased. "I am an honorable vampire, I shall keep my word.......for now."

"Let her go." Amalie's eyes now glowered with rage.