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

Heirloom

Emma was ten years old when she first wielded her father's sword.

Or at least tried to wield it.

The weapon was two feet taller than her (and she was taller than most children her age!), surprisingly very heavy despite looking so thin and light, it nearly dragged her to the floor.

Frederic chuckled amused  watching her struggling to reach up and pull the sword off its post on the wall . "How about helping me get this thing off?" Emma snarled at her older cousin.

"If you can't get it off the wall, you definitely can't hold it." The boy shrugged. "There's no shame in admitting defeat. You've got your magic. You don't need a sword."

"I'm not giving up!!" Emma spat.

Frederic helped her along with his younger sisters, Mary and Anne , along with Emma's best friend,the Whisperer boy Cyrus , bring it down. They all believed in her. "Thank you." Emma said to them graciously before declining their further help. She had to wield the sword on her own, that was part of the bet she made with Frederic.

Emma gripped both her hands on the hilt and lugged it out of its scabbard. She hadn't expected it to be heavy and struggled to lift the blade off the ground, pouring in every bit of her inhuman strength into it.

"Come on Em! You can do it!!" Cyrus cheered for her, followed by her cousins who encouraged her. Even Frederic chimed.

Miraculously, the sword lightened in her hands and Emma successfully lifted it off the ground and pointed it to the air. The children cheered, Emma blushed with pride. She literally felt the weight drop off it, as if by magic.

It was magic! Emma thought to herself amazed. It's a magic sword, it knew I was worthy and let me hold it. Like King Arthur! She felt like a true queen in that moment.

"Well done, Little Dove." Alucard stepped in from the shadows, releasing his telepathic hold on the sword as it dropped like a heavy weight and clanged on the ground. Emma was more humiliated by her father's reveal than fearful of punishment of messing with a weapon.

"If you leave now, I won't tell your parents of your aid in petty theft." Alucard warned the Belmont cousins. Emma's father wasn't light on his threats.  The children hurried away , not before Cyrus   gave Emma a baleful look.

Alucard took the sword from his daughter's hands and sheathed it. Emma averted her eyes, feeling her father's gaze burn deep into her soul. Alucard never yelled at her when she was in trouble, he carried a stern voice and looked at her in a way that made her want to shrink down into an insignificant dot and cry.

She feared her father more than her mother when it came to being punished. She could handle her mother's yelling and grounding her. With her father, she'd rather die.

"You know better than this." Alucard spoke after moments of silence.

"I'm sorry Father." Emma apologized crestfallen.

"What were you trying to prove?" Alucard asked.

"That I could hold the sword." Emma admitted. "Frederic said I couldn't."

"And you felt the need to prove him wrong?" Alucard questioned. "Emma, you shouldn't let him goad you. If you let his words get to you, you have already lost. Regardless if you held my sword or not." His firm tone lightened. "And there is no need for you to wield a sword. Especially one like mine."

Emma slowly nodded, wanting to run away and hide at the distant side of the castle.

"At least, for now."

Emma perked up, looking surprised at her father. "You'll teach me how to swordfight?"

"Yes." Alucard nodded. "Given you do not try to steal my heirloom again." He unsheathed the blade as it gleamed in the sunlight. "Perhaps one day it will be yours."

.....

Emma couldn't contain herself  during her first lesson. Alucard instructed her how to hold a sword, picking a smaller training weapon from the armory that was once his when he learned from his own father.  He guided her in different stances, practiced swinging in those stances.

More than once they practice sparring, Alucard holding a wooden sword and landing several on her.  Emma barely touched him, her father was so fast! Right when she was about to land a hit he dodged out the way. The more determined she became to strike him, the more he managed  to strike her in the legs, toppling her.  Emma snarled and lunged at him every time, only to be knocked down again.

"Never let your anger get the better of you." Alucard warned. "In the rage of trying to bring  me down you leave yourself  vulnerable, and blind yourself  to your enemy's attacks." He urged her up. "Again."

 Emma knew from the first day on, Alucard wasn't going to be easy on her. So be it, she could take a few hits, and she would  beat him when she was ready. She would be as good as a swordsman as he was.

She would bet on it.