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

An Opened Door

Maria considered herself a good magician for her age. Not as powerful the mages of lore, but good enough in her own way.

Over the years she had mastered command over her familiars and key Arcane spells under the tutelage of her mother, and Emma in the recent years. Though there was much she had yet to learn and master, as she was soon to find out.

It was nearing dusk, and she finished training, summoning her familiars to attack Vance and Emma (the latter who had assumed wolf form to combat Maria's beasts.) At the coming of night, the group dispersed, Vance flying off with his weekly hunt with Richter and Emma heading home.

Maria lagged behind, petting her animals. "You've all done well." She stroked her feline's head. The cat chuffed and nuzzled her  hand. Two phoenixes perched on her shoulders, cooing and nudging her ear. "It takes an immeasurable strength and will fighting a vampire and hybrid."  The large turtle grunted, stomping its feet.

"Even you." Maria scratched the turtle's leathery neck. "Defensive combat is just as important as offensive. Emma nearly broke her teeth on your shell."

Maria closed her eyes and concentrated, letting the glyphs on her skin tingle across her skin like a rush of cool water and opened multiple portals, allowing the animals to return to their respective realms.

I wonder if I'll be able to summon stronger creatures the more experienced I become? Her ancestors over two hundred years ago could call upon dragons and beasts of great power when they were fully grown. Tera claimed they were twin mages born from the lineage of Zaharial, the founder of the Speaker clan, and the  last Watcher angel.

"We're descended from angels?" Maria had asked skeptically. She did not fully believe her mother that such creatures existed on this Earth. Tera did. There was a reason she loved and treated Amalie and her daughter as her own family.

Maria's glyphs kept tingling even after closing her portals.  "That's odd." She rubbed her arms. Normally the feeling stopped, why did it still linger?

An electrical sensation simmered in the air, like the clouds of an oncoming thunderstorm. Maria felt a tense pressure in the back of her head and heard a  low, distinct crackling noise like  burning  firewood. She'd never felt this before, but instinctively knew it was tied to her inborn magic.

"What the hell?" Maria gasped, seeing the air shimmer before her. She stood transfixed, staring at the shimmer as it rippled in the air before her like a curtain. Had her sleeves not covered her, she would have noticed the glyphs glowing ever faintly up her arms

I think I'm meant to.... Maria lifted her hand and opened the Shimmer, using the same technique to summon her familiars.

A sharp burst of air knocked her off her feet when an enormous scaled creature lumbered out of the portal, a draconic animal the size of an ox with a rotund body covered in shaggy green fur. Spines protruded along its back akin to a porcupine, its tail whipped in the air like an agitated cat. The creature lumbered around like a bear, waving its neck and flickering its tongue in the air, tasting the unfamiliar scents of another world.

Maria scrambled back, mentally cursing herself with every swear she could imagine. She was too stunned to call for help or summon her own familiars.  Run you idiot. Fucking run!!!   A twig snapped beneath her hand and the beast jerked its head at her, blinking its serpentine yellow eyes.

"Stay back!" Maria scrambled on to her feet, pointing her dagger at the approaching beast, who padded towards her. It caught her scent on its tongue, and its slivered pupils enlarged. It stopped and blinked at her, almost curious.

Maria dropped the dagger when it nudged her hand, almost affectionately.

"You're not going to hurt me...."

The beast nosed her sleeve, nipping at the fabric as if wanting to taste her flesh. Maria rolled it up before it could tear her sleeve. A shudder rolled down the beast lapped its tongue along the glyphs running up her arm. It shuddered a surprised growl, gazing at her perplexed.

Maria stood in awe, slowly raising her hand when the beast stretched its muzzle to touch Maria's palm.

A series of shouts drew its neck back. Its eyes narrowed and it hissed, retreating from Maria and skittering into the darkened woods.

Richter shook her to get her attention. "Maria are you okay!?"

Maria jolted. "Richter what the hell are you doing? Stop shaking me I'm okay ! For God's sake I'm just fine!" She snapped at them.

Richter turned worried to Emma, who nodded. "Let's go home." She said tensely. Maria didn't follow Emma's call. "Maria come on!!"

The girl quickly hurried at her ancestor's side.

"See I told you there was nothing there." Richter shrugged.

"Not now, but there was...." Emma hissed, rubbing the back of her head. " A Door opened, I felt it. Maria, did you feel anything weird, or see anything strange?"

"No." Maria fibbed, subconsciously rubbing  her arms.

Emma took notice and kept her close. "Let's head back. It's getting dark and vampires will be out."

"Em, there hasn't been a vampire spotted here in weeks." Richter grumbled.

"Vampires aren't the only supernatural threats in this world." Emma warned, gripping the hilt of her sword. "Besides..." Her tone lightened. " Tera's making a peach cobbler and I'll be damned if I miss out on that. You haven't lived until you've had a fresh baked peach cobbler."