Forge of the Damocles

[Cosmic Orion]

OOC: Well. . . this is a story I wrote after playing the Castlevania game "Lament of Innocence" based on the vampire Joachim Armster. If you haven't played the game, he was a Vampire with unique abilities and an excellent swordsman. A friend said this was good enough to put up on here. . . so here goes nothing!

Castlevania: Forge of the Damocles​

The year is 1094. . .

Rubble fell from the ceilings as a new Epoch was given it's beginning, a lone man brandishing a whip fled from the falling structure. Meanwhile deep below, what had ONCE been a man now dodged falling debris. He was determined not to allow this `Palace` become a living tomb. And now it seemed to have quieted. . . though anything resembling an exit no longer existed from the chamber he dwelt within.

The `Dark Palace of Waterfalls` was drab. . . silent. . . empty of life. . . cold. . . just like an over-sized coffin. A sewer would be it's appropriately deemed location. Something which had been particularly amusing to a now slain vampire, having banished a rebellious vampire of considerable power down to this place. Cobwebs were in the corners that only remained because they had been untouched by time in this abandoned & nearly forgotten structure.

In the darkness, a lone figure lingered looking rather lost in his own little world with a blank look on his face. Mindlessly plotting ways to escape from the place he had been brought back to in his ex-master's final moments along with the other guardians as well. In those moments as the vampire Walter had been betrayed by Death. . . he had resurrected each of them in a futile attempt to stop the Grim Reaper. And his death had given each of them freedom from his power. . . though it appeared from the auras. . . that each still remained in their respective areas.

His second set of obstacles were them.

This figure had been defeated in battle by a powerful Vampire Hunter which he did not really even care to fight, forced to by the circumstance of serving his sire. Imprisoned & incidentally made guardian of the Water Vein which was now in rubble. . . thought to be destroyed by this hot-blooded former knight. But no, he had been brought back by another's selfish desire to live on by a bare thread of unlife. . . clinging to it stubbornly out of hatred.

His first obstacle was regaining more power.

And for this to occur. . . he had to drink blood. Just about any race's crimson wine would do for now until he became strong enough. The Mermen, Fishmen, & Lizardmen which had survived the Castle's destruction would do ever so nicely for that purpose to temporarily sate a dark thirst. But that meant negotiating the ruins of his former `Palace` which had nearly killed him earlier.

 

[Vay]

Its good, its good.

Even though I came in thinking of the Damocles crusade.

You going to continue this?

 

[Cosmic Orion]

[ Since a certain person named Vay asked, I'll continue Joachim's story. Glad you like it~]

With the state his `Palace` was likely in beyond this chamber, the young looking vampire felt the slightest bit thankful he did not have the limitation of walking. But at the moment his feet were touching a large piece of fallen debris about the size of a large cow. Effort was needed to activate his incredibly developed telekinesis. And for that he had to be able to concentrate even slightly. . . something not easily done without blood & feeling trapped.

As he glanced around with unearthly eyes, he spotted only one of his five `special` swords handle sticking out from a pile of stones. It was in the hand of a dead Lizard-man whom seemed to have been crushed just after the vampire's resurrection. Knowing four were missing angered him deeply, suspecting lesser creatures probably seized them in the belief it would give them a fraction of his power. Together they could be used by him to wield power comparable to that of an equal number of Runeswords. But they could not help him now anyway, with the large boulder blocking the exit.

He knew that in his current state, his powers could not manipulate such a large object. Not without feeding. Making matters worse, it was held in place by smaller, but equally annoying pieces of rubble. Collecting himself in the way only a creature without humanity could. . . he focused on one of the rocks holding his major problem in place. Perhaps this would also help him ascertain just how weak dying had made his powers become?

Joachim could feel the texture of his target, not with his skin. . . but instead with his mind in that familiar sensation. Every last groove or chip into it's shape was mapped out as though by a strange sonar. But sonar was certainly not the direction his dark gifts had taken him. With a twitch of his head the stone flew across the room & cracked with the deadly force which it had struck the wall. It made a small smile of achievement crawl upon his lips.

Now that the lone stone had been removed, the boulder could be moved a fraction of a hair from it's current position. Other stones still remained to hold the barricade in place however, now serving only as a practice run for the dampened powers of Armster. After a time nothing held the large mass of rock back from being moved itself. But being so massive, it also did not move from it's position despite being freed from it's smaller companions.

This would require something more.

With a flick of the wrist, his pitiful tormentor was removed in an instant of displaying a truly amazing power. Using this would remain restricted until he had fed upon enough creatures to restore him to full strength. It was part of the reason he claimed the only remaining sword before departing his `Throne Room` not only in search of blood. . . but his other four favored weapons.

And those who felt lucky enough to have survived or looted one of the five swords. . . soon found their luck had already run out. . .

 

[Cosmic Orion]

Sure enough, the bridge which led to his little `Throne Room` was completely destroyed. After a few moments of concentration, he flew across to the other side of the chasm with sword in hand. Despite the situation, the breeze blowing across his cold & pale skin. . .through the snow white hair. . . brought him pleasure. He could do what no mortal man would ever be able to do on their own outside a dream, just by a whim.

To have even thought it might still be standing would have been wasted hope anyway. He felt smart for having not attempted to call upon such a human emotion for a pointless reason. But then again. . . when had he ever truly been foolish aside from challanging Walter? Something might have still remained of a long forgotten humanity, in that he had no longer wished to be a servant. Nothing from his human life mattered much to the vampire anymore. . . despite how it had been stolen away from him by his Sire.

Having been a farmboy or a noble. . . what impact could that truly have now?

Joachim had lived what was comparably a full lifetime as one of the undead. Any type of humanity had left him long ago when he began to feed upon innocent & impure alike. It was replaced by that cold & calculating wisdom gained through `Eternal Youth` along with scant signs of insanity. But to kill a living creature. . . to muster up such a murderous feeling. . . one had to be at least a little bit insane. Yet he had refrained from having anything to do with Sara Trantoul when Walter had returned, as if sensing she would be the elder vampire's undoing.

The former master of this castle had allowed him hunts within the safety of the forrest before beginning his cruel `game`. But when he grew bored, that red-haired vampire had decided he could not afford to leave such a powerful guardian any freedom. Not when so many interesting house guests would come to visit him. Or when their relatives & lovers came to bring them back home. But the truth of the matter was. . . not many made it past one or two of the guardians.

Especially if they faced either of the female guardians first.

But Joachim knew they could wait until later, as precious blood was whiffed in by his delicate looking nostrils & a savouring expression held his face. It quickly vanished to allow a ravenous hunger to return to his otherworldly eyes. Before him stood a group of mixed enemies all bearing aquatic origins & feeling they could take on their former lord as he was under-armed & likely very weak. One made the mistake of coming at him first without any type of back up.

A look of fear came onto his face, as he turned to run from foes which were quickly coming into range of handheld sword attacks. The single Merman began it's rolling move whch had given Leon Belmont magic power by way of an Enchanted Gauntlet. Bouncing up into the air from the ankle deep water, it intended to come down on him like a living spinning blade with it's sharp swimming spines extended.

Then came the surprise, as he turned to face the airborn foe wearing an expression kept from being terrifying by his inhuman beauty comparable to that of nobility. For all any stranger knew, he could have been exactly that as a human with all the arrogance & pride held by him. One might have thought he threw the sword with unerring accuracy, but as it let loose. . . both must have known his telekinesis guided it with deadly precision.

It skewered the weak monster just above Armster, much to the vampire's delight in defeating his first opponent since ressurection. The fact he was still strong frightened each of the remaining opponents. All wached as his bloodlust took delight in letting blood drip down the sword, off the bottomost part of the handle toward a tilted back head, & into his open mouth. Such a sweet flood of memories were brought back by the sensation of feeding. Even if this was not the best tasting blood he had ever drank.

Soon after he felt minute strength come into his form. . . the others died just as swiftly. . .