Castlevania: Shanoa's Fall (Cold Chaos X Parkway )

[Coldchaos]

Every 100 years, Dracula, the lord of darkness, plagues humanity with his horde of endless monsters. His mystical domain, Castlevania, claims the soul of any man who tries to conquer it. Only the Belmont clan can charge through the blood stained halls of the castle and defeat it's vampiric master. Time and time again, the Belmont clan has slayed Dracula, bringing peace to the world. However, the vampire's servants always find a way to bring him back. In the early 1700's, the Belmont family, mysteriously, vanished. Fortunately, Dracula's power was sealed away by members of the church called The Order of Ecclesia.

While Dracula's minions look for there masters lost power, the Order has learned much from this power. They gained a new form of magic, called glyphs. By absorbing dark magic through a tatoo on the human's back, they too can use that dark magic. Shanoa is one of the Order's strongest members, having defeated many monsters, and mastering many glyphs. She was instructed by the head of the Order to use a forbidden glyph, called Dominus to destroy Dracula once and for all. This was a lie, as Dominus was the very power of Dracula himself. If she used this glyph on the seal Dracula was placed in, it would only free him. As it turned out, Dracula was sealed by the Belmonts long ago, and the Order wished to free him onto the world.

After his defeat at the hands of Shanoa, the leader of the Order sacrificed himself to free his master. The seal was broken, and Castlevania was restored, along with it's lord. With no one else to aid her, Shanoa charged through the castle, defeating many monsters that ran the castle. She finally reached the master's chamber, a room drenched in blood. Statues of horrific demons seemed go glare at her as she looked down the chamber to find the master's throne. The count was dressed in his finest black cape, his red eyes gave a stern look at the maiden who intruded on him. He sat in silence, awaiting the heroic speech he had heard from every hero who stood to challenge his dark power...

 

[Parkway]

The fighting. She had time to stop and ponder what manner or creature from hell she was killing. All Shanoa could do was continue to bludgeon them and move forward to his chambers. Where he sat on his throne. Her battle cry filled with rage as the forged ahead. When she finally made it the room was decorated with the macabre.

Her breathing was elevated. He sat dressed in the colors of death. His glowing red eyes seemed to appear bored! His arrogance knew no limit she mused. Her own blue eyes as cold as ice. She stood still and let them slide over his dark form. She was clearly disgusted.

It was as if he wanted her to speak. Engage him in some sick and twisted dance of words. She had no desire to be his puppet but they just stared at each other. Shanoa could smell the decay and depravity seeping from his very core. But still he only stared back. No motion to call upon one of his minions. Nothing! He didn’t move! The tension could be felt enveloping them.

The silence was deafening. She narrowed her eyes and inhaled; “It would not be easy to believe that the corpses of the dead should walk, I know not by what agency, from their graves, and should wander about to the terror or destruction of the living, and again return to the tomb, which of its own accord spontaneously opened to receive them, did not frequent examples, occurring in our own times, suffice to establish this fact, to the truth of which there is abundant testimony?”

Her voice didn't waver as she condemned his very existence.

 

[Coldchaos]

The vampire lord cracked a wicked smile, as the woman made her bold claims. A black shadow wrapped itself around him. Parts of this darkness broke off, morphing into a horde of bats. These black creatures flew off the black throne Dracula sat at, flying all around the room. They flew all around the maiden, causing her hair and parts of her attire to flutter in the breeze. Candles generated a blue flame, to illuminate the bloodied palace, The bats collected themselves in front of Shanoa, reforming the accursed Dracula.

He towered over the young maiden, standing with the grace of a noble. "You stand to challenge me, like many who have come before you. A testament to man's resentment for his natural state. Like the dogs you keep as pets, so must man serve it's own master." The vampire spoke with a booming voice, as he stares at Shanoa with his ruby eyes.

"You have grown strong, maiden. From my seal, I could sense your power growing as you take the strength from my defeated minions. That power stems from the evil I, alone, control. If you dare to strike at me, then you will seal you fate as my eternal servant."

Dracula smiled at the end of his speech, bowing to show grace to his beautiful opponent. Was he mocking her? Was he so strong that Shanoa couldn't even touch the lord of darkness?

 

[Parkway]

Slowly she tilted her head a small smile played on her lips. Amused by his parlor ticks. “All this ceremony for me?” She stood ridged her eyes cold as the steel of man’s blades. He was not to be trusted had history taught them nothing! The Lord of Blood stood tall his voice like an echo though the canyons. Filling her every fiber.

The maiden didn’t move. Except for the steady rise and fall of her breath it was as if she was one of his statues, abet a much prettier one.

Their glare was like fire and ice coming together. The fate of the world resting on the outcome. Her disgust for him evident on her face. Still their eyes locked in a battle unseen by any onlooker should there have been one.

She let his lies settle around her. He was luring her into trap! How could she be sure? She only had two options lay her blade down or strike. Shanoa reasoned to move now would be unwise. He wanted her to! He was pushing her to do it! Testing her will.
“You speak of which you have no understanding of m’lord.” Her smile returned and her voice was like the smoothest silk. “Are you so smug to think all serve you? I think you do. How amusing that it is thus for you. How many times you were sent back from which you came and had to dwell in the knowledge that you are merely a servant yourself.” She was gloating him.

He was nothing she reminded herself. Nothing.

He was not going to bend it seemed, the lord of evil noted that his minions gave her the strength which stemmed from him. Mocking her with his bow…as if he would ever do that without being forced. No he was the master of deceit. She’d do well to remember this. His bow though broke their dueling eyes. It was now or never.

Shanoa struck as he raised himself up. Fire and Ice meeting.

 

[Coldchaos]

The lord of darkness had taken a liking to this girl. "For one who isn't a member of that wretched family, she is strong in will." He thought to himself as she made her claim. Dracula enjoyed Shanoa's form, such a lovely creature would make an excellent pet. Her fire burned all around him, a grim reminder of one of the many ways he was killed. The mighty vampire lifted his hand, and sliced it across the roaring inferno. A dark wind blew about, extinguishing Shanoa's flame.

This mighty tempest bellowed around the room, pushing the girl away from her fearsome opponent. The burns along Dracula's body had already healed by the time the wind subsided. His cape was all but ruined, but the dark lord kept a stone dead look of determination. "Such impudence." He mutters to her, as he pats out the remains of the fire. "You have learned much from my power, but it holds no sway on it's true master." The vampire's had glowed with a wicked purple flame. He stepped closer to the maiden. "I have no choice but to strip that power from you. Then you will be made a proper servant."

 

[Parkway]

Shanoa made a face of displeasure at the dark lord. He simply walked through her attack. Mocking her! Shanoa's eyes narrowed. His manner is such that he thinks he owns her! The arrogance of the evil lord! As she staggered backwards she forces herself to maintain her position. She smiles and stands to her full height. “I will never be your servant. This is what truly galls you lord. Not that I continue to beat your bastradized minions.” He approaches and invades her space, this makes her stare hard into his soulless ruby orbs.

“You will soon come to learn grave disappointment and it shall be at my hands.” She flexes as the attack is now in the form of ice. She forces the energy to do her bidding as the leaps through the air to land on the opposite side of him. She doesn’t run from but back at him.

“You are nothing more than cloaked death. You are master to none and enemy to all! I shall cast you back from the pits you so ungracefully emerged from!” She shouts as she launches at him. Her eyes flash the fire of an army and her war cry echo’s off the walls her face distorted in rage.

 

[Coldchaos]

"ENOUGH OF THIS!!" The great vampire roars at the cocky human. He raises his arms, his scarlet eyes shift to a white glow. The blue flames of the chamber brighten to a blinding level. The shadows in the room begin to twist and shift. As the lights dim to it's original glow, black tendrils began to shoot from Shanoa's own shadow. This black web grabbed onto her feet, binding tightly to the floor. As seconds pass, more blackness emerges from higher up the shadow. It attached itself to her arms, then wrapped itself around her neck. Dracula's fingers danced, controlling this black creature. He commanded more webs to shoot, binding Shanoa to her spot.