[Transylvania] Castlevania

[Apollymi]

Kasmina watched her husband's face in this moment. It seemed his understanding was exactly as he wanted it to be. Of course, she wouldn't lie to him about anything, but she felt plaguing him with her family's problems was probably unnecessary. But before she could say anything else on the matter, her husband conjured a great wind and disappeared from her sight. A sigh escaped this young woman as she thought about how fast her husband had moved from this place and what the statement that this would end tonight had to mean. "Alina," she called for the maid and the young woman appeared at her side, curtsy in place crimson eyes glowing. "Yes, Mistress?" she asked awaiting for a command. "I'd be right to assume, that after finding out that my father sent a Vampire Hunter here to kill him, with no regard for my safety, probably for his own greed, Sorin would go see him, yes?" she asked as if she already knew the answer to this question. There was a gentle upturn to the demon maid's lips as she answer. "Of course, Mistress. Would you like to go to him now?" she asked figuring this woman wouldn't leave her husband alone to deal with the problem. "Of course," and with this statement Alina would reach out for the young woman's hand and once she took it the pair of them would disappear from Castlevania, to the Baron Dacian's farm in Sibiu.

Continue the story here.

[Bloodedge]

Roughly one hour after their departure, Sorin's teleportation saw to the return of Kasmina and himself to Castlevania. Hand-in-hand, they appeared in what had once been Dracula's study, filled not only with books of all sorts, but with alchemic devices and unknown technologies as well. Within this one room were tools which dwarfed the likes of the "self-lighting torches" upon the castle walls; there were many strange beacons and spheres, gears and elements... all sorts of things upon tables and individual stands of various persuasions. Many of the items seemed magical, and many were. Of course, Sorin had brought his wife to this specific location in the castle for one very specific reason: to explain and advance her abilities, and to spare her of her current "illness" as a result. "Apologies, my dear. I let it slip my mind that teaching you about Mistwalking would have this effect on you if I did not follow with the proper knowledge of your new physiology."

[Apollymi]

As they arrived at the castle hand in hand, after a very strange evening out and about, Kasmina got to look around a room she'd never seen before. It was full of marvels and wonders the likes of which her eyes had never seen before. She became infinitely curious about all manner of these things, and found herself scoffing at her husband's apology. "I accept your apology, but there is hardly a need to offer it. I expected some level of strangeness when I accepted this as the next step in our life..." she started as she kept her attention split between this man and taking in all the sights this room had to offer. "More pressingly... I remember my earlier inquiry, forgotten from days ago... these lights are astounding! Tools and instruments the likes of which I couldn't have imagined. With this wealth of knowledge it is a wonder any focus is managed," she said with emphasis about her current interest. Her current 'illness' and new physiology all but forgotten to her already. She could learn about herself anytime, but... all of the other things she had to learn about were also equally if not more important to her.

[Bloodedge]

If Kasmina expected such occurrences to follow vampirism, Sorin thought she could also expect the future happenings. In the moment, though, she seemed less content to receive the development of self than she was to speak about the advancements in technology within Castlevania. "Ah yes, of course. These are tools of science," he replied. Releasing the female's hand, Sorin took a few free steps around the immediate area, turning in different directions and observing the various items strewn around. "Dracula lived a very long time. Life beyond the mortal limits allows many developments to take place. The lights you mentioned probably won't be invented by mortals for decades to come, given their current advancements. Imagine the ability to capture lightning, and place it within a closed lamp. That is essentially what happens."

[Apollymi]

Kasmina soon was given an explanation to her question without much hesitation or thought. This was exactly what she wanted and when the creation of these lights were explained she was astounded, both by the longevity of Dracula and by the ability to apparently capture lightning within little glass bulbs. It seemed preposterous but she was looking at them right now and could hardly deny their existence. "That's astounding, truly... though admittedly I do not know whether to assume he was clever or that he was simply beyond finding amusement," she said of Dracula and the apparent developments he'd made many years before other mortals would find the ideas. She supposed that made sense of course, longer lifetimes would break the limits normally imposed on creativity defined by the times. "Science seems like it will be interesting to follow for quite some time to come," Kasmina mentioned thereafter, but she was not one to tarry when she could remember why she was here. "Now then, what else needs explaining," she gently prodded as she moved forward taking up a place beside her husband as she was quite sure he meant to explain other physical changes she'd go through as she adjusted to immortality.

[Bloodedge]

"If there is one thing Count Dracula can be given credit for, it is being exceedingly clever. Still, there may be a bit of the latter at work here," Sorin said as his wife took a side to him again. Now that her curious mind had been somewhat set at ease, she showed interest in the more immediate developments of her existence as a vampire. There was much ground to cover, though most of it would simply come with time. Most pressing was the clarification of her body's movements. If she remained unaware of her own abilities, she would continue to suffer, and he couldn't have that.

Sorin moved toward a very specific item within the study; it was a scale model of the adult human skeletal and muscular structure. Upon reaching it, he gestured toward it with his right hand to draw the Countess' attention. "There is an interesting difference between the bodies of humans and vampires. You've seen the strength boasted by one such as us, and you've tasted the power of Mistwalking. The two are one and the same. Look upon this mortal body. Bones hold the body's integrity, while the mind sends messages to the muscles to move bones at their joints. The human body is limited by itself; the strength of a muscle against the bone it moves is impeded by many things, including the weight of both. So... what is missing? A normal vampire is physically no different from a walking corpse, yet their strength and speed far surpasses mankind, and their bodies do not decay."

[Apollymi]

It seemed that a combination of things was responsible for the work of Count Dracula, which Kasmina expected to some extent. It was not beyond reason that a man like him would be capable of creating much in his spare time because he was both clever and without the ability to find amusement. With this in mind she was able to move on to the more pressing point of their current placement, finding out about herself as a vampire. A small smile came to her face as Sorin began to explain how bodies worked in general for humans and likely all living beings. When he went on to explain the differences she'd experienced between her human self and her vampire self it was left up to her to hypothesize why such a thing would take place. Kasmina was many things, including the child of a governess, her mother had always been quite proud of Kasmina's aptitude and such a thing would soon be shown.

"Well, given what you've said, removing mind and body from the equation only leaves the soul as the main force left to differentiate between a vampire and a human," she said rather easily. It was obviously the only real difference left, and the only thing that Sorin hadn't managed to mention in his previous explanation. The power of one's soul would make a lot of sense as to why vampires retained singular looks, and were impossibly stronger against people of even greater mass. In her own and Sorin's case faith would also be added in, but she figured that part of the lesson would come a bit later, and with that she was fine. She found herself smiling at her husband waiting for confirmation of her assumption. She wondered if getting used to the strength of her own soul was something she'd have to do, to be able to move without feeling dizzy. Or if it would be a matter of her conscious decision to move with her soul, or move as her body intended to do naturally.

[Bloodedge]

"Exactly that," he replied with a smile and a glance at the woman. A wave of Sorin's hand created a visual effect surrounding the model, aiming to replicate what skilled vampires would see when viewing the soul of one lesser than themselves. "With our abilities, we can see the souls of man and beast. It was discovered long ago that this was because our own souls are the source of our powers. The spirit is a mighty thing, you see. Without a body to restrict it, it can do many great things. What you see here is an example of a lesser vampire - one that requires blood to keep itself bound to this world. The body is nothing more than a corpse that the soul latches onto. When exposed to the light of God, or sunlight in mortal terms, the accursed soul of a vampire is cleansed. That is the reason most vampires burn in the sunlight."

As he spoke, Sorin exemplified his words by having the soul visualization appear to combust spontaneously. This was accompanied by the illusion of the mannequin burning as a result, but all things returned to their normal appearance soon enough. It was then that he moved the image of a soul away from the mannequin, leaving a trail behind it that remained linked to the body. "You needn't worry about that, though. We are of a different quality. Our souls remain within our bodies as they did when we were mortal, allowing us to manipulate our physical and metaphysical selves independently of one another. Since they remain bound to one another, though..." A simple application of telekinesis allowed Sorin to shatter the mannequin into so many small particles that it soon took on a mist-like appearance. These particles followed the trail back to the soul, and recollected into their original form where the soul stopped. "The soul and body are shaped as one. They can be moved together to amplify our physical powers beyond that of men that use only the body, and beyond that of our feral brethren that use only the soul. In the case of our more mystical abilities, we are able to extend our spirits beyond the constraints of our bodies. What you see here is Mistwalking, which moves at superhuman speeds by traveling with the soul alone. Our bodies are destroyed in the process, but the link between the two has them meet where the soul lands. Because of the soul's memory of its vessel, the body is able to reform itself in an exact likeness."

[Apollymi]

It seemed that Kasmina was indeed correct in her assumption that powers of the soul were indeed at play here. Sorin went on to explain how soul based abilities in vampires worked. Such an explanation came with visual examples as well, leaving the young woman staring on in awe as she tried to be completely attentive to the information being passed along in these moments. She now at least knew that lesser vampires could be set aflame by the sun, something she was privy to because of her interactions with Madalina but there was no solid reasoning for this before. Beyond that, it seemed that such a thing was little to no worry for them, as their soul was still housed within their bodies, as it had been when they were alive.

During this long explanation, Kasmina nodded her understanding a hand finding itself placed under her chin as if she was in deep thought. He went on to provide her another visual example, this time of Mistwalking with a more proper explanation of what the activity was, which was interesting given that she'd already shown herself to be capable of it. In the meantime she allowed her thoughts to wander a bit and came to a succinct conclusion about her most recent bout of dizziness. "Ah, so the world will shift within my own vision if I move either my body or my soul unconsciously of the other. Well, that clears things up quite a bit," she said seeming to understand a great deal in only a short while. "Oh, is there a limit to how far one can travel that way, and have their soul still remake their body properly?" she asked purely as a curiosity though it seemed like it might be a legitimate problem to go too far to have the ability to reconstitute oneself.

[Bloodedge]

The completion of Sorin's explanation marked his choice to return the mannequin to its original location in the study. Kasmina caught onto his meaning as quickly as he expected, given her earlier assertion. Her mind even carried her to the thought of Mistwalking's limitations, which was a topic Sorin himself had yet to think of bringing up. "Quick to study. You'll enjoy this room, I'm sure," he commented while forcing the soul illusion to dissipate. "There is a limit to your range. You may only travel as far as your soul's strength allows. A sound soul dwells within a sound mind and a sound body. The greater your spirit's connection to your body is through this philosophy, the greater your distance. Someone like one of us can achieve far greater range than most others, I believe. Just be wary of one thing: All metaphysical abilities of vampires rely on using the soul, so if you find yourself wishing to make use of these powers during the day, they will be less effective. Well... that is what I would say to an average vampire, I suppose. We are a bit... different."

[Apollymi]

Kasmina found herself watching as the mannequin was moved back into the study and its illusion forced out of creation. It seemed her understanding of herself was proper enough to be recognized and her general curiosities enough to earn her a bit of praise, along with the idea that she would enjoy the study. "Of course I will, studies are always one of the most interesting rooms to be in. And I've never seen one as immaculate as this one," she said with a smile forming on her face. She'd leave her curiosities for now, as it seemed there was indeed some information to be provided given her own question. It seemed that the limit of one's range when using Mistwalking was dependent upon the strength of their soul. Such things made sense and given this she would not question it further. It was also mentioned that powers concerning the soul would likely be weakened during daylight hours for vampires, but it was likely this wouldn't apply to them for whatever reason. With this in mind she could at least understand the basic powers she possessed and how to use them most effectively.

"Alright, keeping my body and soul in balance will keep me from stumbling about while moving, and all strange vampire abilities I possess now or will possess in the future are connected to my soul. That makes sense I suppose, but in what way are we specifically different from other vampires?" she went on to question, outright there was the obvious problem that the Convocation had with her creation, and though she understood what outcomes they expected or were worried about she knew not the differences between lesser vampires and themselves, except what had been explained over the last few moments. With this knowledge she'd likely come to have a full understanding of what she needed to from this moment forward. While she waited for an answer to her question she thought consciously of the balance between her body and soul, in so doing she found herself capable of her normal movements without feeling as if the world was shifting. She used this newfound freedom of mobility to look around what book titles lining the walls and taking in the general extras of the study. While this occurred though she soon felt a very strange and nagging sensation from the very pit of her being, something akin to hunger but much stronger. At some point she'd close her eyes and take a deep breath through her nostrils the scent filling her nostrils not akin to anything she'd ever smelled before.

[Bloodedge]

"Chances are, you never will. I intend to keep it maintained and above the standards of mortals at all times. Castlevania has been so advanced for so long, it would be a shame to let mankind catch up to its splendor." Now that Sorin had given Kasmina the knowledge she needed to control herself, he stepped to her fore to look upon her. Her curiosities continued to show themselves, though all questions she offered were understandable and easily answered. Frankly, Sorin was quite satisfied with this list of inquiries. "The thing that makes us different from the others is the quality of our souls. A normal vampire is not a creature of faith. The fact that we are makes us capable of feats others could not even dream of... such as marrying in a church during broad daylight. God's grace does not harm us." As he shared this information, Sorin noted the strange behavior of his wife. A sharp increase in one's sense of smell was also a trait of vampires, so it was normal for a newblood to adjust to it along with everything else. In this case, though, Sorin was not entirely sure what the woman was experiencing. "What troubles you?"

[Apollymi]

It seemed that Sorin intended to keep the standards of this study and castle well beyond the norm of human society. This was interesting news of course, as she was more than a bit interested in everything. Curiosity was one of her better qualities and though she usually didn't let it get the best of her, she came to realize she now had all the time in the world, and very few responsibilities. It would be rather easy for her to find herself engrossed in something new. As their conversation progressed she also received the answer to her question of how their souls differed from others, and it seemed that they simply had a stronger quality of soul than others. They could enter churches, pray, be blessed, and probably a litany of other faith based activities, because they still retained their faith. Their souls were essentially without the curse more standard to vampires. A smile came to her face then, as it was quite relieving to know nothing about the general way her life or faith worked would have to change. This was quite an exciting prospect or at least it would have been if she hadn't been distracted by the scent plaguing her nose and the deepening hunger she felt within herself.

Her husband now at her fore she found herself opening her eyes to look at him directly, he asked what troubled her. She took a couple of moments to think about it, and wondered what it was, a step was taken forward and she inhaled once more thinking it over, and though he smelled delicious it wasn't him that smelled like food to her, well, at least not like dinner. "I do not think I am troubled," she answered calmly before subconsciously flicking her tongue over her fangs. "You smell of marzipan and mint leaves and while that is tantalizing beyond normal reason... something else smells like dinner," she said her eyes seeming to glow as her hunger became the most apparent thing in her life. "What is that?"

[Bloodedge]

The thing plaguing Kasmina was indeed a scent, but according to her, it was unrelated to Sorin's and not actually bothering her. Being born a vampire, Sorin had never experienced the first hunger for blood in the way newbloods did, so he initially had no clue what exact smell she was experiencing on the list of scents from within the castle. Raising his right hand, he touched the left temple of his wife's head. This allowed him to share her thoughts for the duration of contact. He could virtually pick up the scent himself then - rather, he did, and it smelled of steak left to rest before plating. The smell even seemed to be moving out of the location it was typically found in. "Now that's intriguing," he commented nonchalantly. "Dinner would be accurate. That would be the cattle. From the scent, I'd say this one is a murderer. The sin has seasoned the blood perfectly. I know this one... and he's escaping. Alina, though I previously permitted the consumption of those who've not yet gone too far once they escape, but could you perhaps settle for this one after his death? I'm certain you will understand."

[Apollymi]

It seemed her explanation was something unknown to Sorin at least initially, but soon enough her made contact with her left temple before he managed to clarify his understanding. Another sniff would occur as the young woman held some idea of where this smell was in relation to where she presently was within the castle. It seemed according to Sorin that what she smelled presently was an escaping prisoner of the castle. 'Cattle' which was by definition something to be kept and eaten at some later point. A smirk crossed Kasmina's face as it was further implied that such a thing was indeed meant to be dinner. "Oh? Sin, flavors people, murderers smell like steak. I suppose that will make it exceedingly easy to avoid killing someone innocent," she said seeming to have already made peace with what was about to happen. Alina whose name had been spoken would pop up in front of the pair. "Of course, Master, if the Mistress would prefer I can wait... it isn't as if I haven't eaten recently," Alina mentioned as Kasmina began walking towards the source of the smell she was experiencing. "That's gracious of you Alina. Begging your pardon, husband, but... I am starving..." she mentioned only to use her ability to Mistwalk to appear within the castle in front of the escape route of their supposed murderer.

She found a man who looked to be about average in his life, but upon taking a deep breath she was absolutely certain that this was the dinner she sought. "Stop," she asked of the man who looked up at her, meeting the crimson gaze that blessed the raven haired woman's visage, he was all but lost. She took the remaining steps forward and found him too tall to reach properly, she pulled on his clothes until he fell to his knees before her and she smiled all the while whispering a prayer. "Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen." she prayed looking into the eyes of her victim seeming to lull him into quietness. Strangely enough he seemed calmer now than he had been while he was trying to escape. And Kasmina had said the necessary prayer and moved the man's head to the side moving forward to press her now exposed fangs into the flesh of his neck, and then with a gentle flinch she'd begin. There was nothing else for her now, she drank this man's blood and it was like the best steak dinner she'd ever eaten. Each wash of warm liquid trailing from her mouth down her throat seemed to do nothing but delight her. In this moment she could see nothing else, there was only food and she would enjoy it maximally without the slightest hint of regret.