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The Broken Vow

Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Learning To Live

Summary:

After being rescued by Joachim, twelve year old Lalai Belmont recovers from the attack and trains.

Chapter Text

I wake to the sound of knocking on my door and then groan as my guardian and teacher walks inside. "Good Evening Lalai its time to wake up, grab some dinner, and then get right into tonight's lesson." Joachim says and pulls the covers off of me. I sit up and yawn, stretching my arms and legs before hopping up out of the queen sized bed. "What am I learning tonight, Master Joachim?" I ask and go over to the wardrobe beside my vanity mirror and open it, pulling out a pair of trousers and a light green training tunic. I hear him chuckle and from the corner of my eye see him float over to stand behind me. "You will be learning how to summon a blade with your mind. I know its a power most Mortals can never achieve but I know your different then most of them, your Leon Belmonts descendant and had he learned at your age certain things then he would have been the greatest monster hunter in history." He said and then sighs, a hint of sadness in his voice. "I miss him...He was the only one who truly loved me, I understood he had to marry a woman and continue his bloodline but I still yearn for the nights when he and I would meet up, fight for a while, and then make love until the sun started to rise." He confesses and I blush at the mental image of my ancestor in the arms of a Vampire.

"Why didn't you.." I almost ask but then pause as he tenses up and places a gentle hand on my head. "Why didn't I turn him? Keep him with me forever?" He asks softly, voice strained. I nod and hold still, not scared of being harmed by Joachim but scared that I hurt him. "I asked him you know, many times, but he always said no. He didn't want to be around for eternity, always living with his regrets and watching his descendants die...I was so sad when he passed away but I swore to protect his bloodline to the best of my ability...I failed at that it seems too." He says softly at the end, I turn and huge him tightly. I learned about him and my ancestors relationship a few weeks into my stay here at his hidden Castle and also learned that he held both my brother and myself shortly after we were born, as he had with all of Leon's bloodline. He hugs me back and then pulls away, wiping the blood from his eyes and chuckling weakly. "If Leon could see me now, crying like a infant while his great great grandchild comforted me, he would never let me live it down. I'd be teased into eternity!" He says and then floats toward the door. "Dress quickly and then join me for dinner, your lesson begins shortly after." He says and then leaves the room, shutting the door behind him so I can have some privacy.

I strip out of my nightgown and dress quickly, noting that my chest binder was once again getting to tight. "Damn this thing...Why couldn't I have been born a male." I gripe before checking my appearance in the mirror and putting my hair up into a tight pony-tail. Nodding once I'm satisfied and grabbing my sword from the rack it sits on above the empty fireplace, quickly strapping it to my side as Joachim had shown me last week, and leaving the room. I walk through the halls and ignore the Undead and Demonic servants that move about with their nightly tasks. I keep my face blank and my heart rate steady, control over my body, emotions, and spirit insures my survival when amongst such Creatures, something I learned the hard way a year after staying here. I go down three flights of stairs and hang a left, walking through a hallway filled with paintings and armor, toward a set of double doors with depictions of waterfalls on it. The doors open for me and I walk inside, pausing once I see two other place settings at the table.

"Lord Joachim, thank you for allowing my wife and I to join you tonight on such short notice." A deep male voice says, followed by Joachim's replying. "Well how can I say no to you, Lord Tepes. Just be polite toward my ward hm? After all she hasn't seen anyone outside of myself and my servants and certainly not any other Humans." He appears followed by a tall pale man, Vampire, with dark black hair and long cape. He turns his red eyes towards me and blinks in shock, before glaring at Joachim. "A Belmont?! You mean one survived and you didn't inform me?!" He growls out and I instinctively change to a defensive stance, one hand on my swords hilt. "I don't answer to you /Mathias/, or did you forget that I am not one of your petty Generals?" He growls back and the swords on the wall around the room begin to slide free from their holdings. Everything is tense and I can feel the dark magic in the air for a moment until a soft and exasperated female voice cuts through it. "Really Vlad, we talked about manners! Now stop posturing like a rooster and act civil." The voice chides, just out of my sight, causing me to chuckle at her tone of voice.

The one called Vlad relaxes and sighs, glancing behind him and then moving out of the way to let a beautiful blonde haired woman walk inside. She sees me and smiles kindly, walking over and standing in front of me. "Hello there, I am Lisa Tepes of Lupu." She says and holds out her hand, I stare at her a moment and read her body language, eyes, and aura for any hint of malice or deceit. "Lalai Belmont, House of Belmont and Joachims Student...Nice to meet you Lady Tepes." I shake her hand once before letting it go and walking over to my seat, sitting down. She follows and sits across from me, relaxed despite her settings. "Oh you chose well Tepes, its so nice to know that there is someone who can curb your temper and even remind you of manners." Joachim says with a chuckle and floats over to his seat, sitting down on my left while Vlad takes the empty seat to the right.

"I didn't choose Lisa, she chose me." Vlad says and smiles fondly at her, a look I have only ever seen on my fathers face for my mother. I swallow the lump in my throat and look away, focusing on my plate as a servant puts my favorite meal in front of me. Roasted boar with red wine and herb butter sauce, a small serving of candied fruit, and a baked potato with onions, salt, and butter meet my gaze and make me smile a bit before frowning. "Master Joachim you only serve this when my lessons might either kill me or cause me to be seriously injured." I say as I put the napkin on my lap and begin to eat. I hear him chuckle and glance at him sideways to see his smirk as he pours a goblet of blood for himself and another for Vlad. "Your correct as always, tonight's lesson might cause you to have a stroke and die from the mental strain. I believe you are ready though and will prove to be a quick learner." He replies and sends the other goblet of blood to Vlad via levitation.

"Why would you put her into danger like that?" Lisa asks, causing me to look at her and noting that she had the same food as me and was frowning at Joachim. He shrugs and looks at me, motioning for me to tell her why. I sigh and get Lisa's attention with it. "I asked, practically threatened, him to teach me how to fight and kill like a Creature of the Night. I refuse to be weak and defenseless against my own kind again." I say calmly, taking a bite of my fruit and chewing politely. Vlad frowns and looks at Joachim accusingly. "How did you turn a Belmont against Humanity?" He asks and I glare at him, interrupting whatever Joachim was about to say. "He didn't do anything except save me from being raped by a priest and dying in the wilds. I realized on my own that some Humans are worse then the Creatures my family hunted and so I /will/ be ready to kill them and rid the world of their vileness like I would any Creature who kills for fun instead of survival. I still believe in innocent Humans but they can't do anything against the evil ones that rule and control society."

I eat more, keeping my eyes on my plate and staying on guard for whatever this other Vampire has to say. All is quiet for a few moments but for mine and Lisa's utensils lightly scrapping the plates, and then Vlad sighs heavily causing me to look at him with narrowed eyes. "So its true then...There are no others of your family?" He asks softly, causing me to freeze and drop my fork. "Vlad! Why would you ask-" Lisa begins but stops as I stand and storm away from the table, throwing open the doors and leaving quickly down the hall. I hear Joachim's growl before I turn and head down another six flights of stairs to the Training grounds, which also used to be the dungeons.

The Castle that Joachim and I now currently live in used to belong to a demented Vampire named Walter who was killed by my ancestor Leon and Joachim centuries ago. Both wanted revenge on the Vampire, one for his Wife who was sold to Walter by another Vampire named Dracula and the other for being mentally tortured, starved, and kept chained in this very place that I now walk through in anger and sadness. 'Stupid Vampire, who the hell does he think he is?! Asking such things about my family?!' I think and then lash out at the wall with my fist, sighing as I hear a crunch. Looking at my hands I frown when I see my fingers are fine and then I look at the wall and notice a crack in it. Stepping away in shock I feel a presence behind me, causing me to turn and pull my sword free from its sheath. Joachim is standing there, his own swords out and floating around behind him. "Well since you seem to be in the perfect mindset for a fight, lets do some warm ups shall we?" He asks and lunges at me, swords flying ahead of him.