Fandom Castlevania: Earth's Dirge [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

‘Wallachia.’

The name continued to play itself over in the blonde’s head as she sat at the bench of the carriage she had commandeered recently after her last one was destroyed. Carriages were useful. They were shelter from the sun when it turned to daylight, after all, though she did detest driving one.

‘Tragoviste.’ That was where it began, according to all the rumors.

Before that came another town, though, and from the looks of the barricades at the gates, and the smell, this town had already started to see the fallout from Dracula’s curse. ‘Just go by it, ignore it.’ Except she really needed to know what town this was, so she could figure directions. She presumed it was Gresit, but she was not certain. So, with a sigh, she stopped her carriage, and then loosened it, unfastening the horses from it, but tying them off near.

They could drink.

Eat a bit of grass.

Whatever horses needed to survive…she really wasn’t accustomed to these beasts.

‘Sewage pipe. Great.’ Nadine didn’t for a second consider actually walking in the water. No, she brought her fingers to her lips, and blew her breath forward. In an instant, the water of the pipes froze, and she was able to leap up onto it and walk through the pipe without getting her cloak dirty at all, nor her boots. Of course, it started to melt quickly, but she was long gone by then.

She leapt out of the exit of the pipe and landed upon the cobblestone, quickly taking the environment into account. Ruined buildings. Dead bodies. Panic. ‘Fantastic.’ How was she supposed to find out where she was in this mess? Well, no matter, perhaps if she was able to offer a hand, the people would be kind.

She started to approach the central square, where a found was, and plenty of people were moving bodies about, leaning them up against things. The smell of blood was intoxicating, but by that age, she’d learned to resist. She might have to consider getting a snack, though.

Her red eyes fell upon a teenager and someone who was likely a father. She strode towards them as they seemed to be panicking, asking the man to stay with them. She glanced around, and ripped the shirt off an obviously dead man, before continuing towards them and kneeling down, seeing the wound. “Excuse me,” she glanced to the girl, “May I assist?”

Then she could ask where she was, and get on out of there. Simple.

The girl nodded, and Nadine reached out and cleared away the wounded’s attire, ignoring the look she was receiving for her eyes. Her skin. She kept her lips tightly sealed as well then, except to murmur, “You should get him some water,” and the girl hurried away.

That allowed her call up the water of the air and compress it. She brought it all to her palm, hidden against the man’s chest, and she used it to clean the wound, though the man gasped and shivered, not quite understanding what was going on around him. It didn’t seem like the wound to his abdomen would kill him, though.

She wrapped the old shirt tightly around him though, all the same, and the girl came back with the water, fumbling it a bit. “H-here, papa, you mus—AAH!”

The water spilled on Nadine, just a bit – but that was just enough.

Nadine recoiled as it burned on contact. ‘Why is it holy water?’ She was blissfully unaware of the fight earlier, and how much water had been blessed. She pulled back, but the damage was done as the steam lifted off of her flesh. “GET AWAY FROM HIM, DEMON!”

“I’m really not….” But people were starting to look. And that included church officials. She covered the wound, but the girl didn’t stop speaking.

“THE HOLY WATER BURNED HER, SHE’S ONE OF THEM! ONE OF THEM!”

“This is the thanks I get for helping you….” What did she expect, though? Humans may be the cause of change in the world, but the interactions never changed. “I’ll be on my way,” she lifted her hands as if in retreat, or surrender.

Only to feel something pointy stabbing at the small of her back before she could turn away. “I don’t think so.” Someone said from behind her, and she let out a frustrated sigh.

~***~

Gresit had changed quite a bit in the time Alucard was asleep, or so he thought as he was brought out into the night air. The loose, white shirt did little to keep the chill out, although the larger coat helped to keep him warm in general. As did the gloves he now donned after his rude awakening by this Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades. He cast his eyes about at the destruction that had been caused in his sleep, by his father.

‘This is not what mother would have wanted….’ He knew that for a fact. He had heard her calling out from her pyre, and knew she wanted the humans spared. They were stupid and afraid, but not malicious. They were just trapped by their religious faith, and they allowed that to hinder them at every step.

‘Now you’ve gone and confirmed it all.’ By summoning these demons, Dracula was all but confirming that Lisa had been married to the devil. It was disheartening. His father had never been truly warm-hearted, but he’d never seen such cruelty or hatred from him before. Though, he’d heard it said that Lisa was the only one to actually bring out any love from him.

The air reeked of demonic ichor and the bodies of many dead. People were out trying to put things back in order. Bodies were dragged. The sound of them moving over the cobblestones was grating, but Alucard just looked away from it, back to Sypha and Trevor who walked ahead of him.

Sypha had taken the lead, stating that they needed to speak with her ‘grandfather’, the Elder of the Speakers here. There was a prophecy. Alucard knew it was well – he had been waiting for the Scholar and the Hunter, after all. He knew himself to be the Sleeping Soldier. He had trained for years under his father. The military strategist that had impaled many still lived in him, and so he sought to teach his son such things. Black magic, the art of the sword, he had been an adapt pupil, but hardly had as much time to learn as Dracula.

He couldn’t take him on alone.

“Here,” Sypha finally spoke, as she led them right to the sewage pipe. She gave an apologetic smile as Alucard pulled his black and gold coat closer around himself, “The Speakers are camped just outside now, because of Trevor. We will have to go through the pipe to get there. The gates are…barricaded.” Last she knew.

Alucard didn’t protest it. He simply shifted to begin levitating again, quite certain that would earn Trevor’s irritation since he wouldn’t be befouled by the sewage. Nonetheless, they followed Sypha on towards the new camp of the Speakers, and Alucard took little note of a carriage near the sewage, though he did find it…strange.

When they arrived, an elderly man did come and embrace Sypha, ruffling her hair a bit before pulling away and greeting the other two. “You must be the Sleeping Soldier.” He greeted Alucard, reaching for his hand.

Alucard took it, “That is what they are calling me,” he answered, “You may call me Alucard.”

Sypha didn’t wait, “Grandpa, you said there was more to the prophecy than this. Alucard did not know it beyond the talk of the three who would save the world from darkness.”

The Elder cracked a smile, however brief, “Yes…there is more. The Soldier, the Scholar, and the Hunter are not the only three, but two more.”

Alucard lifted an eyebrow at that, folding his arms over his chest and shifting his weight. “Who, praytell, are the other two?” He didn’t really want to have to hunt down more people. He wanted to go back into the catacombs and into his father’s home. He didn’t have time for this…couldn’t three be enough?

“There are two hunters, though perhaps one is more aptly titled Noble,” he gestured at Belmont, who was not at all noble in his ways, “a vampire hunter isn’t nearly sufficient for this,” he said, certain Belmont would disagree, “and one older than Dracula himself, a Vampire.” Which also probably wasn’t going to fly with Belmont. Not that he seemed to like any bit of this. Getting him out and fighting for human life again had been tricky enough. Now he was some destined hero?

 

[Xylona]

The metallic scent of blood, once prominent and overpowering, had faded into the background of Katherine's senses. She'd been here little over an hour, and there was already plenty of work to be done. A pang of guilt passed through her as she directed bodies to be stacked left and right. If only she hadn't spent so much time at that damn shop.. she'd have made it to Gresit much sooner and potentially helped with the attack.

According to one of the farm hand, a man with demon-killing knowledge had already been present to help with provisions. Such a fact was already apparent by the buckets of salt scattered about the courtyard. There were also many buckets of water, which she could safely assume had been blessed. Someone clearly knew what they were doing. Sounded much like a hunter to her, though no such hunter could be found now.

Amidst the sobbing and scuffle of bodies being dragged across the pavement, the most prominent sound ringing in her ears was that of her boots clomping on the ground. Odd as it was, the sound reassured her. She always did love a nice pair of boots, especially in the cold night air.

She'd been making her way briskly across the city, offering assistance where needed. "Start sprinkling salt along the rooftops. We want them as close to the ground as possible, where we can actually fight them." She instructed to a pair of men, before swivelling on a heel.

Though she'd taken to travelling and helping people over the past few months, the redhead had never lost her fancy for shiny things. Even as she strode through the town, she caught looks of disapproval at her silk dress and riding robes. Nonetheless, the people listened when she told them to do things. Watching people be torn apart by demons has a way of opening peoples minds to help. Just as well as it strikes fear in their hearts and makes them feel as if they must blame someone for the horrors. It makes them feel as if they have control, the ability to stop what's happening. If only they'd put as much effort into blaming dracula as they do blaming everything else.

As her circling ended, she found herself back in the main courtyard when you first enter Gresit. This was where most of the battle had taken place, and where most of the bodies were. Among the dead bodies, she spotted at least five live ones seated against the side of a collapsed building. She couldn't hide her irritation, frowning deeply as they breathed warm air into their hands. Did they have a death wish? "Up, up. No sitting. At this pace, the next horde will arrive before tonight's carnage is cleaned. You must be ready. Whatever tactics you were taught earlier will surely help you defend yourselves. This is not the time to be--"

"GET AWAY FROM HIM, DEMON!" The scream echoed across the entire courtyard, making Kat jump in surprise. Almost every head within the vicinity had turned, the freckled woman included as the young girl continued to scream. Her screams were directed at a pale blonde woman, whom she easily recognised as a vampire. The tint of her skin, the unearthly color of her eyes and hair. That and the more obvious factor that was her sizzling skin, of course.

Gray eyes watched the scene unfold cautiously, her pale hand finding the hilt of her sword. A man nearby had clearly approached the vampire from behind, presumably holding her at knife-point. When she noticed this, Katherine drew her sword completely. "That's no way to treat a visitor." She said simply, watching the blonde vampire with an indicative stare. A few gasps could be heard, and the man behind instantly began to argue.

"Holy water burns any creature against God. If you'll look around, ungodly creatures are what did this in the first place! This creature is no more of a visitor than those demons last night were." He growled, tensing visibly. As he rambled, a plan was beginning to formulate in Kat's head. By the looks of the angry man, they weren't going to be letting the blonde leave peacefully.

The real question was, was she really going to help a bloodsucker? Killing ungodly creatures was literally in her job description, putting herself out on a limb as she was now wasn't. However, as she looked around at the panicked faces of the people surrounding, she recognised the same expressions that had burned her house down. These people were frightened beyond reason, and perfectly capable of killing a vampire. It wouldn't be easy, but they could certainly do it. If this woman knew anything about the whereabouts of Dracula, she'd be far too dead to share such details.

With a small clearing of her throat, she turned her attention to the frantic young girl, who was now watching her with an open mouth. "Have you no manners, child? When you spill water on someone, you're supposed to apologize." She said, a slow grin stretching across her face. The brief moment of confusion that followed was all it took for her to lunge right with her sword, slicing at the arm of the man nearest to her.

Chaos ensued, and angry shouts could be heard as everyone began to lash out. It was unclear to Katherine who she was fighting anymore, only that these people were dimwitted enough to be a distraction to themselves.

What a mess.

~*~*~

Belmont wasn't surprised in the slightest by the carnage that they faced once they'd reached the surface. He'd seen these things countless times. Of course they weren't any less, well, sad-- but one becomes numb to such things. The corpses and dried blood spattered everywhere was only a morbid reminder of their task. Find Dracula, kill the bastard.

The dumb prophecy was coming together, it seemed. They'd found Sypha's "Sleeping Soldier", who in reality was just a bloodsucker trying to heal up wounds that he obtained from his father Dracula. Oh, the irony. As he glanced back at the dhampir with disapproval, the only Messiah qualities that Trevor could find was the man's hair. Otherwise, he was just some pretty-boy with pale skin. Not to mention that they'd nearly killed each other only moments before. Alucard seemed content now, far from begrudging against him, but Trevor was far from it. His family had been killing such creatures for decades, yet he was expected to work with one to kill another one. The thought of it gave him a headache.

I need a drink. He thought with annoyance, trudging silently beside Sypha as a large sewage opening came into view. "Yes, yes. This is all my fault, for saving your lives." He muttered, crinkling his nose as a smell worse than death itself met his nostrils. His frown deepened as Alucard effortlessly levitated off his feet. "We get it, Jesus. The least you could do is get your fucking boots dirty." He scowled, before following Sypha once more.

It wasn't long before they'd reached the Speaker's camp, just outside the village. If one listened closely enough, they could hear the voices from the city in the distance. The elder speaker seemed relieved to see them, greeting Sypha fondly. Trevor couldn't help but roll his eyes as Alucard introduced himself.

Luckily, Sypha was very straight forward and skipped the pleasantries. It was what she said that wasn't so great.

"Wait, wait, wait. More to the prophecy? Funny how this wasn't mentioned before. What the hell do we need two more people for?" He said, his voice raising in exasperation. Before he could ask who these other two even were, Alucard beat him to it.

Trevor watched the elder with outrage, crossing his arms sarcastically. "I think one hunter is perfectly enough. We don't need another, let alone some noble. A rich guy trying to be a hero will only get in the way." He shook his head waving a hand animatedly. "Well? Who's the other sorry sap?" He asked. The more he heard, the more he hated.

"No. Simple as that, no. We've already got a hunter, and we've already got a vampire. Which is stupid enough, don't you think? Not to mention that we can't possibly have enough time to look for these people." He said angrily, looking to Sypha and Alucard for support. Surely they didn't think this was a good idea. They didn't have anymore time to waste.

Before he could ask them for their opinions, which he'd undoubtedly spite if they didn't match up with his, the sounds of angry shouting met his ears. It sounded almost like a bar fight to him, though he knew no such thing would happen this soon after a massacre. Which could only mean one thing, and whatever it was, was bad.

"Please, tell me I'm not the only one who hears that."

 

[Lucyfer]

Red eyes found grey in the chaos, and fixed upon them as the red-haired woman spoke out in favor of her. Those gray eyes were fixed, determined, and she couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows as she wondered at the strange human in the dress, with a sword, who was defending her. Nadine hadn’t worn a dress herself, picking her leather armor, and she was glad for it now. She may have left her weapon in the carriage, but the armor would help.

‘Well…perhaps some of you are new to me.’ In the mess of faces, she could have told her exactly how everyone would react, once this unfolded.

Who would run. Who would fight. Who would be frozen, without her help.

Nadine remained calm. Whatever was poking into her back didn’t really concern her. He didn’t have it aimed properly to worry her. She didn’t move until, it seemed, the woman felt the need to lash out first, taking advantage of the confusion her words inspired to strike someone near. The blade at her back trembled, and that was the moment Nadine spun around and grabbed the hand holding the weapon, “Sorry,” she pulled him down to the ground, hearing as his skull hit the cobblestone hard. ‘Hope you’re not dead.’ She wasn’t here to get mistaken for one of Dracula’s cronies.

With that thought, she cast her eyes to the fountain, and extended a hand towards it, to pull at the water. Sure, she could draw water from the air, but this was a far faster method. Sitting water was always easier to use. It pulled right up from the fountain, to the surprise of many. She may not be able to touch the water in the buckets, but she could manipulate this.

Then, she let it all fall, a sheet of water. Many fell with it, but that wasn’t the extent of her plan, especially as she heard arrows notching from people who had been on the roofs. No, as the water ran through the lines in the cobblestones and spread, she flicked her wrist and let it freeze, watching as many who tried to charge with weapons were caught by surprise, and faltered, slipping and falling.

That was when the arrows flew.

It was probably cliché to grab her cloak and throw it up to protect more of herself – but that’s exactly what she did. It was thick enough to serve as armor, since it so often protected her from the sun’s rays. Arrows stuck in it without going through to her body, and they archers started to reload. “Considering the side you picked, I suggest you run.” She told the woman, but she wasn’t going to wait for her.

Far from it, she stepped into the nearest shadow, and vanished, appearing at the furthest shadow she could see, back towards the sewer. Finding out the name of a town wasn’t worth this bullshit. She’d just assume it was Gresit and continue on from there. If she got lost, fine.

“WE CAN’T LET THEM GET AWAY!”

‘Fucking humans.’ She wanted to stop the thought. She didn’t. This experience was certainly teaching her why others supported Dracula’s batshit plan. Back to the pipe. Back to her carriage. If the woman kept up, she could offer her space in the carriage; it was the least she could do, though she still wasn’t looking back, stepping through shadow after shadow until she was at the pipe. The water froze.

That was when she glanced back.

~***~

Alucard wasn’t really a fan of adding two more to the party himself, especially not another vampire, and they seemed to have all the hunter they’d need in a Belmont who didn’t give a damn about dying. ‘Perhaps he dies on the quest, though.’ Then they might need another hunter. He couldn’t see the point to a vampire, though.

Unless those years of knowledge were going to come in handy. His nose wrinkled a bit as he was again called a vampire. ‘Dhampir.’ Bit different, really. Bit less…inhumane. Most vampires lost their humanity quickly. One older than his father? They couldn't still care about humanity. They couldn't care about what Dracula was going to do - they'd likely want to help him with it, in fact, not stop him. Unless they were thinking of overthrowing him, of course. There were rivalries in their own ranks, and though Dracula had proven himself superior to most vampires, that didn't mean his elders respected him. He'd heard his father mutter a few things about being considered an 'upstart' because he dared to go beyond what even his own kind thought was safe.

He considered those traditionalists just as bad as the superstitious humans. There should be nothing in the way of one's goals, and that was what made Dracula truly terrifying. He let nothing, not morality, not hell itself, nor even God, get in his way. His only hindrance had been Lisa...and now, she was gone.

Sypha was the only one who didn’t seem opposed. She bit her bottom lip, clearly looking for the words she needed. A Speaker, stumbling over words – there was probably a joke in it, but neither he, nor Belmont, were focused long on it.

He heard the sounds just as well from back within Gresit. “It can’t be another attack,” Alucard murmured, “It’s too near to dawn.” The demons wouldn't come out of hiding now to attack. They'd be roasted in the sun. That was why all the attacks came at night, and no doubt why his father was soon to find a way to blot out the sun worldwide, not just in Tragoviste.

“Tell that to the demons!” Sypha snapped, moving by both of the men, “We’ll be back, grandpa!” She didn’t waste any time, moving to a sprint to get back towards the sewage pipe to get into Gresit, blue robes dancing in the wind as she ran, as if she was inexhaustible. Or perhaps, as if she had the wind at her feet. Alucard wouldn't put it past her to channel her magic for such...petty things.

Alucard shrugged, glancing at Belmont as he did, before he went after Sypha. They could resume this talk of additional figures and such after they dealt with whatever issues Gresit was having. He didn’t sprint after Sypha – well, not his idea of sprinting, anyway. He kept to a more human pace, thinking they’d hear more guttural screaming and shrieks if demons had returned. This sounded more like an argument.

Sypha was ahead of both, and kept that lead, even if Alucard could have easily closed it.

She made it back to the sewage pipe, but stopped short of climbing in, startled when suddenly all the water froze. “What…?” She didn’t know of any other mages in the town. Seeing it freeze like that was enough to put her on guard, and she drew one finger up to her forehead, the other finger bringing forward a spark of fire. The air shifted around her as she called up the flame, but she held it small, didn’t launch it forward pre-emptively. She didn’t want to harm any innocents, yet still, she felt she should be prepared.

Whatever it was, it was likely it was related to the outcry from the town. If it could freeze water, it was either a mage, or something inhuman…a threat, potentially. ‘Or….’ Wouldn’t that be convenient if it was just the one they were looking for, to fulfill the prophecy? The thought painted a little smirk on her lips, but she didn’t let herself falter.

The horses didn’t seem perturbed, though. It was almost enough to relax her as they continued on just feasting on the grass. Clearly, the horses near the carriage had seen some shit.

Alucard didn’t even seem to bother them as he came forward, and pulled his long sword, “Sypha? What’s…,” he stopped his stupid question as he saw the ice. That answered why Sypha was prepared to hurl fire. Well, he'd have to be prepared as well, then.

 

[Xylona]

As soon as Kat lashed out, everything had become a mess of people. Though it was her intention, part of her wondered whether this route of action had been necessary. After a quick swipe of her foot, taking out a mans legs, she decided that what was done, was done. She felt a swift hit to her lower back, and grimaced. Turning swiftly, she lashed out a second time with her sword. The contact could be felt all the way up her arm, and the man fell instantly, screaming and clutching his shoulder.

"Shit," Katherine breathed, turning away frantically. Her goal was not to hurt these people, only to scare them and get away. They'd already been so brutally diminished, and they needed no help from her in the form of severing their men's shoulders.

Her eyes found the blonde vampire amidst the mess, and she was relieved to find that she'd taken care of her attacker perfectly fine. She was clearly an older vampire, well accustomed to her own abilities. There was proof in that thought, Kat watching with wide eyes as the woman lifted water from a nearby fountain and froze it to the ground. People slipped and slid about, knocking each other over in their foolish attempts.

A voice suddenly met her ears, and she turned back to face the woman once more. The redhead merely nodded in response, taking the opportunity to sprint after the vampire as she began to follow her own advice. Kat couldn't let her get away from her. She needed answers, and some sort of identification at least. If she wasn't going to slay the vampire, she at least wanted to know who she was and what she wanted.

Following a vampire is easier said than done, apparently, as the blonde figure suddenly disappeared from sight. The freckled woman skidded to a stop briefly, before resuming her escape at the harsh sound of voices behind her. She didn't have time to dwell, she first needed to ensure her own safety. There was only one open entrance to the town that wasn't blocked off, and she figured it was her best bet. Whether the vampire would have needed to enter through the same sewer was unknown to her, but it was worth the effort. Even if the vampire wasn't there, it was an escape from the angry mob that she'd created.

The sound of her erratic heartbeat thrummed heavily in her ears as the large drain came into view. As it did, so did another familiar figure. Katherine would have sighed in relief, were she not breathing like a madwoman from sprinting across the town. The voices behind her had grown somewhat distant, though they were certainly still there.

Kat reached the pipe, her breaths short and ragged. The woman looked back just as she approached. "Let's go, let's go," She ushered huskily, snapping her mouth shut as the water began to freeze over. Even given the current situation, she was thankful that her clothing wouldn't get wet with sewer water.

Following behind the vampire, she wrinkled her freckled nose and stepped into the pipe. It smelled bad, as expected, but was relatively easy to traverse with the water frozen. It seemed easy anyway, until new voiced drifted to her ears. Surely her new companion could hear them as well, it would be impossible not to. They pressed forward however, as the angry voices behind them were much more prominent than those in front.

Only moments later. the other end of the pipe became abundantly obvious. As did the figures standing just outside of it. Both groups were now face to face with each other, and to say that Katherine was confused would be an understatement. Not because their were people outside, but because of who the people appeared to be.

Her eyes were instantly drawn to the oddest looking member of the three, another obvious vampire. His face and overall coloration practically screamed 'I'm not human!'. The other man present, not any less intimidating, was dressed in armour and a heavy fur coat. It was the crest emblazoned on the front that caught her attention. It was a crest that anyone in Wallachia could identify at this point- Belmont. The final member, a woman with short blonde hair, was quite obviously some sort of mage judging by the ball of fire that she appeared to be holding. To summarize the party, they were less than subtle. However, as she looked to her own inhuman companion and silk robes, she realized that they weren't either.

Stepping out of the pipe, Katherine raised an eyebrow. While she was intrigued, the increasingly loud voices behind them were a reminder that they didn't have time for pleasantries. "I'd love to stay and chat, but there are more pressing matters at hand." She grinned, before going to make her exit. However, a large hand gripped her upper arm, pulling her to a stop.

"Not quite."

~*~*~

"Probably just some fight between two guys. If it's not demons, then we really have no reason to be concerned--"

Trevor sputtered in irritation as both his companions began to jog towards the commotion. He frowned, but eventually ran after them. While it didn't sound like another demon attack, as Alucard had pointed out, there was certainly something going wrong. Not that such a fact was surprising to him- the residents of Gresit had already proved themselves to be easily influenced and radical. Now that they were some supposed heroes of humanity, it made sense that they'd end up helping the dumb people a second time. Though, if he had things his way, the people could deal with it themselves if it was a human dispute.

He was the last to reach the end of the sewage pipe, due to his hesitation. Now however, as he reached his companions, they were the ones hesitating. Sypha was clearly preparing to use magic, and Alucard was reaching for his sword. This put Trevor on the alert, and he peered into the darkness of the pipe. Surely they wouldn't ready themselves to fight for no good reason, but he could see nothing.

"Well? What is it?" He asked, stepping around Sypha to get a closer look. That was when he finally noticed the frozen water. Sure, it was the dark early hours of the morning by now, but it wasn't cold enough for the water to freeze over. Meaning that someone else had done it, though that didn't narrow it down much. It could have been a mage, a speaker, even some vampires had the ability to manipulate water depending on when they were born.

That's when the thought struck him.

Belmont sucked in a breath of exasperation. Of course he still found this prophecy business to be ridiculous. The three of them could kick Dracula's dead ass just fine, in his opinion. But the elder speaker's words had placed a seed of doubt in his brain. It was uncanny, the way him and Sypha had found Alucard just as predicted. Was it so outrageous to think that maybe the old man would be right again?

Before he could voice his doubts, the sound of footsteps drawing near ripped him from his thoughts and set him into a defensive position. Only moments later, two faces appeared from the darkness. The moonlight cast onto their faces, and it became clear. You've got to be fucking kidding. He thought, deciding against voicing his thoughts at such an awkward time.

One of the pair was clearly a vampire, the vibrant eyes making it known before any of her other traits did. The other one was human, but finely dressed. A noble and a vampire, clear as day. Well- night in their current case. Unasked questions hung in the air, as well as awkward tension. After a moment, Trevor raised an eyebrow as the human stepped out from the sewer and tried to exit with a sarcastic comment.

Normally, he wouldn't have cared. But a glance at Sypha made him sigh. He quickly darted a hand out, grabbing the redhead. "Not quite." He muttered, motioning his other hand for one of his companions to explain. This legend bullshit was starting to prove true, and his mind was already spinning. He was the last one that needed to explain it. He did know, however, that neither of the two were leaving until they explained what trouble they had caused in town. After that, he had no idea what they needed to do.

 

[Lucyfer]

The noise of the people on the other side was heard, but Nadine was pretty sure they were fewer in number, and would be less difficult to deal with. ‘Almost….’ There was one that might not be, the scent of her own kind reaching her nose. Muddled, a bit. ‘Ah, dhampir.’ Not so difficult, then. At least, that’s what she told herself as she followed this red-head out and dropped down onto the ice which held her, to see the trio gathered.

A Speaker, or a Witch.

Some noble based on the insignia he proudly sported.

And the Dhampir with his golden eyes.

Well, in theory this group shouldn’t try to murder them outright. They were traveling with another bloodsucker.

The red-head intended to leave, and Nadine was right with her on that idea, but the noble lord stepped in her way, preventing it, and tossing a look back to his companions. Nadine bristled as they were stopped. The mage lowered her flaming orb then, and spoke cautiously, “My name is Sypha Belnades, of the Speakers,” she said, glancing between the two of them, almost glad they were women then. She didn’t know how she was going to manage two testosterone-fueled brutes trying to show-up one another. “This is Alucard.”

“No last name?” Immediately Sypha was interrupted.

Alucard spoke calmly, but coldly, “Adrian Tepes, but I no longer go by that.”

“Dracula’s child? Fantastic. You may be the one I’m looking for to take me to Dracula’s castle.”

Sypha looked a bit startled, introductions forgotten, “You’re looking for Dracula’s castle?”

“Yes. If I was on the right track, this is Gresit, so I shouldn’t be far from Tragoviste, and his home.”

Sypha smiled, as Alucard just let his head fall into his hand, while the fire vanished completely, “We are going that way ourselves!”

Again, her eyes fell on the dhampir, though Sypha continued to speak, as all Speakers did, “We are going to bring down Dracula, as part of a prophecy! There are five to be involved, us three, and…well, it would seem, you two. The Noble and the Vampire.” She said, looking between them, “Ah, forgive me, I did not quite finish introductions, nor ask for your names…this one here is Trevor Belmont,” she gestured to him, the one who had stopped the red-head, “If you are already going to Dracula—”

“You just assume I’m going there to stop him, even with all the noise back there?” She cut her eyes from Alucard. These people were far too trusting, “Just as you are trusting his son to assist in taking him down?” These people seemed…stupid. “I think I’ll pass. I’d rather not get literally backstabbed.” She could go it on her own.

“Wait!”

“You really think you can?” Alucard asked, as she stepped off the frozen water. “You think a bit of ice sorcery is going to be enough?”

“No, that’s why I have a sword, like you, though a well placed icicle would end things, wouldn’t they?”

“Not for him.” Nadine paused. “He’s no longer just like us.”

“Us?”

Alucard growled a bit. Normally he was annoyed with being called a vampire, but he realized it at least gave him a sense of belong. Dhampir was…a lonely term. “Like you,” a vampire in the party was going to annoy him. Remind him of all that he wasn’t. All that he was, as well. “He attacked me. He would have killed me, just as well, he has no more love for anything or anyone, not even himself. He’s given himself over to things far more powerful, and you alone would not be enough. I, alone, would not be enough. Perhaps, you will not trust me – Belmont does not trust me – but you won’t even get through the gates without me.”

Sypha looked between them, longingly, pleadingly. They needed both of them, this woman, and this vampire.

Nadine cut her attention from the mutt, to the woman, “Would you let her go?” Spoken to Trevor, before she glanced at the Noble, “I’ve never quite been propositioned in this way before. Is this normal for this part of the world – random travelers asking you to join their group, and humans in dresses wielding swords? If so, I think I might stay….” The cold wastes were quite boring compared to this.

Sypha looked hopeful, “You’ll join?”

“Sht.” She raised a finger. Her eyes were on the red-head, curious for her thoughts, even if she hadn’t asked of them directly. This was the one who risked things to get her out of the mess back inside Gresit – she was the more important opinion than a mutt, a brute, and a witch.

 

[Xylona]

Katherine narrowed her eyes at the man who had grabbed her. She attempted to tug her arm from his grasp, but had no such luck. That was when the mage began to speak, drawing her attention from the tall man. She gave one last tug, and he shot her a smirk as it did nothing to free her. She rolled her gray eyes and listened to the introductions that were made.

Ah, so the woman was a speaker. That made more sense than anything else.

Wait a minute, son of Dracula? Why on Earth would the son of Dracula be travelling with a Belmont and a speaker witch? It was quite possibly the most dysfunctional thing she'd ever witnessed. She had long forgotten about the Belmont gripping her arm, and was engrossed in confusion. So much so that she didn't speak until her still unnamed vampire pal called on her attention.

"Okay, wait a minute, let me get this straight," She started, narrowing her eyes as she tried to piece everything together. She first pointed at Sypha, "You are a speaker witch, who thinks that there's some sort of ludacris prophecy tying us all together because my friend here is conveniently on her way to kill Dracula?" She then switched her attention to Alucard, "Who is your father, that you're totally just willing to kill? Alongside four other people that you don't know at all? We all know that it was humans who killed your mother and began this in the first place. What will you gain from showing them any kind of mercy against your father?" Her gaze finally shifted to Trevor, who released her arm once it was clear that she wasn't going to run off, "Including you, whose whole purpose in life as a Belmont, is to kill beings like Alucard? Even if you do manage to kill Dracula, then what? Will you still feel the need to execute your supernatural companions?"

"I don't like to think that far ahead. I'd prefer to focus on our current task, which is saving humanity." Trevor replied, shrugging. His uncaring demeanor was both admirable and annoying. How he could admit that he didn't know what he'd do with his vampire companions after they completed their task was daunting. Though Katherine personally could guess that he wouldn't. Usually big brutes like him ended up being softies.

Katherine shook her head, facing the blonde who wanted her opinion. The story made sense, in a way, she just couldn't see where she fit into any of that. The vampire and dhampir had inhuman abilities, certainly useful against someone like Dracula. The speaker witch had her own useful abilities. Trevor was a Belmont, killing vampires was practically in his blood. Katherine was a hunter in her own way, as she knew how to kill demons and enjoyed doing so. But she'd never killed a vampire. She knew how to recognize one, and how to kill one, but she never had. Even now, face to face with an unfamiliar blonde vampire, she'd chosen to help. All she had to offer was her sword and the money of her dead parents. What good would that do anyone?

"Listen, I don't even know your name, but I have respect for you. You could have demolished those humans back there but you didn't. You clearly want to help, so I think you should. Go with these people and help them kill Dracula." She said, smiling. "But I have no use to any of you in this. I don't kill vampires, I kill demons. I don't have any magical abilities or some vampire hunting bloodline. My ancestry revolves around rich guys selling grain." She laughed, taking a step backwards. "Your fifth person is definitely not me."

The redhead turned to leave once more, but to her surprise, a familiar large hand tugged her back by her arm. "Oh, come on! I've already told you, I won't be of any use!" She said raising her voice.

Trevor shrugged, "Honestly, I agree with you there. Just by the way you're dressed I can tell that you won't be very useful. But this stupid prophecy business increases our chances of killing Dracula, and if that means you coming with us, then you're coming with us." He said, as if it were a simple fact. He still wasn't even sure that he believed all of it, but if it made them anymore likely to defeat Dracula he was passed the point of caring. "Sorry freckles, you're with us."

Katherine looked back to the rest of the group and sighed. "You can't possibly expect to rely on someone that you forced to come with you. I mean you could make me, but there's nothing to say that I won't let Dracula claw your eyes out." She huffed.

"You won't, because if we lose then it means the end of humanity. The end of you, me, and everyone here. You clearly care somewhat about the cause, so shut up and take your chance to help it." Trevor sighed, already irritated with the girl. This was precisely why he didn't want two hunters in the group. WHich was ironic, seeing as he was the one making her stay.

At this the pale woman sighed, gritting her teeth. If they needed her to come along, then fine. But she wouldn't feel guilty when it became obvious that she would do them no good. With that thought, she dipped into a deep curtsy.

"Katherine Blakeston. Charmed to make your acquaintance." She said with a sarcastic glare.

 

[Lucyfer]

Alucard looked to ‘freckles’ as Trevor grasped her again, annoyed with his tactics of force over words, but he supposed it was what they had to deal with. “It is not only vampires we are facing, and Dracula can hardly be considered one any longer. Demons are plaguing the Earth, and demons will be roaming his castle. I’m sure we will have need of your skills, miss Blakeston,” he used her given name, rather than the irritating nickname.

Trevor had a knack for them.

Sypha was at least appeased to hear a bit about what happened in the town – and that the vampire didn’t decimate them, as, apparently, she could. Sypha smiled to Katherine, hoping she would be more encouraged, “Alucard is right – there are many demons opposing us, we could use one who specializes in their destruction.” No matter how fresh she may be to it. Then, she cast her gaze back to the blonde vampire. “And you?”

“Seems I don’t have much of a choice. You all know where we’re going,” she sighed, then offered, “Nadine Antonov,” though by her gaze she was speaking more to Katherine, still cared more about her than the group she was getting roped into. A human who had such quick respect for her? Well, that was rare.

She supposed at the very least if Alucard betrayed them all, she could make sure that one got out alive.

Sypha brightened though – another bit of rare sunshine in this world, “Well then! We should go back to the Elder, make sure there isn’t anything else he has to say,” she seemed quite pleased with herself, “Then we can set out for Dracula’s castle!”

It was Alucard and Nadine both who looked towards the horizon, neither seeming to like the prospect of it, considering what was approaching. “I do not suppose we could delay that until sunset?” Alucard asked, glancing back to Sypha, who looked momentarily startled, before it dawned on her.

Two vampires. Well, one dhampir, but still…, “Is it not possible to travel during the day?”

“It’s rather uncomfortable,” for Alucard, “She’d probably die. Don’t you need to sleep?” He was pretty sure humans did, as he glanced over Trevor, Sypha, and Katherine. “If we limit our travel to the night time hours, it would be better for us all. You can sleep. We don’t burn.”

Sypha bit her bottom lip, “But that’s when the demons come out….”

The vampires didn’t protest, but suggested, “I do have a carriage that does rather nicely at blocking out the sun. If we can keep that, I assume we can manage day travel, if you prefer,” Nadine didn’t care, this was the purpose of the carriage – to protect her from the sun. She supposed she could share with Alucard, though he had a point about sleep and mortals. “That is, if any of you know anything about driving a carriage?” Otherwise, nope. They weren’t getting her to go along without promise of shelter. She wasn’t just going to die because of the sun.

 

[Xylona]

"I do hope your politeness will rub off on Belmont, Alucard. It's odd how the biologically less human one acts more human than the fully human one." Katherine grinned, gesturing to her captured arm before yanking it from Trevor. It worked, seeing as he wasn't paying attention. She took the opportunity to return next to Nadine, the only one here that she even remotely knew, even though it wasn't much. Nadine had made it clear, at least, that she wouldn't go restraining her without permission.

Once it was confirmed that they were indeed all going together, Katherine felt a little excited to be a part of something important. Before, she had been aimless. Helping where she could, but unsure of what she would become. In a way, that was still the case. But it felt nice to have a goal. It felt nice to feel somewhat needed.

Katherine thought Sypha's smile was refreshing. It had been an unreasonable amount of time since she'd seen anyone smile genuinely. Kat had smiled sarcastically to many, but a smile like Sypha's wasn't easy to come by. She she didn't mind Alucard either, he seemed polite at least, but she wasn't sure about trusting him. After all, this was still his family they were talking about. Dracula loved his wife enough to murder the rest of humanity after her death, yet he harbours no love for his son? The only thing left of her? It didn't make sense. She raised a questioning eyebrow at the blonde dhampir, before changing her mind. Alucard's family situation was none of her business, and she didn't feel like getting on his bad side.

That being said, Trevor had found his way onto her bad side. The worst part was that after only a few minutes of knowing him, she knew fully well that he wouldn't care that he had, either. Not to mention that he'd essentially called her useless, based off of her clothing. She huffed to herself. She'd show him.

"Let's just take the carriage then. There's no point in wasting time. Blondie and Jesus can ride inside, along with whoever else will fit comfortably inside. The rest of us can ride on the outside. I don't know how to drive a carriage, but it can't be too hard." Trevor said with a shrug.

Kat bit her lip in thought. "I think we should rest, and leave tonight. Then we'll all be at our best. If we leave now, not only will we be exhausted, but Nadine and Alucard will be weak. If we come across any sort of threat, none of us will be in good shape to fight. There are demons at night, but at least we'll have our full strength to fight them." She said.

In her mind, that was what made the most sense. Not to mention that she was already tired, having spent the previous night travelling and then helping. By the looks of Trevor and Sypha, some shut eye wouldn't do them any harm either. The other two merely looked at the sky with concern as it began to lighten, and she didn't blame them. There was no need to put Nadine under any risk. At least the sun couldn't kill Alucard, but it was much more dangerous to a full vampire like her. If they had to leave the carriage during the day for some reason, she'd be at risk. If they travelled at night, there'd be no need for concern. If they needed to kick ass together, they could do it without fear of the sun.

 

[Lucyfer]

Trevor didn’t seem to speak up to argue, and Sypha almost expected a characteristic ‘I don’t care’ to slip his lips, but that did not come, either. That was answer enough for her, “All right, we can take the carriage back to the Speakers and stay with them for the day, then leave at nightfall.” Sypha encouraged. She figured the carriage would be safer for the vampire to rest in, considering she had brought it with her.

“Fine,” Alucard accepted. He wasn’t keen to go back to the Speakers, but it was better than nothing. The vampiress went to her horses and carriage then, quickly setting it back up so the horses were attached to the cart. She didn’t hesitate to take to the bench, though she kept the horses at a trot so they could walk alongside the carriage.

The silence was uncomfortable, at least for Sypha, as they walked. She could not help but wonder about Lady Blakeston and how she ended up here in such a fine dress, nor the vampiress who was determined to kill Dracula. What motives did either have? The lady didn’t seem to be a hunter by nature, or she’d have far better clothes. Her own history spoke of her lack of experience, as well. The vampire she simply found odd for actually coming out on her own to go kill Dracula.

‘There was a year’s warning….’ That no one listened to. At least, no human. Why were other vampires not rallying against Dracula, why this one?

She did not find the words to ask, at least, not her. She shifted her gaze to Blakeston, thinking it might be easier to speak with the red-head whom the other vampire seemed to respect. “Lady Katherine,” she didn’t know how formal she ought to be. “How did you…come about this demon hunting?” If her family revolved around selling grain, it seemed rather odd that she would be involved in it, so she had to know.

Not far, Alucard was bothered by a question himself: “So how are you Jesus?” Freckles, Nadine understood. Jesus, she did not. Blondie was fairly obvious, too.

Alucard sighed, “Sypha thought me a savior. That was as much wit as Belmont could manage in the moment.”

“Ah,” easy enough. Another silence fell between them. “I suppose it will be a nice story. I shared a carriage with Jesus.” Alucard’s lips twisted into a subtle, but wry, grin.

“You are most generous.” He hadn’t planned to ask. Some tents might have been good enough. “Why is it you are not like so many others and seek to support my father?”

“I’m not here for confessions, Jesus.” She couldn’t help it, and was amused with the way his expression flattened, as they came upon the Speaker camp. Alucard knew then, it was going to be a long, and tiresome, journey.

 

[Xylona]

Katherine grinned smugly as her idea was accepted. Belmont hadn't even argued, which was another plus.

Trevor had settled for a sigh, following behind the carriage and other three. He couldn't deny that he was both tired and sore. He was open to continuing their journey, but if they insisted on letting him sleep, he didn't care. Their little journey through Alucard's traps was enough to wear him out. Not to mention the abundance of demon-killing and Sypha-saving he'd already done. The more he thought about it, the better sleep sounded. So for once, he had nothing to say about the decision.

Katherine looked up as she was addressed, and giggled. Sypha seemed so uncomfortable to ask, but it wasn't a huge deal to Kat. What was done, was done. It was sad to have a dead family, but it was even more sad to have a dead family that cared about you. Fortunately for her, that was not the case. Her family was her title, her financial aid. But they cared nothing for her personally. There was no love, only obligation. With these thoughts in mind, she had no problem answering.

"When the demons reached Oratia, the locals rose against the nobles out of fear. They burned my family's house and left us to die. I convinced a young man to release me, but by the time I was able to release my family, the horde had arrived. Oratia was decimated, I survived only by hiding in a basement." She rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. Surely by saying that it seemed like she'd left her family to die. "I lost them, couldn't find them. So I hid." She elaborated, shrugging. "My family didn't love me. Honestly, they knew nothing about me. But they were my ticket to a good future. To marrying some rich old guy. Without that I have no purpose," a slow grin made it's way to her face then, "So I started killing demons. That became my purpose."

After only a few more moments, a camp came back into view. She could only assume this was where the speakers were.

Trevor evidently began to miss the sound of his own voice, and stepped up to poke his head into the carriage. "Will you be okay to rest in here, blondie?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. It seemed much too cramped for him, but luckily he wasn't worried about the sun. His charming tan wasn't effortless, after all. He knew that once his head his the ground he'd be done for, for the rest of the day.

Red hair popped up beside Trevor's scowling face, smiling. "Do you have a waterskin?" She frowned, "Wait, do vampires drink water at all?" Trevor sighed and shook his head. "I don't care." That's when he left, leaving Kat to watch Nadine and Alucard questioningly.

"Hmm, on second thought, if the answer is going to make me look stupid, don't answer that."

 

[Lucyfer]

The Lady was from Oratia. No doubt, Sypha should have known that from her surname, but with women and ever-changing names, she could not be certain. It sounded like the people there had turned on the privileged, and unfortunately, Katherine’s family was slaughtered. Not by the people – though perhaps they played a role in it – but by the demons. “That’s horrible,” she was grateful that Katherine had survived – this wouldn’t work out too well without her. Yet, it was no good to lose a family.

Though, her expression soured a bit when the woman suggested her family didn’t love her. She wasn’t really sure how to respond to that. She wasn’t noble herself…she didn’t quite know how these things worked. She was under no obligation to be married off, and she was loved by her family. Loved what it was she did. Her grandfather knew who she was – she was too headstrong for it to be otherwise. “I…I see. I am glad that you found a purpose, at least,” Sypha could be glad for that, even if the woman’s behavior about her family was unsettling.

They came to a stop among the Speakers, and Sypha nodded to Katherine, “Let me tell my grandfather the situation,” he had already walked closer to meet them, and she quickly cut away to let him know what was going on, as the carriage itself was situated in the shade of trees, before Nadine hopped down and let the horses loose again, then climbed into the carriage. Alucard had entered first, sighing, only to shoot a glare towards Trevor when he popped his head in.

Nadine arched a brow, “You care?” She couldn’t help but ask Trevor as she propped her legs up on the opposite bench, alongside Alucard, who seemed to get the hint and stretched out himself. Yes, it was cramped. Neither would be laying down.

At the question of a water skin, Alucard shook his head, “I would not mind it,” he could drink water, though a wry smile of amusement crossed his lips as Katherine wondered about Nadine. Though…that did pose a potential problem. “Are you going to be able to keep yourself under control?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “I’ve always wondered how dhampir tastes.”

He narrowed his eyes. He didn’t really feel all that threatened, “If you’re going to drink us, drink Trevor first.” He had conveniently walked away, and he was the most annoying…also the largest. Seemed reasonable.

Nadine scoffed, as if he was distasteful. “If you could find me a book or something to pass the day with, I wouldn’t mind, Katherine,” she said. She didn’t need a waterskin. Blood…well, if it came to it, she’d find something. Someone. Or Trevor, though Sypha seemed just as likely. A mage didn’t need their strength so much as their wits. Someone like Trevor, unfortunately, needed his strength. Drinking him would drain that.

 

[Xylona]

The grin was ever-present on Katherine's face. She'd managed to unsettle Sypha, which she found amusing. Her tale was a bit morbid, as was her way of telling it. Nobody seemed pleased that she wasn't a sobbing mess over her family. The redhead didn't mind, knowing fully well that her family wouldn't have been a sobbing mess over her, either.

Sypha would never understand because she had the Speakers and her grandfather, all of whom cared about her and knew her personality. She was a chess piece by choice rather than birth. A life like that used to be something that Kat admired, though she rather enjoyed not being a chess piece at all.

The girl was brought from her thoughts as Trevor walked away. Turning back to her less human companions, she raised an eyebrow. "You are in luck, my pointy-toothed friends." She smirked, first pulling her waterskin from her satchel and handing it over to Alucard. "Just keep it for the day, I can refill it before we head out tonight." She said with a wave of her hand.

Her hand then brushed against the pack of dried meat she'd purchased earlier, and she narrowed her eyes thoughtfully before pulling it out. "Not sure if this'll be of any use, but I also have food." She said, setting the bundle of cloth on the bench next to him before rifling through her bag once more.

"Do not worry, Nadine, Santa has presents for you too." She joked, before finally pulling out a thick leather book with a cross on the front. It was clearly an old testament bible.

A sob of laughter escaped Kat as she looked at the book she had pulled out. "Wrong... one..." She said through her fits of hysterical laughter. Finally she sobered up, covering one last snicker with a pale hand. "What, not funny?" She asked rhetorically, cracking one last smile before setting the Bible down.

"I really do have another book," She explained, watching Nadine with gray eyes full of amusement.

Finally, she pulled out another thick leather book. She turned it to ace them, proving that there was indeed no cross. It had some fancy title embroidered on the front. "I bought this awhile back, up north. It's pretty good, if you like mysteries." She said with a shrug, before buckling her bag.

Kat yawned deeply, stretching an arm over her head dramatically. She flipped a piece of ginger hair over her shoulder, adding to her melodramatics. "Well children, I'm afraid that's all Saint Nicholas has for you this year." Her eyes glinted with familiar playfulness. She smiled at Nadine, "You'll be forever on my good list so long as you don't use me as your waterskin. I agree that you should use Trevor," She joked. "As for you, Jesus, you ought to be careful. If we don't stop your father you're getting coal next year."

With that being said, she dropped her charade. "Rest easy, sinners." She said lightly, before shutting the door of the carriage behind her.

While she loved to joke, Katherine couldn't help the uneasiness that she felt about the whole thing. Would they really be able to stop Dracula, and live to say that they did?

~*~*~

To say that Trevor was tired, was an understatement. He hadn't realised just how many hours he'd been awake. Far more than he was used to, just as he was far more sober than he was used to. However, as he laid his head on the makeshift-grass pillow, he knew it was for good cause.

So long as there were no more pieces to the legend that he was unaware of.

At this point he was simply thankful that they hadn't had to waste time looking for the other two, as that would have been a whole other adventure in itself. While found the whole prophecy business to be annoying, it was uncanny how two just as the Elder described suddenly appeared. Together, at that.

Just as he thought of the two, Freckles came into view. She wore an amused expression as she took off her robe and laid it on the ground. He watched her lay on top of it, not paying him any mind. He turned back further to see Sypha getting her own sleep accommodations in order.

Everything seemed fine enough for now, which was enough for him to lay his head down a final time, seconds later, he let sleep carry him away for what would most likely be for the rest of the day.

 

[Lucyfer]

Somewhere between Gresit and the Speaker camp, Katherine found alcohol. Her behavior seemed to suggest it, or else, she was just happy to have a purpose and drunk on that feeling. Both of the pointy-toothed fiends seemed to share that thought, even if they didn’t speak it, their gaze upon her did. Well, until she pulled a bible. Then Alucard was all but shoved forward as a shield as Nadine pushed herself far from that side of the cart, eyes seeming to brighten and smolder in the darkness as Katherine just laughed it off.

Poor joke indeed.

That book burned even from afar, an unpleasant prickling that Nadine felt. Alucard didn’t. He pushed her hands away and gave her an irked look, even if he understood. It was the difference of their kind, a difference he realized was going to become crucial as he had meat and water, and she…had nothing.

‘How long can you go without?’ He didn’t know. His father was Dracula – abnormal, in so many ways. He’d realized that early on, even before his father gave himself over to his need to take revenge for the death of his beloved Lisa.

“Not funny,” Nadine hissed, but relaxed as it was put away. The other book didn’t sting, and she accepted it, relaxing, but clearly displeased with Katherine’s sense of humor right then. “Thank you,” she managed a slight smile. A mystery was better than nothing.

Alucard smirked at the melodramatics, the stretching and such, as she feigned being more tired than she was. “Good night, lady Katherine. I’ll keep this one off of you,” he promised with a slight chuckle, “and we’ll get my father. I’ll expect a better gift than dried meat and water if we do.” Though it was good, for now.

The carriage door was shut on the sinners, and Alucard’s pleasantness dropped as the woman sought a match, and lit an oil lamp in the carriage. Otherwise, it would have indeed been pitch black in there. It did a good job of blocking the sun. “You’re prepared.”

“I get bored easily.”

“You weren’t born a vampire, were you?”

“No,” she said, “I wasn’t so fortunate. Nor was Dracula.”

“No,” Alucard agreed, “He always thought it made him better…he never forgot what time meant.”

“Nor have I,” she said, “I can’t just…sleep or meditate a day away.”

“No, though perhaps you should.” She stiffened, “How long can you go without drinking?”

“Worried?” She teased.

“Yes.” It was an issue that none of the others were considering. Vampires could hold out, of course, like humans…but when they snapped, they were no longer as humans, but feral beasts. “Answer me. I’m sure you’ve tested it.” Most turned did, disgusted at first by what they had to do.

“Three days.” Three days before she had snapped and killed her parents. Three days in the wilds before she seemed to lose her mind. “And that’s if I’m not exerting myself.” Otherwise it was daily, to replenish. She didn’t need to drink a human dry, that would only bloat her, but she still had to drink.

“You’ll need to find a drink before we leave tonight.”

She sighed, “I know. Trevor isn’t really an option, either, I know.”

“…in Dracula’s castle, they all may be.”

She looked up from the book she was trying to read, “What do you mean? It’s a castle.”

“In name. It is far larger, and full of more twists and turns than even I know, and I have no doubts he has only made it more complicated.” If Nadine could have paled, she would have. “You didn’t think this through, did you?”

“Was I supposed to expect Dracula to be like this?” Was anyone? “Is this common knowledge I should have known, Alucard?”

Alucard grimaced, but looked away. No, he supposed it wasn’t common knowledge, but still, he expected more from a vampire, somehow. Especially one older than his father.

~***~

Sypha had gotten three sleeping rolls for her companions, but as she came to them, she saw that Trevor was already long passed out. She sighed, but didn’t try to wake him. She did set the roll besides him, and the pillow, though. He could carry it with him when they set out, and use it in the future, she supposed. Then, she turned to Katherine, who had laid out her robe.

Katherine did not seem to be asleep just yet, so she held out the other pillow and blanket roll to her, “Here, you may use these, they should make your rest more comfortable,” she said then, and would wait for them to be taken. If they were, or if they weren’t after too long, she would leave her side by a few steps to roll out her own blanket and pillow, to be near Trevor and Katherine.

“I thank you again for joining with us – truly. I know it must be difficult to trust those you have only just met, especially after what happened to you…,” locals rising out of fear, and trying to cast them out, “Were it not for Belmont, something similar would have happened to my family,” the Speakers. “I would be dead.” Stone, forever.

“None of us have really known each other all that long…just this night,” Trevor showed up, and they found Alucard. It was exciting how it was all falling into place, but Sypha was not surprised as the others may be.

Prophecies were difficult, sometimes, not one expected, but that did not mean they were hard. She had not expected the Sleeping Soldier to be a dhampir, nor would she have expected Nadine to be the vampire they needed – nor a woman fresh to demon slaying to be their Noble. Belmont, perhaps, was the only expected piece.

Even she, a speaker-witch, was not what most would have thought. “It will take some adjusting,” for all of them. They knew so little of each other. Yet, she would try. If she had to be the glue that kept them from ripping out each other’s throats, she would be the glue.

And she’d also slap them, as necessary.