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Fandom Castlevania: Night's Dirge [Closed]

Sypha’s eyes had lit up at the comment of fruit, indeed enjoying the thought of having it for dessert. Although, she wouldn’t have turned it away early, “Thank you, Aveline,” she knew there were preserves, but she also knew they shouldn’t break into those too soon. There would come a time for it, before it all rotted.

Before the demons got to it, as it seemed they had a rather adapt party. Danica was the last one she expected to see such a thing from, and she mentally chastised herself for it. She shouldn’t judge a book by appearances.

Danica just smiled at Trevor’s comment, but didn’t add to it. There was no reason to, and she needed to finish the food. Alucard came back with her dagger and she accepted it, cleansing it briefly on the grass before tucking it under one layer of her skirts. ‘Lucia went that way.’ She would finish up cooking, and if Lucia wasn’t back, she’d go find her.

“Are you okay?” Alucard had returned after the potato was popped into Aveline’s mouth.

“She’s just eating too fast – the food will probably be fine, I just don’t want it getting tainted by any bloodshed,” Danica sighed.

“Oooh! I should have some lids,” Sypha moved back to the carriage to try and find those, to cover the food if it was necessary. At least, the food in the pans, once it was on plates, she definitely didn’t have enough lids for that. She came back with them, but the horde didn’t show up by the time she’d divvied out the food to everyone.

Though, that was when Danica moved from the fire, “I’ll be right back!”

“Where are you going?” Sypha rose, prepared to follow as she set her own plate down.

There was no cause for it, though. Before Danica could answer, she heard a thud and then saw Lucia make it back into the clearing, leaving Sulla to eat something on the edge. “Where were you!”

Lucia’s eyes took note of the other demon too near the camp, but dead. Marius was now eating it. “You’re going to get fat,” she told the horse, who ignored her, before looking to Danica, “I dealt with the others. Not sure if there are more. I’m glad you got that one down, it flew off before I could get it.”

“What, you weren’t going to turn into an owl and fight it to the death?” Alucard teased.

“As fun as tearing out eyes are, no,” she was reserving energy, for now. They still didn’t know how to get to Dracula’s castle, and she wasn’t sure exactly how long the trip to Belmont’s house was going to take. She moved closer to the fire as Sypha settled back down, and Danica picked her plate back up. “Goat?”

“Mm!” Danica did like goat. Lucia just smiled to it, not at all bothered by all the others eating, not even Alucard.

They were lucky.

“How are we setting up guard shifts?” Lucia asked, “I know I’ll be one,” she didn’t need to sleep, “but I think we should have at least two.” This would allow some to sleep, which would allow them to switch out with Johann. He needed his rest.
 
" I can take a shift." Aveline offered as she returned from the carriage with some cups in hand. The tea kettle had started to whistle so she moved it out of the way of the fire to cool down a bit.

" I slept today in the carriage and I used to stay up at night traveling anyway." She explained, but Sypha frowned.

" You traveled at night? Thats dangerous."

" It was fine until the demons came and i can handle those. Traveling during the day means running into people, who are more dangerous. They can trick you and pretend to be nice." She said, having run into her share of thiefs while traveling on her own. The worst were the people that acted like they were helpless but then would wait until your back was turned or night had fallen to try and kill you for what ever you had on you.

Trevor hummed his agreement with Aveline, he was one of the people in the group that had a good idea of just how dangerous man could be. Unlike beasts or animals they would betray you even after getting to know you or sharing a dinner with it. Even right now while he was on this journey to save humanity he knew that they were pretty shitty. But he wanted to protect them anyway despite all their flaws and issues, because not everyone was like that. Though even if they were he would still be on this mission, willing to fight just to give humanity the chance of bettering themselves.

" I can take a shift too." Trevor offered as he finished his meal and Aveline pulled a metal tin from her bag.

She took a deep breath and hummed, then added some of the herb mix into the kettle. 'ah it's tea...probably' Trevor though. For a moment he hadn't had any idea what she was doing, and he was still getting to know her along side everyone else in this group. He should be a bit more reluctant around everyone, but he knew he was biased against anything that wasn't strictly human and even then he felt more at ease around women.

His father had beat on him as a child but his sisters had only ever been kind words and gentle hands, so he had a preference. The fact Aveline was a small like a fairy or cherub also just made her seem trusting. Sypha also had a trustable feeling to her and Danica gave off a motherly vibe, and who would expect a mother to try and kill them?

Aveline poured out a few cups, then offered her cups to anyone who was willing to give it a try.

" It's just tea." She promised. " My own blend of mint with rosehips and hibiscus flowers." she sipped at her own steaming cup and hummed at how the warm tea felt going down, warming her core and pumping her up for what ever was thrown at them tonight.

" Can you drink tea, Lucia?" She asked her curiously. She had been curious if Alucard could eat human food, but he had proved he could so he could certainly enjoy her tea. But Lucia was a full vampire and she understood not eating human food, but drinking tea or something else had to be possible. If not then immortality didn't sound like everything it was cracked up to be.
 
Aveline and Trevor volunteered. Lucia had not expected it from Aveline, and did arch a brow at it. She was not going to deny her, and even gave an approving smile for the offer. “I will stay up, as well,” Alucard noted, setting his plate aside. Danica reached across to grab it. She was gradually making a pile of the dishes, planning to wash them. “I’ve…slept enough.”

Lucia nodded. She was aware that Alucard still had to sleep, but for a while, he would be good help. Besides, she doubted they were all inclined to trust the two blood-suckers alone at night. “We’ll have a split shift then with Trevor and Aveline, you two can decide between yourselves how you’d prefer to divide it.”

The shifts might change, as she knew when Alucard finally had to pass out, they’d probably want to recruit another. Danica could easily step up, or Sypha, no doubt. They’d cross that bridge when they got there, though.

Right now, they were able to enjoy food, and tea was handed out. Alucard took a cup with a word of gratitude, and Danica and Sypha did as well. Danica in particular seemed more calmed by it. “I didn’t know we’d have such luxuries on this journey!” She loved tea. Any warm beverage, really. Came with the territory, and she settled it into both hands and inhaled the scent, before taking a long sip of it.

“Ah! Isn’t that too hot?” Sypha was surprised, but Danica had drained half the cup without so much as a grimace.

She just giggled, “Not to me, but…maybe for you.” She was human…but she’d gotten fairly used to drinking hot liquids too fast. It used to burn her. Perhaps it still did, but she didn’t notice it so much.

Alucard took a sip, and as the question was thrown to Lucia, he already knew the answer. He let her answer, though.

“Thank you, but no, I can’t drink tea.” Most human food made her sick. Some of it did nothing but taste terrible, usually bad enough that she ended up retching. She’d tried. “I can still smell it though,” she chuckled. Food retained its scent as normal, and tea was a pleasant scent, like baked pies or mulled wine. Danica had learned, and tended to have a few such things around.

Memory was so often tied to scents, but so many foods Lucia never had before. Mulled wines, however, brought back plenty of memories.

“Is there anything else besides blood?” Sypha asked.

“No,” Alucard was the one to answer, “Not for vampires.” While he could enjoy the tea, and did, “What kind of tea is it? Just those plants, or any tea leaves?” He wasn’t so versed in tea, though Lisa had enjoyed it. He had usually only drank it when he was sick and she made him a blend to help. Or what she thought would help. There was some experiments in figuring out how to treat a dhampir.

“All that matters are the roses,” Danica said. She was fairly partial to any tea flavored with rose, though she was on the sweeter sides of teas, too. Sweet and fruity teas were the best.
 
" Every journey needs a bit of luxury." Aveline chirped as she took another deep breath of the plants and herbs in the tea. " I was raised in a forest with a lot of wild herbs and flower, so now that i'm out traveling I like to pick anything growing wild that reminds me of home."

She smiled at down at the cup in her hand, she was a particular fan of mint because a wild patch of it grew in the field near her fathers house. They would pick it together and he showed her many different ways to prepare it, either from things he remembered from his own mother or that he had learned during his travels. So when ever she needed a bit of comfort or missed him she'd make something with mint in it, and on the road tea was the best way to go.

She frowned hearing that Lucia was stuck with only smells, she couldn't imagine not being able to eat some of her favorite foods or drink her favorite drinks. Maybe Lucia had been born a vampire and had never tried any human foods, but that almost seemed like a worse fate than having memories of food you used to like but couldn't enjoy anymore. She promised herself that in the future she would set out anything that smelt nice and hope that Lucia enjoyed it.

" And it's just what I listed, nothing else. Herbal teas like this don't need actual tea leaves, though if I could get my hands on any tea leaves and added them to my mix it'd be good." It was hard to get a hold of something exotic like tea, and while Aveline could grow it she didn't do it often. Tea needed to be dried up to be enjoyed properly and while she was traveling she had a hard enough time trying to dry the smaller herbs and fruits she found.

" Maybe one day if I ever stay in one place long enough i'll try my hand at growing tea." she mused and Sypha clapped her hands at the idea.

" That sounds lovely, though I've never been fond of the idea of settling down myself."

" You're a speaker, you wanting to settle down would be like the sun deciding to never rise again." Trevor chuckled before sipping at his tea.

It felt good to be warmed through to the core, especially with the cold night coming.

" The hoard will probably come soon I suggest we start cleaning up and setting up tents, unless you all want to sleep under the stars or share the carriage with Johann." Trevor said as he handed his empty cup to Danica, then thanked her since she seemed to have offered herself up to do the cleaning.

" Maybe tents should come after we fight the hoard, wouldn't want to get blood on anything." Aveline chuckled, her attention on the distant south where she could see the black blurs that were most likely the hoards heading out to kill anything they could get their hands on.

Trevor pulled his whip out from his side as everyone else stood to attention and readied themselves. " The more we can kill now the less ear by towns have to worry about." Trevor commented, a smirk pulling up on the corner of his lips.

" Lets see who can kill the most!" Aveline suggested, her staff in hand but half its normal length. When the screeches of the demons got closer she twirled the staff in her hand and it extended with a soft click locking it in place.

" only if I get extra points for creativity." Trevor said, using his whip to pull him up into the trees for a height advantage.
 
Trevor gave a nod, taking another sip of the tea and trying to pick out each flavor. It seemed that Danica was able to taste the rose, but to him, the mint was overpowering any other flavor. It was still good, but he almost cursed his own tongue for not being so attuned to tastes. He did not catch many subtleties, something he did imagine was partially to blame on his vampire heritage.

“You’ll have to send some of your blends to me, if you ever do settle down somewhere,” Danica noted. It might take a while by courier, but she did not imagine it was the type of thing that would be worse for it. “I’m sure I could find something to send back, perhaps some dried flora and fauna of the area so you can experiment with it, too!” Tea buddies!

Lucia tried not to roll her eyes, or laugh. She supposed some of these ties might last after Dracula, but she wasn’t thinking much of that. Getting the hunter to change his view was good for the longterm, but beyond that…she was just thinking of ending this, and going home. Figuring out what was going to happen in her world then, when so many of the higher ups in the vampire society fell.

When there were fiends from hell left to clean up. She may have to stick around to help with that.

“I usually sleep in the carriage,” Danica noted, “Though are we sure the hoard won’t just…,” of course, as she started to say it, others became more attentive. She followed their gazes, and then finished off her tea before rising, and clicking. Sulla came over to her, and without a saddle, she moved herself up onto his back. She was still just human, and she would prefer to deal with the demons on the back of a nightmare.

They were fast. And they would help to protect her.

Lucia calmly moved to the carriage. Johann might need the sleep, but right then, he needed to be awake. She opened the door of the carriage and just reached in to shake him. He jolted, startled, but heard the shrieks and briefly caught something about a killing contest. “Ugh.” He forced himself up, and hopped out, reaching under the bench for a crossbow, and a sword, before he also clicked his tongue.

Marius came to him, and he pulled himself up onto the horse’s back.

“You’d lose that, too, Trevor,” Lucia said as she came back to a more central position, rooting herself to the spot, getting a feel for the shadows around. Alucard had his sword out, while Sypha had extended her hands out, prepared to begin casting.

There was a rustle from within the trees, indicating not all were flying. Alucard bolted in that direction first, taking first blood as his sword went through a demon, cutting it clean in half.

Sypha turned her attention that way as well, noticing several out of the corner of her eye – far more than she was expecting, and of more variety than they’d seen in Gresit. There were some upright, with weapons! Sypha flung fire in their direction, thinking to catch many in the blazes.

Of those in the sky, several were brought down with a flick of a wrist, and the movement of shadows as they flew over Lucia’s range. She caught their shadows in those of the trees, in the shadow of the carriage, in the fire – if their own shadow touched it, she took hold of them, and brought them straight down to unite with their shadow self.

The nightmares were quick to trample, while Johann adjusted the aim of his crossbow bolts to hit those who remained in the air, and Danica hurled daggers up to strike eyes or wing joints.

Yet, the nightmares couldn’t get to all that had been dragged down, and the shadows hadn’t entangled. That left plenty on the ground, perhaps dazed, but able to regroup and try to lash out at others – at Sypha and Aveline in particular. Sypha did keep up with the spells, but those did take time to switch between.

A good strike from one tore through her right arm, drawing blood and shredding the sleeve. A startled cry left her, but she was able to put an icicle into the creature’s face for it.

The demons couldn’t seem to catch Marius, but they were able to encircle Sulla, who’d unfortunately backed too close to the carriage, and was aware of both what was behind him and what it meant – as well as who was on his back.

Alucard was just becoming overwhelmed, more and more demons started to slip by him, and when Sypha’s fire turned away, he was nearly knocked off of his feet by one.

Lucia was trying to keep her focus on the flying ones, but she hadn’t ignored the ground ones. One had come towards her, and she shifted when it came too close, taking flight into the mess of demons above in a hope of drawing them off and clearing some things up. ‘Oh….’

That was when she was able to truly see how many there were in this group.

They must have been near a town that Dracula wanted to have eliminated.

The surprise was a mistake – a demon dug its fangs deep into her wing, and she quickly shifted back – her arm caught in its maw, and whipped her gladius across its eyes to get it to release her, falling back and hitting the ground roughly.

It was only then she’d noticed that Alucard had shifted forms – the white wolf fighting, the sword controlled by telekinesis, a mess of silver blades and white fangs trying to do more than he could have done in his more human guise.
 
From the trees Trevor had done his best to thin out the demons that were trying to land. The more he could kill before they touched the ground the better off everyone below him would be.

His whip went out with a harsh snap, and he used his figure to rapidly change the direction of his spot. It easily faked out a demon that believed it had dodged the whip, instead the whip striked it harshly in the face and the explosion it let off brought down a couple more demons. Some died from their wounds before of how close they were to the exploding demon but others were just stunned to the ground.

Working quickly Aveline slipped into the crowd of demons, hoping to thin out the numbers coming towards their camp to something they could manage. She swung her spear, the blade cutting the head off of one demon and she used it's crumpled body to push off of and embed her blade tip through two demons that had tried to gang up on her from behind.

But looking at the camp it was clear to see that the numbers they were bringing down weren't stopping the demons. The demons had almost overwhelming numbers and Aveline vaguely bit her lower lip, she could see the concentration and concern building on their mixture of faces.

Sparing a glance at her friends then quickly had to dive down and away from a claw aimed at her head. She sprung up on her foot but stayed close to the ground and swung out her spear in a large arch, toppling a group of demons legs and leaving them to crawl on the ground or get trampled on by their brothers. While still close to the ground she took a moment to press her hand to the earth and could feel the energy there, the life in the plants all around them.

They were going to be overrun at this rate, but she could try and slow the hoard. Across the ground the grass grew and tangled up the feet of some passing demons, but before she could kill them a wolf with a floating sword had stolen her kills from her.

" Taking my kills because you were afraid to lose?" She asked him with a chuckle, the golden eyes giving away just who the wolf really was. They held eye contact for just another moment, enough to confirm for him that she had been the one to tangle up the demons and yes she could do it again.

While she'd like to keep her fae heritage a secret she wouldn't regret using it to help the group.

Looking over the battle field much like a master tactician Trevor could read the way the battle was going, and see who needed help.

Jumping down from the tree, but not before killing a few demons on his way down, Trevor thought up a stragey.

" We need to fall back into the woods!" he called out.

" There are demons in the woods as well, some standing up right with weapons!" Sypha called out as she sent another hunk of ice through the eye of a demon.

" The trees will give us cover against the air born demons, which are the ones about to over run us. Sypha I want an ice wall to block off a majority of the hoard coming at us. Johann and Danica you two will be our long range support. Shoot down any demons that fly over the wall. Me and Lucia will kill anything that gets past it some how. Aveline and Alucard you two into the forest, you're the quickest."

He recognized a powerful team-up combination when he saw one and he could see the way that Alucard and Aveline danced around the battle field together, able to cover the others open points. It was just like how he saw the potential in him and Lucia working together. Her control over shadows would make it easy to pick off any demons with his whip, and anything the shadows failed to grab hold of they could handle. He had range but she was deadly with her gladius.

Everyone jumped into action and they quickly all pulled back from where they had spread out over the field. The group first tackled the demons circling Danica and Sillua, and between his whip and syphas ice they were able to give Sillua room to break through. Sypha created a large wall like requested then scanned the battle field, ready to send in a fire ball or icicle when needed most.

In the forest the trees gave Aveline and Alucard extra leverage and allowed them to bounce around, though the demons in the forest did have a better idea of the battle field than the endless hoard they were trying to dam up.

The curved end of a scythe cut a long line down Avelines back from left shoulder to right rib, but the end of her spear stabbed it through the gut and killed it before she threw the body at a demon about to jump at Alucard.

" Path will be clear soon!" she promised but pulled her hood up tighter around her head, her eyes a supernatural shade of green as she tried to subtly use her powers to trip up or slow down demons around Alucard.

At the wall of ice Trevor reeled in his whip, pulling it taunt before sending it back in to dance around Lucia. A less skilled man would of had a hard time not hitting her when she moved like she did, but he didn't train for all these for nothing.

At the last second two demons seemed to jump up to Lucias left, but his whip was already aimed at a demon to her right. Using his favorite trick he used his finger to create an jolt in the tension in his whip. It hit the demon to her right in the face, and by the time the jolt reached just behind her head Trevor snapped his wrist and the tip of his whip created an 'L' shape and went through the faces of both demons to her right.

" Do i still not get any points for creativity?" He asked Lucia, panting slightly from his hard work but still had enough energy to give her a cheeky wink.
 
‘Ah.’

Alucard did understand what Aveline had done, as their eyes met, and she recognized him for what he was. He could hardly give a cheeky grin in that form or comment that the thought never crossed his mind, but the extended moment of eye contact was meant to imply some understanding, some humor, before he broke off to continue the assault, Johann doing fast work with his crossbow, but it wasn’t fast enough.

None of this was enough.

They needed a plan – and Trevor was the one to come up with it, jumping down from his tree perch. Alucard shifted back into himself, taking hold of his sword as he took note of what point he was to have – to go with Aveline and try to lead some of the demons off, and take them out in the mess of the woods.

First, Sulla had to be freed, as the nightmare was evidently worried about kicking and damaging the carriage, or doing anything drastic that might harm the rider. Thankfully, they made it time before Sulla took much more than a few deep cuts along a flank, and as soon as he broke free, he made sure to whip right back around and charge down those demons who tried to encircle him in the first place, speed blurring him out.

It looked more like a fireball struck the demons than a rampaging horse.

Lucia spared a glance towards her carriage as the plan was laid out. Running from it, to find some temporary safety, did not sound sane to her. If they didn’t get back before the sun rose…. ‘You will.’ She had to trust the plan, and she gave a nod as the others started to take their positions, Sypha raising the wall, and Alucard and Aveline rushing ahead to clear the path.

Alucard kept to his human form, running alongside Aveline and lashing out at any demon that came across his path, and trying to keep them off of Aveline, as well. He had the agility, but these had weapons – and some were good enough to guard, forcing him to try for a second, or third, strike. That took time. Not to mention they didn’t know where they were heading – just clearing a path to run.

One of those accursed things had stalled him as a demon jumped at him, and another harmed Aveline. She was able to dispose of it, and even use the body to bring down the demon that he wasn’t able to turn towards quickly enough. Though, as soon as it was downed, he beheaded it.

He then heard her words, and took note of the eyes before the hood hid it from even his vision. ‘Aaah….’ He could feel the vibrations in the ground, and he quickly found that it was much easier to begin to deal out damage to the demons. They mis-stepped, stumbled, or otherwise found their plans impeded, so he was able to make quick work of them, clearing the path easily around them, and ahead of them as they kept moving.

They’d have to keep up that pace, too – they couldn’t risk the others seeing Aveline like that. Not until she was ready to confess what she was.

Plus the sooner they got to a place to rest, the sooner they could take a look at her wound. Alucard could only be glad the putrid scent of the demon blood was overpowering any other scent right then, because with all this dancing about, he knew he was going to need to eat. Blood, food – he was going to be exhausted when they reached a point of rest.

~***~

The ice wall came up, and Lucia relaxed her position. Her good arm hadn’t taken injury, but it was never fun to fight with an injured arm regardless. Not that she intended to let Trevor carry the weight of the battle, and as the flying demons came down upon them, she was quick to bury them in the ground. The ice wall cast a shadow, and that put them right into her domain. Those that didn’t crack their skulls and die on impact were cleared by Trevor’s whip, more often than not. It was the ones that crawled over, that tended to meet Lucia’s gladius, as she didn’t drag them down.

The whip was something to be cautious of – one wrong move, and Lucia knew its effects could be quite harmful, if not fatal. It may not be the morning star, but she felt its energy whenever it snapped near her.

Somehow, it never did strike her. Trevor could have easily brushed it off as an accident, although given the skill he was exhibiting, Lucia wouldn’t have believed him.

Daggers and dart bolts continued to fly, as did the magic of Sypha.

It was going…well. Lucia even found herself smiling in spite of the situation, the rush of the battle starting to beat in her head, with each quick step or spin, the way the gladius sung in her hand, calling for more – always more. There was a growing cockiness, a swagger, as she toyed with one demon on her right, seeing Trevor’s gesture out of the corner of her eye.

It went down.

And then two others.

She smirked at his cheeky wink, “Skill, maybe.” She allowed, “but I’ve already lost count anyway.”

There was a crash, a demon hit by a bolt that had crawled over the wall, and fell right into the carriage, knocking it to one side.

Lucia just saw red in her panic, the gladius dropping as pure instinct overtook. A step forward and she seemed to fade into shadow, only to materialize in the shadow of the carriage. She jumped onto its side, and reached into the door to pull the demon out, before literally slamming it into the icy wall, breaking a hole in the ice with it, but at least its blood spilled out and it stopped trying to struggle and get out of her grip. Not that it had long to do so.

She turned back to try and shut the door, at least. If they had to leave the carriage, she could at least try to protect what was inside it. Try to protect the interior.

“I think we’ve given them all the time we can!” Sypha said, seeing quite a few more demons starting to get their claws into the wall on the opposite side, or realizing from what Lucia had done, that with enough force, it could be broken.
 
The rapid pounding of her heart drowned out any pain that came with the wound of Avelines back, it wasn't important right now. They had a job to do and if the path wasn't cleared then the others would have no where to fall back to. But this also felt like a chance to prove herself. She wasn't a magician like Sypha, she wasn't a hunter like Trevor, or a vampire like Lucia and Alucard. Yet all of them were part of the prophecy and they would be the ones to take down Dracula, and she wouldn't be the weak link in that chain.

That thought pushed her despite the fact she was distracted on multiple fronts, she had to always keep Alucards placement in mind so she didn't trip him up in the roots of her plants, she had to stay in place long enough to make use of the plants, and she had to not get struck down in the process. At least the farther into the forest she and Alucard cut down the enemy the less subtle she had to be about the movement of the plants. Fighting back out on the path in front of everyone she had been nervous about even controlling the grass, but here in the forest where Alucard knew what she was and had the skills to work with what she gave him she was able to do more. Roots burst from the ground that was suddenly able to hold them, vines grew and snaked down trees to grab anything they could, and plants encircled anything in the front place at the wrong time.

But they were doing something, bodies were falling and not being replaced because what ever these more advanced demons were they were not endless like the ones the rest of the team were fighting.

Aveline locked eyes with Alucard again, vibrant green eyes meeting sunset gold, and with a small nod to the side she told Alucard wordlessly to move. She threw her spear a second later, it soaring through the air where Alucard had once been, and it skrewered a demon with a deep crunch.

" Paths clear!" She called out to the mouth of the forest as she ran forward and pulled her spear from the corpse of some type of demon with blades for hands.

Everyone burst into the forest not a moment later, Danica and Johann still riding the nightmares and using their blue hue to light a path for everyone without vampire vision to follow like a beacon.

" Faster, run faster!" Trevor called out, slowing for a second to turn and kill three demons who had gotten too close for his comfort.

" Whoa!" Johann called out, Marius slowing when they came to be some type of drop off. He looked down wondering if it was something they could slide down or if they had to suddenly change directions. The mountain side looked too dry for them to slid down, they'd get tingled in the roots most likely.

" Don't stop!" Aveline called out.

" There's a drop off!" Johann called out.

" Don't worry about it, Lucks on our side!" She promised, then jumped without even looking down at how far they were going to be falling. " Wait don't do that!" Johann yelled, his heart jumping into his throat.

Her eyes flashed a strong green under the cover of her hood and then her feet met with soft damp earth that was perfect for sliding down. The roots and veins gave way easily like it had just rained recently and nothing would give them resistance.

Johann out of a exasperated groan but the others followed Avelines example and he brought up the back with Trevor.

Trevor glanced over his shoulder to see the demons reach the edge of the drop off, they were clearly thinking about jumping as well. He let lose a few daggers and killed demons sitting in a tree, which fell on top of the demons and bought them more time.

They reached the end of the hill side they had slid down, the ground solid and dry under their feet once more.

" Change direction, head west!" he called out, spotting some low brush that wouldn't give away the direction they were headed and looked to be spotted with- He sniffed the air and laughed despite how much his lungs were burning.

" Wild Garlic! It'll cover our scent!" While garlic didn't really repel vampires like some people would like to believe the strong scent would definitely throw the demons off, though Alucard and Lucia might not enjoy the strong smell sticking around when everything was said and done.

From up front Aveline laughed a bit with him too, seeing the humor.

After passing through the garlic they ran for a bit longer, but there were no sounds of anything following them and they couldn't all keep up this pace forever. Sypha was the first to start slowing down, but Danica had grabbed her up and thrown her on the back of Sulla with her. Then Aveline slowed her pace a bit, her left hand clutching the right side of her ribs where she was feeling her wound full throttle now.

" I think we've lost them." Trevor called out, and gradually they all stopped running in what looked like to be some thick grove.

Everyone found something to lean against or sit on, and as Trevor stood back to look over everyone and make sure that they were all here and alive he realized how large the trees were. All of them looked like dwarfs compared to them, they were so clearly ancient or had been given something to make them so big. The only saving grace about their chance in location was that he didn't hear anything coming after them, and since neither Alucard or Lucia had insisted they keep running he could only assume they thought they were safe for the moment as well.

But despite that bit of good news Trevor had a sinking feeling in his gut that they had jumped from the frying pan into the fire.
 
The further they got, the more Lucia wanted to turn back. She told herself, again and again, she would die. She would be overwhelmed. It was what kept her from doing so, and kept her manipulating the shadows behind them, covering up their path – at least by sight. Some demons still heard the cracking of branches and knew the way the follow.

But the thought kept returning.

Somehow the death of being overwhelmed seemed less certain than the death to come. ‘Well, it’ll be quick, won’t it?’ The worst agony of her life, but quick. ‘Stop it….’ She survived without a carriage before. She could do so again. She could shift forms and find a place to hide out, it would be fine….

The jump didn’t even phase her. It shouldn’t have phased Johann or Danica upon the nightmares, but she supposed it didn’t click that the supernatural horses weren’t going to care that much for the drop. Lucia only paused because of the brief thought of Trevor and Sypha and Aveline, but when Aveline jumped all right, she just shrugged that off and followed her down.

The others followed suit.

Alucard groaned at the comment about garlic, as Aveline began to laugh. Trevor clearly knew it did nothing to vampires, but it was annoying all the same. He wondered where that lie began that vampires were bothered by garlic.

Eventually, they had to stop. Sypha and Aveline weren’t quite used to this, and clearly tiring. Not to mention Aveline’s wound. As they stepped into a grove, Alucard watched the shadows spread around it, the light that came through the trees fading as Lucia kept up the cloak of shadow to make sure that if they were followed so far, it would still be hard to find them.

Alucard approached Aveline as the others began to dismount the steeds and find places to linger. “Does anyone have anything for wounds? Sypha?” He did not know if she could cast healing magic, if so, it would definitely be helpful.

“No,” Sypha confessed, looking a bit saddened at her own lack of knowledge, “I’ve only learned the elements,” healing was beyond her capabilities. “Here, I can at least help to stop the bleeding,” her own arm was wounded, too, and she already planned to shred her robe a bit for that. She could add some further fabric to the cause of stopping Aveline’s wound. And Lucia’s, she noticed, though the woman didn’t seem so perturbed by it.

Marius dared approach here, and she gave him a slight eye as she saw where his attention was. The stare remained a few seconds longer, until Marius tilted his head, and licked the wound. Lucia rolled her eyes and shoved his head away, “No.” He couldn’t eat her.

He blew hot air, but settled near all the same, as Sulla seemed to decide it was nap time.

Danica joined Lucia, frowning slightly, “You should sleep.” She knew that Lucia healed best that way. This wound might heal…but staying awake would slow it.

“I will when we get back,” Lucia said. She wouldn’t be able to now. Particularly not with Sulla falling off. Her dreams would only be all the more haunted by thoughts of the sun.
 
Aveline leaned her forehead against the bark of one of the trees, panting as she tried to catch her breath but her body hissed at her in pain. She didn't want to make a big deal out of her wound and would of normally gone about tending to it herself, but right now she just needed a moment to breath. A part of her was also worried that her eyes hadn't gone back to normal and she pulled the hood down a bit lower, before she heard someone walk over.

Looking at their shoes she could tell it was Alucard and she glanced up at him careful, a quirk in her eyebrow asking him if her eyes were still green but he didn't say anything about it. She trusted him despite how little they had known one another. Maybe combat really does grow bonds, or it could be an odd kind of kindship over their shared mixed heritages, but regardless she pulled her hood down and finally tried to look over her shoulder at her wound.

" It's not that bad. Could be worse." She said with a chuckle, but Sypha frowned at her.

" It's the length of my forearm!"

" Better than the length of your full arm."

Sypha huffed, blowing a bit of her bangs out of her face as she did so, but walked over to Aveline to get a better look at her wound.

" Remove your cloak, we should try to clean it out and wrap it up." She said as she pulled at her ropes, ready to shred them to make impromptu bandages.

Aveline then peeled her cloak off of her, it sticking slightly where her blood had dampened it, and laid it out over some roots to dry and inspect the damage. Luckily It wasn't anything she couldn't sew if they got back to the carriage where the supplies were.

" No need to shred your cloak, we can use these." Aveline suggested.

Her outfit under the robe, which none of them had seen up until this point, was a form hugging ankle length green Tabard with its standard large splits up the side. Under it was a white elbow length shirt and what looked like matching shorts, but wrapped around her ankles up to mid thigh were strips of clothes. She began to unwind the cloth and revealed that the shorts were actually pants and only looked like shorts because that was where she had stopped binding. Without the cloth it was clear her pants also had large slits in them, from the ankle to mid thigh and she had used the cloth to tie up anything that would get in the way while fighting.

" Here, these should work as bandages right? No need to rip up you're beautiful speaker robe." She said with a smile.

Sypha was already struggling with being away from her people, she didn't want her to have to rip up something from her culture when there was another option right here.

"I- Thank you Aveline. Are you sure you don't need these? Without them holding those slits closed you could get cold. Fall is turning into winter." Sypha said as she looked over the strips of cloth in her hands.

" I will be fine. My cloak is very warm, I won't have to worry about the weather even with that hole in the back."

With a small nod Sypha bundled the cloth in her hands and then froze it cold, leaving aveline blinking curious for a moment, but then a gentle flame covered her hands and the water began to heat up and melt.

" We don't have a fire or anything to boil these in, but I figured this was better than nothing."

Sypha handed Alucard a still wet piece of cloth to use as a wash cloth to clean the wound and then made sure to dry off anything they would be binding wounds with.

" These are very beautiful clothes." Sypha said idly as she took the wet cloth from alucard, It was probably best that she was the one to wipe the dirt and blood away from Avelines wound. " But they are very foreign looking. Are you from a clan?" She had never seen anything quite like it in all her travels.

" In a way yes. My father raised me off the land but my mother always brought us things from her people, which included this style of dress....I don't get along with my mother but I grew up wearing clothes like these. They make me less home sick." Aveline explained, then hissed softly as Sypha wiped at some stubborn bits of dried blood. Sypha gave her a comforting hum, she knew what she was talking about. While her home wasn't a place it was a people, but having something to remind you of home was always nice.

" Toss me some of those bandages." Trevor said, spotting the surplus of cloth the group had now that Aveline had sacrificed her leg wraps. He vaguely worried her exposed legs could led to issues in the future, but he promised himself they'd get her something else. With winter coming she'd probably need warmer clothes than what she was wearing anyway because he was almost 100% certain her clothes wouldn't keep her warm once they got to his families hold on top of a mountain.

" Are you hurt too?" Sypha asked with a frown and looked him over, but he shook his head and instead walked over to Lucia with his handful of bandages.

" Here you should wrap that up." He said, holding out the bandages like a peace offering.

" I know you don't have to worry about disease or illness but the way I see it the more blood we can keep from spilling out the less you have to worry about replacing." He tried to make it seem like he was indifferent or that it was for the best of the group that Lucia not suddenly crave blood when at least two humans were bleeding less than a couple yards away, but his expressive eyes landed on the wound on her arm. Even if she was a vampire the wound looked nasty.

Danica glanced between the two for a moment, her eyebrows knitted together for a moment before she realized this was Trevors way of looking out for her. It warmed her a heart a bit to see that he was looking out for everyone in their group regardless of what they were.

" Plus maybe if you wrap it up Marius will stop looking at you like a viable snack option."
 
No, the green had faded – at least enough that it was no more discernable as strange. The glow was gone. Perhaps the eyes were a little more green than normal, but Alucard doubted anyone would notice. And indeed, Sypha did not as she came over, offering to help with the wound even if she could not heal. There was also no need to shred her robe.

Alucard was glad for that, though as he noticed the strips unwinding he did think of the cold, as well, “I suppose it is a good thing we picked up warmer attire in Gresit, as well,” he assumed something could be made from the bolts of cloth for even Aveline to wear. She wouldn’t really be able to protest it if she wanted to blend it, though he did wonder if the elements bothered her much, as he accepted a wet clothe. He placed one hand upon her, as if to help him keep things in place, before he reached out and began to wash the blood off with Sypha’s help.

It didn’t seem too atrocious once the wound started to be cleansed.

It seemed her style was from her mother, which Alucard also found strange, shown only in an arched brow even as she admitted to not getting along with the woman. ‘Why, then?’ If she tried to live among humans, would it not have been better to adopt her father’s style, or human stylings?

More questions, but none that could be asked in front of Sypha, There could be a biological reason why these clothes suited her better.

As the blood was finally cleaned off, Alucard reached for the bandages himself and began to wind them around the wound to cover it.

She might not need protection from illness or disease either, but she was trying to blend in.

And they didn’t need the Nightmares looking at her or Sypha like food. “We should get your wound cleaned and wrapped as well, Sypha,” his eye moved over to Sulla after hearing Trevor’s comment from a bit aways, “though I do not think the nightmares inclined to eat any of us in our sleep, it is better safe than sorry.” Even though Johann had apparently decided he was safe enough to curl up against Sulla, and rest alongside the horse’s flank as Sulla slept.

That couldn’t be good for his dreams.

Then again, he was probably used to it.

Alucard had a feeling he wouldn’t enjoy any dozing off if the nightmares also dozed. He might have to try and reserve any sleep he needed for daylight hours, when the nightmares wouldn’t, also, be sleeping.

“Ah – thank you,” Sypha said as she moved what remained of her sleeve aside to let Alucard take some of those remaining wet clothes to dab away at the blood on her own arm. “Does this bother you at all?”

“No – not really,” he noted, “no more than the smell of cooked meat may bother a hungry man.” Which in some cases could be bothersome, but he wasn’t going to react anymore than a man would.

~***~

Lucia hadn’t intended to take anything from the others. Trevor was right – disease and illness were fairly rare and uncommon among vampires. There were a few things, but those would usually have to be intentionally used, intentional poisons added. She wanted to protest Trevor’s offer on the principal that it wasn’t needed, but he had a point, at least about blood loss.

She could replenish it quicker than the others through drinking, but she really didn’t want to. It was bad enough she had to drink so much from animals as it was. The less she had to, the better.

“Fine,” she took it, and then did her best to roll up her sleeve to the bicep, where the wound from the bite was. “Though I can handle Marius’s looks,” she chuckled, “This is hardly the first time he’s considered it.”

The horse huffed as if he knew they were talking of him. He probably did and seemed to give them the ‘eye’ for discussing his desires to eat as if they were bad. Sure, maybe it would be bad to eat his benefactor, but well…if she was going to die anyway, the food shouldn’t go to waste, right? Never mind the fact it would all turn to ash when she actually died and probably leave him sick.

Danica reached out to help, noting how awkward it was to wrap a wound that high up – and in the end stole the roll from Lucia to do it herself, binding it tight and tying it off. “Do you think we’ll be able to return to the campsite tonight?” Danica asked, keeping her voice a bit low as she addressed Trevor. The reason should be obvious. If not, then they would want to move again. This grove wasn’t going to be nearly enough protection for Lucia, who was rolling the sleeve back down, over the bandaging.
 
" Maybe i'll be able to make something suitable from the supplies we gathered in Gresit." Aveline said. She was aware that her style of dress wasn't the most appropriate for where they were and she had done her best to modify her outfit to colder weather, it was why she had used the wrappings to hide bare skin from the elements, but at some point it came down to function. Loose light clothes helped her move quickly and she was used to fighting in this style of clothing, she had grown up in it and knew the risks and advantages that came with it.

She had yet to find anything in her travels that worked quite as well, but she also knew she was being stubborn to a certain degree. Because for all that she disliked or even hated her mother now, not all her memories of her were bad. Memories of her mother in the Haltijas traditional outfit filled her childhood, and she could remember the sure awe she and her father found in the style. She could remember her mother smiling at her as she danced around in a new Tabard. But she also remembered the distance her mother started to put between her and her father, the hint of scorn that showed in her eyes when she stopped to think about how a human lover and a halfling child reduced her status in the eyes of pure blooded Haltija.

Yes wearing these traditional clothes did have a function. They helped her fight, they helped her remember fond memories, and they helped scorned her mother because as long as she wore these clothes her mother would never be able to forget her halfing child.

"Thank you both." She said, giving the two a smile as she tested her bandages and found them secure, she could fight in them and they would help with the healing process that was for sure.

" Once we all get wrapped up then we can move onto the next step, which is finding our way back to the carriage. In theory they should leave before dawn, so maybe we can sneak back and wait them out."

That carriage held their everything, and in a way was their everything right now. All their supplies were back at camp and the importance of the carriage wasn't lost on any of them. Lucia needed that carriage and Alucard and the rest of them benefitted from it as well. And with her own small travel satchel with her only mementoes of her father still back at camp Aveline was determined to head back that way no matter what.

" Yes but do any of us know which way we came from?" Sypha asked, thanking Alucard for wrapping her wound and testing the range to see how much it would hinder her. " Because all these trees look the same."

The clearing they had discovered in this small grove seemed to almost retreat, all the trees too similar to tell apart. If Aveline didn't know any better she would say the same tree she was sitting on was the one that Trevor was leaning on across the clearing.
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Trevor watched Danica help Lucia wrap up her wound but looked away to look around the grove they found themselves in.

" The demons always leave before dawn, so if we play things right then we should be able to get back to the carriage without having to worry about running into them." He mused, his hand rubbing at the stubble on his beard.

The hoard would most likely continue back to what ever city they were going to destroy once they gave up on finding them but he didn't know how long it would take that many demons to move past their camp site. It would be a sure fire thing that their wouldn't be any demons at the carriage by the time dawn started to show its head, but that wasn't an option for them unless they could find some way to hide Lucia from the sun completely.

" I'd say if we took our time walking back the way we came we can figure out how close we can get to our camp, and if the hoard is gone then we can swoop in." But as Trevor walked to the middle of the grove he slowly turned, taking in their surrounding and frowned.

" We ran south away from our camp, then turned east into the garlic fields but something is off."

Maybe it was just the hunter in him but something was settling deep into his bones, it was like a sixth sense that told him that they hadn't escaped danger yet.

" Alucard, Lucia, can either of you smell the garlic field? Walking back towards it would be a good way to start retracing our steps."

But when neither of them were able to agree on a direction Trevors frown just got deeper.

" I think god just shit on us and threw us into a bewitched forest." he groaned a racked a hand down his face.

He knew of bewitched forests, forests that if entered at the wrong time of night or when magic was heavy in the air would take the person into an enchanted forest full of supernatural creatures, but he didn't think there would be one so close to Gresit. Perhaps their group had done something, put out too much raw power and magic and forced a gate open by accident. Regardless now they had to find an open door out of this place and not die in the process. Which shouldn't be too hard, right?

The loud roar of something deeper in the forest almost rattled the earth the group was standing on, and then we met with a loud hiss from something else in the opposite direction.

" Wonderful, just wonderful." Why did he always fall into some sort of supernatural bullshit instead of into the bosom of a beautiful woman? The thought of a beautiful woman brought Lucia to mind, but he quickly pushed that thought away with so much speed he was impressed with himself. ' can't start thinking of a vampire like that.' he scolded himself, then turned to the others and rubbed his forehead to calm his growing headache.
 
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Sypha hummed agreement with the plan as Alucard continued to wrap the bandages around her own arm, hoping that they would have sufficient supplies to prepare everyone for the cold. That, and of course, the plan to get back to the carriage, although she wondered if it would be possible, and even looked back to Trevor as he said the creatures would go back, biting her bottom lip so as not to correct him.

The creatures left towns.

They went back into the forests. It was possible they might go to the campsite and hang out there until night fell again, wasn’t it? Perhaps it would be better to get back before they started to pull back from whatever town they had continued towards, and move camp, quickly.

That seemed to be the lesser problem, as Alucard and Lucia were addressed about the location. Alucard sniffed the air, and glanced around. “No, I don’t think I do….”

Lucia shifted, her intent to fly up and get an overhead view. Except, of course, she forgot the logic that if her arm was wounded, then the wing was broken. Owl form hit the ground rather than fly up, one wing flapping angrily in the failure, before Lucia shifted back as Danica tried to stifle a laugh. Alucard did no such thing, for which he got a glare from Sypha, even if she couldn’t quite suppress the smile on her lips. “Impressive. I didn’t know owls would have a better sense than a wolf.”

“…shut up.” Lucia just glowered, folding her arms over her chest, nails digging into the wounded one in agitation with its utter failure, before they fell right back to her side and she approached Marius, who was still sulking off to the side. “Marii,” it came out as more of a coo, and he shifted a bit, allowed her to shift up onto his back, “Ingredere portae cornus.” Or in other words – enter the astral plane, through the gates of horn. Truth, over lies.

Marius attempted to, Lucia felt the shift and for a moment, it’s entire body seemed wreathed in the blue flames to open the way – but then, it faltered, shivered, and the flames fell away as Marius looked around, confused. “We are, indeed, in an enchanted forest,” Lucia accepted, “which is perfect, of course, because time won’t flow normally here.”

Which could mean they walked out in broad daylight.

If they got out.

Marius seemed to give an apologetic whinny, pawing at the ground with his hoof and uprooting plenty of grass and dirt with it. “Would someone wake Johann? I did it last time and I don’t need him to hate me.” Lucia joked, shifting off of Marius.

“Johann would rather die,” Johann muttered, turning further into Sulla who was clearly, also, content to stay right down there and rest. Of course, that was when the roar that shook the ground came, and Johann lifted his head, fixing everyone with a weary glare. Sulla also snorted and lifted his head, turning his attention to Marius, before letting out another hot huff of breath and starting to rise, further disturbing Johann, who pulled himself up to his feet grudgingly. Alucard at least had enough common courtesy to walk over and offer Johann a hand up, before the man went over to Marius, knowing full well he didn’t want to be left on the ground. He was too tired for this.

Danica went to take her place back on Sulla.

“I think we should head that way,” Alucard pointed in what may have seemed like a random direction, but he’d sensed something that felt familiar, so he hoped it might be a pull back to the proper realm, and not whatever creatures inhabited this place. “Quickly. Before we’re found out by whatever inhabits this place.”
 
" If this is a bewitched forest like the family bestiary talks about, then to get out we need to find a place where the veil of magic separating the worlds is thin." Trevor said, thinking back through the pages of his families bestiary he had been forced to memorize as a child. It had been years since he had last seen the book, it had gone up in flames along with his family years ago and as a teenager he hadn't given the tome the amount of respect it deserved. He still regretted to this day all the times he had put off his reading and he cursed himself when ever he couldn't remember something he knew he had seen in the bestiary at least once.

" If we are looking for a place where the veil is thin then I believe Alucard is pointing us in the right direction. I feel something that way." Sypha said. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something magical pulled her that way and stood out against everything else is this odd forest.

" Trevor if this is a bewitched forest then what could we run into?" Aveline asked curiously as the group began walking.

" There are too many things to list really. Trolls, gnomes, any number of magical creatures really." he said, listing off on his fingers the things that immediately came to mind. " That being said even I don't remember everything that could be here. I haven't been in a bewitched forest since I was 11, and even then my father was the leader of that expedition. I was just there to look pretty and carry his shit around."

" Your father brought you to a place like this?" Sypha asked with a frown. If this bewitched forest was really as dangerous as Trevor was making it out to be then she didn't understand why a child would be brought along.

" Well yes, I had to learn the family trade somehow. Of course he started me off with easier missions first. Banishing a ghost from a towns well, killing a bridge troll that was eating some goats, finding the fairy responsible for swapping babes for changelings a country over."

" That...does not sound like much of a childhood." Sypha frowned. She didn't want to insult Trevor, but if your child knew of all things in the world that even scared grown men then how could they still be a child ?

" Yeah it wasn't really, but it's pretty common in hunter families." Trevor said as they came to a large tree root. He glanced over at Johann out of the corner eye, wondering if the boy went through a similar childhood but kept his questions to himself.

Trevor easily pulled himself to the top of the root and then reached down, offering a helping hand to anyone that needed it. Sypha took it with a grateful smile and offered Trevor her good hand, which he took and was able to pull her up and over with no problem. He also offered his hand to Aveline but when she reached her arms up she winced and then dropped them back to her side.

" Oh don't reach up too high, you could split your wound and make it worse!" Sypha called down to her. " Alucard could you carry her up?" Sypha asked, thinking the vampires abilities would come in handy.

" Wait what about my pride? That would crush it!" Aveline huffed.

" Which is more important? Your pride or getting out of here?" Trevor called down to her, and Aveline made a show of pretending to really think about it.

Trevor rolled his eyes then jumped down on the other side of the root, arms open and ready to catch anyone who jumped down, but he stopped when he noticed that he had landed in some type of worn grove. He looked to the side and realized they had stumbled upon some sort of main path for something that was really large.

" We should hurry up past here, I don't know what made this path but it's clear that it gets used a lot." he emphasized.
 
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Lucia had no problems following after Alucard and Sypha, though she stayed alongside the horses, noting how Johann was, indeed, faltering, head slipping forward only to bob right back up. ‘Yeah, no.’ After a moment, she touched Marius’s side, “Desinito.” It was a whisper, but it was heard all the same.

Marius paused as well, and before Johann could protest it, Lucia swung herself up behind him. “You’re falling asleep,” she whispered again, planning to keep her voice quite low through all of this. It was honest, he needed help to stay up, especially without a saddle or reigns.

She tuned into the conversation, but did not feel a need to contribute. They were talking too much, in her opinion, if they were trying to get out of said forest without disturbing any of the things that lingered within it. Johann offered a sleepy, “Childhood is meant to develop into an adult,” some understanding of what Trevor went through. Of course, with his hyper-focus on werewolves, there wasn’t exactly a variety of missions. “It’s practice.”

Those that survived, deserved to survive.

They came to a root, both nightmares easily leaping over, and sliding on the way down to a cleared area, which was fairly easy to recognize as a path, even for Danica, who edged Sulla closer to Marius.

Meanwhile, Alucard was about to jump up himself when he stopped, seeing how Aveline pulled back. “Aveline?” Of course, the wound – being pulled up would do that no good. He gave a nod to Sypha’s order, and frowned as Aveline seemed to think it over, concerned about her pride. He knew she was only teasing a bit, and the frown turned into a slightly exasperated smile as she finally stopped pretending. “Here,” he crouched down, “Just get on my back, it’ll be easier,” he would fold his arms under her rump to keep her in place by giving her a seat, and she could wrap her arms over his shoulder or his neck, so he could hop them both onto the root.

And try not to think about the way the sudden contact was pleasantly surprising, or how the feel of her warm breath so near his neck nearly sent a shiver up his spine.

When he was certain of her position and her stability, “Okay…now!” to give her something of an idea so she could brace, before he jumped up, and looked over the area that the others had gone down into, Sypha jumping down after a moment of hesitation and after catching Trevor’s eye.

“You know what we should also do? Not talk so much,” Lucia finally spoke, a bit bitterly.

Naturally, that was when she’d hear rustling in the underbrush. Alucard, thus, didn’t immediately hop down with Aveline, and he tensed as he saw the large creature that clearly used this path – or rather, long and heavy creature, as it began coiling itself up around a tree trunk near the opened up path. It was an impressive size, and no doubt the fact it was consistently on its belly helped it to wear away such an obvious path. “There!” Alucard had to remove one hand from holding Aveline up to point, startled to see such a large snake, especially with such a beautiful green coat.

Any other day, he might have been fascinated. Not that he wasn’t, but…well, this was hardly the time or place.

Especially not as eyes turned towards it and it understood it was caught, immediately opening its mouth – seeming to unhinge it – to let out a spray of a poisonous mist on the foes below.
 
Aveline signed a bit, she knew Alucard was the only option she had right now, but was actually surprised by how gentlemanly he went about it. She had expected to just kind of be grabbed and thrown over his shoulder or swept into his arms but instead he knelt down and let her ride on his back. Out of all the ways to be carried it was the most respectable and least embarrassing for her, which she appreciated.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, careful not to hold too tightly, and rested her chin against his shoulder as he jumped. The contact didn't last one but it was engrained in her memory. He felt strong under her and despite the fact they had just been fighting monsters he smelt good. A hint of spice and a natural musk that was pleasant. But she mentally shook her head to clear her thoughts and instead braced for the jump, which wasn't as bad as she had expected.

Plus riding on Alucards back gave her a view she didn't normally have, especially when they were on top of such a large root. Which was why she and Alucard were able to spot the extremely large snake coming their way. Her mouth snapped shut in fear and her hold on Alucard tightened. ' snake...it's a big snake. It had to be a snake.' she thought as her heart rapidly began to pound in her chest.

Trevor turned to see what Alucard was talking about and his eyes widened. For a moment he made eye contact with the large green snake, then it unhinged its jaw and released a mist on them. He wasn't sure if breathing in the mist was the only way to get affected by what ever had just been shot at them but he didn't think contact with it would be a good idea either.

" Don't breath what ever that is in!" he yelled as he lifted his cloak over his head and pulled Sypha under with him to shield them both. Looking out from under his cloak he could see that they horses had moved and he felt relieved to know the others were fine. Alucard and Aveline were most likely safe up on the root and had been able to jump away from what ever that was.

A suddenly weight almost made Trevors knees buckle and he tossed his cloak off of him, grunting when he saw that his Cloak had been covered in some type of hard stone. ' This is-' he thought.

" Basilisk!" He called out, his voice telling him what the creature was before his brain could.

" Don't inhale the poison or let it touch you, it'll turn you into stone." He banged his cloak against the large root they had just jumped down from and the stone crumbled away. He could only imagine the pain that would come with inhaling the poison, turning you into stone from the inside, or from having the poison rain down on you and turn your body into stone.

The basilisk tightened around the ancient tree it had circled, and lurched its head forehead. It's jaws snapped and after pushing Sypha out of the way Trevor quickly dove out of the way as well.

Sypha launched a few fireballs at the snake, which did nothing other than anger it.

" How do we kill a basilisk?" Sypha called out, hoping someone knew.

Trevor dodged another snap from the jaws of the Basilisk and quickly grabbed for his whip. In a flurry of movements the whip snapped back at the snake numerous times, but his whip that was normally so powerful against demons didn't do much more to the Basilisk than make it hiss louder.

" The damned scales are harder than steel." he hissed under his breath. " In the stories the crow of a rooster or the smell of a weasel will kill a Basilisk but since we don't have either of those I suggest something sharp through a weak part in its scales!" Though where that soft spot could be he wasn't totally sure. Probably the belly or the inside of the mouth.

As he pulled his whip back for another strike the Basilisk snapped at him again, but his whip wasn't ready. He quickly grabbed for his short sword hoping to keep the fangs from biting him but totally sure that he'd go flying on his own.

Instead the Basilisks head was stopped in its tracks, surprising him and leaving him to look at the person foolish enough to jump into danger like this to help him.
 
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“That was the first thing I was going to do, Trevor, breathe it!” Lucia couldn’t help the sarcasm as Marius bolted away from the mist, survival instincts clearly still working. Sulla did as well, though the opposite direction, splitting them up a bit as the snake assessed the best target now that they split directions.

Trevor called out what it was, and Lucia dismounted Marius, “Stay back,” that was to Johann, who managed a shaky nod. He really wasn’t in any state to contribute, much as he wanted to. He knew if he did, he’d end up in danger and that would force the others to take unnecessary risks. Staying back, on Marius, would be sufficient.

In making sure Marius got away, Lucia took a moment to examine the hunter and mage as they attempted to deal with it. Alucard seemed to be doing much the same, observing them and the snake’s strategy, while Danica moved about, looking for a vantage point. She was fairly good at hitting eyes, after all.

“You couldn’t turn into a rooster, could you, Lucia?” Alucard dared to joke, and Lucia shot him a withering look, though noticed his golden gaze hadn’t left the fight, though he had started to let Aveline down.

“What can I say? I’m just not cocky enough.”

“Is now really the time?!” Sypha found herself shouting, before a gasp escaped her as she was gathering herself and she saw the basilisk lunge right at Trevor again, when he clearly hadn’t regrouped.

Lucia didn’t waste any time, sprinting ahead and drawing her gladius. She raised it up, coming a step ahead of Trevor as she crossed her blade over his, taking the brunt of the snake’s force as it tried to snap down. Its twin fangs still glanced off either blade in the attempt, but it couldn’t wrap them around any one blade to throw the offending object aside.

Or bite down on any wrist.

A moment later, Alucard joined, the hiss of his blade over their heads as the snake reeled back.

It cut across the inside of its mouth, but not as deep as he wanted. Still, there was the sight of blood bubbling up on either side of its jaw where the blade struck. Alucard landed on his feet near, free hand briefly touching the ground before he rose back up. “Looks like the inside of its mouth is tender.”

A dagger came as the snake made a lunge for the one who hurt him, and pierced its eye.

Now that got an angry hiss, and another violent spray of poison mist. Lucia was quick to move out of the way, much as Alucard dove and rolled to avoid it. “And the eyes.”

“They usually are.” Danica just sounded oh-so pleased with herself.

“Works for me!” Sypha said, creating several small icicles, “HurAH!” She launched them all at the creature’s face, figuring at least one would take out its other eye. Or get in its poison spewing mouth.
 
The Basilisk let out an angry hiss as it tried to shield its eyes from attack, it's second eyelid sliding over but also hindering it's sight. It put out another spray of poison in angry and tightened around the tree again, which let out a groan.

Up top still where Alucard had left her Aveline gulped slightly, watching everyone fight the Basilisk when she was up here paralyzed by fear as if she had been hit by that poison spray. She just hated snakes, had since she was a girl. She could remember stumbling across them in the woods and crying until her father came running to 'save' her from them. Sometimes a snake needed to be killed because it was poisonous and too close to the house, but more often that not her father would find a peaceful way to move the snake, but she doubted that was an option right now.

But the wound Alucard had put across the roof of the snakes mouth was a possible way to kill this thing, and an idea came to mind. So staggering to her feet Aveline pulled out her spear and jumped down to join them.

" I have an idea!"

" Lets hear it then!" Trevor called out as he dived to the side and away from the blind angry lashing of the snake.

" Next time the snake lashes out Trevor you and Lucia need to guard against it again! With it's mouth open Sypha can try to freeze it's fangs in place, Alucard and I will try to slit it's mouth open, if we can force it's mouth open then Sypha can use a sharp piece of ice to pierce through the roof of it's mouth and up through the head." She yelled out.

Trevor stopped to think about it for a second, then nodded when he realized it could work.

" Danica, keep aiming for it's eyes! With it's second eyelid drawn it can't see as well and that plays in our favor right now!"

And together everyone set into mouth. The Basilisk unfurled itself from around the tree a bit, focusing everyone to retreat further down the path. It made the snake thing it was winning because it was gaining ground, but truthfully Trevor was trying to get it to strike at him again like it had just a minute ago. He knew Lucia had took the front of the force with the last strike but he shared a look with her, his eyes telling her that he believed that she could handle it again.

He knew she wasn't weak and she was determined to get back to their realm as quickly as possible but she was hurt and feeding on animal blood, that was like fighting with an arm and leg tied behind your back, and for a moment he regretted his deal with her. She was fighting hard to do what was right, which was stopping Dracula, and had compromised her own safety just to keep him to mature a bit.

But now wasn't the time to focus on that, he'd think about it later because the Basilisk was clearly about to strike. It had forced them back quite a bit with it's stone spray, Trevor wasn't even sure how much ground they had covered during this fight but they were no where near where they started, but it finally dived at him and Lucia. He raised his short sword and as the snake came down on them he found that he, Lucia, Alucard, and Aveline had all raised their blades to take part of the blow equally, like a team.

They shared this burden, all of them concerned about one anothers survival and well fair, and it brought a grin to his face.

" Move!" Sypha called out, her hands an icy blue, as just seconds later the fangs were stuck to the floor. The basilisk thrashed it's tail in anger and tried to pull free, but Sypha focused on the ice and increased the amount to keep it in place as Aveline and Alucard each took a different corner of the mouth and rushed forward.

The softness of the inside of the mouth allowed their blades to slice the corner of the mouth wide open, and a crack sound told them both they had cut through muscle and gotten to bone.

" Kick that bastards mouth open and give it something to really sink it's teeth into." Trevor called out, watching the plan come together perfectly. He'd make sure to give Aveline a pat on the back after they all survived this.
 
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“Right!” Danica agreed to keep assisting with keeping the snake blind – whether by it keeping the eye shut, or hitting it at last, while the others moved into their positions, drawing back. It eventually figured out where some of them were, notably Trevor and Lucia, who stuck close so they would be able to help one another.

When it lunged, they blocked it – but not just them. Alucard and Aveline assisted.

For Alucard, it was more because he saw Aveline move. It wasn’t part of the plan, and he didn’t want her to end up getting hurt because she moved early. He had been fairly certain that Trevor and Lucia had it handled. So, it took him a moment to disentangle from the lock, to give Sypha space to cast her spell.

He wasn’t sure how she managed to get the fangs into the ground, but he wasn’t about to question speaker magic in that moment.

It tried to break free, its body clearly just one muscle, but Sypha held strong, allowing Alucard to run his blade through one side, while Aveline took the other. He went all the way to bone, and only there withdrew his blade, not wanting to risk breaking it on the bone. He whipped around as Trevor gave the order to get its mouth open, watching as the ice began to melt as Sypha formed the next strike.

They would have to get that mouth open for it to work, and quick – before it started spraying acid or lashing them with its tail. “Watch it’s tail, Aveline!” He said as he sprinted back up.

Lucia had a similar idea, rushing by Trevor. The two were able to recognize the intent of the other, and rather than hinder, they moved in tandem. When the ice had melted, they were more than ready as it lifted its head to still try and lash out, in spite of its ruined jaw. They managed to land a kick between its fangs, knocking the upper portion of its head up and back, before clearing to either side, allowing Sypha to send the icicle through its gullet, and straight down it.

Until that icy spear came out the end of its tail, leaving a hollowed out and ruined husk behind. The nearly unhinged jaw came crashing back to the ground, head askew, mouth wide open.

Sypha couldn’t help but let out a cheer at that, and she reached for Trevor’s arm then, “Do you think it’s really dead?” Somehow she was worried it might not be, even though she had no idea what kind of being could survive that.

Alucard smirked, before lifting his gaze to Aveline, “Well thought out, Aveline,” he noted then, before walking back around to where the head fell, kneeling down besides it and taking a glance at the fangs, and where the venom came from, momentarily forgetting they were in an enchanted realm that they needed to get out of.

He wondered what uses the basilisk venom might have. Besides an antidote, of course.

“Don’t make me drag you out of here, Alucard,” Lucia said, after walking back over to where Marius was hiding with Johann, and shifting up onto the creature’s back once more. “We’re not bringing it with us. I’m sure its skin would make lovely boots, but….”

“Har har,” Alucard grumbled, but rose, “I was thinking of the properties of its venom.”

Sypha’s eyes briefly lit up, thinking of it as well once it was said, “Oh! It must have many! In fact, there are probably many things here that could be useful.”

“We are not taking a field trip through the enchanted woods,” Lucia denied in a flat tone. “I don’t care if there is a unicorn here.”

Sulla clearly understood that, as he definitely tossed his head in agitation and Danica had to lean forward, letting out a gentle coo and stroking his neck to get him to calm again.
 
Aveline jumped back from the Basilisk as soon as her job had been done, the jaw ruined and unable to close. She had barely landed before watching Alucard and Lucia kick it's mouth open, and Sypha launched a giant spear of ice down it's throat and out the other end. There was no thrashing, what could possibly survive something like that.

" Oh my gods, Sypha!" She called out, face paling slightly as she looked at the Basilisks face it looked even more disgusting than it had when they first saw the thing.

" Yeah Sypha, i'm pretty sure it's dead." Trevor said through a deep laugh. " What could survive that? Actually no I take that back, don't want to tempt fate."

Aveline flicked the blood off of her spear, folding it back up and returned it to it's resting place behind her back like it was nothing, then turned her head away from the gross sight of the snake. " So gross." she said, disgusted.

" Thanks Alucard." She said, pulling her hood up to hide the light blush that bloomed on her cheers when he complimented her.

" But i agree with Lucia, lets go. I hate snakes!" She shivered at just the word and had no problems hurrying over to Lucia and the nightmares, ready to leave this chapter behind her and try to forget that Basilisks even existed.

" I wish we had time for samples. The blood, venom, and scales could surely be made into some very useful items." Sypha said with a frown, like Alucard she wanted to poke around for a bit but time was of the essence, and Lucia didn't look willing to budge on that issue.

" If you two really want something to study my family library probably has some trophies from basilisks they've killed in the past. I don't know what, but my ancestors had a habit of hoarding anything that could be useful. Now lets go." Trevor said, wiping his whip up and checking his short sword for damage after taking two strong strikes like it had.

He wiped the blade on his cloak, focusing on it as he tried to find the way to say what he was thinking.

" Lucia-" he said finally "Thank you for your help. If you hadn't helped me with those strikes who knew how bad off i'd be right now."

" Oh you'd probably be dead." Sypha said, never one to mince the truth. " Right Alucard?"

" Don't answer that Alucard!" Trevor said, glaring at the Dhampir that so far seemed to like to get on his nerves like it was his job.

" Can you guys bicker not around the dead body of a huge snake?" Aveline called out, already on the other side of the snake path and pointing to where they were headed. " Anyway, there's a cliff over here and it shows this weird looking archway in the distance. I bet that's our ticket out of here." She called out happily.

" Good then lets get going before we run into something else." Trevor said as he motioned everyone forward. He caught Alucard and Sypha lingering around the snake and nodded his head towards the direction they were going.

In the background the body of the Basilisk twitched slightly like any snakes body did after being killed. Aveline screamed and raced ahead like the devil was on her tail.

" I'm so teasing her over that later." Trevor chuckled to himself as Danica raced ahead to make sure Aveline and her shitty sense of direction didn't get her lost.
 
The Belmont library as a treasure trove of strange things had not been considered deeply in that moment, until Trevor mentioned they might have basilisk remains. ‘So what else would they have?’ It occurred to her that the Belmonts, known for slaying vampires, likely had vampiric trophies as well and that thought turned her stomach.

Well, she’d deal with it when the time came.

‘And make sure not to become one.’

A thought easily distracted by the words of gratitude that came from the one living Belmont, though it didn’t quite get rid of it. The gratitude seemed unnecessary to her – it was just what was done in these situations. One helped out their allies for the greater good of no one dying. Petty squabbles had to vanish.

She didn’t get a chance to offer a word-in as Sypha exaggerated her position. Alucard chuckled, and added, “Or a stone statue that we wouldn’t be able to sell anywhere.”

“Ouch,” Danica said, “I think we could keep him! He’d be an impressive statue in the courtyard!” Lucia rolled her eyes, “Like you wouldn’t want him around!” Lucia’s brows knit together a moment, not expecting Danica to call her out, but thankfully, Aveline spoke against their bickering…and then went running when the snake twitched.

“Be nice, Trevor,” Sypha scolded him for the thought of teasing Aveline over the twitch of the snake, though perhaps that was because she remained a bit wary. Particularly after the cyclops. She cast a few glances back until she was fairly certain they were far enough away, and it wasn’t going to be coming after them.

Alucard jogged a bit to catch up with Aveline, not wanting her to take the lead all on herself. Especially not when there could be more dangers lurking, and she was terrified. “Don’t worry – it’s dead.” He said, when he caught up. “Some animals just twitch like that, but it isn’t a conscious action of the animal.” She probably knew that, but he thought saying it could be some reassurance.

He heard a flutter of wings, and his first thought was Lucia flying ahead – before he recalled her situation with her arm.

When he glanced up, he did see a numerous amount of birds.

Large birds.

Large owls with bright yellow eyes. He came to a halt, putting a hand on Aveline’s shoulder, not yet certain if these things were dangerous, but they could be in here. Anything could be, and those talons did not look friendly, at all.

Then one landed on a branch…and flipped upside down on it, canting its head as it examined them. “Who-oo?” Though Alucard didn't know why, he found his gaze averting as if uncomfortable looking at the owl.

Alucard wanted to just move by it, but of course, as he started to try and walk again, to lead by, the creature flew at his face. With his hand on Aveline’s shoulder, he intended to push her back and away so he could try and protect her, as well as his face, from the talons of the beast – and the others that came swooping down at the shriek of their friend.
 
" I see you have good tastes." Trevor said when he heard that at least Lucia and Danica would keep his statue around. " But unfortunately for you and your court yard I don't plan on turning into a statue any time soon.

In general he didn't want to become a statue , but that was clearly the best he was going to get right now. No ' oh no we would work hard to cure you' or ' your memory would live on with us' but he had never really expected any of that anyway. As a boy growing up he had always expected to die fighting a creature, and then after his family had been killed he was sure the best he would get was dying alone somewhere. Now with the world in the state it was he was ready to die to complete the mission, he held no grand illusions that this mission was safe. It was very possible he could die fighting Dracula and any other number of high ranking vampires, and he'd prefer it was him over any of the others.

Dying to save the world was what his family did, and the others still held a lot of life or had people that would miss them, a sentiment he didn't share.
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Just ahead of the others enough that Aveline couldn't see them but could hear their bickering just find she stopped for a breath, her ears searching for any signs that the basilisk was somehow still alive and coming back for round two. She let out a relieved sign when she didn't hear what she was searching for but jumped slightly when she heard Alucards voice, he moved like a ghost when he wanted to.

" Oh yes, I know that's just what snakes do when their killed I just....hate snakes." Aveline pulled her hood over her head a bit more tightly. " and I hate how scared they make me. It's embarrassing to be able to kill demons and what ever else is thrown at us, but to be scared of snakes. Though to be fair that Basilisk was huge, being scared of that is understandable." She chuckled softly, but pressed her hands against her cheeks to try and force away the red in her cheeks that came from being embarrassed.

It felt like since joining up with everyone that she had been blushing none stop, and they had been traveling together for less than 24 hours. That probably meant things would only get worse for her honestly.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when Alucard put a hand on her shoulder, but she barely had time to look back at him before he was pushing her backwards and onto the ground.

" Whats the prob- Oh!" Aveline quickly rolled out of the way of a swooping pair of talons aimed at where her head had just been.

The rest of the group came running to them, the sounds of a flock of some type of large bird hard to miss even in this odd forest.

" What in the world?" Sypha gasped, seeing a conclave of some type of owl flying above their heads.

Their large wing span was creating a sort of gust of wind with every flap of their wings, and their talons glinted in a way that promised to be painful if you were caught under them. But their most noticeable feature even as they flew around screeching was their large yellow eyes.

Trevor pulled out his whip and killed a bird about to dive bomb Aveline. " We have to give Alucard and Aveline room to get back on their feet. I've never had to outrun a flock of birds before though." he said, not sure how they would get out of this. Did they have to kill all the birds? Could they run or would the birds give up on their own eventually?

" Does anyone know what these are?" Sypha asked as she summoned fire to her fingertips.

" Looks like some type of owl." Danica said dryly as she threw some daggers into the crowd.

" I think these are-" Trevor started but his thoughts became jumbled. He had been tracking a bird with his eyes, and he had gotten lost in their yellow orbs.

He clenched his eyes shut to try and clear his head. " I-I think these are-" But when he opened his eyes again all he saw was yellow. And suddenly It was like his mind was lost in a fog.
 
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Danica nearly offered to have someone carve an image of him, if only to see the reactions, but there was an outcry up ahead. She let out a groan. “I thought enchanted forests were supposed to be nice places of fairies and unicorns….”

Apparently they were horror places of basilisks and too-large owls.

Lucia shifted off of Marius again, hoping he’d stay back, before she sprinted ahead to help deal with the owls, slicing one that had been coming at Alucard’s back as he dealt with another in front of him. They weren’t exactly difficult to cut – but their ability to fly and stay out of range was fairly frustrating, not to mention their speed and the gusting of their wings that slowed down progress.

Alucard was keeping his head low, intuition telling him to. He followed shadows more than the actual sight of the birds, and the sounds. He was able to cut down one in front of him, before he felt Lucia edge behind him, and heard the shriek of one owl as it was cut through.

Trevor started to speak, to tell them what they were, and both the blood-suckers looked his way, only to watch as he seemed to lose his train of thought. “Trevor! Trevor I know you’re bird-brained but now isn’t the time!” Alucard snapped, only to feel a crossbow bolt plunge into his shoulder. He growled out, seeing Johann lifting his crossbow and he let out another shot, this one at Aveline.

“Iace!”

Marius immediately threw Johann off after the shot was made. “Okay, they can manipulate us, fantastic.”

The fall jarred Johann, as he cracked the back of his head against the ground hard, leaving him dazed, but clearly not getting back up to fire anymore shots. He shut his eyes, and one of the birds swooped down to try and rend his guts from him. Thankfully, Marius didn’t go far. The bird met hooves.

Lightning crackled at Sypha’s fingertips, her intent to launch it at the birds, however, faltered – the bird she was following with her eyes seemed to cause her senses to float away, replacing it with thoughts of how the people around her were ruining her life. They took her from the Speakers, from her family. They were going to get her killed. None of them truly cared for her. As the thoughts drifted and became more violent, Sypha instead launched the lightning at those who remained unaffected by the owls.

Lucia and Alucard both jumped aside. “Well! Now what!?”

“Knock them out?” Lucia was simple with strategy, really.

Alucard wasn’t exactly opposed in the moment as he caught one of the owls by the talons as they rushed down for him. He threw it into one of the trees, “Fine by me,” they could explain later, though he imagined that might be a touch difficult with Trevor, “You can deal with the hunter.” He’d also leave that to her, even if he might want to harm Trevor more, the two were building a rapport – that much was clear.

He and Trevor hadn’t crossed that line just yet, so he decided to move for Sypha, and he aimed a chop at her neck – with his hand, of course.

“OW! You bastard, what was—!” Sypha said, coming back to her senses, as his hand only struck her shoulder. Before she could continue the tirade, Alucard covered her eyes. He had the sense all through the battle, and it seemed to be working for him.

“Keep your eyes down!” He raised his voice so the others would hear. “The birds can take control – I think they do so with their own gaze.”

Sypha shivered, but nodded, and Alucard gently released her as she tilted her head down, regrouping with a deep breath, and more sparking lightning.


Lucia knew getting to Trevor might be a bit difficult, given that damnable whip of his, but she intended to try and navigate it. As she heard Sypha let out an outcry, she determined if she could just hit him with the pommel of her gladius, it’d be enough – getting close was, of course, the problem. ‘Shadow step. Worth a shot….’ And Lucia would, thankfully, find it worked for stepping within the realm. The rules were the same. She just wouldn’t be able to shadow step out and into the proper realm.

She would be able to take that to try and get closer to Trevor while not following a linear path.
 
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The owls were looking for anything that they could dive and grab for, their talons shining like they were made of metal and the way that they shredded anything they got a hold of they could of been for all the others knew. This was a magical forest where things didn't have to follow the normal rules or laws that governed their world, the Basilisk with its stone breath had really driven that home for anyone who doubted it.

Like everyone else Aveline tried to keep low to the ground, she pulled some small daggers out of her belt and used them to kill a few birds circling them but the flock was very big and the talons were surprisingly good at knocking things away. When a strong flap of a wing was enough to throw off the course anything flying through the air. With a frown Aveline pulled her Spear from her back, hoping she could take a few swipes at the birds in the sky and actually land some hits, but she was suddenly hit with something sharp in the stomach

She was launched backwards and hit her back against one of the ancient trees around them. The pain was sharp and like hot coals in her gut while hitting the tree had caused a jolt of lightening like pain to course through the cut on her back. She doubled over with a small gasp, then looked up to see what had happened.

Trevor brought his whip back to him, catching the end of it in his free hand and then pulled the leather taunt. His eyes were kind of hazy and his mind was racing, his thoughts before of protecting his friends overtaken instead about how he couldn't trust anyone he was with. They didn't care about him or his well being, they dragged him along because of his family name and yet he was sure that none of them gave a shit about what his name had cost him. Alucard and Lucia had probably thrown a party when they heard about his families death years ago, and where were the speakers when his family was being burned alive? Weren't the speakers supposed to be allies with the Belmont?

Trevor pulled his arm back for another crack of his whip, but his instincts told him something was behind him. He pulled his short sword from his belt and jumped away as Lucia appeared behind him.

" You won't be able to get me that easily." He chuckled.

Since they had first met he had been analyzing everyones fighting style to find the best uses for their combination of skills, and for a moment just like this if he ever had to fight them. It never hurt to be prepared in his line of work.

" I think...if we find the bird controlling Trevor and kill it that would snap him out of it too." Aveline spoke up.

Despite how painful Trevors whip had been she couldn't sit still with all the owls still flying around, so despite the pain in her gut and the welt it had left behind she pushed herself up by using her spear as a walking stick. Despite how she was cursing Trevor in her head she was happy to see his whip wouldn't kill her in one hit like it did the demons they fought. A good strike with a whip could cut off limps or cause horrible cuts, so she'd be able to explain this away without revealing her heritage pretty easily.

" That is easier said than done." Sypha said with a frown. They couldn't look up for the bird and instead they were all stabbing at shadows and hoping to kill something. They would be stabbing in the dark.

" Then hopefully Lucia can get close to Trevor without getting too hurt." Aveline said as she used her spear one handed to slice into the air, her other hand covering the wound Trevor had given her.

The idea of Lucia getting close to trevor was also easier said than done, because even if he was human his reflexes were quick. When ever she tried to appear behind him it was like a 6th sense told him, or maybe everyone was seeing him really try. The Belmonts were vampire hunters above everything, and he had killed vampires before. Plus Lucia was at a disadvantaged. He was out for blood but she was just trying to land one hit.

Trevor jumped back from Lucia again, their swords having met in a stalemate where neither of them had been willing to give up but his muscles were human and he refused to be forced to his knees. He skidded to a stop and grabbed his whip from his belt once more, his master control of his whip moving the air as he made Lucia dance to avoid getting hit. Distance was what he was best at, after all.
 
Lucia definitely was not focused on the birds, or the thought of knocking the one who was controlling Trevor out. For one, she had no idea which bird it was, though murdering them all increased in frequency in her thoughts as she kept stepping into shadows, playing around Trevor to try and land a hit without taking one herself.

It was a bit more difficult: the rule that he was out to kill and she wasn’t certainly playing against her.

If nothing else, she was keeping his attention off the others, so they could try to kill the owls, which seemed to be going better with Sypha back in control of herself, and able to throw lightning at the shadows. Lucia saw the flashes of it as her sword collided with Trevor’s, over and over again, until they finally locked. She put pressure behind it, forgetting she could probably just kick him, or trip him up – the thought of losing her own footing was too large a risk.

Trevor broke free of it by jumping back, her own strength putting her forward a step, leaning with the pressure of the sword, as Trevor drew the whip. She couldn’t pursue, but had to jump back as well to avoid it. ‘Fuck.’ Now what? There was limited time to think, given that she had to react – and she was well aware that one misstep would not be good.

If there was one positive about not having her cape right then, it was that it would have been shredded. Each strike seemed to get closer, and Lucia refused to attempt guarding, imagining her gladius would be dragged out of her grip before she could get enough of the whip wrapped around it.

Short swords had that disadvantage.

But Trevor was clearly figuring out her agility and how to position her, and Lucia had to grit her jaw. ‘One hit. One. It’s going to hurt like heaven but….’ If she did it on her terms, it would cause the whip to fly off in a way Trevor wasn’t as prepared for.

Then she’d throw him on the defensive.

So on the next feint, she overcame the intuitive fear of the whip and leaned just enough for it to glance over her already-wounded arm.

The pain was more than she expected. She was fairly certain she saw stars behind her eyes for a moment, and thought she might have whited-out. No matter - it wasn't long enough to actually fall, and her senses came back in the fiery pain. It felt as if her arm suddenly caught fire. She didn’t want to cry out, but she couldn’t help it, and Danica’s attention shifted immediately. The pain spread through Lucia just as quickly as the whip flew up from the point of contact, and it took everything in Lucia not to fall to her knees then and there, to give up and let the next hit pute an end to the misery of the first strike.

Instead, she reeled back, and hurled the gladius at his head.

Given the way the whip flew up, he’d have to bring it down quick to block the gladius.

And Lucia wasn’t going to give him any time. ‘You don’t need anything except yourself, Lucia.’ That haunting voice cooed in the back of her mind as she lunged right at Trevor. Even if he managed to pull the whip back and try again, she was prepared to catch it at a less-dangerous point – rip it from his hands and punch him in the face, if necessary.

That wasn’t the goal. She imagined the whip would remain out of play after it struck down the gladius, leaving Trevor open – and she was taking him to the ground. If that didn’t snap him back to himself, well – then punching him might be an option. Face, crotch, she’d figure it out by how pissed she was.



While Lucia kept Trevor off their backs, Alucard tried to figure out the best method to get at the owls, and eventually opted to take a note from Trevor’s strategies and get in a tree, get some height on them, even if they could fly. Sypha was doing her best at throwing lightning at the shadows and not hitting any of them, while Danica was doing a rather magnificent job of throwing daggers and not getting possessed.

Sypha stayed close to Aveline all the while, wanting to keep close both in case Aveline lost her sense of self, and to help protect her. Back to back, they would work to protect each other so none of the birds could get between them, and so Sypha would always at least be able to feel Aveline, and, in theory, know if something happened with her mind.

When Alucard got up high enough into a tree, he took a breath, shifted forms, and jumped quickly.

The sword he had flung itself through two of the birds that were too close together, while was able to sink his fangs into one and drag it back down to the ground, tearing its throat out, before rushing on towards another that flew low in an attempt to get Aveline. He wasn’t able to get that one, but his snapping jaws did cause it to fly back up and keep it from Aveline.

‘Three left.’ Alucard noted by the shadows. One of those three still held Trevor in thrall. And none of them seemed to feel like heading off, in spite of their fallen brethren. Alucard’s sword came back to him, and he shifted again back to his more human form, taking the blade in hand once more before he heard an outcry from Lucia.

The whip struck.

Alucard was not surprised to see what he presumed a rash action after that, Lucia seeming to just recklessly throw her gladius and lunge, like some half-mad creature. He hardly recognized it as actual strategy, and thought he may have to intervene, but a bird flew in Danica’s face as she was aiming a dagger at Trevor’s back.

That cry was closer, and more immediately worrisome as he turned to see the owl tearing into Danica’s arms as she crossed them over her head in an effort to protect herself from the talons. While her clothing was armored a bit, the talons were making short work of it, all the same.
 
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