Hello everyone! Now that fans seemed to have stomached season 2 of the Netflix series, I figured that I could add my part to it! My regular CV3 fanfic is not forgotten! But with NaNoWriMo and assignments on my tail, I will have to see if I can make time for that as well... This prompt came to mind at some point and I thought that I could might as well use it for NaNo :U
Anyway!
Hope that you have fun and I'll see you around!
Dusk had never looked so pleasant.
The sky finally carried warm colors for once. There was a certain softness to it which the rogue had almost forgotten about.
The past months were a nightmare after all. From demons to civil wars, from famine to disease and murder happening left and right... So much blood was spilled even the ground beneath their feet was soiled and cursed.
It was to survive or to be killed, simple as that. Robbery was one of the lesser crimes around Wallachia, so he resorted to that during his travels.
The black silhouette of a castle was on the horizon this entire time. Not that he remembered a castle to be in a place like this, but he wanted to try his luck anyway.
If there was a castle, there was a chance that it was empty and left with anything that would come in handy. Most people fled their homes in a hurry, so it wouldn't be a surprise.
Thus, the castle was his main goal for the day. He wandered without any break until the strange construction was before him. The sunset was a stark contrast to the cold colors of the bricks.
Yet, Grant wasn't here to admire architecture, but for pillaging some poor, dead nobles of their riches.
They wouldn't need those in Hell anyway.
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Upon entering, there was already a strange air to it.
It smelt of blood, of burnt materials.
This had been a place of conflict and chaos. It all looked so torn down that a tragedy must have already reached its conclusion.
All was quiet, all was still. Nothing shifted and there was no life within.
Grant shuddered.
Even the interior didn't seem from this world, whatever was left of it anyway. The rogue checked a few items, picked up some other books, but nothing that screamed to be of material value or use. For that, he would need to give himself some time to study everything, as there was potential to the unknown.
His journey led him further down, taking all sorts of routes as his curiosity grew for the stories within these walls. The initial mission was forgotten with these details around him, of all these things that he couldn't make sense of.
Whatever these past months have done to the countryside, all seemed to have been birthed from this realm.
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Then, a sob reached his ears.
It was muffled and pitiful and for a second, Grant believed that his ears were tricking him. There was no way that anybody else dared to venture so far into this cursed construction and yet, another sob could be heard.
With slow steps, the rogue approached the door from where he believed to have heard the crying; the door itself was out of its hinges anyway. His heart began to race as he peeked inside, not knowing what to expect.
Maybe, it was a trap set out by the demons! Maybe, it was just an illusion of his mind and he was going crazy after all this time!
Not that this would have been the most surprising twist of all.
Yet, his expectations couldn't were all off:
It was only some poor sap on the ground, sobbing his eyes out, so it seemed.
All he could see was his back and the many golden locks. Around them was a demolished room, but even Grant could figure out that this looked like a kid's room.
Well, there was no way to not make this awkward. Grant cleared his throat to grab his attention, then he raised his voice, though couldn't keep it from trembling:
"Hey there, buddy... You doing alright over there?"
Smooth, dude, he thought to himself with a groan, real smooth.
This was enough to shock the other. He turned to glance at the intruder and his tear stained face was replaced with a frown. One hand was on his belt, possibly armed with daggers or some sorts.
"W-Who are you? How dare you even be here?!", he growled and his amber eyes carried a spark of anger, barely contained within him.
Grant let out a nervous laugh and lifted his hands in defense; one part of him was getting ready to make a run for it. No matter how surreal this person looked, the rogue could bet that he wasn't as quick on his feet as him, especially not in this state.
"L-Look, I didn't know anybody was even in here! The castle just sort of appeared recently and I got curious and-"
"Then leave me and this wretched place alone."
The rogue swallowed, but wouldn't bulge, yet. One hand slipped into his pocket and he pulled out a handkerchief with a sheepish smile.
"I'm not trying to hurt anyone and you look pretty distressed. Wouldn't want to ruin your shirt with tears and snot, would you?"
The other only groaned at his words, then let out a weary sigh and shook his head.
"What's the point anymore... There is nothing left in here other than blood and tears."
"And you, I guess."
Grant didn't know what compelled him to take steps further into the room. Perhaps, it was the fact that he saw a man broken and in sorrow before him. Leaving someone be like this wasn't exactly in best manners.
Even a thief had some sort of moral code, it seemed.
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Grant handed him the handkerchief once he was close enough and the other glanced between the offer and the rogue before taking it. With that, Grant took place beside him and let his gaze wander around the room.
Clearly, there had been a lot of effort put into this. Whatever evil one could have sensed in the rest of the castle, a spark of affection was left within these walls. Even if that spark was dying out.
"I ask you again", came the sharp comment from the side, "who are you, what are you doing and why are you here?" Grant could feel his eyes drill right into his frame and he shuddered. The other was barely accepting his presence, but he must have figured that the rogue was of no harm or was too stubborn to leave.
"The name's Grant, ", he replied, glancing at him from the corner of his eyes. He gave a shrug and shifted in place. "And, well, as to how and why I'm here... I'm a thief?" He expected to get strangled in any second. Indeed, he could see how his anger was boiling further, so he presented his empty hands to him again. "Look, I had no idea that anybody was here or that it was your place or whatever! Then I kind of got lost looking at everything and-"
"Do you ever stop rambling, thief?", he snarled back and finally turned his gaze away. One could see how he tried to push his anger back down again as he saw no point in raging against him. Yet, Grant didn't dare to raise his voice against him at that question and watched him a bit. The most obvious question burned on his tongue, but didn't pass his lips. Though, it must have been clear in his stare as the other groaned a bit while watching his surroundings.
"I'm Alucard, if you want to know that badly."
Another moment of silence. Grant frowned and tilted his head, needed another few seconds to gather his voice before he replied:
"What's your real name though?"
"What?"
"Your real name. 'Alucard' is Dracula spelt backwards, buddy, it's not that hard to figure out."
Alucard, or whatever his name was, stared at him dumbfounded, then shook himself and tried to downplay his embarrassment.
Was that even a hint of a blush on his cheeks?
Grant couldn't tell, the dude was so pale that it put marble to shame.
Yet, the implication of his name then dawned on him and he realized where he traveled to. Now it was his turn to turn white from shock. Alucard scoffed at his reaction and rolled his eyes.
"Finally realized the mess that you got yourself into, huh?" There was almost something mocking to his words and the rogue didn't know what to do with himself.
A vampire! An actual vampire!
If Grant didn't know any better, he would have assumed this man to be from another country. His features were so strange to whatever he was used to from his own travels. And yet, the shine of his eyes and his complexion were one of a demon. In the next moment, he realized the pointy fangs that dared to peek over his thin lower lip.
"Now that you know who and what I am, I would advise you to leave. I won't harm you in the least, but I can see your fear in your eyes."
"N-No worries! If you really would have wanted to suck my blood or anything, you would have probably attacked me already!" His laugh wasn't exactly genuine and spoke of his nervousness and it died down just as quickly. "... Right?"
Alucard scoffed again and shook his head. Grant could feel a weight being lifted from his chest and his muscles relaxed once more. He hadn't even noticed how much his frame had tensed up. Out of relief, the rogue patted his shoulder and flashed him another smile, though this time, it held honest warmth to it.
"Besides, you seem to be busy doing something else over here, no?"
"That's none of your business."
"Fair enough."
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With that, the two mismatched companions sat together in silence, watching the room left and right. This must have been brimmed with memories for the other, thought Grant to himself as he let his gaze wander. In a way, it was fascinating to know that this room held so many memories for Alucard while the rogue felt almost nothing out of this mess. There was no picture on his mind for these surroundings, of how they could have looked like before destruction tore it all apart. Of course, Grant could try to imagine it all, but there was still no value to it.
Something left Alucard shuddering. A thought or idea must have slipped into his mind, perhaps another unpleasant scene connected to any item in this room. Looking at him, sorrow flooded the light eyes again, so many painful thoughts sticking to his skin, it seemed.
"It must be tough", he began, keeping his voice low as if he could startle the other, "being here on your own."
"You have no idea what I've been through, thief." His words shook, trying to keep the tears down as he bit on his lower lip. Yet, his anger and frustration increased as if he was about to talk himself into a rage. "You haven't seen half the things that I have witnessed. Not gone through the same pain and suffering, through the same curse. There's nothing that you could even grasp of the imagery that is forever burnt into my skull."
"Probably, yes", Grant retorted dryly and watched him nonetheless. Whatever fear he had before, it began to shift into pity and worry. Even if that man was a monster, he was grieving in his own silent manner. "But I feel like you do that a lot."
A glare from Alucard and he tensed as if preparing for any judgement from his side. "Do what?"
"Dramatic speeches like that. If I had accompanied you in your travels and gotten a coin every time you did that, I wouldn't need to raid empty castles anymore."
Once more, Alucard was left speechless by the blunt answer. He blinked at him in confusion, he had almost forgotten his tears right then. Then he shook his head and crossed his arms.
"You are quite an odd fellow..."
"I get that a lot."
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Alucard returned to his slumped over position. He was tired and exhausted from whatever torment he had been through. Or, at least, whatever he had put himself through the last few days anyway. With a sigh, Grant took off his cloak and threw it over the other's shoulders who flinched. One hand was already about to pull the heavy cloth away, but the rogue rested his hand on his shoulder with a smile.
"It must get cold around here, I guess. I don't think that this lousy shirt of yours can keep you warm."
"I am in no need of handouts", he mumbled and seemed to be thinking about giving the cloak back to him in any moment. "There is enough here to find to keep myself warm even if I was cold."
Grant shrugged at that, it was most likely true. This place was big enough to hold at least one cloak.
"It also helps feeling cozy when you are so down. At least, I know that it helps me."
For the first time, Alucard didn't seem quite so hostile anymore. Instead, he looked him over as if to detect what his comment meant, but Grant knew how to hide his emotions from his expression. The rogue knew perfectly well that he didn't look like the sorrowful type to most people around him. But it was naive to believe that he didn't have his own burden and scars to carry, too.
That much, Alucard seemed to understand as well and drew back a bit before making any sort of remark about that.
"Then I..." His voice got even lower, embarrassed almost, "I thank you for your thought..."
"You're welcome, buddy."
Another growl from the dhampire as he sunk a bit, keeping every comment to himself. Instead, he tried to shift the attention from himself and focused on the rogue.
"Was is it that you hoped to find here? By getting close, you must have known that this castle was in a... Desolated state", he asked, genuine curiosity dared to peek through and Grant flashed him a grin.
"Aside from the hopes of treasures, you mean?" He gave a shrug at that. The further he had ventured into the castle, the less he had thought about treasure and more about the machines all around him. "To be honest? I don't know what else I expected... Certainly not this, I can tell you that much."
But what else was to be expected from the realm of Vlad Draculea? Otherworldly machinery and traps all around. Nothing that anybody's mind could come up with.
"I don't think that any rational, human mind could really get behind his ideas and knowledge..."
"Or his love for staking people, but that's another story."
Alucard was about to scold him for insulting his father, but he left it at that and let out a deep sigh. No one could deny that Dracula's actions were of diabolical nature, no matter what his intellect might have been.
Trying to defend him was like trying to defend the Temple Knights during the Crusades: Maybe there had been good intentions in the beginning, but they spiraled so far down into violence and bloodshed that no one would justify them.
"My father was certainly... Peculiar and has always been, that much I can agree on. But I also hold memories of him in my mind when he wasn't this... Sadistic. When he had found peace within my mother, it was almost like he was a different person."
Grant frowned a bit at this explanation. There was no way that he could imagine Dracula as any sort of pleasant person or even being capable of love. From all the stories and scenes that he had seen, there was no shred of justice or decency within Vlad. But then again, the proof of his capability for love was right beside him.
Alucard's memories weren't invalid or unimportant. So, it wasn't in his place to judge those just as much as he couldn't judge this room and the memories attached with it.
Grant almost didn't want to ask, but his question passed his lips before he could even stop him: "And since I didn't have the honor to meet your Dad or just... Anybody else of your family, I assume..." He couldn't even finish the sentence anymore and Alucard turned his gaze away in an instant. A sob shook him, no matter how hard he tried to hide said fact. The rogue swallowed from nervousness and felt his heart jump in sympathy at the sight. "C-Could have figured that much, yeah, I'm... I'm sorry." He scooted closer to take him by the shoulder again and this time, Alucard didn't even attempt to fight back against the touch. It was enough to trigger his tears again and Grant could feel his stomach sink.
"Being without your parents and family... It certainly isn't easy", he mumbled as his own eyes wandered around the room again. He tried to imagine a little version of the dhampire, being tended to by his mother who, most likely, resembled him quite a lot. Even if he couldn't say for sure, there were more good memories within these walls even if, right then, it must have hurt to be reminded of the past.
Of something, that the other could never return to.
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Alucard rubbed the tears away from the back of his hands, trying to calm himself as quickly as possible. He was about to snarl something back, but upon seeing that Grant's expression had turned neutral, his anger faded in the next second.
" It's... All so fresh, these scars. With them, I felt like a part of myself has died as well and I will have to bury myself along with them."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
Alucard clicked with his tongue and turned in place. "Tch, what do you know?!"
If Grant didn't know any better, he would think that he was dealing with a teenager rather than a man around his own age. Yet, he preferred not to make that comment and figured that, if the other had revealed that much to him, the rogue might as well talk.
"I might not know about you, but I feel like that I can sort of relate." It was almost amusing how much of a contrast was between them. They could hardly be any more different from one another. "I mean, I don't know if my parents are dead, to be honest. In fact, I can't remember my childhood at all, so my memory just goes back to a couple of years ago." He shrugged as if trying to say that it wasn't a big deal anymore.
Well, that would be sort of a lie. Of course, there were nights in which the rogue would question himself and his past, who he was and what his place in this world was. There was no him before a group of pirates had picked him up, lost and abandoned in a field with wounds littered all over. At least, that much they had told him.
It was a strange life to lead, to say the least. To be yourself and yet, it was as if his life began when he opened his eyes in the ship, surrounded by all these unknown faces.
"No father, no mother or siblings. No home to return to or even a memory of such to follow back and grieve over. The past has... No meaning to me."
Alucard watched him intently, he probably couldn't make much sense of that either. For someone who was so connected to his memories and the pain within it all, he must have had trouble understanding what it would have meant if all of this was simply... Empty.
A hole in the mind that couldn't be refilled.
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"I'm sorry."
Grant flinched, torn from his thoughts. He then tilted his head in confusion and let out a weak chuckle.
"You're sorry? For what? It's all over and done, nothing that can be done about it."
Alucard's stare was quite intense as if he could stare someone right down into the soul. Perhaps, he tried to find out the truth behind his words. Not that he could figure out the rogue right then, so he fell back a bit and sighed.
That was all Alucard could do for most things recently, it seemed.
"Even when something is done, the feeling of it can still haunt you. And both can be a curse: to remember all so clearly and not having any memory at all. I can't imagine which is worse..."
"I don't believe that this would be a contest... Pretty sure that both of those options can hurt more than either of us can imagine."
Grant shrugged once more, he wouldn't want to be the judge for it. Life was difficult enough as it was. There was no need to fight over questions like these when people outside would fight for every piece of bread already.
Through the tinted windows and parts of the collapsed ceiling, one could see that nighttime had arrived. The sky was as clear as ever, they could even spot a few stars here and there. Once again, Grant couldn't help but remember how long it must have been since he found the sight of the night sky so comforting. Yet, as it got darker, he pulled forth his oil lamp and turned it on; a little circle of warm light surrounded them.
"I'm not in need to see the details of my old room...", mumbled Alucard who couldn't keep from glancing around anyway.
The rogue pursed his lips and lifted his eyebrows as he pulled a bottle from his belt. "But my eyes don't come with night vision, genius." Then he took the cap off to take a proper sip before handing it over to the dhampire. "Maybe that can lift your spirits a little. Life is shitty enough as it is for the two of us, you know."
Alucard frowned at the sight, looked between the bottle and Grant. "I'm not one for alcohol... I know someone else who might enjoy that invitation, but I don't see the point."
"Never said that it was alcohol... Anyway, more for me then."
And without hesitation, Grant took another sip. His eyes darted back to the oil lamp and he considered leaving that for the other, too, but he would need a source of light for himself. Thus, his gaze wandered through the room before he asked:
"Any candles around here?"
"Why?"
Another frown from Alucard's side. Grant pointed to his lamp before placing his bottle down. For a moment, he seemed to be thinking about his answer. He could say something cheeky about it again or joke about it. But right then, he couldn't keep himself from being completely honest.
"Can't leave you alone in the dark."
Alucard remained silent at that, trying to weight his words before he turned to glance around. Then he gestured towards the lamp just the same and mumbled:
"Look, you don't have to worry about me. This is yours and so is the coat, I won't expect you to give me the few things that you own."
Grant snorted at that and patted his back, the touch seemed to distract the other, but he wasn't trying to defend himself. His frame eased a bit, he could feel his muscles shift underneath his palm. Before the rogue could even return any sort answer to that, Alucard sighed once more and turned his gaze away which, at first, Grant took as irritation.
"Besides, I don't think that traveling at night is much safer than staying here…"
The rogue blinked at him before his implication left him smiling, a laugh followed right then. "Well, there is a vampire in here that might be after my blood!"
Though these words left the dhampire to slump over some more, the other's joke passed right by him and Grant softened at the sight. Thus, he slid closer to him and placed an arm around his shoulders which left Alucard frozen in place.
"Sorry, you're probably not in the best mood for that, I realize. But if you wanted me to stay instead, you could have just told me so. Being left alone is pretty hard after all."
"It was by my own choice."
Grant shrugged and pulled his arm back. He watched him with care, to see if his expression would show anything beyond his words, but Alucard seemed to have been wary about it. The rogue followed it up with a sigh, leaned back on his hands as his eyes wandered up to the many stars above them.
"Still. Doesn't mean that it's not hard to deal with."
"I suppose so."
"Guess I'll take your invitation and stay for the night then!"
Alucard groaned at that and rolled his eyes which left Grant chuckling once more. But since the other didn't deny or ordered for him to leave, the rogue took that as a good sign. The dhampire might not be easy to read, yet there were a few things that he could figure out, it seemed. Nobody deserved to be on their own while grieving and contemplating to end their life. There was something so young to the other that it would have been a shame otherwise.
Plus, he wasn't bad company, no matter how hostile at times. It was a self-defense mechanism, that much Grant could understand.
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"I don't know if there is anything of value for you to take from these ruins."
Grant flinched at his words and blushed a bit, feeling somewhat ashamed of his current occupation no matter how much he tried to defend himself.
It was to survive, but it still didn't hold much honor to it, did it?
He put on a sheepish smile and thought about it. No, there was no obvious item to be taken away so far that could earn him some money or food. The machinery was too strange to make sense of it right away.
"I don't know… Maybe some of that can help the people all over if I could study and understand it sometime!"
Alucard frowned a bit at that, but Grant avoided his gaze. The rogue connected the sparkling dots of the sky together to spot the constellations. Not that Grant expected himself to understand whatever Dracula had built up in here, but he could hope after all.
"Understand it? I guess, you are aware of what has happened…", mumbled Alucard and tried to follow his gaze. He seemed to be seeing constellations, too. The rogue has heard how Dracula's wife was a woman of science, so it would make sense if she taught her son about the stars.
"Never said that I didn't. I know that you probably aren't very fond of... My kind, I guess, but we all carry our sorrow and pain in our minds from these scenarios, believe me." Grant sounded thoughtful as if reminiscing in scenes that must have passed his eyes this very moment. Alucard glanced at him from the corners of his eyes, the rogue could feel the glow of it upon him. "And if someone like me, a man without a past, can help build a better future, I have to do my part. Otherwise, what else is left for me anyway?"
The question was followed by another moment of silence and Grant could feel a bit of a blush bloom on his cheeks. He didn't intend to babble away like that, but the late hours compelled him to be more sorrowful, more melancholic.
Then Alucard snorted.
Grant was perplexed by the sound, he didn't expect to hear anything resemble laughter passing the dhampire's lips.
"Look at you, now you're the one making dramatic speeches, it seems."
Then it was Grant's turn to laugh, though his blush didn't fade. He nudged his side with his elbow.
"Eh, guess you rubbed off on me. Must be contagious."
"You wish."
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Another couple of bits of chuckles here and there. The dangers of the night almost forgotten, the past unimportant for a second. In the shine of the oil lamp, they could enjoy their companionable silence. Make little remarks here and there about the constellations as well for a change. Both of them were quite knowledgeable about it which seemed to surprise Alucard a little.
"How come you have learned about the stars?"
"I traveled the sea, you know. The stars would lead us back home."
Alucard tilted his head a little and pondered on his words.
"A pirate turned thief, huh? Not too much of a surprise", he mumbled before he let out a sigh. "I have never been, you know. Never seen the seaside."
"A shame, really. Maybe I can take you there one day!"
The dhampire scoffed at that and shook his head. They were so far in the countryside that it would take weeks to get to the Black Sea. Grant could feel his heart ache a bit, he missed the sea. From its breeze to its waves, the smell and feel of it all; nothing could compare and compel him as much.
"My place is here, I have told you. There is nowhere else for me to be." As tough as Alucard tried to sound, there was sorrow behind his words. Whether that was from grief or the idea that he wouldn't allow himself to set foot outside anymore.
No one could really say.
"Whatever you attempt to seek here, I don't think you will find it, buddy", he replied and bumped his side. "I can't tell you what you will find outside these walls, but I know that it will be more than whatever this castle can offer. So, my proposal still stands, just so you know."
Alucard remained silent, wouldn't bulge or shift in his position. Nothing changed in his expression, but his tone held a certain warmth to it when he replied:
"I'll think about it."
And that was good enough for the rogue to hear.
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Perhaps, it had been a wink of fate for them to meet. After such terrors and nightmares to find one another in a gigantic castle where the rogue could have missed the sorrowful dhampire.
But to be able to sit together and discuss this and that, to distract one another from the pits of one's mind...
It felt like a blessing, a moment of peace which has ever been so rare to them. Even if it was just for one night, they could enjoy it.
And after Dracula's Curse hit the scene, one had to appreciate the little moments in life sometimes.