Now that I have finally finished my Bachelor's Thesis and signed up for a Masters degree, I have had a bit less of stress lately! So finally, there is the next chapter up!
I am not sure when I can get to the next one, but in the official spoopy month, I should crank out at least one more :U
But! As always, have fun and I hope to see you around~! :D
~ 5-02: Rising
For a while, the two companions sat together in silence.
It didn't have anything heavy or uncomfortable to it, they were both let alone with their thoughts and ideas. Yet, whenever Trevor's gaze would cross the frame of the dhampire, he felt his curiosity grow larger. At some point, he couldn't keep from asking anymore:
"What did you have to do with my mother anyway?"
That question was bound to be asked.
Alucard didn't seem too surprised about it, though it did make him somewhat nervous. The hunter could see as much when the dhampire folded his hands in his lap and wouldn't meet his eyes. "I told you that we both sought out to defeat Dracula. We were on the same side."
Trevor frowned at that, leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "This was not the only occasion, was it?" He didn't even try to hide his disbelief from him.
Alucard sighed at that and rubbed his temple. It wouldn't be fair to lie to her son. Though, he needed a moment to think about it. "No, it wasn't. We knew one another before the chaos which helped the situation. So, we were aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the other. Sonia is an astonishing fighter as well as a person."
There was a hint of affection in his voice, the memory of hers crossing his mind right then. It was almost unavoidable to not remember the past. As far as it had been, he even managed to show that his thin lips weren't only made to sink down.
"Was. Indeed, she was."
Trevor couldn't keep from correcting him about it. There was no use in keeping his hope up that his mother was still with them.
Alucard noticed the change and fell silent. There was no need to say it out loud after all. If one could call it a smile, it faded as quickly as it attempted to appear. He swallowed before he could reply with a stutter: "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"
"No, it's fine." Trevor waved him off. It wasn't exactly pleasant to think about, granted, but it wasn't his fault. He had come to terms with it over the years. A memory was just that, a part of the past that couldn't be changed.
"I have heard about how the Belmont line wasn't in Wallachia anymore. A form of exile, I assume?" Alucard tried his best to mask his guilt. But by now, Trevor could tell that this was an emotion he would never hide away. It was something that stuck with his very being in every step.
A friend of his mother would deserve to hear what had happened to them. It wasn't up to him what he would do with this information anyway.
"At one point in our lives, people grew wary of us and our powers. They knew that there was something off about my mother, though couldn't say so for me. After all, I was a child."
It was all a blur to him at this point. How it all turned sour, they had no hope for staying, but running was out of the question. "One day, the bishop crossed our village. He knew of us, especially of mother. They didn't talk to one another and yet, he was sure that she was a witch and declared it as much." Of course, it came as a convenience to the people that they could get rid of her. After all, it was the bishop who had said so, how could he ever be wrong?
Alucard leaned back in his chair and looked at the candle flame, watched it flicker. "People tend to forget a lot. Just before, Sonia had defeated Lord Dracula and then they see in her a demon, too." Another heavy sigh from his side and his head dropped back down. One hand rested over his knee, grasping it out of despair. Whatever came to his mind, the hunter could not tell.
In all honesty, Trevor pitied the other.
This fate was a cruel one, such that turned around in these ways. There was nothing that his mother had done to deserve this painful death. "As I was told, she asked for mercy for me. I was a child, they said, I hadn't inherited her powers. The bishop accepted exile for me." They had hoped that the young boy would die on his own and they would be rid of one more problem if he were to become one. "A group of monks was kind enough to go with me beyond the borders of Wallachia. They said that they would take the remains of my mother, too, for they hadn't forgotten her service."
"To ask of such... She never changed, did she?" Another glint of affection that he allowed to sip through. Maybe it was needed to offset the knowledge of her death. That much he would be able to understand anyway. Then Alucard glanced back up at him at once as if a sudden thought had crossed his mind. "What about your father?"
"I did not know him." Trevor shrugged at this question. Of course, he had always been curious in a way, but at some point, he got used to it. "Mother never talked much about him. I assume that he has passed away before I grew up." It would be a nicer thought than thinking that he was an unwanted product of a night or anything similar. Then again, the hunter never felt like he was baggage to his mother, quite the contrary. He was a loved child and he was taken care of to the brim.
"Sorry."
"Stop apologizing for things you can't know." Trevor almost sounded irritated by that, ripped from his thoughts like that. Yet, he could see how it would be better to not focus on the circumstances of how he was conceived. Trevor figured that it was a normal reaction for any child.
Alucard shifted in place once more, but kept his mouth shut. There was no way to comment on it. He was about to apologize for his behavior, though he figured that the hunter didn't wish to hear this now. "Very well. It is your turn to have a rest. You could use one, I imagine." The dhampire glanced over to the other two, still sound asleep. "But I would ask you to awaken the priest for me instead. I don't think that any of us would get any form of rest if the other was awake."
Trevor watched him for a second, then he leaned back against the chair some more. He should have offered for him to sleep, yet he could understand how a creature like him might not need sleep as much. "It's unfortunate that Grant is this hostile towards you. He's usually a merry, young man."
"Well, he has every reason to be hostile, knowing who I am." Alucard gestured towards the bed anyway and didn't allow any form of emotion after these words. "Now, I can't have you fall asleep on the chair."
Of course, this kind of answer wasn't satisfying in any way. Not that Alucard was going to give him a proper answer. So Trevor settled with the idea that he should get to rest.
To be hostile towards a vampire, that much Trevor could understand. Perhaps he was growing too trusting of the people around him to accept this. In a way, he was almost afraid that his connection to his mother had him blinded from the other's true intentions. Yet, there was something stubborn to him that wished to accompany them as if to redeem himself for whatever reason. Trevor shoved these thoughts away. This was no place to ponder over these matters and he should get sleep.
Thus, he wished him a good night and helped Sypha up who wasn't too happy with being awake, but didn't complain.
It was strange to think that they were able to spend a quiet sleep in the Cursed Castle.
Not that the others spent much mind to the sounds coming from further down the halls and rooms. In fact, it seemed like the demons were avoiding this chamber. Indeed, Carmilla was taking care of it. She might punish those who messed something up.
All in all, this was to their advantage. Carmilla must be confident in her own skills and the ones' of her Lord to leave them there. Either that or she was having too much fun in telling Dracula that his son was rebelling against him.
"There is a main tower that we will have to reach."
The morning began with yet another briefing of the situation by Alucard. The others wondered if he had slept at all that night, though it wasn't their most important concern. "It will lead us upwards towards a hill that offers many bridges which would lead across another lake." The dhampire couldn't say why there were so many bridges in that area. Maybe to confuse people who attempted to reach them? It was full of waterfalls and pits that would be used to get rid of intruders while they tried to find their way around. "The 'Moat Bridge of Peril', that is its' name and will lead us closer to what my father calls his realm."
"His realm? I thought that Lord Dracula had conquered more than that?", pondered the priest aloud. Indeed, the troops had taken over more and more land over time.
Alucard was already checking his sword before the group made their way to the door. "In short, his army is gaining land. Yet, he is using this land to produce more demons and train his personal generals who would then continue to curse more land to do the same." And endless cycle, quite intimidating and dangerous like this.
Yet, the time for discussing had passed and they would need to continue their journey. If they were to stop whatever Lord Dracula's plan was, they would need to get going.
This private bedroom had a narrow pathway which was as tidy. Candles were on chandeliers on the walls which almost made it look pleasant. Yet, some bloodstains here and there were ruining the sight of it. It was all but a grim reminder that death and despair reigned in this land. There was no happiness for anyone to find.
Before they could dwell in these thoughts, they encountered their first enemies.
It was a duo of knights; spirits that inhabited the armor in this castle. They stepped from under the doorway towards them and hurled their axes at them. The Holy Whip was a good match for them, reaching out far enough and with enough strength to do damage. Grant's daggers would dig into the metal, though it only had them shift in place. Sypha wouldn't be able to reach them quickly enough with the risk of getting sliced. Alucard, instead, was unafraid to use his sword to block the flying weapons. The hunter was the first to get rid of an enemy by wrapping the Vampire Killer around the leg of a knight and ripping it off. This had the knight fall on his back as it threw yet another axe in blind hope to hit an enemy, but it only trailed off to a wall. A fireball from the priest's side was able to blind the other foe which staggered in place only to be sliced by Alucard's sword. The head flew off without a trace of blood. Some form of gas or smoke followed instead, the remains of the ghost now unattached to the armor anymore.
"How many of those will we have to expect? Did they curse all armor that is in this building?", asked Grant who was kneeling by one of the enemies to pull his daggers out.
"Most likely." Alucard walked past him and he could feel his glare on him. "But I can imagine that they summoned more creatures to protect this castle from anybody wishing to reclaim it. We'll have to be prepared for anything."
"Business as usual then."
There was nothing else to be expected. Lord Dracula wasn't having anything unprotected when they could summon great demonic beings. With a bit of a frown towards the tip of his blades, the pirate followed and so did his companions.
Their pathway led to a great hall with stairs leading upwards and then forked into two. By what it looked like, it was used for greetings. A forgotten chandelier was hanging from the ceiling, many of the candle holders bent or broken. The carpet on the ground was ripped and messed with. Now an outline of cloth on the ground that would show that this was fancier back in the day. The walls were covered in shredded curtains or in picture frames, many of those empty or burnt.
Needless to say, this hall was defended by other creatures as well. By the broad stairs were already two knights. At the top, there was a skeleton with a pile of bones for ammunition. The bat from the ceiling was disposed with a strike of Grant's blade, the other foes not so much. While they would have needed to avoid the weapons of the knights, the skeleton threw bones at them with enough strength to cause pain. Sypha attempted to attack the skeleton first to get rid of this distraction. But the knights were determined to protect it, very well aware of its' function.
"Keep them distracted", demanded Alucard before turning himself into a bat to dash past the knights. One of them noticed and swung with its' axe backwards, then throwing it after the bat, though Alucard was quick enough. Even if the dhampire wished for them to have distracted the enemies, he was starting to become the hunted one. The knight followed him right up while the other took on the group of three together. The skeleton jumped around to stay away from Alucard who had planned to get rid of it first. Trevor attempted to do similar as before to make the knight immobile, though with the skeleton throwing bones, he couldn't remain in place for long. Grant chased after the skeleton as well, though having to avoid the axes was slowing his run. It was up to the priest to take out the speed from their foes, yet there was no point in wasting energy. Instead, she used her ice powers to cover the floor with a thin layer. The skeleton didn't expect as much and slipped to the ground. This gave the pirate the opportunity to attack. He sliced off the skull and kicked it for good measure which hit the back of the knight's head. It didn't inflict any kind of pain on the knight, but it did turn its' head to glance at what dared to attack. The movement was slow which gave Trevor the chance to strike, too. Another enemy down with a precise hit on the chest, then the next one fell as Alucard was given a chance to turn back. An indirect hit from Trevor against it, then a slice from the dhampire's sword. As the metal clashed on the ground, it resounded in the hall and the group rejoined as silence fell over them.
That was when their eyes were drawn to the painting at the top of the stairs. For some reason, the attackers had kept this one from total destruction. The canvas was still intact almost. They stepped closer in curiosity to inspect it.
It showed some sort of family picture with a tall man in the middle whose face was the only one they could make out. Beside and before him were his sons, they guessed. Though their faces were crossed out with blood to cover the proper features. Thus, their gaze was fixed on the man first who was now even more intimidating. The curled beard was long, his eyes sharp and as dark as his brown hair. Upon his head was a golden crown, on his shoulders a furred coat. His glare was stern, but his gesture warm enough that would suggest that he was fond of the children before him. Each of his hands rested upon the shoulders of the boys to the side.
The priest leaned in and squinted her eyes at the faded letters beneath the canvas. "Laiotă Basarab. Prince of Wallachia", read Sypha aloud from the wooden frame beneath the painting. "So this is the King, huh? The one who fled from this castle?"
"Well yes, I did say that it belonged to him." Alucard watched him with a mix of curiosity and disgust. When one's father was in a fight with this one, he might have a few ideas about him and what he used to do in his past. It almost had them wonder if he despised him as much as his father did. Family tradition and all, he might have been influenced against his will.
Sypha then watched the boys. She didn't even attempt to hide her worry about the blood. It was dry, the color dark to suggest that this was done long ago. Who knew how old this painting was at this point and how each of them grew up. If they were allowed to grow up at all, that was.
"These are his children then? Why are their faces crossed out like this?"
The dhampire gave a shrug and his eyes trailed to the faces of these children with concern as well. They didn't look as stern as their father, that much was for sure. Some looked like him, others not so much, from as much as they could tell. They all attempted to look prideful like their father, though too young to carry this kind of dignity. Or anger, it was difficult to tell.
"I am not sure", he admitted. "Probably dead. Caught and then sacrificed for the sake of strengthening Dracula. They are of the Dăneşti, so they might have had the idea to use them as petty revenge. Or the demons might have had their fun of counting how many they got or how many assume that are dead. As said, no one has a clear idea of where Laiotă escaped to, so I imagine that's why he is the only one who isn't defiled here."
"Poor boys... They are the last ones to blame for what was happening around them." Sypha shook her head in defeat, though wasn't going to say more about it. Having witnessed children getting sacrificed before wasn't helping her predicament and worry. Not that Alucard knew of this tale. Then again, as a son of Dracula, he might have heard a story or two on his own.
The dhampire let the words of the priest sink in for a moment before he directed them to the door to the left. Both Trevor and Sypha took another look at the painting before following the advice. The hunter hesitated in his steps and glanced back, seeing how Grant remained in place.
"Are you all right?" Trevor didn't dare to raise his voice. The pirate was startled by his question, then turned on his heels to reach them with quick steps.
"I'm good!", he chirped with a smirk, though Trevor could tell how much of a lie that was, unfortunately. "I was stuck in thoughts. It's a bit grim and all when you see pictures like that. Makes you wonder what happened to them or if they have found any safe place at all." Grant glanced back one more time and he let out a weary sigh. "Probably not. We almost can't make it through, so I don't know how children fare in here. But I will hope for it nonetheless. They deserve it more than a king that escapes his duties."
"If we happen to find him, you can tell him your mind. But for now, we'll have to find our way out of this place if we wish to see anybody ever again." Trevor patted his back to encourage him to keep on going. Grant had to laugh a bit at his words and he took it for that. After all, they didn't have much else of a choice.
Making their way through the next door led to another couple of stairs. The group was at the bottom of the tower that they would have to climb near the top to get to the exit. In the worst case, this was right at the ceiling on top, having to climb all these stairs. Trevor and Grant were reminded of the Clock Tower. The shape was similar, though the stairs were completely intact and this tower was narrow. At least, the enemies were looking rather similar: they could make out a few knights patrolling with their lances back and forth without any sort of goal.
But when the group had reached their first platform, the sound of bells ringing greeted them. Many little ones ringing along with a few large ones, creating great noise that shook the tower.
Yet, what was worse, was that the stairs beside them were trembling and falling into pieces. When already half of it was gone, the ground beneath them was starting to give away as well. In panic, they escaped to the second pair of stairs and watched as the ground beneath them was collapsing. The tower was a death trap itself and was supposed to kill those who dared to venture closer to the demonic realm of Dracula. The Lord of Darkness thought of everything.
Trevor cursed under his breath and tore his eyes away from the sight. They didn't have much time, so they couldn't deal with the majority of enemies now. Falling to their deaths would be the risk of it. Now that the alarm set off a trap to have them buried in the remains of the tower, the foes weren't the biggest problem.
Not that the knights cared much for what they thought, not even caring about their own existence. Thus, they had no hesitation in attacking them and had no intention to flee themselves. With their lances, they would try to stab them. Sometimes, Grant would kick the weapons out of their hands. Other times, Sypha would do the same with her staff and knock them lower while Trevor aimed to keep them away. Yet, Alucard turned into a bat to help himself move upwards and the pirate soon followed. He ran towards the wall and climbed it to keep the stairs free for the other two. They would try to get rid of some of the more complicated enemies that tried to stop them. While the dhampire checked the quickest path for them to take, leading them on, Grant distracted the knights. With their range, they were able to give trouble to the pirate who, at times, would receive cuts here and there. Nothing that was stopping him, the motivation of not falling to his doom was good enough. Here and there, when Grant had to handle more than one enemy, his friends came to aid him with their own attacks. Sometimes, they pulled him back for him to take a breath before rushing further up.
What was making the situation even more difficult was another set of enemies that they hadn't encountered yet. By then, the stone pillars weren't reaching further up anymore. Either because they were broken or because it was its' actual end - the interior of the castle was still intact at times -. From the top of these pillars, crouching creatures were waiting for them. If they were made of stone themselves, they would have recognized them as gargoyles. Yet, they were simple skeletons as if those monsters had rotten away. Dark power made it possible for them to float even if their bony wings were useless in nature. It was enough to launch down, then rising themselves up only to use the momentum to reach their skeleton claws out to them. At first, the gargoyles were aiming for Alucard who was still in his bat form. It seemed like they could sense that the dhampire was no demon that belonged in this place. It forced Alucard to turn back into his regular form and aim fireballs at them. The hollow growling from beneath them ruined his targeting a little. It was intimidating to hear how the tower was beginning to collapse under its' own weight. Grant fled right past him, the two companions were following soon enough. Then Alucard turned to do the same, hoping to have taken down enough monsters.
More lances were thrust towards them, the corridor becoming more narrow at this point. Fighting was becoming unavoidable which cost them their precious time. The group was soon reminded what was at stake here with all the looming sounds of crashing beneath them.
Then, there it was, from the corner of their eyes:
A door!
It was already in sight, those heavy gates with the iron handles glistening in the dim light. Seeing it was giving them more strength while it also felt like it was mocking them, teasing them to get up. Another kick here, another whip crack there and a wall of fireballs from the other two magic wielders. Metal clashed left and right, weapons flying off while the screeches of the gargoyles resounded in their ears.
The group hadn't registered how they reached that final door. They burst right through it without thinking twice.
Was it the top of the tower at all?
They couldn't tell, all was a becoming a blur, fogged by the need for survival. In their next moment, they allowed themselves to take a breath and stop once the door fell shut behind them. The muffled sounds of destruction reached them soon after. It sounded like the platform on that level most likely broke and collapsed as well.
Before them, the space didn't quite match to what they had seen. The entire castle had a certain design, that much was true. But now they had found themselves in a room that resembled a cave more than anything. The remains of the pillars and other walls indicated that this had been part of it all, but it was run down and moldy.
Out of the corner of their eyes was yet something else.
The form becoming bigger and bigger, standing on its' legs and dragging itself towards their cone of light. It illuminated the creature: it resembled a human being, though it was of incredible size. With its' bulky head, it would hit the ceiling if it wasn't slumped over a bit. Its' eyes were lactic and dead while the skin was rotten in a grey and green sort of color. The limbs didn't quite match, the monster was misshapen as if sewn together with many different parts.
When the creature focused on them, its' broad hands grabbed on some of the rocks and chucked them at the group. Despite it being so slow, they could feel the strength behind the throw as the rocks crashed on the ground.
"What even is this?!", Sypha called out in confusion. It resembled a human being and yet, there was nothing natural to it.
Did anybody curse another poor soul to be a demon like the Medusa did with the sailors?
The monster didn't seem to understand her words and so had no reaction to them. No offense taken, but its' head was empty to comprehend human language.
"Another experiment maybe? They do seem to enjoy toying around with humans and anything that they can grab", grumbled Trevor before lashing out at the enemy with his whip. The damage was minimal, destroyed some of the clothes and ripped some skin from the leg, though the monster didn't even react to it. Some darkened blood dripped from the wound, but not as much as a living creature would.
Another curse coming from his side.
If an enemy didn't feel any pain, how were the supposed to inflict damage?
Another couple of rocks were launched towards them and smashed against the wall of the cave. There wasn't much aim behind the throw, its' eyes seemed to be messed up. Yet, the mass of the rocks was enough to make the ground tremble. Alucard dashed forward to attack the other leg. Yet, his sword did as much damage as the whip did and the creature did not even flinch. Instead, it lashed out at the dhampire with its' hand immediately, swatting him away like a fly. It had Alucard thrown back and join the rumble beside them. Before any of the others could come to his aid, the monster threw another mass of rumble his way to cover him up.
Since the foe wasn't the quickest, Grant took his chance and rushed towards it, focusing on dodging the fists and fingers that were planning to crush him. Instead, he rolled between his legs to get to the creature's back. This action confused the enemy and it turned in place while its' hands were eager to find the pirate who had jumped on its' back. Grant climbed up and stemmed his feet on its' shoulders only to ram two daggers in its' head.
Indeed, blood gushed from these wounds with the same minimal amount, but this didn't cause the monster sway in place either. It was only angered further. Soon enough, Grant found himself thrown away as well to join Alucard as he struggled in the rumble. Yet, as the pirate was tossed, Sypha had focused enough and sent a bolt of lightning its' way. The body trembled in place and was paralyzed for a second, the brutal heat sizzling the rotten skin. But really, that was all her attack did on it; feeling unpleasant, but not much else.
"What do we do? Unless we can cut it into pieces, there is no way that we could pass!", panted the priestess with shock. She escaped to the side with Trevor who attempted to attack the foe with his whip some more. The hunter groaned at the fact that his attack wouldn't do anything effective still.
"Well, that's what we need to do then, I guess." Neither of their tactics proved to be strong enough to do physical damage on the monster, so they would need to make it immobile somehow. Perhaps then they could go for the vital organs and shut this beast up for good. If there were any vital organs that could be damaged to begin with.
"What?! Are you crazy?" Not that Sypha would get an answer to that. The method was too absurd in her mind, though she couldn't propose anything better.
Their interaction was interrupted by a rock smashing between them and leaving cracks on the ground. From the other side, they could hear how Grant was helping the dhampire getting out of the rumble. Not without showering the other with curses, but Alucard wasn't minding much of it. The situation called for another mindset altogether.
Sypha, even if she wasn't convinced of the plan, found another spot to gather her energy and cast her magic while Trevor was keeping the foe's attention.
Another lash here, another whip crack there.
With arms and legs so thick, it would take ages until they would be able to get rid of a single limb.
Before Trevor could continue this thought, the priestess attempted to freeze the enemy's feet on the ground. Layer after layer covering the legs, the ice thickened. Yet, as soon as the monster became aware of what was happening, it only needed to lift and tug its' feet out of the ice to be free. Trevor heard how the priestess cursed herself and he found himself surprised by that. Then again, the situation kind of called for it by now.
To their relief, the other two companions were able to finally free themselves from the rumble around them and rushed to different sides. At least, they work together that much, Trevor thought with a bit of a frown. It was a beginning and them not trying to slice one another was a step forward.
The hunter approached Grant since it was him who was closer. "You heard what we need to do?", he asked as he took hold of his shoulders, needing to stop him in place.
The pirate was eager to continue the fight, now angered that he was thrown away like a puppet. But the question confused him and his lost expression was enough answer to Trevor. "You saw how regular cuts won't do anything. Instead, we will have to try to take it apart."
"Take it apart?!", he burst with both anger and disbelief, Trevor could only cross his arms and roll his eyes. "Seriously?! How are we even supposed to—". They were cut off by a roar from the foe and it was enough time to let them know that the monster charged at them. Trevor instinctively took Grant by his arm and pulled him to the side, then taking a leap.
"Do you have any better idea?!", the hunter finally managed to hiss back. The duo watched the enemy smash right against the wall, leaving cracks behind as parts of the dirt hung on it.
Grant gasped for air, unable to utter something at first before he could finally spit out: "This is insane!"
"Glad you figured that one out."
This was enough of an explanation and they figured that they would need to attack the same spot together.
The group decided to go for a leg first. Their blades and the Vampire Killer were starting to dig into the smelling flesh. Yet, as they did so, some of the clothing came off and they noticed how its' body was sewn together. The lines were clear to see, the flesh not even connected properly and slipping on top of one another. Blood trickled down with every single movement.
As much as it twisted Trevor's stomach to see, he did order the others to focus on the strings that kept the body together.
Grant attempted this order first and hurled his daggers at the strings. Two blades cut right through the sides, other two digging into the flesh and cutting some more. As hoped, the leg was separated right away and the monster tumbled over. Again, it did not much care as it grabbed unto other rocks to throw at them, enraged by the fact that it couldn't run anymore.
The biggest threat now were the arms and hands.
It would be necessary to get close to check for the shoulders for more strings to cut. Again, it was Grant and Alucard who dedicated themselves to this task while Sypha tried to assist them with her ice magic. The monster might have been strong enough to free itself from the chains of snow and ice, but it would give the other two enough time to position themselves to attack. In the meanwhile, Trevor used the Vampire Killer to not only injure the enemy, but also to reveal the skin to them, so they could spot the strings quicker.
This time, the strings weren't as evident.
Grant clung to the shoulder and he searched with his palm for an uneven cut. The rough surface of the burnt skin was less than pleasant, the smell even worse as it rose to his nostrils. Alucard stood upon the other shoulder, his eyes scanning every patch. Both struggled to find the right line, since the monster didn't stop shifting on the ground. In frustration, the pirate ripped more clothing to find something by the elbow, at least. Soon enough, he stabbed without aim into the flesh. It looked like, Grant had no idea what he was doing, but the dhampire followed his example and cut the fabric on the other arm with a few swipes. In the next second, the left lower arm came off with a splash. Then a roar from the creature and like syrup, the blood poured out, dark and thick. After that, the other arm fell and with its' last remaining strength, the monster flipped its' torso to throw the duo off.
It was enough of a surprise for them to let go off their weaponry and they crashed on their backs.
Both Trevor and Sypha used this chance to dash forward.
If there was a vital organ that could have been alive in this mess of flesh, it must have been the heart. Another strike of lightening to keep the monster in place before it would dare to roll on its' belly again. The hunter took hold of Alucard's sword on the run, using the momentum for the next jump on top of the chest. Without waiting for another second, he rammed the blade right into the middle. More and more of the metal buried inside the flesh, parting and cutting anything on its' way. As soon as the blade pierced the heart – and Trevor guessed that he did by the sudden reaction of the beast –, he could feel how the entire torso shook and trembled in an instant. The rest of its' body shifted on the ground, the head leaning left and right before also this stopped.
Trevor allowed the sword to slip out of the lifeless body.
Some of the dark blood quelled out of the wound without much power. Yet, something lighter bubbled up between the thick liquid. The hunter knelt to pick it out with his thumb and forefinger. It was all sticky, it took a little force to get out, but once the blood had dripped on his palm, he was met with the familiar sight of the red orb. As much as it had disgusted the companions, they couldn't help their curiosity and joined Trevor's side. He didn't take his eyes off the orb, watching the fog with the beast before he held out the sword to the side for Alucard to take.
"Thanks."
That was all that Trevor could say and soon enough, the dhampire took his weapon back, the hand shaking a bit. His blade was soon cleaned with his cape, he was somewhat nauseated by the sticky blood on his sword. At least, it was useful to defeat the enemy, so there was nothing to complain about.
"So, beyond these gates are the bridges of peril?"
Sypha was the first one to raise her voice again.
Trevor let the orb slip into the sack with the others and turned to face the gates. With a low sigh, he slid down from the cold body of the beast.
"Possibly." Alucard put his sword away and blocked the smell of the blood, rotten and foul. He watched how the hunter as well as Grant were sitting down by another wall, leaning back to catch a breath. "I can't imagine much else, but it would be better to test our theory after we take a rest, wouldn't you agree?"
"We don't have much of a choice, do we?", chuckled Sypha as she was out of breath herself. At that, the prince offered her to sit down with a gesture.
The door, through which they burst in, would lead to an abyss with the remains of what once was the main tower. There wasn't another route to take than the one before them.
"I feel like that this is a sentence that is muttered often among you."
Was that a chuckle coming from Alucard's side?
Honestly, Sypha couldn't quite tell and she wasn't going to question that. If he was amused during these days, it was a good sign. To avoid being disappointed in her assumption, Sypha preferred not to dig deeper.
As awful as the air smelt from the rotten remains of the large enemy, the companions were glad to find another moment of silence.
Here and there, they would talk a bit to get things off of their mind while they checked and treated their wounds. Whatever was causing the tower to collapse or who placed the army of knights and gargoyles there. The mere existence of this creature who was created with the remains of others and brought back to life somehow. It was frightening to know that Lord Dracula had no respect for life and nature. Simply creating and letting others create unholy monsters to burn everything down.
Nothing was sacred anymore.
But what was one to expect from the Lord of Darkness who swore vengeance on God?
To keep fighting on.
This was their mission to prove that light would always triumph over the dark. There was nothing that would defeat what God had created in His glow.
"Lay down, Trevor."
Grant groaned and rubbed his temple from exhaustion. It was clear that the hunter was in thoughts and he needed some distraction. "We'll nap for a bit and we could eat. As long as we are safe here, we can use the time." The pirate could tell in the other's gaze that he was worried. Trevor had the need to shift back on his feet and keep on going. "The world won't be gone if we rest for now. We won't perform well if we keep on running without thinking."
Trevor could get behind this kind of logic. It was by now that the hunter noticed how tensed his entire frame had been and letting his muscles relax had him tremble.
Yet, it was Alucard who felt like making a remark: "I wouldn't have expected such wisdom from this vigilante."
The pirate glared at him, but swallowed his own comment and leaned back to rest against the wall. There was no point in fighting and maybe Alucard was a bit disappointed.
Either that or he couldn't have kept back his banter.
Sypha and Trevor looked at each other, expecting for the other two to start arguing again. Yet, silence fell over them and their tension loosened soon enough. It was good to know that the group could find peaceful moments even when they could spot the corpse of their foe out of the corner of their eyes.
