Chapter Ten: Alucard, You Suck
Aeon shut the door to his room. He'd left Synthia and Marry downstairs to wonder while he took Alucard in with him.
"I can't believe this," Aeon said. "How'd you follow me?"
"I love having the ability to transform into a bat. You hardly notice," Alucard smiled. Aeon sighed, knowing how much this could affect him. "And I must say, you've got yourself a catch there." Aeon's eyes widened and he glared at his friend. Alucard laughed, saying he was kidding and that he wasn't interested in Synthia at all.
"That's not why I came though," Alucard said. "Something is terribly wrong, and I think I know what it is."
"Now what?" Aeon asked annoyed. "Lose track of the years again?" The vampire scowled at him, shaking his head.
"This has something to do with you too, just hear me out here. Something's different here. I was flying around my father's castle, at least, that's what that large, deserted place is about ten miles out right?" Aeon confirmed this and urged him go on, partly because Alucard was already getting annoying.
"Well, there was someone going up there. Just walking alone. Thankfully it was a guy, as I found out when I flew closer, but he didn't look like the type to go to my father for anything. He's not a zombie. My father hasn't caused his harm yet, for another 100 years correct?"
"This is correct," Aeon was slowly becoming more intrigued as Alucard went on.
"He was kind of muscular, and he looked like he was sneaking around too. He seemed young, and I'm talking about a mortal's age young... like Marry and Synthia. If I didn't know better, I'd have said he looked like they mayor around here..." Alucard whispered. That was the point Aeon was officially involved with everything. He turned around, cutting Alucard off.
"Did he have brownish black hair?" Aeon asked.
"Yes."
"Is there perhaps a bruise on one of his shins?" Aeon asked.
"As a matter of fact, there was. Do you know the man I speak of?" Alucard answered.
"As a matter of fact, I do," the time keeper told him, keeping his volume down. "His name is James, he is indeed the mayor's son and he shouldn't be going up to Dracula for anything. I don't recall any Dracula history, as you said earlier, during this time and nothing for another 100 years."
There was something new Aeon seriously hadn't foreseen. Sure, there was a little fun and James had been stuck at his father's and gotten in trouble, but Aeon thought he was just being an ass. He didn't expect James to be so ignorant and stupid as to go to Dracula's place. That was usually certain death.
"Unless," Aeon cut off his train of thought. "Alucard, when did you see him going up to Dracula's place?"
"It was a matter of hours ago, why?" Alucard asked.
"Then we must go forward in time. He's probably still walking, or at the gates to Dracula's castle. He wants a deal, that's why he went there. I don't know what he's planning but there is no other explanation as to why he would ever go up there. I only hope for all of our sakes that he's alive," Aeon explained.
"I'm coming with you," Alucard said, a little cocky. "It would be rather interesting to see inside and because you might need some help. My father's still got his allies, no matter how weak they are, they seem to be loyal enough to him. I don't think that's changed much."
"Very well, you may come with me," Aeon said. "You did spot this after all, and I can't have you messing with things here now can I?"
"No, I suppose you can't," Alucard said, putting his feet up on the desk in Aeon's room.
"But you know something Alucard?" Aeon asked as he unlocked the door to his room and looking back at his friend, who was awaiting the finishing of his sentence. "You suck. I was just about to take Synthia out."
Alucard laughed at his friend's statement, taking it in more ways than one.
"Now now, you know I gave up the sucking long ago," Alucard said a calming fashion. Aeon sighed, seeing the double meaning his friend caught. He urged Alucard to come out of his room with him.
"Come on," the time keeper said. "If you're going to come with me, you need to help me explain things to the people downstairs, and you need me to depart from this hour."
"Oh, so very true," Alucard said, reluctantly putting his feet down and walking downstairs.
"What! I thought you didn't have to leave for months!" Synthia protested when Alucard and Aeon were through explaining things to her. They left out the parts with time travel so that Marry wouldn't begin to ask questions, but Synthia knew the meaning to all of this.
"Look, I'm sorry about this. Really I am, but I must do this. James could be in serious trouble. He can't just die by Dracula's hands," Aeon said.
"Whoa whoa, you ain't going up there, are ye?" Marry asked, wide-eyed. "For that worthless piece of dog shit?"
"We have to," Alucard said. "It's the only way to save him. He doesn't know what he could get into." Synthia couldn't believe this, for just minutes ago, her and Aeon were going to walk around town. She really did want to spend some time with him, and she thought she would. Now, she wasn't getting very much.
"Well then, let me at least get you boys some food," Marry insisted as she walked away into the kitchen, leaving the three alone.
"How far ahead must you travel?" Synthia asked.
"Not too far, like maybe a few hours, not even. Dracula's not the one to take a deal with the snap of the fingers. He's probably sitting on his throne, not knowing James is on his way," Alucard informed her. "We won't be long though."
"How does this whole thing even work? Time travel?" she asked.
"It's quite complex, but we must hurry. Time is of the essence," Aeon said. "I'm sorry again for leaving you like this. We will get to know each other, I promise you that. We'll come back alive." Figuring there was nothing more she could do about the situation, Synthia took Aeon around the corner of the inn.
Immediately, she kissed him...for minutes.
"Sorry, but just in case," Synthia said, and Aeon understood where she was coming from with her intentions. He knew they'd be alive if they were to alter other events in the future to this which Aeon already has and Alucard can't really die because he wasn't born yet, and he's a vampire.
Marry came back with some simple cornmeal, bread, and water. She didn't want them to starve on their travels, however, she didn't know the half of it.
"You still suck, you know that?" Aeon said as he and Alucard left the inn.
"Yeah, I'm well aware," Alucard replied, smiling so his teeth showed.
"Good, don't you forget it," the time keeper said as they came to the back alleyway. "Do we even have a plan for this?"
"Sure," the vampire said confidently. "Go in, take the idiot, or wait until he leaves. Then, we don't need to worry about Dracula."
"I'd like to know what he's up to just in case though," Aeon said. "And you were always one for liking the least amount of work possible." Alucard smirked, Aeon knew him almost too well.
"You know, I'm shocked that neither of them noticed you were a vampire," Aeon pointed out as they came to the perfect location for Aeon to use his blade, making sure they had everything ready.
"Me too, I tried to keep my talking amount minimal and it must've worked. Luckily I can control myself," Alucard said. Aeon made the split through time and allowed Alucard to enter first.
The time keeper followed, however, he may have slipped up again, for in that back alley for the rest of the day, not a note of music could be heard, even if one asked the musician to play. He was too consumed with what he'd just witnessed. One minute there, the next gone...right before his very eyes...