Chapter 23
They were not far from the place where the rest of the group was camped, so Daniel and David agreed to allow Eva and Alucard the opportunity to explain to everyone at once. Eva was grateful for small favors, even if she still wasn't sure how much to tell them. She had a feeling it would be far easier to let them believe she descended from heaven than to try and get them to believe she was from the future. Not that she planned to tell them that either.
The silence in the back of the wagon was tense and uncomfortable as it pulled to a stop. Eva was more nervous than she had ever been, though she was soothed somewhat when Adrian took her hand. He gave her a tight smile before they both turned to face Trevor. He had stuck his head through the curtain and gave them both another exasperated look before he spoke. "I guess you're both ready for this?"
Adrian quirked a brow. "Whether we are or not makes little difference. The time has come."
For once, Trevor shared the other man's grimace, but he didn't add anything. Instead, he stepped back and pulled the curtain open. Daniel and David had already jumped down and were working on getting the men's attention. That was why nearly every eye was on the cart when Adrian jumped down and reached to help Eva out as well.
There was absolute silence for several heartbeats before it seemed like all hell broke loose. Eva was just glad that these men seemed to have enough sense to not swarm her like the villagers had. The cacophony went on for a few more moments before Trevor looked over and gave Sypha a nod. As soon as she saw it, she made a few sweeping motions that created hundreds of tiny pebbles of ice that she then released to fall on the gathered men.
It was not enough to harm them but certainly got their attention. That, combined with Trevor's yell, had them all focused on the front once more. The hunter took his chance to speak. "When we came to your villages and said we were going to face the coming threat with or without you, it wasn't just that we are insane. Well, at least I'm not."
Many of the men started making confused grumbles, but Sypha rolled her eyes at her lover before she stepped up next to him and spoke as well. "As you can see, I am not just a Speaker. I am a Speaker Magician. However, Trevor and I only make up half our team. Please meet the other half."
She then gestured toward the other couple. "This is Alucard Țepeș and Evangeline Russo."
The muttering grew, but one man stepped forward. "Alucard?"
Before he could ask more, Adrian cut him off. "Yes, it is as you believe. The four of us are the group that faced off against Dracula. We faced my father and won. We have no intention of failing now."
Eva was awed by how confident the other three seemed in the face of the uncertain men. Still, she had not missed the fact that her presence had not been addressed. She wasn't the only one to note it either. Most of the men were still looking at her instead of the other three. She saw a mix of confusion and wariness, which made sense. Adrian might be part vampire, but his was a recognizable name. She was a complete unknown.
Finally, she decided that if she really were a part of this group and not just someone they needed to protect, then she would show it. Before any of the men could ask the questions she saw brewing, she stepped next to Adrian. "I am sure most of you are wondering what I am. What part I have to play. I will admit that I have not known for long, but yes, the wings you see are due to my father's angelic nature. I am a Nephilim."
It was near chaos again after she spoke. All of the men seemed to have an opinion, though none of them said anything to her about it. From what she could understand, it quickly became apparent that the group was split into two. One section thought it was a blessing to have a holy being with them to face off against the unholy horde.
The others were not nearly so kind. They could not believe that a representative of God would stoop to consorting with a human. The very idea of Nephilim was abhorrent to them, so surely she must be the product of something just as unholy as what they were to face. Eva had to admit that she wasn't shocked by that accusation. That was more along the lines of what she had been expecting to hear, and the main reason they had kept her hidden until now.
She knew they couldn't let this go on for much longer, or things could get nasty. Before she could try and rein the men in, Trevor jumped up on the cart and yelled. "Alright!" When all eyes turned his way, he continued. "Listen up. You are all welcome to believe what you want, but I can tell you first-hand that Eva is anything but unholy. I have seen her power decimate demons like they had been struck by the light of God. We have never tried to force any of you to stay with us, and we won't now. Either way, we will keep going to face this threat. The choice is the same as it always was. You can join us if you feel the cause is worthwhile, or you can leave. Just don't get in our way."
Adrian jumped up to join him, which forced Trevor to choke back a frown. The dhampir ignored it as he addressed the crowd. "Belmont has the right of it. I will not stand for any further destruction caused by the remnants of my father's army. I will take a stand, and this will come to a halt. I admit that it will not be easy, even with your help. However, we cannot afford to fail. I will only add one more thing. You have come this far already to fight on behalf of those you love. To protect those that cannot protect themselves. That cause has not vanished. Nor will it until we face it and destroy the threat that looms over us all."
Thankfully, Sypha was the only one that caught sight of Trevor rolling his eyes at Adrian's speech. Not that any of the others were watching him. Their attention had been drawn from Adrian to Daniel. The man walked to the front of the crowd and held up both his hands until there was relative silence.
His voice was calm when he spoke. "I know that you all picked both David and me to represent you, but that don't mean I can make this kind of decision for you. All I can do is tell you mine, and hope it helps."
He then looked over at the other man, David. When there was no response, he gave him a nod and continued. "I am just as shocked to find out we have been traveling with these folks this whole time as all of you. Still, that means they had plenty of time to harm us, and they didn't. I am not marching toward an army of demons for them anyhow. I'm going because I have a daughter back home that is staying with her aunt. I may be all she has, but that just means I can't let those things get to her. Not how they got her mother. If I have help doing it, then I don't care what form that help takes. As a matter of fact, even half an angel sounds a whole hell of a lot better than none. Not when we are going up against demons."
David sighed under his breath before he also stepped forward. "I can't agree that I'm comfortable knowing that we've been with a bunch of godless heathens, but Daniel's right about needing all the help we can get. I'd rather go in prepared than not, and I ain't backing down now."
Once it was clear that both the chosen representatives planned to stay and see it through, the rest of the men quit grumbling as much. There were still a handful of men that didn't look convinced, and Trevor counted them. He fully expected them to leave while the rest were asleep. Still, overall he was impressed with the number that looked like they planned on staying. It was more than he expected when they left the castle
With that out of the way, the men still had plenty of questions for Adrian and Eva. Not all of them got answered, but most of the men breathed a little easier when Sypha had Eva showcase what her power was capable of. Seeing flowers sprout from the last of the snow wasn't militarily impressive, but it did ease their minds all the same.
It was an overcast day, which was incredibly helpful for what the sisters were to face later. They had all spent most of the day in a session with the commanders of their armed forces. All but Hector, as he barely counted as such. The creatures all responded to Carmilla and the others just as readily.
The Forgemaster had been confined to Lenore's quarters for the day. He hadn't even been allowed to work. Not that there were any new corpses. All the forces had drawn in and were waiting for Isaac and his horde. That fact had Hector thoughtful. Lenore had not meant for him to find out, but he had overheard Carmilla talking about the situation. So, Isaac was after him for betraying Dracula. That did not shock him.
The only problem was that he didn't know what to think about it. Yes, Lenore had betrayed him as well, but it had been easy because so many things she said made sense. Despite how much he wanted to hate her for it, they still did. Yes, he had betrayed his last master. It had been unwittingly, but that did not negate his deeds. However, had his master betrayed him first? It was clear with hindsight that Dracula had lied to him about his goals. But did that make the ends justified?
A large portion of his mind greeted the thought of the other Forgemaster finding him. It would put an end to his captivity. Still, there was a small part that could not seem to shake off his notice of how upset Lenore had been at the news of his possible death. He wanted to continue to hate her, yet there was some sick sense of belonging with her that he could not deny. It was pathetic, and he wished it would have burned off when she slipped that ring around his finger like a noose.
His thoughts slipped away when Lenore was shown into the tent. One of her guards had kept her concealed from the weak sunlight so she could retire. Not that she would sleep. She gave Hector an unreadable look when he didn't bother to greet her. It only lasted a moment before she moved to the bed. She patted the space next to her as she sat. "Come and join me. At least until dusk. It is not far off now."
Hector wasn't sure what motivated him, but he complied without fighting it. He was shocked by how bright Lenore's smile turned when he sat. However, he was not surprised when she leaned her head onto his arm. He didn't bother speaking. Whatever she had to say would come out with no prompting from him.
He was correct. It did not take long before she spoke up. "Tonight I want you to stay in this tent. That is an order. As soon as the sun sets, I will have a contingent of your creations sent to guard you."
Hector frowned at the protective note in her voice. Despite his knowledge that he should just keep his mouth shut, he did not. "Of course. It wouldn't do for Carmilla to lose the maker of her army."
Lenore moved before he could even register that fact and grabbed him by the face. She sneered at him, but quickly wiped it away and gave him a concerned look instead. She relaxed her grip on him as she spoke. "While I am sure Carmilla wishes your safety for that reason alone, she isn't the one that asked to have you guarded. I have given the order. Not because you are what my sister needs, but because you are mine. I do not want to lose you."
Her words made no more sense to him now than they did the first time she said them. Instead of starting a pointless argument, he managed to nod. Lenore seemed to be mollified by his action and sat back once more. "Now, the scouts have said that Isaac should be here tonight, but he stopped a short distance away. He is likely waiting for reports on this camp as well, though we see no reason why he would delay longer. All efforts will go into keeping him out."
Hector could tell she was only telling him this to get it off her mind, not that she felt he needed to know any of it. She must have realized it as well since she scooted back and gave him an alluring smile. "Enough of that. We only have an hour before dusk. Why don't you come and keep me warm until then?"
He almost stood and went to his pallet like he usually would have. Lenore still had not ordered him to her bed after all. However, this time there was something in her eyes that stopped him. If he didn't know better, he would have called it worry. He shook his head to clear it of those thoughts, but the look was still there when he met her eyes once more.
He wasn't sure if it was worry about what was coming or for him. The former was doubtful, but he could scarcely imagine the latter. Either way, it moved something in him, and he laid out next to her. She nearly squealed as she snuggled closer to him. No matter his lack of resolve, he was still not going to do more than hold her. Any other time he would not have been so bold, but he knew she would not punish him for what he was about to say. "Do not think this means I will be bedding you. I am only taking a moment to lie with you as requested. Think nothing more of it."
Lenore smirked up at him before she snuggled closer. She didn't bother speaking her thoughts, as they would likely set him off once more. Still, she could have patience. Once this mess with the other Forgemaster was dealt with, she could redouble her efforts to train her pet the way she needed to. She had no doubt he would come around.
Isaac stood on the top of a rise that afforded him a view of the valley below. Only the treeline kept him from being visible. Though he had no doubts he had been seen. He would expect nothing less from Carmilla. He had already seen the view below in his mirror, but he wanted to see the layout for himself.
He already knew the force was large but should be no problem. He only had one goal after all, and he knew exactly where the man would be. Well, he had three goals, but his focus would be on one at a time. First, he would find Hector. Carmilla and Dracula's whelp would come after.
He frowned slightly when his thoughts turned to the man known as Alucard. Dracula had told him a little about the son that opposed him. Enough to know that his late master had mixed feelings about the boy. He had made no secret that he did not agree with his father's plans from the start, but he had disappeared after the first confrontation. None of them had thought much of it, though it was now clear he had been biding his time until he could gather reinforcements.
As furious as Isaac was that it had been Alucard's hand that had slain Dracula, he was not shocked. The outcome was inevitable given how the King of vampires had all but given up on living. It had only been his drive for revenge that kept him moving. Isaac had no doubt that had Dracula succeeded in wiping out humanity, he would not have been long for this world.
He had been watching the group that traveled with Alucard for some time now. He had been unsure whether he should believe that an angle walked the earth, but could not deny his own eyes. The four of them would be formidable. If they survived the combined wrath of both hordes, that is. Not that he planned on allying with the vampire bitches, but that did not mean the demons would not turn simultaneously to a common foe.
The fact that humans had come as well was not much of a hindrance. Isaac already had plans in place to take care of them. He knew he was being watched by the small group as much as he was watching them, but he also knew their forces were outnumbered. It did make him wonder at the sanity of the group, but in the end, it didn't matter. Their presence only put all of his goals together, conveniently in the same place for him to annihilate all at once.
His attention was drawn from the camp below by the sound of grumbling. He repressed a sigh as he turned to face his 'traveling companion.' It took all his willpower not to gut the boy as soon as he was in sight. If the female had been anything like him, then it was no surprise that she had been slain. He already decided that the boy would follow as soon as they were done with the coming battle. He was only still alive due to his drive for revenge. Isaac would use that as much as he used any of his troops.
Instead of allowing the boy to reach the peak of the rise and expose them both further, Isaac opted to meet him halfway down. His expression showed none of his aggravation when he spoke. "The hour is nearly upon us. The other half of the troops are already in place. They will wait for the signal before they attack. I do not believe the vampire's forces are aware. The rest will attack with us at dusk."
Taka gave him a sour look, something that was a near-permanent fixture now that he was traveling with demons. "I saw the size of that army. Do you think half your troops will be enough?"
Isaac did roll his eyes at that point. The boy may have been a hunter, but it was clear he was no battle-hardened warrior. He had no sense of strategy whatsoever. "They do not need to be enough. They are only to focus the enemy's gaze where I wish them to. The rest will come in when I deem the time to be right to make the most impact."
Taka was still frowning. "What if they have made preparations for such a move? Do you think them too simple?"
The Forgemaster had to count to ten with a reminder that the boy had a role to play still. His voice was only a tiny bit harder when he answered. "No, and they might leave a handful behind to counter the move, but they have no reason to believe it will be an issue. We have carefully pointed their scouts to trust that the force in front of them is the only threat."
When Taka looked like he had more to say, Isaac nearly growled at him. "Enough. Dusk is nearly upon us, and we have preparations to make. It is enough that you know there are always backup plans. Your focus should be on the humans when they enter the fray."
He then pinned the boy with a glare. "Or do you no longer have the desire for revenge?"
Taka's face twisted into a snarl. "Of course I do! I want to kill that bitch myself, once and for all. That power we saw her use on the demons will have no effect on me. I will take her out!"
Isaac's face was impassive once more. "Good, just make sure you keep that focus. It will be no easy task." He didn't wait for any further response before he headed down to where the initial attack force was waiting for the gloom to settle enough for them to proceed.
A/N: Now all the pieces are in place. The next chapter will be the start of the battle, though I don't know I'll get it all into one. There is a lot coming up! I'm super excited for it, and I hope you are too. I want to send many thanks to all my readers, you guys are amazing. Also, to my guest reviewer, I hope this chapter fleshes out their reasoning a little (or I suppose my reasoning lol). Thanks to you all and cheers!