Part Twenty

Adrian caught several fat fish for their lunch while Trevor hung around beside him and made mildly snarky cracks at his technique to pacify his bruised fisherman's ego. Sypha had surprisingly managed to forage some useful bits, although the wild parsnip she collected produced an awful burning rash where the leaves and stems touched her skin. She was fortunate to avoid injuring her palms, however she had a raw and blistered patch on one forearm which Adrian washed for her and packed with bear grease, finally making use of the lavender and mint infused substance to help with her itching and pain.

They filled their bellies with fish and a broth of boiled greens and roots that tasted like dirty weeds. After the meal they resumed their travels, trying to take advantage of the good dry weather to make as much headway as possible. As evening drew near Trevor and Sypha were visibly tiring, having been walking for nearly fourteen hours since they began so early in the morning. Adrian was also drained, running on almost no sleep in the past two days and absolutely fed up with the relentless sunlight beating down on him. They clearly needed to make camp and get some rest, but there were signs of night creature activity popping up along their path which had them all carefully vigilant. Adrian could smell them – the trail not older than a day – though he couldn't tell how many or locate any actual tracks. As the sun sank lower it began to get much colder. The sky was clear and hard and the air was turning frigid. It was the coldest night they'd yet had on their travels. The season was waning, and he knew as they moved north it would only get colder, especially at night.

"We need to find somewhere suitable to camp, it will be cold tonight," he said, eyeing lengthening shadows as the sun dropped lower.

Trevor nodded his assent but he was keeping his gaze vigilantly sweeping over the forest. "There used to be some houses out here; cabins, some farmers, a couple barns. Maybe we can find something," he suggested. His knowledge of the area had proven useful a few times already when their path forked, or was blocked entirely by overgrown brush.

"I'll take a look," Adrian offered, leaping into the air and pushing himself above the trees so he could see in every direction. He couldn't actually fly, rather he could levitate, but if he stayed in one spot he could rise very high, giving himself an unobstructed view of their surroundings. Towards the West the sun was still sinking, catching him right in the face and making it difficult to see. He scanned around and spotted exactly what they were looking for – a building. It appeared that they needed to continue along the present course, then take a small winding trail off to the left to reach it. It must have been a homestead, it appeared to be a main house and some smaller outbuildings, but he couldn't see any lights or smoke or evidence of what state it might be in. He returned to his companions and explained what he saw and how to get there.

"It may still take an hour to reach, its hard to tell from above. We should hurry."

"Its getting cold," Sypha said, pulling her heavy robe tightly around her. Adrian could see her breath. Trevor's too.

"Then lets get moving," Trevor said, but he was still watching the trees. "Stay alert. Something's out there."

They grew quiet and serious, the only sounds the swishing of grass and their breathing. Adrian opted to hover in order to minimize unnecessary noise and have a better chance to hear his surroundings. The breeze was unfortunately going in the wrong direction. It was at their backs, blowing their scent ahead and announcing their presence downwind. They followed the trail for another twenty minutes, alert and very much aware of the last streaks of red fading from the western sky as night settled in. The moon had already risen before the sun had completely set, so they at least had some light which made it easier for Trevor and Sypha to keep their footing as darkness swallowed up everything under the trees.

It was Trevor who sensed the creatures ahead first. They had just turned onto the smaller path when he tensed and glanced at Sypha then quickly to Adrian, careful not to break his stride. Adrian silently drew his sword and set it to hovering just over his right shoulder, ready to attack. He could sense them as well, a small pack of night creatures. Their chittering calls to one another abruptly dropped off and the forest fell eerily silent – not even the insects made a sound.

Trevor naturally tended to fall into a leadership role when it came to working together to dispatch an enemy, especially if they were numerous. He had a keen sense for the organizational side of battle which was useful to keep them all from aimlessly thrashing their targets without coordination. He also had a particularly refined ability to sense vampires and night creatures. He held up six fingers, then pointed in the general direction where the enemies were, four straight ahead, and one on each side, circling around to attack from behind. He looked at Adrian and pointed to the right, then at Sypha and pointed to the left then he drew the Morning Star and darted straight ahead, taking the group in front because he needed wider range to use the weapon and the enemies to the sides were in the trees. When he moved closer to range he began to swing the flail end in small circles. It lit up with a deep orange fire as he swung it around.

They came out of the trees all at once, Six creatures like the one they had seen the human forgemaster make when looking through the mirror. Each was nearly eight feet tall, possessed of large wings, a lashing tail, and eyes which glowed an unearthly blue. Adrian wasted no time launching an attack on his opponent, sending his sword straight at the beast's chest to impale it. His weapon was knocked to the side by the strong tail. The beast screeched and spit blue flames at him, which he narrowly dodged with a sidestep. He recalled his sword, the cold metal singing in his hand and he was flying forward, striking quickly and efficiently at his enemy. It tried to use its tail and wings to block but he managed to get around and chop the tail off, which resulted in the creature spraying a fountain of searing blue flames from its mouth in between animal screeching noises. He was forced to fall back out of the way of the fire but as soon as it passed he was back on the wounded beast, this time slashing it's leg and hobbling it. It drew its wings around it to protect itself and Adrian simply phased out of sight and reappeared behind it, striking a killing blow which removed its head in a swift and clean motion. Its screeching was abruptly silenced. He wasted no time, quickly assessing how Trevor and Sypha were faring and deciding where he might be most helpful.

Sypha had already burnt her first opponent and impaled it with a narrow spear of ice. She was giving Trevor cover, but staying clear of the range of his weapon. The hunter looked, for all intents and purposes, like he was having a blast. He was focused, but Adrian could see the smile on his lips and it was fairly clear why – the Morning Star was decimating his enemies with unprecedented ease. As Adrian watched he noted that two of the beasts were already dead, both laying in the dirt with smoking empty spaces where their heads once were. He struck out at the third and caught it in the chest. The sharpened protrusions on the Morning Star's flail sliced easily through the undead flesh and the burning core reacted immediately with the monster's body, setting off an explosion that blasted a gaping hole in its chest. It dropped to the dirt and Trevor recalled the whip to his hand.

The last creature took one look at its five dead comrades and fled back the way it had come, massive wings spreading as it jumped into the air and took flight. Adrian wasn't going to let it get away. He went after it, quickly dissolving to mist in a flash of red aura and floating upwards as fast as he could, surpassing the slower beast. When he was directly over it he resumed his usual form and plummeted down, landing squarely on its back. It jerked to the side and sprayed a wave of blue fire, but he already had his sword at its throat. He slit the beast's neck open but it jerked before he could hit anything vital. It squawked, gurgling and twisting around. It caught his arm in its teeth, blue fangs sinking deep into his right forearm and hand. His sword fell towards the Earth like a stone as he hissed in pain. Disarmed, he swiped the creature's face with his left hand, claws slicing through the tips of his gloves. He was hit by a mouthful of blue fire which seared through his clothing in seconds, burning the injured right arm and his shoulder. He bit back a surprised cry of pain as the heat melted through his coat and flesh. He tried to shield his face from the flames by ducking between the powerful wings, out of range of the hot spray. He spotted his opening, lunging forward with both hands and wrapping them around the beast's neck. He sank all of his claws into its throat and ripped it apart. It tried to dislodge him but it was already too late. Its blackened blood was pouring freely from the wound, its body dropping from the sky. Adrian let go and floated in place, watching the large corpse disappear into some trees.

He lowered himself towards where Trevor and Sypha were standing between the rest of the slain night creatures. He called his blade back to its sheath, examining his wounds with a wince. He already had blisters forming beneath the burnt shoulder and arm of his coat. His blood was running down his hand, the deep gashes raking across his wrist and palm.

"Is it bad?" Trevor asked him, still casting around the nearby trees in case there were other enemies lurking.

"I think I'm alright," Adrian said, shrugging out of his left sleeve and accepting Sypha's help to remove what remained of the right one so he could get a look. His arm was red, angry, and sliced up pretty badly from the monster's teeth, but it was nothing he couldn't heal from. He examined his injuries and placed his left hand over the bleeding gashes, concentrating on directing his body to heal them. The wounds slowly knit back together and undamaged flesh was left in their wake. Intentional healing was a strange feeling, sort of itchy or prickly. He repeated the process for the burns, although they left an irritated cluster of red splotches behind. It would take a bit of time for that to go away.

"I'm always amazed when you do that," Sypha said, running her hand over his newly healed skin. "Does it use a lot of energy?"

He folded his coat over his left arm. "It can, if the wounds are deep, or numerous. This wasn't too bad, though the burns need a bit more time. We should keep going. If there are others they will smell the blood."

"I don't think there are more," Trevor offered, but he started walking anyway.

They continued along the narrow, darkened path. It had been maintained recently, and Adrian thought he could smell wood smoke and animals but the wind was still wrong, so he couldn't get much more than a general sense of human activity nearby.

"That weapon is impressive," he said, indicating the Belmont heirloom. "Its quite lethal."

Trevor broke into a big grin. "Its fucking awesome," he said, resting his hand over it. "I killed three of those fuckers in less than a minute. Its heavy though, not as fast as the other whip and not as long. I have to have a good shot. I think on something as quick as a vampire it would take a little more skill to land the blow. The leather whip is really quick and light, easier to manipulate. I need more practice with this one."

"I'll throw you some ice targets," Sypha suggested. "You can try to hit them out of the air. I need to try out some of the spells I read about too. We should work on that when we get a chance."

"Yeah we should," Trevor answered her. "New weapons are great but they're a liability if you can't use them properly. I almost sliced my hand open recalling the Morning Star when I was testing it out. I wasn't ready for the different action. I need a few sessions to figure out its weight and range and get used to the handling."

Adrian's nostril's flared and he stilled as a familiar scent found its way to him on the breeze. Blood. He put a hand out to stop Sypha and Trevor. They both turned their full attention on him, catching the way he'd gone rigid and alert.

"I smell blood. I think those night creatures got to whoever lived this way already," he said in a low voice.

They moved into the clearing which surrounded the homestead. It was a quaint little country house with a wood shed, a small barn and a large garden. Unfortunately the night creatures had managed to kill the inhabitants already. A middle aged man with a thick beard lay face down in the middle of the lawn, a wood cutting axe gripped in his lifeless hand. His entrails were spread around him in a wide circle. A woman had been slain nearby, her body laying on its side just outside of the barn door, her throat sliced open and her dress stained with blood. The kills were fresh – they weren't even cold or stiff yet. They had only been minutes too late to save these people.

Trevor swore and slammed his fist into the side of the barn. The animals inside were still alive; the night creatures must have been distracted by their approach or they would never have left the livestock unharmed. Adrian could hear chickens clucking in alarm.

"We were too late to help them," Sypha said sadly, staring at the woman with a forlorn expression. Adrian put his arm around her and gently turned her away from the body. He could tell by the way she was staring that she was shaken. Sypha was accustomed to seeing death, especially since the Speakers had taken up residence in Gresit to help those harmed by the Night Horde, but seeing the wounded in the light of day was very different from fresh bodies torn open on the grass. One of the hardest parts of this messy war was the sheer volume of casualties. Most people were simply defenseless against the Horde. It was hard not to become somewhat desensitized to seeing numerous dead, but Sypha was still deeply affected by the horror of it.

"We'll bury them," Trevor said, his voice even. Unlike Sypha, he had seen far more of this sort of thing and was more able to deal with it. He found a shovel leaning against the side of the barn and looked around for a suitable place to bury the two. His breath was easily visible now, making a cloud in front of him on each exhale. It had gotten a lot colder in the last hour.

"We need to stay here tonight," Adrian pointed out, just in case either of them were planning otherwise. All of them were tired, and a real roof over their heads would be most welcome, even if it belonged to the pair who were now dead on their own lawn.

"Yeah, maybe you guys go check inside and I'll get started on this," Trevor gestured to the woman with the end of the shovel, then he disappeared around the barn. It wasn't an unusual reaction for Trevor to take it upon himself to dig a grave or two. While they could not possibly bury every dead person they came across, sometimes it was simply the decent thing to do, and moreover, Adrian thought it was Trevor's way of coping. Keeping his hands busy and doing something to help was better than doing nothing. Adrian led Sypha up to the house, his arm still around her shoulders. She looked uncomfortable with the idea of spending the night here when the two owners were so freshly murdered, but there was really no better option and this was not the time for emotion to supersede reason. Adrian knew there would be supplies inside, fresh food, warm blankets, and a proper fire. The former inhabitants wouldn't have use for them anymore. It would be stupid not to take advantage. He approached the front door, which was made of thick wooden slats and covered with heavy leather on the inside to keep out drafts. It was a log building with the living space on the main floor and a bedroom in the lofted upper floor, which was accessed by a ladder. They were greeted by a cozy, welcoming space, a small fire still burning in the hearth and a lantern lit on the table. There was a single glass window on the main floor and a few other hide-covered windows throughout the structure. All of them were shuttered, and the shutters were closed to keep the heat and light in and offer some protection from the elements. The simple furnishings looked incredibly comfortable. The scene was accompanied by the scent of ale, bread and fresh herbs coming from the small kitchen area. It was warm inside. Sypha set down her pack and looked around. Adrian did the same.

"I can put some basic wards around the exterior to give us some warning and protection from night creatures," Sypha offered as Adrian laid his ruined coat and gloves over a wooden chair. He would ask her to repair them later, assuming she had memorized the spell.

"I'll help Trevor with the graves then," Adrian suggested, exiting the cottage with Sypha and setting to work.

~o~O~o~

They buried the couple side by side between two big oak trees, filling the graves back in with dirt and some large stones while Sypha placed protective spells around the small home to allow them to rest with greater confidence. Trevor believed it unlikely that there were more night creatures in the area – if there were they would have smelled the blood already and been crawling all over the place – so the trio deemed it reasonably safe to remove their boots and outer clothes, and to try and make themselves comfortable inside for the night.

They took full advantage of the fresh food and warm fire. They hadn't had grains in weeks, and real food was a welcome change from the bear meat and foraged greens they'd been surviving on recently. There was half a loaf of bread, butter, milk, and some fresh pork readily available, along with a variety of vegetables. Adrian took it upon himself to cook them a decent meal. While he was working on preparation Trevor stretched out on a chair in front of the hearth. He had stubbornly insisted on doing most of the digging himself, and his face was streaked with soil, his fingernails filthy. Adrian heated some water and brought him a cloth and a basin so he could wash his hands and face. He eyed them, clearly considering protest, before grumbling something unintelligible and acquiescing.

Sypha found a corner far enough away from Adrian's meal preparations where she could take another look at the Belmont vampire book. She lit a candle and sat in a worn armchair with the tome spread open in her lap. He felt his skin crawl when she pulled it out, nearly causing him to drop the knife he was holding to chop onions. He glanced at her intending to complain, but he was arrested by the way her face looked, lit by the candle and the glow of the hearth. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold outside, her hair a bit tangled. Her eyes were glued to the page in complete fascination and she was chewing absently on her bottom lip, a habit he had noticed she fell into when she was concentrating. She didn't seem to notice him watching her, so absorbed was she by whatever was written. He set down the knife and just stared at her with a helpless smile. She was gorgeous, completely engrossed in her book and oblivious to everything else. He turned his eyes on Trevor, who had finished washing up and was now dozing in the chair, his head tilted back and his arm dangling over the side. His legs were splayed wide and his other hand rested loosely on his stomach. He was breathing slow and even. His face was slack, expressionless. In sleep he looked so much younger, the hard lines soft, the sharp glint of his eyes absent. His mouth was open slightly. He didn't look like a warrior or a hunter at the moment. He looked like an exhausted young man who hadn't been able to keep his eyes open for another minute.

Adrian was overcome suddenly by the depth of his own feeling. How deeply he loved them. He was grateful for them, and terrified that they might die at any moment. He knew he would outlive them both eventually, but he wasn't prepared to let them go. He needed more time. No matter how long he had with them it would never be enough. Somehow it was easier to understand how his father could lose his mind at the death of his wife. If he felt about her the way Adrian felt about Trevor and Sypha then it was easy to see how it had come about, even though his father was dealing with it in the worst possible way. To have this wonderful sensation ripped away with no warning would effectively destroy him. It may well push him to madness. It was enough to make him selfishly want to try and turn them both, even though he was fairly certain he couldn't do it. His father believed him incapable of making another vampire, but he had still confided the process in case he wished to try someday. Once Adrian had asked his father why he had not made Lisa into a vampire. Dracula had grown morose and ended the discussion abruptly. When he asked his mother the same thing she had given him a sad smile and pulled him close, kissing his hair and explaining to him that she wanted to live and die as a mortal. "Adrian I wasn't meant to live more than one lifetime," she had said, and he'd been confused and upset by her useless explanation. "Don't you want to be with us forever, Mother?" he'd asked, feeling slighted. She'd told him she would always be with them, and that he would always have his father, no matter what happened. He'd been unsatisfied by her answers but she'd distracted him away from the conversation and they hadn't brought it up again. To this day he had difficulty understanding why she refused to be changed. It seemed unfair to his father that he could only have her for such a short time, when she meant so much to him.

He turned back to his meal preparation and listened to the reassuring noises of his companions' presence while he finished chopping the vegetables and rubbing the pork with fresh rosemary, sage and thyme. He combined everything into a large cast iron, covering it to bake it in its own juices. The cottage was cozy and the glow of the lanterns and hearth painted everything in a warm softness. It was comfortable. Trevor was snoring lightly, and every so often there was a rustle of paper when Sypha turned a page. Adrian had brewed some tea and she was nursing a mug, her fingers cupped around it for warmth. He sipped his own mug thoughtfully.

It was an unexpectedly domestic moment. This situation had somehow become an odd window into what life might be like if they lived together. A quaint little cottage in the woods was a far cry from the castle, but the easy feeling of being together and doing something so mundane was incredibly comforting to Adrian. It triggered fond memories of sitting at the kitchen table as a boy; his father would be tending something that smelled delicious on the wood burning stove while his mother taught him about medical procedures or mathematics, referring to textbooks which were splayed over the table for easy access. Of course the castle had a huge overwrought formal dining room, but when it was only the three of them they ate together in the kitchen. The servants knew to give them space and his father enjoyed cooking from time to time, even though it was supposedly women's work. He always explained what he was doing to an eager young Adrian, teaching him which spices went best with which meats or vegetables, how to ensure everything would be ready at the same time, and what tasted good together. While his father had no need for human food he liked to prepare it anyway, and he often ate with his wife and son.

Adrian wondered if he might someday share meals like this with Trevor and Sypha in the castle, or maybe a home they built together. He thought his heart might burst from the sheer pleasure of such a prospect. He secretly loved the idea of keeping them both fed and happy, even though he knew it was an unorthodox scenario that would likely never come to fruition. Sypha had said she wanted to see what it was like to live in a house at some point in her life, and that she wanted children. Here, in this small cottage with the scent of roasting meat and wool he could picture it. He could picture an impossible life where the three of them lived together and raised a family. It kind of fell apart when he tried to imagine what they would do for work, where they might live, what the neighbours would think. It wouldn't work – not really. Well, Sypha and Trevor could do it, but Adrian knew that he couldn't really play an equal role alongside them. There was the matter of the church – anywhere they went the church would be there to persecute his very existence as well as their unacceptable threesome – and he would not age, so after a few years he would have to leave or people would become suspicious. In time he might look more like Trevor and Sypha's grown son or even grandson than their lover. And there was the matter of his effect on people in general – they could sense he was different, even if they didn't know exactly why or how – they were naturally wary of him, uncomfortable in the presence of a predator.

It was a fantastical idea which could never really come to pass, but there was a slim possibility that they might be able to enjoy some of those things in their own way, if not in the wholly mundane way that most people did. They could hop from place to place in the castle, live for a time, then move somewhere else when people got suspicious. His human lovers could marry and pretend that he was a friend or relative who was staying with them. Trevor and Sypha could have children if they wanted to, and Adrian knew he would be there to stand by any future generations they produced. He was not entirely opposed to the possibility of fathering a child himself, but that was perhaps pushing his domestic fantasy a bit too far. He could never expect Sypha to bear him a babe which would grow fangs and thirst for human blood. Even a quarter vampire child would likely share some of his supernatural traits, and he knew how difficult it was to be the only one of his kind. It would be unfair to bring a new person into the world who was cursed with two natures. Instead he would be overjoyed to someday play a role in the life of any offspring his partners produced. That would be enough. It would give him something to hold onto after they were gone, a reason to remain connected to the human world.

He wiped those thoughts from his mind and decided to focus on the moment rather than a fanciful future which was only in his imagination. It would make him miserable to dwell on such things, especially when the three of them were not even certain to live out the week. Even so, it was still nice to pretend. Sypha was looking at him over her book. He blinked at her, realizing he'd been standing in front of the counter with his teacup halfway to his mouth and staring off into space, lost in his thoughts.

"Where'd you just go?" she asked with a teasing smile.

He shook his head. "Just thinking. Nothing important."

She closed the book and slipped it back into its bag, arresting the unpleasant sensation it emitted. She left it on the chair and crossed the room, taking the cup from his hand and setting it out of the way. She gathered both his hands in hers and leaned up on her toes to give him a kiss. He dipped his head so she could reach, her lips touching his cheek.

"You have a look when you're thinking too hard Adrian," she told him, that smile still on her lips.

"I do?"

"Yeah, you had it just now. You go very still, and your eyes are far away. You don't move at all. Like a statue. You were holding your teacup for a solid five minutes. You didn't even blink."

Adrian tried to imagine how silly he must have looked, standing there and staring off into space. His cheeks flushed but Sypha didn't let him turn away. She slid her hand up his arm to his shoulder, tucking a few strands of blonde behind his ear. "When you sleep too, you hardly move. There are so many little things I've noticed about you recently that I never thought of before."

He knew he could be very still, that was absolutely a trait from his vampire side. She was speaking to him with a teasing fondness, but as he watched all her sweetness evaporated in favour of a far more maniacal expression that instantly made Adrian wonder what she wanted. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that..."

She grinned guiltily. "I want to try something, and I thought you might be willing to be my assistant. Well, test subject."

Adrian looked at the large dish that still needed to bake for awhile before it would be ready. He glanced at Trevor, who was, for all intents and purposes, dead to the world. "Will it take long?"

Sypha shook hear head. "Its from that book. There are some spells to temporarily disable or neutralize a vampire, but they shouldn't cause any harm. I want to test them, but without an actual vampire I have no idea what they would do."

Adrian's eyes widened and he gently pried himself free from Sypha's grasp. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was be subjected to anything she found in that awful book. Especially something she'd never tried before. "You should practice first…"

"I need a vampire to practice on, or there is nowhere to focus the spell. It won't hurt you, but these things might be helpful against Dracula. Its important that I know what I'm doing. I don't have to use full power. I can try it with only a tiny bit of magic just to see how it works," she stared into his eyes, her lip forming into the barest hint of a pout. He felt his resolve crumbling into dust at that look. "Please, Adrian?"

He couldn't believe he was agreeing to this. He really would do anything Sypha asked of him. It was insane. He couldn't bring himself to refuse, even though he vehemently did not want to do it. He found himself sighing in resignation and agreeing to help her. He checked on the meal, satisfied that it would be fine to be left unattended for awhile, then followed her out of the cottage.

It had grown extremely cold, even Adrian's breath made small puffs when he exhaled. The sky was still clear and cloudless, watched over by the white eye of the moon which already sat high in the sky. It was a beautiful, if frigid night. Adrian was very glad they'd managed somewhere warm to sleep.

"Alright, there are two spells I want to try," Sypha said matter-of-factually, getting right down to it before Adrian could smarten up and change his mind. "I think it would be best if you tried to evade, so its harder for me to hit you with them. I really doubt any vampire would stand still while I cast, so just move around me, use your speed. Try not to get hit."

"I can do that," Adrian obliged, secretly thankful he wasn't being asked to stand in one place and simply be hit with a spell. He wasn't sure he'd be able to stop himself from dodging it.

Sypha made some sharp motions with her hands, sliding one foot back and closing her eyes. Adrian watched her for a moment as she called a tiny ball of glittering power into her hands. When she summoned ice or fire they each had a characteristic scent, colour, and feel; this was different. It was brighter, and sparkled like diamonds. It smelled floral, unlike the chemical scent of most other magic. Usually it was ozone or brimstone or charred carbon. This was like a pungent flower that stuck in his nose and made him snort in displeasure. He stared at the little flashing orb, watching the glittering facets reflect off of her face and the ground around her. It was actually quite pretty. Sypha inhaled deeply, opening her eyes. They were almost luminous, as they often were when she cast a spell. She moved to strike, her body tensing, and he darted out of the way before she could target him with the spell. The shot sailed harmlessly past him. He watched it go then turned back to her, narrowly sidestepping the second attempt to pin him with a shimmering orb. She got faster after the first few, but didn't manage to hit him with any. She was just not fast enough – or perhaps he was too fast for her. He was able to dart easily in and out of her field of view and she attempted ten times, none of them striking him. Finally he appeared right behind her with a toothy, catlike smile.

"You're too slow to catch me," he gloated into her ear, wrapping his arms around her from behind and mock attacking her neck. He let his fangs scrape her flesh harmlessly before planting a kiss on her throat. "I guess I'll have to eat you."

"Not quite," she said confidently, twisting slightly in his arms and stepping back. He saw the smug look on her face and his stomach dropped. She raised her hand between them, fingers spread wide, then she snapped them shut, making a fist.

Each of the ten little balls of magic suddenly converged on him before he knew what was happening. He was immediately engulfed in overwhelming, glittering light. It was like being swallowed by the light of the sun; it seared and burned his eyes, blinding him completely in an instant. He tried to blink it away but it was relentless, seemingly coming from every direction. He moaned in shock as a rushing roar filled his ears and blocked out everything else. He couldn't sense the night, the cottage, or Sypha at all; he was totally swallowed by the spell. He tried to move and found he was paralyzed by the holy light, his body unresponsive and helpless. The spell lasted for several long seconds in which time he struggled to free himself, tried without success to teleport because he needed to be able to see where he was going and he could see nothing but sparkling whiteness. Closing his eyes did nothing; the white light was everywhere. If he were actually in a real fight he was sure his enemy could have killed him twice over in the space of time it took for the magic to release him.

The spell ended abruptly and the holy light dissipated, leaving him blinking hard and trying to regain his senses. His hearing returned before his vision. He felt Sypha beside him, her heart beating rapidly. He could hear the insects and denizens of the forest going about their business as if nothing out of the ordinary had transpired. Slowly his vision returned, the spots fading and Sypha's blurry figure coming into view. He was standing exactly where he had been struck, in the same position. He rubbed his eyes. They ached, the damage from the light healing slowly. Everything felt a bit off but it was coming back to him.

Sypha was looking at him expectantly. "Are you ok?" she asked, putting a hand on his upper arm. He nodded slowly.

"Yes," he said, partly to assure himself, and partly for her. "What was that?"

"It was a holy light spell. It tracks the target and converges on them when they stop moving. Perfect for enemies who are too fast for me to attack. I can use the same spell as a regular attack, without the tracking part. What did it feel like? I didn't use very much power on it, but you were moaning. Did it hurt?"

Adrian shook his head. "It didn't hurt exactly, it was like… looking at the sun, only I couldn't see anything, or hear anything. I couldn't move at all. It burned my eyes, but they healed quickly."

Sypha considered his answer, shivering slightly in the crisp night. "The other spell is similar, it should have a comparable effect. Will you let me try?"

Adrian sighed but it was full of fondness and he was smiling at her. "I don't know how you talk me into these things Sypha."

She laughed at that. "Just try to not to get hit. This one might be a bit more intense. I'm going to use more magic. Try to get close to me, like you would in an attack."

Adrian was a lot more careful this time. He put some distance between them and circled around her, watching her hand movements and the way she was following him with her eyes, but making no move to launch any balls of light like the last time. She planted herself firmly and gave him a challenging smirk. He circled closer, darting forward and swiping at her in a mock slash.

When he got a few inches from her the world erupted with the same intense white hot light from before, only far stronger. This time he was knocked backwards by the force of it. He landed squarely on his back, paralyzed once more by the rushing din that overtook his senses and left him helpless to move or see. His retinas burned brighter this time, the holy flare of glittering light accompanied by an overwhelming sense of awe that left him too stunned to react. He was rapt, held still by what he could only describe as Heavenly light. It sung in his head, thrummed inside his body, made his skin ache from the power of it washing over him and holding him in place with a divine goodness. Being half human, Adrian was unaffected by holy water or salt, but this was far more than that. He felt like he was seeing some profound iteration of deity. He felt like God was standing squarely on his chest and stripping away his layers, exposing him for the devilish beast that he was and it was unbearable. He whimpered, a thin noise he wasn't able to hear over the holy roar of the spell. He laid helpless and prostrate with his eyes wide and unblinking, staring into the gleaming whiteness with wonder. It hurt his skin, it was so good it was intolerable. When it dissipated he was left stunned, and he thought he might have sobbed briefly at the emptiness where the light had been. He made no move to get up, instead laying where he was while his eyes repaired themselves, reeling from the intensity of the spell.

Sypha leaned over him and peered into his face. "Adrian?"

He couldn't see her at first, but she came slowly into focus, her figure sharpening. He blinked, looking into her wide blue eyes quietly. He couldn't bring himself to get up yet.

"Are you hurt?" she looked a bit worried that he wasn't moving. He was fine, he simply needed a few moments to compose himself. The second spell had been far more debilitating than the first. He shook his head slightly, licking his lips. His mouth was dry. He was thirsty. Between healing his injuries earlier and enduring the spells, he had worked up an appetite. He sat up, raking his fingers through his hair.

"That was… intense." he said in a low, reverent voice. "That will definitely stop a vampire."

"Well that's a relief. I can cast that one on a person, a location or an object, then its triggered when a vampire moves into range. The book described it as being intended to incapacitate a powerful vampire in order to land a more damaging attack. Do you think it will work on your father?"

Adrian considered for a moment, but he really didn't know. His father was notoriously secretive about his few weaknesses, and despite their shared blood, Adrian's physiology was vastly different from the King of Vampires'. He did know, however, that his father could not walk in the sun. Whether it would destroy him on contact was uncertain. Somehow Adrian doubted it – that seemed too easy. He shrugged at Sypha. "I can't say, but maybe it would stun him. The second one you tried was… odd. Its difficult to describe. It was powerfully good. Holy. I could speculate that Father would be weak to that sort of thing, but I really don't know. He is often the exception to many of the rules of our kind. Don't count on it working. Its safest to never assume he will react the way you expect. But on a regular vampire? I imagine it would be even more effective than it was on me, and I couldn't even blink."

Sypha extended a hand and he allowed her to help him up, even though he was perfectly capable of standing unaided. Her hand was warm in his. It was hard to believe that her small figure contained so much power. He pulled her against his body suddenly, hugging her tightly to his chest on a whim. Her feet lifted a few inches off the ground. "You're the most stunning woman Sypha," he told her as he scooped her up princess-style and carried her back to the cottage.

"Put me down! I can walk!" she protested, squirming in his arms. He held her easily, enjoying the way she wriggled and playfully fought his hold. He dug his fingers into her ribs, quickly discovering that she was horribly ticklish. She screeched as he expertly played his fingers in the sensitive space under her arms and she started kicking, fighting more desperately to try and get away from his torturous fingertips.

Adrian! Stop! Please- Ahahaha! You cant- TREVOR!" she called, gasping for breath and twisting in his unbreakable hold. He didn't give her a chance to get away, the game far too enjoyable now to let her go. Her heart was pounding hard enough that he felt it in her back, against the arm holding her. She was flushed, trying in vain to free herself. The pleasure of trapping her and her violent attempts to escape were triggering his instincts, and he could feel the predatory edge creeping closer to the surface, woken by their play. He knew he was looking on her with red tingeing his eyes, but it was alright. It was just a game. He relented for a brief moment, giving her a chance to suck in a breath. They were close to the house now, and Trevor must have heard her cry for help because there was some frantic shuffling inside then the door was ripped open, an angry hunter barreling through in sock feet just as Adrian sank his fingers into her sides again, sending her into peals of helpless gasped laughter.

"Sypha!" Trevor shouted, his hand on his whip and his eyes frantically searching for her. The doorway cast them both in a beam of warm light. It shone in Adrian's eyes, which reflected it in the darkness like something wild.

"Trevor!" Sypha managed. "Help!"

Adrian grinned toothily and moved his fingers to Sypha's stomach, tickling her mercilessly there and she kicked out, trying to break free.

Trevor rushed forward, drawing his whip, but he seemed to realize before he struck that she wasn't actually in danger, despite her desperate pleas for help. She wasn't being torn apart; they were playing. Well, Adrian was. By this point Sypha seemed to be genuinely trying her hardest to free herself, and Trevor came to her aid, much to Adrian's amusement. He wondered if he might have them both, some greedy, spoiled part of him trying to calculate how he could subdue the pair of them. The slight pause was all Trevor needed to get behind him and push his knee between his legs, attacking his ribs with ten fingers. Adrian hadn't expected that. He thought Trevor would try to free Sypha, but his mistake was his downfall. He'd left himself open and now he was the one squawking and trying to squirm away from probing fingers in his middle.

He dropped Sypha rather unceremoniously and tried to twist around, giggling despite himself when Trevor found his most ticklish spot and dug his fingertips in. Sypha landed with an oof and she was up in an instant, boxing Adrian in between them and adding her hands into the mix. Adrian squealed like a child, laughing and trying very hard not to accidentally hurl either of them across the lawn or break them. They were playing but he wasn't entirely able to control his reactions to their attacks. Fortunately for them he he managed, for the moment.

"Stop… please, you have to stop," he begged, but Sypha was hellbent on revenge now and she worked her way under his arm to his armpits, and Adrian shrieked. "No! I-I can't-" he tried, but they had him nearly doubled over, he thought he might pee if they didn't stop.

"Thought you could tickle me and get away with it?" Sypha said, grinning triumphantly as Adrian shrank down, trying to evade her hands without hurting her. Her face was flushed splotchy red from laughing so hard.

"Sypha s-stop, I'll hurt you," he managed, and she relented briefly, allowing Adrian a moment to catch his breath. Trevor had his arms pinned behind his back, giving Sypha a chance to exact her vengeance.

"You'd never hurt Sypha," Trevor said behind him, still holding his arms. The playful threat was all over Trevor's words, and Adrian gulped, realizing his predicament. He could feel both Trevor and Sypha's panted breath on his skin and he considered his options, but before he could come up with anything Trevor hauled him over his shoulder fireman style, and carried him into the warm rectangle of light spilling from the cottage doorway.

Sypha followed them in and shut the door. Adrian was looking at everything upside down, dangling behind Trevor, bouncing against him with each step. He seized his opportunity and grabbed at Trevor's middle, ticking his sides.

Only, it turns out that Trevor Belmont was not ticklish. Adrian tried a little higher, tried his stomach, ribs, and got nothing. No reaction but a smug snort, and then he was dropped from Trevor's shoulder to the worn floorboards. He was so shocked he made no move to break his fall and landed on the floor in a tangle of his own limbs. He sat up, disheveled, staring at Trevor like he was an actual monster.

"You aren't ticklish?"

Trevor gave him a lopsided smile. "Nope."

"And I'm the inhuman one," Adrian said, scandalized.

"I'm hungry," Sypha interrupted, effectively ending the tickle fight before it could get back into full swing.

The timing was perfect, as the pork was just finished. Adrian got himself composed and found some oven mitts, pulling the big dish from the fire and setting it on the thick wooden counter. He removed the lid, waving his mitt to clear some of the heat and leaving the meal to cool while he searched for plates and utensils. He followed his nose to the ale, which was in a small barrel still plenty full and not yet spoiled. He filled three cups and put two them on the table along with the bread and butter.

"Jesus Adrian you would make a fuck of a wife," Trevor said fondly when the largest cup was placed into his hands. Adrian quickly turned so Trevor wouldn't see his cheeks go pink.

Sypha was watching them with an amused expression and admonished Trevor with a swat to the back of the head. "Don't you dare tease him, that pork smells even better than the bear roast he made before. One of us should be able to cook and it sure isn't going to be me. All I can do is set things of fire. I'm worse than useless in a kitchen. I'm actually a danger. So unless you're planning on learning to cook more than meat on a stick over a campfire I suggest you shut up."

"Noted," Trevor said, gesturing with his cup before taking a deep drink from it.

Adrian watched them with a silly smile. His heart was so full he thought it might spring a leak. He set the cast iron on the center of the table and gathered Sypha's hand in his own, bending to kiss it. He glanced up at her and gave her a fanged smile. "Dinner is served, my lady," he led her to a chair, pulling it out for her. Trevor watched them, a smile on his lips even though he was trying to stifle it. Before he could move to his own chair Adrian flashed to his side and slipped an arm around his waist, leaning in to kiss him on the mouth. "Enjoy your dinner," he said in a slightly mocking tone before taking his own chair and sipping his ale.

The meal was lovely. They tucked into it quickly and finished as much as they could so there would be no leftovers to deal with. While eating they discussed their best course of action and possible strategies for approaching the castle and the battle that loomed large in their future.

It was agreed that they would scour the cottage for whatever was useful in the morning. There were horses in the barn, and there was likely a wagon or carriage of some sort. They'd been so occupied with burying the former inhabitants they hadn't spent much time looking around. It was late and Trevor and Sypha were both beginning to yawn, the ale making them sleepy. Trevor had made a strong point that they needed to practice with any new weapons or spells before the fact, and with the possibility of faster travel, they might take an extra day to do exactly that, to ensure they were as prepared as they could possibly be when the battle finally came.

After the dishes were cleared and the ale was finished they decided together to sleep on the main floor, rather than in the dead cottager's bed. Adrian couldn't ignore their strong scent in the bedding and Sypha said it felt wrong to sleep there, although Trevor had grumbled that they were dead anyway and wouldn't give a shit either way. They still managed to make a very comfortable nest in front of the hearth. They extinguished the lanterns and Trevor began to strip off.

Adrian hesitated, staring at the bedding and the hunter's body, the planes of his musculature highlighted by the shadows as he removed his clothing. Sypha slipped her robes off too, her soft pale curves making him swallow thickly. She padded on bare feet to him, wrapping him in a hug. Her scent filled his head, her bare skin and her sex hot against his body, even through his clothes. He could smell Trevor too, his maleness contrasting with Sypha's more delicate female scent. Trevor stretched his arms over his head, revealing his whole body limned in the firelight, the sharp angle of his hip, the powerful muscles of his thighs, and the dark nest of curled hair where his organ hung between his legs. Adrian stared, and Trevor caught his gaze and smiled at him handsomely. He closed the distance between them, joining Sypha in wrapping his arms around Adrian and ensuring that the blush which had already started on his face spread all the way to the tips of his slightly pointed ears, and down his chest past the neck of his shirt.

Despite how badly he wanted both of them, Adrian was still working through the very real trauma of what had happened to him, and he was scared that if he took off his clothes that he might find himself seized by panic like he had been last time he'd tried to be naked with them. He squeezed his eyes shut, warring with himself and tensing up between them beyond his own control.

He did not expect Trevor's lips on his cheek, or his hand stroking his hair. Nor did he expect Sypha's fingers to slip around his own, or her cheek to press over his heart. As the minutes passed accompanied only by the beating of their three hearts and the lazy crackle of the small fire in the hearth, Adrian found himself curious as to what they were waiting for. He expected them to pull him into their nest, or to remove his clothes, but they didn't. They held him carefully, patiently touching him in the places they knew he was okay with. He eventually grew brave enough to open his eyes, and found himself looking into two faces which stared back at him openly, waiting for him to give them an indication that they could go further. He worried at his lip, one fang pressing into the flesh and drawing Trevor's eye.

"I-Im sorry," he whispered, not knowing what else to say. Some baser part of his brain was telling him to run, but he squashed it down and told it to be silent; he wasn't going to run away from this. It might be his only chance to be close to them, and even if it was difficult, he was going to try.

"You don't have anything to apologize for," Trevor admonished gently.

"Would you like to lay down together?" Sypha asked, tugging his hand and leading him towards the blankets and pillows. He nodded at her, his eyes drawn to the curve of her buttocks moving as she drew him behind her by the hand.

"You don't have to take your clothes off if you don't want to Adrian," she crawled onto the mound of bedding and patted the middle of it. Trevor's arm was around his waist, fingers curled around his hip.

They were trying to be comforting and understanding, and it was sweet. Incredibly sweet. But it made him feel like they thought he was fragile, and he hated that. He wasn't made of glass. He was just – as Trevor had so eloquently phrased it – all screwed up. He simply needed to find the courage to move past what had happened. He looked at Sypha. "I do want to," he said, but his hands were frozen at his sides. His frustration and hesitation made him rigid, his shoulders tightening.

"I have an idea," Trevor said from behind him. "Sit down, I need a second."

Adrian eyed him suspiciously, but he obliged, sinking to the nest of bedding beside Sypha's figure. She immediately snuggled up to him and leaned her head on his shoulder, lacing their fingers together. They watched Trevor go into his pack and root around, retrieving something and returning to their nest. He knelt in front of Adrian, still naked.

"This," he held up a strip of cloth, "Is to blindfold you. So you can relax. Normally I'd say we'll just put out the fire but you would still be able to see. Every time you freaked out before it was when you saw your scars. I think this will help."

Adrian gave the bit of cloth a dubious eye. "You want to blindfold me?"

Trevor nodded. "Yeah. This was in my bag, so it smells like my stuff. Familiar. Scent is important, right? If you hate it you can just take it off. But its worth a shot."

Adrian stared at the hunter for a long moment, wondering how a little bit of cloth could possibly do anything to combat his irrational feelings of revulsion and anxiety. He was skeptical, but it was harmless, and if it didn't help he could just remove it. He felt ridiculous, but he wanted to be close to them and he didn't want to have another bought of panic send him into hysterics. He glanced at Sypha beside him and she was looking hopefully at him.

"I'll try it," he said after some deliberation.

~o~O~o~