Chapter 14: What is the next adventure?

Two weeks had passed since the initial conversation of Alucard joining Crina on her Trade Hunts and already the two had a few adventures. From meeting ghosts and spirits in old abandoned graveyards just to gather nettles and coffin dust to heading to a cave full of mischievous imps to trade certain metals to craft weapons out of. After their most recent adventure, traveling to a forest full of fairies that had a keen interest in flowers, knickknacks and apparently, Alucard's long golden hair, the young dhampir was getting adjusted to having so much around his new home. During this time both he and Crina got a little more relaxed around one another, with her opening up more about herself and the Gateway and with him teaching her what he knew about the castle and the knowledge he gained from his studies growing up. Alucard even allowed her into the Belmont hold, which she gave him a circle that could help with removing the dust from the bookshelves and within them. Despite Crina having a slight fear of lightning, Alucard showed her around, even helping her find books on vampiric wounds and how to treat them, information that she believes would become vital to the Gateway and its people. After that day, Crina thought about what he could offer the Gateway, all while thinking about the young dhampir himself, lightly blushing and cursing herself with denial every time. Meanwhile, Alucard was having his issues too, blaming all his thoughts about Crina and the oddly erotic dreams he wakes up from on his hormones acting up, as he was not one who was knowledgeable on love or romance.

Today, the two of them journeyed to the west of the castle, out to a rather large basin lake at the foot of a mountain. The sun was rising over the mountains, indicating that it was a few hours away from being 12 noon. While Crina rode on the wagon with Gabi hooked up, Alucard was riding solo on Fane, since he was in the learning stages of riding horses as of three days ago.

"You doing alright, Alucard?" Crina asked as she rode on the road to the lake.

Alucard shifted a little uncomfortably in the saddle as he rode on. "I'm doing alright, just…still trying to get used to the saddle…and the overall feeling of this" he said.

Crina nodded, "Yeah, it can take a while to get used to it, but as it has been discovered in the Gateway, having pets like dogs, cats or horses actually helps people recover from traumatic instances. Heck, I can't remember how many nights Max and Anne snuck in my room just to cuddle with me in helping me get through nightmares" she said, blushing a little bit.

Alucard looked at her, seeing the blush on her cheeks, which made him smile a little.

'Cute' he said to himself, but then pushed that thought behind as they came in closer to the lake.

"Looks like we've arrived" he said.

Crina looked out and nodded, "Yeah, looks like" she said.

As they continued down the road, they arrive at the basin lake. It was rather large for a lake at the base of a mountain that was dotted with copses of trees and rock formations. But it was also clear that there was once human life here, as proven by the few abandoned houses that laid now in ruin through the land within the mountain floor below. With it being the spring time, the land was also dappled with different flowers, adding color to the already majestic land. For Alucard, it reminded him of the different paintings that Edmund used to paint and the drawings that his father would do in his spare time. But this was no mere image, as he could easily reach down and touch the flowers below him, but he chose not to as he did not want to embarrass himself and fall off his horse in front of a lady who could hold her own.

After riding a little more, the wagon soon came to a stop, close to the edge of the lake but just enough room to set up a camp, even though both Alucard and Crina had no such plan for that day. Alucard dismounted Fane, went to a nearby rock to sit and massaged his legs a little from the numbing pain he was feeling.

"So, Crina, I think this may be a good time to ask, 'Why are we here?' if you don't mind explaining" Alucard said, still rubbing his legs but still keeping to a polite tone.

Crina, who was looking out at the lake before her then turned to Alucard, "Oh, right. I should've explain this to you while we were riding, but you were so focused on not trying to fall off that I didn't want to distract you" she said apologetically.

Alucard smiled and shook his head, "It's fine. I appreciate the sentiment. So, what were you about to explain?" he asked.

Crina then went to the rock where Alucard sat and sat next to him, "Truth is, this entire valley in the mountains used to be a large merchant village. I don't know the name, but from what I was told, it used to be a thriving village filled with merchants and craftsmen of all sorts with a population of almost 1500. It was a close community that really looked out for each other during hard times, or so I was told" Crina paused, letting Alucard take this in. She then looked at the lake and continued her story. "Placed high in the mountains here was a large lake that could be equivalent to the size of Targovista, Gresit and Arges combined. For a long time, it was peaceful here, but then one night, about 7 years ago now I think, the village was woken by a terrible tremor that shook the town awake. The people looked around but came to the conclusion that it was just a terrible thunderstorm because the land was damp. By the next morning, the land was still wet, but the people still ignorantly went on with their lives. It wasn't until another tremor hit the land and a crack was heard in the mountain above did the worse start to take place. Water started to flow down the mountain as quick as an avalanche in the snowy peaks and water started to flood its way through the land. Everyone scrambled to escape, leaving all their assets and livelihoods behind, with only the strong to swim to the shore, leaving a third of the population dead" she said, pausing to let Alucard take it in. "The village also had a magician who closed off the village so that the water couldn't follow them as they escaped from the valley. They wandered for days on the road until they decided to go their separate ways and travel to different villages and cities. A small group of those people ended up in the Gateway, who told me of this location" she explained.

"I see. So we're here to gather family heirlooms from the underwater village?" Alucard asked.

Crina shook her head, "Not so much family heirlooms, more of just items to sell to the Gateway for those who need it. Just like how we did with our past adventures. One man's trash is another man's treasure, Alucard. Although there won't be any creatures here who take an interest in your hair, I promise that" she said with a cheeky grin.

Alucard blushed a little and looked away with slight distain, "Oh please, don't remind me" he said. Even though he was fascinated by the fairies, he did not like them playing with his hair. Braiding it, weaving trinkets within it, pulling on it, those curious fairies played with his hair like a toddler encountering a bug in the garden. He was rather embarrassed to have his hair played like that, but he was very grateful that Trevor was not around to witness it, because he knew he would never hear the end of it from him, let alone Sypha.

Crina chuckled a little, "Oh come on, I thought it was cute" she said. She then cleared her throat and made her way to the wagon. "Now then, best to prepare" she said. "Now, as I have learned from past experiences, the best way to swim is with little clothing on as possible," she paused, going through her items, unaware of the bright blush on Alucard's face at that remark, "Or, in this case, wear something that is water resilient" she explained, pulling out a few things that were all the same shimmering dark brown color. She then looked through the items and gave Alucard a small satchel along with what looked like a shoulder bag, "Here. I wasn't sure what size you'd be, so I brought a few different sizes for you to try" she said.

Alucard raised an eyebrow, "What are these?" he asked.

"They're special garments made from alchemized water resilient cloth and water dragon scales. They're really helpful when it comes to dealing with water related tasks. Water dragons tend to shed their scales often, so they make good armor against water creatures and the like" Crina explained. She then pointed over to a group of trees and bushes, "You may want to go over there to change. Whatever doesn't fit, place back in the satchel and I'll sell them when I go back" she said, "I've got my own suit so I'll be over at a different set of trees changing. No peeking, alright?" she added with a smirk.

Alucard's cheeks were dusted pink at that comment, giving her a deadpanned look, "I have no intention, I assure you" he said.

Crina's face fell, "Oh god, I was joking. After helping you learn to trust people again, I'm gonna find someone who can help you with jokes" she said as she turned to walk to the trees to change.

Alucard looked at her questionably, but he let it go and went to the nearby trees. Slowly slipping out of his clothes, he wondered what such a village would look like. However, as he thought of this, he then remembered the last time when he went swimming as a child, that deep water can cause a dhampir pain. Taking into consideration what Crina said about the size of the lake in the mountains above here, the lake here must be really deep, which started to make him nervous. A wind passed through the area, sending an unnecessary shiver up Alucard's spine while these nervous thoughts filled his head. However, he turned his focus to his new garments and tried each piece to see if one would fit and once he found it, he started to fold up his clothes and put the extras in the satchel, as Crina asked him to. Looking over himself, he felt a little odd, as while he did know the feeling of tight pants, hence his own, to have them be tight and short was a new sensation. The new pants he was wearing went to the tops of his knees, almost like short pantaloons, but with fewer buttons, with the fabric providing a form of comfort and the sewed in scales providing something of a water proof armor for the material within. He tried walking a little to get a good feel of the pants and, surprisingly, they felt very comfortable and smooth. Now the real test was in the water, which he figured Crina was waiting on. So he made his way toward the wagon, figuring that she was waiting on him.

"I found one that I like Cri-" he paused and gazed at the sight before him.

For there was Crina in a suit that matched his, but her outfit style was completely different. An outfit consisting of two pieces, both in the same material he was wearing, with the top covering her chest but cut off at the sleeves, neck and about an inch under her bust, leaving her stomach open and the pants being waist low and stopping mid-thigh, all skin tight that showed off her physic. Alucard also took in her body type as well, seeing the multiple scars upon her skin, indicating a veteran fighter as well as her muscle tone, which consisted of a well-sculpted four pack. While he was gazing at her while blushing, Crina was busy putting her hair in a single braid and working to put it in a bun so that it was out of her face. It was then that she turned to look at Alucard, seeing how the new garment fit his well-formed thighs perfectly, how the waistband showed off his 6 pack stomach perfectly and how the dark brown color brought out both the paleness of his skin and the gold of his hair and eyes.

The two of them stared at each other for a bit before Crina realized what she was doing and coughed to try and change the subject while blushing.

"W-Well, seems like the garment works for you. And…looks good too. Any problems with the outfit?" she asked him, hoping to break his gaze.

Alucard was staring when she asked that and he then shook out of his state of mind and blush a little as well. "Y-Yes, it works. No problems for me" he said. But as he tried to calm down, he realized his 'hormones' were reacting again and cursed himself for it, keeping quiet. He then cleared his throat and turned to her, "If it's alright with you, I'd like to say that it works for you as well…" he said, feeling a little awkward.

Crina started to feel more awkward, but after saying a meek 'thank you', she then cleared her throat a little louder and decided to try and move on.

"Well, now that you have your swim outfit on, we can move on to the next phase. But first," Crina said. She paused, went over to her bag and pulled out what looked like a long thick ribbon. She then went to Alucard and gave him the ribbon, "Use this to tie up your hair. It'll get in the way while you're swimming" she said.

Alucard took the ribbon with slight hesitation, but he managed to get his hair tied back, leaving his long bangs to flow freely. It was then he remembered his thoughts from earlier.

"By the way, I just recalled something. While I can swim, I…I get hurt if I go in too deep of a lake. If I take a bath, its one thing, and I don't get hurt, but a lake like this…is another story" he said, explaining his thoughts.

Crina looked at him and then her face changed to a look saying that she knew what he was talking about.

"Oh, I had a feeling you would say that. And actually I've come prepared for our trip underwater" she said. She then trifled through her bag until she pulled out two necklaces, both looking like chains with one holding two orbs while the other has three. Two of the orbs on each necklace were the same, one of dark blue and one of light blue, while on the necklace with the third orb, it looked like a regular rock but there was an inscription, one that looked like a weird 'J' but no one could be sure.

"Here." Crina said, handing him the necklace with three orbs, "Now, don't put it on yet, cause when I did that the last time, I was gasping for air and flopping on land like a fish. Follow me" she said. She then moved to the water and waded in to it, slowly so her body could adjust to the temperature.

Alucard raised an eyebrow, not sure where that came from, but he shrugged it off and followed her into the water, stopping with Crina when they were both shoulder deep.

"Now," Crina started, "put the necklace on. You'll feel a weird sensation, but the moment you do, just lower yourself underwater" she said.

"What will happen if I do?" Alucard asked, a little uneasy.

"I would spoil the surprise if I told you" Crina said. She then moved and put her necklace on. After a moment, she gave a gasp and dove underwater, to which Alucard could see her outline going deeper into the lake.

After a few moments of hesitation, Alucard moved to put the necklace around his neck. It was rather tight, almost like the choker necklaces his father gave his mother. Once he latched the necklace, he waited a moment before a strange sensation came over him, making him gasp for air, almost like a fish out of water. But after recalling what Crina did, he followed suit, diving under the water and pushing out into deeper areas. He held his breath for a moment until he saw Crina, who was waving her arms in a slight panic.

"Don't hold your breath! Don't hold your breath! Breathe, it's ok. The necklace helps you with that" she said.

Alucard looked at her confused but then stopped holding his breath and took in a deep breath. After panting a bit, he then realized that he was breathing underwater.

"I….I can breathe?! I can breathe underwater?! And…" he then looked at himself and realized that he wasn't injured due to the deep water, "I'm not getting injured?!" he said, shocked by what was going on. He then realized something else, "Wait, how can I hear you so clearly underwater as if we were on land?" he asked, completely amazed at all that was going on around him. Acting similar to how Crina was at the first sight of the castle, but more subtle and not as energetic.

Crina gave an amused huff, "First, yes, you can breathe underwater. The two blue orbs on your necklace are alchemized elemental stones, the dark blue of water and the light blue of air, both of which when combined, allows a person to harness the elements of water and air, but only for breathing" she said. "Second, the reason you're not getting injured is due to the third stone on your necklace, which is considered a holy symbol. All dhampirs who want to have some water fun wear those to go swimming underwater without getting harmed. Don't ask me why it was called that, but that's what it was called. Third, with how you can hear me, apparently with the power of the stones, it also extends to our ears due to oxygen intake. So we sound as clear as we do on land, which actually comes in handy, especially if we are at a distance" she explained. "Anyway, if you think that just breathing underwater is amazing, wait til you see the village" she said. She then turned and pointed to a position in the lake.

Alucard followed her point and just as the sun came through the clouds and illuminated the lake, there before the two swimmers was indeed a large village, full of the ruins of houses including a large building which clearly used to be a church due to the large steeple that stood high above the village.

"Using the bags that we have with us, we can carry a few small treasures. If there is anything bigger, we can mark them for teleportation later. I'll show you that as we go along. Now, we want to make sure to leave before it gets too dark, as there are indeed night creatures that lie in this lake and around it. But due to the sun, it's hard for them to come out without being damaged in some way. Stay close to me, alright?" Crina said.

Alucard nodded and followed her into the ruins, taking in everything that surrounded him.

From under the water, what Alucard thought was going to be very murky, un-seeable water was instead crystal clear with only a little dense visibility in the distance. But looking out, he saw that the water was about as clear as spring water, so clear that it was even easy to see the fish swimming in the distance. Some of the fish passed by his feet, making him jerk and chuckle at the same time from the strange sensation. And the fact that he can feel the water around him without feeling any sort of pain did help as he often wished he could go deep sea swimming as a child, but had to settle for swimming in the bath due to his 'problem'. But now here he was, able to enjoy some of the things he never got to experience as a child, and he was loving it. However, his mind turned to his duty and decided to save the antics for later, all while anxiously smiling, wondering what else lies in store for the two of them ahead.

Looking closer at the ruined village, it was clear that this was a village rich in materials, merchandise and arts. Looking in some of the larger buildings, Alucard could see a stonesmith's shop, which was also proven with the different stone lanterns that littered the streets of the village. He also saw the remains of a tavern, and a very large one at that. Looking through the open remains, he could tell that the owner kept a good image due to the ornate woodland designs that lined the walls of the inn. Following Crina into the ruins of the Tavern, they collected a lot of items from dinnerware to garden tools. Marking a cabinet full of cookware, both Crina and Alucard then moved on to the rest of the village to find more treasures. During this time, Crina was giving Alucard advice on what could be considered sellable and what was just junk, a skill that all good Trade Hunters had to learn. After a few hours going through the rest of the buildings, from the glass-smith shop to the wine makers building, from the blacksmith shop to the tailor's home, both Alucard and Crina gathered and marked a large some of items before making their way to the church, the last stop on the journey.

"Since this is an abandoned place of God, you should be fine to enter without harm" Crina said as she swam her way into the main chapel.

Alucard followed suit and entered the building, and despite the church being in well broken ruins, there were still some stained glass that remained and shined in the sunlight piercing through the water. As they made their way through the halls, Crina kept watch of the sun's position. "After this, we should head up. If we keep going like this, the wagon won't move due to the weight of it all" she said.

Alucard nodded and went through the church grabbing all he could find from the building that might be of value in some way, from metal pantry plates to a bible that had a gold covering. Once he sifted through and gathered what he could, he looked at the chapel for a bit, as he often wondered what a church building was like inside. Looking at the alter where the priest would stand, speaking to the people, telling them tales about god and his 'good will'. The thought of sitting for something like that made Alucard feel bitter, thinking that the priest would've just been forcing people to listen simply because of desire for power. However, the then recalled his mother telling him that some people held weddings in churches. How family would gather in the rows, the bride and groom would stand at the alter, exchange vows of love to each other, place wedding bands on their fingers and seal their bond with a kiss. The whole thing made Alucard think back to Edmund saying that he would at least like to see the young dhampir on his wedding day before he died. Then for a flash moment, Alucard saw himself as the groom with a woman that looked like Crina in a wedding dress standing beside him-

"Alucard?...ALucard?!" Crina said as a hand waved in front of his face, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Huh? O-Oh, yes? Are we finished?" he asked as he saw Crina standing before him with a look of concern.

Crina nodded, "Are you feeling alright? You looked like you were deep in a daydream there" she said.

Alucard looked at her with a little bit of embarrassment, "W-Well, I was just thinking what it would've been like to be in a church. I was often told stories about places like this by my mother, but it's a different experience to actually be there in person" he said, hiding his other thoughts for obvious reasons.

"Oh, yeah I can understand. But there is a church in the Gateway that is open to all who wish to enter. So maybe when we go there, we can visit the church so you can experience it" Crina said to him.

Alucard turned to her, "Really?" he asked, receiving a nod.

"Anyway, we better head up. We got enough to fill the wagon for now. Let's come back another day. Besides, I'm getting hungry" Crina said, swimming her way back toward the shore.

Alucard nodded and followed, but stopped a moment to look back at the church, thinking that it would be nice to get married someday, but not too soon. He then heard Crina calling him and turned heel, following her up to the surface.

_*v*v*v*v*v*v*v*v*v*_

Once on the surface and the necklaces have been removed from their bodies, Crina tossed Alucard a towel to dry off while she did the same with her own towel. Both were still in their new garments, but due to the hot weather and the coolness of the water, neither of them felt like changing back into their dry clothes yet.

"How does the suit feel? You feeling alright wearing it?" Crina asked as she glanced at him.

Alucard didn't even pay attention when he was underwater due to being overwhelmed with amazement, but now that he thought about it, he did like the feeling of the pants. Now that he was out of the water, he looked them over, moved a little bit and came to a conclusion.

"They fit perfectly. I don't think I'll have an issue with these if we use them again" he said, turning his head to look at the lake while ringing out his ponytail.

Crina nodded, but then saw his semi-wet body in the sunlight, highlighting all his muscles and…assets. Sensing that she was staring, she looked away with a dust of pink on her cheeks.

'Don't even think about it Crina…Remember, no romance for you. Even though….this is making it more difficult' she said to herself, unaware how hot her body was starting to get. Once she took notice, she cleared her throat and decided to focus on fixing lunch since it was around that time.

"So, I brought a few ingredients for a good meal, but we still need a main ingredient…" Crina said as she looked around, drying her now free flowing hair, noticing a couple of ducks hanging out by the water's edge. "Hmmm….Hey Alucard, you feel like having Beggars Duck for our meal?" she asked, looking at him.

The moment Alucard heard that he turned to her and his face lit up, as that was his favorite dish from her cooking.

Crina took that as a yes, and for some reason, when she saw Alucard like this, it reminded her of a dog that just heard the word t-r-e-a-t, eyes bright, tail wagging, ears alert, it almost made her want to pet his head and say 'good boy', but she refused. Crina smiled and then pulled out a ring from her bag, slipping it on her middle finger.

"Alright, leave it to me" she said. She was about to go when…

"Wait, aren't you going to need your halberd for that?" Alucard asked, confused.

Crina looked at him, "I only hunt with my bow, but since I didn't bring it, I'm going with my second option, and it isn't my Halberd" she then smiled. "Remember a few weeks back when I told you that I can gain temporary vampiric abilities through my ?" she asked, earning a nod from Alucard. She then showed him the ring that was on her finger.

It was a simple ring crafted of platinum with a small crimson stone surrounded by onyx. The design reminded Alucard of a ring that was in his father's library, but this wasn't the same ring.

"This ring grants me temporary powers. It does require blood, so through my who consented in giving blood for the blood moons, I place this ring in a bath of vampire blood, which it absorbs and through a small offering of blood from me, from the term "Sanguis legare" or "Blood bequeath", I gain some vampiric abilities. With one of those being something that I think you'll recall rather quickly" she said with a sly smirk.

Alucard wasn't sure what to expect, but he stayed still as he watched Crina work her magic.

"Sanguis legare" Crina whispered to herself while fisting her hand. The ring activated and a small amount of blood came from Crina's hand, which was absorbed by the ring.

It was then that Alucard felt a strange aura coming from Crina, like that of a full blooded vampire, but yet not at the same time. He watched Crina then get a cloud of mist around herself and the mist grew, mostly making its way toward the ducks. Keeping a close eye on the ducks, he waited to see if he could see Crina. But then a commotion of disturbed ducks and water splashing filled his ears and he knew that she got one despite not seeing Crina in the mist. Just as the commotion died, leaping from the mist with a dead duck in its mouth was a thin yet strong Carpathian Lynx. After a few more jumps along the edge of the lake, the Lynx slowed, head high while carrying the duck in its mouth and then dropped it near Alucard's feet. The young dhampir looked at the lynx and saw a pair of emerald green eyes looking back at him and that's when it clicked.

"I see you as something of a lynx or a bobcat…"

Crina smiled while chuckling, "Oh the irony" she said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Sorry, story for another day"

"Crina? Your transformation animal is a Lynx?" he asked, a little surprised by this.

'Yep, sure is', called a voice.

Alucard jerked his head up and looked around, but then he recognized the voice as Crina's.

"Is…that you speaking Crina?" he asked, confused.

'Sure is. I'm speaking to you telepathically while I'm in my Lynx form. It's a trait that vampires share when communicating with one another while blending in like animals' Crina's voice called out again.

Crina then transformed out of her Lynx form and stood before Alucard with the duck in her hand, sweating a little bit.

"But telepathy only works when a vampire is in animal form and can only be done to another vampire in animal form. There is also a range limit, but it only goes about a mile or so. The only reason why I was able to do so now was because of a small sliver of my vampiric power, but…it does take up a bit of energy" Crina explained. She then panted a little as she held the side of the wagon to keep herself from falling. "I'm a little surprised that your father didn't tell you this" she added.

Alucard was about to reply, but when he looked at her, he noticed that she looked a little more like a dhampir than a human now. Paler skin, flowing dark locks freed from its hair-bun prison, fangs lining her teeth, and eyes completely blood red like a vampire after using soul steal. For a moment, Alucard felt his heart skip at the sight of her vampiric form, but he quickly tossed that aside as he heard her say the words 'Legare finis' and then saw her taking the duck to the back of the wagon.

'She would make a good dhampir, that's for sure', Alucard thought to himself as he watched her leave. 'Oh my god, what am I saying? She's a friend, but yet…argh, what is going on with me? I may have to ask Edmund what this is. He'll know. I'll ask him when I get back' he added in his head.

"Can you help me with the vegetables? I'll work on the duck and setting up the cooking pit" Crina said.

Alucard agreed and moved to get started on the food. However, he wondered if they were going to teleport the items from the lake to the shore. Probably through alchemy of sorts. He then turned his thoughts to working on the duck. He got to the back of the wagon where Crina already grabbed her knife for skinning the duck. He then went to grab a few vegetables to work on cutting, but just as he reached over for a knife, both his and Crina's hands touched as they grabbed the same utensil. Both of them gave a startled small breath and looked at each other, realizing how close they were.

The moment their eyes locked, it was as if time had slowed around them. Sunlight gold meeting emerald green, each looking into the soul of the other. Where once before he saw a soul that was frightened and broken now he sees a soul that is both strong and on the mend, almost like the time he spent with her was helping her rekindle her flame to live and fight. Meanwhile, where once she saw a spirit that was burdened with depression and loneliness now saw a soul that was burning with happiness and curiosity, a hunger to know more about the world around him and a hunger for something else, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

But, as her thoughts started to come together, Crina then saw a flash of Lumin's dead corpse before her, eyes once a bright blue now dull from death, flowing snow white hair turning ash grey, his thin lipped mouth bleeding, silken voice deteriorating from loss of life. That horrible sight came back to her in a sharp pain to both her head and her heart. Her breathing started to turn shallow as her eyes widened in fear and her body shook. Lumin's voice along with her screams from that day filled her ears as she started to feel faint, despite feeling that already with the use of her vampiric ring, and saw her world turn to black with Alucard's voice calling her name being the last thing that she heard.

Notes:

Whew, this is the longest chapter yet I think. 7 and a half pages long, which is why it took so long to make and I apologize for that. I figured that a time skip was needed after going so slow, but for so long, I've wanted to do an adventure where Alucard and Crina looked for treasure and had a chance to have fun. The original plan was for the fairies, but I changed my mind, mostly because I tried to imagine what Alucard would look like in a modern day swimsuit. Blame my crazy brain for the idea. So much blushing from both Crina and myself at the whole idea, lol! Anyway, I will try to update sooner than this, but no guarantees due to work and life getting crazier by the day. Hope you like this chapter! I had a lot of fun with it and I hope you will too.

Now for some fun facts:

-The Graveyard of Ghosts, Cave of Imps and Forest of fairies were inspired by the different familiars that Alucard could use in Symphony of the night. I figured that the fairies had never seen a man with long hair like theirs, so they decided to play with it to see how it was. Of course, with Alucard being a man, it might've made him feel a little...well, unmanly to have his hair like that, but to each their own.

-The village is made up, but since Castlevania is indeed dark, I decided to put a dark twist on it by having something like Atlantis happen to this village. Since it had been seven years, I figured that if there were any skeletons left, they might have disinegrated like the sands below by that time, so no mention of bodies.

-Originally, the church steeple was going to poke out of the lake, but the more I thought about how much water was used, I figured that it would've made more sense to have the church completely underwater. Gives a more sunken feel, you know? Lol.

-The scales used on Crina and Alucard's swimsuits are from the water dragon in the game series. I specifically went with the Sea Monster from Legacy of Darkness because of all the artwork in the article's gallery, it seemed to be the most like a real water dragon. Also, because the dragon itself is brown, I figured that the brown scales would make it real as well. Not all dragons have pretty colors like how not all humans have blue eyes. Speaking of swimsuits, Alucard's pants aren't trunks, but rather swim jammers. He doesn't seem to be the type to wear a speedo in my opinion, let alone trunks, so its either jammers or long tights. Since it's spring, might as well let the air come through, eh? As for Crina, she too is wearing jammers, but the top is more of a crop top that is sleeveless with a crew neckline. Modesty has its advantages, right?

-While writing this, I was listening to 'The secret Swim' from Disney's Atlantis. I couldn't find any other music that could work for something like this, so this is the best I could do with that.

-I figured that Alucard had never been in a church before, due to his half vampire genetics and since the church in this underwater village hadn't been used in years, figured that he would be alright to go in since it wasn't active. Better safe than sorry, right?

-Yep! Crina can use vampire powers and her animal is a Lynx! Originally I wanted to do a wolf, but I thought that what if others of the vampiric race had different animal forms? Almost like an inner spirit animal or a patronus from Harry Potter? More to come with that, so brace yourselves for it.

-In regards to her ring, due to her offering blood to the ring, she does lose energy. Just as how blood loss drains a person of energy and life, this ring does the same, but in return, Crina is given vampiric powers to fight her enemies, which can give her a power packed boost. Lets just hope it doesn't kill her. (Spoilers: It doesn't)

-And yep, another panic attack and at a time when she feels faint from usage of her ring. I tried to make it not as intense mostly because I wanted to see her have some form of progress, but I don't think it came out that way so my bad on that. But hey, the more you try the better you get, so maybe a few more tries are needed. Maybe a cuddle with a certain wolf? Maybe a kiss? Too Cliche! (Bonus points if you get that reference XD)

I think that's it. If you guys see something I missed, don't hesitate to point it out to me and I will fix it. Again, sorry for the long wait, but I hope the wait was worth the effort I put in. Enjoy and let me know what you think!