"The weather cleared up a bit", Sypha spoke with a mouth full of bread.
"Uh-huh", Trevor chewed a carrot, staring at another one.
"And I think we should take a walk. Buy some food. See what's around."
He repeated the agreement behind the glass of wine.
"It's not like the groceries are in the end today", Alucard cleaned his lips on a fabric napkin, "I can reduce my eating, too. I don't need this much."
"It doesn't look like you're overeating", Sypha spread butter on another slice of bread.
"I am. I've been eating this much out of celebration."
"Who would say, you're happy to have some guests", Trevor threw an apple in the air and was fast enough to stick a knife in it.
"It's quite an event, and I like to see the castle back on traction", Alucard got up and piled up the kitchenware, "Are you upset, Trevor? You can sleep in the woods, maybe. We've also got excellent jail cells in the basement, and cold towers made of the best stones…"
"About that, can I see the lab any time soon?", Sypha finished the bread.
"I can take you both there. I hope to offer a good tour, in spite of lacking some apparel", Alucard looked outside through the window behind the sink, "How long does it take to get to Sohodol?"
"An hour and a half or two", Trevor cleaned his nails with the knife tip, "Not raining, like this, it'll be fast."
It shall be a nice trip, I believe. Alucard pinned up his hair again. He had no idea of how long it was since the last time he left the castle; months, maybe. And on a sunny day like this. He waited for the other two on the same living room he spent the night with Sypha, and after that, alone. Skimming through the shelves, he found an empty book and stared at it for a good while. Maybe… He rested his hand on the chin. I'll take it.
"And why are we leaving the road, anyway?", Trevor walked with his hands behind his head, and rolled his eyes. I can't believe it.
"I want to show you a thing. There, follow me."
Alucard pointed at a tree that stood out, surrounded by not many others. He floated until he could reach a branch from where hanged a frame of wood and fiber.
"I made it in the past summer. Let's see if we're lucky."
"What is it?", asked Sypha.
"A beehive. The bees might have left it since it's raining, and it's ours, if dry and free of ants", he opened it by the bottom, "And… Check it out."
There were clean and left behind honeycombs inside, and Alucard brought all the structure down when he landed.
"It's way too big for us to take them all, but a piece or another might fit in the luggage."
"On to the grocery bag, then", Trevor put the belongings down to the ground and searched for a place to fit it. The bag was way less chaotic without all the food from before.
Alucard handed him the honeycombs and they all waited for Trevor to put them away; there was a slight breeze, and when he finished folding the honey in a piece of cloth, he saw Alucard raise his head and ask:
"Can you smell this?"
"Smell what?", the other two inquired at the same time.
He guided them even farther from the road and in the woods, dodging roots and branches of all sort. Trevor and Sypha were slightly left behind. It's hard to keep up with this guy. They found a pile of ashes on the ground, near a big tree, and surrounded it; Alucard picked up a stick, poked and turned it. The odour of something burning spread in the air.
"This smell."
The pile of ashes and leaves revealed a bunch of burned bones under itself, and it was still afire inside the mount.
"What the hell? This time of the day", Sypha frowned.
"Weird stuff everywhere", Trevor did not pay it much attention, "It smells like a ritual."
"Terrible pun", she laughed and crouched.
Sypha put out the fire and picked up one of the bones; it was still warm. She broke it in two with no challenges to see what was inside, and it contained a red substance, brighter than blood.
"See this", she got up and handed them the fragments, each one to their own.
"It's from a night creature", Alucard stated, "There is this liquid inside some of their skeletons."
"And this…", Trevor pointed at the ground and kneeled to pick up something. On his hand, there was a bone spike the size of a finger, "...Is from the gargoyle we slayed."
"That's true", Sypha grabbed the spike, "Someone got out of their way to bring the remains here and set them on fire."
"Plus, right under our nose", Trevor sighed, "It looks like another job for us."
Him and Sypha looked at each other and she agreed. It's time.
"Can you help us with this, Alucard? We'll owe you one", Trevor said.
"Owe me what? I don't plan on charging someone with no two nickels to rub together."
"Explain it, at least", Sypha complained, "Things have been rough. I mean, more than we can handle. We left behind lots of bigger incidents, because we simply can't work miracles. Please, travel with us."
"I'll be one more mouth to feed, even if I eat very little."
"And one more pair of hands to spare, think for a bit", Trevor smirked, "Wouldn't it be good to breathe some fresh air outside of your bat cave?"
"I'm fine at home, thanks for asking."
Liar. Trevor held back, or it would be worse. You know as well as I do where were you last night. Alucard went on:
"I'll help you for now. Stay in the castle as long as you deem needed, until things settle down."
"Jobs around will become scarce", Trevor rolled his eyes, "You'll see, and it'll come back to haunt you."
Alucard stared angrily at him, but Trevor cared very little. They all went back to the road with nothing of the previous mood; they did not talk or banter, Sypha walked by Trevor's side and they both left Alucard go ahead. I really, really love relying on other people.
The first farms sprouted by both sides of the road. The country folk could also appreciate a sunny day. A bunch of kids that could not be older than eight kicked and threw a ball stuffed with hay over the trail and the heads of the passing people. Sypha waved for those who recognized her, and Trevor did so with a nod only, burying himself in the fur cloak and not really willing to be seen. What a pain to be a Belmont around here. Alucard looked around with reticence, not anymore as far as he walked before. Is he curious? His hair had barely a trace of color under the sunlight, and his skin, for sure, would love a bit of a tan. They caught a sight of the rudimentar bulwark that surrounded the central buildings, that was of no use against the gargoyle with a pair of bat wings and supernatural hunger.
The stable of Sohodol stood near the gate. Trevor knocked on the door and the same boy that took them to the Hold answered, with shy manners and as much politeness as his homeliness could have.
"Hello, sir", he seemed surprised, "Around here again?"
"Yeah, pal", Trevor noticed the young one staring at Alucard from head to toe and stopping himself of crossing for the millionth time.
"Needing horses?"
"No, thank you very much. But we could use some fresh water, if you may", he handed the boy their empty flasks and a coin, "What's going on around here?"
"The market will open today. We sleep in peace now. Thanks to you, my sir, and my lady", he smiled and looked around, "I mean, kind of."
"Kind of?", Trevor raised his eyebrow.
"I'll get the water, sir. I'll be right back."
"Catch it", Trevor threw him another coin that fell on the haystacks, and the boy spent quite some time looking for it before leaving.
They all waited in silence. What could have happened here in such a short interval? The boy came back with a jug in each hand and another one under his arm.
"So, what's catching?", Trevor dried his own flask and gave it back so it was filled again.
"They thought the demon you slayed had awaken from the dead. Its body is gone."
Interesting.
"And what else?", Trevor asked.
"Missing people, sir", he signed so that Trevor would crouch to his height and, so the boy started whispering, "Two of them. They were last seen yesterday.
"Really?", Trevor looked sideways to the other two, "And who missed them?"
"The town hall. It's the registrar. It's an odd story, sir."
"So tell me."
"Hear me, then", he quit whispering and started making gestures, "A burglar invaded the registrar's house. He was about to leave with the loot through the window when he tripped and fell like a ripe fruit. He's crippled and in jail. But there was no house owner in sight, nor the visitor he had home."
"And there's no clue of where they are?"
"The burglar said they left by the sunset. He waited for them to leave, you know?"
"Oh, yes I do. As for the house…"
"It's one street before the fountain."
"Thanks, friend", Trevor gave him another spare change, "This one is yours, not your boss'."
They headed downtown in the crowded village. Trevor tracked the surroundings for the house mentioned and believed it to be one of the fancy lofts before the square. They all shared the narrow streets with carriages, horses and passerbys of all kinds. Among the buzz, Alucard thought out loud:
"Two missing people. Why, and where are they?"
"They wouldn't be missing if we only knew", Trevor did not even look back.
"Great. Discussing an assumption is now a crime susceptible of retaliation from the Belmont clan-"
"Focus. The market. It's right here in front of us", Sypha cut them off, dodging an old lady, "Sorry, ma'am."
She then went on walking by the fair with vivacity and a splendid mood. She shook hands of everyone who could recall her, would get prices off, listened to each and every gratitude. Trevor stood by a barrack of beef jerky to eat a slice or two, and the seller was as taciturn as him. Well, let's leave them be.
"I'll seek a mug of beer", he left the bags on Alucard's hands.
It was tough to circulate on the running chaos of the market. Not only he was taller than most people by a head of difference; Alucard was full of bags. Some stared at him when he stopped by to check the products. A barrack shone on distance, surrounded by nobody, with a wrinkled old man with a mustache behind the stuff. Alucard walked there. A tinsmith. The man barely looked at him and invited him to suit himself. Among lamps, pans, watering cans and other pieces, the vendor asked:
"Are you just passing by Sohodol, son?"
"Yes, one could say. I seldom leave home."
"I can tell. You've been in need of some skin tone", the old man seemed to joke, but he had his head down, molding a metal mug, and did not smile.
"Maybe it would be good", Alucard looked up to the sky, "What a rare weather in this season."
He went on examining the products and bought the mug that the old man fixed, offering a honeycomb in exchange.
"You can take another piece", the old man unfolded the honeycomb and admired it, "If I may suggest, take another mug. Or, perhaps, the macerator."
Alucard reached for the latter, made of a heavy cup and a pestle. I have some of these, made of fine porcelain. But the kitchen has room for this. He thanked the man and went away to meet Sypha, sitting by the fountain with a bag as full as his own ones.
"What do you have there?", he asked, sitting by her side.
"Check it out", she handled him the bag, from where Alucard could see a turnip.
Onions, celery, cabbage, spinach… He saw an intriguing object among them and picked it up. It was a small, charming fabric bag, tied by a ribbon that was too wide for its size.
"Clover?", he smelled it.
"Yes, for the mulled wine."
"Surprises in a flourishing village", he handed it back, "There's something written on the ribbon. What is it?"
"By the power, one can measure a man", Sypha squinted her eyes to read the small letters.
"It must be a family motto. Check out mine", he gave her one of the bags.
"Oat grain, butter, meat, wheat… Jam?"
"There was money to spare", he got up, "Shall we get going?"
They walked side by side; she knew where one of the town's taverns was located, and asking a fruit vendor for directions showed them the other one. It's closer to us, so, there must be it.
"We should maybe try to find the registrar's house first", it occurred to Alucard.
"That's true. A street before the fountain, that's what the boy said?"
They circled the ring-shaped path that surrounded the town's square. There was more than a loft, and some of them had their windows open, with affluent residents enjoying a sunny day; others had signs of life and movement, the sounds from the kitchen, the muffled footsteps from inside. One of them, however, was sealed shut and quiet.
"It's this one", Alucard whispered to her.
"The old, creepy house?"
"Not just that", he took a deep breath, "It smells like dried blood."
"Can you actually smell it?", she thought for a bit and laughed it off, "Well, I don't know what I expected."
Alucard smiled and changed subjects:
"I'm not for trying to break in right now."
"Yeah. It'll draw too much attention", Sypha tidied the bag on her shoulder, "But, maybe, if we check the backyard…"
"Not a bad idea."
The back of the house was also of little liveliness and the backdoor was closed. Or blocked. Alucard tried pushing it and felt more opposing strength than just a lock.
"There are screws missing", Sypha pointed at the door frame, "Actually, there's much of the metalware missing."
"It might have been the burglar."
"My guess is that he'd waste less time trying to bust the lock."
"And why would someone leave an unkempt backdoor like this one?", he laid a hand on his chin.
"To change the screws, I don't know", she did the same, "Given the house's whole aspect, why would an owner take care of this, and this only?"
"That's a good question. That must not be the reason."
"The answer is inside the house. Later, then?"
"Later", he agreed, "Do we pick up Trevor now?"
"Dragging him by an ear", she smirked.
"I'm so eager for him to interrupt me again", Alucard had a disgusted face, and they moved again, "Now that I appreciated a brief moment of someone that would listen to me."
Sypha seemed at a loss of words and he stared at her with questions.
"What's wrong?", he asked.
"Nothing", she stuttered. You're a very poor actress. Sypha pointed at a building, "That looks like a tavern to me."
As they set foot inside the place, the keeper, a middle-aged woman, was fast as a bolt and stopped whatever she did to hinder them:
"No groceries inside."
"What do we do, then, ma'am?", Alucard tried respecting her without much eagerness.
"You can pay and use the storage."
Him and Sypha looked at each other and agreed grudgingly. They handed her the bags and a small fee. Trevor was easy to see from that corner, still under the fur cloak and by the counter. He drank alone, but his server, a young boy, kept him company in a compenetrate conversation. It was a puny and disheveled kid, maybe ten years old, that noticed them before his customer.
"We've got things to do. Get up", Alucard poked him on the shoulder.
"What a shame", Trevor stretched his arms, "I just asked for another mug. Why don't you sit down?"
"It'll do no harm", Sypha agreed and sat.
"Drinks, sir and ma'am?"
"One of the same for each, if you may", Trevor asked before they had time to refuse.
Well, so be it. Alucard sat by Trevor's left side. Before the boy was back, there was enough time to look around and notice the goodly dishes on the tables. As he arrived with the beer, Sypha ashed:
"What's the dish of the day?"
"Roast hen with a side of parsnip and cabbage. Would you like one, ma'am?"
"Bring it, please."
"Why are you eating here if we just went out for groceries?", Trevor said when the server was gone.
"They're in the tavern's storage", Sypha sighed, "The keeper didn't let us in with them."
"The grumpy woman?", Trevor asked, carefully quiet.
"Exactly", Alucard replied after a sip of the beer. It's not bad.
It took a short moment so that the alcohol got to him, with an empty stomach. He looked around the tavern again and could see the infamous woman approaching, giving her little notice. Suddenly, Trevor cursed and turned to Alucard:
"What do you think you're doing?"
"I did what?"
"Don't play dumb, you-"
Sypha pointed at his back and there was the tavern keeper with a wooden spoon in hand.
"Did you come to pick up this friend of yours?", she muttered with a sour voice.
"Ma'am, may I know why did you do that?"
"Oh, you know quite well. Keep him away from my daughter."
"Daughter?", the three asked at the same time.
The woman pointed with the spoon to the same kid bartender, that emptied mugs on a no longer occupied table.
"She's eleven. Keep it in your pants."
"I talked to her about beer, ma'am. And I'm on the counter near the booze. I'm well engaged, thank you very much", he pulled Sypha by her shoulders, and she was briefly startled.
The lady glared at them for a while more and left with a "have a good day". Trevor finished the mug and touched his head where he was hit, complaining:
"Geez. Not even if it looked like a girl…"
The then girl arrived with lunch, that smelled as good at it was abundant. After she left the bowls, she went behind the counter and recalled Trevor's mug, saying:
"I'm sorry for what Mom did", she lowered her head, "She tells me to dress like this. So that nothing happens to me.
"I know how's that", Sypha smiled at her and tasted the parsnip, then speaking with a full mouth, "Very nice food. Did you make it?"
"The parsnip, yes. One more drink, sir?", she asked Trevor, who accepted and also ate, "I actually only don't touch the firewood. Mom won't let me. It used to be Dad before, but he's with God now."
"And do you have any siblings?", Sypha gave her attention.
"I have sisters. I'm the oldest of three", the girl pointed at Trevor, "I swear he didn't lay a finger on me."
"A sane mind, what a sight", Trevor celebrated with a hint of irony, "Can we head to the empty table right there?"
"One pays more for the table. But I'll give Mom some of my change."
"Thanks a lot. What's your name?", Alucard decided to ask.
"I'm Isobel. Quick, before she sees us."
They helped her taking the dishes and mugs, and the girl used the time to tend to other tables. As they set there, Alucard poked Trevor's thigh, who had a little scare. Are you traumatized?, Alucard laughed up his sleeve and gave him a fabric wrap under the table, from a good angle that would not be seen. Trevor gazed at it without a clue.
"I was kind enough to smuggle it", Alucard whispered among the tavern's noise.
Trevor opened the package, that fit his palm, and recognized a honeycomb.
"Is it a miracle?", he threw a piece of it swiftly, but did not thank for it.
They found themselves too busy with the meal to chat. When all the bowls and dishes were coming to an end, Sypha suggested:
"We can try and talk to the girl about what's happening around here", she cleaned her mouth with the back of the hand, "Lots of people come and go from the tavern. She might have heard something."
"Sounds good. Try it", Trevor squeezed her hand gently on the table, and soon they left their held hands fall under it.
As Isobel passed by with a stack of empty dishes, Sypha called her by her name.
"What's going on around the town? We're outsiders."
"The gargoyle and the burglar. Do you know it already?"
"A bit about each", she told half a truth, "I'd love to hear some more."
"So, the gargoyle. They say it was huge, and that it flied. Mom forbid me of leaving home and didn't let me see it", as she mentioned it, her mother shouted for her from the kitchen, "But they came here, people say, a man and a woman. The lady had fire in her hands! They say she set fire on the demon's nest and almost on all of the rock wall. And the young man had… A longsword and a whip. He lassoed the thing by its wing and threw it to the church's roof. It was stuck to the cross on the top. He climbed there and-"
Longsword?, Alucard laughed, but did not correct her; he also notice Trevor and Sypha staring at one another, sharing the fun of it. Isobel's mother called her again.
"I'll be back soon."
When she turned her back and was far enough, they all burst out laughing.
"Did you break your sword, Trevor?", he poked fun.
"Oh, sure. And I certainly didn't throw the gargoyle to the church's wall."
"Who tells a tale…", Sypha shrugged and devoured the abandoned rest of the cabbage.
Isobel came back, and she had a shine on her eyes she did not have before.
"Where did I stop? Did I finish the gargoyle story?"
"Exactly", Alucard rested his chin on his hand, and looked at her with the friendliest smile he had.
"The burglar, then. My uncle is a town guard and a prison ward. He came yesterday to tell Mom", she got closer to speak quietly, with a smug, "They're both very loud."
The three on the table looked at each other. A stroke of luck. Isobel went on:
"A burglar came from another city, he made himself look as a beggar. The townspeople started to know who he was. He stayed by the street, watching the house, he noticed the registrar leaving every day at the same time. When he got in the house through the window and saw what was inside…", she gestured to indicate a falling thing, "He plummeted from the first floor."
"They say the registrar wasn't home", Alucard tried.
"And he wasn't. Neither him, nor the visitor. No one knows where they are. And the burglar makes the sign of the cross whenever he talks about what he saw."
"Why is that?", Trevor asked.
"He found the demon's doings there", Isobel whispered.
"Demon's doings?", Sypha inquired.
"Right", she nodded. The three of them listened with full attention, "Drawings, red stains… He lit one of the room's candles and saw blood on the floor. He walked backwards, and then fell out of the window. My uncle says the tumble made him crazy, that it can't be. The registrar was a former seminarian…"