"This's all your fault." The stocky man accused the stranger they believed to be this "Belmont."
"I don't know what you're talking about." The stranger sighed.
"Yes, you do." The tall man said, cracking his knuckles.
"Yes. You. Do." The stocky man added. "Everyone knows the Belmont's dealt in Black Magic. The Belmont's dealt with monsters." Monsters? What is he talking about?
"The Belmont's fought monsters." The stranger replied defensively, with a hint of contempt, only to realize what he just said. "So, I'm told. This is just an old shirt I stole."
"The Belmont's were excommunicated by the Church. Banished. Disowned. Their lands were taken. Because They. Were. Evil."
"Evil." The tall man repeated.
"And now, Dracula's horde is abroad in the land." Wait, did he just say Dracula? As in the vampire? Did I end up in a world filled with vampires? In any other circumstance, this would be the coolest thing to happen to me. "And who's fault is that?"
"Well, it ain't mine?" The stranger answered.
The stocky man tightened his fists, growing more irritated. "The Belmont's traded in Black Magic. Now, Black Magic is all over Wallachia. I think you know exactly who's fault that is."
The stranger raised his hands. "Look, I'm leaving, alright." He headed for the door. "I'm leaving now."
The angry and drunk men began blocking the exits, the innkeeper among them, now. "So that you can lead your monster friends back here to kill us?"
"To find somewhere to piss and somewhere else to sleep."
"I bet she's here 'cause of him." The skinny man pointed back at Marcy. WHAT! "I bet she's a witch. Attracted to his darkness and all that."
"That's crazy! I'm not a witch. I'm just lost and came here for help." She tried explaining.
"That's the kind of excuse a witch would make."
What kind of… "That doesn't even… I'm telling the truth, I swear!"
"You shut your bitch mouth!'' The stocky man shouted at her. Marcy recoiled, feeling tears well up in her eyes but blinked them away. "The two of you aren't goin' anywhere. The two of you are gonna be sleepin' right here. For good."
"How fucking pathetic do you have to be to threaten a little girl of all people?" The stranger questioned them with a smirk, followed by getting punched in the face. Marcy gasped, covering her mouth.
"Confess."
The stranger rubbed his jaw. "Beg your pardon?"
"Confess! Confess now, and I'll make it quick on the both of you. What's your name?"
The stranger spat in the stocky man's face. "Jesus of Nazareth." He was then kicked below the belt, nearly toppling over. Marcy breathed sharply, grabbing the hem of her skirt. Honestly, I felt that.
"Try again."
The stranger exhaled, trying to steady himself from the sudden impact. "Trevor Belmont of House Belmont." His voice was higher pitched. "The last son of the Belmont family. You pricks happy now?"
"You are a Belmont." The stocky man said. "And now, you're both dead!" He passed a glance at Marcy. "Don't let her leave!"
Marcy did what she should have done moments ago without a second thought and bolted for the door. I'll have to find the girl's somewhere else! She opened it, and the chilly night air blew against her skin. And get out of here as fast as… Marcy was about to step outside when… "AHHHHHHHHHH!" She closed her eyes and shrieked in pain as something tightly grabbed her hair. She was then thrown onto the ground. Marcy looked up to see the skinny man who accused her of being a witch who did it.
"You're not goin' anywhere, witch.' ' He said, stalking towards her.
"Get away from me!" Marcy shouted, pushing herself away from him as fast as she could.
"Leave her alone!" Trevor Belmont shouted.
"Don't you ignore me!" The stocky man growled and threw a punch at Trevor. But this time, he caught it with one hand. Before the stocky man could react, Trevor Belmont slammed his palm on the opposite side of his arm. There was a cracking sound. "AHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as his arm bent in the opposite direction. Bone sticking out of flesh and blood squirting out of it.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Marcy screamed too. Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Marcy has never been one to shy away from violent content, whether they were in her favorite video games or anime, but this was too much for her. He just… He just… The whole of Marcy's stomach felt wrong. I think I'm gonna be sick.
"MY ARM! HE BROKE MY FUCKING ARM!" Trevor punched the instigator so hard that he turned around and fell face-first into a table, breaking it.
"You bastard!" The innkeeper then ran at Trevor, throwing a punch that he easily dodged before kicking him into a wall. The skinny man turned his attention away from Marcy and went after Trevor. He was punched in the face and knocked to the ground before he could even do anything.
Unfortunately, for Marcy, the skinny man happened to land right in front of her. He decided to go after her again. She forced herself to her feet, but her leg was grabbed before she could run, and she fell flat on the ground. "Umph." The skinny man was pulling her towards him. "Get off me!" Marcy kicked him in the face, but it did nothing. Curse my weak legs! What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? Marcy's mind raced with thoughts on how she would escape when she felt something jabbing her stomach. Wait a minute… She reached into her hoodie pocket and found the pen she had with her when studying. And she knew exactly what to do next as the skinny man's face was now closer to hers. "I said get off me!" Marcy jabbed the pen into his face, his right eye to be exact.
"MY EYE! MY EYE!" The skinny man released Marcy as he clutched his face, crying both tears and blood. The latter of which happened to splatter a bit on the teenager's face. Ugh, gross. Marcy instinctively kicked him in the face, driving the pen further into him for good measure. "AHHHHHHHHHH!" The skinny man continued to scream as Marcy got up and ran for the exit.
As she kept going, she looked back to see Trevor Belmont fight against the innkeeper before kicking him into a table. Marcy turned to face what was in front of her… "Umph!" She bumped into something, knocking her onto her rear again. She looked up and saw it was the tall man standing between her and freedom. Uh-oh. He tried to grab her, but Marcy rolled out of the way. She was near a table with four chairs. He's too big to get me if I hide here. She crawled underneath the table and let out a sigh, believing she was safe.
But Marcy gasped as the tall man with ease suddenly lifted the table. He put it down elsewhere and went to reach for her again. "Hey!" Trevor Belmont shouted as he carried a chair and smashed it against the tall man. The chair broke into pieces, and the tall man just looked at him, annoyed. "Oh shit." He punched Trevor in the face so hard that he fell about a foot back, grunting from the hit. He picked himself up as the tall man approached. He's not gonna give up, is he?
Suddenly, the skinny man wrapped his arms around Trevor with the pen still stuck in his eye. Oh, no. "Kick him!" He told his tall friend, who then kicked Trevor below the belt. And it was much harder than last time as he wheezed like a teapot.
"Would you please leave my testicles alone!" Trevor shouted in a voice that was comically higher pitched than before. The tall man pulled his arm back, ready to deliver another punch, but Trevor moved his head to the side. The punch instead struck the skinny man, finally knocking him out. Or killing him. Marcy could not say, and she did not want to know either. Trevor tackled the tall man and delivered a vicious punch below his belt as payback, sending him toppling over. "I'm Trevor Belmont." His voice returned to normal. "I used to kill fucking vampires and other things that go bump in the bloody night. And I won't lose to some pissed-off drunks!" As his final act, Trevor kicked the tall man in the face with enough force to send teeth flying and spraying blood on the ground.
I… I think it's finally over. Marcy stood up and moved from what was once her hiding spot, believing the danger was over. Trevor Belmont huffed and forced himself to walk — wobble, to be exact — to the exit, passing Marcy. "Are you okay?" Marcy asked, knowing the answer was obvious but still felt like a courtesy. He kicked the door open, and the cawing of crows was heard as they flew away. "Mr. Trevor Belmont?" Marcy followed him. I really hope he's okay.
Trevor was outside the inn, leaning against a fence. "Oh, Christ." He cursed as he leaned over it and hurled it onto the grass. Ugh. Marcy flinched as the poor man continued spitting out the unsightly brown chunks with red mixed in. No doubt, blood. Once he was done, Trevor continued walking away, but not before he got in his last words. "Rat bastards! I hope you all burn in Hell!"
Marcy watched the man hobble out of the village and into the woods. Most likely to relieve himself and find somewhere else to sleep like he said he was going to do. Wait a minute… Thoughts began to click into her mind. If I had my pen with me. Then that could also mean… She reached into her hoodie's pocket again and felt the familiar flat surface. She pulled out her cellphone. "Why didn't I think of this earlier?" She brought up her contact list. "I'll call Anne's and Sasha's phones to—" The words: "No Signal Available" then appeared on the screen. She let out a deep sigh. "It couldn't be that simple, could it?"
Marcy turned her attention back to Trevor Belmont, now entering the woods. This probably isn't going to be a good idea. But… Marcy watched the man disappear into them as she weighed her options. The village doesn't want me here, and I don't know how far the next town could be if there is one. Trevor Belmont did save my life, even if he didn't intend to. And if this is indeed a world where vampires and monsters live. She looked back at the bloody and beaten patrons. Both types of monsters, I think I have a better chance at finding my friends with him.
After a moment, Marcy made up her mind and followed Trevor. As she followed, her feet suddenly felt wet. Huh? She looked down to see she accidentally stepped into Trevor Belmont's vomit. "Oh, no." Marcy cringed. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. She just ruined her shoes. Her only pair of shoes in this world. Guess I'm going in my socks. Before going after Trevor, Marcy stepped out of the brown puddle and kicked her shoes off, far away from her. I sure hope Sasha and Anne are safe, wherever they are — and doing better than me right now.
"~ I lost me true love by an old willow tree. The Angel of Death came for her at last. But there's no sense in bein' stuck in the past. An' that's enough. Or is it! ~" Wallace Hamilton, better known as "One-Eyed Wally," sung as he strolled through the forest surrounding the humble village of Danesti. The village's vagrant enjoyed singing in the woods at night to perfect his craft in private. He would not mind if he had an audience now and then, but he did prefer being alone. Not even the recent rise in attacks by monsters and other hellish beasts on settlements have deterred him from his nightly sing-and-stroll through the woods.
Then, there came the sounds of rustling, halting Wally's song. "Allo?" He asked, stopping to look around. "Is someone there?" Wally kept his good eye open and his ears sharp as he waited for something, anything to give him a sign that he should run. He saw the rustling was coming from a bush to his right. "Who's there!" The rustling increased as whatever was approaching got closer. He was secretly praying it was a wild animal or brigand. He can manage to fight that. But if it was one of those demons, then he did not know if he would have enough time to make peace with his maker.
Whoever or whatever it was making the noises finally stepped out and revealed itself. And it was not a wild animal, brigand, or creature of Hell. It was a girl. "What in God's name?"
She was a slender adolescent with light brown skin and messy auburn hair filled with small leaves and sticks. She was noticeably taller than most adolescents, but then again, Wally only knows the ones from Danesti. She was also covered in bruises and other injuries like she fell out of the sky or something and had to trek through an unfamiliar land.
He did not recognize her clothing as native to this area. Or even native to Wallachia, for that matter. Maybe he was not that far off with guessing she was trekking through an unfamiliar land. She wore a light gray tunic with a purple collar and an embroidered crest reading "SJMS." She also had a purple skirt and wore a yellow shoe on her left foot. She was also carrying a pink bag on her back with the strange word "TUFSTUF" embroidered. All of which was covered in mud and holes.
"What're ye doin' out here, girl?" Wally asked, but the girl did not respond. She just kept walking, her breathing heavy. "Girl?" She did not respond again and took another step forward. But when she did, she fell forward. "Oh, God!" Fortunately, Wally was there to catch her before she hit the ground. "Girl. What's the matter with ye?" She had bags under her eyes; lips were dry and crusty, and Wally could feel through her whole body — and hear it, too — that her breathing was not good. "Ye stay with me. I'm gonna get ye help." Wally scooped the girl into his arms and ran through the woods as fast as he could. Back to Danesti.
It took about twenty minutes of non-stop running until Wally spotted wooden walls. "Open the gate! Open the gate!" He shouted, praying someone would hear him. "Open the bloody—" His cries were heard as the gate opened, and he could see it was by Leopold and Velicia.
"Wally, what's going on?" Velicia was the first to ask as he ran past the gates. "And… And who's that?"
"Are the healers awake?"
"They aren't," Leopold answered. "Not asleep. The hut's lights are still on."
"I'm bringin' her to them. Go get Greta." The two villagers nodded and left to find the village Head Woman while Wally carried the girl to the healers' hut. He banged on the door. "Anyone in there?"
After his fourth bang, the door was opened by the apprentice healer, Haditha. "Wally, do you have any idea what time…" The adolescent healing practitioner paused as soon as she saw the girl around her age being carried by Wally.
"I found her wanderin' through the woods, and she passed out in me arms. Is your master here?"
"She asked not to be disturbed. Get her inside and lay her on the cot." The apprentice ordered, pointing at the rickety-looking bed. Wally did as he was told and brought the strangely dressed girl inside and laid her down where the adolescent pointed. "You said she passed out in front of you?"
"Yes, that's what I said."
Haditha examined the girl's eyes and lips. "She has signs of exhaustion and dehydration."
"I have some freshwater." Wally pulled out a waterskin that he always keeps on him. Haditha opened the girl's mouth, and Wally slowly poured the water into it. He could see the lumps in her throat as she drank. Wally pulled the water back, and she took her last gulp. Her breathing began sounding normal, and Wally felt a wave of relief wash over him. "What now?"
"Now, we let her sleep."
"Wally. Haditha." A third voice made itself known, and the two villagers turned to see it came from Greta standing outside the door.
"Ms. Greta. Ma'am." Haditha quickly said as Wally took off his hat and respectfully nodded to the Head Woman.
"Felicia and Leopold informed me of what happened." She explained, entering the hut. "Will she be all right?"
"It's as I told Wally; she just needs rest," Haditha told her. "You can talk to her tomorrow."
The girl grumbled to herself, possibly a good sign. Greta looked at her curiously. "What are those strange clothes that she is wearing?"
"With all due respect, Head Woman, it would be best for her to rest now. I promise you can talk to her tomorrow when she feels better."
"Very well. Though you are an apprentice, this is your forte, after all. I'll leave you to it." Greta nodded before she turned to Wally. "But I do have questions for you, Wallace. I want you to tell me everything you know. We'll speak outside."
"Yes, ma'am," Wally answered, following the Head Woman. He looked back at the unconscious girl one last time, then to Haditha, trusting that she was in safe hands. But the question was still present in his mind, and no matter what he tried to do to put it out, it persisted. Where did she come from?
Marcy continued walking through the forest, following behind Trevor Belmont. He did not seem to notice he was being followed. If only he could stop now, so I can talk to him. Marcy kept on walking until she had him in her sights. He was standing in front of a tree, whistling. Marcy noticed his pants were down, and a yellow liquid was pelting the wood. She quickly realized what it was. "Ew." She whispered.
"I don't think piss is supposed to be that yellow." Marcy heard Trevor Belmont mumble to himself. "Gotta drink more water." He pulled up his trousers and fastened his belt. "And do you always spy on blokes with their cock out?" Trevor Belmont looked in Marcy's direction, spotting her. Marcy gasped and hid behind the tree. "No sense in hiding. I know you're there."
"No, I'm not!" Marcy shouted before slapping her forehead. Why did I say that?!
"Tonight's been a shit-show, and I'm not in the mood for games. Get the fuck out here."
Marcy did not like being cursed at, but she stepped out anyway and approached Trevor Belmont. She held her arms, looking away from him. "You don't have to be so mean about it."
"Tough shit. Now, why are you following me?" "
"You knew I was following?"
"I could hear you from behind since we left Murdenu. Even a deaf man can hear you coming. Now I'll ask you again. Why are you following me?"
"I… I uh…" Where do I even begin? What do I even say? I doubt I can just tell him, "Oh, I'm from the city of Los Angeles. You wouldn't know it since it's in a completely separate dimension. But my friends and I were sucked into a portal, and I landed here." "I wanted to thank you."
Trevor looked at Marcy like she was speaking an entirely different language. "For… what?"
"For saving me, of course. Those men were probably gonna kill me. Then you saved my life. You're a hero. My name's Marcy, by the way. Marcy Wu."
"No, I'm not." He stuck a finger in the teenager's face.
Marcy raised an eyebrow. "Not what?"
"A hero. I'm not a bloody hero. And I sure as hell don't want to be one."
"But you saved me. I… I… I don't know why those guys hated me back there. I haven't even—"
"Lotta people are scared these days. When they're scared, they get drunk to feel brave. When they're drunk, they get angry at everything and everyone. When they get angry, they get violent and do stupid shit. Simple as that." Trevor turned and walked away from her. "Now why don't you go home to your folks or whatever you have and leave me be. I'm gonna find a tree to sleep under that doesn't reek of piss."
"Wait! I want to come with you."
Trevor stopped. "What did you say?"
"I said I want to come with you. I can help you out!"
He looked back to face her. "How do you think you can help me out? What are you, twelve?"
"Thirteen. I'm thirteen." Marcy corrected before grinning and pointing at Trevor. "And I'm glad you asked." Time for a proper introduction. Marcy snapped her fingers. "I am one of the most useful traveling companions any adventurer can ask for. Just ask my "Creatures and Caverns" online group." He doesn't even know what that is! Just keep the ball rolling, Marcy. "Because there is no other traveling companion like Marcy Wu! Head of the chess club, master RTS player, straight-A student — except for gym, but only because I was reading in class — which only proves my point!"
Trevor just stared at her with a blank expression. "I have no fucking clue what any of that means." He started walking away again. "And even if I did, I still wouldn't bring you along."
Marcy's smile faded. I was sure that was gonna work. "What if I told you that I don't have anywhere to go?!"
Trevor stopped again. "What do you mean by that?"
"I…" Marcy clutched the sides of her head. "It's complicated, okay. I came here with my friends, but we were separated, and I need to find them."
"When did you last see your friends?"
"I don't know! I think… I think they're somewhere around here. In these woods. I don't know how long ago that was."
"Then you might need to accept the fact they're dead."
What? Marcy blinked, feeling anger boiling inside her. "No… no! How can you say something like that?!"
"A lot can happen in these woods." Trevor turned to face her completely. "And in many other woods just like it. All kinds of monsters inhabit 'em. If your friends are anything like you, then they don't have the wit to survive out here."
"Are you saying we're stupid?" Marcy's tone became defensive.
"I'm calling you inexperienced. And I think that's a good thing; it means you can remain innocent and happy. You should find a village and stay there for the night. You'll die out here quickly alone. And you'll die even quicker if you stay with me." He narrowed his eyes. "Believe me; I'm a walking, talking, fucking omen."
My first impression of this guy was that he was just a reluctant hero type. The kind of heroes Marcy would find in her anime and manga or video games. Usually, they were portrayed as edgy teenagers who sometimes added unnecessary amounts of angst to the story. When their writing was mishandled to be exact, still, she would enjoy a good tale about them overcoming their demons and becoming better people. But I'm starting to think he isn't one. He's just another jerk. "Fine, then point me to the other nearest village," Marcy said in a low tone. "Because I'm clearly not welcome in the last one." Trevor Belmont had his head turned away from her. "Hey! Are…"
"Shut up! We're not alone."
What is he talking about? "I don't hear—"
Trevor Belmont's eyes widened, and he dove toward and pushed me to the ground. What is he doing?! That is when Marcy saw it, and her eyes widened with pure terror. A creature black as night with eyes like hot coals and giant bat wings dropped down at the spot she once stood. If not for Trevor, she would have been killed and would not even realize it. "Stay here!" Trevor ordered her as he got up and drew the sword hidden under his cloak. He faced the creature. "Alright, you bastard, better listen up. I'm tired and pissed. So, you better pray for a quick death to whatever forsaken god you believe in. Or this is gonna hurt."
The creature screeched. It was so loud Marcy had to cover her ears, but Trevor Belmont was unbothered by it. The creature leaped at Trevor with a swipe of its claw. The former monster hunter rolled out of the way and slashed at it once on his feet. The creature cried as its hand was taken off. Trevor charged at it, holding his weapon tightly with both hands as he drove the blade through the beast's gaping mouth. Blood oozed from the wound as he removed the sword, and its head began expanding. Trevor jumped back as the head grew bigger until it burst like a firecracker, scattering its brains all over the place. And, unfortunately, hitting Marcy's clothes.
"Oh, come on!" She cried. There was no way this was gonna wash out. She then looked at the now headless creature. "What was that thing?" That had to be one of the monsters I heard mentioned at the inn.
"A Hellbat. A common Night Creature." Trevor wiped the blood from his sword. "And the bastards don't hunt on their own. They always travel in packs."
Marcy looked around but did not see or hear anything. "Then, where are the others?"
"This one's a scout. It was gonna see if we were good prey or not." A shriek pierced through the air. "So much for getting some goddamn shut-eye." Trevor Belmont looked at Marcy. "Stay close to me."
Marcy blinked. What is it with this guy? First, he tells me to get lost. Now, he's telling me to stay close. "But you told me—"
"I know what I told you before. And here's what I'm telling you now. If you want to live long enough to go find out if your friends are still alive, then do as I say." He got on his knees, pulled out a knife from his boot, and handed it to Marcy. "All my weapons are consecrated. One good stab will instantly kill 'em." He gestured at the Hellbat corpse. "As you saw for yourself."
"O… Okay. Right." You can do this, Marcy. This is just like when you roleplayed an artificer/rogue from the Shadows of Xel'noth expansion. After all, you are your Clan's representative and Chief Ranger of the Cephalon Knight Guard! Marcy's grip on her dagger tightened. Yeah, you got this girl.
The trees rustled, and the leaves fell. Marcy and Trevor could hear flapping from above. And it was getting closer. Two Hellbats shrieked as they dived for their prey. Trevor charged at the one coming for him; once it was close enough, he slid underneath it, slashing its underbelly open. Blood and guts rained down as it crashed, its entire body expanding before exploding into blood and fire. The explosion was strong enough to knock the second Hellbat off course, giving Marcy time to move out of the way. It was down; all Marcy had to do now was run up and stab it… But she could not.
Wh… why can't I move? She was frozen in place. Her legs were quaking and whole-body sweating. She knew what needed to be done, but she could not do it. Stupid legs, move! Move! The Night Creature was getting up now. Come on! You stabbed that guy in the eye to save yourself. This should be no different. Marcy was trembling. The Hellbat shrieked and stalked towards her. If I don't move, I'll die. Please… Tears began to well up in her eyes and roll down her cheek. I'm scared. I don't want to die!
The Hellbat let out another shriek and pounced at Marcy. "NO!" She closed her eyes, expecting it to be the end. Then, she heard a crack. Her eyes opened to see the Night Creature get struck in the face by a whip, taking out one of its eyes. The shriek that was once used to announce its attack was now a cry for pain as it clutched the injured spot. Marcy knew the next thing Trevor Belmont ran past her and stabbed the beast in the throat with his sword. Everything from its neck down expanded then exploded. Trevor used his cloak to shield Marcy and himself from the blood and guts that would have covered them both.
"Dammit, girl!" Trevor Belmont cursed directly into Marcy's ear, shrinking in reflex. "Why didn't you do something? Anything!"
"I… I'm sorry." Marcy dropped the knife and fell to her knees, tears continuing to flow. I… I couldn't do anything. I couldn't…
More shrieks could be heard as another pair of Hellbats descended. "If you're not gonna fight, then get out of the way. Find somewhere to hide." Trevor tied the tip of his whip to his sword's handle. He pulled the whip with all his strength, lifting the blade with it. He rolled his arm and straightened his elbow, sending the motions through the whip and sword in a slicing motion. A crack followed said motion as the attached blade cut through both Hellbats' necks. Their bodies expanded, heads falling to the ground before they popped.
Marcy hid behind Trevor Belmont to avoid the blood and guts. "Is it over?" Marcy asked the experienced monster hunter as he pulled his whip back and caught the sword with his free hand.
"Not yet." He replied. "Still have the Alpha to deal with." Trevor looked at the girl. "Better take my advice on finding somewhere to hide. This'll be getting messy soon."
Another shriek filled the air, followed by the trees rustling from above and leaves falling onto the ground. A black figure dropped onto the ground, landing in front of Trevor and Marcy. It was the Alpha, and it lived up to the title, being larger than the earlier attacking Hellbats. "Well, aren't you a big bastard?" Trevor Belmont tightly gripped his sword and whip and smirked. "I've killed bigger." The Alpha opened its mouth, and a bright red and orange light began to form within its throat. What's it doing? Trevor's eyes widened, and the smirk fell. "Oh shit."
The red and orange continued to grow brighter until the Alpha's throat expanded. It took a deep breath in. "Move!" Trevor Belmont ordered, picking up Marcy. The giant Hellbat exhaled, and with it, a fireball shot out of its mouth. Trevor jumped out of the way with Marcy in his arms as the flame shot past them. It exploded on the tree they were once behind.
That thing can breathe fire! Marcy looked back at the tree she and Trevor Belmont were once in front of and saw there was a gaping hole in the middle of it. Okay. Wow. That is some firepower. Marcy began to smell smoke. Huh? But it did not smell like burning wood, though that was in the air, too. The smoke she was smelling was coming from… "Ah! Mr. Belmont, your cloak!" She shouted.
Trevor Belmont realized that part of his cloak was now on fire. "Shit!" He cursed, throwing it off and stomping the fire out. "That's my only and favorite cloak." Trevor glared at the Alpha, snarling. "Alright, you bastard, you asked for it."
The Alpha Hellbat shrieked to intimidate Trevor just as he cracked his whip and sliced at its nostrils. The shriek was now of pain, and Trevor charged at it, raising his sword and prepared to cut open its throat. But the Alpha recovered and used its claw as a shield. The blade sliced its palm, and it cried in pain before swiping at Trevor. The monster hunter jumped back to avoid the attack from nearly taking off his nose and cracked his whip again. This time, it took off one of the creature's fingers. A bright red and orange light began to form within the Alpha's throat, and it spat out another fireball.
Trevor jumped out of the way, but now, the fireball was heading right for Marcy. "AH!" She screamed and jumped out of the way as the flame once again exploded behind her. If those fireballs can destroy trees, then where am I gonna hide?
Trevor Belmont cracked his whip several more times, and he kept his distance from the Alpha. Any opening he was hoping to find and kill it kept getting blocked. It was not going to go down as easily as its pack members. The Alpha shrieked and leaped at Trevor. The monster hunter rolled out of the way and got to his feet just as the monster landed. Trevor was closer now and thrust his blade at it for a killing blow. But the Alpha turned quickly, and he missed his mark with the sword instead of ending up in the giant Hellbat's shoulder. The creature shrieked in pain as Trevor tried to pull the blade free. "C'mon, get out!" He pressed his boot against the creature's side and pulled with all his might. "Get out, you little son of a—" But no matter how hard he pulled, the blade would not budge from its shoulder. "Shit."
The Alpha swiped at Trevor with its claw, and he was forced to give up on freeing his blade and dodging. He cracked his whip some more, trying to keep the monster at bay. It spat out another fireball, and Trevor rolled out of the way. The creature bit down on the blade's handle with its jaws and used its far superior strength to pull it out. It threw the sword away as it let out another cry. The sword just so happened to land right where Marcy was. Marcy looked at the blade then looked at the beast as Trevor Belmont cracked his whip against it. The creature spat out another fireball at him.
Marcy hesitantly picked up the blade, her eyes darting back and forth between it and fight. Marcy Wu, get a grip on yourself! You have to do this! You have to help Trevor this time! He's a big jerk, but he's the only hope you have of finding Anne and Sasha. I know this isn't a game. That what I do next could be the last thing I ever do, but… but… I HAVE TO DO THIS! DO THIS FOR THEM!
Marcy felt a wave wash over her. She felt emboldened. Powerful. Like she could do anything in the world. It was like a wave of courage. "AHHHHHHHHHH!" Marcy roared as she charged at the distracted Alpha as fast as her scrawny legs could carry her and drove the sword right into its chest. The creature cried from the pain as blood leaked from its wound, but… It isn't dead. It should be dead. Why isn't it dead?
The next thing Marcy felt was an impact on her body. The creature had hit her with the back of its claw. Pain coursed through her from head to toe. She was lifted about an inch off the ground as she went flying right into a tree. The pain she just experienced at the moment was so great her mind did not register for her to scream; she just blacked out.
Trevor saw what happened to Marcy and turned his angered gaze to the Alpha as it tried pulling the sword out of its chest. "No, you don't!" Trevor cracked his whip against the creature's hand, making it recoil away from the handle. As it shrieked again, Trevor ran to where the handle was sticking out. He grabbed it and let out a harsh grunt as he drove the blade further into the monster's chest. More blood oozed from the wound, and the experienced monster hunter knew he had pierced its heart. The Alpha's entire body began to expand, and Trevor released his sword and ran just before it exploded into blood and fire.
On instinct, Trevor dropped to the ground as his sword flew over his head and stabbed itself into a tree that he planned to run behind. Trevor stood and turned to the splattered pile of blood, guts, and fire, pleased to see the creature was finally dead. Trevor freed his sword from the tree and sheathed it. He then looked to where Marcy was lying, unmoving. Belmont walked over to check on her and placed two fingers to her neck, feeling relieved she had a pulse. He noticed there was a dark bruise on her arm and examined it. "Broken arm." He grumbled. "Should count herself lucky that's all she got out of this."
Trevor looked over to where his cloak was. He walked over to, picked it up and headed back to the unconscious Marcy. He cut off some of the cloak and used it to make a sling for her arm. "Not perfect, but close enough." He placed his cloak back on and scooped the girl up into his arms. "All I wanted tonight was to have a good drink, piss, and sleep before doing the same thing all over again next night. I didn't want to get into a bar fight, didn't want to face goddamn Hellbats. And sure as hell didn't want to go find someone and make this girl their damn problem." Trevor Belmont carried Marcy Wu as he wandered through the forest to find someone who could help her. And that he could hopefully leave her with them. "God shits in my dinner once again."
The snow crunched beneath General Striga's feet as she and her soldiers looked around the burned-down village. One of the human villages within the grand vampire kingdom of Styria burnt to the ground under their watch. Attacked, raided, by something or someone. Carmilla could not care about what happens to any of the humans that are under her rule. They are just livestock for her, her sisters, and her soldiers to take whenever they please. Still, the village and the humans that once inhabited it, are considered by the queen vampire as her property. And she does not take kindly to having what is hers, and rightfully hers, be vandalized.
One of the vampire soldiers approached the much taller superior, and he saluted, looking up at her. Striga turned her attention to him. "What do you have to report?" She asked.
"We've found very few bodies here, General. Less than what a village this size should hold." The soldier reported, catching Striga's interest. "We've also found signs that there were wagons here. Large ones and plenty of them."
Striga quickly put together what this meant. "So, someone's stealing our food." She looked at the remains of the village, scowling. "This is a message to Carmilla, telling her that they can take what she owns from right under her nose."
"What are your orders, General?"
"Spread out and find something, anything that can identify the attackers. Something always gets left behind in an attack like this. I want to know who did this and who the fuck they think they are."
"Yes, General." The soldiers that followed behind Striga did as they were told.
But she noticed the one who spoke with her was still there. "Is there something more to report?"
"Yes, General. The men found something that I think you should see for yourself."
"A survivor?"
"We believe so. And figured you would wish to speak with her."
"Show me."
The soldier led his superior farther into the burnt village. Striga noticed most of the dead humans happened to be men. Foolish men who chose to stand their ground rather than accept what they are. Striga never could understand why humans fight against powers that are beyond them. She loves a good challenge more than anything, but humans standing against a vampire is not a challenge. It is suicide. The most painful kind of which she can think up. And the saddest. Sad because it is death that is ultimately in vain.
The soldier led Striga into a burnt house with the entire front missing, and the roof collapsed. Streaks of blood painted the outside walls. She wiped her fingers against it and felt it was dry and inedible. "She's in here." The soldier stepped inside, and Striga followed him. She saw two soldiers standing guard over something. "Bring out the prisoner."
The other soldiers nodded. The one to the left stood aside while the one to the right turned and threw whoever they held hostage forward. "Ow." The prisoner, an adolescent blonde girl, grunted. "I could've walked out, y'know!" She tried breaking off the binds around her wrists.
Striga knelt to the girl's level, examining her. She was tall for her age and had a slender build, with her blonde hair wrapped into a ponytail; and her clothes were off to the vampire general. She wore a white tunic with a pink collar and a crest with "SJMS" on it and had a blue cloak made from a strange material. Striga noted how impractical it was in these conditions, as she wore a pink skirt with white socks and black shoes.
"Can I help you?" The girl asked in a sardonic tone, to which the vampire general responded by grabbing her jaw and holding her head in place.
The girl tried freeing herself but could not budge from her inhumanly firm grip. "I will be the one asking questions," Striga told her. "And you will answer honestly. Don't even try lying; I can hear your heartbeat." Striga released her. "Now, who…"
"Who am I? Sasha Waybright? Who sent me? No one. How'd I get here? Don't know? What do I want? To find my friends and go home." The girl, Sasha Waybright, answered dismissively. "Your buddies here already asked me the same thing. And honestly; it started getting boring having to repeat myself for the sixth time."
Her heartbeat stayed the same pace. She was not lying. "Alright, Sasha Waybright, do you know what happened here?"
"Don't know." Still no change.
"Then what are you doing here?"
"I woke up about, I don't know, a couple of miles from here and started freezing my butt off. As you can see, I came unprepared for this weather. I came looking for shelter and figured a creepy-looking ghost town's better than nothing. I hid up in here with the closest thing I can find to a blanket before these guys woke me up." Sasha was still telling the truth.
Striga narrowed her eyes. "You're not from here, aren't you?"
"I think I already said that."
"I meant you're not from anywhere near here." Striga dragged her fingers across Sasha's clothes, feeling the material. "Not from Styria. And definitely not from Wallachia. Where are you from?"
"Lady, I doubt you'll believe me if I tell you."
One of the soldiers stepped forward with their sword drawn. "You will not talk to General Striga in such a disrespectful manner, you—"
Striga held her hand up and turned her gaze to him. The guard silenced himself and stepped back. The stronger vampire returned her attention to Sasha. "Try me."
Sasha looked at her, confused. "What?"
"You claim I won't believe you if you told me, but you haven't lied to me yet. I'll ask you again, where are you from?"
Sasha sighed. "I'm from Los Angeles. You probably never heard of it because it's not from… wherever we are. One moment, I was in Los Angeles, celebrating my best friend's birthday. Then the next thing I know, I'm being sucked into a portal and ending up here with my friends nowhere in sight. And you probably think I'm crazy because honestly, it all still sounds crazy even to me."
"It's not."
Sasha blinked. "What?"
"We vampires have access to our own portals, with magics of an origin we still haven't uncovered after centuries. There are tales of portals to other worlds, but I have never seen one."
"Other worlds? What are you telling me?" Striga stood, not answering the question. "Hey, did you hear me?!"
"We're returning to the camp." The strong vampire ordered. "And we're bringing her with us. Morana will know what to do with her better than I."
"If I may speak freely, General." One of the soldiers spoke up.
Striga looked at him. "You may."
"Why don't we just drink her and be done with it?"
"No, no, no!" Sasha begged, her confident demeanor disappearing. "You don't want to do that. My blood, like, tastes really bad."
"She's had many opportunities to lie and hasn't taken them." Striga looked at the adolescent blonde. "She's smart enough to know when to cooperate." She looked back at her soldiers. "Besides, my beloved is smarter and will learn more from her with words. We bring her to Morana, and that's an order."
"Y… yes, General." The soldiers all hesitantly agreed as two of them forced Sasha to her feet.
"Get moving." One of them said, pushing her.
"Okay! Okay! I'm moving! I'm moving!" Sasha walked forward, and Striga led the way. "Quick question, what happens if… you said her name's Morana, right?"
"I did."
"Right, so what happens if Morana doesn't find a use for me?"
"Then she'll decide what to do with you. Not before, not after."
Sasha did not like this situation at all, but she had no say in this matter. And whoever this Morana was, she may know something that she needs to find Anne and Marcy. She hoped they were all right wherever they were.
"Oh, shoot! It's almost six! I gotta go, dude."
"Family party, right? Lame. Let me guess, a clown? With balloon animals?"
"I know it's not the coolest, but this is important to them."
"Mmm-hmm. Oh hey, Marcy just got back to me. She's downtown. Come on. Let's keep this party train rollin'. Choo-choo!"
"Sorry, dude, you don't understand. I really gotta go."
"Oh, I understand, Anne. You're a good little girl who's gotta go home to her mommy and daddy. Come on. Hang out with your friends that love you."
"Sasha, I'd really like to, but—"
"Anne, this isn't cute anymore. We are meeting up with Marcy right now. End. Of. Discussion."
Anne struggled to get her eyes open. Her head felt like it was being slammed against a never-ending series of opened locker doors. And that conversation coming to the forefront of her mind did not help. When her eyes finally opened, she realized she was staring at a roof. And realized she was lying in a bed. A really uncomfortable one at that. "Ugh…" Anne grunted as she forced herself into a sitting position. "Where am I?" She asked.
"You're awake." A raspy voice said, making her jump. Anne turned to where the voice came from. There was another girl around her age in the room with her. She was a pale girl with ashen hair that covered her right eye. She wore what Anne could best describe as a violet hoodie. As well as a skirt that went all the way down to her ankles held up by a belt and black boots. She walked over to Anne with a mug in her hand. "Here. You need to drink more water."
Anne felt very thirsty, so she did not hesitate to take and guzzle the mug down. She let out a sigh. "That was refreshing."
"I can imagine. You slept like a baby."
"Who are you?" Anne looked around. "And where am I?"
"My name's Haditha Flour. I'm an apprentice healer for the village of Danesti, which you're currently residing in."
Anne may not pay attention in her history classes — or any of her classes for that matter — but she was pretty sure she never heard of a village by that name. "Well, Haditha, I'm Anne. Anne Boonchuy. Um… Thank you for saving me."
"You should be thanking Wally. He's the one who found you. I think he'd appreciate knowing you're alright." Haditha snapped her fingers. "Oh yeah, and Greta's going to want to know you're up."
"Who's Greta?"
"The leader of our humble little village. She wanted to speak with you as soon as I determined you were good to go. I put out some clothes for you." Haditha pointed at the tan tunic and brown trousers on the other side of the room. "I figured you would want something fresh to wear."
"Oh, thank you."
Haditha pointed at a door to the left of the fresh clothes. "You can change in that room over there; I'll go grab Wally and Greta."
Anne got herself out of bed. "Alright, thanks again, dude."
Haditha gave Anne a strange look. "Dude?"
"Oh, it's just what you call people you think are cool. Or nice."
"Oh, well, thank you… dude." Haditha felt awkward saying it.
"I'll just go get changed." Anne walked over to, picked up the clean clothes, and entered the changing room. The colors were not Anne's favorite by a mile, but she would not say anything aloud. It was still a kind gesture that she would be stupid to turn down.
Though, she had no idea what she was going to tell this Greta person. But other than that, she wanted to know what happened. How did she end up here? Are Sasha and Marcy in this place too? And if they are, where are they?
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