After another long wait, I finally got around to edit and upload this chapter as well!

Though I am going to thank you for those favs and comments! It means that I am doing something right after all! :) If I can keep you entertained, I am more than glad!

Now that an animation is coming out, this sure is a bit awkward... Oh well! Gotta keep going!

Have fun and see you around! :)


~ 4-1: Anxiety

Hunger. Exhaustion. Tiredness.

These were great motivators to ignore the current situation and duty. So they followed Sister Diana's advice instead and joined her and the children for lunch.

Not that the nun had a lot, but she was able to prepare a thick soup with lentils and a few herbs. Though, the taste must have gotten lost somewhere in the process, most of the meal was as tasty as it had looked. Bland and all one big paste.

Again, not that they cared.

In fact, the idea of being able to eat again was enough for them to clear their bowls. Most of the children seemed to feel the same way. Considering the situation, they weren't getting much else and this was what they were used to. Besides, the nun wouldn't allow them to get up until they had eaten a decent amount of the soup no matter the taste. Despite all the warm gestures from before, Sister Diana could be incredibly strict. Frankly, none of them wanted to feel her palm, which she raised often when she threatened the kids to behave. For one old woman to treat the children, she seemed to be doing a great job. Either that or her palm smacked them harder than they could imagine.

Provoking an old lady wasn't on their to-do list.

Once the children were done with lunch, Sister Diana instructed some of the older ones to clean the table and do the dishes later on. The guests wanted to be some form of help, though the nun didn't allow any of it and gestured them to stay in place.

"You go and get some proper rest. The three of you had done so much up until this point. You were able to survive and defend the children to bring them here, so you do deserve to take a nap, at least." Sister Diana nodded to a certain door and showed a gentle smile which had them relax a bit despite the general harsh tone. "The children will be playing for now, so you should each be able to find a bed before it's time for their naps as well." She turned to gesture towards it as if welcoming them to go and take a rest. They couldn't resist that proposal and their bodies were demanding for proper sleep, no matter what time it was. The group had marched for hours and, in the case of Trevor and Grant, they had done so almost an entire day without a break. Thus, they were more than glad to accept the nun's offer and wobbled to the room that she had nodded to after expressing words of gratitude. Their powers faded quicker than they had wanted to admit.

They didn't take their time to place their belongings on the table and flung their bags without much care. The cloaks hung on chairs, Father Cypher's staff leaned against the wall and Grant's heavy belt was spread across the table with the shiny blades presented in all their glory. The pirate was the first one to fall into bed despite the fact that the beds were intended for children, but he curled up anyway without much trouble. Trevor sat on his bed to gather his thoughts while Father Cypher had crouched to the bed and folded his hands in prayer. His eyes were closed and his lips moved to form words that no other than God could hear. By the time Trevor covered himself with a blanket, one could already make out that Grant had been asleep by his heavy breathing.

None of the two were bothered by this, their bodies easily finding their way to sleep as well and they were more than happy to rest.

Soon enough, their dreams would fade away into the dark. Silence surrounded the hunter before his consciousness allowed him to return to reality. His eyes fluttered open and he let out a bit of a groan, he was feeling too comfortable to be awake right now. Trevor sat up and rubbed the back of his head with a little yawn. He could have continued his nap without much trouble, but he figured that he couldn't sleep all the time. There was a mission that they had to take care of still. As other times before when he sat up, Grant was already up and gone. Father Cypher had woken up recently, too, and as surprised about the disappearance of the pirate as Trevor had been the first time.

"Where's Grant?",. was all the priest asked and blinked often as if that would have helped his sight before he swung himself out of bed.

Trevor shrugged sheepishly, he wasn't worried for the other when he was agile enough. "Awake and with Sister Diana or something. He usually does that." Once more, the priest looked at him in disbelief and narrowed his eyes before he gathered his belongings.

"You would expect a man like him to sleep all day, wouldn't you say?" Father Cypher tilted his head and gave his own words a thought. "Then again, I suppose that pirates need to be up early or don't get to sleep at all. Something along those lines."

Trevor followed the priest's example and got out of bed to check if everything was still in place. The hunter pulled out an old bible from one of the leather bags and opened it to find many little letters which he had placed in the middle of the book. They were all in Latin, nothing that the hunter could read properly. He did keep them though, because that was one of the few things that he had left of his mother. Before he had been sent into exile and separated from her, she had given him this bible with the letters in them, saying that he would be able to read them one day. Perhaps she had more hopes for him than it was sensible. Still, Trevor would look at the elegant handwriting and smile to himself at it. All this was neat and precise, something that she always had been after all.

"I thought that you didn't know any Latin." Trevor flinched a bit when Father Cypher spoke even if his voice had been as soft as it could be. The priest wasn't close enough to have seen the letters, but as a servant of God, he must have recognized the book as a bible.

"N-No, I don't", he began, then closed the book and tugged it away. "But I keep it anyway, I could learn it once this is all over, then I'd like to have more use for it."

"That's admirable",. Father Cypher replied with a soft, yet honest smile and allowed himself to approach him. "You must have a lot of confidence to believe that you can make it through and surviving it all." Trevor tensed at that. Of course, he was agreeing with the priest in a way. He expected to make it out okay and thought that the other two would do the same when the chances were slim. When the hunter opened his mouth to respond to that, Father Cypher continued:. "If you do happen to remain right, I could help. I would need to repay my debt to you and Grant, so I can teach you how to read and write Latin."

Trevor shifted in place and frowned at that answer. "We didn't exactly save you, since we didn't have much influence on breaking your curse or anything... You don't have to repay any of us." And he was speaking for the pirate, too, because he wasn't sure if he could trust his judgement. The other was a bit young to take proper responsibility. Not that Trevor was considered old with his 20 years of age, but he did feel a lot more mature than the pirate. Not that he could tell in all honesty, Grant was rather broad and all.

Father Cypher smiled at the humility of the other and he shook his head. "Don't worry, it is nothing. It would be an honor to help you both. Besides, a Belmont is capable of many things, so this shouldn't be too difficult for you, wouldn't you agree?" Trevor could feel how his cheeks became hot, turning red. He shook his head in denial, but the priest let out a heartfelt laugh and waved him off before passing him without giving him any other answer. Once more, the hunter knew that he had lost in this argument, much to his dismay.

Thus, he could only follow the other to the living room where one couldn't find many children. Yet, one could hear them laugh outside without any care in the world. At least, they could forget their sorrows for a while.

"My my, you guys are sleeping quite a lot!" Grant was carrying some boxes when he entered the room and showed them a bright smirk while the priest approached him with slight worry.

"Have you even rested properly? I haven't heard you when you got out of bed."

"Yes, father",. he returned in a mocking tone and his smirk grew wider before he placed the boxes down. "But that was because you were sleeping like a little Lamb of God! Wouldn't want to disturb either of you." Not that the priest was pleased with this kind of answer, but he allowed it for what it was and let it slide. Instead, he focused on the boxes on the ground and nodded to them and asked for the content. "Oh, Sister Diana said that these held some new clothes for the children. You see, an old woman can't do all the work herself, so I thought that I could make myself useful." To underline his words, he flexed his arms with a laugh as if to show off. Yet, the innocence in his smile surprised both Trevor and Father Cypher. It was almost naive to see how the pirate didn't even expect anything in return. That much had the priest return the smile with the same brightness, it had something radiating to it.

In that moment, Sister Diana shuffled in to the room and laughed a bit at the sight of the friends reunited in there. She patted the back of the pirate in gratitude. "Thank you, young man! I am glad to see that you have all rested well, but now you must be hungry and you have earned a meal!" Without waiting for any kind of answer, the old nun moved to the kettle in the back and they all grimaced a bit at the thought of eating warmed up lentil soup. Protest was useless though, they didn't have much else to eat except for the goods that they have carried. But they would have rather kept them for when they continued their journey. So lentil soup it was. They shouldn't be ungrateful either.

At that, the pirate rummaged in his belt to pull out the map and spread it over the table. Meanwhile, Father Cypher went to help Sister Diana to get the clay bowls and spoons. Trevor gazed between the two sides before he decided to join Grant and check where they would be able to cross to get closer to the Devil's Castle.

The pirate's finger moved over a certain path, though he wasn't exactly pleased how there weren't no more villages or towns to pass after this one. All seemed to have been destroyed. "It's not that I didn't expect anything else...", he mumbled to himself and shook his head in disbelief. "But I had hoped for it." His finger stopped at a drawing of a tower and he tapped it twice as if having yet to decide whether he wished to speak of it. "A small stronghold of the royal family. At least, it used to be. I would think that the demons have already infested it, too, if they have taken over every other inhabited space in the area..." His fingertip wandered over a bridge and he pursed his lips. This should be their direct way to the island where the castle was situated. Not into the castle itself, but it would get them closer.

"I'm not so sure if I wish to cross another bridge again after the last one blew up right in front of us",. added Trevor with a frown and he saw how Grant snorted at that, patting his shoulder.

"So you suggest that we swim to the Devil's Castle? I'm not sure if our good priest can even swim and I don't know if you do." The hunter blushed a bit at that. He hadn't swam a lot in the past and would fail at making such a long distance even if he tried. "And I can't make this myself, it would be a pity to leave you behind after all the traveling!" The playful wink had Trevor cough to himself to regain some of his dignity again.

"You are the navigator in this, so I trust your judgement." Besides, the hunter had no idea with his current knowledge of the country and this path seemed to make sense. The other's playfulness reflected within him a little and he allowed himself to nudge him back. "Throwing ourselves into danger, having dozens of demons against three of us. It wouldn't be fair otherwise."

That was the enthusiasm that Grant was fine with and his smirk grew, this didn't need any other answer. In the end, they were of the same foolish mind. Somehow, this calmed Trevor more than anything else. That he wasn't alone in this world with this naïve belief that there could be an end to this.

Father Cypher and Sister Diana had returned with four bowls full of steaming lentil soup. The other two took the bowls from the old woman's shaking hands, her arms were almost failing under the strain. "My, you are far too good with me!" That was all she would comment to it and sat by the table while the priest moved to get her portion as well. Her tired eyes scanned the map the same and more and more worry showed in every wrinkle. Yet, she didn't dare to raise her voice and instead thanked Father Cypher when he returned with her bowl. She let her thin fingers take hold of it to let the warmth sip through them in hopes to find comfort.

The priest was the first to take hold of the spoon and take up the word as well. "It must be difficult to hear of our plans, isn't it?" He watched how the nun shifted in her chair before she was able to let go off the bowl and take hold of her spoon, too.

"Indeed. There have been enough sacrifices around, it's painful to witness and all." Sister Diana shook her head as she tried to get rid of the memories that had crept up in her mind. The ideas in her mind had her cross herself. "The days turn darker year by year. I don't even know how to comfort the children anymore. They keep asking when it'll all be over or what happened to the other children that were taken away and I... Don't know if we will be able to see an end to it all."

Trevor couldn't touch the soup and it wasn't the smell or non-existent taste that had him stay away from it. Instead, his interest was torn to what the nun knew about what had happened in Wallachia. "Monsters have raided this town, too, correct?",. he asked and Sister Diana glanced up at him for a moment to ponder about her answer.

"Correct." She took a few spoonful of the soup as if the warm liquid could prepare her for those terrible memories to return to her. "But it wasn't the monster's raid that had started the Curse. It began many years back when the Devil infected people and had forced them to become corrupted."

The three of them guessed that Sister Diana didn't have anybody to talk to about what has happened in the past. Or, at least, she didn't have anyone to trust this much to talk of what she saw in fright that the other person was as possessed as the rest.

It seemed to have began within the noble families. They had become filled with anger and insanity, going after their own relatives.

"I remember the news of a noblewoman who had gone mad after her youngest daughter was abducted by vampires." She shook her head in defeat, though she did feel pity for the woman who had lost her child that way. "She never got over her loss and then her youngest son disappeared, too. Though people have said that, in her madness, she had taken the lives of each of her children in different ways... Before she chose to use a rope around her neck in deep guilt and pain. The sins corrupted her soul so deep down that not even God could clear them." The nun crossed herself at that and held her gaze low as if in prayer for the dead children. Father Cypher joined in on that and crossed himself as well. Trevor looked between them and could only sigh. Grant, however, continued to eat as if Sister Diana hadn't told them of anything strange. The hunter raised an eyebrow at that and the pirate gave a shrug.

"I have never met a nobleman or woman that has been sane." The tone in his voice was nonchalant and Trevor wasn't sure how to take that. Grant noticed as much and added:. "And I have met quite a few in my lifetime. But maybe that comes from the fact that I'm a fugitive and they're usually not nice with those. Us being dirty and coming from filth and all." That was all the explanation that he would give, too stubborn to speak his mind. Either that or he wasn't keen on the noble folk which was also understandable. Grant was a biased individual after all.

Sister Diana pursed her lips in disapproval at that, but she wouldn't reply to any of it. She was aware of his background as well. Father Cypher glared at him in anger which had the pirate shift in his seat. Guilt showed in his expression and he swallowed a lump.

"O-Of course, it is painful to hear of these things! I am sorry", he replied with a low voice and nodded at the old nun who dared to glance up at him again.

"I'll bring some milk." That was all that she had to say about it. She disappeared to the back of the house, which lead to some sort of backyard.

With a groan, Grant let his forehead rest on the table. He didn't slip a curse due to the fact that the children around them had started coming in and playing again. Also, the pirate didn't want to be caught misbehaving by the nun. Her flat shoes shuffled back in over the wooden floor, so he sat straight up like a poster boy.

"Have you ever seen an angry nun? Believe me, that's nothing you want to experience",. he muttered to the other two while Sister Diana didn't seem to notice any of his words at all. She placed down a mug of milk in the middle before she turned to the end of the table, where all the clay mugs were kept. Then, she shoved each of those to them. Neither of them were denying the drink and poured each other some of the heavy liquid, goat milk. The smell was evident enough to recognize. Yet, all were gulping it down in a few moments. Instead of returning to the same topic, Sister Diana spoke of how the children were behaving all the time. Or how many women were assisting her and how the other villagers helped them with goods, clothes and toys.

"It's heartwarming to realize how these days bring us all together... We protect each other from the satanic spirit." What she wasn't telling was the way they treated the ones that were hiding away. But the tension in every other place like this was proof enough. People were desperate and it showed in their actions. As much as they could criticize this behavior, they could understand it and all, at least.

As Sister Diana continued to talk about this and that, the church bell was rung energetically. Her face immediately paled, the children started to scream outside and ran inside. They hid under the tables and cowered in the corners, whimpering to themselves. The trio didn't hesitate for a moment and took hold of their weapons and hasted outside. Only the priest turned to look over his shoulder and tell them to stay inside no matter what and keep all the doors and windows locked shut. Some kids escaped to other rooms while the old nun was paralyzed from fear in her seat. Yet, she was trying to calm the children that were approaching and clinging to her in blind panic.

The townsfolk had escaped the streets and into their houses and they barricaded everything they could close. The main noises and screams were coming from the harbor though. From this position, they could spot a massive ship, a construction that wasn't present before. It couldn't be overlooked and one would wonder how it even fitted in the river like that. The wood of it was in black and covered in moss while the sails were in dark grey with holes all over. It couldn't move anywhere and yet, it did go far enough to reach the harbor of this town.

The foes were demonic creatures that had jumped off board to terrorize the townsfolk. Furthermore, they pushed back the few guards that were doing their best to protect their surroundings. With his staff in his hand, Father Cypher raised it and swung it in the air. A flame lashed out of the thick end and shot towards the skeletons that were prancing around a peasant and his daughter. That hit was enough to get rid of the foes with one go. The victims looked up in gratitude at the priest, the peasant took the girl and pulled her along as they ran for shelter.

"Woah!",. exclaimed Grant in utter and honest surprise. He looked between the ashes of those skeletons, Father Cypher and his staff. "I didn't know that the servants of God could actually do that!"

The priest smiled with a hint of pride in his eyes. "They don't. It's something that I acquired for myself to defend myself and those around me with the power of the elements." Not that the church was exactly pleased by this behavior, but they accepted it as something legit. So he could perform it anywhere he wanted. Good to know. Perhaps the church accepted because it wasn't dark magic and it was of help to them. They could use all the help after all.

"We'll have to force them back to where they came from." Trevor didn't feel like finding out what other powers Father Cypher seemed to have. This wasn't of importance right now as long as they could profit from it. "We have to surround them to have them all gathered by the harbor, then we can get rid of them effectively." With the Vampire Killer in his right hand, he used it to point at different directions. "I'll take the middle path while Father Cypher goes to assist the soldiers on the left path. Grant takes the right one to collect some other townspeople that haven't made it to their homes in time." With his elemental magic, the priest would be able to keep the monsters in check. Meanwhile, the pirate was quick and strong enough to pick most people up over a short distance. Also, his daggers would keep the demons at bay until he could force them further back to their ship.

Neither questioned these tactics and hastened over to their sides immediately with their weapons at hand. Trevor could feel a proud smirk curl on his lips.

It seemed like he was getting some sort of team. Everything had fallen into place, so naturally that he didn't even mind to have them around. In a quick prayer to God, he thanked Him that he was blessed with two companions that he could travel with. And, did he dare to say it, could call his first friends in so long.

But this was no time to become sentimental.

The boat had spawned other creatures than skeletons, too. Somehow, the foes had spread like disease over town. There were also fish-like monsters around with arms and legs, spitting water with such intensity that it could knock people off their feet. With a lash of his whip, they were defeated without much trouble. Not exactly sturdy, but they were in such a big number that they were having trouble keeping track of them and all. They jumped out of the water of the river and clung to the ground, pulled themselves up and ran for the first victim they could see. With some holy water and daggers, they could be kept in a specific area and he began to instruct the soldiers, too. After all, they were having trouble staying coordinated and were glad for the directions. With their swords and axes, they should have been able to keep the monsters in place while others could be able to attack and knock them out. Yet, the most effective weapon was still in Trevor's hands.

Meanwhile, Father Cypher seemed to be doing a decent job as the sea creatures flooded the streets from the left. Soon enough, Trevor spotted bolts of ice flying their way. The icicles pierced through their scales without any problem though. The priest lead a small group of other guards and sent them towards the harbor as Trevor had said before. All those men were willing to listen to the holy man who impressed them with his powers. Oh, any other woman with powers would have faced execution instead, what an irony. A painful sting caused his chest to clench, but Trevor ignored the sensation and instead continued to fight.

It took Grant a bit longer to join them in, he had been busy with helping out the other townsfolk before he had found his way back to the harbor. He was with less people than Father Cypher, but active nonetheless. As quick on his feet as always.

When the monsters had found themselves in trouble, a horn was sounded from the ship. Many tiny ghostly figures stood on deck and waved them to board the construction again. The soldiers were already cheering and lifting their tired arms in celebration. Yet the only one who found this situation to be more than troubling was Father Cypher. His green eyes followed a shadow that was moving below the deck and his frame shook with fright.

"That was the Medusa",. he mumbled in realization and glanced between his two companions in terror. "It makes me wonder why it doesn't come out to help them, but praise God that it doesn't." Instead, the sails were opened and readied to leave the harbor. Any other ship would have remained in the harbor at that state, it was ridiculous to even imagine it move. Yet the heavy ship didn't take more than a moment to edge away from the harbor. Meanwhile, the monsters jumped on board, most of the fish beasts swam along with the ship. One could guess that this many fish-men were the reason why this ship was moving forward somehow.

The priest pushed his shoulders back in defiance and marched towards the harbor. "I'm going." That was all he muttered and the two companions glanced at one another in surprise and disbelief.

"You can't go all by yourself! Didn't go well the last time, did it?" Grant didn't have much trouble keeping up with Father Cypher while Trevor did have to sprint in the beginning. The outfit was too heavy to keep the pace. Then again, the robe and cloak of the priest must have had a certain weight, too.

"I have unfinished business with this creature and we can't let them escape like that either. They will come back another time once we are gone! You do realize that, too, don't you?",. Father Cypher hissed in anger, they backed off for a second before joining his side again. They weren't quite used to that side of his.

"And you want to go alone?",. added Trevor and earned a frustrated glare from the priest which had him press his lips together.

"I'm not going to stay behind and let you do all the work. I am devoted to defeat the Lord of Darkness myself! If you join me on my way or not, I don't care."

"This isn't even the way we need to go! You must be insane to want to go up there all by yourself!" The pirate's protest was pointless, he could have talked to a wall and would get the same answer. Besides, Trevor could have told him how climbing the Clock Tower on his own hadn't been the best strategy either, so he shouldn't talk. Though the hunter had started his mission all by himself, too. In the end, they were all hopeless fools in need of someone to smack some sense into them.

Instead of someone getting in their way and telling them to return to Sister Diana, they were all heading towards the Ghost Ship. The skeletons hadn't pulled back the plank, yet, thus this was their only opening. Jumping on board was not too difficult. Most of the demons had fled under deck which was exactly where they could access the ship. It seemed like none of the demons cared about a lock on their trap doors.

How convenient.

They stumbled back and forth on the creaking planks, having to get used to the dim lights. Grant stepped around with caution, his foot testing out the wood. "It's only by dark powers that this ship hasn't fallen apart...", he mumbled with a frown, allowing his gaze to wander. Trevor stomped forward without hesitation while the priest followed with quick steps. But the pirate was correct in his assumption, the ship was falling apart almost. Broken stairs and ladders, the floors littered with holes and cracks. Every time the wind pushed the massive construction forward on its watery path, everything around them ached.

"It was Medusa that turned you into stone, yes?", Grant asked when he was by Cypher's side. The priest frowned, but nodded. He didn't wish to recall those memories as they weren't exactly pleasant.

"The demon must have fled when you defeated the Cyclops."

"To deliver the message to its' Lord that someone killed his creation." Grant made it sound quite dramatic. When one platform ended, he jumped to the other with ease. The Hunter followed him without hesitation. The escape out of the Clock Tower has taught him quite a few skills and had taken his fears from height.

"Lord Dracula knows already for sure",. Trevor murmured and looked back only to see Father Cypher shift in place, his cloaked face paled. Of course, the priest didn't feel quite as comfortable with jumping as them.

Grant edged closer to the edge and raised his voice. "Take a running start and trust in God as you always do!" The pirate stemmed his hands on his hips, his tone was mischievous. Father Cypher frowned, though considered his words, since there was no other way to cross. As Grant was aware of the other's fears, he stomped on the planks with force. "It's stable enough, it won't break!" His voice switched to genuine so fast that it had the two companions surprised. Without finding an answer, Cypher did as told and stepped back to get running. The jump was long enough, but the landing wasn't too elegant. He almost tripped over his own feet, though the other two held him upright. "There we go! A few more times and you'll be as graceful as a swan!" The joyful demeanor - and the fact that he didn't tumble to his doom - brought a relieved smile to his face. Yet, if performing parkour was the most difficult part of their mission, he would have been freed from worry.

The monsters that had hidden from them were creeping back in slow motion. Now that they were shielded from the sun and among their own territory, their bloodied courage returned to them. The first two foes were resembling the skeletons, though they clutched their heads under their arms instead of keeping them on. Neither were they exposing their bones and rotten flesh, ripped cloth served as clothing. Whether those belonged to their victims or not couldn't be said. The jaws of the skulls clicked in excitement and the two foes jumped forward with their sables. The Holy Whip was immediately in Trevor's hand and Grant flipped his daggers between his fingers as Father Cypher stood back with his staff. Trevor cracked his whip at one foe, the skull smacked away from the arm and the creature staggered in place only to fall off the plank. The other monster dashed around back and forward quicker, daring the pirate to test his aim. While the skeleton feet shuffled across the wood, the priest decided that he has had enough and summoned ice to envelop the skeleton. For the joy of it, Grant dashed towards it to clash against the bony structure and the impact threw it off with intensity.

"That's impressive!", said Grant as he rubbed his right arm which he had used against the enemy. Warmth tingled back underneath his skin, the ice had left a cool air around it. "You don't happen to be able to use your powers at all times?" If Father Cypher could, he might have been a lot further on his path to Dracula's Castle. Either that or he had been taken by surprise by the Medusa.

The group continued on without lingering in the spot. Since the monsters were aware of their existence now, they should get going. Getting from one side of the ship to the other should help, the Medusa would be at the captain's cabin. Getting there was another story.

There were more than enough enemies for them to find. The entire former crew, so it seemed, was kidnapped and contorted through dark magic to become the skeleton warriors. Otherwise, they couldn't explain how the ship held so many foes. As soon as the idea crossed that these monsters were once human, it slowed their reactions. It had them hesitate. For Grant, it wasn't that big of a problem after all, his reflexes were extraordinary and he dodged attacks well. But Trevor and Father Cypher were having trouble, though the hunter was of a more robust stature that assisted the defense.

A group of five skeleton warriors had blocked their path to a door, aggressive to defend their dominion. From the corners of his eyes, Trevor could spot another creature, but was soon distracted by the sables that an enemy swung in front of his face. His whip cracked in the air to keep them at bay while Grant chugged daggers at them. In the meanwhile, Father Cypher prepared another spell before swinging his staff to summon flames, slashing through the air like claws. Two of the skeletons were taken by surprise and turned into ashes, only leaving their weapons and rubble behind.

"What the—?!" Grant jumped back in place and bumped into the priest who gasped and was about to complain. Yet, the two of them grew silent for a second as a skull, engulfed in blue fire, had dashed down right where the pirate had been standing. Without waiting for any kind of explanation, his hand flipped another long dagger and split the demonic spirit in two somehow.

Trevor soon joined their side without intending to do so by being pushed back by the remaining three foes. The Vampire Killer was swung in anger and it snatched off the head of an enemy, leaving it collapsing on its' own. Another slash by a dagger here, a thump by the staff there; being one more fighter on their side sure was helpful. While the remaining two skeletons jumped back and forth, a shrill scream deafened their ears. Another couple of flamed spirits decided not to attack them, but to join in on the ear piercing sounds and clatter their teeth.

"What is that?", groaned the hunter in irritation who was so close to cover his ears with both hands.

Father Cypher glanced up at them and lifted a hand in hopes to shoot fireballs at them. "Some kind of alarm, I assume?" Only going by how it echoed in the entire inside of the ship, one could think that anybody could have heard. One screaming skull after another was eliminated by the priest.

"Then we won't have much time!" Grant frowned further from the sound, resisting the urge of covering the ears the same. Neither of his companions could tell how, though it was always impressive to see how blades were flipped between his fingers and never cutting skin. At least, not his own. The pirate dashed past Trevor to tackle the first one. Then, the other arm tried to lash out at the second enemy, but not quite making it. Luckily, Trevor wasn't one to sit back and wait, so he assisted him right away. At the same time, Father Cypher noticed the effect that the alarm had on them. Another group of skeletons rushed in from behind while above them, another couple of spirits had spawned to join in on the fun.

"This is enough!", the priest growled before he focused once more. With open arms, he summoned a wall of ice before them to stop the arriving group from reaching them. Father Cypher turned to see how the duo handled the enemies with ease now, so he quickened his steps. "Let's get going before my defense crumbles." One could already hear how the skeletons were slashing their swords against the ice as if trying to carve a hole into it to slip through. "It will only last so long." The priest didn't have to tell them twice and the group charged through the door. They found themselves in a room with a couple of hook ladders that could either lead them further up or down the ship. Considering that the skeletons were crowding the planks above them, their group figured to climb the ladder down. Grant going first, because he was sliding it down, then Trevor and then the priest. Because of their clothing, pretty much.

Before either of them had made it to the bottom – and it was a steep way down, they must have been getting to a center in the belly of the ship of some sorts – the pirate was already chasing a skeleton around. The area was small enough for him to handle it, not more than a light cut on the arm.

Strangely enough, this area only offered one door. It was locked anyway and no key was laying around. While Grant was already bending down on his knees to rummage in his pockets to find tools to pickpocket it, Father Cypher stepped forward and pointed at the lock with his index finger. He swirled it in the air before a string of ice emerged from the fingertip and hit the lock which was frozen in a second. Then the priest took his staff, smashed it against the lock and the metal burst into tiny pieces, startling the two companions with the noise.

There was almost something calm to his expression when he faced them. "Problem solved."

Well, that was true.

Not exactly what was to be expected from a servant of God, but sometimes, the end justified the means.

Without hesitation, Father Cypher opened the door and gestured for them to step in as if he was inviting them.

Not that this gesture could be kept up for long. In the next second, a blade passed the priest's nose by an inch and it had them stumble in place. But when they glanced into the room, expecting yet another army of monsters trying to take them down, their eyes were met with the dull shine of gold. The group had to look twice to register the pile of treasure. Tons of coins from all over, pearl necklaces. Mixed in with all sorts of emeralds, sapphires and rubies along with a couple of massive rings. It had something alluring to it with its' shimmer, reflecting the light of the torches. Yet, in the next second, they spotted two figures which they wouldn't have expected to see in this place:

Two sailors. Not transformed, but still in a pretty bad shape. Their clothes were torn, skin slashed that enough blood had gushed out of their limbs and tainted the treasure. Their faces were in an alarming grey, deep shadows gracing their expressions. Yet, what revealed to them that the sailors were still alive was the fact that their eyes were open and very much staring at them. Needless to say, they were draped in front of the treasure and hostile towards their arrival. Their shaking hands had taken hold of the exotic swords from the treasure, but they could only get on their feet with trouble.

Father Cypher was the first one to react and lifted his hands in defense. "Do not be afraid. We aren't your enemies; we are fighting for our lives like you." The priest approached them with slow steps. One could tell that he was always ready to take hold of his staff and defend himself though. Especially considering that the sailors were tensing even further.

"Stay away, you filthy thieves!", hissed one of them. His voice was rattled, strained from pain. The sword was swatted from side to side before the man couldn't lift it anymore and the weight pulled him down.

Trevor frowned at the reaction, his hand was already on the Holy Whip. "They must be completely delusional." Seeing how there was worse on board than thieves that would take the treasure. The second sailor somehow found strength within him to sit up, at least. His expression was contorted, either out of pain or anger, but the hunter guessed that it was a mixture of both.

"You will not... Lay a single finger on our treasure!",. he growled before he turned to the pile and let his fingers glide through the coins. It was all slick due to the blood on the man's hands. How the blood stained the temping shine with the drops that almost looked black in contrast to it. His companion turned in place, now his sword forgotten on the ground, and imitated the other. A smile of relief curled on his burst lip when he cupped an amount of coins in his hands, kissing them. "This is ours… And ours alone!"

As much as it was perplexing to see them marvel over their treasure so much, the priest wouldn't have none of it. "We have to get out of here",. Father Cypher stated, suppressing the sickness that was welling up in his stomach. The more he had laid his eyes upon all the glittering gold, the more he noticed how unnatural it was. As fascinated as it was before, now it held something repulsive to him. "This is not a safe place. We will venture out further and bring you to a secured area without the influence of demons, but please—"

The next step that Father Cypher took was too much for the sailors to take and they launched themselves immediately at the other. It was out of pure reflex that the priest lifted his staff to defend himself, pushing them back as their forms were too frail to inflict any damage. Yet, this didn't stop the other two from joining the priest altogether.

"These morons have gone insane!", Grant spat in irritation and shook his head in disbelief. The priest glared at him as irritated.

"They might be insane, but it is our duty to save them! Every life is worth it and we should be grateful that God has lead us to survivors that withstood these terrors!"

"'Withstood the terrors'? They have become the terror themselves already! It is the gold that has them turn insane!"

Father Cypher could only roll his eyes at the cold demeanor of the other. "I am not going to take any lessons from a pirate!" He spat the last word with such disregard that Grant shuddered. Said pirate squared his shoulders as if to get ready for yet another insult to be hurdled at him.

"Stop it!", Trevor demanded, his tone harsh, pushing himself between them with ease. "We'll take them with us and then decide if we have any chance to save them." The hunter was more comfortable not thinking about what they would need to do if the two poor souls couldn't be healed from their obsessive state. A fate worse than death lurked out there for many and he wouldn't want to force them to live forever as lost souls.

There wasn't much time to continue their quarrel as the sailors stumbled in place. One of them fell on their back and right into the golden pile. Before any of them could even react, a snake like limb burst through the treasure and wrapped its' green scales all around the victim. Not a second later, a monstrous lady like figure emerged from the treasure and sunk her teeth into the man. This left him a screaming mess, struggling in the hold without much strength.

"Don't look at the beast! Its' gaze turns you to stone!",. yelled the priest as he lowered his eyes, though his hands were already in movement, preparing a spell. The companions listened to the advice immediately, but it was tempting nonetheless. The Medusa creature with its' snake hair, each strand rattling in excitement. However, it wasn't satisfied as it charged at the other sailor.

Trevor had seen enough.

In desperation, he pulled forward his Vampire Killer which caused a reaction. Not that it stopped Medusa from attacking the other man. Without being able to look at the monstrosity, the hunter tried his luck and lashed out at the monster. But the attack could only scratch over the scales and it had the Medusa jump back from the stinging cut. Before Trevor could even curse about it, a zap of lightening illuminated the room for a second. In the same moment, it hit the creature right on and even affected the gold, sizzling through. Another groan came from both the sailors. It was impossible for them to be unharmed by the attack.

"Filthy priest! How did you escape your curse?!",. the Medusa hissed along with the other snakes on its' head and it clicked with its' tongue. "Never mind, for I will have you and your friends become part of my collection!"

It was enough playtime so it seemed. The Medusa threw the motionless bodies of the sailors behind with its' massive tail without any care. Coins and other treasures were flying through the air the same, adding a dull shimmer in the room for a moment.

"How in the hell are we supposed to fight this thing?!",. quaked Grant in disbelief, his eyes on the ground as he shuffled his feet.

"Who are you calling 'thing', demonic spawn?! I can smell your scent!", fumed the beast immediately which had the pirate flinch. The Medusa wasn't exactly fond of being called out to its' origin. Trevor shuddered just the same. Could the Medusa sense that Grant had been turned into a demon himself?

Yet, the pirate wasn't one to show his insecurity in any way. So he threw a dagger at the direction of the creature in hopes to hit the target. "That must be your own, snake lady! Wipe that blood off your muzzle!"

At that, the tail crashed into the treasure once more to cause the coins to spiral anywhere, the sound startling. The beast hurdled large snakes at them and the animals slithered on the planks to reach them. Unfortunately, the number of them was increasing rapidly by the second. These hazards were hard to hit with the whip, so Trevor packed it away and pulled out the bottle of holy water. Splashing it around them proved itself to be somewhat effective to keep them off. Father Cypher followed his example, but instead took his bottle and handed it to Grant.

"I'll prepare other spells. You help Trevor out for now, I'll need some more time." The Medusa was a different foe after all, the priest would want to be sure to take it out. Grant didn't wait much longer and accepted the bottle without a comment, pulling out the cork by biting it and splashing it at the snakes. The animals were fuming when they came in contact with it as if it was burning them. Trevor did spot the pirate flinch at the touch as well, but not stopping. At least, it wasn't burning his fingers with the same intensity.

The Medusa understood the plan and wasn't ready to let the priest be finished to shoot yet another blast of magic at it. Thus, it dashed forward, slithering over the planks towards them. "Aren't you curious?", it snarled in amusement. One didn't need to look at the creature to know that it was smirking. "Curious to look at me?" With a swing of its' tail, it lashed out at them and the group jumped backwards, though they were beginning to be cornered. The ground around them was beginning to be somewhat slippery from all the holy water. At least, it was a ring to keep the snakes away.

At the moment, that was, the Medusa launched other ones at them to behind that ring. "Son of Belmont!", it yelled out afterwards, "wouldn't you wish to be lifted from your fate? From all the pain that your blood has you bound to?" The hunter flinched at the name, it must have understood his origin by any sort of sense. That or the Vampire Killer was familiar to the creature for some reason. As a minion of Lord Dracula, one could expect for that.

"This is my mission from God! It is my duty, my fate!", Trevor snapped back without any hint of worry or disbelief. "And ridding the realm of the Lord from filthy creatures like you! I won't spare you, demon!"

But Trevor couldn't keep his promise. Not because the fiend had found a way to turn him into stone anyway, but because a ghost skull flew in and screeched.

This was enough for the Medusa to change plans. It turned in place quick, one arm taking hold of one sailor while its' tail curled around the other, dragging them along as it escaped.

"Where do you think, you're going?!",. snarled the priest and finally allowed his head to lift before he stretched out both his arms with his open palms. In the next second, flames in the form of claws burst and dashed forward to reach the monster, but it wasn't enough to make the distance. Besides, the Medusa figured that an ordinary door wasn't going to work for its' escape. So it had tackled a wall and crashed right through it which lead to the outside, so it seemed. "After the beast!" Father Cypher didn't wait for any sort of reaction from them and instead took a running start as well.

It wasn't exactly in the idea of his companions, but they joined the priest anyway and picked up speed. "Are you out of your mind?!", the hunter yelled. In the next second, the entire ship rumbled in waves. Trevor glanced around in worry.

"It's hitting ground! It's going towards the shore!" The pirate would know and the rumbling continued, becoming worse by the second. "It'll crash if it continues in this speed!"

These news were enough to know that they should risk getting out of the ship before the impact would tear everything apart. There wasn't much time to think about their next actions and they could only hope that when they would be by the hole that the Medusa had created, they'd see land.

At least, it wasn't blue or black.

That much Trevor could say before they took their leap down the hole. It also wasn't a long drop which was yet another sign that the ship was about to crash on the shore.

Even if it was the priest who had suggested to chase after the Medusa this way, it was him who had the most trouble with the landing. Grant rolled from the grassy ground while Trevor tried to attempt it similar, but it didn't look as graceful. Father Cypher stumbled forward couple of steps before falling over his own feet. The pirate immediately hurried to his side as the priest sat up with a groan. Before either could raise their voice, another immense noise distracted them. It was as predicted, the ship crashed unto land and broke into two. Many of the monsters from within collapsed with it, struggling on the water. Large chunks of wood and planks flew around in the air, splashed into the water and sank while other parts spread all over the patch of land before it.

As their eyes scanned further, they noticed where they had landed. A bunch of other collapsed houses were around them. It wasn't a whole lot and by its' location by the lake, it was a village of fishers. At least, a long time ago. Now, it was infested with a couple of demons roaming the flat countryside.

Father Cypher got on his trembling legs and patted off some of the rough dirt that had gotten on his robe. "We can't sit around!"

Trevor was on his feet the same and ran up, looking around to find a glimpse of the Medusa, yet, none of it could be seen. Luckily, the large snake body left behind a trail in the wet dirt. The ground was soft under their feet, it was somewhat unsettling. Life wasn't found in this place anymore and the smell in the air was foul.

"Are you sure that you are all right?" the hunter asked anyway, knowing that the priest was far too stubborn for his own good. Apparently, they all shared this trait and Trevor found it exhausting. Couldn't he have companions that were less stubborn than a mule?

Father Cypher could already see this thought on his face and thus, showed him a challenging smile. "I wouldn't suggest to jump off a boat only to sit back now." It was enough explanation for them and there were demons around, so taking a rest was out of the question.

With determination in their minds, it set off new energy for them to hunt down the Medusa who had fled further into the destroyed village. The enemies consisted of skeletons and large crows that would lurk in the trees to wait for a chance to attack them.

"Why do they have to curse so many birds?" Grant slashed at one of the crows that tried to peck his eyes out. When he cut through the attacker, the black bird plummeting to the ground, he cleaned the blade on his pants. "First, they have the giant owls in the forests and now crows in an abandoned village around marsh. What am I supposed to see next? Demonic sparrows in the Castle?"

Father Cypher rolled his eyes and left it without a comment, but Trevor gave a shrug nonetheless. "I wouldn't yell that too loudly; it might happen." The priest glared at Trevor as if trying to say 'seriously?', but neither were reacting.

Further and further the path led them to where the center would have been. The only bigger building was located there and actually made out of stone at that point. Every other house was built with wood, another trait of a village. With the ruins barely intact, one couldn't say what it was supposed to be. Yet, considering the importance, it must have been a church. Only one wall was still standing – if one could call that 'standing', with all the bricks missing by the sides – and half of a door somehow hung in its' hinges.

And being between all, the dead silence of this empty place, sudden screams broke through. The group flinched in place, taking hold of their weapons as they quickened their steps. If the sailors were still alive somehow, the Medusa had a plan for them in mind. But the blood curling screams were enough to prove to them that there wasn't much life in them left.

As they arrived by the ruins, a strange light engulfed the remaining form of the building. The sight that greeted them was a light blue face of a ghost that floated in the air. Bits of its' being took hold of the sailors who were wrapped in cloth step by step. Behind it all was the Medusa who held its' arms up high as if commanding that face. Father Cypher was the first one to react, hurling a fire ball at the scene, but the reflex was too late for it to have made a difference. The flames passed by a mummified sailor, but the cloth barely caught fire. It died out in an instant, leaving behind a blackened stain. After that, the ghost dissolved and left behind the remains of the sailors who were completely turned. None of what had been of them could be seen anymore except for their eyes, though those have changed in color to a gleaming red.

"Try and reach me, Hunters!",. they could hear the Medusa shrill in the background, soon followed by a sharp laugh. "And if you do, please come and look me in the eyes, so my new pets can have a few toys to play with!"

The mummies swayed in place, their shoulders slumped over and their heads hung low. Soon enough, they figured that the three of them were the enemy and they stumbled forward far quicker than one would have expected. One of them swung their arm and a piece of bandage came off. Somehow, the motion caused it to dash through the air like a projectile. Even if they were unaware of the effect, they dodged the attack anyway and rightfully so. The cloth cut right through some bricks behind them.

"Do we have to rid of their life?", the priest asked with his voice wavering with worry. Grant let out a growl and flipped one long dagger.

"Your compassion will be the death of you one day, Father!", he sneered and focused on the movement of the mummies. "Our main target is still the Medusa; I agree with you."

The hunter held his Holy Whip in one hand the holy water in the other. One glance was shortly on the pirate as he spoke:. "Perhaps if we defeat the Medusa first, they can still be saved. After all, it was the monster that had summoned the spirit that took hold of them. If there is any humanity and will left in them, they might come back to their senses."

It was enough of a plan for them.

While Father Cypher stayed in the back to prepare another powerful spell, the duo followed a previous tactic:. Grant would distract the enemy while Trevor would keep them in place. This was proving itself to be harder, since now they were facing two enemies instead of one like the cyclops.

Yet, their enemies weren't exactly the smartest ones. As they saw the pirate dash by, they focused their attacks on him and attempted to hit him with the bandages. Ducking, rolling and slashing the cloth when they came too near proved itself to be effective. But once they were to gang up on Grant, Trevor would be close enough to splash the holy water on them, their backs fuming from the burning sensation. However, it wasn't stopping them for long in their tracks and it had their attention turned to him instead. Plus, the Medusa wasn't planning on sitting back either and sent its' army of snakes after them, too. Father Cypher rushed forward, now all prepared and ready to rain Hell on the creature. For the snakes, Trevor used some more holy water while Grant busied the mummies with a few slashes to their arms and legs to attract them back to him. Far too close to the hunter for his liking.

Lighting struck through the air from Father Cypher's staff towards the Medusa, hitting the target spot on. That was the advantage of the elemental magic of the priest:. he wouldn't need to look at the monster to direct his attack to it. The Medusa was large enough to hit anyway. Obviously, the monster wasn't happy about what kind of fight it was witnessing and how it was being involved in it by the priest. Thus, it launched a couple more snakes at them and then slithered forward itself.

Trevor cursed under his breath, spraying the snakes with the holy water before swinging the whip to keep the Medusa away from them. "We'll have to corner the beast somehow!",. he commanded as he forced his gaze to stay down, always tempted to glance at the main enemy. "Grant, you keep the mummies occupied!"

"Thank you, oh great Belmont!", the pirate shouted from the back as he was already doing what Trevor suggested. And without being able to harm the enemies, it would be a difficult task. Fighting a monster was one thing, but keeping it in place to have their attention was another. Even if Grant had sneered, he followed the plan right away, because honestly, what else could they do?

Thus, Father Cypher and Trevor parted from each other's side to be able to push the Medusa back in a corner. Not that there were many to begin with that would serve this purpose. With the risk of being attacked, the hunter dashed forward and jumped over a couple of snakes. While in the air, he lashed out with the whip, focusing on the scales on the Medusa only. It was a direct hit, the green scales split horizontally where the Vampire Killer had stroke. The blood gushed out in a burst and the Medusa cried out only to bash its' tail around in hopes to keep him away. Trevor did jump back to dodge the massive muscle which crashed the remains of what might have been another wall. Fire balls from the priest's side followed at which the creature held up swirled the tail around in defense with another screech. They could hear Grant curse in the background and the hunter allowed himself a quick glance out of worry only to see that the pirate was beginning to have trouble, because the mummies were reacting to Medusa's pain. To stop them from reaching his companions, the pirate threw his daggers at their feet to pin them on the ground. Muffled groans seemed to part the lips, pained by the sudden pierce, but they caught their control quick. Without hesitation, they tried to rip their feet away, therefore cutting through their feet sideways and breaking bones. More groans of pain, yet the fact that they were immobile was worse to them somehow. Another daggers to their legs, to force them on their knees and drain them of their energy.

In another instant, the floor before them turned to ice. Father Cypher has had enough of the snakes and kept them under a thin layer of ice. Another fold of his hands and the hunter could feel the energy of another lightening emerging from him.

The Medusa noticed, too, and was about to prevent the process, but Trevor wouldn't let it anywhere near the priest. His own attacks could only help so much with an enemy that you couldn't face, aiming for a spot that would be vital. Hindering its' movement should be better. Without any sense of caution, Trevor spurted forward to lash out at the monsters' tail some more. Another hit with the whip, this line crossing the first one and more blood gushed out and the skin around it sizzled as if it was burned. Another dodge, rolling to the side and sliding over the ice. Then another whip, but the Medusa wouldn't let him have his way now. When the hunter aimed to hit the tail again, Medusa swung it up and the whip curled around it. The Vampire Killer was burning marks into the scales already, yet the pain wasn't enough to distract it. Surprised, Trevor attempted to pull the Medusa back, even succeeding in actually turning the creature, but once it put energy into swinging back, the hunter lost his balance on the muddy ground. Medusa pulled back, flinging Trevor in a wide swing against the wall and the impact was strong enough to burst him through it. Father Cypher was only distracted by this for a second, though his anger took over quicker than his worries.

Another strike of lightening. Then another. A third one.

The priest was fueled by revenge and hatred, by the painful memories of its' doing. With every hit, the Medusa screamed. The intensity having it thrown on the ground and twitching and convulsing. Step by step, the priest approached the fiend as the Medusa's cries and groans died out with every second. Its' snake hair hissed and snarled some more and Father Cypher took hold of his staff.

His gaze was cold, unforgiving as he smacked the staff against his open palm, looking down at the trembling Medusa. In despair, it tried to heave itself up with its' arms, but failing miserably.

There was no other comment and it was time to end this battle. Father Cypher lifted the staff up high, the tip catching fire before he would smash it down to crush the Medusa's head. It was enough power to split the skull in half and the blood stained the bottom of the priest's cloak.

He couldn't care less.

His staff was still on fire and he used it to burn the remains of the creature to make sure that it was done for.

As the scent of foul, burning flesh was reaching his nose, the priest turned on his heels to check on his companions. Yet, when he tried to get a glimpse of the other two mummies, he didn't spot them anywhere. Instead, there was Grant kneeling next to the two sailors who were on the ground, unmoved. Their feet were cut up as well as their legs, their bodies twisted on the ground. By the wall was Trevor who sat up, a bit of blood tickling over his face while he tried to recollect himself. Father Cypher ran up to him to assist him. But as soon as the priest was by his side, Trevor took a quick glance at the burning remains of the Medusa.

"Good job…", he panted while his hand was inspecting his head, figuring out where the wound was. His blue eyes trailed back to the priest. "Didn't expect this from a man of your profession. I'm glad that I was wrong."

Father Cypher hesitated for a second, then looked down on himself and then back to the fire. There was uncertainty on his expression and his gaze fell once more, his face hidden by the shadow of the hood. "I didn't expect it either. But there is a time and place where your fury blinds you. All you have on your mind is the idea of erasing the evil that was done to you. It might not have been the peaceful way of God as we know, but it was enough for justice to be served to those poor souls. So I can only hope for the Lord to forgive my brutal crime." There was honest regret in his voice and Trevor pitied him. To be tormented like this by the compassion to bring peace and yet, to be forced to bring death upon others even if they were minions of Lord Dracula.

"Perhaps He understands that you defended yourself. After all, it wouldn't have hesitated to have us turned into stone and then smashed." Trevor had the need to soothe the priest from his guilt, it wasn't his fault after all.

Father Cypher shifted in place. There was doubt in his voice. Indeed, he wasn't sure about his words, but at least, he was taking them to his heart. "Yes, maybe."

Before the hunter could even think about it anymore, Grant approached them with heavy steps. His head hung low, though he did check on them in hopes that they were doing fine. "Neither of them survived", he stated, trying to suppress any sort of emotion in him. "Their bodies are long cold. This orb rolled from the dissolving bandages." The pirate handed the red orb to Trevor who took a quick look at it. In the middle of the fog, he could spot the ghost face that had possessed and turned the sailors earlier. Then he slipped the orb in the leather bag on his belt together with the others. Better keep it than leaving it behind for the monsters.

Silence fell over them.

Each of them remained in place for a moment before the priest knelt next to Trevor to check the wound on his head. The hunter let Father Cypher do as he pleased, hissing every once in a while as he treated it while Grant fell back to rest against the ruins. His eyes fell shut, his arms crossed and he nodded off quick. None were to wake him, he did run and jump all around before. A bit of a rest was understandable, for all actually.

While Father Cypher was checking for other injuries on the hunter, Trevor glanced around. They had gotten further from their path and had no way of getting back to it. Everything was surrounded by marsh and this village would be soon swallowed by it, too. As it turned out, the only path that would be still somewhat usable was one that would lead even further into the marsh. Yet, this had to be discussed later on after they would have had their rest. Not that these ruins would give the best shelter, but there wasn't anything better to be found. Unless they wanted to sleep between rotting planks of wood.

"I'll prepare a fire."

Trevor was awoken from his thoughts by the priest who got up to gather some of the wood around to make a bonfire. The hunter was about to complain about it, however, the other would be able to create fire out of his powers, so he might have been the most qualified. Nonetheless, Trevor got on his feet to assist him. "And a quick meal. We should still have something to eat. I suppose, Grant will be awake by dinner." They didn't have the heart to wake him up right away, there was something peaceful about him when he was asleep. A rare sight, the hunter realized.

Trevor pursed his lips for a second. "I believe, this is the second time that I see him sleeping. I am usually the one who falls asleep before he does." This had Father Cypher chuckle to himself, the idea was absurd. Instead of answering to that, he decided to pile the wood for the fire, then rummaging in the bags for food.

Now that silence and order was settling in, it was strange.

They could feel how their muscles were starting to ache, how exhaustion was rolling in and how much relief finally washed over them. The tension within them loosened a bit, the dread very much active, but calmed. It was as if their bodies wished to remind them that they were human beings after all. Not unbreakable creatures who could march day and night.

Trevor wasn't one to complain about the burden that he called his own. It was fate that had lead him to this place and he would give his all to see how much further he could go. He sensed similar determination in his companions and the hunter was grateful as he stared into the flames of the bonfire. His frame was warmed by it and they found comfort in the light as if the cone could protect them from the spawns of Hell.

Nobody should face these horrors alone.

That much was certain to him.