*edited 2/12/24*
I traveled the road as it roved its way onward, following its curves and winds through the fields and open wilderness with only eagles soaring above watching me roam on. Walking beneath the great blue sky lightened my spirits as excitement stirred in my heart and my gait light without a sore in my footsteps. For the first time since awakening beneath the moonlight I had direction to go and a location in mind. I still didn't have any clue where I was , or how to get to Castle Dracula, but walking the open road with my staff in hand and my pack chock-full of important items, I felt like a real adventurer.
Nobody else traveled the road I walked, at least not at the moment. Periodically I would look ahead or behind to see if someone would appear, but nobody did, so I kept walking in hopes I would find someone who could explain where in the world I am. Though I grieved the death of the farmers and my thoughts about them never left my mind, I couldn't allow myself to give in to despair. Avenge them by living another day and focusing on the path in front of you. I focused solely on reaching my objective point and finding my person of interest. The rest I'll worry about later.
It was midday when I saw another person on the road, well two people actually. I walked up to them in friendly greeting. "Good day! Do you know how to get to Castle Dracula?" They stared at me as if I were a demon and chased me off cursing. "Jeez what's your problem!?" I snapped at them, continuing on. "Freaks."
The next person I saw was a man driving a cart. "Excuse me. Could you tell me the way to Castle Dracula?"
"Why the hell would you wanna go there?" He snarled suspiciously.
"I feel like I'm supposed to go there." He looked at me strangely before cracking the reins and driving off. "Wow...humans are jerks..." I murmured, cocking my head at the sound of a horse whinnying from clifftops on the left side of the road. It wasn't the only sound, the clamoring of voices could be heard from a distance, in the very same direction.
"Probably a couple of horseback riders out on the trail. Do I really want to talk to more jerkasses?" I wondered before figuring it out. "I should, I have no idea where I am, maybe I'll skip the creepy ass vampire castle and ask where's the closest town is instead." Yeah, good idea. I'll go and talk to them, finally figure out where I am.
The only problem; the clifftops were tall and steep, nearly impossible for someone to hike up on two feet.
I was too desperate to pass this opportunity up. I diverted from the road and headed west to the cliffs, using my staff as a walking stick. It wasn't an easy hike up, the cliffs were extremely steep and I needed to use the stick for leverage to keep from tumbling back down. More than I few times my balance shifted and I quickly supported myself again. The sound of voices grew louder the further I went up.
Still I climbed onward, crawling onto my hands and knees when the cliffs became practically vertical. I could smell what was over its edge, smoke, fire, human sweat, earthy scent of horse manure, and the sharp sour tang of.....alcohol? All of them strong enough they prickled my nose. The hill leveled out on the very top, giving me a good overlook of the scene below. I lay on my belly with my chin propped on my knuckles and my pack beside me.
At the foot of the ring of steep clifftops lay a single horse cart next to an emerging fire.
"A campout." I realized. Maybe they can help me if I ask nicely without talking about vampire castles. Who knows, they could point me to a town with someone who would be generous enough to show me the way.
"The fuck are you looking at?"Something forcefully rolled me onto my back. I screamed when a hand grabbed hold of my shoulder and pushed me against the ground. "Back off or I'll blast you to bits with this thing!" I held my staff against my body and pushed against my ambusher.
"Like hell you will!! I'll strangle you first!" The man's breath reeked of alcohol. "Did the good old judge send you to spy on us?"
"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about!" I snarled at him. "I just wanted to ask for directions! Damn!! Why are people such assholes!?"
"Trevor let her go!" A woman pushed him off me. "Forgive him. He's tired, angry, and very drunk."
"I can see by that." I snapped, nauseous by the strong alcohol scent. "And smell it." I stood firmly holding my staff and staring at the young woman. She had the same friendly air as the ill fated farmers, garbed in a large blue cloak with short blond hair and sweet blue eyes. I knew I could trust her. Familiarity stirred within my mind at the sight of her robes. Have I seen them before? I tried to grab at the memory but it slipped through my grasp like wet eels.
"What are you doing sneaking around up here?" She asked.
"Yes, what were you you doing sneaking up here like a little fox?" Her companion grumbled, giving me a steely gaze. "I'm lost. I thought maybe I could find someone to ask for directions. Can you help me?"
"Of course." The blue robed woman said amiably. "Well....maybe, that depends on if we know where you're going."
I was about to answer but held my tongue. If it was just her I would've been honest about my destination, but her grizzled drunkard companion kept giving me the stink eye."Do you know where the closest town is?"
"Oh sure." she smiled. "Keep following the road, just stay on the path and you won't miss it." "I nodded."
Thank you. I'll be on my way." I was about to trek down the hill when the drunk called me. "Wait!" I turned around, gripping my staff ready to crack him in the skull if he tried anything.
"You're not from around here, I can smell the naïveté off you. If I were you I'd bypass that shit-ridden village and go on your merry way to wherever you're heading." He shrugged, the alcohol scent wafting off him.
"Trevor she can't!" The robed woman countered. "It's getting dark and the demons are most active at night! She should stay with us."
"Absolutely fucking not." Trevor growled. "The last thing we need is an extra mouth to feed and a wide eyed puppy slowing us down."
"You Trevor Belmont are a selfish-!"
"It's okay." I cut in. "He's right, I'll only slow you down and be an extra burden." I sighed. "Besides, the last people who were kind enough to take me in suffered a terrible fate."
"All the better reason not to." Trevor scoffed, getting a sharp elbow from his companion. "You are a pain." He growled at her, approaching me. He took a scabbard from his belt and handed it to me. "If you must travel the big bad world by yourself, you should at least carry a weapon."
I pulled out the weapon from its scabbard. "A dagger." I remarked intrigued.
"Smart one aren't you?" Trevor smirked. "You know how to use one?"
"I've never held a knife before." I told him honestly.
"It's easy. Just stab them with the pointy end." Trevor instructed. "But don't go taking it out in the middle of town. Wouldn't want to cause a fight that'll break that pretty face of yours." I thanked them both as the wished them good luck. Not before asking the woman her name.
"Sypha." She said happily.
"Nice to meet you Sypha." I smiled. "Something tells me we'll meet again someday."
I didn't walk far when I saw a sprawling town just over the hilltop, surrounded by barren farmland and bubbling mills. I nearly collapsed on my bottom from overpowering relief, the strength in my legs resurged and the soreness swept away as I raced down the road, heart bursting with joy as each footstep I took led closer to civilization.
I walked into the bustling streets, thriving with rustic people and smelling of earth, metal, and manure. Yellow Tudor-style houses with thatched roofs and smoking chimneys, cobbled roadways busy with carts, horses, and a rush of busy inhabitants. Rows of stables full to the brim with livestock neighed mooed, clucked, and snorted in the mingling of human conversation.
Somewhere off a bard played his jubilant strings and in another avenue, a blacksmith clanged away on a newly forged sword. In the windows above the houses inhabitants called out to the people down below who shouted back in joyous response, some occasionally shouting out a clear warning before dumping out pots of murky water into the canals beneath their window (So foul smelling! No wonder Trevor called it shit- ridden.).
I took everything in as I wandered through the streets, every sight, sound, and smell as I passed through avenues and turned corners, gaping astonished at my surrounding and at the people who hurried by. They all smelled dirty, I wrinkled my nose, and their clothes looked as if they haven't been washed in days.
I passed by dozens of stands, each one selling individual products as their overseers shouted out their prices and beckoned others to check out their wares. Various fruits, crop, and grain lined the stands. Freshly caught fish prickled the air in and in another fine jewelry was being sold. Hmm, one of those things was not like the others I thought to myself amused but what startled me was the hanging meat from the stand to my right, carved and flayed. Slabs of meat lay on the table swarmed by flies and I saw a huge hanging carcass of what looked to be a skinned deer. That didn't look very appetizing to me.
"Some apples please." I politely asked the vendor at the fruit stand. All this walking and excitement made me hungry.
"Got coin for that?" The women selling them stared at me completely bewildered."
"No." I answered honestly.
"Off with you then!" She shooed me away.
"Fine." I shrugged heading to the center of town. Somebody's gotta know how to get to the castle. "Excuse me, but do you know how I can get to Castle Dracula?" I asked a robed priest.
"Away with your ill talk!" He dismissed me and crossed himself. I shrugged, clenching my gut in hunger as I watched the sun set. I went to the nearest inn and asked for a bed. When the innkeeper asked if I had coin to pay, I said no. "If I can get money I can pay."
"That's your problem not mine. If you got no money to spend stop wasting my time."
"She can stay with me." A drunk man grinned.
"Oy I'll take her." Cackled another.
I quickly left the inn, finding a secluded spot in the corner of the square to sit down and taking out the last of my food. Eating the bread and fruits from my bag as I hopelessly watched the people go by. Few of them gave me a dismissive look while the rest ignored me. I slumped against the side of a wall. I'm never gonna find this goddamned Castle if nobody will help me.
I reached for my knife when a shadow stood over me. "You shouldn't be out here my child." An elderly voice speaks. "The night grows dark and the demons will emerge, but it is the human beasts that are the most imminent danger. Vagrants roam these streets at night, and a young woman like you is a prime target."
"I don't have much of a choice." I hissed. "I have no money for even an apple, let alone a bed at the Inn." I noticed he was wearing the same blue robes as Sypha. "You're a Speaker." I covered my mouth. Wait a minuet, why did I just figure that name?
"That I am." The old man smiled. "I am the Elder Speaker." He helped me up. "Come, let me take you to a place where there is good company. You look exhausted in body and mind. I can tell you're deeply troubled."
I took up his offer, something in my gut told me I could trust him.