Y/N lightly held the other woman's arm. The touch of sticky red blood caressed her hands and the irony smell tugged at her nose.
She closed her eyes and focused on pulling the woman back together. She imaged the flesh being pulled together and fixed at the seams. Before long her hands felt warm and the feeling of calm washed over her.
After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and lifted her hands. The wound was completely gone.
"How do you feel?" Y/N asked the woman.
The woman felt her arm and stared at the spot in awe, "I feel much better, thank you."
Y/N smiled at her, "No problem."
After she said her goodbyes to the people of the town. She found Trevor at the newly opened entrance.
"So this is it?" she looked at the monster slayer, "We're going to go on a long journey together."
"It seems that way," Trevor leaned against a wall.
The healer adjusted the strap of her bag, "Where is everyone else?"
Trevor pulled out his blade and started to mindlessly look at the imperfections tarnishing the metal, "Sypha is saying goodbye to her family and I don't know where the bloodsucker is."
"Okay."
The two stood in silence. It was suffocating.
A frown fixed itself on the young woman's face. Talking to Trevor felt like talking to a brick wall.
"I'm back," Sypha announced as she walked over to them, "I hope I wasn't taking too long."
"No you were fine," Y/N looked over to Trevor. He was still staring at his blade with seemingly no interest in the conversation, "We were just waiting for you."
The scholar's lips were pulled into a frown and her eyes were cast down at the ground. She unconsciously rubbed one of her arms and her eyes were red.
Y/N raised her eyebrows, "What's wrong?" she inquired.
"Speakers travel in groups and I'm not worried about my people. They are resilient," she bit her lip as of trying to physically hold back her words. "I've never been on my own before," the speaker revealed quietly.
"You're not alone," Y/N placed a hand onto the other woman's shoulder, "You have me and Trevor and Alucard."
Sypha offered her a small smile, "Thank you," she directed her gaze to Trevor and glared at him, "At least someone in this group knows how to console people."
He looked up from his blade for the first time since the conversation started, "I'm not used to traveling with companions," he straightened up, "Anyway, we need to focus on our more pressing task so we don't get killed. Then you can see your friends again."
"I was right about you the first time, you know?," she glared at him and crossed her arms, "You are rude!"
"I've been called worse," Trevor pocketed his blade and walked past the two women in search of Alucard.
Sypha followed behind him, "Oh, I'm just getting started."
Y/N watched the two walk away with furrowed brows before following them, "This is going to be a long trip."
🧭
The group all stood next to the broken house, discussing how they were going to take down Dracula.
"The idea seems so far-fetched," Y/N thought aloud before looking around the group, "Where should we even start?"
The troubling question hung in the air for a few seconds.
"I think I have an idea."
Trevor interrupted the silence.
"The Belmont Hold," he began to explain, "My family has been documenting creatures for generations. There must be something about Dracula in it."
"Okay, that's a good start," Sypha chimed in, "What else do you know about the Hold?"
"I don't remember much about it or where it even is really," he drew his brows together, "However, I do remember it being sealed away with magic."
Alucard side-eyed him, "So in short, your idea is virtually useless."
Y/N gave the vampire a pointed stare, "Alucard!"
He glanced at her before turning his accusing stare to the man in question, "He doesn't even remember where it is."
Sypha sighed, "It's still better than nothing."
Trevor's eyes hardened, "Look, if there are any solutions to the problems of finding and killing Dracula, they are in the Hold."
"You're guessing though," Alucard pointed out.
Trevor gritted his teeth and glared at Alucard, "I am guessing. I can't read or understand magic but my family documented everything. I can't do anything with it but the both of you can."
"Fortunate indeed that I chose not to kill you and eat you, Belmont."
"And I decided against gutting you, flaying you, and turning you into shoes, Alucard."
Sypha chuckled nervously and clasped her hands together, "Oh what a merry band we are. I'm going to go find us a horse and a wagon."
Y/N nodded, "I'll go with you."
Sypha looked at the two men who were not so secretly glaring at each other, "Hopefully, you two manage not to kill each other while we're gone."
Alucard huffed, "Oh please, we're not children."
Y/N looked between the two men, "Had me fooled."
The two women began searching for a wagon, the sound of curses being traded back and forth from the men filled their ears.
"I didn't think the peace would last for long," Y/N said with a chuckled as the curses got more intense.
"I didn't think they would even last a second," Sypha added on before pinching the middle of her brows, "I hope that they won't make this trip intolerable."
"I doubt that they will," Y/N adjusted the strap of her bag, "I'm sure they both mean well. Their differences are just too glaringly obvious at the moment. It'll probably wear off as time goes on."
Sypha sighed, "I hope so," the magician turned to look at the healer with a smile, "At the very least, this group has two working minds."
Y/N chuckled, "Yes, and two is certainly better than one."
Laughs and chuckles decorated the search for a covered wagon.
🧭
The slight rock of the wagon didn't bother the young woman quite much. She wasn't used to wagon rides but it wasn't anything she couldn't get acquainted with.
She had decided to offer up her own horse to pull the wagon after she and Sypha found a wagon.
The road was smooth and only the occasional rocks and dips in the path startled her.
Trevor and Sypha were sitting in the front of the wagon, steering the horse. Alucard and her were sitting in the back of the wagon, their legs dangling off the side.
Everyone in the group seemed fine. At the moment, Sypha was her favorite.
The woman brought reason to the group along with her insightful ideologies and knowledge.
Trevor was... also nice. He was very outspoken and strong. She could admire those traits about him. She only wished that he didn't stink of hard liquor and mud.
Alucard was truly interesting. He was quiet and didn't talk much but she could tell by his eyes that he had a lot to say. She couldn't imagine how this experience was affecting him. He was going on a journey to kill his father. His only parent left.
Dracula talked about Alucard briefly with her and she never expected to meet the vampire lord's son in person. Y/N truly didn't even want to kill Dracula, she only wanted to get Hector to stop him from providing soldiers for such a one-sided and disturbing battle.
"I have never seen anything like those creatures," she broke the calming silence, "They look like things out of a nightmare."
"Night creatures," Alucard explained, "They are quite literally demons."
She decided to play dumb, "How did they get here? Does Dracula have some sort of pact with the devil?"
"A forgemaster is required to summon those demons," Sypha interjected, "Humans who can call the souls of demons from hell into bodies of the dead. Those creatures do the bidding of their creator."
Trevor snapped the reins and encourage the horse to move faster, "Can't imagine what human wants the downfall of the human race."
The healer looked at the passing scenery with a frown, "Can't imagine at all."
"I'm just curious, Y/N," Alucard looked at her with his golden eyes, "What stakes do you have in this journey?"
She furrowed her brows, "What do you mean?"
"Dracula is my father, Trevor's family were monster slayers, Sypha wants to defend those who can not defend themselves," he clarified, "Why do you want to help take down Dracula?"
She stared at him in bewilderment, "Oh, well," she paused and looked back at the scenery.
Y/N hadn't thought that anyone would question her intentions. She wasn't ready to reveal the absolute truth.
"I lost someone very dear to me because of the night creatures," she finally turned to look at Alucard, "I don't have anyone else so here I am."
Technically she wasn't lying about anything. She had lost someone because of the night creatures and she was now alone because of it.
Alucard's eyes softened, "I'm sorry for bringing it up."
She spared him a small smile, "We're going to be traveling with each other for some time so we might as well get to know each other."
"I'm going to pull over here," Trevor pulled the reins, "The Belmont Hold isn't too close and I don't want to tire out the horse."
"Sounds like a plan," Alucard called back to Trevor.
Trevor pulled the wagon into a small clearing before he hopped out of the driver's seat along with Sypha.
She and Alucard got out of the wagon and joined the rest of the group.
"It's going to be a cold night so we're going to need some firewood," Trevor looked between Sypha and Alucard, "Do you guys mind staying with the wagon?"
Words of the agreement left the two.
"I'll go with you," Y/N volunteered, "I need to stretch my legs anyway."
"Okay."
The two split up from the group and started to trek through the depths of the woods.
After a few minutes of walking, Trevor cleared his throat, "I overheard your conversation with Alucard."
"Oh."
"Night creatures rip through towns like wildfire," he began, "It's tough being on your own but not impossible."
"How long were you alone?" she looked at him, "Before you met me and the others in Gresit."
"A long time."
It was a full complete sentence and Y/N knew there was no room for questions.
"I see."
They began to pick up dry sticks and branches and twigs. Before long their arms were full of firewood. Y/N and Trevor made their way back to the others, keeping up small talk on their way back to the wagon.
"It must have been fun living in such a large house," the healer laughed, "Imagine all the hiding spots."
Trevor chuckled, "More than you can imagine," his eyes lit up even more, "There was a tree by my house. It was the largest tree ever and I always wanted to climb it."
"Climb it?" she giggled, "Why?"
He nudged her with a smile on his face, "I wanted to see if I could do it and I wanted to see the view," A broad smile decorated his face, "My father always claimed that no view was better than the one found at the top of a tree."
She adjusted the pile of wood in her hands, "Did you ever climb it?"
The light vanished from his eyes along with the smile on his face, "No," he coughed before speaking so quietly, she could barely even hear him, "I had to leave my home before I could. Haven't been bothered to go back there in ages."
She clutched the sticks closer to her, "Well, it's never too late to try now."
"It was just a boy's dream," she could see the tension in his brows as his eyes clouded, "There isn't any time for that, especially not now."
The duo continued to walk in silence and moments later they stumbled upon the wagon.
"You took your sweet time, Belmont," Alucard commented when he saw the pair arrive.
Trevor smirked, "Miss me?"
"It's freezing out here," Sypha groaned and rubbed her arms as a shiver ran through her body, "Let's get this fire set up"
Y/N walked over to Sypha, "The air is especially bitter tonight."
The wood was dropped down into a pile and before Trevor could get to rubbing sticks, Sypha used her magic to set the lumber ablaze.
"That's convenient," Y/N turned and looked at Sypha, "You'll have to show me that trick someday."
The woman smiled pridefully, "It would be my pleasure."
The group sat down around the blaze and let the crackling of the fire temporarily fill the air of conversation.
"Alucard," Sypha began, "I'm curious and I hope you don't mind me asking but, how can you walk in the daylight?"
Alucard's eyes widen, briefly and if she had blinked she would have missed it.
A somber expression took hold of the vampire's face. His brows drooped and his lips frowned, "I am half-human," he stated simply, "My mother's name was Lisa, and she was a mortal."
Y/N looked away from the crackling fire and turned her eyes to Alucard.
"I would very much like to see how that happened," she said with a chuckle.
Alucard laughed and began the story, "She actually knocked on his door with the pommel of her knife."
Sypha smiled, "She seemed like a very remarkable woman."
"She was," he spoke with a fond smile, "She demanded he teach her how to be a doctor."
Trevor chuckled and leaned up from his reclined position, "Dracula taught a human woman how to be a doctor?" he snickered, "What was the first lesson? Bloodletting?"
Alucard stared at Trevor blankly, "You still think you're funny."
"My father-"
"Dracula," Trevor interrupted.
Alucard continued, not without a sharp glare thrown at Trevor, "Is a man of science and philosophy. He has knowledge that our people forgot five times over. Knowledge that could help the human race," the dhampir looked between Y/N, Sypha, and Trevor, "I want you all to realize the enormity of the situation. My father is a capsule of information."
Y/N knew that killing Dracula was going to have a tremendous effect on the world on a large scale. She didn't want to believe that he was so far gone that he would be unable to repent.
"He has gone mad and there is no recovering from that," his eyes hardened, "She had sent him off to see the world and that's why he hadn't been there when the Bishops came to take her."
Y/N's eyes widened, "She sent him away?"
He turned to look at her, "She sent him to travel," he clarified, "To learn about the world, the humans in it, and how they live."
Sypha's eyes widened, "She was trying to give him humanity."
"Imagine if he used that knowledge to help the human race," he stared into the fire making his eyes look like the pits of hell, "If the religious inquisition hadn't proved everything he hated about humans."
"Now he is using her death as an excuse to murder the human race," Trevor said matter of factly.
"The world will still be here without humans, Belmont. Trees will still grow, birds will still sing, animals will still hump away in the undergrowth," Alucard shifted his eyes to Trevor, "The sun will still rise, but you won't be able to see if. None of you will."
They all listened silently as Alucard explained his father's plans and ideas in a world without humans. Machines that would cover the earth from the light of the sun, making an endless night. Dracula and vampires and night creatures would reign over the land.
Dracula would sit in his castle proud of his revenge and overlook a world where there was no art and no love. The vampire lord would bask in the revenge with no regrets because he did it all for love.
Rustle Rustle
Trevor looked up, "Did you hear that?"
Y/N looked around, "I heard it, too."
Alucard frowned at the monster slayer, "Animals humping in the undergrowth?" he tilted his head, "Wait, no."
Trevor kicked snow at the fire, squashing the flames, "Which is the nearest town? Is it still Gresit?"
Sypha leaned up, "Arges is closer to us."
"Grrrr..."
The group turned their attention to the approaching monsters.
Trevor frowned as he took out his whip, "Well, this is inconvenient."