27OK so this is a new chapter!
Thank you all who review/follow/favorite the story! As well as those who just read it!
*Quarantine happens* Huh, I could write a lot during this. *procrastinates* oops. But now I have a nice long chapter for all of you! And I plan to update again in the near future! Probably not tomorrow or even the day after but soon! I mean, at the very least I have an excuse. I've been working on school stuff. Lots of papers and tests.
Anywho, onto the chapter!
The sound of a hammer reached Carmilla's ears as she stood in the doorway to Hector's forge. He and the other forgemaster had been working almost non-stop since Dracula's son had gone missing, sending wave after wave of night creatures out onto the world. While Dracula had kept to his word from sending out a complete storm of night creatures upon the world, the lands that had already been ruined by the war and the areas around them suffered from the onslaught of bloodshed that was coming from their master's rage.
"This is quite amazing, Hector." Carmilla spoke as she strolled into the room. "To know of your legendary skills and to see them with my own eyes is extraordinary. Especially since our kind never produced a forgemaster."
"Yes, well, you didn't have to." Hector replied as he began cleaning his hammer once again. "Before the war night creatures were simply a species in hiding. They either reproduced naturally or were created by spouts of wild magic. But now they are soldiers and their numbers have to be replenished. Especially since young master Adrian has gone missing."
"Ah yes, the poor child. I do hope he is alright."
"So do I. Honestly, he was most likely a rock for Dracula, a way to stay sane and to remind him what this war was for. But, now...it's like he's lost all hope. Even with all...this," He waved to the corpses in the room. "He seems to have lost that...fire that drove him. Before, it was something strong, but now...now it seems out of desperation. I worry for Dracula."
Carmilla moved closer to where the forgemaster stood before his table. "You know, there are some things we can do that don't require his decisions."
"Oh, I doubt that." Hector laughed.
"But there are." Carmilla replied, turning to face Hector. "I recall that before the...incident that we talked about sending creatures to watch over the Belmont hold. Has any of that been done?"
"No, not exactly." Hector replied. "Our forces are focused more on finding Adrian at the moment and tearing down all in their path." A soft touch to his leg had him looking down and Hector smiled at the sight of his reanimated pug, Cezar. "Why are you so fascinated with it, anyway?"
"If anything in all the world holds tools and magic that could harm our Lord Dracula and his son, it is in the Belmont trove." Carmilla replied, watching as the forgemaster bent to pet the animated dog. "It must not fall into the wrong hands, especially with our Lord's son missing. Besides, the Belmont himself is still around, yes? Who is to say he won't head there?"
Hector seemed to pause, thinking about the words before he stood up to face Carmilla once more. "Alright, that sounds...reasonable. I agree to that, but Dracula must agree to the dispensation of troupes." As he turned away from Carmilla to face his tools once more, she frowned once she was out of his view. Thinking, Carmilla allowed herself to wander towards the window of the room, her hand trailing along the chair of the desk in front of the window.
"Tell me," She spoke up. "How is it you came to be in Dracula's service?"
So he told her. He told her how Dracula sought him out while he lived in isolation, away from the other humans. He told her how he came looking for Hector for his skills so that an army could be raised to cull the human race for the actions that had been taken against Dracula's wife and son. Hector explained that he agreed to a cull for the human race, a way to turn them to livestock for the vampires and powerless in terms of harming anyone ever again. That was the deal that had been made.
Carmilla listened, coming closer to the reminiscing forgemaster before directing her gaze back to his pile of corpses.
"It is my understanding that when a forgemaster reanimates a thing, it holds total loyalty to the forgemaster and his goals."
"...It does."
Coming up behind Hector, Carmilla moved so her head was over his shoulder and her words would be whispered directly in his ear. "Make some troupes that you can trust completely with whatever they find, and then help me convince Dracula to attack Braila."
Issac bowed before Dracula as he came into the room. As usually, his master was staring into the raging fire of his fireplace, only there was an edge to his usual forlorn figure.
"My Lord, another round of night creatures have been sent out through the surrounding areas."
"Good," Dracula replied, eyes never leaving the fire. "Has any sign of my son been found?"
"Not yet. I apologise for this."
Clawed fingers tightened on the arms of the chair. "I don't want apologies, Issac, I want my son found. I don't care what it takes to do that but I want it done. I want the destroyed towns searched and the woods scoured for any sign of my son. I want all that stands in my way to be destroyed and slaughtered!" Heated, red eyes narrowed in Issac's direction. "And if he is not in any of those desprit, worthless towns, then I will not hold back any longer on attacking those that remain. I will tear through this world with no thought of whatever 'plans' you and my generals wish to enact if my son is not found and returned to me!"
Issac did not blink at the words growled from his master's throat, quite used to the vengeful beast that was held within the imposing figure. "Of course my lord. I am sure that whoever has taken young master Adrian is still within the lands you have already attacked. If they are traveling by day, that means they are human and even more vulnerable to attack."
"If they are human I want them ripped to shreds for hurting my boy once more." Dracula snarled back. "If they are human I want them to watch as whatever town near them turns to ruin to show just what exactly that had done when that thought to take my son!"
"Yes, master."
"Go."
With a bow, Issac slipped out of the room, only to narrow slightly as he passed Godbrand who stood outside of the doorway.
The vampire watched the human walk away before entering the room himself and clearing his throat. "May I speak to you?"
A long sigh came from the chair before Dracula spoke, his voice sounding much calmer than before. "Approach, Godbrand."
Walking forward, Godbrand spoke. "I have a question."
"Go on."
Looking at the figure in the chair, Godbrand's eyes looked him over before turning his gaze to the side. "If you kill all the humans, what are we gonna eat?"
"What?"
"It's very simple Dracula." Godbrand huffed. "If you kill all the humans, where does the continuing supply of human blood come from?"
Dracula placed his fingers to the bridge of his nose in frustration as he replied. "I allow you to go on blood raids as we change location. I have blood stored in cold canisters. There are animals in the lower levels." He shot him a look from the corner of his eye. "You won't go hungry Godbrand."
"No, not now. But later." Godbrand huffed as he moved closer to the fireplace. "I don't want to be rationing myself on fucking pigs blood."
"Careful." There was a note of warning in Dracula's voice but the other vampire did not seem to heed it.
"Look, pig's blood gives me the shits! I'm sorry, but there it is."
A sigh. "You'll be taken care of Godbrand."
"Yes, of course, right, except, what if we're not. What if you just want to kill all the humans and not leave us enough to keep in camps to feed from." Dracula, already high strung, tried to control his anger but it is what Godbrand said next that broke any control he had. "Look, I get that your kid was taken by the shits, and that he had survived by animal blood all this time, but what about af-GAH!"
Godbrand grunted as he was slammed into the wall behind him. Looking up he swallowed as he found the burning red eyes of Dracula boring down on him.
"I will not be questioned by you." Dracula growled. "I have told you how it will be. The humans will die and you will be taken care of." Dracula sneered. "Little Godbrand. Little vampire. Little parasite." The word was spat as if it offended the one speaking it. "Pretending he is important and dangerous. Pretending his concerns are more important than my missing son! Are you going to continue questioning me?! Are you going to fight me!?"
Godbrand averted his gaze. "No." He breathed out.
Dracula leaned in closer. "Then why are you still here, making your little noises? Get out before I slit you up the middle and bite out your heart."
Swallowing thickly, Godbrand quickly scurried away leaving Dracula seething in his study. How dare that man question him and his actions. How dare he act as if Adrian's kidnapping was unimportant! Oh, how he was tempted to carry through with his threat for the other, to make him suffer for saying such things.
With a growl, Dracula's fist slammed into the wall, a satisfying crack reaching his ears. Oh how he wished those stones were that of the one who kidnapped his son. He wished it was the one who betrayed his war to assist the verman living out in the world spreading their hatred like a disease. He knew that a vampire assisted with the kidnapping of his son, but as much as he wanted to slit every throat until the rat was found, he knew he could not. He first needed to find his son.
With a low growl, he sunk back into his chair.
A soft fire crackled between the two humans. After a few minutes of digesting what had just gone down, the two shifted so that Adrian now lay with his head resting in Sypha's lap, his sleeping figure hidden from the new fire by Trevor's thick cloak. Both Sypha and Trevor stared into the fire with dark expressions, Sypha's blue gaze occasionally going to the slumbering form on her lap.
"I just…" Sypha sighed, carding her fingers through the blonde locks in her lap. "To make a child watch their mother burn is just...just horrible." It was the most obvious conclusion after seeing his reaction.
"Mn."
"I mean, it explains his fear of the town I guess." Sypha sighed. "And why he freezes when we ask about his parents."
"Mn."
"This might even explain his scars. And, if his dad supports Dracula because of grief like you said, then that would make sense as well. Of course he would hate humans, even if his wife was one."
"Mn."
"Do you not have anything else to say?!" Sypha hissed, though keeping her voice low enough to not disturb the child in her lap.
"Look, I told you everything the kid told me." Trevor sighed though he never looked away from the flames.
"Yes, but you have that look on your face when you are thinking bad things. Well, thinking in general, really." Her attempt to lighten the mood fell flat. Letting out a long sigh, Sypha tried to catch Trevor's gaze. "Tell me what you are thinking."
"I don't really want to. Then it might become real." His gaze flickered up to hers. "Besides, you might already know what it is."
"Trevor-."
"Fine," He huffed. "You want me to say it? Alright. We might be carrying the fucking son of Dracula with us!" He threw up his arms to emphasize his point as his eyes flashed to the bundle in Sypha's lap.
"We don't know that for sure."
"You're right, we don't." Trevor agreed but his eyes were determined. "But, even an idiot could realize that a lot of what he said about his dad and Dracula seemed to be similar, especially when he didn't catch what he was saying. I mean, who else could he mean when he said, 'he was protecting me' in response to the destroyed town?!"
"Maybe Dracula just cares for him!"
"That doesn't really make this any better." Trevor sighed, running his hand down his face.
Sypha huffed. "Fine. Let's say Adrian is the son of Dracula, what then? Are you going to try to kill him?" There was a warning in her voice.
"I don't fucking know!" Trevor groaned. "I should! I should turn him to ash for being the blasted son of the evil we are going out to kill!"
"But you won't."
Trevor glared. "Don't think I actually care for the brat,"
"I saw you holding him."
"Because he wouldn't let go!"
"I'm pretty sure you grabbed him first."
"Only so he wouldn't run away. I really didn't want to go looking for the brat if he ran!"
"So you would go looking for him?"
"Only because you would make me."
Sypha smirked. "You can try to fool me, but I know you care about him."
"Oh shut up."
Silence fell over the two once again as their bantering trickled off. The smile that had been on Sypha's face faded when she looked back down at Adrian.
"I think, assuming we are right about his father, that we should wait for him to tell us."
Trevor looked up from the fire. "What?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"To show we trust him." Sypha replied. "We should let him tell us."
"Or we could just ask him and if it's true explain we aren't going to kill him." Trevor offered, waving his hand toward the sleeping dhampir.
"How would that show we trusted him?"
"Well, it shows we figured it out and didn't kill him, so there's that. Plus, he could stop trying to hide how scared he is and acting all tough when he isn't."
That previous smirk returned to Sypha's face. "I thought you said you didn't care?"
"I don't." Trevor denied once more. "But it hurts to watch him pretend to be strong. It almosts makes me feel bad for the kid."
"Right, of course."
Trevor opened his mouth to shoot back a response only to freeze when a sound of crunching snow reached his ears from the woods around him. Shooting a look to Sypha, who understood what was happening just as much as he did, the two shot to their feet with Trevor smothering the fire in the process.
Adrian moaned from where he had been shifted onto the ground, blurry, golden eyes blinking at the two as he fought to wake up. Acting swiftly, Sypha scooped the child up into her arms and carried him to the wagon. She placed him inside of it and gave him a smile when he looked up at her from the folds of Trevor's cloak.
"I know you can fight, but you're tired, so stay here where it is safe for now." Sypha replied, giving him a stern look as she spoke.
"Wha-?"
"Don't question it." Sypha cut him off. "Just stay here where it is safe. It shouldn't be too long."
With that, she turned back out to the ominous woods around her.
Sharing another look with Trevor, the hunter and the Speaker took off in different directions away from the camp. There, a few paces away and coming closer, were about three different demons making their way to the camp. Pulling his whip from his hip, Trevor prepared himself for a fight.
Back in the wagon, Adrian continued to blink the sleep from his eyes as he struggled to understand what was happening. Rubbing his eyes, small flashes of what happened before he fell asleep returned to his mind and a frown formed at the thoughts. He had not meant to lose control like that, yet he still had no control over how his mind and body reacted to the horrific memories of that night. Hopefully, he had not given too much away during his freak out.
Stumbling to his feet, He poked his head out from the opening of the wagon as he tried to find the two humans. When he saw they were nowhere near the camp, his frown deepened and the dhampir hopped out of the wagon, leaving Trevor's cloak behind. (When he realized what was wrapped around his shoulders, Adrian had to fight down an embarrassed blush.)
Placing his hand on his sword's hit at his hip, he began to walk slowly away from the wagon, his ears straining for any sign of his companions. Due to his enhanced senses, it did not take long before the sounds of a battle reached his ears. Pinpointing the direction of the battle, Adrian allowed his speed to carry him there and his eyes widened at the sight.
Off to his left, Sypha was dealing with a large, pointed eared night creature with a spear in its hands and poison on its breath. To his right, a fallen creature lay destroyed on the ground and one was attempting to take down Trevor and his whip cracked burning welts into the night creature's skin.
Knowing that at least one of the creatures had to be in charge, Adrian rushed into battle towards the direction of Trevor.
"Stop!" He cried as he tried to channel whatever authoritative voice he could when he spoke. "I said stop!"
Both the creature and Trevor froze as he dashed between the two, his golden gaze focused on the night creature.
"Oi, brat! What are you-?!"
"I said stop!" Adrian cried once more, cutting Trevor off yet not looking at him. Before him, the night creature stood still and its beady eyes stared down at him. "Do not attack! Leave these two humans alone!"
The night creature continued to stare down at him.
"Kid, just move and let me handle it."
Adrian grumbled just loud enough for Trevor to hear. "Yeah, well, soon you won't have to deal with me or it."
"What are you-?"
"Do not attack! Just...take me back home and leave them alone!" Adrian demanded as he tried to sound commanding once more.
Again, the night creature stared down at him. Then, after a few seconds, it moved. At first, Adrian thought it would listen to him (his father, Hector, and Issac all said that they would since they wanted to keep Adrian safe) and the creature even moved to pick him up. However, instead of being carried away, the creature just placed him to the side before attacking Trevor once more, and it looked as though it was attacking even more viciously.
"Shit!" Trevor cursed as he leapt out of the creature's reach and flung his whip out, cracking it against its throat. The beast let out a cry of pain but before anything could happen, the creature's throat exploded and it too died.
Panting, Trevor whipped his head around to glare at the dhampir who's golden gaze was locked on the destroyed night creature. "What the fuck was that!?"
"I…"
"Adrian!" Sypha cried as she came up to the two, having dealt with her own creature. Taking note of the air around the two, she slowed her steps and her gaze flickered between the two of them. "What happened?"
"This shithead tried to run away!"
"I was trying to make it stop!" Adrian hissed, snapping out of his shock. "I was trying to help!"
"Oh, by running away with it?!"
"I wanted to go home! Besides, it should have stopped! It should have listened!" Tears of frustration bloomed in his eyes. "I don't understand why it didn't!"
"Really? You don't understand why it didn't?" Trevor scoffed. "As far as I'm concerned, those creatures only care about killing humans! Of course they wouldn't have fucking stopped?!"
"Well, you were fighting it!" Adrian protested.
"Ok, let's say that it was because we were fighting." Trevor growled, his hand flying out to point in the direction the town had been. "Then explain to me why a town full of innocent people were fucking killed?! Why are multiple towns fighting to survive as night creatures continue to ravage their homes long after any defense was slaughtered!?"
"I…"
"Trevor, calm down." Sypha spoke up, trying to calm the other.
"No! Sypha, this fucker tried to leave with one of those things!"
"Because I wanted to go home and keep you from getting hurt!" Adrian shot back, his golden eyes glaring. "You said you would help me get home! This was my way home!"
"What, so you could go back to your daddy to protect you?"
"Yes! And maybe I could get him to stop the war! I...I could talk to him!"
Trevor let out a barking laugh. "Oh, that's a fucking great idea! Of course, just go up to Dracula and ask him nicely to stop slaughtering the human race! Why didn't we think of that, Sypha?"
"Trevor-"
"You know?" Adrian squeaked out, his eyes losing their fierceness to fear.
Trevor rolled his eyes. "Of course. Not like it was hard to figure out once we put the clues together."
"And, you won't kill me?"
"...No, not unless you provoke me." Trevor answered honestly, only for his gaze to harden. "I won't kill an innocent. I'm not a monster like your father." With that, he stalked away from the two, leaving Sypha staring after him and Adrian looking to the ground with tears in his eyes once again.
Sypha had been frozen by the words the other had spoken. Looking back to where the young dhampir stood, she made her way in front of him and kneeled down to look at him.
"Adrian, don't take what Trevor said to heart, ok? He's just...mad and worried."
Adrian's brow furrowed. "Why would he be worried?"
"Because you ran out into battle between him and that night creature."
"I can defend myself!"
"I don't think that's what he was worried about." Sypha sighed, trying to get the boy to understand. "What if Trevor was in the middle of an attack and the whip hit you? It is called 'Vampire Killer' for a reason."
"It didn't make me explode before." Adrian stubbornly pointed out.
"Yes, you are right. But it also wasn't a direct hit, and that could have happened right there." Sypha softened and looked down at the snowy ground. "Adrian, after last night...we were worried. Trevor won't admit it, but we both were. You were so, so scared and we couldn't do anything to help, not really. I know we haven't known you for long, but we both care about you and I, despite our first encounter, I don't think Trevor wants to add to your scars." Her finger trailed along the teardrop like scar on his face.
Adrian flinched slightly at the touch, but before Sypha could take her hand back, the boy leaned into the touch. He couldn't help it. Just as the two humans had grown closer to him in this short amount of time, Adrian had grown close to them as well. Despite their first encounter, he felt comfortable with these two. True, he was still confused about what was going on and why his father was suddenly being turned into the bad guy, and Trevor's current cutting words were not welcome. Yet, Adrian was comfortable with these two.
"I'm sorry." Adrian apologized. Not so much for running into battle, but for worrying them. "I just...I wanted you guys to be ok and...and then I could have also gone home."
"I know Adrian."
"When...when did you guys figure out who I was?" Adrian asked, his golden gaze flickering to hers.
"Well, we put the pieces together only a little while ago. We were hoping to have you tell us but…" She shrugged. "Trevor has a bit of a temper."
Adrian bit his lip. "And...and you really won't hurt me?" He wasn't asking because he thought they would, not from what they've shown him sense the first meeting, but he needed to be sure. His fear of humans and vampire hunters was ingrained in him after all.
"No."
"But...but you're going to hurt my dad." And thus, his conflicted emotions raise once more.
Sypha took a deep breath. "Yes...yes that is what we are heading out to do." Adrian frowned. "Look, I know...I know it must hurt to hear that and Trevor could have...put it a bit more lightly. But Adrian...Adrian your father is hurting a lot of innocent people and he needs to be stopped."
"But...my dad doesn't seem like a monster."
"No, of course not." Sypha cooed. "I'm sure he loves you Adrian, so he is kind to you. But...if what you said is true...then he also loved your mother. I'm guessing...that that is why this is all happening. Does that sound right? Is your father doing this because you and your mother were...attacked?" She tried to ask lightly, to hopefully not trigger the poor emotional boy into another panic attack.
Adrian swallowed. "M-Maybe…"
"But Adrian...do you want your father killing people? Did...do you think your mother would want this?"
Adrian's brow furrowed as he struggled to think of the answer. Would she? He knows that, as much as he appreciates his father's protection, he wouldn't want people to be killed just because he was hurt. As scared as he was of humans, that did not make him bloodthirsty. His mother had taught him to care for all living things, that's why she was a doctor after all.
Thinking about his mother also brought to his mind all her teachings and caring attitude to the other humans. For a second, that blazing fire appeared in his mind once more causing his hands to clench and his breath to hitch. He could almost make out his mother's voice through the cries of the humans and the crackling of the fire. She was saying something, something besides his name and her screams.
Adrian hissed as a sharp pain went through his head.
"Adrian?" Sypha's voice broke him from this thoughts and he brought his gaze back to hers from where it had dropped to the ground.
He swallowed. "No...no I don't...I don't think she would."
"...ok," Sypha said as her eyes roamed over the dhampir's face to check him over. "Ok, alright. Then...do you want to stay with us? I know...I know you wanted to leave but we want to stop this war. Do you want to help us stop it?"
Adrian bit his lip. "But...I don't want to kill my dad."
Sypha's shoulders slumped. "Of course you don't and we won't make you." She trailed off, her gaze going off to the side in thought before a spark lit in them. " But maybe we can find a different way to stop him. You see Adrian, we have been traveling to the Belmont hold. We were looking for a way to track down Dracula's moving castle since we want to have the advantage when we go to the castle. However, we might find a way to stop your dad without killing him."
"I could also talk to him." Adrian tried once more. "And if we go with the night creatures, we might be able to find the castle."
"Well, in terms of the night creatures, we don't want to risk being taken prisoner, or the castle moving before we get inside."
Adrian pursed his lips. "That makes sense. The vampires and night creatures could smell you."
Sypha smiled. "Exactly. As for your other suggestion, we could try it, but we would like to be ready to help you if he doesn't listen, ok?"
"Ok." Taking a deep breath, Adrian stood up taller with a determined look in his eye. "Ok, I'll help you."
Sypha also stood up and smiled with a clap of her hand. "Wonderful! Now, let's go back. Hopefully that hothead has had a chance to calm down."
As they started walking back to the camp, Adrian spoke up. "Umm, can I yell at him?"
Sypha looked at Adrian and let out a chuckle. "Sure. I won't stop you."
With a nod, Adrian focused on making it to the camp.
At the camp, they found Trevor slumped against the wagon, hand over his face. At their footsteps, he looked up and scowled, but it wasn't as harsh as it had been earlier. If anything, Adrian would say he looked a little ashamed but it was hard to say exactly.
"Look, kid-"
"You're a bastard."
Silence.
Trevor and Sypha both stared in shock at the dhampir, but Adrian only stood there, arms crossed and glaring at Trevor. After a beat, Sypha started cracking up and Trevor couldn't stop gapping at the boy.
"W-What the fuck!?"
"I said you're a bastard." Adrian repeated. "What you said was mean."
"I...uh...yeah I get that...I was going to...uh...you know…" Trevor stumbled his way awkwardly through his attempt at an apology.
At that Adrian tilted his head. "Don't hurt yourself." He said as he began to climb back into the wagon.
"W-Wha-! Sypha! Are you just going to let him act like this!"
Sypha was holding her stomach and crouched over with how hard she was laughing. "I-I'm….haha...s-sorry! This is too funny!"
"Why didn't you yell at him for his language?!"
"Because you deserve it!" Sypha shot back. "Besides, he learned it from you!"
Trevor continued to scowl at the Speaker when a small hand touched his shoulder. Turning, he found Adrian poking his head out of the wagon with Trevors cloak in his hand.
"Here."
Trevor looked down at the black cloak before back up at the boy holding it own. Pursing his lips, Trevor turned away and waved his hand dismissively at the boy.
"Keep it. We'll be heading out soon and you're so cold you could use the warmth."
Blinking in shock, Adrian stared at the other before clutching the cloak to his chest. The cloak made him feel safe, and Trevor letting him keep it for the ride warmed his heart.
"Thank you." Adrian mumbled before disappearing under the cover of the wagon. His voice carried over from the other side. "Now you're just a jerk."
"I can take that back you know!"
Sypha made her way over, still cackling. "Come now, Trevor. You've been upgraded from a bastard to a jerk!"
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?!"
Inside the wagon, Adrian stared down at the cloak before wrapping it around himself and burrowing into its warmth with an embarrassed flush to his face.
So that was that. Did I make your feelings go on a roller-coaster? I hope so. Anywho, now we see how crazy Dracula is. He might be loosing it a bit. It shall only get worse. Sypha and Trevor finally know who Adrian is. Adrian is really conflicted. Trevor was a bit of an ass. Adrian wants to stop his dad though...Lets see where all this goes!
Feel free to comment, ask questions, etc.
Until next time! :D
