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When the sun rose, Trevor couldn't be more thankful. Fires in Gresit still burned and buildings toppled to the ground in the early hours of the morning, people burned their dead late into the day, and by then, Trevor did not feel like eating. Sypha lead them back to the speaker's lodging, more excited to show her grandfather that the stories were true than anything else, which bothered the hunter to no end as he had more than once tried to convince her that this man was not her sleeping soldier. Trevor hoped now that they'd found their prophet or what ever that the speakers would finally leave, but they refused."There are still people here that need our help." The elder said."There isn't enough people here that want it." Trevor huffed. "You can evacuate them, it's the only chance they really have of surviving any of this. But you need to leave. The hoard is passed, but there will be stragglers that are hungry.""Then we will shelter them until they are ready to move."The elder's stubbornness grated on Trevor's nerves. "You want to stay with these people? Head north and shelter up there." He said in a final word and left the speaker's home, trudging out into the street in order to find food and drink for their journey. Come to think of it, he didn't even know where the hell they were going. He turned back around and found Alucard and Sypha loading bags. "So... anyone care to tell me where Dracula's castle is? Or do you not know because I'm generally pretty sure no one does."Sypha looked up from what she was doing and frowned. "Alucard has suggested the first place we should go is a library west of here.""How west of here?" Trevor asked."Three maybe four weeks of travel." Alucard replied and pulled the bag closed."Fucking great." The hunter scowled. "Listen... as long as we get out of this shit hole, but I don't see any horses.""We'll acquire some on the way. The livestock here are all but dead and people are guarding what they have left with their lives, so we have to travel on foot for a while." The vampire slung the bag over his shoulder. "Unless you have complaints?""How soon do we leave?" Trevor asked."Hopefully now. This place reeks of death... but then again, as does the rest of the country." Alucard hummed."Ah! I... would have thought we'd... leave tomorrow morning. More daylight to walk in that way." Sypha said in a nervous tone. It was one Trevor recognized."I know you have never been far from your train before, but in order to fulfill this damn prophesy you have to figure out a way to leave them." Trevor sighed, he knew the fear of leaving family all too well, he wouldn't tell anyone, but before his family's excommunication and murder he'd never been apart from them. He'd hunted with his father and if not him then a close cousin. He had been thrown out into the cold with no warning, she didn't have to be. "I'll make you a promise then. I'll keep you safe and I'll bring you back to your family, even if it kills me."Sypha smiled softly. It seemed to make saying goodbye easier for her and soon they had left Gresit in search of their library. They'd left just after noon and traveled well into the evening but had to stop as they couldn't see more than a few feet in front of them. Alucard seemed all too ready to keep going, but Sypha nearly impaled herself on a tree which convinced him to stop. They'd found a good place to make camp in the trees near the road and Sypha quickly nestled herself into a nook of a large tree to sleep as Trevor made a fire. Trevor stayed awake well into the night and though he hoped Alucard had fallen asleep, the vampire was still awake. He moved silent as the grave and sat himself by the fire. He merely stared at Trevor. The vampire's golden eyes unsettles Trevor to no end and made him feel violated as they seemed to peer through him. He avoided looking at Alucard but it did not held the feeling."What?" Trevor grunting in displeasure."Nothing," The vampire replied. "I just never took you for the big brother type."The hunter frowned deeply. "I'm not a heartless bastard. She's just a kid... a kid doesn't deserve to just be ripped away from their family.""Are you talking about her or yourself, Belmont?""You know nothing about--""Your inability to genuinely care about another human being?" The vampire finished his sentence with the wrong words and Trevor was ready to strange him. The stick he used to poke the fire snapped in his hand in his anger. He got up without another word. He couldn't be here, not with this stupid half-breed poking at him with every waking moment."Where do you think you're going?" Said Half-breed asked."To find a place where your incessant questioning won't reach me." Trevor replied then disappeared into the forest. He found a nice tall tree and climbed it. It was cold out, the tree was nearly barren and Trevor missed the fire, but he couldn't go back, not until morning anyway. He trusted Sypha to be able to protect herself from the vampire if it came to that. Trevor believed she was strongest of their little group, at least with her magic anyway. Trevor fell asleep looking at the stars and with the stupid vampire's face stuck in his head.Trevor woke with a start, nearly falling out of his tree as he heard the heavy beating of near leather wings. He pressed himself into the tree and clutched his sword as a single injured demon flew over, an arm hanging from it's mouth. The hunter was sickened to say the lease. He was unbelievably tired and he couldn't even deal with one demon on his own like this. He'd spent many night like this, alone and sleep deprived and it had worn on him. He managed to climb down from the tree without killing himself and found his way back by the faint light of the fire that Alucard undoubtedly kept going.The vampire looked up at the half asleep Trevor that wandered out of the forest. The hunter laid himself down with his back to the fire and Alucard. The vampire sighed and picked up Trevor's coat that he had left to warm by the fire a few hours earlier and covered the hunter with it."You're a lot more likable when you're quiet and calm." The vampire muttered and went back to tending the fire. The night was long, but he hoped that the day would come sooner despite that.Sypha woke Trevor with a gentle touch. He nearly hurt her as he woke but quickly remembered where he was and who he was with. He quickly apologized although he merely scared her. It could have been worse. Some drunks tried to wake him once and he's pretty sure one of them lost an arm. Trevor looked to Alucard who didn't even look tired. It aggravated him for no ther reason that the hunter was just exhausted."if we leave now, we can make it to the next town over. Maybe by Dinner." Sypha said looking down at the map given to her by Trevor."Oh, uh no." Trevor said quickly. "We really shouldn't go there.""Why not?" Alucard inquired in a tone Trevor really didn't like."Just... we can't, okay?" Trevor couldn't come up with any other logical reason other than the trust. "That down is nothing but sheep fuckers and goat farmers, okay?"Sypha frowned at his language then picked up her bag, heading in the direction of the town Trevor really didn't want to go back to. There truly wasn't any escaping what was coming to him, which was a bar fight and an angry bartender who's nose Trevor broke only a week prior. His balls were still sore from the amount of times he got kicked.The closer they got to the town the more nervous Trevor got, but it was all for naught as the town had been reduced to rubble by the nighthoard. He hated the people here... but they didn't deserve a death like this. Sypha looked sick, but she had undoubtedly seen more than her fair share of the dead. "There's so many..." She muttered."Too many to bury, Sypha." Trevor frowned."But we can't just...""We have to. There's no helping them if they're dead. The best we can do is stop the death." Alucard huffed.They traveled through what was left of the blood soaked muddy town realizing that no one had been spared. Trevor looted the corpses for what ever coin they might have had left. Leaving two in their pockets for whatever god they believed in. Alucard notices this and says nothing."This is desecration! Don't you care?" Sypha frowned deeply in disapproval."They're dead. You don't have to join, but they have no use for this anymore and if I don't, someone else will." Trevor replied and pocketed a few silver coins.They managed to find a bit of food which consisted of two loafs of stale breat, a leg of dried beef, and a few apples from a tree on a family farm. The tenets weren't there and likely were among the dead in town, which was a plus. No cleaning out and no rotting smells.They ended up staying in the home for the night and Sypha managed to make a decent meal out of what they had. It was soup with beef stock from the dried beef and a few herbs. It wasn't a round meal, but it wasn't something to turn your nose up at either.After having their meal, Sypha found a bed to sleep in as Trevor remained downstairs laid out on the couch with Alucard once again tending the fire."Do you ever sleep?" Trevor asked."Rarely. I've been asleep a full year... I think I could go without for a few days." The vampire replied."Well, you should." Trevor huffed. "It's damn creepy."Alucard gave an amused huff. "If I pretended, would you feel better?" He asked.Trevor shrugged. "I dunno. It might."The vampire huffed once again in amusement and laid himself on on the couch to Trevor's left. He closed his eyes and after a while, Trevor felt a little more at ease. He could have sworn that the vampire had actually fallen asleep. Trevor hoped he had, anyway.As the night passed slowly and the faint sound of screaming off in the distance faded, all that was left for Trevor was silence and the crackling of the fire. He ached for a drink, however, he had none as Sypha and Alucard were the only two of their merry band of misfits who had money.Trevor ended up wandering around the house. He looked through cupboards and cabinets and hoped he'd find something... anything. He found an empty liqueur cabinet, but if Trevor knew anything it was how to hide booze. He knocked the inside wall and sure enough, it was hollow and fake. He pulled back the thin flat of wood and found a cheap bottle of ale, likely homemade. It was still the nicest thing he's found in years, no label, but it smelled wonderful. He weighed the bottle in his hand and as much as he ached for it, it would just inhibit his judgement and fighting skills."What are you doing?" Alucard said behind Trevor, startling him almost enough to drop the bottle. He'd drawn his short sword and it was pressed to the vampire's neck."Christ almighty... anyone teach you not to sneak up on people!?" Trevor could feel his heart bearing out of his chest. He lowered his then sheathed his sword."You didn't answer my question." The vampire frowned deeply at the sight of the bottle."Nor did you, mine." Trevor growled then set down the bottle. "Listen, I know what you're thinking and I wasn't going to drink it! Not yet anywat.""I wouldn't put it past you if you did.""What the fuck-- you think I'd just--" He took the deepest breath he could. He'd been a drunk for a long time and going cold turkey was wearing on him, but he wouldn't throw away his safety to just get shitfaced. "You know what? Take the damn bottle. I don't need it so quit being a judgmental prick.""I was merely questioning your actions as you hunted this down." Alucard picked up the bottle and turned it in his hand. "You seemed quite adamant in finding it.""Quit with the fucking 'holier than thou' bullshit." Trevor walked away from the argument... or at least tried to. "I don't need your shitty attitude and if you're so determined to stay awake and watch my every fucking move then you take watch." He flopped down on the couch, wrapped himself in his cloak and closed his eyes. He heard the sound of the bottle being set down then the couch dipping next to him. He curled further in on himself and pit his hand on his sword. "Go away.""The ale you picked up, it's been poisoned with nightshade. The person who lived here seemed to have used it as rat poison. You're lucky you didn't ingest it." Alucard said quietly."I didn't need it... I told you." Came Trevor's muffled reply. "It smelled wrong." He liked."This place reeks of nightshade and cheap booze... I'm glad you didn't.""Shut up and let me sleep." The hunter grunted and Alucard got up and left him alone to sleep. It didn't come easy, but eventually, exhaustion won him over.
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The morning came and Trevor didn't even want to get up. He sat up begrudgingly even and ran his hands over his face. He looked around the now illuminated house and found himself sickened. There the tenets were... or rather what was left of them. It was little more than a stain on the floor and a tangle of limbs. He hissed out a breath through his teeth and looked to the couch where he'd expected Alucard to be but the vampire was nowhere to be seen. Trevor got up and went upstairs to the room Sypha had claimedHe politely knocked before entering and the moment he did, his ears began to ring as if the world had suddenly gone silent. Sypha lay there, not breathing and herself a tangled mess of limbs. What happened!? How could this-- He promised. "S-Sypha..." He said, though his voice was little more than a whisper. He'd promised he'd bring her home... he promised and he failed like so many times before. He felt a scream perched under his chin, but he feared if he let it out... he'd never stop. Then the house seemed to disappear under him. Sypha's body was gone, there was nothing in front of him except darkness. There was nothing, no form for him to latch onto, until there was. Alucard. His hand rushed to his hip and he found nothing. His sword and whip gone. Everything moved too fast and he found himself screaming and crying as he was surrounded by flames and they licked at his back.Trevor found himself being shaken awake by Sypha. It wasn't morning, only dawn and the speaker magician looked terrified. Likely reflecting Trevor's own fear. The hunter pushed her away and sat up quickly. He pressed his palms into his eyes until he saw starts. It was a dream.... all of it. Sypha was fine, there was no corpse... Sypha was fine."Belmont?" She inquired to get his attention."I'm... I'm fine." He muttered."You were screaming bloody murder!" She gasped. "You're not okay!""Leave it." Trevor snapped at her. He was sure he looked like some cornered wild animal, given she'd taken a few steps back. "Just... leave it." He got up and stood face to face with Alucard. He resisted his want to grab his sword, but the vampire obviously saw him twitch for it. He stepped aside and Trevor walked out of the house, into the cold air of the dawn. He stayed there until the sun came up completely. Alucard walked out and Trevor avoided his gaze as always."I think I need you to promise me something..." Trevor muttered."What is it?" The vampire asked.The hunter remained silent for a moment and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just... don't--" He couldn't finish his thought with those golden eyes on him. "Oh for fuck sake, never mind." He growled and pushed past Alucard to go back inside and help Sypha look the rest of the house.Trevor hoisted his bag over his shoulder and looked at the map Sypha was reading. "The next town over may have horses." She hummed and traced her finger over the line of the road. "It would take a full day by food, but since we woke up so early, we'll be there by Lunch at the latest." She smiled. The magician didn't even seem to bothered at the fact that Trevor was the cause of their early departure and she simply pointed the way and lead them in that direction.It was late morning before anyone even spoke. Alucard walked at Trevor's side as Sypha walked just out of earshot. "What happened this morning?" The vampire asked."What do you mean?" Trevor asked, displeased to even be talking about it."You were crying in your sleep. You just suddenly became violent when I tried to wake you so I had to get Sypha." Alucard frowned. "And the promise you wanted me to make.""I don't know what you want me to say, vampire. I don't remember any of it before waking up." He lied through his teeth which didn't play in his favor as Alucard knew he had been lying."Why do you do that?" The half-breed asked."Do what?""Act like you're fine when in all reality... you're suffering."Trevor frowned and walked faster, not answering Alucard's question. The vampire left him alone for the moment, but in a matter of house he'd have to face the question again. He'd have to come up with something plausible in that time.They reached town further toward evening than noon and Trevor hadn't come up with anything. Actually, Alucard made Trevor question if he even was okay.. He was quite sure he wasn't a living wreck, or the shell of the man he used to be.... he was pretty sure.Luckily this town wasn't long dead. There were fires going and everything was still open including a Tavern and an inn. Trevor was more excited about the tavern than anything else. He was about to split from their group when Alucard quickly, holding it painfully tight. Trevor jerked from his grip and turned to glare at him."Don't." Alucard warned, but the warning only made Trevor roll his eyes."Or what, vanpire? One drink won't kill me." The hunter grunted. "You can even join me, provided you aren't stoned first.""Trevor!!!" Sypha snapped."What!?" Trevor snapped back and quickly regretted his tone. Sypha almost looked shocked by Trevor's aggression, almost."Fine." She huffed angrily. "If you're going to drink yourself into a stooper, I won't tend your wounds when you come back from a bar fight."Trevor felt guilt settle in his stomach, but he could drink himself through it. He didn't need this, he didn't need them. "Fine." The hunter growled and made his way into the tavern. Neither of them followed, but he could feel Alucard and Sypha's eyes on him as he entered. The sun had gone down and Trevor had lost count of how many drinks he'd had. He'd stopped maybe an hour before as he stared down into an empty cup, but he was certainly drunk. He couldn't remember if he did this out of spite or because he thought he needed it. Maybe it was both? Sypha had come in maybe an hour before sundown to tell him which room they were staying in. He stared down into the empty cup as he had been for a while, considering if he really was finished or not. He got up and walked up before the thought occurred to him that he might want more.It was freezing as Trevor made his way to the inn. He entered and was met with his greatest enemy when drunk... stairs. After about two and a half attempts and smashing his face into the wall hard enough to bleed, he settle for sleeping on the stairs. Sypha and Alucard likely didn't want him up there anyway, smelling like booze. He closed his eyes, leaned against the wall and slept until he felt warm strong arms around him. There were gentle when they liften him. Trevor didn't have enough energy to really care who was holding him and as he was a ninety kilo man, he was pretty sure this was a dream anyway. He opened if eyes and looked up at Alucard who looked more than a little aggravated with him. He brought Trevor into the bath and set him down to lean against the wall as he likely gathered things to clean Trevor's face with.The vampire knelt down and looked Trevor in the eye. "Why do you pretend you're okay?" Alucard asked.Trevor lazily shrugged. Half the time, even he didn't know why was drinking. "It's better than believing I'm not." It's not like his feeling mattered anyway."You you do this to yourself..." Alucard gently wiped away the blood on Trevor's upper lip. "Are you doing this because you think it's better than confronting... what ever it is you need to confront?""I think it's 'cause I deserve it." Trevor replied. "People... like you and me don't get to feel... not like anyone really cares anyway... but people will take advantage--take you for granted... think your weak...""That's a sad way to live, Trevor...""It doesn't matter...""Answer me honestly... do you want to die like this? At the bottom of a bottle?"The hunter simply stared at him blankly before tears began to blur his vision. "No." He replied. He avoided Alucard's eyes and looked bleary eyes towards the ground. The vampire wrapped his arms around Trevor, which further convinced him that he was dreaming."Then you can stop before this kills you." Alucard muttered into his ear."I don't really know if I can.""We can help if you let us. Sypha and I..."Trevor became silent and leaned into Alucard. "Damn... pretty boy...y'know... you're eyes kinda look like a sunset..." He muttered and closed his eyes. He'd never felt so safe in someone's arms. He considered that his ancestors must be rolling over in their graves as he slowly fell asleep in the Vampire's arms, but... he didn't really care.
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Trevor woke the next morning with one hell of a hangover. He'd had worse, but this made his top ten. It's what he gets for refusing to eat the day before. He looked up as the door opened, Sypha stood there with a cup of tea in her hand. "Ah. Good, you're awake. I was ready to use an ice spell if you hadn't woken up within the hour." She smiled. "I tried shaking you, I even slapped you.""Bet you enjoyed that after I how I treated you." Trevor sighed."I did, but that's beside the point." She pressed the hot cup into his hands. Trevor wasn't the biggest fan of tea and the moment he smelled what ever this brew was, he hated it doubly so."Ugh... you must still be mad at me if this is what you're giving me.""I didn't make it. Alucard did.""Then you must be trying to kill me."The speaker simply shook her head and as Trevor attempted to put down the still full cup, she pressed it back into his hands. He ended up drinking it, though slowly as he could only handle the taste so much at a time."About last night..." Sypha began."I was an asshole, I know." Trevor muttered."No. I meant... when you came back. Alucard brought you in. Your nose was bleeding, did you seriously get into a bar fight?""No. I fell down the stairs." Trevor then paused. "You said the vampire brought me back?""Yes. You both talked for a little bit... you seemed quite emotional.""Oh my god." Trevor whispered, coming to the realization that in his drunken stooper, he'd hugged the vampire, even cried in front of him. He complimented his fucking eyes! He slammed down the rest of the tea and got up just as quickly in his embarrassment, however, an urgent sickness settled over him. He ended up expelling the herbal tea Sypha had given him and despite his refusal, Sypha made him drink the rest of it. She left him alone in the bath for a moment and came back with food, honest to god food. Eggs and toast. The toast helped with this sickness as it kept him from throwing up again but it didn't make him feel any less ill."Where's the vampire?" Trevor asked."Acquiring some horses and a cart." Sypha replied. "Why do you never call him by his name?"Trevor quickly avoided the question. "Good." He said simply and got up from his place on the floor. They left the inn soon after to find Alucard loading up a cart with water, dried foods, and barley for the two horses he'd found. Trevor completely ignored the vampire and went directly to the work horses. Two completely different breeds, one significantly taller than the other. It was likely the best they were going to get. He would have prefered a destrier but the two muzzles pushing at his hands quickly convinced him. He cooed at them both. He decided they'd have slightly longer lives since they'd be traveling with the merry band of misfits. He was certain the hoard would be drawn here eventually... but there was the chance it wouldn't.They left late into the morning with Trevor driving the horses. They traveled for half a week in silence and Trevor was content to forget about the interaction he and Alucard had while he had been inebriated, however, the long silence had been killing him and his temper began growing shorter and shorter until he was in a constant state of irritation. Around noon on the fourth day a man limped out into the middle of the road, seemingly bleeding. Sypha was quick to try and jump from the cart to catch him if he fell but Trevor quickly grabbed her. She pulled from his grip and looked at him angrily."What are you doing!? He clearly needs help!" She growled."No he doesn't." Trevor stopped the horses and slipped from the cart."Oh thank you, sir!" The bleeding man feigned thankfulness."Stay here." Trevor told Sypha and the moment he was close enough, the man in the road drew a dagger."Hand over everything if you want your friends to live. You're surrounded." He looked all to pleased with himself as his plan had seemingly worked. Men came from the woods, seven all together. Trevor had taken more when he was younger and judging by how the man in front of him was holding his dagger, he was inexperienced."You're not getting shit." Trevor huffed with a sneer. "You're a coward, all of you are. The moment you manage to get anything, they'll turn on you like a pack of rabid wolves.""What did you say you cockless bastard!?" The man seemed easily provoked. Good."You're mother wasn't disappointed in it last night."The fight was quick and over all too soon for Trevor. The man had lunged at him but was much too slow to even land a hit as the hunter sent his knee into his stomach. He was down for the count within seconds and the other six quickly followed in succession. Trevor didn't even have to draw a weapon despite all of the man being armed. A man nearly got him with his knife, but it was so dull, it couldn't pierce the leather part of his clothing. Trevor broke his nose and send the dull knife through his knee. The pain knocked him unconscious. The last one awake was the one he'd first started the fight with. He had gotten up on his knees and pleaded for his life. Trevor didn't kill humans... well... not often anyway. He decided to have a little bit of fun with it instead.Trevor grabbed the man by his hair and pulled his head back, facing him towards Alucard with his neck bared. "Hey, vampire." Trevor started to taunt. "How long does your kind traditionally go without blood?"Alucard looked down on the man, then Trevor. His anger was evident and Trevor honestly wanted more of a reaction out of him. The bandit was shitting himself at the word 'vampire' alone."That's enough, Belmont." Alucard growled and Trevor obviously didn't get the reaction he wanted. He'd wanted the halfbreed to be imperfect and lose his temper, but the vampire refused to give him the satisfaction. The hunter's face fell into anger and he quickly strangled the frightened would-be bandit into unconsciousness. Trevor kicked him once for good measure. "Get on or we'll leave you." Alucard huffed and almost like a scolded child, Trevor sat himself in the back of the cart, away from Sypha and Alucard's disappointed gaze.Alucard and Supha may not travel in silence, but Trevor had no patience left for talking with them after a few more days passed. He felt terrible and not in the sense of guilt (though that was a constant feeling anyway) but he felt like he had a fever. He could barely focus on anything, let alone a conversation. Sypha noticed all too quickly and they had stopped long before they planned to. She quickly rounded the cart and came to his side. She reached to touch him and he sluggishly tried to evade her."Stop..." He barely recognized his own voice. "I could be-- could be contagious...""You're not." Alucard circled the card and climbed into the back the way Sypha had. "You're going through withdraws. They should have started days ago but it's been nearly a week--" The vampire's anger rose to the surface. "Sypha. Check his pockets."The speaker seemed to catch on quickly and after only a moment, she found an empty flask. She seemed more hurt than angry with him and that made the guilt so much worse. "Whoops." Trevor muttered."Is that all you have to say?" Sypha muttered."What do you want me to say?" The feverish hunter turned his anger on Alucard. "I tried it your way. I couldn't sleep... couldn't even think. I had to fucking force myself to eat.""You've only made things worse for yourself. When did you run out?" Alucard pressed a cold palm to Trevor's forehead and used the other to take his pulse. The hunter was severely displeased with being touched, especially by the vampire. "How did you hide it this long...?""Three days. And hide what? The booze or the delirium?""Delirium?" Sypha repeated in a small gasp. Trevor pulled away from Alucard's hands and nearly fell over it weren't for Sypha supporting him. "How could you do this to us?"Trevor could barely keep his eyes open at this point and was fading quickly. Everything felt muffled, like he had put his hands over his ears. He only caught a few things before surrendering to sleep."We can't travel like this." The vampire had said. "We have to stop until his fever breaks.""We have to watch him closer..." Sypha sounded scared, beyond worried."Take his coin purse. I'll watch him during the night if it comes to that."And that was the last thing he remembered hearing.Trevor wake a few times during Sypha's watch. He was delirious, likely hallucinating. He stared at things that weren't there and barely spoke a word about it. Sypha had remembered all the times she had been sick in the past and she always spoke to someone in her delirium. The silence scared her. It was early morning the next day that he even spoke a word. He awoke in a panic about someone burning. Sypha asked who was burning."Everyone." Trevor replied as he panicked. The sudden stress wore him out quickly and as he fought sleep, both Sypha and Alucard had tried to convince him that no one was burning. It didn't help, but eventually, exhaustion won him over.The fever lasted just under two days. During that time Trevor had refused to eat, all they could do was hope that his appetite would return when the fever broke. The alcohol he had consumed after only experiencing few symptoms of withdawl made things worse for him. If he had simply told them... Alucard could have softened the blow of the fever at least. Trevor would still be experiencing symptoms for weeks, even after the initial fever. He'd be irritable as always but he'd have difficulty eating, it'd make him weak if they let it but at least Alucard had been there. The fever likely could have killed him if he hadn't been. The vampire was sure if Trevor wasn't thankful, at least his liver would be.Trevor woke to the same foul smelling tea he had a week prior. He felt disgusting as sweat had dried to his clothes. Supha looked back at him from the fire and gave him a soft smile. He was too ashamed to smile back. She brough the tea to him and sat at his side to make sure he'd drink it."Every time you give me this, I'm going to assume you're angry." Trevor muttered.Sypha shook her head. "Alucard made it again. I'm still finding my way around herbs." The speaker replied."Ah. Trying to kill me again."She simply smiled and shook her head. Trevor downed the tea quickly and though it burned, the taste didn't linger as it had before. He looked down at the leafs at the bottom the cup. "You know, my grandfather taught me to read tea leafs." She smiled and took the cup. After a moment of silence she spoke. "Let's see... you'll live a long life and have many children." A lie. Trevor could tell that much."That bad?" He huffed.Sypha dumped the cups remnants. "It's only leafs. Why does it matter?"The speaker looked beyond exhausted. "Sleep. It's barely dawn. You've got a few hours and I promise, I won't faint on you again.""Good, because you're heavy." She chuckled and got up to lay down on her bedroll to rest her eyes.Trevor looked to Alucard who merely sat there, staring into the fire. The hunter moved to sit opposite to him. It was silent for all too long, but Trevor couldn't think of anything to say. He couldn't just apologize."Do you ever think about what you do before you do it?" The vampire asked."Rarely." Trevor replied simply. Alucard looked up from the fire to the hunter, his eyes piercing as always."You're beyond selfish." He growled. "You've cost us two days travel and our medicine. This could have been avoided if you'd told us the moment you were experiencing withdraws.""What do you want me to say?""I want you to explain why you do this to yourself! I want to know why you don't say anything when you're suffering! You make your own situation worse and our jobs so much harder!""You could have let me fucking die then! It would have been easy. You could have sat back and just watch.""I didn't. I couldn't." Alucard gritted his teeth, restraining his anger. "This prophesy means nothing without us. Without you. You don't get to guilt trip me."Trevor went quiet. Spreading the guilt wouldn't help anyone now would it? There was no apologizing... they wouldn't believe him even if he had. "How much food is left?" The hunter asked."Just under a week for you and Sypha." The vampire replied."And what about you?""What about me?""You haven't eaten anything since we found you, nor have you drank anything. And I don't know if you know this, but vampires need blood and at risk of sounding like I care... I prefer not to stab you." Trevor huffed."I'm fine. I wouldn't put you or Sypha at risk if I wasn't. I've been hunting. The animals I've managed to find tide me over.""But you haven't found anything big enough to bring back so at some point the animals are going to run out. Then what?""If it comes to that--""If it comes to that then I give you permission. I'm sure you've got your ways but... I want you to promise me something. For real this time.""Oh, I've been eager to know since you brought it up.""Shut up... just... don't ever bite me. I don't care if you're starving. I know what vampire's venom can do and even at half potency, I don't want to become a mindless drooling mess until it's out of my system."Alucard had never really bitten anyone. A knife always worked best and if it worked for Trevor, it worked always for him. "I promise... but... why are you offering me this?""Because this prophesy you're so adamant in believing in... it's nothing without you... or us." Trevor replied. Alucard almost though the man was thankful. "Well... since you promised, I think I've got a one to make too, don't I?""Oh?""I will try to stay sober." Trevor wasn't ready... but the hard part was over, or at least he hoped it was."Don't just try." Alucard nearly smiled. "You've got Sypha... you've got me. We'll watch. Make sure you keep your promise."After a moment of silence Trevor sighed and managed a small smile. "Okay."
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They began travel the morning after as Alucard gave the okay on whether or not Trevor's fever would return. His body temperature would be high for a while, almost a borderline fever, but nothing that would make Trevor feel horrible as he had before. They'd traveled little more than a day before Trevor could stand it no longer. His shirt clung to his skin after his fever and they'd been traveling nearly two weeks without so much of a bath and it was killing Trevor. He may not be the picture perfect example of cleanliness but the smell of old sweat and horse was wearing on him."Not everyone is blessed with vampiric cleanliness and thin hair, y'know." Trevor huffed. "Please tell me there's at least a stream near by!""Is that why your hair sticks up everywhere?" Sypha asked in a teasing tone.Trevor rolled his eyes. "Is there a stream or not? My tunic really needs to be washed and I don't think you want me to use our drinking water like that."Her nose wrinkled a little in disgust. "Yes. There's a river up ahead that we'll need to cross. We'll stop before the bridge so you can bathe, Princess Trevor." She hummed."Jesus. You speakers must not bathe much." It was now Trevor's turn to wrinkle his nose in disgust."You've clearly never heard the term 'cat bath'.""Fine, then what keeps you smelling like a rose, vampire?" Trevor asked, honestly curious."That's a secret that I'll take to my grave." Alucard replied."That's a long time from then until now." Trevor frowned and laid himself down in the bed of the cart. Since his fever, a scar he hadn't thought about in a long time had started irritating him. It had started burning anew, a pain similar to how it felt when he first got it, though duller, more of a nuisance anyway. He laid on his side careful not to aggravate it further as every little bump in the road seemed to already do that. Sypha noticed the discomfort and offered her help and an ice spell as she'd thought maybe he'd pulled something fighting the bandits a few days back but Trevor simply refused and remained in quiet agony for the remainder of the day's tripBy nightfall they had reached the river and Trevor couldn't be more thankful. He tried to avoid his meal as he wasn't hungry, but Sypha forced him to sit down and eat since he had avoided breakfast that morning. It would take a while for Trevor's appetite to return, at least that's what Alucard said. It almost felt like watching a child but it was to the benefit of Trevor's own health. He seemed more alert than when Alucard had first met him, not at his peak, but getting there slowly. Unfortunately, a complete detox came with it's setbacks. Trevor had more difficulty sleeping and a fever sleep is really no way to rest as when it finally breaks, you feel as if you'd gotten no rest. Alucard had followed his mother out in the sun when he was young, because of this, he'd fall ill quite often. She called it sun sickness and as Alucard grew older, the sickness happened less and less. At the moment, this had been the longest he'd been exposed to the sun and he wondered if it was starting to show.Trevor sat at the bank of the River, watching the sun go down and soaking his tunic in the water. He'd never been self conscious, he just hated when people asked about the scars. He didn't mind the question about the one on his face so much as the question about the large ugly one that stretched across his right shoulder blade and halfway down his upper arm. He'd wanted to go further away from their camp for a little privacy, but on a night with no moon, it'd be stupid. The demons thrived in the edges of the dark and being alone in it, even if one was a skilled hunter, would be a death wish."You said someone was burning." Alucard said, effectively scarring Trevor into slipping further into the bank, wetting his pants in the process."If you keep fucking doing that, I'm gonna attach bells to you!" Trevor scowled.The vampire seemed all too amused that he scarred Trevor but the hint of a smile disappeared and he repeated his question. "While you were sick, you said someone was burning." Alucard sat himself on a dry rock near the bank. "Who was burning?"Trevor's lips pulled into a thin displeased line. "You just like to pry into things that aren't your business, don't you?""It wasn't mu intention to make you angry." Alucard wasn't liking how short Trevor had been with him lately and it had only been a couple days. "I was simply curious.""Simply curious." Trevor repeated with an eye roll. He wasn't just some freak to be poked and prodded. There was no real way this vampire was interested in him. He refused to believe that. He let out what little aggression he held with a resigned sigh. "I'll tell you something if you tell me something."Alucard considered his proposal for a moment then simply nodded, giving Trevor permission to ask what he will."Were you there when your mother burned?" Trevor asked and instead of an answer, he received only silence. "Fine, then you'll get nothing from--""Yes." Alucard finally said. "I was there. Were you there when your home burned?""I was in it." Trevor replied and pulled his tunic from the river, flopping it over a semi-dry rock. "Were you even tempted to get revenge on the people who killed her?" He pulled off his undershirt and began washing it in the stream, his back to the vampire."Yes. She told me not to in her dying moments." Trevor seemed satisfied that maybe Alucard wasn't as perfect as he let on. "Were you?""I did." Trevor's tone turned dark, not quite with anger, but not quite without it. "I slit their throats as they slept soundly in the beds the night after my house burned... it was still burning. Is there more to this sleeping soldier story than just 'the merry band of misfits slay Dracula'?""Yes... I think. I only heard the whole story once. I never connected myself to it until recently so I didn't quite retain the story I heard in my childhood. We become friends, you and I... at the very least."Trevor chuckled. "The Belmonts' are rolling in their graves now at the thought.""Are you repulsed at the thought of having a vampire for a companion?" Alucard asked.Trevor didn't seem to need to think about it. "While I can't say I'm thrilled... well, I'm answering your questions aren't I? That takes no small feat of trust."Alucard hummed and let out a soft chuckle. "And trust does not come easily to us, does it?"The hunter shrugged. "I suppose not." There was a comfortable silence before a mischievous grin graced Trevor's features. "Is it true what they say about half-breeds and water?""No. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to bathe and that would be..." Alucard inwardly cringed at the thought. He didn't get to finish his thought before he was splashed with water. "UGH!You stupid human! That's freezing!""You're not the one standing in it! Now help me out." Trevor laughed.Alucard rose and offered his hand and as Trevor climbed up the bank, he let go. The hunter fell back, water soaking into his pants and hair. "I suppose I deserved that..."Alucard offered his hand once again and pulled Trevor out. "Yes. Yes you did.""You heartless vampire. I'm freezing now." Trevor huffed. "At least my pantss were dry but now I'm soaked to the bone. I hope you're happy now.""If you continue complaining like this, I'll be less pleased." Alucard rolled his eyes and handed Trevor his dry cloak. "Why do you never call me by my name?"Trevor had taken to attempting to ring out his pants while still wearing them. He paused in thought for a moment and merely shrugged. "I... don't know. I suppose it's become a habit now.""And before it became a habit?""I didn't think you really deserved it. I wanted to separate you from us. Maybe I'm still doing it?""You've never said my name. It'd be off to hear it come from you.""Well then, Alucard, you won't hear it from me often."Something about hearing his name from Trevor made him feel strange. He'd never hoped to hear it, but he'd imagined it before. It hardly seemed to effect Trevor the way it had Alucard but he'd be wrong. Trevor didn't like how the name git on his lips. It's not that he didn't like the name, it simply felt odd saying it after calling him 'Vampire' for the past half-month. Trevor turned from the vampire under the guise of ringing out his tunic. He tried another name quietly, mouthing 'Adrian' in secret. Sypha never referred to the vampire that way, it seemed much too personal. But the name fit nicely. It was elegant, much like the person it belonged to. Trevor quickly shook that last thought from his head and laid out his shirt once again to dry."That scar... the one on your shoulder, was that from when your home burned?" Alucard asked, breaking the silence."You've asked more questions than I have... but yes. A flaming beam came down on me while I was looking for-- I nearly died of smoke inhalation.""Did... everyone except you die?""Yes. Whether it was in the house or by the church... they all burned eventually."There was a somber silence as Alucard paused. He could feel the emotion pouring off Trevor, even with the man's back turned. "It's amazing you're not afraid of fire." Alucard muttered. He'd seen Trevor set up camp, seen the large fires he built."I am... I just try not to show it. What kind of hunter would I be if I were afraid of the light?""A legitimate one. It's alright to be afraid.""And what are half-breeds afraid of?" Trevor asked."...Dying." "Hm... well, given that Dracula or something else doesn't kill us, that's a long way off for you."Alucard was quiet for a moment. "I suppose so."That night, Trevor couldn't sleep. It was for several reasons. The screeching of demons far away, every little snap of a twig from an animal or bird, and sound of the trees swaying in the cold wind kept him awake. He feared the day that they camped and there would be nothing. No animals, no birds, just silence and Trevor alone with his thoughts and the ringing in his ears. Each time he tried to sleep, he'd jerk back awake merely minutes later. He stared up at the black sky and deemed that this would be a very very long night.
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During the night, Trevor couldn't sleep. When he tried, he'd gasp awake, every half-hour or so. He never felt rested each time he woke up and he feared that he'd never get any sleep. The dreams didn't help. The sky was black, no stars as it was cloudy, there wasn't even a moon or even a light shining from it. The rush of water and the dying crackle of the fire were the only sound he had for company. As he could take it no longer, he sat up, wrapped himself tighter in his cloak as he sat himself by the fire in silence. Alucard was gone, hunting Trevor suspected. He silently prayed that the vampire would bring back a buck but after an hour of waiting, Alucard returned with nothing, not even the smell of blood on him. It was always the worst times that Trevor's appetite returned, like now for instance. The moment Alucard sat down to ask Trevor what he was doing up, the hunter's stomach growled. Alucard was silent and the surprise on his face was enought to make Trevor laugh. He was quite in his amusement, careful not to wake Sypha."As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted," Alucard let slip a sly smile. "Why are you awake?""No idea. My body doesn't seem to want to sleep. It's not like I'm not tired... honestly, I'm exhausted but..." Trevor shook his head and poked at the fire. "I just can't.""I'm sure we all know the feeling. Being unable to rest a moment... I think the reason you can't is a symptom of your withdraws." Alucard hummed. "If properly treated you may be able to sleep a full night without aid in a few weeks.""And what will aid my sleep?""You know I'm skilled at making poultices and potions. You only need ask for something to help you sleep, even for a little while."Despite his want for sleep, Trevor refused the help and opted for a restless night. Alucard watched him. The man would go to sleep, then gasp awake minutes or even seconds later. Alucard counted the number of times, after the fiftieth time, Trevor became fed up and settle for staring down unblinking at the fire. He was angry, tired, and hungry and all he wanted to do was sleep. His eyes felt heavy and he dozed leaning against his knees before gasping awake again not even a few seconds later. He got up quickly and threw off his cloak. He kicked it angrily away from him and sat back down."Don't look at me." The hunter growled, making direct eye contact with Alucard, which was rare in of itself. Trevor wasn't angry with him, but the rage was certainly being directed towards the half-breed."You needn't put yourself though this." Alucard huffed. "If you don't let me help, you won't even have enough energy to fight. Lack of sleep can kill you.""This won't fucking kill me..." Trevor huffed, his voice sounded as if he was coming from experience."What was the longest you've been awake for? Continuously." Alucard asked."Eleven days.""Why?""There was... We were looking for a night stalker summoned by some dumb kids trying black magic... it killed all of them and got bold enough to attack during the day. It took us eleven days to find it and kill it.""You say that it was not just you?"Trevor was quiet for a moment. "My father and I... before."There was a long moment of silence. Alucard could practically see Trevor reliving the memory. His eyes stared down at the fire, intense, yet unfocused. The quiet wore on Trevor. It made him want to sleep, made his eyes heavier, but he didn't want to wake up again to another black sky."Did you catch anything while you were hunting?""Nothing." Alucard replied."Knew it was going to run out eventually...""This isn't running out... this is simply a scarce place. It's likely that the place has been hunted clean and the animals know to stay away.""And what if the next place is like this?""Belmont--""I've seen what happens to your kind when... famished. You aren't really picky on who you prey on.""Trevor that's enough.""You'd likely go for Sypha first. I've been told women, especially virgins taste best...""Trevor." Alucard snapped and the hunter seemed to snap out of his exhaustion educed rage. "Do not compare me to those monsters you fought."The hunter was quiet for a very long time. He didn't even look at Alucard, he didn't even apologize, though the vampire could feel the shame radiating from the sleep deprived human."You'll have a bed soon to sleep in." Alucard said gently. "If you don't want to try to sleep again, you can talk... if you don't want to, that's fine. Just don't take your rage out on me.""I know I did this to myself." Trevor's voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. "You don't even have to say it...""I wasn't going to." The vampire replied."You were going to..." Trevor could barely keep his eyes open and yet he feared waking up again to the same black sky with his lungs burning for air. He resigned to it and laid down, closing his eyes and listening to the nothing that the world have been reduced to. They'd be in a town soon enough... maybe he could... no. He promised. With that thought he fell asleep and stayed asleep.They arrive to their target village to restock but find it completely dead. Barely anything was left standing. Homes were burnt to the ground or toppled with people inside. Everyone was dead with no one to bury them or mourn their loss. This was the first village that they had been to like this, with Trevor fully sober. He felt sick to his stomach, he'd thought he'd been used to this by now, but... the more he looked, the more carnage he saw that what he used to. He saw children slaughtered in the streets, babes still clinging to their mothers, dead.. all dead. The alcohol numbed him and now... he could see everything he didn't wish to see. He felt the heavy feeling of guilt, the burning of bile in the back of his throat, and a white ringing in his ears. He can't even bring himself to cry over them... he just... couldn't. Sypha said a prayer for them and shed a few tears for the children who had never gotten to live. They'd lead their horses through the village with cloth over their eyes. Sypha insisted that they didn't see this and Trevor let her.In the village center was an old church, still standing, barely touched except a few scorch marks and broken windows. It was near sunset and it would be a good idea to shelter somewhere with the coming storm but this didn't feel right to Trevor. Despite both his and Alucard's discomfort about camping out in a church, Sypha convinced them that sleeping in a church would be safer. But Trevor is pretty sure she just wants to draw herself a hot bath."Listen. It will certainly not with a vampire, an ex-communicant, and a witch inside." Trevor said, but Sypha wouldn't hear it.They attempted to enter only to find the doors were locked and barricaded. Trevor tried several times on his own, Alucard had offered his help but Trevor refused it and after the seventh try, Alucard pushed the doors open himself, pushing pews and what ever else had weighted the door out of the way. They were met by a number of nuns and with no priest in sight. Trevor was surprised, this was pretty much any corrupt priest's dream. A small woman, scared out of her whits and likely the nuns' leader, given her age, spoke up in a shrill almost crow-like voice."You're not welcome here, demon!" She hissed."Demon?" Trevor would have thought she was talking to Alucard had she not been staring dead at the hunter."I know who you are. I was there in the capital! Only the devil would send a vampire, a witch, and a Belmont to kill us." Her words had venom as she spoke Trevor's name."Oh for Christ's sake..." Trevor rolled his eyes. "This is a church, where is your Bishop?""Dead." The elderly nun replied and clutched the cross at her neck. "He was wicked! He tried to make a deal with demons like you!"Trevor started walking forward, every step making all the other scared nuns take one back. All except the eldest nun. She shook with irrational fear and shoved a cross in his face with such force it was only natural for a man to flinch. She took it as a sign that he was repelled by it, but in all honesty... he couldn't really give a shit.The hunter looked down on her. "We simply need food and water and we'll be on our way.""You'll get nothing from us!" She said, shrilly.Trevor rolled his eyes once again and looked back at Sypha and Alucard. Honestly, none of them were in good standing with the church, so none had a very good chance of negotiating anything."There's a town about a weeks walk south that could use your protection. Obviously, someone here truly believes in god so she can go there with out you." Trevor sighed."We are all women of god! How dare you!?" The nun shoved the cross further into his face. It irritated him and he quickly grabbed her wrist, snatching it from her and tossing it off somewhere."Quit. It." Trevor said angrily. "You're no woman of god. If you truly were, you'd forgive us. The vampire for his birth, the speaker for her magic, and me..." Trevor had a lot to forgive, maybe not him... not yet."You are a Belmont! You cooperated with the demons and brought this upon us! You're doing still! You are too far gone to be forgiven." The nun wasn't budging. He looked around the church, all the women, young and old, beautiful to ugly, tall to stout... all scared but with no hate in their eyes. It was just be this old bitch who was compromising them. Power had gone to her as it would seem. "I know what I've heard... I know what you've done."Trevor gritted his teeth. He sincerely wished this woman would shut up this instant. He'd done a lot of things he wasn't proud of, she'd have to be more specific and specific she was."I'm certain you've let that demon touch you... you and your proclivities. Sinful. I know about you, last some of the Belmonts..." The nun seemed so confident in her information. "It's disgusting. I know your fancies are one of the reasons you were excommunicated. How could your family even stand to look at you after being found in public, underneath a man."Trevor had reservations about hitting a woman and though he really wished to, he held his fists at his sides. It wasn't like she was lying. It had happened so long ago now that he couldn't even remember the boy's name. That's all they were, just boys fooling around. They didn't deserve that kind of scrutiny by the church or by anyone. He looked to the other nuns. "You can see who your weak link is. Do with that what you will."With that, he turned his back and walked back to where Sypha and Alucard had been standing. Neither looked all that shocked, but he could feel the pity radiating off them and he hated it. As he walked out, he knocked over a basin of holy water in his anger. The stone shattered on the flood with a satisfying crack. If that nun was around and heard about him... they must be near the capital and it would likely be their last stop on the way to the library as the next town would be three weeks north of the city and there was no guarantee that it would even still be standing. Trevor never wanted to go back. Never."Trevor--" Sypha tried to speak to him."Don't. Just... don't." The hunter muttered. He looked back one last time at the nuns. "The nighthoard is coming by the way. Should reach you in a weeks time, best act quickly."With that he left for the cart. The sun hadn't fully set yet, they could make it a few miles. He didn't want to be here when the nuns decide they want to crucify the unholy trio. He sat himself in the card and ran his hands over his face in his exhaustion and anger. It was quiet for a moment before Alucard and Sypha caught up with him. They didn't say anything. Sypha simply climbed on and drove them forward, she seemed to have the exact same idea as Trevor... good. They rode into the night until Sypha couldn't go anymore. they were far enough away that the nuns wouldn't find them but they were on the very top of a hill over looking the capital. They were close enough to see the light emitting off beautifully from the city... so stupid... did they truly think they were safe?Trevor recognized the city all too well, the sight used to relieve him as he came home from a hunt... but now... it felt wrong. It used to tell him he'd be able to see his mother and his sisters again. It also meant he'd have to deal with his uncles, aunts, and cousins... but it was all worth it for his mother. Now... he dreaded it. He wondered if his home was still there... or rather the remnants of it. He wondered if another noble took it's place. He wondered if their garden had survived.Trevor looked up at the sky as a cold drop fell on his hand, as time passed, more followed, soaking the ground and putting out their fire that Sypha had started only moments before. He helped her pack up her now soaked bed roll and put it away. He laid out his own in the dry bed of their cart and touched at the canvas canape. It wouldn't be too much trouble, though it leaked a little. He marked the holes they had not seen previously for patching.They all sat in silence as the sound of the raid drowned out everything else. Finally, Sypha spoke. "What was it like? Growing up in the capital, I mean?""It was... nice, I suppose. We didn't leave the house much as children. The adults were afraid we's use the spells we'd learned." Trevor had a fond memory of his sister lighting the drapes on fire as they practiced."The Belmonts practiced magic?" Sypha asked with wide interested eyes. "Do you... remember any of it... perhaps?""Well... we tried to. Only some were skilled enough to really use it. Obviously, I wasn't one." Trevor replied. "I tried using spells and nothing ever happened... I think you're meant to be born with it."Sypha smiled. "You don't seem... elegant enough to be a magic user."Trevor snorted and playfully shoved her. "I'm plenty elegant!""Maybe with a whip... not with a sword." Alucard teased. "You're about as elegant as a mule comparatively.Trevor rolled his eyes and Sypha chuckled quietly. The sound of the rain and silence returned."The city is beautiful from here." Sypha muttered.The walls around it had been elegantly built from granite and stone alike. There were four intricate iron gates in and out of the city and the inside was filled with buildings much taller than that the wall. He recalled the streets were painted with gold light during the night from the lamp light and he honestly loved it... but not now. The noble houses were further towards the center, near the church. Trevor knew the route to his home, the market, the bar, and the church by heart. But what he remembered most was his mother's garden, where he cried over his first relationship of only two months. She had broken it off with him to date his cousin, he'd almost certain she had married him and perished. His mother hid him from his father as he cried over her. She couldn't hide him forever and eventually, Trevor stopped crying all together. He remembered the last time he cried all too well...His train of thought was interrupted by Sypha's head on his shoulder and soft snores coming from her. He smiled to himself and moved her gently to lay down. He leaned back against a crate of food they had pilfered from the abandoned village a ways back after tucking her in."Now that I think about it... my childhood wasn't that great..." Trevor huffed in sad amusement."Can I ask you about what the nun said?" Alucard inquired.Trevor didn't really want to talk about it, but there it was... out in the open, begging for an explanation. His cousins and the entirety of the church made him feel bad about his attractions to both men and women, if Alucard was... disgusted by him... well, he wasn't sure if he could take it."I was young and stupid." Trevor replied. "That's all.""How old were you?""Eighteen. We'd been drinking. It was a late night fumble in the dark and the city guard found us." They hadn't even really gotten into it. The stories were exaggerated beyond belief. They'd simply kissed. "I was arrested for public indecency and public drunkenness, along with a whole bunch of other things I can't recall. A few of my first offenses on a very long list.""I... see.""Don't pity me. I've had enough of Sypha's sad puppy eyes. I don't need yours.""I assure you..." Alucard hummed. "You will receive no pity from me."Trevor's head tilted in confusion as Alucard truly did not pity him. Even if he had, Trevor found no sign of it on his face."It takes a brave man to speak about something like that. I think no less of you. I might even think more of you." The vampire said."Really, now?" Trevor feigned as if he had a chip on his shoulder to lighten the mood. He was sure he visibly relaxed at Alucard's words."I said might." The vampire smirked.Trevor snorted. "Ass." He huffed and laid down with his back to Alucard and Sypha. He dreamed... but it wasn't quite a nightmare... yet not quite something all together good either...
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Trevor dreamed of the cold and his old home, more specifically, his mother's garden. He sat at the edge of the large fountain at it's center watching his youngest sisters chase each other around. He was twenty now and they were both nine. Their mother had left on a hunt to the north as had their father, though he traveled south. This left Trevor the head of the family for the time being. The two young girls chased each other around rose bushes, potted plants, and a few of the large trees planted in the far corners. Their father would disapprove of the girls not studying or even training for that matter. As the elder Belmont would put it, "No Belmont has time for fickle things". The hunter would keep their secrets as long as they kept hi but even then... if he hadn't, they refused to tell anyone anything about his nightly escapades.Josephine, the younger of the two skidded around the young in the corner of the garden and fell face first into the stone walkway. She sat up slowly and held her nose in pain. Trevor would have to make up a story now about how she'd hurt herself in training. He rushed to her side, gently pushing her elder twin out of the way. He gently cooed at her and moved her hands away from her face. She hadn't quite broken her nose but her lip was busted and her hands were scraped up worse than he face. He carried the still crying nine year old inside and cleaned her up well enough. Her lip would scar but it was nothing that diminished her soft features, after all, women of the Belmont family took pride in their scars. She looked up at him and pressed her bandaged palms to the sides of Trevor's face and smiled, even with her eyes and puffy and her lip swollen, she wouldn't let him worry.She was fourteen when she burned. Her sister survived her for only a few months before she burned too. Trevor was too much of a coward to do anything and that's what led him to be the last remaining Belmont. He cried for them, then drank until he could forget their screams for him to save him. He'd found himself in a burning tavern, the faces of his family accusing him of his cowardice.Trevor woke that morning, not feeling rested at all and with the memories fresh in his mind. Sypha was awake and feeding the horses and Alucard aiding her. Trevor exited the cart and found that it had snowed. It wasn't a particularly welcome change. They'd have to stock up in the capital and keep moving before the nighthoard hit... or rather, that's what Trevor would have liked to do if it weren't for Sypha being so adamant on offering her help. Trevor tried to convince her it would be exactly the same as Gresit and everywhere else, but as always, she held too much faith in people.It took them just over an hour to reach the capital. Alucard and Sypha drove them in while Trevor hid himself away. It cost them ten silvers to get the guards to look the other way and not to check the passengers or what they were carrying. They'd made it past the market and Trevor knew that even being here would make him feel ill as everything looked so familiar. He knew just how close they were to where his home used to be. Sypha, per the instruction of Alucard, drew Trevor's attention away from the city and on to a conversation about the library that they had been traveling to."Only three more weeks given that everything goes as planned." She hummed."It won't... but yeah." Trevor replied. "I'm... just ready to be done with this.""Our journey won't end at the library. We still have to find my father." Alucard said from the front of the cart."There's no guarantee we'll live. I might be burned at the stake here if I'm found... we're not exactly being careful.""We'll protect you." Sypha squeezed his arm in an attempt of reassurance. "You'll be okay.""I'm never okay, Sypha. You know this." Trevor replied. She looked down sadly, knowing full well that there was a good chance that Trevor would never be okay.They reached the inner city, usually reserved for the nobles and the rich, but as Alucard had somewhat of a silver tongue, they were able to enter ostensibly under the guise that the Vampire was some pretty foreign noble. Because of this, they'd been able to shelter in a very nice inn, though unfortunately, it was part of a tavern below. Trevor would have liked to stay somewhere closer to the wall, he wanted an easy way out, somewhere cheep, but Sypha wanted a hot bath and good food. Alucard also wanted something more upscale, leaving Trevor out voted. The moment she was able, Sypha rushed up the stairs to have a hot bath. Alucard and Trevor remained in the tavern below the inn and ate, or rather, Trevir did and Alucard talked at him. The hunter didn't really listen as he eyed the bar patrons, nervous and itching for a drink. The coin in Trevor's pocket felt heavy, but he refused to break the promise he made.Alucard noticed Trevor's attention drifting away and as a test, he'd tried saying something strange and when that didn't work, the vampire said something outrageous. Trevor simply nodded and hummed as he stared down at the plate in order to keep his attention away from the alcohol surrounding him."You have beautiful eyes." Alucard said and that gained Trevor's attention very quickly. His face went red and Alucard couldn't tell if it was anger or embarrassment."Please tell me I'm losing my hearing and you didn't say that." Trevor huffed."Ah, so now you're paying attention? I did indeed say that, by the way."Trevor let out displeased grunt and went back to eating, though he did keep glancing up at the vampire. The silence was awkward, then Trevor broke it."Did you hit your head or something?" He asked."No." Alucard replied simply. "You were thinking about drinking.""No, I wasn't. I was just... this bar is familiar." Trevor denied, though it was a half-truth. He'd been wanting to drink, but he knew for a fact he'd been here before. This place was under different management the last time he'd been here."Regardless, you weren't paying attention. I said you looked like a mare's ass and you just kept nodding.""Well obviously I don't if you like my eyes." Trevor rolled his eyes."You can braid a mare's tail, Belmont."The hunter frowned and continued to eat. His face remained slightly red as he quickly finished his meal. He glanced up at Alucard then to the plate in front of him. "Were you... going to eat that?" The hunter asked, gesturing to Alucard's uneaten plate of food. The vampire pushed the plate over to Trevor didn't hesitate to eat it. He paused soon after he started, in thought."When was the last time you... 'ate'?" He asked."A week and a half now." The blond replied."You haven't found anything?""It's winter. Everything has either fled south or has been killed by the nighthoard.""I know I made you an offer a while back... do you need it?"Alucard wanted to reject it, but he honestly needed it. He glanced around then sighed. He could feed off cattle here, but even then... it truly wouldn't last him until the library, but with Trevor..."Finish your meal, go upstairs and bathe... after... we can talk more about it." Alucard finally said. It gave Trevor time to consider what he was offering and the vampire enough time to think about what he was taking.Trevor wasn't as scared as Alucard thought he'd be, but he obviously wasn't at all relaxed about it. He finished his food and as he went up the stairs, he couldn't help but look back at Alucard. The blond seemed so conflicted, that was good enough for Trevor and quelled any fear he had. However, it didn't fix his nerves.The hunter had gotten up the stairs in time to see a blissful Sypha exit the bath. She smiled. "The water is still warm I think. Go ahead." she then wandered off into her room, not even considering having a meal in the lower tavern.Trevor sat in the bath until it went cold. No amount of convincing himself could help the feeling of how wrong this really was. A Belmont feeding a vampire... Trevor assumed that every Belmont ever lived were rolling in their graves as he even considered it. He could treat it like cauterizing a wound... do it to get it over with. He groaned and dunked himself under the cold water. He'd gone soft. How could he get so comfortable with a vampire so close? His stomach twisted itself as he stood from the bath, dressed, then stood in front of Alucard's door. He'd checked in the lower tavern but the man was nowhere to be found. He took a deep breath and entered. As expected, Alucard was there, sitting on the bed, looking as broody as ever.As the vampire looked over to him, Trevor felt something he hadn't in a while. His sense that this was entirely wrong and that Alucard should be the enemy... but there was a greater enemy here. It'd do them no good with one less ally. Trevor shook himself from his conflicted thoughts and finally spoke."You wanted to talk more. I'm here, so talk.""I can go two weeks on human blood alone, it' been over a month since I've had any. The last time was when you and Sypha found me, if you recall." Alucard spoke very seriously, his voice low and quiet. "Animals on the other hand... they last only half a week, four days at most.""And you've gone a week and a half with nothing!?" Trevor felt anger ride in his chest, replacing his uncertainty. How could Alucard put Sypha and him in danger like this!? "You've been starving yourself when you knew you had options!""I didn't wish to ruin your image of me. You've never seen-- I'm sure you've seen what happens to vampires when given the chance to feed. I was content with you not seeing me do it." Alucard huffed, knowing full well he'd put their group in danger over something so meaningless. "I'm certain you've seen vampires... kill your kin and I don't want to be seen that way.""You wouldn't eat because you thought I still gave a shit if you were a vampire or not?""I understand that I have been responsible but--""A month is not enough for me to forget what you are, no amount of time would be. I know what you are and--" Trevor growled loudly in frustration. He'd felt like some stupid maiden in one of his sister's horribly written novels. He hated it. His rage dulled into a mild roar. "I don't care.""Belmont, you--""We've got god knows how long left in this journey ahead of us and this was going to happen eventually. We made a deal."Alucard sighed. "We made promises... you made an offer. I'm starving Trevor, you don't know how I'll react.""You forget I'm a Belmont in two seconds? I'm armed to be able to kill you. You hurt me, I hurt you." It was no threat, it was a promise with full sincerity behind it. "If you're so goddamn worried about it, I can have my whip around your neck in a matter of seconds and pop off your head with a pull.""You've thought about this, haven't you?" Alucard asked."Honestly, when you hate vampires as much as I do, you get creative when thinking of ways things could go wrong." Trevor replied. He still thought about it from time to time... having to kill Alucard if something happened.Trevor pulled one of his throwing knives from its place on his chest then sat down next to the half-breed. He held out the blade for Alucard to take and he looked to Trevor as if he'd just sprouted a second head."I'm not doing this for you." Trevor honestly hated pain, he'd rather not inflict it upon himself. Alucard simply accepted the knife and moved to kneel in front of the hunter. He rolled the sleeve of the brunets tunic up and though he had received permission... he wanted to give Trevor his chance to back out. "Just do it already... I'm not squeamish."Alucard said nothing as he quickly nicked Trevor's forearm. It was small, Trevor wasn't entirely sure that the vampire had cut deep enough, but sure enough it bled enough to drip down his arm, threatening to ruin his shirt. He looked from the small wound to Alucard and regretted doing so as glowing gold stared back at him. The stare seemed to instill something in Trevor that certainly was not fear as it raced down his spine.Alucard took Trevor by his wrist and without hesitation, he laved his tongue over the wound, making the hunter cringe at the feeling. That was all it took for him to to close his mouth over it and drink in Trevor. The hunter knew it wasn't fear the moment his breath became labored and how every sound that came from Alucard made him grit his teeth and every brush of fangs made his skin feel as if it were on fire. It went on as Trevor lost track of time. He started to feel lightheaded and he knew this was a good time as any to stop. He should have stopped earlier, much earlier. He'd let go of his whip god knows how long ago, but it still laid next to him."Stop." Trevor said and as he tried to pull his wrist away, he found that he was in an iron grip."Alucard, Stop!" He tried again but received a grown and a hard press of possessive teeth. "Stop it! God damn it!""ADRIAN!"That worked as Alucard quickly jerked away and looked up at Trevor with shocked golden eyes."God dammit...." Trevor hissed. "I shouldn't have let this..." His words trailed off as he examined the wound and though it still bled, it wasn't nearly as much as before. The skin around it was andry and would likely. It was one one big fucking hickey. Trevor would laugh if he didn't feel so short of breath."I... apologize. I knew I was... but I hadn't expected to react this way." Alucard pulled some cloth from an inside pocket of his coat to wrap Trevor's arm."It's partly my fault. I should have stopped you earlier." Trevor huffed and stood up in an attempt to get the dizzy feeling out of his head. The world swam instead. "Shit..." His voice slurred and he dropped like a bag of bricks. Luckily he felt Alucard catch him before he met the floor. "Fffuck was that a bad idea...""You shouldn't have gotten up." The vampire said and lifted Trevor with little effort. He laid the man down on the bed and despite Trevor's weakness, he managed to catch Alucard before he could retreat. He had an arm wrapped around the blond's neck, a hand clutching the collar of his coat tightly, and held him close."Did you mean what you said about my eyes?" The hunter asked."Yes." Alucard replied. "They reminded me of the ocean...""Never seen the ocean." Trevor let go of him and rolled on his side, facing away from Alucard. He fell into a quick sleep or maybe it was unconsciousness? Alucard wasn't sure. He checked the man's breathing, pulse, temperature, nothing out of the ordinary except that the man was slightly colder than normal."I'll take you." Alucard stood then covered the man. "When this is over... I suppose." Not that he expected any of them would survive his father. Though if anyone could, it'd likely be a Belmont. Humans are resilient after all.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Trevor woke with a headache, something akin to a hangover, though at least he wasn't sick to his stomach. He was actually hungry for a change, starving even. It was early in the morning and the tavern below was still closed. He supposed he could wake Sypha so they could go out and do as she wanted. Going out to render aid might prove a good venture and may also give them a chance to find a decent breakfast and maybe if they helped the right people, it might even be free. Waking Sypha proved... difficult. He hadn't wanted to intrude but after nearly beating down the door in an attempt to wake her up, he walked in and a pillow immediately hit him in the face. It dropped and he stared at a very angry Sypha."Get up." Trevor said. He would never admit it, but Sypha's angry face scared the hell out of him. "We've got one day here so you'd best get to work on your whole... speaker thing."Her face softened and she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Oh... right. I'm sorry." "We've got a... grocery list as well. We'll likely be out all day." Trevor pulled a piece of parchment from one of his pockets."Will Alucard be coming with us?" Sypha asked as she yawned."I don't know. You're the first I've woken up." Trevor turned to leave. "Meet me downstairs in a half-hour?""Sure." Is the reply he received before he left for his former room, which he was sure now belonged to Alucard.He entered the room expecting Alucard to be his regular brooding self, however he found the man laying comfortably with his eyes closed. "Alucard." He said in an attempt to gain the vampire's attention, but he received no response. He circled the bed and judging by Alucard's breathing..."You're fucking asleep." Trevor was amazed, he didn't know the vampire could physically do that. He scoffed at Alucard's softened features as he slept. "You have a warm meal, then you pass out without so much as a thank you." He huffed.He wrote the vampire a note before they left, notifying him of where they would be going. Trevor wouldn't be back before Alucard woke up and he'd rather not have the vampire panic or get angry at him for not telling him where he and Sypha had gone. Honestly, he didn't really bother even trying to wake Alucard. He was reasonably angry that the night prior, Alucard couldn't control himself... he expected better.He left the vampire to sleep and found Sypha on the floor below waiting for him. Funny, he thought she'd take longer given that there were so many lairs to her speaker clothing, tunics, and cloaks. Trevor wrapped himself warmly in his cloak to cover his sigil and as it snowed again, he needed all the insulation he could get. They left for the outskirts of the city where demon attacks happened often, so it was maybe the best place to start offering aid, although it would be the most difficult. The outer city was closest to the wall meaning that guards, soldiers, and priests alike patrolled the streets. The two had avoided them well in the back alleys and Trevor showed several families in the slums how to protect their homes. He also gave some children from an orphanage a few tomes to protect other children and ease their fears. Trevor would offer blessings of homes if he weren't ex-communicated. Blessing anything now would do nothing, it would simply be words, nothing else.As morning turned to noon, Trevor was starving and Sypha didn't look like she was stopping anytime soon. He felt the faintest tug on his cloak and when he turned, there was a little girl no older than seven. She held a quarter of a loaf of stale bread up to him. It'd be filling, but it was nothing balanced and wouldn't last them long out here, but it was something and he appreciated it. He knelt down and smiled at the shy little girl. She handed him the bread, or rather she shoved it into his chest and ran away giggling to her small circle of friends. Trevor stood then weighed the quarter loaf in his hand. He split it in half then got Sypha to stop long enough to eat. She scarfed it down quickly so she could get back to work at tending wounds and helping people set up ways to protect their homes and their families.Trevor had only just finished eating before the back street went into a panic. The hunter had the worst feeling as the sound of marching and forceful voices became closer and clearer. It was the clergy and the guard. The children who were playing in the streets only moments prior now hid behind their parents and caretakers in fear. This place was just as bad as Gresit... maybe even worse. He looked around as the adults seemed more than a bit nervous and they began herding their families inside. A woman began pulling Sypha towards the entrance of her home, rambling about how they needed to hide and that outsiders such as themselves weren't welcome by the church. She pleaded but Trevor knew this wouldn't be as simple as just hiding away. He'd seen the witch hunts here and he knew that the guards didn't stop at just questioning. They invaded homes, took belongings, and in the last couple years, he knew that hadn't changed. Trevor looked back at Sypha."Hide. I'll run and make a distraction. When it's clear, go back to the inn and if I'm not there..." Trevor knew he'd be tried for heresy, witchcraft, black magic, and what ever else they could come up with. If caught, he'd likely be hung before noon the next day with no fair trial. "Get Alucard and come find me... preferably before sunrise.""Trevor! What are you doing!? I won't know where to find you!" Sypha yelled at him. She was panicked and scared. She was too confident in her ability to fight people off... this was the one time that it may be the death of her if Trevor didn't step in."Probably locked away in the church somewhere being tortured." Trevor shrugged and pushed Sypha inside the house. "At least they can't burn me!""Why not!? They seem to have no reservation about arresting an innocent man!"Trevor smiled softly, she had so much faith in him. "They stopped burning witches when the demons started eating their babies. Now, they torture them rigorously then execute them quickly so the witch can't curse them."Before Sypha could say anything more, Trevor ran as the guards laid eyes upon him, but not Sypha who stood in the house. To make himself a bigger target and draw attention away from Sypha and the woman who aided in hiding her, he shed his cloak so all could see the crest woven into the back and front of his tunic. Some that they had helped turned in shock, others cheered at the sign of the Belmonts. He ran as quickly as his legs would carry him on his empty stomach through the alleyways. As he fled, the guards kept close on his tail and as he paid more and more attention to slowing them down, he lost track of where he was going or where he was now for that matter. His lungs burned and his head felt light as he burned more energy than he actually had. As he skidded around a corner, he realized he had trapped himself.He searched for a way out but all doors had been barred, all windows boarded shut and he had his back to the hundred foot wall that surrounded the city. Guards now circled him and he was forced to draw his sword. Trevor's muscles burned, his lungs were killing him and as a crossbow bold went through his leg he knew there was no use fighting anymore. He dropped to the heard cobblestone below with a sickening thud and yelled in pain."I don't think that was loud enough. Do you?" One guard said to another before stepping on Trevor's wounded leg, making him scream and struggle to get away from the pain. There were a few sickening laughs before they all stopped and stood straight in the presence of their captain. He was an old haggard man that Trevor recognized. He'd been a friend of his fathers, years before. They had helped him when a demon had targeted his daughter and tormented her. Trevor killed the demon himself."Ah. Hello, Rodrick." Trevor greeted him in pain. "How's the wife?"The man didn't reply, not that Trevor expected him to do so. He simply stared down at Trevor. His face was sallow and cold, his eyes even more so. He looked like a poor imitation of his former self. The hunter wondered what had happened in his absence but he already knew... the world fucking ended... he lost everyone just and anyone in this world has."Get him up and in a cell. Strip him of his weapons and see to it that that arrow is removed. The bishop wants to see this... heretic before he is sentenced." The captain said before turning his back and leaving.There was no gentleness given when the soldiers hauled him to his feet. His leg screamed in pain and as Trevor was forced to walk, he had to fight away the black that threatened to claim his consciousness. The arrow missed most of the important stuff and would leave a wicked scar, but he'd walk normally if treated well. However, Trevor didn't think he would live long enough to even see tomorrow's sunset.They spoke nothing of Sypha which was a blessing. He'd caused a great enough distraction that they had completely passed her up. Trevor was none too gracefully thrown in a cell with the bolt still in his leg. He needed it out before it caused irreparable damage and he would get no help with it. Trevor ripped a long piece of cloth from his undershirt then but down on the leather of his bracer. This wouldn't be pretty to any extent but he needed the bold gone and the wound closed. He wrapped his fingers around the bolt's end and broke off the sharp metal head that had pierced through the other side of his leg, then he put both hands on the feathered end and without much hesitation, he pulled. The pain was excruciating and black dots spotted his vision. He moved quickly to wrap the wound tightly before the exhaustion and pain claimed him into unconsciousness.When Trevor awoke it was just past sunset. His leg had stopped bleeding, however the pain had not lessened. He'd awoken just in time to meet the Bishop... well, the new Bishop. He'd killed the other a year prior. The man was stout and elderly, obviously spoiling himself and starving the people. No less corrupt than the last."Hello, chief replacement." Trevor growled and the Bishop continued to look down upon him. "How's the whole... Jesus thing going?""You sniveling little levereter!" The Bishop hissed and suddenly this felt all too familiar. Oh, yes. He'd dealt with the sister only just a day prior. "Do not feign courtesy with me. I see what you are demon and I will not have you undermine mine and God's authority."Trevor raised a brow. "Right... because that's what I was doing.""I know of you Trevor Belmont and the list of your crime... I'm not even sure God can forgive you for murdering innocent men of the cloth." Said the Bishop."You know nothing of what I've done." Trevor snapped. "You know nothing of those innocent men!""I'm well aware actually. Murder, heresy, Black Magic, Glutony, lust. I know very well of what you've done.""So hang me then!" Trevor wanted out, Sypha and Alucard had yet to come for him and the sun had already set. His only chance of escape now would be a public execution."No. The people need... a reminder of sorts.""What reminder?" The hunter hissed."That all witches burn here."Trevor's stomach dropped and the Bishop could see the absolute terror in the hunter's eyes. The Bishop smirked and simply left Trevor with the fact that he was now going to his own Pyre. It seemed only fitting... all Belmonts burn eventually. He did not sleep that night and for the first time in a while, he prayed. The morning came and Trevor hated the sun for rising and for Sypha and Alucard for never coming for him. He had no peace with God and he knew that if he was going anywhere, it would certainly be hell. Cleansing by fire was just made up by some sick priest who wanted to watch people scream and priests like him followed his example. The church had stripped Trevor of everything that had ever belonged to him save a shirt and pants. He was forced out if his cell and his hands were chained. As he limped out of the prison and into the daylight he felt the cold like never before as it ripped right through his clothes. The water from the melting snow clung to his bare feet and the sun did nothing to warm him. People lined the streets, the fanatics and the devout screaming for execution. They'd soon have it as the hunter was marched towards the square.Trevor gazed upon his pyre and came to the conclusion that these Christians were nothing if not fast. He also came to the conclusion that he this was going to hurt. He felt so betrayed by Alucard and Sypha. Why hadn't they come got him? Why hadn't they even tried? His leg ached and his mind raced and soon enough he was chained to his pyre. He stared blankly down at the bundles of wood and sticks at his feet as the Bishop went on some rant about how evil and unholy Trevor was, but all Trevor could think of where the people whom he had thought were his friends. The same question repeated in his mind, over and over. Why hadn't they tried?The guard captain was soon before Trevor with a lit torch. The man seemed regretful and sad. He simply looked up at Trevor and said, "I'm sorry, my boy." then he lit the pyre as if it were nothing. He wasn't sorry, only guilty.The smoke got to Trevor first and his lungs burned as he pulled at his chains. His panic began to set in as the fire crawled towards him and as it finally hit the very dry wood beneath Trevor's feet, he closed his eyes tight and braced for pain. But the pain never came. The fire was so close to burning him and yet it had stopped in it's tracks. He opened his eyes and saw a flash of blue robes and short blonde hair. His heart suddenly felt lighter and he no longer feared the fire in that moment. He didn't know what the plan was or where Alucard could be, but just seeing Sypha was enough for him to know they both had to be here. He stared down the Bishop with the biggest grin on his face and the most evil look he could muster and the old bastard was genuinely terrified which gave Trevor the best satisfaction."Now!" Sypha yelled and the flamed roared to life and became a protective wall around the pyre. Trevor felt cold hands touch his and he smiled. He tried to look over his shoulder but could only catch a glimpse of blind curls."What took you so long?" Trevor was happy for the moment but he knew any moment the anger would come and the betrayal will settle in his stomach like a pile of hot stones."We needed a quick escape. Rescuing you the night before would have proved disastrous." Alucard replied, his voice in Trevor's ear. The sounds alone made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end."I'm still angry with you, sleeping beauty." Trevor huffed and he heard the snap of chains that had previously held him up. His leg screamed as he tried his best to stand up. Alucard circled around and caught Trevor's arm and pulled it over his shoulder."Trevor, do you trust me?" Alucard asked."For now, yes. But if you let me burn, I will be extremely cross!" Trevor replied and Alucard smiled.The vampire picked Trevor up in his arms which caused Trevor to hold onto the man bruising tight in reflex. "Buy a man a drink first!" Trevor quipped. The fire around them began to weaken and slowly the pillar of fire was burning at an all time low. The entire square saw what was unfolding and they all seemed very afraid of what was happening. How could another man get into the fire like that? The perfect dramatic effect.Without any warning, Alucard used some stupid vampiric power that Trevor was certain he'd never wrap his head around. They were out of the inferno and on the rickety roof of a building overlooking the square. The flames then swallowed the rest of the pyre as Sypha had stopped controlling it and she exited the crowd. Alucard was like a cat on his feet as they dropped off the building into an alley, the man landed so gracefully even while holding the 200 something pound Trevor in his arms. He continued to carry Trevor though the streets to their meeting point."I can move on my own!" Trevor protested."You'd be nothing more than a hindrance if I were to allow you to move on your own, so shut up." Alucard stared ahead and ran like there wasn't a full grown man weighing him down. The vampire seemed angry with him now and with the burning shame of being carried settling with in Trevor, he knew an argument between them was inevitable."Thank you." Trevor said in all sincerity."I'd do it again in a heartbeat." Alucard replied.The hunter chuckled. He'd never expected to become the damsel in distress, yet here he was. If his sisters could see him now. "My hero." Trevor said quietly in his own amusement.They met Sypha at one of the peasant gates and once Alucard let Trevor stand on his own, Sypha hugged him tightly before pulling back and slapping him."How could you do that!? We could have just hidden and if we were found, we could have fought!" She yelled at him, angry now and on the verge of tears."Please, Sypha. This wasn't that simple." Trevor felt the guilt settle back into it's regular place. "The men here... they're cowards here. They go the easiest route to drop you. They would have killed you.""I'm stronger than you give me credit for!""I know you're strong. Stronger than both Alucard and myself and that's why they'd have killed you without any hesitation."She held on to her anger, but she said nothing. At least she knew Trevor made a point. She turned her attention to Alucard. "We need to start moving. I wasn't able to keep the fire up forever, they saw you and are likely making moves to come and close the gates. Get Trevor loaded into the cart and do what you can until we reach a safe distance. I know a few healing spells... however, they won't completely mend."Alucard simply nodded and aided Trevor in getting into the car with his bum leg. The hunter hadn't quite realized how badly he had been shivering up until this point and Alucard quickly shed his coat and covered Trevor with it. Then he ripped Trevor's pants leg up to his thigh and looked over the makeshift bandage Trevor had attempted to use to stop the bleeding. The hunter said nothing about how angry he was that Alucard ripped his only pair of pants. He simply stayed quiet and watched. The vampire began to unwind the cloth and the quickly he realized that the banage had stuck to Trevor's leg, clinging to his wound and the raw nerves around it. The hunter had jerked back in pain as Alucard had tried to pull it off."Count to three." The vampire said."Wait, what are you--" Trevor didn't even get to finish his sentence before the bandage was ripped from him. He covered his mouth to muffle the pained yell that threatened to let losse. His leg was bleeding again, but Alucard had been ready for it. He rinsed the wound quickly before wrapping it again tightly with proper bandages."I'm going to replace this every couple of hours so the bandage doesn't fuse to your wound again." Alucard gently smoothed his hand over the clean white bandage. "The church did nothing to help you?"Trevor gave a pained scoff. "I'm a heretic. No one in the church will help, they'll only stand and stare.""We've got to be wary of infection then..." Alucard turned and dug through a crate behind him. "We managed to grab a couple things before we left." He produced Trevor's belt with his sword and whip still attached and handed it to the hunter."How did you even find these!?" Trevor smiled and took the belt. It was tarnished from being handled too roughly, but it was nothing that couldn't be cleaned or fixed. "I thought campires couldn't enter churches.""God hadn't been in that church for a very long time. It was easy enough. The priests wouldn't dare touch it, so I took it." Alucard also pulled Trevor's bracers out along with his boots. "I couldn't save your tunic. They'd burned it already and were getting ready to burn your bracers and well."Trevor was saddened that his tunic had not survived. His mother had sewn it for him a few years ago and it was the last thing of hers that he ever had. "I'm-- you've given me back more than I thought you would... thank you.""We'll be making a detour. It'll add a week to our journey but we can not continue onward until you have proper equipment and protection." Alucard looked ahead to the front and now it was Sypha's turd to speak."Alucard has a few people in the next town over than owe him favors." She said with an almost excited smile. "A few tailors, a smith and an armorer.""I don't know if you've noticed but I'm dead broke. I've a couple silvers, that's it." Trevor frowned. He wanted to continue on with this journey, but at the moment he was of no use as he couldn't even stand properly, let alone fight."I owq you, for last night and the one prior as well." Alucard sighed. "I kept Sypha from trying to rescue you and I know you expected us to come help you long before we actually had and... I couldn't imagine how terrible that felt."Are you... apologizing with money?" Trevor asked."I may be attempting to." Alucard chuckled softly. "Will you accept?""Maybe. Depends on how good these tailors, smiths, and armorers are at their jobs." Trevor teased. His anger wasn't so easily brushed aside, but he tried to will himself to accept that it would have been impossible for Sypha and Alucard to spare him from facing his own pyre but they should have been there. His anger was less focused on Sypha now and more in Alucard. His forgiveness wasn't something anyone could buy, but he was a Belmont... he could hold on to it forever. Or rather that's what he thought.
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It took them nearly a week in the opposite direction they were meant to go in to find Alucard's little city. It was protected well, there were actual priests instead of the nut jobs that had been taking over the church. They'd stopped at a rather nice inn and a woman came out and in acted way too familiar with Alucard. She was a large woman, older and well fed, she might as well be the stereotypical grandmother. She wrapped her arms around the tall blond and pat his back, talking with him just out of earshot. She looked back to Sypha and Trevor who were sitting in the back of the cart, or rather Sypha was sitting, Trevor was looking like a damn mess of a man covered in soot and dried blood. She walked with Alucard to the cart, her arm linked in his. "My goodness, he certainly is a mess. I thought your mother taught you to treat your patients better." She said, tutting at the vampire."There's only so much one can do when they are running from an angry mob." Alucard replied and slipped from her arm to get Trevor up to his feet. "May I?" He asked simply and the Belmont grunted in response. Alucard supposed it was a yes and pulled Trevor's arm over his shoulder, gently pulling him to his feet. Trevor thought that the vampire might as well be carrying him as his feet only barely touched the ground."You've been very quiet since we got on our way." Sypha said to Trevor. "You're not still fuming are you?""Shut up, Sypha." Trevor hissed and the speaker was taken aback by the hunter's sudden bitterness.The woman led them inside slowly, adjusting her pace to match Trevor's, or rather Alucard's who was making the hunter walk too damn slow for his liking. There were stairs, or course there were stairs, there were always fucking stairs. Alucard once again basically carried him up them, his feet just barely touching the old wood. "Everything is just where you left it, although maybe just a little moved. It takes a little dusting every now and then." The old woman smiled and unlocked the door furthest down the hall. It opened to a large room with it's own bed and a desk filled with papers, medical supplies, and what Trevor could only assume were potions of a sort. He is set down on the bed to sit and the trio are left alone there in a stale silence."I need a bath." Trevor said after a moment."I'll say." Sypha snorted. "I'll go tell the inn keep for some bath water.""You do that." The hunter replied and the young woman left the room to travel back to the first floor.Trevor looked around the bed and reached over to the bed side table and picked up an old letter opener. He twisted it in his fingers for a moment and watched Alucard sort though his desk and a few of the odd potions."Sooooo...." Trevor started, though before he could start Alucard popped the cork from one of the bottles and pulled a new roll of cloth to wrap his wound. "You're just in a doctoring sort of mood right now aren't you?""You could say that." Alucard replied. "However, this will aid with healing and also the pain.""Sign me the fuck up then." The hunter said almost immediately. Sypha entered with a stack of clothing and a pair of work boots."The lady downstairs gave me some of her son's clothes. She said you looked like you needed them. Also, she's got a tub full just down the hall now.""Oh thank god." Trevor sighed and stood on his good leg. Alucard was there by his side in a moment and the hunter angrily pushed him away. "Are you going to follow me into the bath now?" He hissed.Sypha walked up to his side and looked back to Alucard. "I've got him." She said and oddly enough, Trevor was so much more comfortable with Sypha having an arm around him than he was with Alucard at the moment. It had been nonstop babying and it really was starting to wear on him. Sypha was a good support while still allowing Trevor to walk on his own to the bath. "Call me when you're done or something. I don't want you bleeding out in the tub." The speaker said with a sigh and shoved the clean clothes into his arms once he sat himself down. Then she left him to his own devices and Trevor couldn't be happier. He hadn't been by himself in forever, not after the drinking incident and not after his injury. The more they helped him the more useless he felt, so if felt good to be alone for once. The bath water wasn't hot or warm for that matter, but it wasn't ice cold like the weather outside. He hadn't realized how dirty he had been until the water had turned a clear grey. He was out of the water quickly, but he spent a little longer getting dressed. He tried to pull the pants on without pulling his stitches, but it was inevitable. He groaned in pain but finally was able to dress himself completely. He limped to the door and opened it to an impatient Sypha with her arms crossed over her chest."Took you long enough." He huffed and wrapped her arm around him."You know, you're the perfect height for a cane." Trevor teased."Shut up, Trevor." She snorted and brought him back to the room where Alucard was waiting with bandages and a cloth soaking in what Trevor could only assume was the potion the vampire mentioned earlier."You pulled your stitches." Alucard frowned deeply and Trevor returned it, feeling violated that the blond could literally smell it on him."Just bandage it already." The hunter grunted.Alucard worked with surgical precision and was quick about checking the stitches, cleaning the wound, placing the soaked cloth on the wound and wrapping it. "We'll be staying here for a little while. I'll be talking to the tailor, cobbler, and smith today to get their time tomorrow. You'll be back in your own clothing by the end of the week.""It's another week that brings us further away from ending this." Trevor muttered."You'd likely get an infection without my constant attention." The vampire replied."I already had your undivided attention before we got here.""You had my attention during the night. During the day it could get worse quickly. I'd prefer you with two legs, not one.""How sweet." Trevor rolled his eyes and Alucard pulled the bandage tightly making the brunette yelp in pain. "Arse.""I'm not the one being a child.""I'm not the one being a child." The hunter mimicked and Alucard wanted to slap him. He got up in a huff and left the man alone in the large room.Finally, peace at last. Trevor laid himself back on the bed and closed his eyes, the silence was good for once, he didn't have the energy to think about anything, and now he could finally sleep for a little while. Trevor woke late into the night or maybe early in the morning. It was still dark but the sun was just beginning to rise. Now the silence wasn't so good anymore. It wasn't even silence as he could hear screaming from outside the small city. He'd seen homes outside it's walls, he didn't think that the hoard's stragglers would effect them, it was painful to hear. He covered his ears and waited for the sun to rise the rest of the way and for the silence to be filled with the sound of people talking, to be filled with something other than screaming. After a while, it stopped and the sun was high enough for Trevor to see people opening their shops. He hadn't even gotten the chance to stand himself up before Sypha entered. She noticed the almost half standing position Trevor was in and frowned deeply. "You're not allowed to walk around by yourself, Belmont.""Uhm... whoops?" Trevor gave a lopsided grin and the speaker merely shook her head and helped the man stand the rest of the way and walk down the stairs. There Alucard waited with a couple plates of food for the two of them. The hunter didn't take any time to thank the man before digging in hungrily."You both were asleep quite early yesterday." The vampire commented."It's been a stressful week, can you blame us?" Sypha muttered between bites."No. I suppose not." Alucard replied then the silence between them all returned as the two humans ate their breakfasts.The vampire did not wait long for them to be finished before relaying his plan of the day. It would be a long one filled with measuring and ordering and waiting and a whole bunch of other things that Trevor didn't listen to. He let Sypha help him leave the inn, but she soon got sick of Trevor's weight on her and switched off with Alucard. The hunter disliked every moment that Alucard helped him as he could feel people's eyes on him, on them and he was very familiar with the feeling of being judged.Trevor was fitted at the tailor for new work pants, something insulating as the cold winter set in, and a better insulated shirt as well. The woman even threw in a new belt or rather, a large piece of red cloth to tie around his waist. He was pretty sure the woman just wanted to get rid of the extra material. Next was the armorer who wouldn't tell Trevor what he was going to make, only taking his measurements in silence. He measured his chest, his shoulders, his wrists, his legs, and pretty much everywhere else except his head. So from process for elimination Trevor gathered that the man was making a chest guard, grieves, and shoulder guards. He just hoped that the man was making something practical for how Trevor fought and not a full fucking set of armor. Then there was the cobbler who offered Trevor work boots fitted with leather guards. After everything for Trevor had been finished, Alucard had brought them back to the tailor for something for Sypha, an insulating cloak and some good walking boots. Since she had brought neither it would be a good treat for her. It didn't take much measuring, however the cloak would need to be hemmed about a foot because out Sypha's height.Trevor, having sat for far longer than he was comfortable with, began to stand as the measuring finished. A pain in his leg shot up his spine and he nearly fell, nearly being the key word. Alucard, always being so damn close by and chivalrous, caught Trevor just before he hit the stone floor and injured himself more."Fucking ow..." The hunter hissed out and held on tightly to Alucard's arm."Can you stand?" The vampire asked and when Trevor began to attempt to, his entire weight dropped out from underneath him.Trevor swallowed his pride and replied. "No..." Alucard knelt down and turned his back to Trevor. "You've got to be fucking kidding me.""I'm not and it's the quickest way to get you back to your room so I can help you." The vampire sighed and once again, Trevor did not let his pride get the best of him."You'd better not fucking drop me." He hissed."I wouldn't dare."The walk was cold as the sun had started to set and the shops began to close now. Sypha had gone up ahead to get supplies ready to fix Trevor's leg again. The silence returned and now Trevor wasn't so thankful for it. Trevor lowered his head onto Alucard's shoulder. "I'm fucking useless.""For the moment. Sypha has been aiding with healing spells." Alucard replied. "You'll be able to walk on your own in a few days if you'd just accept help.""I won't be in fighting condition.""You will be when we reach the library.""I'll be out of practice.""... You'll be fine. I'll make sure you don't go soft."Trevor huffed an amused laugh. "How do we keep ending up like this?""Carelessness and injury?"Once again, Trevor huffed a soft laugh and Alucard felt it reverberate warmly through him. He'd never really thought about how much he liked the sound and feeling of Trevor's voice. It felt nice to have him so close... though it'd be a bad idea to say anything about it.
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The week passed slowly. They'd already been two days in when Trevor pulled his stitches again. The man was a walking accident as every time it happened, Trevor had been reaching for something, having to go to the bathroom or something else. Alucard was getting sick of putting the man back together. However, despite the pulling of stitches, Trevor was healing well and with his measurements taken, it should only be a few more days before Trevor would have new armor. The next few days were filled with Trevor complaining about having to stay still for so long and the man doing the stupidest things to keep himself occupied. This was included but not limited to stupid noises, trying to pull apart a leather throw to no success, telling stories that are most certainly blown out of proportion and asking Sypha to do useless things with her magic.On the fifth day, Alucard allowed Trevor to stand without assistance and the man nearly jumped for joy. He limped very badly, but walked on his own very well. With time, he'd be good as new. They left the in later that day to pick up everything for Sypha and Trevor, everything having been wrapped in parchment. Trevor felt like he was being gifted these things and he was excited to try on his new clothing as he'd been tired of wearing a dead son's clothing since day one. Alucard helped him with the heavier things like the chest plate and laced up Trevor's vambraces. He wouldn't let Trevor turn to look himself in the mirror until he was wearing everything, which was well insulating and well fitting. It was all brand-new and needed some working in, but it was beautiful craftsmanship. He finally turned and was shocked to find that he looked good in black. Trevor was not used to having a chest guard or anything of the sort for that matter. He wished he were armed to see the full extent of it, but his was good enough for now. Sypha gave a wolf whistle and shoved his shoulder gently. "Now I wish I'd been in your place. You look good." She grinned and Trevor pushed her back."Get your own." He turned and looked at it from the back, side, and front again, finding it was too much for him. He couldn't just wear this. This was too much, it was way too nice to wear in combat. He wished he'd still had just his tunic, his old pants, everything because he couldn't just take this. "This is..." he started but Alucard was quick to cut him off."If you say too much, I am going to kill you." The vampire said, though with a grin that Trevor had never seen before."Well, Pretty boy. What do you think? Because I think it's a bit much." He replied."It could have been more. I talked the armorer out of a full suit for you. He said as I recall, 'keep the pretty ones safe'. I couldn't tell if he was talking about you or Sypha, though I believe it was Sypha as you look like a wet dog half the time."Trevor gasped falsely. "How dare you! I am pretty!" He replied and adjusted his belts. "Does this mean we can leave now?" He asked."Not quite. One more night. We can leave early morning and get more distance in." Sypha said. "Plus, Alucard owes the woman who owns this inn a favor.""I'll be back before sunrise." Said the vampire."What's that supposed to mean? What do you owe her?" Trevor asked."It's nothing to concern yourself with.""It sure as hell is if you're just going to up and leave suddenly.""It's simply a nesting of demons from the nighthoard.""Oh! Simply! Why the fuck would you go after them by yourself!?""Because I need to. You're in no shape to help and I will not leave you alone to bring Sypha with me.""This is beyond stupid! I thought you were smarter than going after demons by yourself!" Trevor yelled and Sypha looked between the two of them, trying to defuse the situation but it wasn't working as she wasn't being heard so she quickly pulled up an ice spell and touched both of their arms making Trevor yelp and Alucard jerk away. "What the fuck, Sypha!?""Neither of you are going anywhere until this is sorted because if you leave Trevor here, he will be pacing all night. And you, Trevor! You will be and don't tell me you won't.""But--" Trevor began."No buts! We will decide on a compromise or no one is going anywhere.""Simple, I go with and there will be no problem!" Trevor said to which Sypha's reply was simply poking him in the leg, making him go weak and nearly drop to the floor, though he caught himself on a desk."No. You're not well enough for that so I will suggest something that both of you will be fine with... other wise I will fry you both." Sypha said. "Trevor, you get to come with, but you stay in the wagon. I go in with Alucard to provide backup and if need be, Trevor, you can enter the fight but only if ABSOLUTELY necessary.""I can't argue with that." Trevor replied."But--" Alucard huffed."No. Buts." Sypha said, her hand suddenly going up in flames as a threat. "So we're in agreement?"Alucard sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes."The flame suddenly went out and Sypha's face went as sweet as ever. "Good!"That night was cloudless and a half moon. It was still enough light to see across the burnt forest that surrounded the town, but the lanterns hanging from the wagon were enough to let Sypha see exactly where the broken off demon hoard had nested. It was an underground cave system that dipped steadily into the ground. They'd left Trevor without so much as a word and he'd been left in the silence he so hated. He was left alone with the ringing in his ears and the crows of a lone bird, up much too late for Trevor's liking. He heard nothing, saw nothing other than the mouth of the cave. He wandered around the cart, circling it several times, he also fed to horses a couple treats to keep them occupied. Not that they got bored, at least they had each other. Trevor was alone and he knew he was harping on the fact that he was alone simply because he was afraid of being just that, alone.It had been an hour or so Trevor thought before he heard something from the cave. He wasn't sure what it had been but he pulled his whip and took small quiet steps towards the sound. He felt the cold jolt of fear that came with the beating of wings and the screeching of the bat-like creature. It lunched at him, taking him to the ground. Whip was no good at close range. He moved quickly to the throwing knives at his belt and stabbed at the creature with intent to kill. He managed to switch their positions and kill it by stabbing it through the eye and for good measure, he wrapped his whip around its neck and wrenched its head from its shoulders. It was just as its body began to turn to ash that he saw Alucard and Sypha, or rather he saw Alucard's eyes in the dark and Sypha's hands humming with light. "What the fuck took you so long?""We were... detained. There were more than we originally thought." Alucard replied."More than we thought is an understatement, lucky for us, I knew a very strong fire spell and I burned them out." Sypha said with a proud puff in her chest."Not all of them." Trevor gestured to the demon that was quickly disintegrating into a pile of dust and bones. "Lucky for you. It would have been bad had he managed to get back to the nighthoard. There would be no town surviving it if it were to pass through. No church strong enough."Alucard was silent for a moment, he pressed his lips together into a frown, not uncommon on his face. "That should be the last one. Now, we can leave. But first, I will have to take a look at your leg Trevor.""Oh for the love of god!" Trevor groaned. "I am fine. Hurts a little but it's nothing I can't handle.""I'm not stupid, Belmont. I know hurting a little for you would be crippling pain for a normal man.""Lucky for you I'm not a normal man.""Oh my god, Trevor!" Sypha yelled at him. "Let Alucard look at it. I've had enough of your whining for the past week and if you were to somehow tear open your wound again, I AM CAUTERIZING IT."Both men were silent. "Okay." Trevor's voice was quiet. He truly was scared of the consequences that would befall him if he were not to listen, the phrase may be dishonest in nature, but anything with fire..."I'll let you look." He sighed, as embarrassing as it was. The placement of the wound required him to literally be caught with his pants down. He'd roll up his pants if he could, but it being in his thigh did not do him any favors. The men who'd shot him really knew where to aim to really bring a man down, but only because he's sure someone employed his father or a cousin to train them in the ways of taking a man down."Good. You two get in the back, I'll drive us back to town." Sypha said."No peaking." Trevor grinned and her face immediately turned a bright red."As if I would!" She replied and got into the front of the cart. Alucard and Trevor followed suit and thank god the vampire made quick work of tending to the wound. Nothing bad had happened but it was bleeding again. Alucard didn't yell at him this time about tearing it open because it honestly was not his fault. He pressed a fresh bandage over it, secured it and left Trevor alone to regain some of his dignity. It wasn't all bad having Alucard here, he was trained in the ways of doctoring and was very good at it too. With his help, soon the wound will have healed, at least outwardly. The damage done to the muscle wouldn't be an easy road to fix, but Alucard promised to keep him sharp. Hopefully once Trevor is no longer prone to bleeding, Alucard will agree to a duel or something to keep Trevor in practice.The next morning they were on the road again... or some semblance of one. They'd been met with heavy forest soon enough, likely the nighthoard hadn't passed through this way yet because all that was out here were hermits and animals, too sparse for a meal and too much land to cover just yet. Trevor enjoyed the sun during the day as it shone through the leafs, tinting the air a mellow green. It had been a while since Trevor had seen so many trees. The forest used to surround Gresit and all the other places, but now with Dracula's demons roaming through, they burned everything down. First as a show of power, then as a way no one could hide from them, no one could escape safely. No one said these demons were stupid.The ride was long but soon they were met with no road, the path in the trees was wide enough for the cart but it'd be a more difficult journey with no flat road for the horses to ride on. They'd traveled much slower as they had to pay special attention to where the horses were taking them. Horses knew to follow the roads, but now... now there was nothing but the falling leaves that littered the floor of the forest. They'd be at the library in less than two weeks now and Trevor was aching for something to do. They'd stopped for the evening and Trevor was the first off the cart to make a fire. The darker it got, the more on edge he became. Alucard knew this and pressed a palm to Trevor's shoulder. "You're healed enough." He said and Trevor had never been so thankful that the vampire was speaking to him. Those were the words he needed to hear. He grabbed his whip, the new short sword they'd bought on the way out and as he went for his throwing knives, the flat of Alucard's sword hit his hand, hard enough to sting. "We're starting now?" Trevor asked incredulously."It's best to take your opponent off guard than to let them prepare, yes?" Alucard couldn't hide the smug little smile on his face and that just made Trevor angry. Not murderous... but angry at this smug pretty boy who knew he was in control of the whole thing."Fine." Was all Trevor said before drawing his whip and taking a shot at Alucard. He pulled his punches of course, but that didn't mean it wouldn't hurt if the whip were to grab or hit Alucard. The whip wrapped around Alucard's sword and Trevor pulled hard, yet the sword did not leave the vampire's hand. His hand shook, but his grip was strong. Sypha watched from the sidelines, mostly watching Trevor, free to move again and loving every moment of it. "Don't kill each other!" She yelled. "I'm making dinner and I don't want to eat with a corpse!" What an odd little sense of humor Sypha had, Trevor thought. His mind elsewhere, he looked back to Alucard and saw the man's sword coming right for him. He dodged quickly and ran further into the forest away from the camp. He moved quickly, watching as Alucard used the trees to his advantage and to Trevor's eye, the man disappeared and reappeared quickly, each time in a different tree. Trevor stopped when he saw Alucard on a weak branch, one he could pull down easily with his whip. He did so and it was the funniest thing to see the vampire finally caught off guard.The man fell but landed gracefully on to the forest floor. He never once took his eyes of Trevor and soon Trevor was feeling the pain in his thigh as he dodged and blocked each of Alucard's strikes. He turned and tripped over a root just as the blade nicked his cheek. He rolled and looked back to Alucard who looked at Trevor very differently. With hunger."Oh you've got to be fu--" Trevor was unable to finish his sentence as he'd been tackled and pinned to a tree. He wished he'd brought his knife with him, but the short sword would have to do. In his thoughts he felt the tingle of a tongue across his cheek. It didn't hurt, it felt like warmth spread through his face down his neck and to his shoulders. "What the fuck do you think you're doing!?" He hissed as his tongue swiped across the cut again. There was then a pause, Alucard stiffened and very quietly, almost in Trevor's ear said: "It... would seem I'm not quite myself....""No fucking shit! Get off of me. If you needed blood you should have said so. You shouldn't have challenged me if you knew.""I'd thought I was fine..." The vampire replied and pulled back slowly. That's when Trevor got a good look at the man. His pupils were blown wide, his eyes glowing gold, his hair somewhat disheveled. The man really was hungry."Fuck..." Trevor said with a sigh and pulled the knife from Alucard's belt, an intimate act, but one Trevor decided not to think about. He pulled off one of his vambraces and rolled up his sleeve. "No teeth." He said and cut his arm with a loud grunt. It fucking hurt, but vampire saliva had a numbing effect. The pain wouldn't last long. Alucard gingerly took Trevor's wrist to his mouth and closed it over the skin. An obscene sound came from him as he drank, making Trevor turn pink. This was wrong, his family was turning in their graves, this was wrong and yet Trevor, though embarrassed to admit it, derived pleasure from the firm press of teeth and the numb feeling that spread through his arm. God he hoped Alucard couldn't taste it.Alucard pulled away on his own, pulling some cloth from his pocket and covering the cut tightly. He pulled Trevor's sleeve down and took the vambrace and tied it back to the man's arm. "I am... sorry. I haven't felt myself since the cave. I should have told you sooner.""Damn right you should have. This could have ended very badly." Trevor replied. "You would broken your promise.""I would never if it were in my control." Alucard replied. "I promised... if I break that promise, it gives you the right to break yours.""I'm clean. I'll stay clean..." Trevor was quiet about it, he didn't like talking about and they rarely did. "Besides, where the fuck am I going to find alcohol out here?" He deflected.Alucard simply smiled softly and took a few steps away from Trevor. "Head back to camp. I have some hunting to do now. Hopefully something I can bring back to you both.""Be back before sunrise." Trevor replied and headed back towards the camp they had made. He was aching in more ways than one. His thigh hurt, his cheek stung, and the aching sting of arousal really was hitting him hard. This was wrong, this was so wrong.
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Trevor had taken to sleeping in the hard wooden back of the cart. It was the only place he could get even close to being alone. He was hard from the thought of Alucard's teeth and... Fuck. He was fucked and this was wrong but he couldn't help himself. The night was long as he waited for some sign of Alucard. The man came back late into the night as Trevor had almost fallen asleep.He heard a loud thump and he rolled over to see Alucard had hauled in a deer and a large buck at that. He jolted upward and couldn't help the smile on his face. He went to wake Sypha up and nearly got a face full of ice as she had been deeply asleep. "Look look look!" Trevor said, his tone like a child wanting to show a parent what they did. "Fucking yes! Fresh food!" He gasped. "You beautiful man, you!" He said without thinking and hadn't thought much about it after either."We can skin him in the morning, for now, he'll stay in the cart." Alucard said and looked to Trevor, who normally would complain but with this much meat, he had no problem giving up the back of the cart. Trevor grabbed his bedroll and laid it on the ground."Need help moving it?" Trevor asked and before he finished his question, Alucard had hauled the deer over his shoulders and pushed it into the back of the cart. "Well fuck me then." He huffed."We can try to dry it, use the pelt as a blanket and use the antler velvet for healing if need be." Alucard said. "Go back to sleep. It'll still be here in the morning. I'll make sure of that."Trevor had difficulty still falling asleep, likely residual side effects from his dependence on alcohol. He'd hoped it would have gone away after the month he's now spent clean, but it simply seemed that this insomnia would last much longer. The good thing was, Alucard had drank from him. The lack of blood helped him get to sleep. It was much too short a sleep as now the sun was rising and shining right in his face. He groaned and shoved his face into his bedroll. He then smelled something fantastic cooking. He quickly remembered the buck and jolted upward to see Sypha already cooking a leg of it over the fire and the deer hanging skinned from a tree nearby. He drifted over near Sypha and leaned against her. "Will it be ready soon?" He asked sweetly."Yes. My god you're such a child." Sypha replied. "Alucard has taken care of everything, he'll salt the meat later and he's already stretched the hide over the top of the cart to tan.""And here I was thinking you wouldn't get your hands dirty, pretty boy." Trevor replied in Alucard's direction and wrapped an arm around Sypha. Practically a vulture on her shoulder as she cooked the meat. Once it was done, Trevor thought the sounds he made were sinful but it tasted so good. It was the best food he'd had in two weeks and one can only take so much salt meat. It was over all too quickly as Trevor had munched his way through half the meat there and the other half went to Sypha who hadn't finished her half, so Trevor ate until he could eat no more... which wasn't the best idea but it seemed like a good one at the time.They spent half the day making the venison into salt meat and storing it the best they could. They then set back onto the trail they were carving through the forest. Another week, Trevor was sick of salt meat again and asked Alucard every day to go hunt, but the vampire refused as they had way too much meat as it was. The buck was a lucky find in such a dense forest. During the night, they talked. Sometimes Trevor would tease Alucard about him being so pretty, but Alucard knew Trevor meant what he said. He really did speak his mind, even if he danced around subjects all the time.Late one night, two days out from the library, they heard singing in the woods. Sypha was woken by it first. She followed it to a stream that seemed to be glowing blue. Near it sat a man with long dark curled hair, down to his lower back, so black it was almost blue."Hello?" She asked and was quickly startled by Alucard's hand on her shoulder."Don't speak to it..." He said." 'It'?" She asked and the man turned. His features were beautiful, his face angular but soft at the same time. He stared at the two of them and his face, void of emotion formed into a soft smile. His eyes were a bright orange, glowing with the water. Sypha stepped behind Alucard, now scared of the vampire smiling so kindly at her."Have you seen my Matthew? He's been gone so long..." He said, his voice was musical, soft and questioning."No. You're not welcome here." Alucard replied, his tone hard. The soft smile on the beautiful man's face turned to a childish frown."I'll look elsewhere... my library... he has to be... my... Matthew..." His voice slowed, his figure dissipated with his voice as did the glow of the stream until it was nothing but black water running in the night."What was that?" Sypha asked."The spirit of the Library. I'd only heard of it before. A young man looking for his lover, wanting to be invited into your camp. He kills quietly and kindly. We'd be dead had we let him stay.""He was very... sad looking." Sypha said as they both walked back to camp."I suppose he is... but now that he's seen us, he won't leave us alone until we've gotten what we came for. He'll try to separate us. Illusions will become a factor in our travels. We cannot be separated.""Maybe if we--""We cannot do anything to help it. A vampire's spirit cannot be helped."Sypha went silent then sighed in defeat. The spirit seemed so sad, she wished she could help it but if Alucard was to be believed....They walked back to camp and found Trevor still asleep, curled in on himself, having a nightmare. Sypha was quick to his side and gently shaking him to wake up. He gasped away, his hands flying to Sypha's arms, holding her tightly, almost bruisingly so. He gasped for breath for a moment before coming back to himself."What was it this time?" Sypha asked softly and pried Trevor's hands from her arms. Alucard had forgotten himself for a moment as he knelt down pressed a soothing hand to Trevor's forehead, brushing his hair from his eyes. The human didn't seem to mind as he was so out of it... he may as well have still been dreaming."The library... we can't go." Trevor replied, his voice low and worried in tone. "It's evil. Bad things are going to happen. I saw them.""Trevor... you aren't a clairvoyant. There's no way you could know--" Sypha began."I saw the thing that resides there! I've read about it before. He's leading us into a den of monsters!""Trevor! We agreed Alucard wasn't here to harm us!""He's working with them! He was a m--" Sypha hit Trevor hard on the arm and somehow it seemed like he'd come back to himself in that instant. He looked down at the ground, wide eyed and shaking."These nightmares are getting worse... they're... bleeding over into reality it would seem. I'm..." Trevor didn't finish his sentence and pulled away from Sypha, he laid down again with his back to her and said nothing else the entire night, regardless of the questions Sypha had been asking. Trevor could have sworn he was dreaming in that moment then the pain really startled him awake. He's so used to Alucard being the monster he wants the man so hard to be... but it's not possible. The soothing hand that brushed hair away from his face or the gentle hold he'd had on Trevor when rescuing him weeks before... Alucard was no monster and Trevor was beginning to worry he was losing his mind.His dream had been of his home at first. Chasing cousins through the halls, dueling with wooden practice swords. Trevor was supposed to take care of the children in his home but he couldn't. One by one they burned, pointing to him and in dead little voices they blamed him for their deaths. Trevor sunk to the floor, covering his eyes. When he opened them again, he was in a foyer that he couldn't recognize. It was stark white marble with blood red curtains hanging around him but it was void of windows, furniture, or anything else that would make it a foyer. He looked around and found the light coming from above did not reach the corners of the room and slowly the darkness was creeping in on him. When it was mere inches away from him, a large bat-like face looked down upon him. It's sharp wolf teeth gleamed back at him and in that moment his instincts wouldn't work. He stood there frozen, then it lunged for him taking his shoulder into it's mouth and breaking bone as teeth sunk into flesh. He screamed but no sound came out. Then he heard the voice. "You're being lead to your death, little hunter. Best kill him before he kills you." Then a sword was in his hand, he stabbed at the creature and soon switched their positions, Trevor now had the upper hand. He stopped the moment the creature turned into Alucard. He held a betrayed expression. Oh god... he woke, angry with himself and ready to take it out on others.They were going to die before they could even reach Dracula. Trevor felt so useless, felt so lost now. He wished for the warm embrace that was alcohol. It drowned the doubt out and replaced it with better things... for a little while. He curled in tighter on himself as Sypha went back to sleep. He'd get no sleep tonight as he was terrified of the nightmare he knew hid behind his eyelids.They left early the next morning. Trevor had managed about an hour of sleep before Sypha woke him again. This time simply calling his name from afar so that he wouldn't grab her again. It was a long and uneventful ride through nothing but forest. It got to the point that Trevor was counting squirrels and other tree dwelling animals that rushed around over head. He'd been so thankful for the woods when they entered, but the vibrant green he'd loved so much was beginning to make him sick. He wasn't used to such tight spaces, he felt watched during the day and unfortunately he knew Alucard was staring back at him."Got something to say, say it." Trevor huffed."You simply seem on edge." The vampire said."We're stuck in haunted woods with no road around to speak of and no people for miles. If there were demons here, we'd be fucked right up the--""Trevor!!" Sypha snapped, effectively censoring the man. "Is that really necessary?""Am I offending you're delicate sensibilities, speaker?""You're being a real ass today. The forsst must really be worrying you." She said then looked to Alucard, worry written on her face."Oh my god you're really thinking this whole haunted thing is getting to me? I believe in demons but haunted woods? Seriously, you two are like old superstitious women.""I've read men have gone mad in the forest surrounding the library. Lack of sleep from horrible dreams." Alucard said."Now you're just fucking with me." Trevor growled and laid himself down in the back of the cart, closing his eyes to nap. He hadn't slept well in the few days they'd spent in this forest and he didn't need Alucard and Sypha feeding him stories of madness. That's when he heard Sypha snort a laugh. He turned quickly to see Alucard smirking and Sypha just about to burst our laughing. "You're both fucking terrible." Trevor said and that's when Sypha broke.
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They'd reached a clearing after one day. In the clearing stood a castle, not unlike what Trevor's heard Dracula's castle looked like. Except he was sure this one didn't move. The castle was ancient, aged far beyond repair with graying cracked white marble pillars holding it up. Sypha was the first to say something. "Are you sure this is the library? It looks so...""Decrepit." Said Trevor."I've read about the stories." Alucard said. "And it's said that the inside is pristine.""Well, we'll just walk right into that death-trap, why don't we?" Trevor hissed, his voice laden with sarcasm. But Alucard heard something else, something so minute, not even Sypha heard it. He heard fear. Trevor Belmont, a man who fears no man nor beast was scared. Alucard looked back at Trevor, but the man was already turned back around, staring at his sword, his hand trembling ever so slightly. The thing Trevor was afraid of, was Sypha's death and what Alucard might become to him. He was scared he couldn't protect her the way he promised. But she could protect herself, couldn't she?They exited their wagon and camped outside for the night, which made Trevor's fear worse as he heard sounds no one else had coming from the castle. The first time he heard it he asked if they'd heard it too and when they replied with a no, Trevor feared he was going mad after the fifth time. He got very little sleep that night, jolting awake what felt like every minute to hear some terrifying screech. For the first time in a very very long time, Trevor prayed to a god that abandoned him.Trevor jolted awake again, this time with a gentle hand on his shoulder. He turned to see it was Alucard, waking him in the early morning. "It's time to move. We'll be going inside in an hour." He said before removing his hand and walked back to Sypha, who was building and early morning fire from her magic. Trevor moved closer to it and he and Sypha ate in silence. Sypha was scared too, he could tell. She was forcing herself to eat because the fear has he stomach in knots."We'll be okay." Trevor said with a mouthful. "We'll find the book, get in, get out and done. We find Dracula.""I'm not sure sure of that anymore. Your dream had me thinking... Alucard and I saw something strange in the forest. A spirit waiting for someone. I think he resided in this castle, maybe still does." Sypha replied. "And your dream about the castle has got me thinking maybe it's not impossible that... it was trying to speak to you.""What?" Trevor asked, a small shake in his voice."You're the human in the group with nothing special about him. No offense.""Some taken." Trevor huffed."But you know that I reek of magic to vampires and their demons, and that Alucard is... well, Alucard." Sypha continued."So... because I'm just a regular human, it's invading my sleep? That's a fucking strange way to say hello.""It's trying to scare you and entice you into doing terrible things." Alucard said. "If we stay any longer you might even go mad.""Creepy.""Please take this seriously.""I'm trying and failing. I don't see how a dream has any effect on how I am when I'm awake.""You don't remember yelling about how Alucard was going to betray us?""No." He lied. Of course he remembered. It was terrifying to think of what they were being led into. "Listen. Are we going to stand out here and bicker or are we going to go in?""Yes. I'd planned on starting as early as possible during daylight hours." Alucard replied and picked up his sword, looping it in his belt. "It may be weaker in daylight than in the night. I wish we'd had a map of the inside.... If we get separated, do your absolute best to find each other.""You think it'll separate us?" Sypha asked."I know it will. Everything I'd read... it's like a horror story." Alucard sighed."Then what the hell are we waiting for. Let's go on in and risk our lives for people who won't remember nor appreciate us." Trevor interjected."You're the most self-depreciating man I've ever met." Sypha huffed to which Trevor simply shrugged, gathered his weapons and watered the horses. He didn't know how long they'd be in there, or if they'd ever come back. He released them to graze where they please and leave if they so wished. He didn't know if they'd survive the night, but if by some miracle they did... well, Trevor would be happy at least someone or rather something lived.They entered together, Sypha's hand in Trevor's and her arm hooked around Alucard. "Keep close." Was the last thing Alucard said before they entered.The doors creaked something awful, a loud grating sound of old metal. They were huge and yet they opened to the three as if they weighed nothing. When they entered, the doors shut behind them, like some kind of haunted cliche that they'd heard in scary stories as children. Alucard was right, the inside was pristine white marble and dark granite. Curtains hanging blood red, as if they were dripping down the walls. The inside was well lit by the morning sun, but Trevor was sure they further they got inside, the less light there would be. They had three doors to choose from and Alucard walked straight to the one directly in front of them. "It would seem we may have to part ways a little early in our adventure." He said."What are you talking about? I'm not going to let you go alone!" Sypha said quickly and Trevor wanted to verbally agree, but he hadn't."Trevor, protect Sypha.""And what about you?" Trevor asked."I'll manage."Trevor simply rolled his eyes and took Sypha's arm. "You'd better not die on me." Trevor said quietly, though he was sure the vampire heard him.Sypha fought him for a moment, but decided to follow. They entered the doorway and walked through the extensive hall. "I can't believe you'd let him go off on his own like that!" Sypha growled. "After everything.""Define everything?""I know what you do for him." Sypha muttered. "I know that you're both friends, even though you want to deny it. You like him, even if it's only a little bit."Trevor sighed. He couldn't keep it a secret forever. "I... I am worried." He said quietly."I know.""But he's a tough bastard. I know he'll be fine."The halls were empty aside from a few doors littering the halls, each for a bedroom or a lounge room. This place was huge, too huge to cover in just a day since they had no idea where they were going. They came to a Y in the hall way and Sypha grabbed Trevor's arm. "I have a bad feeling about this." Was all she said before she was dragged by her feet through one of the doors. She went down like a sack of bricks, her head nearly hitting the marble floor. The door shut quickly as if it wasn't made from a ton of wood."Sypha!!!" Trevor yelled through the door."Trevor! What happened? I didn't see anything!""Neither did I! Magic?""Possibly. I'm going to try to blast the door down. Stand back!" Sypha said and Trevor did as he was told. He heard the sound of fire and a loud grunt come from her. "Sypha!""It's alright! The door is sealed with magic!" She was silent for a moment. "You have to keep going.""I can find a way around!""No. Find the library! I'll find it too and we can meet there. It'll be okay.""Sypha!""Listen to me! Go! I'll be fine! You said I was the strongest out of all of us, right? Let me be!"Trevor stood, staring at the aged wood of the door. "Okay..." He said quietly to himself first. "Okay!" He repeated."Good! Now go! I'm going ahead."He heard her footsteps decapitate into the hall and then he turned heel and ran down the next hall. He opened door after door, simply each being useless room after room. He needed to get to Sypha. He promised. He hurried until he had no more stamina to run. He sat down and leaned against the wall, hyperventilating. He was fucked, so fucked. He was separated from the others, all alone again in a place he didn't know. He promised to keep Sypha safe... he promised.Alucard rushed down the corridor, the light from the door he left open now fading. The halls were dimly lit with candles that seemed on the verge of expiring. He checked all doors that were intricate, important looking and yet found nothing. This would be a long and boring search. He'd been hoping this hall would lead directly to the library. He rushed through the halls and stopped as what he was sure was an illusion came into view. It was his mother. She turned the corner, out of sight and a fog came over his mind. His mother. He chased after her, each time at each turn she for farther and farther away and as their distance grew, so did Alucard's panic. It wasn't her, he knew it, he watched her burn, but there was the lingering what if in his mind. What if his mother's spirit was here, what if she was guiding him, what if she wasn't an illusion created simply to veer him away from his goals.She'd stopped in a large ballroom, facing away from him."Adrian." He heard her call.This fog over his mind wouldn't lift, no matter how hard he tried to will it away. This was strong magic at work."Mother." He said quietly as he finally reached her. He was only a few feet away from her, close enough he could reach out an touch her. But in his mind, he feared if he had, she would disappear.She turned, a sweet smile on her face. She was wearing the dress she wore when Alucard last saw her. A burgundy thing, well worn but also well taken care of. "Mother...." he repeated."My dear Adrian..." She said and reached for Alucard. He flinched as she took his face in her hands. They were cold as ice, nothing like how he remembered them. They were warm and soothing before, but now... now they were different. Wrong. She pulled him towards her gently and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him ever so gently. "I'm so sorry, my love." She said softly."You've nothing to be sorry for. Why are you--" Just as he'd spoken he was stabbed with something sharp in his back, too close to his spine and yet so painful. A knife, one meant to draw blood, one meant to kill a vampire. He staggered back and she changed before his eyes into the man they'd seen before. His face no longer kind, but hardened and angry. "Trespasser." He said and disappeared in a wisp of dark smoke. Alucard fell to the ground as a new wave of pain startled him. This pain was all to familiar, one of thirst and the need for blood. He pulled the dagger from his side and staunched the bleeding as best he could with his hand. He examined the dagger with fading vision. It was poison through his veins. It must have been coated with something, something that would bring this out of him, bring the monster out of him. He stood, his legs threatening to give out from under him and turned around, out of the ballroom, hoping to find something... something... he was looking for something. He began to wander the halls... looking... searching...Sypha turned a hall and was suddenly in a dream. He train was there, waiting for her to join them. She followed them through what was no longer halls, but a forest, caught in the fall during a mid-afternoon. They wouldn't stop, but her grandfather beckoned her. She stopped and they traveled on. Something was wrong here. She couldn't place he finger on it, but it was all wrong. She summoned a clearing spell and as it went to work, her train disappeared and as did the forest. She was left alone in a dark hall. She leaned against a wall and slid down. She inhaled and let out a long sob. She pulled her knees to her chest and cried. Missing her train, missing Alucard, missing Trevor.After a long while, she stood and ran down the hall as fast as she could. Even with the tears in her eyes, they had to find the library. There could lie the solution to this vampire spirit.Trevor's illusion was created just as he'd started down the hall. He kept seeing his little cousins, his younger sisters, the children of the family, playing in the halls. He was terrified by them. They were dead and each time they appeared they would look at him with clouded eyes. They shouldn't be here... they were no more than a pile of bones somewhere Trevor didn't want to think about. Each time he tried to avoid them, the closer they got until one grabbed onto the sash around his waist. "Trevor." The little voice said from behind him. He didn't look, he couldn't bear to look. Just as he turned, the little body burst into flames. There was no screaming, just the fire licking at Trevor's back. He ran and the faster he ran, the closer the fire got. It followed him through the halls until it was all consuming, surrounding him. He screamed.He looked around with wild eyes and a cold sweat and a pain in his back and shoulders from the burn so prominently there, Trevor would swear it was fresh all over again. "Help..." he called. "Someone! HELP!" He was in the house again. The beams all crashing down around him, killing his father and crushing him. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe. Just as he looked up, he saw a dark opening in the fire, Alucard standing in it, looking at him with an emotion he was unable to discern. He called for his help and just as he reached for the man, the beam lifted or rather it disappeared into black smoke.He got up and ran to Alucard. He knew he was crying, he knew he looked weak, but if there was anyone he trusted with this side of him, it was Alucard, who'd seen it before and no judged him for it. He was panicking still. He grabbed onto the man for support and his legs gave out from under him, taking him and Alucard to the floor. The man said nothing, simply wrapping his arms around Trevor as the man hyperventilated. Alucard's thirst was catching up with him as he saw Trevor, running down the hall, towards him. No... no he shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be near Alucard with the way that he is now. It wasn't safe. But the moment Trevor grabbed into him was the moment the thirst took over. He wrapped his arms tightly around Trevor and as Trevor breathed quickly in his arms, he nuzzled into the man's neck. No... he shouldn't do this... but it was right there... the solution to his problem... all he had to do was take it... and he did. He bit down hard enough to draw blood and Trevor froze in his arms, his arms then falling from around alucard to clutch his hair. He pulled, but not hard enough to pry the vampire away. He pulled and pulled until he could pull no more as he was floating in venom. He couldn't feel a thing now. His hands dropped to the floor, limp, but not lifeless... not yet. Sypha watched as it unfolded, the fear in Trevor's eyes as she turned down the hall to see the vampire drinking from the man. He opened his mouth to say something before he went limp entirely. She ran quickly and pulled the two apart, casting an ice spell to hold Alucard in place as she checked over Trevor. Alucard hadn't hit any major blood vessels, but with the way this happened... Trevor would not be happy when he woke up. Alucard bit and growled until Sypha slapped his across the face, twice. He came back to himself through the pain and realized he couldn't move. What had happened? Why was Trevor... no. No no no. He couldn't have... but he had hadn't he? He was an abomination, a monster and Trevor was right all along. He didn't keep his promise and now, Trevor didn't have to keep his either. The man was unconscious and breathing shallowly. Had he really taken that much in such a short period of time... no. It was the venom in his system, burning him inside, making him pliant. This was bad but that was an understatement... the thing that Alucard has done will shake their group, but more importantly.... Trevor would never trust him again.
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Trevor would not wake for some time. Sypha could do nothing for him except heal his wounds... physically. She had Alucard carry him the rest of the way, though she kept a weary eye on him. It was a long walk until they reached the library, but when they had... it was the biggest relief. Alucard set Trevor down gently on a cushioned bench, brushing some hair away from his face, his eyes full of regret. Sypha could see where this was headed from a mile away and it would take a long time for Trevor to get there as well. Sypha looked around the library and found an index of sorts, chronicling the books kept there. She'd searched for anything on moving castles and found more than hef fair share of books, some mere pages long, others were entire volumes.Alucard stayed at Trevir's side, saying nothing, just looking, checking his pulse every so often feeling his guilt sink in the more he tried to help. "Adrian." He heard Sypha call. She'd never called him by his name before, it felt... nice. He turned and found himself face to face with a stack of books half as tall as Sypha. "I want you to look through these, they're on your father's castle and some are Belmont research. I don't know what it's doing here, but here. Look through it, we'll be here for a while."Time passed slowly for Adrian. He wanted so badly to be Adrian now, not the monster that now was Alucard. He shifted his thoughs from Trevor to the book and read of past Bemonts, older than Trevor, possibly ages older. One Regis Belmont manages to track down Dracula and enter his castle, but was eaten by the visiting vampires. Another, Baron Belmont, had even managed to fight Dracula and wound him, however, he died of his own wounds before he could finish the job. Vadellia Bemont managed to pin down Dracula's castle with a spell while her husband, Regis the third stormed the castle with his brethren. There were no survivors... wait..."Sypha." Adrian said quickly. "I've found something.""What is it?""A spell. A Bemont knew a spell which pinned down my father's castle, it doesn't say what it was, but it's a start.""Well, I'll look up holding spells and more books written by the Belmon--" Just as she spoke, she heard a sound from Trevor. She rushed to his side and leaned in close. "Did... did you say something?"After a moment of silence, Trevor opened his mouth to speak. "I said... I need a drink."She sighed and though she wanted to smile, she knew he wasn't joking. "I know." She said quietly. "Can you sit up?""No... I'm... very heavy right now.""Feeling heavy?""Yes."Sypha took his hand and looked to Adrian, then looked back to Trevor, who now had his eyes open and was looking to Adrian with a sad look in his eyes."It wasn't his fault." Sypha muttered quietly."I know..." Trevor sighed and covered his face with his hand. "He broke his promise." "I know, but you... you have to understand--""I don't have to understand anything! He broke his promise!""Trevor!""You don't understand how fucking--!" He started to yell but quieted down to a whisper. "You don't know how scared I was...""I do. I was scared you wouldn't wake up, I was scared I was next. Alucard was scared he killed you, he feels guilty that he hurt you... you need to understand that this wasn't his fault. He explained everything to me.""And just what did he explain?" He sneered."He saw his mother... or rather than illusion of her. She stabbed him with this." She pulled a dagger from her cloak, it was purely ornamental but it was nearly drenched in dried blood, likely Adrian's. "It's hexed. It was meant to do exactly what it did."Trevor sat up slowly took the dagger into his hands and stared at it for a long while. Long enough that Sypha simply sighed and walked away. There were so many things running through his head. Why had Adrian done this? Why had the spirit of this castle done this to them? He could hardly think of any other questions. Just... why?He looked to Adrian, who was showing Sypha something in a book then back to the dagger. "Hey... Vampire..."Adrian looked up and let Sypha take the book from him. He walked to Trevor as if he were an animal, ready to run... and he wouldn't be wrong."You... Are you okay?" Trevor asked."I am. It was likely made to kill my kind so it would explain why I haven't been healing."Trevor remained silent for a moment. "Let Sypha see it... she can help.""I will. You don't have to worry." Adrian replied."I'm not worried." Trevor snapped."Trevor. I need your help with this." Sypha interjected. "There's something about a spell here but no where in this library can we find the spell. It all leads back to a Belmont library somewhere. I've never heard of it.""It's just library after library with this." Trevor sighed. "But I know about the library. It was below the old Belmont estate... that requires us to back track a few weeks.""We have to go back to that god awful place that nearly burned you." Sypha said."Just outside of it. The Belmont family estate is outside of those walls and hasn't been touched in years." Trevor replied. "We just... need to find a way out of here.""I've already mapped the halls back." Adrian said, bringing a piece a parchment to Trevor."We need to leave now then. I'm done with this fucking place. I want to leave. Now." Trevor stood up too quickly but was caught by the vampire before he could hit the "Fuck.""We need time. We don't know if the vampire will separate us again. You also need to regain your strength." Sypha insisted."He's been watching us for quite some time. I think it's more curious than malicious at this point. It may just let us be." Alucard looked around. He'd seen the vampire on the upper levels, leaning over the banister, watching them closely. He found the man again, this time sitting on the rafter, almost teetering on the edge."You'll not find you're spell here." He spoke, his voice soft and melodic. "You'd best listen to the boy.""Boy--" Trevor started but was stopped by Adrian."Why are you helping us? Haven't you sworn your allegiance to Dracula?" Said Adrian."No." He replied. "Not since my Matthew disappeared.""Who was he?""A human, a hunter... a Belmont." He replied, shocking the trio."There are no records of a Matthew Belmont." Trevor said."They've purged him from your records, I'm not surprised. But if you look hard enough you may find traces of him everywhere in your history. He was the only Belmont that wouldn't kill me... couldn't kill me... though it was a Belmont that ended me.""Which one?" Trevor asked."I'm not quite sure..." He replied and leaped from the banister, turning to smoke before hitting the ground."Well then." Sypha muttered. "We've got what we need and now, we head to the Belmont estate." She took Trevor's arm in her own and grabbed Adrian's hand. "I want to leave this place. I'm done with talking spirits and being dragged down halls and seeing illusions, aren't you?""I am..." Adrian replied."Same for me." Trevor nodded and let himself be lead out by Adrian.
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The journey back from whence they came was long, arduous, and lonely for Adrian. Sypha and Trevor saw him differently now and though they tried to include him, it wasn't the same. They hadn't hit a town yet, but Adrian sensed something off about Trevor, more than just the fact that he was ignoring him. Trevor was aching for a drink and there would be no stopping him once he started. It was late one cloudless night, when Sypha slept, that Trevor could not. He sat near the fire, a bit too close but safe enough not to burn. He poked at it silently. Adrian found his chance to speak to him. They sat in silence for a while before Trevor spoke first. "Long day...cold day. I can't wait for the spring... well, if there's anything left by spring.""With you at our front, I'm sure there will be." Adrian replied."Right. Placing a bit too much faith in me.""I don't think so, I think you're quite formidable.""Sure."Another long silence."We need to talk about... what happened." Trevor muttered. "You made a promise."Adrian stared into the fire, remembering his mother, remembering the scared look on Trevor's face. "I have no excuse. I was not in control of myself... what I did was..." unforgivable. Adrian thinks. "What did you see? Back in the library.""A bad memory." Is all Trevor said."I saw my mother. She stabbed me before turning to ashes in my arms." Adrian confessed, though Trevor knew what had happened for the most part. "I saw you, you were very frightened.""I don't want to talk about it!" Trevor snapped. "I know you weren't in control, but how can I trust that this will never happen again?""You can't." Adrian said. "But you can trust in me.""I couldn't fight you off.""You were frightened, clinging to the only thing you could." Adrian put his hand on Trevor's shoulder only to have it pushed away."I was clinging to you. A friend. You've seen me at my lowest and you still... you still respected me.""And now you've seen me at my worst. "Don't I deserve the same treatment?"Trevor gritted his teeth. "You deserve better... but I keep reliving that moment in my sleep and..." He hated how weak he had felt, how vulnerable. "And I don't think things can be the same as they were.""I'm not asking for that. I'm asking your understanding, your forgiveness.""And I can't! I can't just forgive you for doing this to me." Trevor's hand flies to his neck, where Adrian had bit him. "I still feel the life leaving my body, the pain... the numbness.""I know.""How could you possibly know!?""I know how you feel because... there is a bond between us. I can't explain it but I know how you feel, felt."Trevor looked mortified, shocked and violated. "Everything?" He whispered."Your pain, your happiness, everything.""Fuck. I can't believe... you feel everything and you're just telling me now!?" Trevor raised his voice, effectively waking Sypha."What's going on?" She asked tiredly."Fucking-- I'm leaving. I can't be near you right now." Trevor hissed and stood, picking up his cloak, wrapping himself in it, and walking into the woods."Trevor, please!" Sypha said quickly but Trevor was gone.It wasn't until much later did he realize he left his weapons by the fire, but he couldn't just go back, not now. He'd lost sight of the fire a while ago, he didn't know if he could find his way back, but he was too angry to even think about going back. He can't deal with all this information, he can't deal with Adrian and yet he felt so guilty, so tired, so much pain caused by one action... he wished for the numbness again that was the alcohol, the warmth, the relief, he needed it badly."Tell me, little prince. Why do you cry so?" A deep voice asked and Trevor's hand flew to where his whip should have been. He only had a knife in his boot so he pulled that instead."I'm not crying." Trevor replied defensively."But you are. I can see it, inside." It replied."What are you?""A friend." Just as it spoke, blue glowing eyes with a black body looked down up on him. It climbed down from the trees and backed Trevor against a tree. "I am here to help you. You wish for a friend, do you not?"
"I don't need your kind of friendship." Trevor swiped his blade and barely damaged the creature. He only angered it. It grabbed him with it's large clawed hand and slammed him to the ground, pinning him."But you do." It growled, it's large tooth maw opened, revealing a sick and twisted smile."Let go of me, demon!!!" Trevor struggled but to no avail."Stop, little prince. Stop. Look at me." The voice started to sooth him despite the danger he felt. His eyes slowly closed and he slipped into unconsciousness. "There we are. I am a friend... I know you, Belmont."Adrian snapped awake as a feeling of danger washed over him. He drew his sword yet saw nothing. He'd expected Trevor to be back by now. He couldn't stay away forever, they had a job to do and though Trevor might stay mad forever, there was no way that his own morals would allow him to stay away."Sypha." He said, trying to wake her. He gently shook her shoulder. "We need to find Trevor.""He hasn't been gone long." She muttered."He's been gone for hours. The sun is about to rise. We need to find him. He's... He could be in danger."Sypha sat up, looking worried. "Do you think the night hoard could be this far north?""I don't know what to think. I do know that Trevor is in danger and we have to move now." Adrian didn't give Sypha anymore time to ask questions, he grabbed their gear and kicked dust into the fire. He grabbed Sypha's hand in the dark and led Sypha into the dark of the woods, away from the rising sun.Trevor awoke in a large cave, glowing blue with the light of the demon's eyes along with a purple hue coming from the mouth of the cave welcoming the rising sun. "Good morn, Belmont. Please do not try to run, I will catch you and you will not enjoy what happens next.""What do you want with me, then?" Trevor asked."To talk. To listen. I know you, Belmont. I was there when your family burned, when the church let us in.""Us?""We. Me. Us. All of us. The church in Targovishte hasn't been holy since your family's burning. You know why that is, don't you?""We were doing good work. They did something evil.""They killed the children, didn't they? The babes still at their mother's breast, the children who played in the court yard, the boys who'd yet reached manhoo--""Shut up! I don't want to talk about this!""But you do. Else I wouldn't be here. I follow sorrow and need. I follow you, dear Belmont. I know you, know what you've done, those boys were only there as distractions weren't they? You wanted to get away from your overbearing father and--""STOP." Trevor growled at the demon. He was unarmed but he was ready to tear this demon limb from limb with brute strength alone."And that young man, the half-breed. You fancy him another distraction as well." Said the demon in a slow melodic tone. "He is rather handsome isn't he?""How do you know-- you can't know...""I follow need. You need him.""I don't need him. I don't need anyone.""Just like you didn't need the alcohol."Trevor remained silent. He didn't need the alcohol. "I didn't need it.""But you did. You need it now." Out of the shadows rolled a bottle, one Trevor recognized as cheap brandy. "I found it in a church not too far from here, the priest had a particular taste for the brand.""You want me to drink, with you?" Trevor asked."No. A gift. For you." It said. "You ache for it, do you not? You wish for the release.""I don't--" He wanted it so badly, but not here... not when he made a promise. "I don't want it.""How unfortunate. Your feelings for the boy will be your downfall. They will kill you in the end.""I don't have feelings for him.""You do. You will admit them, eventually. But I know... he feels for you as well.""Another trick of yours, demon. You wanted to talk, we've talked. I need to go back.""I know. But I thought we might talk, I thought you should know that I am here. Always here. I am yours and yours alone. The half-breed cannot have one without the other.""He doesn't want me. We're a means to an end. And once your master is dead, I will find you and I will end you.""But there is no end to me." The beast crawled closer, until it was face to face with Trevor. "I am here." It's clawed finger pressed against his chest, over his heart, close enough to kill him. "I will always be here. I am the voice that wills you to do terrible things.""Then I won't listen.""One day. You will. Darling Belmont. You will. One day something terrible will happen and you will do something unforgivable. Now... go. Your half-breed is waiting."Trevor backed out of the cave, not turning away from the demon before he was in the sunlight. He then ran, his heart beating in his throat. He stopped in the middle of the woods and collapsed to his knees. "What the fuck...?""Trevor!" Sypha called and Trevor was quick to follow it.