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[hollow.moon]

Trevor
Sypha huffed in the back and started scribbling on her notebook. She was smiling, though. Trevor noticed the silhouette of the village in the distance, the sun reflected off the lake, nearly blinding him, but it was beautiful. Gentle waves bobbed up and down, making it look like it was shimmering. He smirked at Aveline "Oh, I don't think I'd mind keeping you around." he said teasingly, hoping to see her blush. Sypha snickered in the back of the wagon. He enjoyed watching Aveline inscribe runes, it was sort of satisfying in a way, almost hypnotic. By the time they made it to the town it felt like no time had passed at all.

There was a stable-master outside the town, and Trevor stopped to pay the man. Two stable hands took the horses, and Trevor took a few things out of the wagon, mainly the things that they would very much miss if they were stolen. He knew this town, very vaguely. It reeked of fish, but the people were friendly, the wealthy ones at least. He made to specifically get Aveline's bag of books, and handed it to her gently, as well as all the money they had managed to compile. Whatever was left in the wagon was mainly food, and other miscellaneous camping supplies. If anyone was hungry enough to steal food from their cart he would not be angry with them.

Sypha led the way into the village and took a whiff of the air "Smells like Trevor." she said teasingly, and laughed at her own joke.

Trevor frowned and rolled his eyes "Haha- very funny," he said sarcastically "I can't wait for you to go back to the Speakers." he said, though truthfully he would miss her playful teasing. They wandered to the tavern, that was bustling with activity "Let's get a room, then we can take a look at that map of yours Aveline."

Zahra
A sympathetic expression crossed her features "Alucard..." she began, but she was not sure of what to say. A sigh escaped her lips "If you ever want to talk, I'm here for you, you know?" she assured him. She gripped her dress nervously and wandered back to the broom she had propped up on the doorway, this room made her nervous. She smiled "Oh it was no trouble, most of the doors were closed or locked so I really had no problem finding you. I probably won't be able to get back though?" she said with a soft laugh.

Though she was trying to lighten the situation, she knew Alucard was having a hard time. If only she had known last night, she wished she could have been there for him. Of course it was obvious he would want to be alone with his thoughts after such a day, but she hated that he cried all alone. Zahra was never alone, she always had the Speakers around her to keep her company, and Sypha was always there to be a shoulder to cry on. However, she knew some people did not like to cry in front of others, and she understood that. Clearing her throat she pushed her fingers through her hair and tapped her foot nervously "I started working on your mother's library, I got all the glass up. If you can't tell." she said raising up her bandaged fingers and laughing slightly.

 

[AnxietyandSparklingWater]

Alucard
" I-" Alucard started not sure what to say. Could he lie to Zahras face and tell him that he was fine? "I know." He said softly, a weariness in his words and body. He knew she was here, she'd never turn him away, but why make her shoulder this burden with him? Why make her even try? He didn't think anyone would really ever understand the pain of losing both his parents in what felt like only weeks. After his mothers death he had rushed home, fought him father, then put himself to sleep. When he had woken up in his tomb he hadn't even had time to grieve his mother, it had felt like only 2 or 3 days had pasted since she died, and then before the month was out he had killed his father with his own hands. He was run down.

" I'll make sure to show you around today." He promised her as he pushed himself up and out of his fathers seat, he ran a hand through his brilliant blond hair looking for tangles, but stopped seeing Zahras hands. " You're hands. You should of come and gotten me much sooner." He frowned and took one of her hands in his hand, delicate like she herself was made of glass and toughing her would reopen a wound. " Would you allow me to look at them? It must of been hard to get the glass out and bandage them on your own. And I am the son of a doctor I could probably show you and thing or two." He offered. He didn't think Zahra incapable but he did want to make sure her hands would heal properly.

Aveline
" And I don't mind keeping you around either. Traveling with a man who can handle himself is really helpful." Aveline hummed as she cut the string to her sewing with a dagger from inside her coat. She felt Sypha nudge her in the back and in her mind she could basically see Sypha wiggling her eye brows at her, but Aveline ignored the elbow in her back and just shifted closer to Trevors side, a gentle breeze making her shiver slightly and pull her cloak closer around her.

Arriving in town she jumped out of the wagon with the guiding hand of Trevor to keep her steady, then thanked him when he handed her her books. She hugged the bag to her chest like it contained valuable gold, but the truth was that it carried valuable information and the only things she had left of her father in the world. It wasn't anything much, his glasses, his favorite pocket watch, and some of his books. But when it was all you had left of someone then it was you're world.

Entering a tavern they were able to rent a room easily enough, though the raised eyebrow of the tavern keeper basically said everything he was thinking. " That look a kind of rude." Sypha huffed. " Well how often do you think he sees one man and two women who are clearly not related rent a single room?" Aveline chuckled. " Ah speaking of a single room, I wonder if it'll have a bed big enough for two." Sypha playfully nudged her side. " Ah do you get lonely without someone to sleep next to sypha? I'm not Zahra but i can do my best." Aveline teased her back.

 

[hollow.moon]

Trevor
He couldn't help but laugh at Aveline's snark back to Sypha. Trevor was not a fool, he knew what she was implying when she asked if there was a bed big enough for two. They were led upstairs to the largest room, one with three small cots, the room was likely only there to be shared by strangers when the inn is full. It was rather cluttered, and kind of messy. Obviously it had not been thoroughly cleaned in awhile. Guess the inn didn't get a lot of business. The innkeeper did mutter something under his breath about not getting a lot of travelers like them. To be fair, the trio looked like a band of mercenaries more than anything. A speaker, a Belmont, and a mysterious cloaked woman who carried old books and strange rocks that stayed warm. An unusual group indeed. The beds were thin mattresses filled with hay on wooden planks. Trevor let out a sigh and set down his things, after sleeping under trees this was an upgrade.

Looking back to Sypha and Aveline he sat on the edge of his bed "Not a mansion, but a good place to sleep." he said as he tried to remain optimistic, he patted the bed and a puff of dust came up "Sort of..." he added with a grimace.

Sypha cringed as she dusted off her bed, but she guessed it was better than sleeping on the floor. She smiled and looked back to Aveline "You two take a look at your map, I am going out to ask around if anyone has seen any Speakers, and also gather some more food." she explained and walked out of the room.

Now it was just Trevor and Aveline, Trevor cleared his throat "So uh, yea- The map," he said standing to his feet "Shall we take a look over a pint?" he was dying for a drink, and some food to be honest. Breakfast was not long ago but his stomach was already growling. Perhaps it was due to the smell of the tavern, they were cooking up something in the kitchen when the trio had arrived. It had been such a long time since he had actually eaten proper food, his diet mainly consisted of stale bread, and ale. Breakfast was a change, but he missed the meals he used to have at home.His expression faded for a moment as he remembered his childhood, even if it was only for a second, you could see a shadow fall over him. It was like a storm had just rolled in right over his head, he glanced off to the side and took a deep breath before he snapped out of it "You do drink don't you?" he questioned Aveline.

Zahra
When he ran his hand through his hair Zahra felt her cheeks heat up slightly and her eyes widened 'God, why is he so gorgeous' she cursed. When he took her hand she felt her entire body tense. At a loss for words she stood there stiffly, "I- I do know how to deal with wounds." she assured him, and relaxed "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt for you to take a look." she took back her hand and cradled it "After you wash your hands of course." she said with a grin. She may have looked at a few books just to double check herself and ensure she did not do anything stupid as she tried to heal herself.

Taking back her broom she left the office, feeling a bit better after leaving the room. She knew her way back, sort of. Alucard had to correct her a few times but she was right most of the time. Thinking back to how she found him she frowned, she was deeply worried about him, no man should have to face that kind of grief alone "I lost my parents when I was very young." she blurted out as they wandered down the hall "Sorry- I know that's sudden," she added, and halted for a moment "I cannot pretend to know how you feel, Alucard, I only vaguely remember them, but Grandfather; Grandfather lost his child, he never stopped mourning. Over time though, it got easier, sometimes he would cry if he thought back to a fond memory, and we would stay with him. He told me, when our loved one's die they are not gone, not really. Because so long as we remember them, they will live on forever, just like the stories we tell when we travel." she explained "I don't know if that helps." she added and lowered her head as she continued walking.

 

[AnxietyandSparklingWater]

Alucard
Alucard blinked owlishly for a moment after hearing Zahras comment, but then he smiled with just a hint of fang. " Of course." then stood up and motioned for them to head out of the study. " The lab would be the best place to check over you're work, though to be honest I just want to make sure you didn't miss anything in you're dominate hand. Even trained doctors have issues treating themselves using their non-dominate hand."

He did not doubt Zahras skills, she had proven eager to learn and assorbed what she learned like a sponge, She had served the team well then they were on the road and after they had defeated his father, but it never hurt to double check. Hands were such an important thing, and it would be hard for anyone to wrap and bandage using their non-dominate hand.

Zahra had proven a quick learner and Alucard had no doubts she'd have the castle memorized soon. Arriving at the door to the lab he held open the door for her " Why don't you sit down while I wash my hands." he said.

But before he could even step into the room he heard Zahras out burst, which left him with a slightly shocked look on his face. The outburst was sudden but it wasn't unwarranted, and maybe that's why he didn't try to stop her. She was opening up about herself because of what she had seen back in the study. ' she's trying to make me feel better. less alone.' he thought to himself.

" I've read that the passing of loved ones gets less....tender as the years pass. But i'm immortal and now the place with all the fondest memories is my tomb. Perhaps as the years pass things will become easier." He said softly, a bit of his hair falling down into his face. " Thank you for what you said, you didn't have to talk about you're parents if it made you uncomfortable. I don't want you upsetting yourself on my account."

Aveline
" This isn't the first time I've slept in a place like this. It honestly isn't the worst." Aveline chirped as she picked out her own cot in between Trevor and Syphas. " You've slept in places like this on purpose?' Sypha asked, her nose crinkled slightly. Speakers generally traveled with in caravans so they slept in the Caravans and anyone that couldn't fit would generally sleep in a tent with a kind of sleeping bag. Plus everything they used was theirs, not something that strangers had slept on before or something that had been left to collect dust.

" My father and I weren't a caravan and we carried more books and alchemy supplies than anything else so when there was an inn to sleep at we jumped on it regardless of its state." Aveline explained with a shrug as she ran her finger over the best to see just how much dust was there. Her finger came up dirty but like she said, she had slept in worst places. Plus sleeping inside always beat sleeping outside as far as she was concerned.

" Yeah the map, here it is." Aveline dug through her bag then pulled out the rolled up map, ready to just dive into it, but she could see Trevors hopeful expression. Considering the fact Sypha always brought up how he smelt like stale ale when they had first met she hadn't actually seen him drink much during their trip. There really wasn't time but ale was normally saver to drink than questionable water, but she, Sypha, and Zahra had no problems boiling water and making tea all the time.

She turned to agree with Trevor over getting something to eat, but she saw the shadow over his face. He hadn't really spoken much about himself when they traveled, but she had noticed the almost constant frown on his face when they were at his family home. So if she had to make an educated guess she'd say he was thinking about his family, and what could she do about that? Her family was dead as well, and even though they hadn't been tragically ripped from her life like his had been she was still trying desperately to bring her father back. Even guessing at just how much trevor had lost in that fire years ago made her feel a bit selfish for her own quest.

" Sure we can go down stairs and grab a bite, if we snag a table for ourselves we can look over the map and have some good food." She said as she walked over to trevor and slipped her arm between his, hugging his arm to her and smiled at him as she pulled him towards the door. " Wha? What makes you say I don't drink? Because I do, i'm just not good at it." She said playfully.

 

[hollow.moon]

Trevor
He was a bit relieved to hear Aveline was not too incredibly disgusted over the inn room, but one day he hoped to treat her to something nicer. Or perhaps it was just that he wanted to be treated to something nice, he could never tell the difference. Smiling he took a deep breath and took her map with gentle hands. He was very careful with the map, despite what Alucard said he was not so foolish enough to throw around priceless artifacts.

They headed down down the main room of the tavern. A fire was roaring as it was still quite cold outside, especially with the wind from the lake. Trevor set the map down on a table in the corner of the room where they would be able to speak without being listened to "I'll go get us something to eat." he said with a faint smile.

At the bar, the barkeep was cleaning a glass with a dirty rag "Two mugs of ale, please." he asked politely as he placed a bag of coin. Trevor noticed an older woman was in the kitchen cooking "Could I get some of whatever she's cooking too?" he asked and placed a few more coins on the counter. He knew after this they likely wouldn't get another good drink or meal in awhile. The barkeep nodded and called back to the woman. Trevor took the two mugs of ale and the woman brought a tray of food to their table. It was a rather large piece of fish, with some potatoes and other vegetables. It was heavily seasoned and smelled delicious. Of course, he gave the woman a coin for her trouble. Trevor pushed a mug of ale toward Aveline "So, what do we have to work with?" he asked trying to peak over the table at the map while he started carving up the fish.

The inn was rather full for an afternoon, lots of patrons were chatting about the fish and how they had caught a lot since the horde had stopped appearing. Trevor took a sip of his ale and tried to listen in on a few conversations, but heard nothing of interest.

Zahra
Zahra began to remove the bandages on her hand "Don't worry about it." she said with a smile "Like I said, I never really knew them." she answered. She winced as she peeled off the bandage that she had wrapped a bit too tightly, it reopened the larger wound, and it began to bleed. She quickly washed the wound and applied pressure to try and slow the bleeding. Squinting she tried to see if there were any small shards she had missed when she was originally cleaning it out "I really think I got all of them, but feel free to take a look." she said as she held her hand out to Alucard.

It throbbed painfully, she remembered how she tried to pick up a shard with her fingers and felt is slice her palm. The smaller shards left small cuts and abrasions on the tips of her fingers, a few of them had gotten themselves stuck in her hand but she managed to pull them out. Her hand shook slightly, she was always nervous about blood, but now she was right in front of a vampire, with her hand bleeding out. She frowned "Alucard... Can I ask you a question? I don't want to sound rude, and I know you're half human but- I never saw you feed before. Does the smell of blood- Does it make you, thirsty?" she asked awkwardly, hoping she did not sound too much like an imbecile.

She immediately regretted the question, realizing she could have simply looked it up later, but she was never really good at keeping her mouth shut.

 

[AnxietyandSparklingWater]

Alucard
Alucard smelt the blood from Zahras wound before he saw it, but he had no problem controlling himself. It wasn't like he was so beast desperate for blood, though he hadn't fed in some time. He had woken from his tomb invigored because of the special coffin he was in, and since he was only a Dhampire he didn't need to feed as often as other vampires might. Or maybe he just wasn't a slave to his thirst. He knew he would need to feed soon, but he'd prefer animal blood to doing something heinous like grabbing a villager from down the hill.

He gently grabbed her hand, his own hands freshly washed, and looked over the wound. " Did you grab shards of glass with you're bare hands? You do know that brooms and dust pans exist for just this reason." he scolded her, but he was impressed with her work. He didn't see any glass left in the wound, nothing reflected in the light as he gently turned her hand this way and that. " I believe I have a salve somewhere that will help this heal quicker." he mused, wondering where his mother had put her disinfectant salve. She had loved to experiment and she had been rather excited about a disinfectant solve that helped with pain and healed quicker than the bodies only response.

He moved to a cabinet to look for the salve, and despite hearing Zahras question he didn't stop his search. " You're curiosity is natural." He assured her, it wasn't rude to ask him about blood when she was in a vulnerable position. " Though you should of asked me about it before you left yourself up on top of a mountain alone with me." He chuckled softly. " But I can always smell blood, hear it coursing through veins, and things like that. I only really crave it when i'm hurt or have gone without it for too long. But when I was recuperating in my tomb under Gresit I was able to satisfy myself quite well. I most likely won't absolutely need to feed for another few weeks." he assured her, then let out a content hum when he found the salve.

" I'll just put a bit of this on you're cuts and then rebandage you're hands, it was a bit too tight before."

Aveline
Claiming a table for the two of them in the back corner Aveline set out rolling out the map while Trevor went to get their food and drink. She was careful with the map, she could only imagine how old it was. She had found it in Draculas library after all, and if the town she was looking for wasn't listed on any modern maps then this one Alucard had lent her was probably a couple hundred years old. But under her gentle touch the paper didn't rip or dissolve after being used, so it was either very really cared for or made from some weird paper. Absentmindedly she rubbed the edge of the map between her index and thumb to figure out just what it was made from.

" This is some type of....leather. Oh please don't be human, please be anything but human." She mumbled to herself. It certainly wasn't you're normal parchment, which meant not sheep. She tried not to think about it too much.

She traced lines on the map, roads that either had changed name over time or had just disappeared, but was careful because she didn't want anything to rub up. She softly bit at the corner of her lip, then dug through her bag for a modern map, and almost hit her head on the underside of the table hearing Trevors voice. She hadn't even heard him come up!

" Trevor! You almost gave me a heart attack. Guess I should pay better attention." She chuckled sheepishly and rubbed at the back of her head. " Oh but check this out!" she said happily, then rolled out the second map.

" So this map is the one we're using right now, it's modern with the towns and roads we know. The map I got from the castle, however-" she said as she pointed to the first map. " is hundreds of years old and has tons of towns and roads on it that have been lost to time. Though a few have grown into the cities we know today. But looking at this older map and comparing it to another book I got from the castle that talks about a town with a large clocktower - which is really advanced by the way. Thing of all the gears we saw under Gresit, that's not something basically any normal town will have- I think the town we're looking for used to be called Inghititi." She concluded happily before popping a potato in her mouth.

" It's not on the modern map, but if I compare the towns that are still around to one another I can figure out where it used to be. Which looks to be at the base of a mountain to the south east."

 

[hollow.moon]

Trevor
Trevor was also confused by the strange parchment of the old map, he touched it gently, trying to discern what creature it came from. Nothing he had slayed before that was sure, how intriguing. He took a bite of the fish and listened to Aveline "You're so clever." he said without thinking, and tried to ignore the blush that spread quickly over his cheeks. He looked away from her to take a swig of ale. Scooting closer he compared the modern map to the old one, when lined up the landmarks matched perfectly.

"Looking for a clock, hm?" said a voice. Trevor stood up, and placed a hand on his sword "I'm just an old woman, Belmont. No threat to you." she said with a croak-like laugh. She smiled but had only a few teeth "I know what you're searching for, lass." she said to Aveline. Trevor stayed on high alert "I won't stop you, but understand that bringing to bring back the dead, you have to make a sacrifice." she said solemnly. She bowed her head to Trevor "Take care, Belmont." she told him as she walked away stiffly.

Trevor sat down again, and frowned deeply, the encounter left bad taste in his mouth, or maybe that was just the fish and ale. He looked to Aveline, and then the map "That's the opposite of Braila." he said while observing the roads. He wondered if this town had anything to do with Dracula. Perhaps it was once built by him, or inspired by his castle. It was a shame such an advanced down was lost to history. He went back to scarfing down the fish he had ordered.

Zahra
As he spoke about how he could hear her blood she felt a bit nervous. Clearing her throat awkwardly she looked away as he tended to her hand, and observed the laboratory. It was full of all sorts of objects. She frowned "Yes well, I picked up the larger shards but- I dropped them." she admitted embarrassingly, with a faint snicker at her own stupidity.

"I know you won't hurt me." she told him, just as he applied the salve to her hand, it stung, she winced "Ah- Spoke to soon." she said as she grimaced through the pain. It soon faded into a more soothing sensation. She wrapped her hand again, this time not as tightly as before. She stood to her feet "Thank you." she said politely with a smile.

"Now, I know you said you're not hungry but I on the other hand would kill for some breakfast." she said with a laugh, she rubbed the wound under her bandage gently, she knew that it would likely turn into an anxious habbit until the bandage could be taken off "Could you lead me to the kitchen? I know Sypha and Aveline found some ingredients before the left, I'm hoping they didn't steal everything." she frowned "Sypha was always the better cook out of the two of us though." she said with a lopsided grin.

 

[AnxietyandSparklingWater]

Alucard
" I would like to argue that I didn't hurt you, the salve did." Alucard joked as he gently applied the salve with a clean hand to the deeper cuts that looked like they would benefit from something to boost and ease the healing process. He then cleaned off his hands and was there to help Zahra wrap her dominate hand, and this time he was content seeing the amount of pressure and tension she had used.

" Good job, these won't restrict blood flow." he complimented her world, then went about cleaning up and putting away everything they had used. He could boil the bandages Zahra had just used to be reused if he wanted, but they weren't in that desperate of a need just yet. Though part of him hoped that they wouldn't have to deal with patches up wounds again anytime soon.

" Oh yes the Kitchen Is definitely a good place to start. After you eat i'll give you a more official tour." Alucard said before motioning for Zahra to lead the way out of the lab. The kitchen wasn't too far away, just down a set of stairs at the end of the hallway. Then through a door immediately to the right was a large kitchen that looked like it hadn't been put through too much and still had some supplies.

Aveline
Aveline looked away from the map and at Trevor when he complimented her, both their cheeks various shades of pink or red. " Thank you Trevor." She said softly. He had looked away to drink his ale but she smiled softly down at the map and played with the end of a strand of hair. She didn't get compliments that often, but hearing them from Trevor made them mean a lot more.

But the moment was interrupted by a strange woman who gave her a warning, warning her about bringing back the dead when she shouldn't have any idea about what she was trying to do. Aveline swallowed tensely and frowned, her hand gripping the edge of the table tightly. She had been battled with the morality of what she wanted to do for years. Was this something her father wanted or would approve of? Would what she be bringing back even be her father? " A sacrifice hn..." She said to herself. The rule of alchemy was that nothing could be obtained without exchanging something of equal value. What was the value of a human life or a soul? Would she be able to pay the price?

She grabbed Trevors arm and frowned, the woman had thrown her off. " Do you think that this is....ok?" She asked him softly. After all Trevor had lost family like she had and he wasn't trying to bring them back. Was it right for her to be splitting up their group, Sypha to Brailia on her own while she and Trevor went off on this goose chase that if they accomplished would be like spitting in the face of god?

 

[hollow.moon]

Trevor
Shocked by the appearance of the old woman, Trevor was very observant thereafter. He took a drink of his ale, and was startled when Aveline gripped his arm, he arched a brow "You're asking what I think?" he questioned curiously. A frown crossed his features as he thought long and hard, he did not know a lot about alchemy, or what the price would be to retrieve the stone, but he knew what it was like to be without a family. He knew what it was like to be alone.

His gaze met Aveline's bright emerald orbs. She was uncertain, she needed assurance. He sat up straighter, wanting to be the man she could rely on "I don't know, honestly." he said placing a hand on hers "But I do know this is your life's work, you're so close now." he said with a smile "I think... It's your choice, in the end. It's your father, it's your journey. I will stand by you every step of the way-"

"I see you two are getting along well" Sypha interrupted, a sly smirk on her face.

Trevor whipped around to see Sypha, she was carrying no new supplies "Did you go shopping at all?" he questioned.

"Actually, I found a group of speakers! They are offering to give me a ride to Braila, and help me search for my people." she explained "What have you learned?" she asked taking a seat on the other side of Aveline, and gazing down at the map, taking one of Trevor's potatoes of his plate. If she had been around when the old woman arrived she surely would discourage Aveline from continuing her quest. Trevor on the other hand was in full support now, and did not want Aveline second guessing herself any more "The town, it's in the opposite direction of Braila."

Zahra
The kitchen was stunning, Zahra had never seen a room like it before. She wandered around opening the drawers and cabinets, filled with spices and ingredients that did not expire easily. The counter tops were made of marble, and it needed some cleaning obviously, but was overall in good condition. A basket of apples sat on the counter top, flies swarmed around them, and they were rotting "Maybe we should take a trip into town sooner than later." she grimaced.

Her stomach growled "Or I could always go out and hunt." she said with a shrug, but the area was unknown to her, and likely anything that lived around before was gone after the castle landed. She sighed and continued to dig through the cabinets, she managed to find a few eggs spared by Sypha, and a loaf of bread. It was hard and stale, but not moldy, so still edible. Zahra would eat just about anything when she was hungry so long as it would not make her stick.

She came across a strange box and opened the heavy door, it was cold inside. Inside was some well kept meat, and milk "I may be in luck after all." she said with a smile. She washed her hands and places a small portion of the ham into a skillet seasoning it lightly with some salt "Would you like some?" she questioned Alucard.

 

[AnxietyandSparklingWater]

Alucard
Alucard frowned slightly seeing the state the kitchen was in. It was a bit messy of course but seeing rotting food certainly wasn't something he liked to see, and it was something that this kitchen had never seen before. His mother had always kept the kitchen in order and filled it with wonderful smells, now all he could smell was the rotting fruit and who knows else that had been left here since his mother had died.

Alucard went about looking around the kitchen with Zahra, trying to find something she could eat. " I can go hunting." He offered. If animals in the area had disappeared because of all the commotion then he had the speed and skill to go looking for them farther out than Zahra possibly could. Plus getting some blood in the castle would be a good idea, at some point he would need blood and having good in the house was also good, and not just for Zahra. He was half human so he was able to eat human food, he could live without it for a certain amount of time but he still enjoyed it and found that it put off how often he needed to drink.

" At least this is still in working order." he hummed when Zahra found the refrigerator. It would be very helpful when ever they went for supplies. " I think I will take a piece, as long as we plan to go and get supplies soon." He didn't want to leave the castle so soon after everything, but they would need the supplies sooner rather than later.

Aveline
Aveline squeezed Trevors arm a bit harder, finding comfort in the fact he was here. She felt like she was on unsure ground, but Trevor was real and solid under her fingertips and he promised to be with her every step of the way. " Thank you Trevor." She said softly. She wasn't sure about herself or what she would do when it came down to it, would she have what it took to pay what ever price was presented in front of her? But Trevor would be there with her when that time came.

But hearing Syphas voice Aveline quickly looked away from Trevor and pulled her hand back, suddenly very aware of how close they were sitting and the moment they had been having. She blushed a bit, then pushed her half eaten plate towards Sypha to enjoy. Her heart was pounding and her stomach in knots, so she wasn't that hungry anymore.

" So you actually figured out where you need to go?" Sypha asked curiously, and Aveline nodded.

She relayed everything they had figured out to Sypha, who nodded on and was pretty impressed. " I suppose that means we'll be parting ways then, doesn't it?" She frowned a bit, despite how happy she was for Aveline.

" Just for a little bit. You want to travel the world still, right, and help people? We can all meet up again when everything is over, and we do have to visit Zahra and Alucard sometime."

 

[hollow.moon]

Trevor
The absence of Aveline's hand felt cold after she pulled away. He frowned slightly, and wished the moment had lasted just a little bit longer. He scooted over so Sypha would have room to sit, and watched as she and Aveline spoke, he leaned back in his chair "Try not to miss me too much, Sypha." he said with a faint smirk.

Sypha scoffed "Parting ways will be like a vacation, though I do feel bad that Aveline will have to babysit you from now on, are you sure you're up to the task?" she questioned Aveline, taking another bite of food from the plate.

Trevor frowned "I'm sure she is," he rolled his eyes "We should move out at dawn, after we get some supplies." he glanced at Sypha, who was still empty handed from her trip to the markets. She smiled awkwardly "About that, the group I met, they're heading out tonight." she explained. Pulling out a bag of coin she placed it on the table "I offered them some coin as thanks, you can have what is left."

"You're leaving tonight? Really?" asked Trevor.

Sypha arched a brow "I thought you would be happy to get rid of me." she said with a smirk.

"It's just a bit sudden, is all." he said as he crossed his arms over his chest and lowered his head. Truthfully he would miss Sypha, they had become good friends over the course of their journey, but he was also a bit anxious about so suddenly staying alone with Aveline. He was an awkward man, when he was sober, anyway. Taking a deep gulp of his ale he wished the alcohol would take over. He was becoming a bit tipsy, his cheeks reddened but he seemed tired more than drunk.

Zahra
She smiled sweetly as she carved a piece of ham for Alucard. She seasoned it with salt and a bit of pepper. As it sizzled on the stove she retrieved another pan and cracked an egg "I hope you like scrambled because that's all I know how to make." she laughed to herself.

She was a bit shocked to hear him offer to hunt, it made sense the more she thought about it but the idea of him biting into the jugular of a deer and hunting it like an animal was an uneasy feeling. Her mind drifted as she gently flipped the ham, she wondered what it was like to be bitten. The obvious answer was that it would hurt. She shook her head, shaking off her curious thoughts and focused on cooking, her cheeks slightly red.

After it was finished she placed an egg and a piece of ham on a plate for Alucard, and the same on a separate plate for herself. She handed him a fork and knife and leaned on the counter, taking a bite of egg "Sypha was always the better cook." she sighed "It was rare we ever had a meal like this though." she wondered what Sypha was up to now, and if she Trevor, and Aveline were getting along well. Already she was feeling the effects of homesickness. Sypha was worried when they split away from their people to join Alucard and Trevor, she did not want to be alone. Zahra never felt that, as she had Sypha at the time. They had each other, why worry? Staring down at her food she frowned, she knew Sypha and the others had headed west, but the nearest town was east and it would be a waste of energy to journey so far. It was unlikely they would even be there when they arrived, she glanced over at Alucard, at least she was not alone.

 

[AnxietyandSparklingWater]

Alucard
" You should give yourself more credit, this is wonder." Alucard said after a bite of ham. He had been on the receiving end of Syphas cooking and had to agree it was wonderful, but there was nothing wrong with this either. " Though if you do feel your knowledge lacking there are cook books around here somewhere, and i know how to cook as well." He was half human and he also enjoyed a good soup or stew when the weather called for it, plus it would be pitiful if he couldn't cook for himself. Though truthfully like all little children who clung to their mothers skirt when he was younger he had watched his mother cook and had helped her once he was old enough. Cooking had fond connotations for him and he wouldn't mind indulging in it again.

He sensed the drop in Zahras mood at the mention of Sypha, he had an idea what she was thinking about. " If it's any consolation, i'm sure you and Sypha will see one another again soon. Once she meets up with the Speakers in Brailia i'm sure she'll head back this way to see you. This is the first time either of you have been apart from one another, so i'm sure she'll jump at the chance to visit." But he frowned a bit. There was no promise that if Sypha or any of the others visited that Zahra would stay with him. Maybe being here with him for a month or two would prove too much for her, or she'd think she had done her service and was free to leave him alone. A selfish part of him didn't want her to leave, but he smiled a bit ruefully to himself because when she had agreed to stay with him he had kind of wished she hadn't. Her kindness would make it hard to lose her when she finally did find a reason to leave him here in this castle.

Aveline
Aveline clasped her hands together and frowned a bit hearing that Sypha would be gone so soon. It was just that they had only just split up with Zahra and Alucard, and now Sypha would be going her own way too. This was honestly what she had feared while they were traveling together while on their quest to kill Dracula, that they would become close but once everything was done they'd go their own ways and never seen one another again. Her fears were already half way there to coming true, but she suppose that as long as they did see one another again then there was nothing to really worry about.

" I'll miss you Sypha, and you're ability to start a fire in an instant. You kept us all so warm." Aveline signed playfully. " You know you'll miss me for my wit and personality." Sypha said with a flutter of her lashes and then a wiggle of her eyebrows. Well at least she wouldn't have to worry about Sypha teasing her about her crush on Trevor, but then she realized that means this trip really would be just her and trevor! She blushed a bit and Sypha gave her a coy look, Sypha seemed to know just what she was thinking about.

" Well we won't be parted for too long i'm sure. With the lead Trevor and I have maybe we'll be able to meet up with you very soon. If not then i'll find some way to send word to you. I also think after all this searching for the stone is done with i'd like to go check up on Zahra and Alucard and really get a chance to explore the Belmont hold!" that hold had been amazing and she would of stayed behind to explore it too if it wasn't for her quest right now. But she was hoping to return one day and explore it.

 

[hollow.moon]

Trevor
Continuing to tend to his ale, Trevor listened to Aveline and Sypha's discussion. He slouched in his chair "Yea, yea. We won't be apart long. With my help, we'll find that stone in no time." he said with an arrogant smirk, and held up his pint "I wish you luck in your search, Sypha." the drink was most definitely taking a toll.

Sypha arched a brow "You two should probably hurry up and gather supplies, get a good night's rest and then start moving in the morning." she suggested. Looking to Aveline she smiled sweetly "I wish you luck as well." she said placing a hand on her shoulder "Make sure he doesn't get you into too much trouble." she said with a smirk "Unless, that is what you want of course..."

Trevor glanced between them with a confused look "Whats that supposed to mean?" he questioned, his speech slow and child-like. Sypha took his pint. "Hey!" he reached for it but she took it away.

"Fair travels my friends, I hope to see you soon. If you return to the castle before me, do send my good wishes to Zahra as well." she explained. Looking to Trevor she frowned and leaned in close "Take care of Aveline, I will skin you alive and turn you into socks if you hurt her." she whispered lowly. She wanted Aveline to stay safe, not only from physical harm, but she also would hate to leave the two alone and reunite with Aveline brokenhearted. She smiled, waved and gave the pint back to the barman, before leaving the Tavern. That was the last Trevor would see of her for awhile.

He frowned slightly, and scoffed lightly "I honestly think she's just avoiding me." he said running a hand through his hair. Part of it was a joke, but half of it was his own self loathing bleeding through the cracks in the walls he so carefully built around himself. Maybe it was because he was drunk, or maybe he felt his secrets were safe with Aveline. Either way, it slipped out ever so slightly.

Zahra
"You sure do know a lot of stuff, Alucard." Zahra said with a smile "I would gladly let you teach me." she added. His mind was overflowing, it was like an endless ocean she desperately wanted to explore. She caught herself staring for a moment, before she turned back to her food.

As he spoke of Sypha she frowned "I should learn how to be away from her, I never wanted to remain a speaker. I want to learn, and teach others. The world has so much to offer, I have so many questions. It's a bit overwhelming." she admitted. Zahra would never go anywhere if she remained with her people, and though she loved them dearly, every bird had to leave the nest eventually. Things went silent for awhile, and she realized she barely knew anything about Alucard. Sure she knew about his childhood, and the things that interested him, but again, she felt that it was only a fraction compared to the thoughts that swarmed him.

"You know, we hardly know each other..." she mentioned as she took a bite of ham "Whats your favorite color?" she asked with a smirk "Mine is purple, but the shade like lavender flowers. We once passed through a field of them. It was amazing, I tried to press some between my books but they ended up falling apart." she frowned. She remembered how Sypha sneezed nonstop after they ran through the fields, she smiled to herself. So long as she remembered the fond memories, Sypha would always be with her. Thus she was never really apart from her.

 

[AnxietyandSparklingWater]

Alucard
" I had no idea that you thought about leaving the speakers." Alucard had never even considered it now that the subject was brought up. When he met Zahra and the others what they were was more of a fact than something that could change. Trevor was a hunter, Sypha and Zahra were speakers, and Aveline was an alchemist. But he was a fool to assume anything when it came to Zahra, she was a free spirit and proved to be able to handle herself.

" But if you want to put down roots some place where you can learn to your hearts content then this was certainly the place." Now it all made more sense why Zahra had stayed. Here in this castle and underground in the Belmont hold was generations of knowledge that only a handful of people had access to. If her dream really was to learn and teach others then this was certainly the place to stay.

" But I do agree, we don't know much about one another. If we had then I would of known your dreams." He felt a bit bad for not knowing more about Zahra, and he realized how brave she was to stay behind with him when she knew so little about him. Though he arched a curious brow when she asked his favorite color, she was going to start there? It was so simple, but it still brought a slight smile to his face. She was always surprising him.

" My favorite color is white, though that isn't much of a color i'm afraid." It was pretty boring compared to lavender but he enjoyed the simplicity and purity that came with white, and after everything he had been through it was something he really needed in his life.

Aveline
" She's not avoiding you Trevor, none of us are." Aveline assured him with a soft chuckle. It was a little hard to take in, knowing that now it was the two of them. But she wasn't angry at Sypha, she was happy that she had found her own path to follow and hopefully all their paths would cross again. Plus it would be nice to not have to listen to Syphas teasing all the time, though she knew she would also miss it.

" And i'm very excited to be traveling with you! Imagine all the trouble we can get into." She did like to cause a bit of trouble, but with Trevor clearly getting a bit buzzed it was probably for the best that they not do anything too wild. It would also probably be for the best that he didn't drink anymore.

" Come on, we should go and get supplies like Sypha suggested. We can take the supplies to our room when we're done and then load them up on our wagon tomorrow morning when we head out." It would suck to have their goods stolen off of the wagon. With that said Aveline carefully rolled up the maps and tucked them away into the side bag she carried, then stood up with a determined look in her eyes. Maybe this quest would lead to her destruction, but she'd never know if she didn't get off her ass and explore. Plus it wasn't like she was doing this alone.

 

[hollow.moon]

Trevor
Sad that his ale was gone Trevor groaned and leaned back in his chair. Honestly he was acting like a spoiled child. Still, he got to his feet, thanked the barkeeper and left the tavern with Aveline. With a sigh he looked out on the lake, the sun reflected off of the waves beautifully, the breeze was soothing and calm. He felt a headache coming on "Well then, what do we need." he said aloud, mainly talking to himself.

"Food, that won't rot, probably some warmer clothes, winter should be on it's way." he counted the two things on his fingers as they walked through the markets. Villagers were shouting things out to the customers that walked by, it reeked of fish. One shop sold beautiful jewelry, the one directly next to it displayed fresh fruit. It was rather interesting. Trevor stopped at a stand that was selling jars of jam, and loaves of bread. The jam would last them awhile, and bread was very good at filling up a hungry belly.

"Quit your gawking, you gonna buy or what?" asked the vendor.

"Yea, yea." Trevor said as he pulled out three coins and paid for two loafs of bread and some jam, he handed them to Aveline. The vendor mumbled something about strangers, and another thing about how he was drunk "Am not." he replied.

The vendor arched a brow "Was I talkin' to you, mate?"

"Not particularly, but you were talking about me and I'll have you know I'm a fuckin' Belmont." said Trevor as he held his finger to the vendor's face. The merchant did not at all seem impressed, he merely crossed his arms.

"That is no way to talk around a lady, is this man botherin' you miss?" the vendor directed his attention to Aveline. Trevor felt a surge of jealousy as the other man smirked at her.

He placed his hand on the small of her back "Lets get going." he mumbled under his breath as he pushed her further down the merchant strip.

Zahra
"White," Zahra repeated the word "Not bad, I like white." she added with a smile. She grinned to herself "Not as vibrant or unique, but soft and pure. Like freshly fallen snow, or a full moon surrounded by twinkling stars." she mused to herself. White was innocent, Alucard was the opposite of innocent by this point in time. It was interesting, that he was fond of a color so plain yet beautiful in it's own way. She looked down at her plate and realized she had finished eating, she washed it under the running faucet as she tried to think of more questions.

"You're a talented sword fighter." she commented "Who taught you?" she questioned as she dried off her hands. She remembered the day he fought the beasts out in the snow. When he fought it was more like a dance, but when Zahra fought it was usually a barrage of arrows, a burst of uncontrolled flame, or a dagger in the eye. She wasn't nearly as elegant.

She picked lightly at the bandages around her hand "We should probably start for the village, before it gets too late." she suggested "Also, you're asking the next question." she said with a smirk as she leaned against the counter beside him "But I'll warn you, I'm a mystery, an enigma."

 

[AnxietyandSparklingWater]

Alucard
" my father taught me to fight, at my own insistence," Alucard said, his thoughts taking him back to the many hard days full of drills and routines that helped turn him into the sword fighter he was. " My mother and father did not encourage or discourse my interest in self defense and swordsmen ship, but I was aware of the fact that I needed to be able to fight if I wanted to survive." He had been the one to pick up a practice sword first after he found books about it in the library. " my father understood why I wanted to learn, and he saw potential, so he helped teach me. But as we saw my father did not need a sword or anything like that to protect himself."

He knew he wasn't as strong as his father, and maybe that was why he knew he needed a weapon. If he wouldn't be accepted by his mothers or fathers people then he would be able to carve himself a spot if need be.

Walking over to the sink Alucard washed and his empty plate, and thought for a second about what he could ask Zahra. What should be ask her? " Who taught you how to use a bow?" He decided on finally as they left the kitchen to grab their coats. This idle back and forth would most likely make the trip into the near by town go much faster.

Aveline
" You get riled up so easily, Trevor." Aveline said with a small chuckle as she let Trevor lead her away from the merchant stand. " Though the ale probably didn't help, you're a little pink in the face." She teased him, but she stuck close and enjoyed his warm hand on her lower back. It was a protective hand that meant he at least cared about her and wanted to keep her close.

She should of expected Trevor to get a bit too eager after finally having some ale, the whole trip to his family hold had been devoid of it and from what she could guess drinking in a tavern was a pretty normal thing for him before he was whisked away to kill Dracula. " You're not going to wander off and fall asleep under a tree somewhere on me, are you?" She tucked the jam and the bread safely into her satchel then slipped her arm between Trevors so she could steer him around without getting lost in the crowd.

" We can get some root vegetables those carry over a bit, some dried meats, and a few jars of pickled vegetables. That will get use where we need to go and back again most likely." She was excited to being going on this trip with Trevor despite her nerves about actually accomplishing her goal, she was excited to not be alone again.

" Trevor...thank you for promising to stay with me." She said softly, as they moved down the stalls. " Traveling by myself was so lonely, and after we defeated Dracula I was worried i'd be alone again. I didn't think we'd all stay together forever, but we all started picking different paths and I thought mine would lead to an empty road. Having you with me is honestly something I could really get used to."

 

[hollow.moon]

Trevor
Despite Trevor's fuming attitude he calmed as Aveline hooked her arm with his. Taking a deep breath he frowned, wishing he could go back in time to handle the situation better. What was done was done, however, and now he felt ashamed. He refused to look at Aveline, but he couldn'thelp but stifle a snicker when she mentioned him sleeping under a tree "Why would I wander off to sleep under a tree when I get to sleep close to you?" he questioned, glancing over at her quickly.

"Dried meat, root veggies, and eugh, pickles." he nearly gagged thinking about it. Though it wasn't impossible for him to eat anything pickled, hell it was better than piss, he just much preferred a mug of ale. Grimacing he approached a stall selling assorted salted meats that would last them awhile. He bought a few, had them wrapped in burlap and handed them to Aveline. He liked walking around with her on his arm, it was calming, he didn't feel the urge to start a fight with any other vendors, and he even felt like he was sobering up just by being in her presence.

After gathering some potatoes, and carrots, they purchased a jar of pickles, which would last them awhile. So long as they stayed in his stomach and he didn't end up vomiting them out. Food was taken care of, now they just needed to ensure they had proper supplies for the journey "We should probably get some whetstone, some flint, and oil for the lanterns." he suggested "Why don't you go on and look at some of the clothes? Buy yourself something nice." he told her as he handed her a bag of coin "I'll take care of the rest of this." he said as he took her satchel "Meet back at the tavern by dusk?"

Zahra
The more Alucard spoke of his family the more Zahra wished she had grown up with such a childhood. It seemed like his parents loved him very much, and with Dracula's advanced knowledge Alucard himself had a decent upbringing. She did not want to dig into the already touchy subject more, remembering how she found him this morning. She grabbed her cloak on the way out of the castle, and held it around her, the chill of the air was dreadful, it felt like needles on her cheeks.

"Alright, what was it you asked again? Oh right my bow." she remembered. She thought back to the days she lived with the speakers, and how often they traveled "Well, when we traveled it was a bit hard to come by food. One of the members in my group was talented with a bow, he taught me how to hunt. My daggers on the other hand. We stayed in one village for a few months, I met a boy, he was roguishly charming, and a very talented thief. He taught me out to throw knives and pickpocket, when grandfather found out he was furious. He cursed that boy for taking away my innocence." she smiled to herself.

She let out a sigh as the wind blew past her, making her cloak flap in the wind "He was my first love." she said somberly "He's probably dead now." she added. They were silent for awhile "But that was a long time ago." she waved her hand to the side as if it was nothing "What about you? You ever been in love?" she asked curiously a slight smirk on her face.