Finally, a chapter update! I've been moving around lately quite a lot and I have yet to get used to this exchange semester that I'm having... I'll try to get around writing further for this fic, since it won't take too long until they are in the Castle after all!

Please excuse the ugly line breaks, I can't figure out how to do them otherwise...

Anyway! Hope you enjoy and I'll see you around!

~7-1: Abandoned Mines

When the priestess came to, she couldn't remember what had happened.

Her mind was a blank as her body tried to register everything around her step by step. First was the ground beneath her, cold and hard. Here and there, pebbles were poking through. She was wrapped up in a coat or a blanket, keeping her warm and safe. Though, from one side, she could feel heat reach her. There wasn't much to hear, other than a campfire or the wind howling.

Then her mind was flooded with memories.

The Sunken City and their cult, almost unreal with its peaceful surroundings.

The Golem and the devil forgemaster, his sharp gaze behind fiery red hair.

Her battle against the monster, the dagger piercing her side from the mob surrounding her.

A white wolf and a lot of voices filling her ears, too. It began to fuse into a blur and she couldn't say what the correct order was right then.

+0+0+0+

Sypha sat up and rubbed her eyes, left confused and wondering if anything was a result of her imagination.

She glanced around to see her companions asleep aside from Grant who leaned against a tree. When their gazes met, the pirate flashed her a smile and the warmth of it had her return the smile a bit.

"How are you holding up?"

"Could be worse, I guess… What happened?"

Sypha scratched the back of her head, her chest felt tight as they must have bandaged her up. Of course, otherwise she might have bled out.

Wait a moment. That must mean that they have-

One thought led to the next and she paled a bit, her smile fading.

Grant could already tell what she was pondering about and he blushed a bit as he avoided her gaze.

"Well… You got injured and we escaped together. Since we couldn't leave your wound open and all, I kind of had to patch that up..." Then he lifted his hands in defense and let out a weak laugh. "N-Not that I did anything else! Just… Told the boys that there might be something that they need to know about you."

At that, Sypha turned away and her cheeks flared up, unable to say if she felt shame or anger in that moment. Sypha was made vulnerable, but she couldn't think how Grant could have avoided the reveal. Whatever it was, this wasn't the moment she had planned to do so.

"Did… Did they say anything about it?"

Grant let out a bright laugh. It left the priestess baffled for a second, but she couldn't deny that it didn't ease her worries a bit.

"Honestly, not much! Trevor was pretty dumbfounded. You should have seen his face! Like a boy caught stealing candy!" The pirate tried not to laugh at the image and Sypha felt the weight lighten some more. "While Alucard didn't know what to do himself. But you know, he has that stone expression, so there's not much that changes on there most of the time."

No matter the light tone, Sypha couldn't keep fright away from her. It shook her once, creeping up her skin like insects. So many thoughts that she believed to have banned from her mind returned to her like the memory of a bad dream.

"Do you think that they are mad at me? For keeping it a secret?" She hugged her own legs, pulling them close. "I didn't mean to lie, it's not like I don't trust any of you, but..."

"Don't worry about it. This is something that you must decide on your own. Whether you would have told us one day or not, it's nothing that anybody else can tell you to do." His own smile faded and he gave a shrug. No one could read the minds of their companions after all. "I am sorry to have taken this decision away from you, yet your life is worth more than any secret."

The priestess leaned her chin on her knees and closed her eyes, her smile returned to her. Once more, the warmth of the campfire reached her limbs.

"You are quite a considerate man, Grant. I wouldn't have expected to hear such words from a man like you."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"

That clueless expression on his face was enough to make her laugh again, she shook her head and waved him off.

"Well, you are a pirate. They don't usually have a good reputation, you know. Ruthless and these things. I mean, yes, you seemed like the nobler type, but that isn't saying much."

Grant crossed his arms and frowned some more, though she could tell that he was only acting annoyed. He turned his head away in an over dramatic motion and pouted some more.

"Ah, moral lessons from a crossdresser. I don't think that you are in any position to talk to me about that!"

"Pfft, maybe. Either way, we are equals in the group, so I suppose that you are right in the end…"

The pirate let out a laugh, leaning back against the tree trunk.

"Good to see that you understand! Now to make you understand how people should follow my advice in general, because I am always right!"

"Right… If you say so…"

But they couldn't keep up the charade for much longer before they both returned to their laughter.

+0+0+0+

The sounds were enough to stir Alucard from his sleep.

If he ever fell asleep that was.

They figured that he would only doze off at times, a nap when necessary. There was no sense of discomfort to be found in his stoic expression. He only sat up and slicked back the dark strands that were dangling in front of his face. Though, even then, he still looked orderly no matter what.

His gaze wandered between them, trying to understand if something has gone wrong. Yet, Grant was his usual cheerful self while Sypha seemed comfortable in her skin.

"Have you rested well? You have burned up a lot of energy for the fight…"

Somehow, Alucard could always make his concern sound eloquent, it had her feel bashful.

The priestess let out a low sigh and remained silent for a moment as she glanced down at her hands.

Indeed, that was quite a lot of magic that she had summoned in that short amount of time. Not only short zaps like she had used against the Medusa in the end, but full strikes of lightening. It would be a lie if she said that it didn't leave her drained.

"I can't tell how much energy I have regained for my powers... It's hard to distinguish between my own health and my energies… Especially right now, so I'll have to see how I fare later."

"We aren't willing to put you on a risk. This journey isn't going to get any easier. And we need everyone to be in their best form if we want to stand a chance against my father."

Alucard shook his head only for his gaze to turn to the side. The sun was setting at this point. His amber eyes focused on the large, looming shadow of Dracula's castle in the background. They had gotten close enough to make out more of the shape and the fact that it was surrounded by water. It almost looked unreal in the light, as if it was out of place as soon as any sun rays would hit it. This building emitted from the night, it seemed.

"Ominous as ever, Alucard... You might as well tell us to stay behind", mumbled Grant after he had his own share of looking back at the damned construction. Alucard only rolled his eyes, but kept his words to himself. While their conversations weren't as hostile, Sypha couldn't keep from thinking that they would always clash naturally. A duo so different in their natures, it was bound to happen.

"Don't think of me as weaker now. Every encounter teaches me and allows me to grow stronger as long as I come out of it alive", commented the priestess in hopes to stand a bit between their little dispute.

Also, now that the dhampir was aware of her true sex... She was used to seeing women being treated as weaker for no reason other than their appearance after all.

Alucard could sense this sentiment between her words and tilted his head. Nothing stirred in his face, though his expression seemed to have softened.

"I wasn't worried about your skills, but rather your condition. I have seen and experienced your skills more than once, so I am sure that you aren't easily beaten down. The Golem was a tough construction that would have given any of us trouble if we had faced it on our own." A nod to himself to underline his words. Any skillful fighter was welcome among them after all. "Plus, I would be the last one to judge you on your form. I'm only surprised that I wasn't able to detect it and all. But powers are given to anybody regardless of birth. The Lord was even so kind to do so for some pirate fellow."

"Oh, come on!" Grant threw his arms up in defiance and laid back down, not wanting to look at any of them as Sypha started laughing. "I could beat you both in a race, you know! You won't be making fun of me anymore once I save both of you!"

"But you already did", hummed the priestess as she watched the other shift in place. Her smile then wavered at her previous memories. It was a miracle that they had made it through so much. "So much so that we were frightened that you wouldn't make it…"

The events of the Bridge of Peril were ever so clear on her mind. Their initial shock after his fall was still enough to have her shiver. Only by the grace of the Lord, they could meet again, that much she was convinced of. Grant only mumbled to himself from his position, quite flustered obviously.

While the pirate wouldn't reply, Sypha turned to glance at Alucard and pulled a bit on her robes.

"Holy water", she explained, "it's what I use to confuse demon senses aside from appearance. Sorry about that."

Alucard sniffed as if he could smell it right then and wanted to get rid of it.

"Well, it was effective. Quite clever of you."

+0+0+0+

Trevor was finally the next one to arise from his sleep. The hunter sat up, his cloak slipping from one shoulder as he rubbed his eyes. For a minute, he didn't seem to register his companions around him before he blinked in each of their directions. Yet, he tried not to stare at Sypha too much once his conscious reminded him of what had happened.

"… Have I overslept?", was the first question that he dared to let pass his lips. The second statement was attached right after before anybody could reassure him. "You should have woken me up. We need to prepare for the rest of the journey."

"Relax, Trevor!", called out Grant as he tried to make himself comfortable on the ground. With a smug grin, he turned to the side. "It's not like we get the chance to take a rest together often! Might as well enjoy ourselves for as long as we can before some minions ruin our fun!" Which they would eventually, that much was true. At that, Trevor pulled his cloak back over his shoulders and edged closer to the fire to poke it with a stick.

"Suppose so… Might as well use the time to discuss and then have something to eat before we get going. Marching on an empty stomach is terrible."

For someone that was in exile, Trevor must have known what he was talking about. His gaze would finally look over the priestess without shame. At least, not as much as before.

"So uhm… When were you planning on telling us about that? Not that you needed to… I mean…" He could feel his cheeks glowing already and he cursed under his breath. "You shouldn't have felt like you needed to hide among us."

Then it was Sypha's turn to feel flustered and her eyes wandered off, hoping to find any sort of space to hold on to.

"I… Honestly, I don't know if I would have ever talked about it. And while… I know that I can trust you, it's just something that I have gotten used to. So much so that I don't even know if I would have been able to tell you…" A bit of shame was welling within her voice. There really had been no need to keep this a secret from them and the priestess couldn't think of a reason. "I guess that I owe you an explanation either way…"

"Y-You don't have to if you don't feel like sharing!"

Trevor's concern had her smile again and she shrugged it off. As much as it was something that she usually kept with herself, she wouldn't want to feel like she had used their trust.

"We are sitting around a campfire together, so I can use the time and opportunity to talk some of it off my chest. Perhaps that'll help me in the future?"

Which was something that they all silently agreed on. Sypha was an adult after all, she should know what she wanted to share and what not.

+0+0+0+

While the priestess could imagine how coming clean could feel liberating, she had no idea how much that held true. She told them of her past, of her father who was a priest and herself who wanted to gather knowledge. There were constant drawbacks due to her sex, of course. So, in the end, faking her personality was the only way to achieve access to any form of knowledge.

"I have been posing as a man for so long that I began wondering who I was before that at some point... Whenever I would see my actual form, I'd feel irritation, because I was reminded of what hindered my progress to begin with. But then, looking down at me in this disguise felt like I was losing myself and my personality... I could not be one or the other without losing something important to me." Instead of being herself and acting upon her interests she needed to be what people expected of her. When she would need to follow those expectations, she was bound to lose something either way.

So, the question had been what Sypha was willing to sacrifice?

After the priestess had spoken, silence laid heavy between them. She turned her gaze down, unable to look at their faces as she had revealed herself. There was disappointment among her companions, she was sure, much like anybody else that came to know about her sex. At least, that was what she came to expect by now.

"As much as I will never be able to understand what you feel...", began Trevor with his voice trembling, yet he tried to keep it lighthearted, "I can safely say that you have no need to hide. All of us are fugitives in our own way... You are between an exiled man with inhuman strength, a pirate who is out for revenge and a dhampir who rebels against his father. I think that a woman with magical powers fits in fine."

From the corners of her eyes, Sypha peeked at the other and found a gentle smile, he spoke with honesty. The priestess took a breath to push her shoulders back, to regain some of her dignity and confidence back. She had enough of feeling vulnerable and hurt in front of those whom she trusted with her life.

"T-Thank you… You have no idea how much that eases my mind."

"Ah, in a world as twisted as this, there's nothing odd about you! It helps us survive, so we are the last ones to judge you. Would be kind of hypocritical of us, really", hummed Grant with his smile never fading. Alucard only nodded to show his agreement, he seemed to have spaced out for a second in his thoughts. Though his neutral expression had something calming to it.

"And if we are to come across someone who has the need to judge on your powers, we will have the fool chased away. We know that this society, in its' panic, wasn't kind to women with certain knowledge and powers...", mumbled Alucard as he tried to keep painful memories away from him. If there was any emotion that could be read from his expression, it was sorrow. "We must never forget that there is good, innocence and love to be found in this world. It is what we wish to protect and save and it keeps us from becoming monsters. My father has long forgotten either of those and it's tearing his sanity apart ever since."

Of course, the pirate was the first one to react. He snuffled and crossed his arms, then raised his eyebrows.

"No offense, but it's hard to imagine that Dracula wasn't a total jerk from his birth." Just the idea that the Lord of Darkness had known love… It was absurd to them, in a way.

Even Alucard shook his head, a bit of a frown on his face. It was impossible to deny; his father had turned into a monster of a man. "Well, my father has never been the warmest type of person, that much is true. Yet, he could let joy and love take hold of him for those he cared. I believe, it was my mother that taught him how to soften. Sometimes, that was."

"So, wait a minute. Are you saying that Dracula had been in love? With your mother, no less?" It was to be expected that these questions would come. Sypha was folding her hands in her lap, somewhat glad that she wasn't the main subject anymore.

But Alucard could understand their surprise. Being in this situation and seeing the suffering that he caused, it was no wonder that there was nothing else that they could see in him. To be honest, even after meeting him before these incidents would leave you with the impression of him being cold and ruthless.

It was the truth after all.

"Indeed… As unbelievable it was to anybody. My mother was one of the kindest women that I had ever known, it made people wonder how she had developed such affection for him..."

"Wait, wait, wait. They were a couple?" Now it was Grant's turn to stare at him in further disbelief. He lifted his hands, then gave a light shrug. "I mean… It's just… Stories about vampires capturing women and claiming them and such… Not so uncommon, you know. And for the Lord of Darkness to not have done so… Kind of what we seemed to have expected?"

Trevor glanced between them. He had been in exile for so long that local politics flew over his head for years. Yes, something about witch hunts every couple of months, sometimes years.

He was aware that Dracula, who was known as Vlad, used to be ruler? And then not again? Something about his brutality, too, that had kept the Ottomans off.

Trevor had a feeling that he wouldn't have understood the monarch system even if he had heard about it.

+0+0+0+

"Can't blame you. My father was never really a trusting or warm man. But with mother, he was at calm. Once she was taken away from him, that was when his mind broke apart." The dhampir then turned to glance at the hunter whose confusion was obvious to anybody. "In his first outbursts of rage, it was your mother that had put him in his place. From what I understood, these wounds weren't lethal and, for a while, he had returned to his critical and cold self." But at least, he wasn't summoning the demons of Hell to take revenge on the world anymore. Alucard had believed that, through this, his father might have learned his lesson and could find a way to deal with his grief.

Yet, he seemed to have been mistaken, much to his dismay. Perhaps it had been naïve of him to hope for better days, for their routine to return somehow.

In the end, all monsters had been human once. That much they could take away from his words. Not even particularly kind or good, but someone with emotion and the ability to find affection even in the coldest corner of their heart.

It could never excuse the horrid crimes that Dracula had committed, nothing could. Yet, it could explain partially why this was happening in the first place. Grief transforming into anger and madness, something to rip his sanity apart.

And if they were to save this world from plunging into the same madness and darkness, it was by defeating him and putting his soulless shell of a body to rest.

As none of them were willing to explore further on this subject, they dealt with it in their thoughts. Trevor and Grant got on their feet to scan the little forest area for something fresh to eat. Even if the ground was infected by the Curse, they could hope to find something to eat. They only had so many rations left after all and none could expect a feast in Dracula's castle.

All that they could find were some mushrooms and the pirate had picked up two eggs from a bird's nest.

Not enough to feed four people, but hey, it was a start. Some scrambled eggs to go with their stale bread.

When was the last time that they had something warm? No need to complain then.

Trevor felt like it was an eternity since they had escaped the Clock Tower and were taken to the village. The Sunken City offered some comfort just the same, but he had no fond memories of it for obvious reasons. Society was still found even in all this chaos, but the closer they got to Dracula's castle, the further they moved away from the light. It was as if the insanity spread from the construction like a web.

As they shared their lunch, Trevor was still in thoughts about the events. The others would ask him if he was holding up, but to be fair, there wasn't much that could be done about it. As long as he wasn't running away from the task, it would still work out. Hopefully, that was. But Trevor had long accepted that him and his companions might not have been sane, since they accepted to make this mission their own. Anybody else would have tried to travel and move away from this wretched place. But the truth was that if nobody was to stop Dracula, there would be no safe space to inhabit anymore.

"Are you sure that you are doing fine?", murmured Grant with a glare from his side. The question had him flinch a bit, the tone of the other was scolding. Yet, in the next second, Trevor waved them off.

"Just thinking about a lot. But nothing important, I'm serious. Speaking of serious matters! Alucard, you seem to be aware of a possible route?"

Distracting from himself, classic act.

His companions could understand that this was his intention. But then again, it wasn't their job to scold him like a child if he didn't feel like sharing his track of thoughts.

Alucard swallowed on his last piece of bread and let out a sigh. "Indeed. There should be an underground pathway to the castle grounds. Those minions that they can't use for fighting, they use for resources. Weapons have to be made after all, so they sent them to mines after chasing the workers away."

"And one isn't far from the castle?"

"Exactly. It was always convenient to have raw materials near, saves time and resources. A tunnel through the underground to the castle was created, since the construction is only accessible via bridge. And this bridge is most likely the most guarded spot outside the castle. Facing it head on might not be in our interest then."

Which made sense, Trevor figured. Keeping gold and silver near for the royals, iron and copper for the weaponry. If not all four of them combined if they felt fancy about it. Not that Dracula seemed like the extravagant type, but hey, you never know.

+0+0+0+

Their campfire was put out and everything was packed up before they continued their journey under the dying sun. Off another path, they came across the usual skeleton foes. At this point, they were of no harm anymore and disposed with a crack of a whip or a smack of a staff. Here and there a few bats, but nothing else that would have them discouraged. Soon enough, at the end of the path, there was a group of hills and rocks cluttered together. In the distance, you could spot mountains with which this formation was connected to. A lonely mine shaft greeted them with its wide opening, a broken cart in front of it that had fallen over.

Sypha grabbed a torch that had been hung up on the margin and set the flame ablaze with a snap of her fingers. The dark inside the mine shaft had something unsettling to it, the silence of it almost unbearable.

"So, either Dracula is overly confident in knowing no one is going to get through or there is actually no way to travel through",. mumbled Grant as they all took their glance at the entrance.

"To be fair, the gates to the Clock Tower also weren't locked. Might actually be the first option", added Trevor with a bit of a frown. Alucard only scoffed at both and shook his head.

"A mix of confidence and convenience. Why keep guards at every entrance when you have enough minions to defend it from within? Plus, once inside, it is difficult to escape. There's always room for an extra servant after having caught them after all."

All too reminiscent of the Clock Tower, one giant death trap. But since they were able to have it collapse and survive, they might as well attempt the abandoned mine shaft.

The air inside was dry, dusty almost. This shaft must have been in use for quite some time as the former workers had dug out a broad size. Of course, the bats weren't far either and almost instantly reacted to the sound of their footsteps. A few fireballs from Alucard's side and they turned into flaming bundles, dropping to the ground like flies.

"Shouldn't you preserve your powers? Those are no trouble whatsoever", asked Sypha with a raised eyebrow.

Alucard glanced down at the piles of ash for a moment when they passed them. A hint of disgust crossed his expression.

"But they're annoying."

And that was about it for his argument. Enough for them to accept, the other wasn't going to elaborate on that anyway.

The companions descended further and further into the earth, everything growing warmer. At some point, they could hear sounds echoing towards them. Lots of clanks and hits, of stonewalls breaking apart. So, as thought, this shaft was still in use. The sounds would become louder the further they got. The booming of it numbed the ears so much that one could barely hear their own thoughts. From their position, they could make out how their path would lead them to a ledge and large hall. The group tried to soften their steps to avoid alerting any creature that is below, working.

Yet, when they knelt to draw closer to the ledge, what they saw wasn't a couple of skeletons, but actual workers with pickaxes hammering away against the walls. Skeleton knights with whips were patrolling the area, keeping them in check, it seemed.

Well, human workers seemed to be more reliable than the monster ones. Either that or Dracula had fun in knowing that he was abusing the population to work for him until they couldn't go on anymore. A person was smarter than any skeleton, that was for sure.

"How many do you think, they keep in here?", mused Trevor as he counted the current number of workers. About twelve, if he didn't miss anybody. The majority was male, though the age groups were mixed. In fact, many of them didn't strike him as mine workers.

Grant couldn't keep a smirk from his lips at that answer, excitement sparked up in his eyes.

"Ah, already thinking about a rescue mission? I mean, we will come across more of them on our way most likely and perhaps one of them knows the exact path to the castle grounds!"

"And after we have saved them, what do they do? There is no safe haven to be found around here. The closest town is full of lunatics if they are still possessed, that is", added Sypha with a bit of a frown. As the others had escaped the Sunken City, the chaos there was difficult to read.

Alucard glanced the enemies over. Some of them clattering their teeth in amusement as they scared the workers with the sound of their weapons.

"Well, the devil forgemasters must have escaped in the chaos once we were all back together. Otherwise, they would have faced us, since their powers are not to be laughed at. With their influence gone, the town might find its' way back to normal."

"So you're saying that if we succeed in picking everyone up from the mines, we should accompany them back to the Sunken City and find out if one can still live in there?" Grant wasn't so convinced of that plan, his smirk fell at the idea of having to go back there.

Even Trevor wasn't fond of backtracking, it was in their best interest to keep moving forward. After all, the more time that they wasted, the stronger Dracula would become. At the same time, they couldn't leave these people here or on their own if they were to survive. To create another safe stronghold for people to find refuge in was in their best interest.

"Fine. We'll see what we can do about it once we get so far to take care of these people. We must cleanse this shaft of the demons first before we can even think about forming a group. One step at a time."

"All right! So, Alucard, how about we slide down there and get some combat started while the other two follow up?"

Really, it didn't take much for Grant to be motivated to find trouble. Most likely what got him into this mess in the first place.

Alucard rolled his eyes, the enthusiasm of the other didn't quite reach him. Having to agree with the pirate didn't sit right with him. But when would they find a common ground to agree with one another? At least, the snarling stopped.

"Fine", he grumbled, "might as well start somewhere."

Aside from another few paths that they could have taken, the current one spiraled down towards the ground to the workers. Trevor and Sypha would use this one to get to the lower level while the other two could work their way down the ledge. Or, at least, Grant would as Alucard took the form of a bat. Of course, the sound was enough to alert everyone below. The skeleton warriors swung their whips around, only having eyes for the pirate as the bat flew above their heads. With their focus on Grant, Alucard could reappear from their behind. The foes were easy prey to his sword, a few slashes and three of them fell apart, bursting into flames. There were five other warriors, now confused by the sudden intrusion. Once more, it made it easy for Grant to act and aim his daggers for their foreheads. From another corner, they could hear a skull spirit clatter its' teeth and then shrill. An alarm being set off that echoed in the shaft so loud that they flinched in place.

Grant didn't wait to slash the ghostly form, but by now, anybody in the mine shaft must have heard the alarm. The workers all cowered in a corner together, watching in disbelief how the duo handled the situation. Soon enough, Trevor and Sypha joined in as more foes entered from the other paths.

Some more skeleton warriors, some carrying swords, lances or axes. Here and there a possessed knight, flinging their axes at them without hesitation. More and more flooded in from each side, dashing towards them without fear.

This was starting to look like an arena, only the crowd was missing at that point. Well, minus the workers that tried to find a way to climb their way up from this floor. While the monsters would be distracted with the hunters, they might as well try for a safer ground.

Whatever could be defined as safe in this area anyway…

+0+0+0+

Among the four, Trevor was the one that kept most monsters at bay. With the range of the Vampire Killer, large circles could be cleared while the others would cover him. Sypha would use her staff for most of the time, blocking and smashing back against the skeletons while Grant was on the run the entire time. Alucard, on the other hand, was a mix of both with his sword, letting them near and trying to take out a large number at once.

It was difficult to keep track on what was happening.

A warrior here, a skeleton there and then the undead were added to the mix. Where they were summoned from, they had no idea.

Yet, the longer the fight went on, the more the hordes realized the strength of those hunters. When a good chunk of them were taken down, they could see how the first skeleton warriors were retreating. Other monsters noticed this just the same and would turn on their heels to follow right up.

The hunters had to stop themselves from tracking them down, their drive blinding their senses. Instead, they took a moment to breathe and clear their minds while the clattering sounds of the battle still rang between their ears.

+0+0+0+

"Who… Who are you…?"

To hear a human voice that wasn't coming from either of them was almost startling. After having faced so many enemies, it was strange to be confronted with a person again.

One that wasn't possessed or turned, for that matter.

A good number of people have cowered in the corner while the battles had continued, too frightened to leave the area. Not that they were ready to approach them, yet. Surrounded by the remains of these creatures and with their blood splattered all around, the hunters didn't look too friendly.

Sypha was the first to take a hold of herself and turned with a gentle, yet tired smile.

"We are hunters that are following our duty to defeat the Lord of Darkness. By our knowledge, we could travel these mines to infiltrate the Castle. We have not known that people are being kept here."

"Ah, another bunch crazy enough to think that they have a chance against that foe..." An elderly man sighed in defeat at that and shook his head. Next to him was a young woman that nudged his side with a stern gaze.

"You have seen how they fought back those hordes! Not a single limb is missing even though they battled so many!"

"Ay, with cursed powers as we have seen!", the man growled back and his eyes looked over the hunters one by one. His gaze hung with Trevor for a moment and he frowned at his sight, spat to the side. "Among them a Belmont. As if times weren't bad enough…"

Of course, Trevor only scoffed at those words. Not the first time that someone gave him the evil eye. He crossed his arms, less than amused.

"Well, I did not intend to impress you, old man. We're here to rid the land of this Curse, whether you like it or not. If we are to fail, as you so expect, then you won't have to deal with a wretched Belmont anymore. So, there is nothing to lose for you."

The young woman from before got on her feet and patted the dirt from her tunic. She shook her head with a sigh as the other man lowered his gaze in a mix of anger and defeat.

"Forgive him… We have been kept in here for so long that hope has become a rarity among us. But perhaps we should not remain here… Come, we will bring you to our underground quarters."

+0+0+0+

The workers were allowed to have their own cave as their space to retreat once they were tired. There was barely enough room for everyone, pressed against each other when sleeping. It wasn't relaxing or comforting even, but a place for retreating with occasional visits from monsters who would check up on them. Even with the little material that they've had, they tried to almost make this cave look homely.

The young woman, who introduced herself as Rosalie, took it as her responsibility to lead the hunters to the cave. Of course, the rest glanced at them in curiosity and they were met with shocked and surprised gazes once they arrived. People fell silent before they mumbled among each other in fright and excitement.

"Do not fear!", called out one of the men from their group, "they were here to help us in our dismay! With them, we shall be freed from our shackles!"

The companions glanced at one another, that sounded quite dramatic. Well, it wasn't like they planned on letting them stay here with the monsters. But to be declared as heroes had them somewhat uncomfortable. They had yet to accomplish this task as well as their main one. That didn't stop the workers from sitting in a circle with them, sharing what they knew about the mines.

It seemed that the generals of Dracula, the Devil Forgemasters, were sent out to make use of the human population.

At least, of the rest that survived the slaughter.

There were still resources to be had. Before they would let the people cower in the dark forever, they might as well use them for their work. So, the people would be taken away from their homes and put in their place until they'd collapse. Expendable work force while the Devil Forgemasters could experiment on their own.

Nobody could say what was of their old homes. The demons would act as they wished, either tearing towns apart on their own or taking them over.

Even if they were to survive the terror and the evil was banished, what was there left to return to?

"Well, it seems that the Sunken City still stands", explained Trevor, trying to sound calm about it. "The Devil Forgemasters somehow possessed the population… But the structure is still intact."

"So, we could return to it?" There was hope to be found in Rosalie's voice, though the hunter's shoulders slumped down.

Grant struggled for words at first, one hand fiddling with a dagger. "We left the city in… Quite a commotion. There was no sign of the Devil Forgemasters anymore though."

It was only of weak comfort, of course. The people around them shifted in space. Uneasiness returned quick as they muttered to one another.

The companions threw each other glances.

If they wished to continue, they would need to get through the mine shaft. Yet, it wasn't in their interest to leave them trapped at the mercy of the monsters. If there was a commanding force, they could locate it and break it down. Before Lord Dracula could send in a new one, the companions might be able to let them escape.

"Is there a Devil Forgemaster in these mines?", came from Alucard as these thoughts had passed his mind. More muttering and Rosalie tilted her head.

"Sometimes, it would seem. As if to check if we are still enough. Other times, he brings in new people with his hordes…"

"So, take down the boss and have the other monsters running. Sounds easy enough." Grant leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. Alucard only frowned at his words, then shook his head.

"You seem to forget that their powers rivals those of Death. We can consider ourselves lucky if we can make it out alive."

"Ay, we were already lucky to make it this far! We're testing our luck anyway, so might as well take on that guy."

Another growl from the dhampire's side, but he wouldn't comment further on it. They received a few confused looks; what an odd group.

Though, it seemed like only the extraordinary would be brave enough to test their fate and hope to survive.

Trevor got on his legs, patted his knees and let out a bit of a sigh. There was exhaustion to be found in his expression, but that wasn't going to stop him.

"Then we might not want to stay here for long before the next guard finds us. We wouldn't want to fight in such a narrow space." Couldn't argue against that. His companions followed his example as they got up, too. "We will come back for you once the Devil Forgemaster is taken care of. By any circumstances, do not provoke the monsters. We don't wish to come back to a… Decimated group of people."

"And we should believe you why? Who promises us that you come back to help us?", called out one of the men in the group. Words of agreement all around. "Why should we trust a Belmont? Or those that accompany you for that matter?" It got louder between the group. All this desperation and anger, it fueled their survival alone and someone had to be at the receiving end of it.

Trevor pushed his shoulders back, trying to keep his expression neutral while his voice trembled from restraint.

"Blame me all you wish, but I only ask for your patience. You don't know us as we don't know you. But I don't think that any of us have another choice."

During Dracula's reign, people could hardly be picky about it. More mumbling, but no more protest. Monsters were all around them anyway, another in form of a Belmont wouldn't be surprising. Just a bit sad, they figured.

In the end, this group of heroes might as well turn out to be yet another handful of expendable humans after all.

I realize this is less of an action packed chapter, but even heroes need a bit of a break! And a bit of banter doesn't hurt either!