Chapter Text
Anno domini 1073
The sound of the hooves hitting the damp grass and the neighing of the horses were the first signs they got before a low thumping of the boots reached the front door, followed by intense knocking.
Sypha looked away from her cooking and bit her lip. Sun had set nearly three hours ago, who would come to their home this late?
Glancing over at the large, weathered wooden table where her father-in-law was sitting with 6-year-old Simon, papers and sticks of charcoal strewn across the surface as the young boy practised writing the alphabet.
Sypha changed looks with Gabriel before moving the pot away from the fire, leaving her place by the stove and made her wave to the door, slipping a single dagger from the nearby table in her hand, turning it so the blade was hidden.
She opened the door and both Gabriel and Simon saw how she tensed briefly.
"Father-in-law..." Sypha looked over her shoulder and moved aside, revealing a group of four men with crimson armour in the doorway.
Gabriel's eyes narrowed as he stood up, Simon looked perplexed at the sudden harsh aura his grandfather emitted. Though he was nearing his sixties, the Champion of Light still moved easily. Rounding the table, brown-haired warrior stepped before the men, crossing his arms.
Dressed in a simple white shirt, brown pants and boots, Gabriel Belmont still managed to look like a warrior in his prime as the blue-grey eyes glared at the men.
"You're not welcome here. Leave."
The leader of the group, man with short black hair in his mid-thirties, sighed. "Brother, we..."
"Do not call me that," Gabriel interrupted. "I left the Brotherhood years ago. Did I not make it clear that the Order is not welcome anywhere near my family again?"
"My apologies. The Order would honour your wish but..."
"But nothing. Leave. The last warning."
One of the three other men scoffed. "So this is our great saviour? Threatening with violence in the presence women and children?"
"Quiet," the leader snapped before turning towards Gabriel. "I beseech you. Our matter is of utmost importance and comes straight from the Elders. It... involves the Bernhard Castle. We had reports that..."
"No," Gabriel shook his head. "You can deal with your own problems. I no longer hunt. And Trevor certainly won't bother with the Order's troubles."
Taught everything that his father knew, Gabriel's son inherited the famous Vampire Killer along with the relics Gabriel gained during his dark quest. People often sought help against the dark creatures from the Belmont family, Gabriel's fame had made that name famous across the land.
Despite living with the Order for his first years, Trevor, like his father had no love for the Brotherhood. The Order often tried to recruit the young Belmont back to their ranks but quickly stopped when Trevor finally single-handedly put the latest commander in his place after their latest attempt a year ago.
Trevor had been visiting the town blacksmith with Simon when the commander with three underlings approached them and started once again lure the dark-haired man to the Order. The last straw was when after Trevor had promptly ignored them, the commander had started to ask from then 5-year-old Simon wouldn't he like it if his father was a knight and maybe Simon would like being one to someday too?
That earned the commander a straight punch right into his face, breaking his nose and flying the poor bastard on his arse.
Seemingly shamed his outburst, Trevor said nothing of it to Gabriel and Sypha, but later at home Simon suddenly asked in dinner table did his father's hand not hurt after punching that stupid man?
Imagine Trevor's face as both Gabriel and Sypha roared with laughter when he finally admitted what had happened.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Gabriel pointed towards the door. "Get out. Now. And don't show your faces here again!" Turning around, Gabriel clearly signalled that he was done with this.
The leader of the warriors spoke again. "Gabriel, listen to us! The situation in North has gone worse, monsters gather and..."
"I do not care-!"
"...your son might be there as well!"
That made the silence drop in the house, only the fire in the hearth crackled and popped.
"Please listen to us and we'll leave then. You have my word."
Stepping aside without a word, Gabriel grudgingly let them in.
The leader glanced towards Sypha and Simon. "Perhaps... it would be better they left..." but warrior's words died when red-headed woman fixed at him a stern and cold look.
"If you're going to talk about my husband, then I'm staying right here. Simon, come over here. Give the good men some space," Sypha turned from the men and ushered an equally red-haired boy to gather his study notes.
The warrior tried to appeal to the legendary warrior. "Gabriel..."
"Trust me," Gabriel shrugged. "When Sypha makes her mind, none can change it. None."
***
"Six months ago, we received a disturbing news. The people of Wygol Village had fled their homes in panic despite the years of peace since your victory over the vampires. Townsfolk spoke of terrifying thunderous sounds and unnatural lights that illuminated the castle one night. Something that was not done by nature. Many left the village by then."
The leader of the Order's warriors sat across Gabriel, his companions standing behind him and letting their superior do the talking. Sypha stood by Gabriel with Simon next to her.
"A few weeks after the events, the village was attacked by monsters. The few survivors told that strangely, the beasts came from the outside of the village, killing people along the way as they seemingly made their way into the castle."
"So monsters made the castle their lair again?" Gabriel asked.
"That was our first thought, yes but it did not explain the events before their arrival. Then, we learned that just before the strange phenomenon, maybe a day or so, an outsider travelled through Wygol and entered the castle. A warrior dressed in an armoured green goat with long dark hair."
"That doesn't mean it was..."
"Gabriel, That man was carrying your old weapon. The people of Wygol remember your victory over the vampires well and recognized it easily."
"It can't be..." Sypha breathed. "He's supposed to be near the southern border."
"That we know nothing about but most certainly Trevor Belmont entered the castle before the strange events begun."
"We sent a squad to Wygol afterwards. The only thing they found was a village devout of human life and monsters prowling around. And not just one type of monsters but a whole variety of them. Werewolves, wargs, goblins, vampires... All manner of dark beings. A few with a talent for speech spoke of some lord or prince. It... looks like that some powerful being has taken over the castle. A being capable of rallying different monsters under its rule."
The warrior of the Order stood up. "Gabriel Belmont, the Order knows that we have no reason to demand anything from you but whatever this thing is... only you could possibly defeat it." He gestured to one of his men, who stepped forward, laying something wrapped in cloth. "The Elders sent this."
Gabriel hesitated before moving to pull the cloth aside, the insides of the package clanging against the wood.
On the table lay a Combat Cross. "Gandolfi's weapon."
"It's not on par with the Vampire Killer but perhaps if you wield it, it won't matter," the warrior said. "May the God be with you.
***
As the men had departed, Sypha shut the door to Simon's room, the young boy finally gone to the bed. "Gabriel... Trevor, could he have really gone there?"
Gabriel stood by the window, looking out of the rustic window, the moonlight illuminating the dust dancing in front of the glass. "I do not know. I want to think that villagers have erred but..."
"If they recognized the Vampire Killer... Trevor wouldn't give that weapon to anybody," Sypha finished, lifting a hand to the small pendant she always wore, a gift from his husband when he had started to court her.
Turning around, weathered face of a warrior regarded his daughter-in-law. "Sypha... If there's a change that Trevor's in there and in trouble..."
"I know. Just promise me something."
"Yes?"
"Come home, father-in-law. And bring my husband back too."
"I swear it on my life. We'll come home. Both of us."
***
The castle was as haunting as ever. Even though the unnatural winter brought by Carmilla was gone, the landscape was now captured in winter months. The Wygol Village was deserted, dead quiet as a graveyard.
Snow crunching under his boots, Gabriel pushed his hood down when the groaning began.
Zombies dug themselves up, their decaying flesh dripping on the snow.
Warrior smirked and reached for his weapons. So it begins...
From that point onward, Gabriel fought his way through the hordes of monsters even before he reached the main gate. As he finished the last of animated armours, Gabriel looked up the main doors. They were closed tightly. Swinging the chain, Gabriel started to haul himself upwards the wall and reached one of the platforms. There were windows he could smash through and make his way inside.
A screech sounded above him and a large, rounded figure plummeted towards Gabriel. A gargoyle spit fire at him and dived downwards with claws extended. Dodging, Gabriel swung the chain, hitting the gargoyle on the face and enraging it. The monster roared and attacked, jaws open. Blocking the attack with the Cross, Gabriel punched the thing to the side of its gaping face.
Gargoyle shook its head and extended its taloned feet, grabbing him and started to beat its wings, hauling the human warrior higher and higher over the tower roofs. Cursing, Gabriel felt for one of his daggers as the cold wind and monster's bumpy flight jostled him until he got one in hand. Wasting no time, he plunged the dagger deep into the glowing eye of the gargoyle. The thing screeched in pain while its claws released Gabriel, plummeting him in deadly fall.
Seeing an open-roofed place below them, he swung the Cross, shooting the chain towards the nearby tower. Hooked tip embedded itself on ancient stone and Gabriel managed to swing himself safely over the walls.
The chain detached and warrior landed on the hard marble floor with a roll. Groaning, Gabriel pulled himself and looked up, seeing how the gargoyle fleeted, lava-like blood dropping from its injured eye. His gauntlet bore some burn marks where the gargoyle's blood had spilt on but thankfully the heat did not reach his flesh.
"I'm too old for this..."
Looking around, Gabriel grimaced. He had landed into the very same room where he had battled Carmilla so long ago. The great mirror still stood on the wall, framed by two great dragon reliefs.
The rattling of bones echoed through the room, making Gabriel drop on a defensive stance. Skeleton Knights had blocked the top of the stairway, trapping the human in the circular room.
Not only them but snarling and scuffling emerged too as the bestial vampires scaled over the walls and down of them, surrounding Gabriel from all the sides. Beasts bared their fangs, saliva dripping from their tips and down their jaws as their flexed their wings and long claws.
Quickly checking his belt, Gabriel cursed. He had only three flasks of holy water left and there were at least 40 vampires, not including skeletons.
All at once every monster pounced and the battle was on.
With a swift Area Attack Combo, the first wave of vampires was repelled but this weapon was far from Gabriel's old one so it did not kill them as easily. Rushing over their fallen kin, more vampires struck and Gabriel felt how the claws caused sparks to fly as they raked across the metal. The metal did not withhold long and his blood spilt, the smell of iron leading the vampires into a higher frenzy.
Taking more hits than delivering them, Gabriel failed to see a skeleton charging towards him until it rammed right into his back. Thrown down on his front, grip on the Cross slipped and it slid out of his reach.
Coughing, head against the floor, Gabriel saw multiple long taloned legs closing in. His wounds from battles and earlier fall weighed upon him and he knew that monsters would tear him to pieces in seconds. If only he was ten years younger still...
Dammit... Does it really end like this? Sypha, Simon... I'm sorry...
A lone tear fell from the corner of his eye as Gabriel closed them, preparing to meet his end at last.
Trevor...
One vampire surged forward, claws extended and ready to tear human's flesh but suddenly, its attack was stopped as a cloud of shadows emerged right in front of it, separating it from Gabriel. He opened his eyes and saw how the misty darkness held the vampire by throat high over the floor, making the creature wail in pain as it kicked its legs in vain.
The mist solidified and Gabriel's view was blocked by a long, blue, gold-trimmed coat and metallic boots. The figure wearing the coat stood with a back towards Gabriel so he could not make much of their appearance. He did notice a long, snow-white hair and gauntleted hand that squeezed vampire's throat, though.
Vampire wheezed and whimpered as other monsters suddenly backed away, cowering. "Mercy!" The monster struggled to hiss. "Mercy...!"
The captor snarled and with an easy move, vampire's neck was crushed, the blood showering everywhere. Killer tossed the body aside and growled, the male voice shaking Gabriel to the core. "Leave this man alone or suffer the same fate!!"
"But Lord...." another vampire whimpered, but flinched as white-haired male fixed his stare on it, the monster gulping in terror and hastily rushing away with its kin. Vampires took flight, some scaled the walls and skeletons disappeared from the stairs, all running for their lives.
The room was silent soon after, the wind howling around two figures, one on the ground prompting himself slightly up, leaning on his right arm. The man, still standing with his back to the other, held his hand up, watching the crimson blood of the vampire staining the metal, sharp claw-like tips dripping with liquid. The hand was suddenly waved, flicking the blood away from the hand, staining the floor next to him.
Broad shoulders rose and set a deep breath was drawn. "You should have never come here. Father."
"Trevor? Is... is it really you, son?"
White-haired head turned by a fraction, not enough to reveal person's face. "Go."
With that, younger Belmont started to walk away, away from Gabriel.
Mind whirling with questions and need for their answers, Gabriel hissed as he ignored the pain coursing through his body and heaved himself off the ground. Though staggering, he managed to shot after his son and closed a hand on the wrist before pulling Trevor backwards and using the momentum to spin him around. "Wait! Son, what's going -"
The words died at the moment Gabriel met his son's eyes. Or at least, what used to be his eyes. Familiar blue eyes that Trevor had inherited from Gabriel were now bright yellow, almost golden. Sclera was dark, nearly black like his thin lips. Trevor's skin was pale, nearly greyish and littered with fine cracks, like a damaged porcelain.
Suprised at his father's sudden actions, those golden eyes widened and dark lips parted, the light glinting off from something behind them.
Just like when Marie had died, Gabriel felt like his world shattered the moment he saw them.
Fangs.
Quickly Trevor snapped his mouth closed and his body disintegrated into a mist, darting away from Gabriel. He reformed in front of the Mirror, wobbling slightly and steadying himself with a hand against the wall. "Don't... touch me!"
Gabriel could not believe what he was seeing. Now he could see easily the armoured coat his son was wearing in full detail along with armoured gauntlets and boots, yet his eyes focused on the bare chest and midriff revealed between coat labels as Trevor had no shirt or anything else underneath it. As pale as his face, Trevor's torso looked sunken and emaciated.
"A vampire."
That lone word made white-haired male flinch and averting his eyes from his father, as Gabriel dared to take a step towards him.
Trevor was quite a moment before speaking, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions. I never understood just how accurate that sentence was."
"Son... How, how could this have happened?"
Letting out a bitter laugh, Trevor lifted his hands and looked at them. "A single sacrifice in the face of destruction. Fortune seems to like to laugh at Belmonts, father. If there's any fairness in world, I'd have perished in that spot..."
Not understanding at all what his son (for the creature before he was still his son, vampire or not) was talking about, Gabriel opted to approach him instead of talking and reached an arm out for Trevor.
Jerking, the vampire hissed and drew back once more, distancing himself from the elder man. "I said don't touch me!"
"Son..." Gabriel spoke with a low voice, hoping to calm his son, for he looked like a wolf trapped in the cage, ready to pounce.
"Son?! Look at me, father! Is this what you'd call a son?! What part of me resembles anything I was?!" Baring those long fangs, Trevor drew closer the Mirror, his back nearly touching its surface.
"The fact that you still call me father," Gabriel answered. "Though I can't understand just what is going on here or how did this happen to you, I still see my son in front of me. Nothing can change that, vampire or not."
"Nothing?! I'm a monster! A creature that thirsts for blood, filled with hatred! Even now I can smell your blood, father! Do you know how sweet it smells?! How it makes my throat constrict and fangs ache?! I'm no better than those monsters you fought earlier!"
"How many of those you've destroyed? How many have I destroyed?!"
"Hundreds," Gabriel said. "I'd dare say that we have more monster blood on our hands than anyone before us."
"And yet you'd welcome a one monster because of a slightly familiar face..."
"But you're also the same son I watched growing up," Gabriel continued despite Trevor's remark, "Who I trained. Who I watched marrying one of the fiercest women upon this earth. And who gave me the best grandson a man could hope for."
At the mention of his wife and son, Trevor shook, tears filling those alien eyes, anger disappearing as he buried his face on gauntleted hands, long fingers with claw-like tips shielding them from the view. "Sypha... Simon..."
Gabriel closed the distance between them and gently put his hand on the side of Trevor's hidden face. Tender touch rose the vampire from his woe and golden eyes met blue ones. Moving slowly to not startle him further, Gabriel lifted his other hand to cup pale cheek until he was holding his child's face between his hands. Leaning forward and holding other's gaze, the elder warrior pushed his forehead to rest against Trevor's, a gesture of great affection between them. Vampire whimpered and curled his fingers around Gabriel's wrist, but did not pull his father's hands off.
"We'll figure this out. Let me help you, son."
"You can't help me! No-one can..."
Gabriel pulled back slightly, slipping his hands from Trevor's face to wound them across his shoulders and pulling him into a tight embrace, ignoring the points of his armour. They both know that Gabriel was speaking lies. For there was only one cure for vampirism. But neither cared to point it out right now.
"Come on, son, Gabriel whispered, his voice barely audible over the wind. "Let's go home. There are people waiting for you."
"I..."
Suddenly, from amidst the winds, another sound emerged. Multiple voices, in fact. Hissing and whispering around them. His senses alerting of incoming danger, Gabriel lifted his head in time to see something he had never witnessed before.
The walls were bleeding. There was no better word for it. Thick rivulets of blood poured out of the cracks and nooks, gathering into large pools around the room.
Trespasser!
"What the-?!" Gabriel breathed as the voices grew more intense, hostile.
"No!" Trevor hissed, pushing his father away. "Go! Leave quickly, father!"
Shocked at Trevor's sudden actions, Gabriel looked back towards him. "What? Son, what is this?"
"I can't explain! Just go! Before -!"
The warning came too late. A tendril of blood shot from a nearby pool, sweeping Gabriel away from Trevor and tossing him to the other side of the room.
"Father!"
Gabriel wheezed and rolled, barely evading the second tendril that slammed in the spot he had just been in, the marble shattered by the sheer force of that blow. Unleashing his weapon, elderly warrior cut through the blood. Yet it did next to no damage as tendrils rebuilt themselves in an instant, lashing back.
You dare to try to take our Prince away from us?!
Prince? Performing a perfect Synchronized Block, Gabriel managed to repel few strikes, gaining just enough time to check where Trevor was left.
By the Mirror, Trevor was slashing and hacking the blood with his gauntleted claws, lacking any other weaponry. While his father was fighting for his life, the blood seemed to try to incapacitate Trevor, wrapping around his ankles and creeping upwards.
The voices now overcame to the wind in volume, their hissing constant.
You belong with us
This is your home
"Dammit! Let go!" Trevor snarled and lifted a hand, ready to tear into the blood slithering over his legs. But another tendril shot from behind and wrapped around his wrist, twisting vampire's arm. "Gah!"
"Trevor!" Gabriel shouted and darted towards him, letting the chain cut through the blood. Before he could reach his son, a pair of blood-soaked skeletons rose from the blood pool, brandishing their swords.
Feinting to the left, skeleton's sword embedded into the marble instead of human flesh, but monster's partner managed to deliver the hit. Sword singed across from Gabriel's shoulder to his chest. Luckily it was a shallow cut but skeleton slammed its shield right to Gabriel's ribs, making him losing balance and falling down on one knee.
"Father!" Trevor yelled and tore his arm free. But three more wrapped around his middle and arms, trying to drag him to the nearest pool of blood.
Stop fighting, My Prince
We are only trying to help
"Stop hurting him!" Vampire hissed. "If you address me as Lord, do as I say!"
No
He's a bad influence
He's trying to take you away, My Lord!
He should be punished!
Blood gathered around Trevor's ankles, starting to encase them. Gabriel groaned and parried a sword attack, trying to search for an opening to rush past the skeletons and aiding his son.
"Damn!" Hitting this blood-coated skeleton was like hitting a troll in full-plate armour. The bony hand gripped his wrist that held the Cross and glowing eyesockets locked in blue-grey eyes, skeleton leaning over and those demonic voices rushed out of its mouth.
You will not have him!
He's ours!
We are his family now
"Like hell!" Gabriel's head bashed into the skeleton's face, forcing it to release its hold and taking a step back. Gabriel used his weapon like a blunt weapon, smashing the monster in pieces. Bones fell to the ground, shaking and he knew that they would reform in a minute.
They were losing this battle and fast. Trevor was overwhelmed by the blood that kept Gabriel away by summoning more and more monsters. They had to get away.
Trevor had managed to get few steps out of the blood's reach, standing in front the Mirror, it's surface shimmering and moving. Just like all those years ago when Pan...
Gabriel's eyes widened. Of course!
Dashing forward, warrior rammed through the skeletons and blood, heading straight towards the vampire. "Trevor!"
Golden eyes turned towards him just as father slammed into him with the shoulder first, throwing the vampire backwards and causing the blood releasing him. Gabriel grabbed Trevor's arm as they fell towards the Mirror, hoping that this would work.
The surface moved like a liquid as two males fell through it, leaving those diabolic voices howling after them.
No! Do not leave us, My Prince!