Chapter Text
Alfred knew his Professor had a genius brain, still he can't help but feel dread at the crazy ideas the Professor acts upon. At the moment the two are traveling through a harsh winter, a blizzard has surprised them. He could barely see his hand in front of his face with the intensity of the snowy winds. He almost had lost the Professor when the old man had sat down to write. Now he holds onto the Professors coat so they are not separated.
The cold chills his bones to the core. He wishes to find a shelter soon. It would be awful for him and the Professor to die out here so far away from home.
His hopes were soon answered as a light up ahead could be seen. The two try as fast as they can to get to the source of the light. Shapes of buildings can soon be seen. He gets through an inn door just in time as he collapses. He's aware of hands picking him from the ground and voices all around, mostly muffled. When he is able to fully open his eyes he comes face to face with a woman.
He yelps. He looks around the inn. Professor Abronsius is in the chair next to him, another woman is helping warm their feet in a hot bucket of water. Many others are in the inn yet he notices something else. The garlic. The place is littered with small balls of garlic on string. Now isn't this a strange sight.
'Excuse me, boy, did you hear me?' the woman to his side spoke. Oh, it's the same woman he had seen when he opened his eyes.
'No ma'am, sorry' he said. She sighs then repeats herself.
'Why are you gentlemen traveling in such a harsh winter?' she said. 'Where are you two from as well?'.
'We didn't expect the blizzard and we're from Koingsberg' he said.
'Would you two men like to rent a room? The master suite perhaps?' a man's voice says.
Alfred looks over to where the voice had come from. The man could've looked better to say the least. He heard the Professor start talking though he's tuning it all out. He's still in a bit of a shock. The two of them could've died out there had they not found this little village.
Professor Abronsius is suddenly ushering him off the chair and after the man who he assumes is the inn keeper. They walk through halls and up stairs until they stop at a door. The inn keeper guides them in. They're informed of the bathroom to the right, which the inn keeper checks first. The man then leaves them and he feels as though he can actually comprehend his surroundings properly.
'Boy, do you see all this garlic?' Professor Abronsius said way too happily.
'Yes sir, I realized it earlier' he responded. He knows what he's fixing to be in for.
'Ohhoho! This is great news, it must mean we are near what I've been looking for!' Professor Abronsius cheered.
Yep. It seems there's no denying that it's quite suspicious for the inhabitants here to have so much garlic strung up without it involving a horrifying creature. Specifically vampires, which is what he and the Professor are here for. Though it surely frightens him. The thought of being so close to a creature that will suck your life dry. It honestly hurts to think of it.
'Help me get into my night wear boy' Professor Abronsius said.
Alfred helped the Professor with everything he could. He turned out the light and settled on the bench to the side of the bed. It isn't comfortable, at least it's not the ground. He's exhausted anyhow so he should fall right to sleep. And that he did.
---
The next morning he is shaken awake by Professor Abronsius. The professor apparently had let him sleep in longer. The old man had gone to collect information on if a castle is nearby. He quickly learned that the people ignored it, hoping the problem would solve itself. He could understand to a certain point. These people were defenseless besides the garlic they hung around the windows and entries.
'I will go out in search while you work' Professor Abronsius said. His words confused Alfred.
'What do you mean work?' he questioned. The professor started grumbling under his breath something about money, debts, and greedy inn keepers. He knew not to question it further. The only thing he needs to do is work. Even in spite of his worries. Oh so many worries they were too.
When he was downstairs, he was told to go chop firewood. Luckily the blizzard stopped last night. He left to do his chore while worry kept sprouting in his mind. It's not that he believed the professor to be weak. It's just that he's trying to find something that is so much stronger than a natural human. It'll either be the supernatural or the wild. He wouldn't want to find out.
The professor ought to be off in the woods already, he would rather stay near the safe village.
The axe cutting into the wood cast splinters into the air. He swung the axe into the wood with as much force as he could. He wants to be done with this really. The cold bit at his skin. He is still tired even as he spent most of the night asleep. He spent almost half the day sleeping too. How could he still be so tired?
'Excuse me?' a high pitched voice said. He certainly wasn't expecting it either, the shriek he let out was so high it's embarrassing. He turned around to find a beautiful woman who appeared to be around his age. 'Oh I'm sorry for startling you! I just haven't seen you around here before?' she said.
Right, don't embarrass yourself in front of the pretty girl. You got this.
'I-I'm Alfred, me and Professor Abronsius have traveled from Koingsberg University' he stumbled over his words.
'A university? What are you doing all the way out here?' she asked.
'It's for research that the professor is doing' he answers. Hopefully that sustains her questions cause how would she react to knowing they're looking for vampires. Haven't the rest of the townspeople rejected the idea that vampires live here? Why would she be any different.
'What kind of research?' the girl questioned. Dammit.
'Umm, research on vampires....'
'Vampires, I believe there is a castle out in the woods full of them'
'T-there is a castle?!'
'Yes, I haven't seen it with my own eyes but I've heard enough'
'Would you know where it is?'
'No, sorry' she said followed by, 'I haven't introduced myself either, I'm Sarah Chagal'.
'It's nice to meet you, thank you for telling me about the castle'
The two smiled at each other. Sarah opened her mouth to presumably speak again but was interrupted by a shout of her name. The shout is the recognizable voice of Yoine, the inn keeper. Sarah quickly enters the inn from the back door. As he watched where she had been, he felt a pain. He looked down at his wrist, there lay a cut. It wasn't too big or too small. He must've cut himself with the axe when Sarah startled him.
How couldn't he recognize the pain sooner?
This trip really is taking everything outta him. He wishes the professor would be quick with this. Has he even found the castle yet? It's gotta be a bit hidden away in the woods. Wolves wouldn't get so close to civilization right? The professor would be alright? He has no sure answer but he'll know what to do when the professor gets back. He's an assistant, of course he'll need to be told what to do.
His hands start going numb from the cold by the time he gets the last of the wood chopped. He's thankful to finally be inside the warm building. Even if he is surrounded by drunk people. That or they're either just crazy. He helps Magda with wiping counters yet besides that he has nothing much to do. The town isn't interesting and neither are the people.
Alfred hasn't seen Sarah since she left him outside. Though he thought he had heard her voice while he was searching for something to cover his cut. He worries that it's already been exposed to too much. He couldn't need a new trouble like an infection on this trip. Though life always has to disagree with him. What a pain.
He wants to know where she is. She's the only one who seems to be around his age in this town. Though where would she be? Perhaps he could ask Magda if she knows? It's about his best guess. She seems nice enough.
He went back to the bar where he knew she would be. She's either there or her room. From her own words, she has no better place to be out here. He finds her behind the bar, washing a cloth. 'Magda, I need to ask you something, are you busy right now?' He said. She turns to face him, forgetting the cloth.
'I'm not busy, what do you need?' she asked.
'Would you know where Sarah is?'
Magda looked skeptical for a second before she answered. 'Yes I could show you, be careful to not let Yoine see you though'.
'Could I ask why?'
'He's protective over her, he doesn't want his precious daughter to get together with any nasty boys'.
Alfred nods. He understands the father's protectiveness. Especially when the man himself has proved to be a great example of a nasty man. He watches the way Yoine gets close to Magda, when the man has a wife too. This doesn't help him in his case though as he wants to see Sarah.
Magda leads him upstairs. He realizes that they're close to the room he and the professor got. Sarah's room happens to be just to the right.
'I'm gonna be in the lobby for a long time tonight so if you need me I'll likely be down there' Magda informed him. He nodded, he wouldn't believe that he'll need Magda tonight. She walks down the hallway and rounds the corner, completely cutting herself off from his sight. He turned to face the door. He should've planned what he was gonna say.
He sucked a big breath of air into his lungs then knocked. The reaction to the door was almost immediate. It opened to Sarah, looking like she's ready to hurt someone. Her gaze softened when she realized that it was only Alfred.
'What do you want Alfred?' she said. He almost considered leaving as Sarah has been bothered. He does wonder what has made her angry.
'I just wanted to check up on you, when you left I hadn't seen you for the rest of the day' he answered. She opened her door wider to pull him into the room. It's a pretty small room. The garlic lining the door frame and window couldn't help. He pressed himself against the wall to give Sarah room.
'I appreciate it, my father has been getting on my nerves as of recent' she grumbled.
'Would you like to talk about it?' he asked. It's better than sitting in silence. He was expecting that was what would happen. Plus Sarah could need someone to talk to about this. Yoine is a weird guy and there's no telling the actual relationship he has with his daughter.
'He's constantly complaining about how I need to stay inside my room, he finds everything as harmful to me, like I'm a baby again' she sighs.
He nods along as she talks. It's strange how the man keeps his daughter constantly locked up. Could it have to do with the alleged vampires around? But would keeping her here until she dies be a worthy idea? It shouldn't be. Many things happen in life, she needs to go experience those things. Gosh, catch him over her making inspirational life advice.
'I kinda want to go see that castle with you, I haven't ever been outside the village'
That surprised Alfred. A castle with potential vampires? He doesn't even wanna go! He understands that she wants to finally be free, still a vampire castle would not be it. It'd be the exact opposite of free. Those castles have dungeons, thick stone walls, and it's a twisting labyrinth that will never let you go. At least Sarah knew how to leave the inn. Yeah she's being held back by the authority of her father, she still can see clear exits.
'Sarah, it would be very dangerous if you went to that castle' he said. He hopes the thought of even going to the castle will disappear from her mind. Yet he sees her roll her eyes at the comment. He can make sure that him and the professor aren't followed when they go to the castle. That would be if the professor could hurry up and find it already.
'Though what if the castle isn't filled with vampires?' Sarah said. Has she not been listening to him at all?
'The castle could have vampires, the chance that it does means it's not safe'. Would he have to explain any further to her? She's gotta get the point right?
'Technically the village isn't safe as well since it's near a vampire castle' she smiled. So she couldn't get the point. How could he counter everything she says. Could he say that he needs to go find something in the master suite? Could be worth a try.
'I just remembered I gotta go get something, I'll be back if I can'. Nice, save this conversation for later. He walks out the door towards the master suite. He noticed that it was starting to get a bit late. Where's the professor? Shouldn't he have come back by now? No, no, he'll be back by night at least. He knows that the professor isn't so absorbed in his studies that he'd spend the night in the woods looking. He isn't THAT crazy.
---
So the professor is THAT crazy. Alfred can see the blackness of the night, yet the professor hasn't returned. He doesn't know what to do. He couldn't have thought the professor would disappear while searching. He expected they'd either slay vampires or die trying. The vampires which he hadn't met yet could've already started killing. The professor might just be the next victim. He can't let the professor get killed!
He tried leaving, but he's stopped. 'Where are you going? It is too dark out there' Magda said.
'Professor Abronsius hasn't returned and i have to go find him'
'You can look in the morning, you couldn't find him if you're already dead'
'But-'
'No, go back upstairs' Magda interrupted him. He hesitantly follows her orders. He still believes that the professor needs help now, he'll just have to sneak out. The window of the master suite is small though he believes that he could fit through. Getting down the roof would be a whole different problem. He can't break his legs. The whole escape attempt would be useless if he did. Could he slowly climb down?
He looks at the window in the master suite. It,,,,, That's too dangerous to climb out of,,,,. Ugh. He will have to wait till morning won't he? The professor might as well have his funeral started by then. Uh, actually he couldn't think of Professor Abronsius' funeral, it might be sooner than he thinks. He wished it won't be soon. He knows the man is old, yet Alfred doesn't have much of anyone.
No, he's going to sleep so that he'll be up early! He can find the professor faster that way. Then the two of them can slay those vampires and put an end to the suffering of the surrounding humans. It's what they're here for ain't it?
He dreamed of a peaceful day back the university that night.