Hopefully, A Better World (A Castlevania Season 3 and 4 Fanfiction)

Chapter 4: Danesti

The night creatures punched through the wooden walls of the small town of Danesti just as Alucard and I arrived, wielding our swords with strength and speed, dispatching the creatures in a matter of moments just before they got to the remaining villagers. We entered the town, standing in front of a dark-skinned woman with a fierce look in her eyes. 

'You sent me a letter?' Alucard asked. 

'Yes,' the woman said. 'Welcome to Danesti.'

'I presume its seen better days,' I remarked. 

'Quieter ones. I am Greta, the village headwoman.' 

'Call me Alucard,' he said softly. 'No "The".'  

'Did Marius..." she began to say. 

'Was that your rider?' I asked. 'I'm afraid not. He was attacked en route and bled out from his wounds. His horse carried him the rest of the way with your message in his hand.' 

'Oh,' she said, her head lowering in sorrow. 

'I'm sorry,' Alucard offered. 

'Well, he's not the only one we've lost. But he was the last of his family, which is why he risked the journey. Still, I hoped... That's what hoping gets you, I suppose. I have a lot more people to save, Alucard.' She turned to the fighters with her. 'Get some rest, everybody, while you can.' They all turned and left, leaving the two of us with Greta.' 

'How long have you been under attack?' Alucard asked. 

'Four days. First it was just one of those bastards. More every night. We barely made it through last night. We're lucky only a third of us are dead. Will you help us?' Alucard and I looked at each other. 

'I'm sure we can do something for you,' he replied. 

'I'm not interested in magic tricks and one fight,' she snapped. 'These people are under my care. Will you stay and defend them for as long as it takes?' 

'I said -' 

'You have to understand. I don't know either of you. You've been 20-odd miles away for months. You creep around the forest. You've got bodies on stakes outside of your weird castle. You're obviously half-vampire, and you stink of wine, and you appear to me to be at least half-crazy,' she said, gesturing to Alucard. 'And you look like you've seen better fighting days,' she added, gesturing to me. 'But you were the only possible advantage I could think of. I don't need to be impressed by low-key swagger. I need you to commit to saving these people. Because my life isn't worth living if I can't save theirs.'

'All done?' Alucard asked. 

'Did it work?' she asked. 

'Yes.' 

'Then I'm all done,' she said with a grateful smile. 'Thank you. And that was one hell of an entrance.' 

'Yes, indeed so,' a voice said. 'You really are two impressive young people.' The door of a latrine swung open nearby, and an older man leaned against the door, wearing very fine clothing, certainly too fine for him to be in a latrine in a tiny town. 'Sickening violence isn't especially in my skill set, you understand, but I can recognise a fellow expert, no matter what the field.'

'Oh God,' Greta groaned, 'not this one.' 

'You would be Adrian Tepes, yes?' the man asked.

'Yes,' Alucard said softly, his face a mask of confusion.

'And you must be Alyx Belmont,' the man said. 

'How do you know my name?' The man seemed to ignore my question as he said, 

'Do allow me to present myself. I am the Count Saint Germain, scholar in residence to many of the great courts of Europe.'

'Why are you cowering in a latrine hut in Wallachia?' Alucard asked. 

'Oh...' Saint Germain said, chuckling, 'is this a latrine? I just - I just thought someone had gotten very scared. I'm travelling, sir. Interesting times in Wallachia. I felt that a man of letters should bear witness.' 

'And are you enjoying your tourism so far?' I asked, my voice flat and tired.

'It has been... enlightening.'

'Can you hear that?' Alucard asked, turning. 

'I hear - nothing,' Saint Germain replied. 

'Me neither,' Greta chimed in. 

'Something's coming,' I said, and Alucard and I turned towards the broken-down wall. Just then, the familiar horse from the castle came around a tree, followed by several people, all looking haggard and worn, in various stages of injuries and pain. 

'Someone brought your stupid, bloody horse back,' Alucard griped. 

'That's a good horse,' Greta said, and walked outside the gates to meet the travellers. 

'She's very good, isn't she?' Saint Germain asked, walking up behind us. 'Such a shame.' 

'What is?' 

'Well, such a talent with the common people, but it's wasted out here, don't you think?' Alucard turned to face the older man. 

'I think she's probably right where she's supposed to be.' Greta came up to us. 

'They're from Lasa, a village about ten miles away. They've been walking for hours.'

'They were attacked too?' I asked. She nodded. 

'Their village was put to the torch. They say they're not the only ones. This group includes refugees from five other villages in the region.' 

'I see. They escaped,' Alucard said. 

'They survived,' Greta shot back. 'They lost many people to vampire and night creature feeding attacks.' 

'Interesting. Why would they be burning the villages, though?' Saint Germain asked, and Greta turned to him with a glare on her face. 

'If vampires are involved, this isn't the blind destruction we're all used to with night creatures,' I said with a side-eye to Alucard. 'They're conducting feeding to sustain them through continued battle. They're removing shelter and the possibility of aid and witnesses. This is troubling in its complexity.' 

'I am of course not a military man,' Saint Germain remarked, and I noticed he reached for a key on his chest that was inlaid with blue stones, 'though I have certainly advised generals and kings, but might I suggest that this village is inherently indefensible?' Alucard looked around at the largely undefended village. 

'It hasn't worked so far, has it?' Greta mused. 

'You may have a point, Saint Germain,' Alucard replied. 

'Perhaps, just until we all find out what's going on,' Saint Germain continued, 'perhaps the remaining persons in your charge might be moved to a more secure location like... your castle... possibly.' Alucard growled, walking a few steps away from us and putting his head in his hand. 

'And God shits in my dinner once again,' Alucard groaned. I fought a smile at the familiar turn of phrase. 'Oh, no. I really am turning into Belmont. Is life even worth living now?'