[There's no time to concentrate on sending the sword further after Carmilla. Alucard can only recall it back to his side, already halfway over the waters now and in need of a bladed weapon. The boats, their sailors, he punches through them as they move close, the real problem being the lesser vampires who share the flying ability.
But he is the Son of Dracula. That comes with far greater power than most of them can ever dream of having, and more than one foe finds themselves buried in the water.
Alucard doesn't turn until he's managed to reach his own ship. Oh yes, there are more fiends aboard now, but this is his ship and that deserves defense.
Before he can communicate to the thing (for he can communicate with it to a degree for basic defenses), his eyes flash back to Hector's ship. Carmilla...ah. She has a hostage, and that is a cruel thing. But the part of Alucard that isn't certain that this was't intended? He thinks good. He then thinks fog and soon that billows forth from all around the ghost ship.]
[Seething, Hector dives below deck the moment Carmilla is away. Oh, she wants to see his pets now, does she?
In the spare time between pirate excursions and his little science field trips, Hector fills his time with tinkering. The vampires all know he likes to dabble. They look to Isaac for reliable forged creatures in bulk; Hector is the one to ask for something unique, a bespoke horror.
What he has tried to keep under wraps are the creatures he has designed and given to no one else. He likes to have an ace up his sleeve, so to speak. One of them is below deck, not yet animated to keep his ‘allies’ from sensing it. Another is...below.
He raises his hammer and makes a swinging motion. The head of the weapon makes contact with nothing, but the clear ringing of a strike fills the air. The darkened bulkhead glows with a blue light.
Hector is getting his damn dog back.
Carmilla and her minions close in on Alucard. Carmilla has no compunction about sending her crew to their deaths. They are chess pawns, meant to be sacrificed.
The boats of undead paddle forth. Some lose their way in the enchanted mist, but the ones that reach the hull use weapons or claws to begin tearing say it.
The vampires are not driven by sight. Scent can lead them to their quarry.]
Dear Alucard, why do you run? Don’t you know how much your father misses you?
[It’s a clear taunt. Why wander through the mist for a quarry when they can be enticed to come to you?]
Come out, come out, wherever you are. It’s time to go home, little boy.
[Her voice and Cesar’s little whimpers are near, from somewhere on deck.]
[Wind. Alucard needs wind, and he knows the ship can still generate it. It's one of the ship's defenses, but he has to get to the wheel in order to make that happen. He lets out a snarl that is far too feral, and then Alucard is no man at all, but a wolf who is happy to tear out throat after throat.
Carmilla's taunts deserve no response. She's a thing that thrives on cruelty, and that has always been a known within the family. More than that, she is a threat in this moment and Alucard will not surrender to anyone or anything. It is cruel to Cesar, yes, but in this moment, Alucard's concern is only for his continued existence.
He makes it to the wheel. There are injuries upon him, but they are healing, and once both of the dhampir's hands are upon that wheel, the ship hums to life. Flags unfurl with no crew. The fog scatters for the time being, forcing everyone's whereabouts to be revealed.
Alucard doesn't know if Hector's coming aboard. He can't know, and he can't wait either. The sails have caught wind, and he must leave.]
[As the wind cuts through the blinding fog, Carmilla lunges forward, a pale wraith with rapier-sharp nails aimed at Alucard's throat. She is hoping to tear into him while his hands are occupied upon the ship's wheel. That he ripped his way through her troops in his wolf form seems to phase her not at all.
Hector, meanwhile, is making his way to Alucard's ship. His jolly boat is too slow, but that's fine. That's not what he's using. He glides above the waves, one hand firmly grasping the leg of his freshest <a href="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/castlevania/images/5/59/Cod_02.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110430152856</a>forged creation</a>. It's not true flight- he's too heavy for that- but having leapt from his ship's mast, he has the height for his bird familiar to coast with him to the Ghost Ship.
He lands on the deck, releasing the bird's clawed foot and jogging a few steps until his momentum dies. Then he looks around.
There are dead minions, and some injured and writhing. More shapes are closing in, crawling up the sides and drawing closer. One of Carmilla's vampirates has Cesar held by the scruff, having been handed the hostage under the cover of mist to free his captain's hands.
Carmilla is attacking Alucard, surely intent on subduing him and bringing him back with her to use as a weapon in her campaign for dominance in the courts.
Hector has not, as of yet, done anything that will irrevocably mark him as a traitor. He could do nothing, wait, and collect his dog when Carmilla finishes here. With the greater prize of Dracula's son won, the pup would be of no more concern to her.
Except that Alucard was a decent fellow to him and his dog, and told him where to find turtles. Carmilla, on the other hand, is a right bitch, and she stole his dog.]</small>
Carmilla!
<small>[He shouts. His hammer glows a pale blue. The bird swoops from the sky, this time trained at the arm of the pirate holding Cesar. Beyond the circle of mist around the ship, something begins to creak and groan. Wood splinters and cracks. It's the unmistakable death groans of a ship, and its coming from the direction of Carmilla's vessel.
The Question: Did Hector secretly forge himself a Kraken?
The Answer: He is a necromancer pirate. He absolutely forged himself a Kraken.]</small>
[Alucard does indeed take the blow, the ship's wheel spinning madly as a result. The whole vessel turns in horrible circles as a result, destroying everyone's balance in the process. But that's a moment's advantage - Alucard rolls over with Carmilla, over and over and over, claws and teeth and superhuman strength resulting in the two slamming each other all over the ship's deck.
It means they both miss Hector's approach. That he's even on the ship, because trying to beat each other to a pulp is far more important. It continues until Carmilla's name is called out, and....
...there's a moment of very quiet tension where both vampire and dhampir stop. Look up. And stare at the fact that Hector forged himself a fucking Kraken.
And in that shocked moment, the two voice one thought:]
((ahhhh, so sorry about the coding fail above. this is what i get for phone tagging))
[Hector's dramatic entrance is ruined by the lurching of the ship throwing everything into chaos. He stumbles too, knees weak with the giddy triumph of his Kraken tearing through Carmilla's ship in the distance. She is still a work in progress, the labor of nearly a year of secret forging, and this is her first trial.
His breath hitches, and comes out in a strangled laugh. He has officially rebelled and now any vampire that doesn't want to kill him on sight for his betrayal is going to hunt him to the ends of the earth, wanting a Kraken of their own, and he is so fucked.]
Shouldn't have touched my dog, you cur....
[His words would probably have more bite behind them if he didn't sound half-hysterical.
His bony devil-bird tears at its target vampire with beak and talons until it drops the hostage dog. Cesar makes a mad scramble towards Hector with his stubby legs.
Carmilla refrains from waxing poetic about the various ways she is going to make Hector pay for destroying her ship. She is, above all else, ruthlessly calculating, and in the middle of a fight is not the time for it. She now has two targets: the Son of Dracula and the Devil Forgemaster. If she can only take one, she will come for the other later.
Right now, Alucard is the one she is entangled with, and the one who will be harder to track should he escape. Hector, the idiot human, she is sure she could find again.
She turns all of her rage and fury to her opponent, testing his strength against hers. She will retreat if she no longer has the advantage, but not a moment before she has to if there is a possibility of victory.
Hector, drained from maintaining concentration on the Kraken, leaves Carmilla to Alucard for now. He is a decent fighter, for a human, but that does not mean he is an equal to either of the two of them without his forged creatures by his side. There are plenty of other foes that he is better matched to face, and he raises his hammer and calls to his bird devil as he moves toward the nearest of them to try to even the playing field a little.]
[Alucard own calculations are not as calm as he wants them to be. There is a part of him that is well and truly scared of Carmilla, because she is an elder vampire and a powerful one at that. How she killed her sire is no particular secret, and it has always marked her as someone to be deeply cautious of.
Now isn't the time for caution though. Now is a time of madness, with Hector sending Carmilla's ship to the bottom of the ocean, with other forged creatures tearing at Carmilla, and a tiny little dog running to it's master.
And yet it is Alucard who is pursued. He has a scant moment to employ what autopilot controls he can with the ship, and then Carmilla has the full of his attention. Her attack is met with snarls and fury, his sword in hand and the two of them in the air.
He needs help. He needs some way to at least distract her, to have a moment's advantage, to do anything. The sword can only do so much, and the hits that Carmilla does land sends Alucard reeling. The worst is the moment she flings him against the mast, then pounces upon him to drive his head into the deck of the ship several times over. Alucard still gets up, but it takes effort. Effort Carmilla sees, and knows that she need only wait him out.]
[Hector focuses on the other enemies on the deck, using his hammer to scald them with blue fire. His rapier is only effective against mortal enemies, and he keeps it sheathed at his side for now.
His plan falls apart when Alucard is thrown against the mast. Fuck but Hector was hoping he'd be Carmilla's equal in battle.
His hammer flames up again, and the force of his concentration has even his eyes glowing blue. The ship is rocked by a wave out of sync with the ocean's rhythm. A tentacle breaches the surface, groping upward until it finds the ship's rails.]
You've nowhere to run, Carmilla. ['You do, see that you do, take the damn bait, Carmilla,' he begs silently. If this bluff doesn't work....]
I will hunt you down, boy. [She hisses, making her decision. Alucard and Hector alone were within her power to crush, but this new arrival is an large and terrifying unknown. Carmilla takes risks, but only calculated ones.
And she does still have somewhere to run. Her ship is gone, but it's not the only one within range. Hector's vessel is still anchored within the mist, guarded now only by a few undead seaman, easily disposed of.
She delivers one final smack at Alucard, then takes a running leap off of the side of the ship, flying in the direction of Hector's boat. Her vampire minions follow, abandoning the forged creatures of their ranks who cannot fly.
The flame dies away from Hector, and his knees buckle beneath him. The single tentacle unwraps from the mast and sinks back down into the water.]
[On a good day, Alucard could withstand the blows and then some. But he has only woken not even an hour ago, and to be ready for a vampire of Carmilla's age (or older, in the case of Dracula himself) requires at least a day or so of true preparation.
It's a shameful loss, Hector's ship. Certainly one Hector didn't anticipate, and now he's locked in with Alucard for as long as the two can survive. Alucard can only manage to strike down those horrible minions who try to leave with her, and they are few in number.
Hector's on the deck. Alucard can only hiss with a cold fury:]
Get up. You're taking one of my life boats and you are beating her back to my father's side before she can share her version of what has happened here.
[Hector stays down. He's lost his ship -the closest thing he's had to a home since infancy- and his place among the pirate court. Alucard is sending him to his death. He stretches out a hand and wiggles his fingers, and Cesar patters over to him, bumping his head into his master's palm.]
Are you mad? If I return, in your lifeboat no less, he'll see through it in a heartbeat. I'll be keelhauled and then drained. Godbrand calls it 'brining'. Says it makes the blood taste pickled. They consider it a delicacy.
[He's rambling, he's well aware of the fact. Maybe this is a nightmare and he'll wake up from it soon.]
I attacked one of Dracula's vampire admirals. I can't go back after that. Weren't you running? We should do that.
[Alucard's eyes flash to something redder. Something closer to his father's.]
Yes, the motors on my lifeboats will give my presence away. Fine. Let him know I am awake, he'll find it out soon. Get there before her and spin the story. She was hunting me, and you, in doing your duty as a general under his command, prevented her from disobeying his express orders in leaving this boat be. You aren't sure if I woke or not, there was too much chaos.
She bears the blame for when I do wake. She'll come and attack me all the same, let her mean it and let her rage make her sloppy.
Who is he more likely to believe, Hector? You or her?
He doesn't believe anyone. He doesn't trust anyone.
[But all the resistance is gone out of Hector. It's a hopeless situation. He has no ship, and he can't hope to take Alucard's. Alucard will not let him stay, and even if he took the lifeboat and made to escape, he'd never be able to outrun the pursuit that will surely follow.
It seems that his life is always destined to bring him back to Dracula's court for lack of choice. He never expected to live long among the vampires. Resignation settles into his bones.
It is not as though Alucard owes him anything. What concern of his is Hector's fate?
He pushes himself to his feet. If he has nothing else, he'll have his pride to the end.]
Fine. Launch the lifeboat. [Whatever slim chance Alucard seems to think they have whittles down further the longer he delays.]
Then leave here and find some other refuge, I don't care, but if you want a chance of saving your hide before Carmilla ruins you that is your chance.
[Alucard needs to get moving. His patience is gone, and there are two parts of him warring for dominance right now: the part that is calm, rational, and ready to deal with the situation and the other part that is absolutely terrified of how his father will react right now.
There's such visible relief when Hector says fine. He nearly trips over himself getting over to the life boat, and he's quick to not only gesture Hector over, but to explain the navigational features that will bring him back to Dracula's side. He speaks hurriedly, betraying how truly rattled he is by what is going to happen next.]
[Hector shakes his head. They’re both too shaken to really be fully present in the preparations, but it’s fine. Hector knows what he’s doing on a boat, and he has his enchanted compass to guide his way.
He lowers himself and Cesar into the boat; his devil-bird circles above like a harbinger of his approaching doom. The Kraken has withdraw into the depths, safer than the rest of them by far.]
I’m not going to look which direction you sail off to. I’ll assume it’s south.
[That’s the best he can do by way of giving Alucard a head start. The boat is lowered into the water and Hector mimics the control mechanisms Alucard had demonstrated. No ‘goodbyes’ or ‘good lucks’, just a swift departure without looking back.]
[And so Alucard is left alone on the open ocean, captain of a ghost ship, aware of how precious little time he has left.
His path does not cross Hector's until a fortnight later. The first day, he docked the boat and took o supplies, meeting one of those wandering crew members who hops from ship to ship, the blue of their (hers, she clarifies later) coat signifying an old wold connection to the Speakers. She knows the legends of his ship, other legends connected to it, but Alucard refuses to let her come aboard. They part ways at the end of the day, the Speaker muttering under her breath about other parts of the story that need to be tracked down.
Carmilla engages him twice more in the two weeks. Every time, Alucard evades capture, and the only reason Carmilla manages to take him prisoner and sink the ship the third time is due only to numbers. Alucard is a single dhampir. Three fully functioning ship with appropriate crew and then some? It would always be his ruin.
The worst part of capture is not sitting chained in a cell, silver burning into his wrists and ankles, starved of sunlight and barely given appropriate food for man or vampire. It is the total disinterest by his father. There is no rage, hardly a blink of the eye. Or maybe there is, and Carmilla is simply not permitted to see it. Alucard can't say. The only satisfaction he takes is how Carmilla is dismissed and given no reward for her effort. That she doesn't explode in fury on the spot feels like an accomplishment of some sort for her.
Alucard has mastered silence though as vampire after vampire has walked by his horrible little cell. Carmilla's gloating, Godbrand's....Godbrand-ness, and even Isaac's presence have all gotten the horrible stare of silence from Alucard. When the door opens yet again, he expects to see Carmilla's face.
Instead, it's the click-click-click of little doggy paws.
[Outwardly, Hector walks with the arrogant swagger he's cultivated among the devil's court. Cold, aloof... with his ridiculous little dog following in his shadow, but there's no help for that.
Inwardly, he is close to turning and pretending he never had this idea. It's a terrible, terrible plan.
He has no choice, though. He saw the indifference of his lord to his own son. He knows the conditions of the cells. Alucard doesn't deserve that.
...and Dracula, a remnant of his former self, would not have wanted that. For the sake of the man he'd once been, Hector must intervene. No one will accuse him of loyalty, but he owes Lord Dracula that much.
It's about a quarter hour to sunrise. The vampires are retreating to their inner chambers, but not yet on high alert the way they get if they hear movement around them when the sun is up.
Hector has been in his forge all the night, both to avoid giving Carmilla a chance for retaliation and to present the illusion of normalcy. It's not unlike him to be wandering so late...early...after a night of work, and he takes the turn through the cells as if on a whim. 'Oh, the son of Dracula is kept within, riiiight. Might as well peek in.'
He swings open the door, acutely aware of the creaking noise it makes. Cesar rushes in and over to the dhampir, but Hector stays further back. His back blocks the little barred window set into the door, hiding from view the little forged gremlin that climbs out of his vest and begins to fiddle with the silver locks.]
Is your homecoming everything you thought it would be?
[He asks, voice pitched to 'taunting'. He hopes it can cover the soft clicks of the gremlin's lock-picking from supernaturally perceptive ears.]
As I've said to all others who have come in here...
[Silence.
Alucard was sort of amazed that Hector had managed to get back to the court and survive. Carmilla alone should have killed him, and yet...no. The how and why didn't matter. His plan had worked. Bought Alucard time, and maybe there would be an assist from that Speaker in time. That was what he had told himself, and yet it is Hector who is here, having made a decision.
It wasn't what Alucard was expecting. But it is something that gets a quiet nod of Alucard's head, fully acknowledging what it is that Hector has done. What he is putting at risk. What a relief it is to be rid of the silver that has eaten at his flesh.]
[Hector had, as planned, beaten Carmilla back to Dracula, and Carmilla had taken one step onto Dracula's flagship, assessed the situation, and chosen to carry her fight on privately, rather than publicly. She was not ready to stage her coup, so that meant, for now, Hector could not be touched so long as he was in Dracula's sight.
And so until she had gone off to chase Alucard, Hector had kept very close to Dracula. She's managed to corner him below deck once, but she'd been careful to keep her marks concealed. His back and chest are a patchwork of deep nail gouges and purpling bruises. It was a preview of the torture to come, once she held power.
Hector doesn't plan on sticking around long enough to see that come to pass.]
You're a stunning conversationalist. I can't imagine why they haven't been back for another round.
[One manacle pops open, then the other. Hector holds out a palm, a gesture for Adrian to stay still. He takes a flask from his belt and tosses it in Alucard's direction. He's careful not to move from his position blocking the window, in case anyone walks by. The gremlin tucks itself back into the folds of his clothing when the last lock is picked.]
You caused such trouble for the lady admiral, destroying her ship. She commandeered mine, and I've had to procure a new one. A less upstanding man than myself would be loath to forgive that.
[It's the kind of drivel the vampires love to spit out before they close in to break fingers or bite out jugulars. He trusts Alucard to pick up on his meaning. 'I have a ship.' He can't speak plainly here, and once they make their move, there will be little time, and even less room for error.]
[Alucard makes no sound as the silver falls away from his wrists or his legs. He can't, that'll give everything away. He can move with absolute silence, but he can't put weight on his ankles right now.
He catches the flask, opening it carefully once there is skin around his wrists again. The silver has worn down to bone in certain spots, and that? That's painful for vampire, dhampir, and human alike. It's awful, and Alucard knows that this will get worse before it even starts to remotely improve.
With the last lock picked, Alucard floats upward. Just a little. Just to show that he can move and move quietly, for what else can he do? Walking would be agony right now. The dramatic fuck he is, he'll just float behind Hector and pray it will be enough.
He nods once to show Hector he's listening. That he understands.]
[Hector takes a deep breath. Alucard can move, but he'll be limited in what else he can do. There goes the plan of walking him out of here as a wolf.
Well, this is it. He flicks his eyes to Cesar, then to Alucard. If Hector is masterminding this escape, he's going to need his hands free. Alucard will have to be responsible for the dog.
He holds up three fingers, two, one.
A resounding boom rings out on the far end of the prison. Hector waits a beat as guards rush past, and then he shoves the door open. He looks left, in the direction of the explosion, then right. Clear. He moves, heading in the opposite direction. His distraction won't take long for the pirates to figure out, but hopefully it will let them get to their ship and into sunlight.]
[He can carry Cesar. That's fine. Alucard holds his arms out for the dog to leap into, trusting the little thing to try and avoid the still healing flesh on his wrist. (The silver's lingering presence is delaying the otherwise instant healing.) He just. Gives the dog a gentle squeeze as a form of reassurance that this vampire isn't going to be mean or hold him hostage.
Cesar's more reassuring than anything else right now.
He's ready to go when the boom sounds, hovering right behind Hector. Alucard's a ridiculous sight and he knows it. He also doesn't care, not now. Not when he has to follow Hector because his life depends on it. It does, in fact, depend on it.]
[Hector makes his way down the corridor without hesitation. He has to trust that Alucard will keep up.
A guard from further down the way turns the corner and Hector takes his hammer and smashes the man's skull before he can even register the sight of Alucard behind him. They come in pairs, and sure enough, a moment later, the partner rounds the same corner and meets the same brutal fate.
Hector steps over the two of them and keeps moving. One more long stretch of hallway, then a short stairwell, then the guardroom. There are screams from within. The gaibon demon he forged to be the guards' backup, having the firy malfunction he planned.
He pushes through the door outside, and sees the sky with the slight glow just starting to spread in the horizon. They aren't out of danger yet, but the sight is a welcome one.
He breaks into a run. His ship is at the furthest dock, and his forged sailors are already on deck, making her ready to sail.]
[Alucard absolutely can keep up. Floating expends less energy than trying to run on his own feet right now, and his eyes are simply ever ahead. For all the violence happening in this escape, Alucard knows that he isn't useful right now. He's good for dog holding. That's about it.
The screams of pained guards give Alucard no pause. The sunrise doesn't either, because there is still enough time for one or two terribly quick vampires to still make good work of himself and Hector.
Once the ship comes into view though, Alucard no longer trails behind Hector. He instead matches pace, neck-in-neck with the forgemaster. His arms tighten around Cesar, making sure the little dog is secured as they reach the last leg of this horrible run for freedom.]
[Hector’s new ship is a lighter vessel than his last, chosen for speed rather than fire power. It’s not stocked for a long journey; he could only make so many preparations without arousing suspicion. It’s normal to be prepared for a few day’s journey on short notice, so that is what Hector did.
There’s a skeleton crew (literally) on board, raising the anchor and lowering the sails. None of his pets, other than Cesar. Too many of the vampires would take note if he moved all of them at once. He’s spent the last few days making them as whole as they can be, then releasing them into the wild, one by one, in secret. Cesar’s wholly unprepared to fend for himself, but luckily bringing him along to the forge is a common enough occurrence, so he got away with it.]
You two get below deck.
[He has one final weapon held back in case of pursuit. It was an idea of Carmilla’s, ironically. She’d asked, and he had acquired the necessary components and tested the theory.
If anyone tries to follow, Hector is going to pull out his reanimated bishop and bless the waters.
It’s a mad plan, and with the churning movement of the waves, the blessing will dissipate within minutes, but it will hold back the supernatural long enough for the sun to rise.
So Alucard better get his undead dog safety stowed where no sea spray can reach him.
The sails unfurl and the ship begins, agonizingly slow, to move from the dock.]
[He moves ahead of Hector at that. Alucard has instruction, he knows where he must go, and there's no need to dwaddle further. This is important, and so he darts ahead at the speed of a vampire, arms still holding Cesar tightly to his chest.
Once on the deck, Alucard slows, looking back to make sure Hector hasn't stumbled. The young man is still running, which fills Aluard with some concern, but it'll have to be what it is. Human speed takes him below deck, and once there, he places Cesar down on the ground.]
Find a good place to hide out.
[Alucard goes to the stairs that lead to the deck itself, just in case he's needed in a pinch.]
I'll make sure your owner doesn't get himself killed.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
But he is the Son of Dracula. That comes with far greater power than most of them can ever dream of having, and more than one foe finds themselves buried in the water.
Alucard doesn't turn until he's managed to reach his own ship. Oh yes, there are more fiends aboard now, but this is his ship and that deserves defense.
Before he can communicate to the thing (for he can communicate with it to a degree for basic defenses), his eyes flash back to Hector's ship. Carmilla...ah. She has a hostage, and that is a cruel thing. But the part of Alucard that isn't certain that this was't intended? He thinks good. He then thinks fog and soon that billows forth from all around the ghost ship.]
no subject
In the spare time between pirate excursions and his little science field trips, Hector fills his time with tinkering. The vampires all know he likes to dabble. They look to Isaac for reliable forged creatures in bulk; Hector is the one to ask for something unique, a bespoke horror.
What he has tried to keep under wraps are the creatures he has designed and given to no one else. He likes to have an ace up his sleeve, so to speak. One of them is below deck, not yet animated to keep his ‘allies’ from sensing it. Another is...below.
He raises his hammer and makes a swinging motion. The head of the weapon makes contact with nothing, but the clear ringing of a strike fills the air. The darkened bulkhead glows with a blue light.
Hector is getting his damn dog back.
Carmilla and her minions close in on Alucard. Carmilla has no compunction about sending her crew to their deaths. They are chess pawns, meant to be sacrificed.
The boats of undead paddle forth. Some lose their way in the enchanted mist, but the ones that reach the hull use weapons or claws to begin tearing say it.
The vampires are not driven by sight. Scent can lead them to their quarry.]
Dear Alucard, why do you run? Don’t you know how much your father misses you?
[It’s a clear taunt. Why wander through the mist for a quarry when they can be enticed to come to you?]
Come out, come out, wherever you are. It’s time to go home, little boy.
[Her voice and Cesar’s little whimpers are near, from somewhere on deck.]
no subject
Carmilla's taunts deserve no response. She's a thing that thrives on cruelty, and that has always been a known within the family. More than that, she is a threat in this moment and Alucard will not surrender to anyone or anything. It is cruel to Cesar, yes, but in this moment, Alucard's concern is only for his continued existence.
He makes it to the wheel. There are injuries upon him, but they are healing, and once both of the dhampir's hands are upon that wheel, the ship hums to life. Flags unfurl with no crew. The fog scatters for the time being, forcing everyone's whereabouts to be revealed.
Alucard doesn't know if Hector's coming aboard. He can't know, and he can't wait either. The sails have caught wind, and he must leave.]
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Hector, meanwhile, is making his way to Alucard's ship. His jolly boat is too slow, but that's fine. That's not what he's using. He glides above the waves, one hand firmly grasping the leg of his freshest <a href="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/castlevania/images/5/59/Cod_02.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110430152856</a>forged creation</a>. It's not true flight- he's too heavy for that- but having leapt from his ship's mast, he has the height for his bird familiar to coast with him to the Ghost Ship. He lands on the deck, releasing the bird's clawed foot and jogging a few steps until his momentum dies. Then he looks around. There are dead minions, and some injured and writhing. More shapes are closing in, crawling up the sides and drawing closer. One of Carmilla's vampirates has Cesar held by the scruff, having been handed the hostage under the cover of mist to free his captain's hands. Carmilla is attacking Alucard, surely intent on subduing him and bringing him back with her to use as a weapon in her campaign for dominance in the courts. Hector has not, as of yet, done anything that will irrevocably mark him as a traitor. He could do nothing, wait, and collect his dog when Carmilla finishes here. With the greater prize of Dracula's son won, the pup would be of no more concern to her. Except that Alucard was a decent fellow to him and his dog, and told him where to find turtles. Carmilla, on the other hand, is a right bitch, and she stole his dog.]</small> Carmilla! <small>[He shouts. His hammer glows a pale blue. The bird swoops from the sky, this time trained at the arm of the pirate holding Cesar. Beyond the circle of mist around the ship, something begins to creak and groan. Wood splinters and cracks. It's the unmistakable death groans of a ship, and its coming from the direction of Carmilla's vessel. The Question: Did Hector secretly forge himself a Kraken? The Answer: He is a necromancer pirate. He absolutely forged himself a Kraken.]</small>
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It means they both miss Hector's approach. That he's even on the ship, because trying to beat each other to a pulp is far more important. It continues until Carmilla's name is called out, and....
...there's a moment of very quiet tension where both vampire and dhampir stop. Look up. And stare at the fact that Hector forged himself a fucking Kraken.
And in that shocked moment, the two voice one thought:]
What the fuck?
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[Hector's dramatic entrance is ruined by the lurching of the ship throwing everything into chaos. He stumbles too, knees weak with the giddy triumph of his Kraken tearing through Carmilla's ship in the distance. She is still a work in progress, the labor of nearly a year of secret forging, and this is her first trial.
His breath hitches, and comes out in a strangled laugh. He has officially rebelled and now any vampire that doesn't want to kill him on sight for his betrayal is going to hunt him to the ends of the earth, wanting a Kraken of their own, and he is so fucked.]
Shouldn't have touched my dog, you cur....
[His words would probably have more bite behind them if he didn't sound half-hysterical.
His bony devil-bird tears at its target vampire with beak and talons until it drops the hostage dog. Cesar makes a mad scramble towards Hector with his stubby legs.
Carmilla refrains from waxing poetic about the various ways she is going to make Hector pay for destroying her ship. She is, above all else, ruthlessly calculating, and in the middle of a fight is not the time for it. She now has two targets: the Son of Dracula and the Devil Forgemaster. If she can only take one, she will come for the other later.
Right now, Alucard is the one she is entangled with, and the one who will be harder to track should he escape. Hector, the idiot human, she is sure she could find again.
She turns all of her rage and fury to her opponent, testing his strength against hers. She will retreat if she no longer has the advantage, but not a moment before she has to if there is a possibility of victory.
Hector, drained from maintaining concentration on the Kraken, leaves Carmilla to Alucard for now. He is a decent fighter, for a human, but that does not mean he is an equal to either of the two of them without his forged creatures by his side. There are plenty of other foes that he is better matched to face, and he raises his hammer and calls to his bird devil as he moves toward the nearest of them to try to even the playing field a little.]
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Now isn't the time for caution though. Now is a time of madness, with Hector sending Carmilla's ship to the bottom of the ocean, with other forged creatures tearing at Carmilla, and a tiny little dog running to it's master.
And yet it is Alucard who is pursued. He has a scant moment to employ what autopilot controls he can with the ship, and then Carmilla has the full of his attention. Her attack is met with snarls and fury, his sword in hand and the two of them in the air.
He needs help. He needs some way to at least distract her, to have a moment's advantage, to do anything. The sword can only do so much, and the hits that Carmilla does land sends Alucard reeling. The worst is the moment she flings him against the mast, then pounces upon him to drive his head into the deck of the ship several times over. Alucard still gets up, but it takes effort. Effort Carmilla sees, and knows that she need only wait him out.]
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His plan falls apart when Alucard is thrown against the mast. Fuck but Hector was hoping he'd be Carmilla's equal in battle.
His hammer flames up again, and the force of his concentration has even his eyes glowing blue. The ship is rocked by a wave out of sync with the ocean's rhythm. A tentacle breaches the surface, groping upward until it finds the ship's rails.]
You've nowhere to run, Carmilla. ['You do, see that you do, take the damn bait, Carmilla,' he begs silently. If this bluff doesn't work....]
I will hunt you down, boy. [She hisses, making her decision. Alucard and Hector alone were within her power to crush, but this new arrival is an large and terrifying unknown. Carmilla takes risks, but only calculated ones.
And she does still have somewhere to run. Her ship is gone, but it's not the only one within range. Hector's vessel is still anchored within the mist, guarded now only by a few undead seaman, easily disposed of.
She delivers one final smack at Alucard, then takes a running leap off of the side of the ship, flying in the direction of Hector's boat. Her vampire minions follow, abandoning the forged creatures of their ranks who cannot fly.
The flame dies away from Hector, and his knees buckle beneath him. The single tentacle unwraps from the mast and sinks back down into the water.]
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It's a shameful loss, Hector's ship. Certainly one Hector didn't anticipate, and now he's locked in with Alucard for as long as the two can survive. Alucard can only manage to strike down those horrible minions who try to leave with her, and they are few in number.
Hector's on the deck. Alucard can only hiss with a cold fury:]
Get up. You're taking one of my life boats and you are beating her back to my father's side before she can share her version of what has happened here.
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Are you mad? If I return, in your lifeboat no less, he'll see through it in a heartbeat. I'll be keelhauled and then drained. Godbrand calls it 'brining'. Says it makes the blood taste pickled. They consider it a delicacy.
[He's rambling, he's well aware of the fact. Maybe this is a nightmare and he'll wake up from it soon.]
I attacked one of Dracula's vampire admirals. I can't go back after that. Weren't you running? We should do that.
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[Alucard's eyes flash to something redder. Something closer to his father's.]
Yes, the motors on my lifeboats will give my presence away. Fine. Let him know I am awake, he'll find it out soon. Get there before her and spin the story. She was hunting me, and you, in doing your duty as a general under his command, prevented her from disobeying his express orders in leaving this boat be. You aren't sure if I woke or not, there was too much chaos.
She bears the blame for when I do wake. She'll come and attack me all the same, let her mean it and let her rage make her sloppy.
Who is he more likely to believe, Hector? You or her?
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[But all the resistance is gone out of Hector. It's a hopeless situation. He has no ship, and he can't hope to take Alucard's. Alucard will not let him stay, and even if he took the lifeboat and made to escape, he'd never be able to outrun the pursuit that will surely follow.
It seems that his life is always destined to bring him back to Dracula's court for lack of choice. He never expected to live long among the vampires. Resignation settles into his bones.
It is not as though Alucard owes him anything. What concern of his is Hector's fate?
He pushes himself to his feet. If he has nothing else, he'll have his pride to the end.]
Fine. Launch the lifeboat. [Whatever slim chance Alucard seems to think they have whittles down further the longer he delays.]
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[Alucard needs to get moving. His patience is gone, and there are two parts of him warring for dominance right now: the part that is calm, rational, and ready to deal with the situation and the other part that is absolutely terrified of how his father will react right now.
There's such visible relief when Hector says fine. He nearly trips over himself getting over to the life boat, and he's quick to not only gesture Hector over, but to explain the navigational features that will bring him back to Dracula's side. He speaks hurriedly, betraying how truly rattled he is by what is going to happen next.]
Any other questions?
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He lowers himself and Cesar into the boat; his devil-bird circles above like a harbinger of his approaching doom. The Kraken has withdraw into the depths, safer than the rest of them by far.]
I’m not going to look which direction you sail off to. I’ll assume it’s south.
[That’s the best he can do by way of giving Alucard a head start. The boat is lowered into the water and Hector mimics the control mechanisms Alucard had demonstrated. No ‘goodbyes’ or ‘good lucks’, just a swift departure without looking back.]
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His path does not cross Hector's until a fortnight later. The first day, he docked the boat and took o supplies, meeting one of those wandering crew members who hops from ship to ship, the blue of their (hers, she clarifies later) coat signifying an old wold connection to the Speakers. She knows the legends of his ship, other legends connected to it, but Alucard refuses to let her come aboard. They part ways at the end of the day, the Speaker muttering under her breath about other parts of the story that need to be tracked down.
Carmilla engages him twice more in the two weeks. Every time, Alucard evades capture, and the only reason Carmilla manages to take him prisoner and sink the ship the third time is due only to numbers. Alucard is a single dhampir. Three fully functioning ship with appropriate crew and then some? It would always be his ruin.
The worst part of capture is not sitting chained in a cell, silver burning into his wrists and ankles, starved of sunlight and barely given appropriate food for man or vampire. It is the total disinterest by his father. There is no rage, hardly a blink of the eye. Or maybe there is, and Carmilla is simply not permitted to see it. Alucard can't say. The only satisfaction he takes is how Carmilla is dismissed and given no reward for her effort. That she doesn't explode in fury on the spot feels like an accomplishment of some sort for her.
Alucard has mastered silence though as vampire after vampire has walked by his horrible little cell. Carmilla's gloating, Godbrand's....Godbrand-ness, and even Isaac's presence have all gotten the horrible stare of silence from Alucard. When the door opens yet again, he expects to see Carmilla's face.
Instead, it's the click-click-click of little doggy paws.
Somehow? That's a million times worse.]
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Inwardly, he is close to turning and pretending he never had this idea. It's a terrible, terrible plan.
He has no choice, though. He saw the indifference of his lord to his own son. He knows the conditions of the cells. Alucard doesn't deserve that.
...and Dracula, a remnant of his former self, would not have wanted that. For the sake of the man he'd once been, Hector must intervene. No one will accuse him of loyalty, but he owes Lord Dracula that much.
It's about a quarter hour to sunrise. The vampires are retreating to their inner chambers, but not yet on high alert the way they get if they hear movement around them when the sun is up.
Hector has been in his forge all the night, both to avoid giving Carmilla a chance for retaliation and to present the illusion of normalcy. It's not unlike him to be wandering so late...early...after a night of work, and he takes the turn through the cells as if on a whim. 'Oh, the son of Dracula is kept within, riiiight. Might as well peek in.'
He swings open the door, acutely aware of the creaking noise it makes. Cesar rushes in and over to the dhampir, but Hector stays further back. His back blocks the little barred window set into the door, hiding from view the little forged gremlin that climbs out of his vest and begins to fiddle with the silver locks.]
Is your homecoming everything you thought it would be?
[He asks, voice pitched to 'taunting'. He hopes it can cover the soft clicks of the gremlin's lock-picking from supernaturally perceptive ears.]
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[Silence.
Alucard was sort of amazed that Hector had managed to get back to the court and survive. Carmilla alone should have killed him, and yet...no. The how and why didn't matter. His plan had worked. Bought Alucard time, and maybe there would be an assist from that Speaker in time. That was what he had told himself, and yet it is Hector who is here, having made a decision.
It wasn't what Alucard was expecting. But it is something that gets a quiet nod of Alucard's head, fully acknowledging what it is that Hector has done. What he is putting at risk. What a relief it is to be rid of the silver that has eaten at his flesh.]
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And so until she had gone off to chase Alucard, Hector had kept very close to Dracula. She's managed to corner him below deck once, but she'd been careful to keep her marks concealed. His back and chest are a patchwork of deep nail gouges and purpling bruises. It was a preview of the torture to come, once she held power.
Hector doesn't plan on sticking around long enough to see that come to pass.]
You're a stunning conversationalist. I can't imagine why they haven't been back for another round.
[One manacle pops open, then the other. Hector holds out a palm, a gesture for Adrian to stay still. He takes a flask from his belt and tosses it in Alucard's direction. He's careful not to move from his position blocking the window, in case anyone walks by. The gremlin tucks itself back into the folds of his clothing when the last lock is picked.]
You caused such trouble for the lady admiral, destroying her ship. She commandeered mine, and I've had to procure a new one. A less upstanding man than myself would be loath to forgive that.
[It's the kind of drivel the vampires love to spit out before they close in to break fingers or bite out jugulars. He trusts Alucard to pick up on his meaning. 'I have a ship.' He can't speak plainly here, and once they make their move, there will be little time, and even less room for error.]
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He catches the flask, opening it carefully once there is skin around his wrists again. The silver has worn down to bone in certain spots, and that? That's painful for vampire, dhampir, and human alike. It's awful, and Alucard knows that this will get worse before it even starts to remotely improve.
With the last lock picked, Alucard floats upward. Just a little. Just to show that he can move and move quietly, for what else can he do? Walking would be agony right now. The dramatic fuck he is, he'll just float behind Hector and pray it will be enough.
He nods once to show Hector he's listening. That he understands.]
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There goes the plan of walking him out of here as a wolf.Well, this is it. He flicks his eyes to Cesar, then to Alucard. If Hector is masterminding this escape, he's going to need his hands free. Alucard will have to be responsible for the dog.
He holds up three fingers, two, one.
A resounding boom rings out on the far end of the prison. Hector waits a beat as guards rush past, and then he shoves the door open. He looks left, in the direction of the explosion, then right. Clear. He moves, heading in the opposite direction. His distraction won't take long for the pirates to figure out, but hopefully it will let them get to their ship and into sunlight.]
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Cesar's more reassuring than anything else right now.
He's ready to go when the boom sounds, hovering right behind Hector. Alucard's a ridiculous sight and he knows it. He also doesn't care, not now. Not when he has to follow Hector because his life depends on it. It does, in fact, depend on it.]
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A guard from further down the way turns the corner and Hector takes his hammer and smashes the man's skull before he can even register the sight of Alucard behind him. They come in pairs, and sure enough, a moment later, the partner rounds the same corner and meets the same brutal fate.
Hector steps over the two of them and keeps moving. One more long stretch of hallway, then a short stairwell, then the guardroom. There are screams from within. The gaibon demon he forged to be the guards' backup, having the firy malfunction he planned.
He pushes through the door outside, and sees the sky with the slight glow just starting to spread in the horizon. They aren't out of danger yet, but the sight is a welcome one.
He breaks into a run. His ship is at the furthest dock, and his forged sailors are already on deck, making her ready to sail.]
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The screams of pained guards give Alucard no pause. The sunrise doesn't either, because there is still enough time for one or two terribly quick vampires to still make good work of himself and Hector.
Once the ship comes into view though, Alucard no longer trails behind Hector. He instead matches pace, neck-in-neck with the forgemaster. His arms tighten around Cesar, making sure the little dog is secured as they reach the last leg of this horrible run for freedom.]
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There’s a skeleton crew (literally) on board, raising the anchor and lowering the sails. None of his pets, other than Cesar. Too many of the vampires would take note if he moved all of them at once. He’s spent the last few days making them as whole as they can be, then releasing them into the wild, one by one, in secret. Cesar’s wholly unprepared to fend for himself, but luckily bringing him along to the forge is a common enough occurrence, so he got away with it.]
You two get below deck.
[He has one final weapon held back in case of pursuit. It was an idea of Carmilla’s, ironically. She’d asked, and he had acquired the necessary components and tested the theory.
If anyone tries to follow, Hector is going to pull out his reanimated bishop and bless the waters.
It’s a mad plan, and with the churning movement of the waves, the blessing will dissipate within minutes, but it will hold back the supernatural long enough for the sun to rise.
So Alucard better get his undead dog safety stowed where no sea spray can reach him.
The sails unfurl and the ship begins, agonizingly slow, to move from the dock.]
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[He moves ahead of Hector at that. Alucard has instruction, he knows where he must go, and there's no need to dwaddle further. This is important, and so he darts ahead at the speed of a vampire, arms still holding Cesar tightly to his chest.
Once on the deck, Alucard slows, looking back to make sure Hector hasn't stumbled. The young man is still running, which fills Aluard with some concern, but it'll have to be what it is. Human speed takes him below deck, and once there, he places Cesar down on the ground.]
Find a good place to hide out.
[Alucard goes to the stairs that lead to the deck itself, just in case he's needed in a pinch.]
I'll make sure your owner doesn't get himself killed.
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