Last we had left off, Dracul had fought off against both the Stone Guardians and Gabriel. However during the end of the confrontation Dracul had lost consciousness but not without learning some troubling complications after awakening. What will he awaken to next? We shall find out in this chapter.
----
Darkness was all Dracul found himself in. He had no sense of what's going on outside his own mind, and he had little sense of time. No surprise there given how the mind itself has no concept of time, or more accurately put, ones own spirit or consciousness. By the time he started to regain it his senses came back to him slowly. First was his sense of hearing. He could hear the voices of both Gabriel and the three adventurers conversing with one another. At first it was muffled, but as his hearing came to he could make it out more clearly. The first he could make out was the voice of the rogue.
"It's a surprise we haven't ran into any bandits so far. Heard back in the city the roads were littered with them. Couldn't get a mile away without someone trying to rob or ambush you." The rogue said, his voice hiding a hint of relief in what he perceived as their own luck.
"Only idiots would attempt to rob or ambush a group of silver ranked adventurers. Or a knight of the Church for that matter." The voice of the brawler said. Sounding sure in the idea that their ranking and the fact that Gabriel is with them being the reason they haven't ran into any trouble.
"Not sure rankings will matter much to any beasts we run into." The female mage said, pointing out that rankings don't really matter much in the minds of things other than simple bandits.
"They wouldn't be any trouble anyway. Even with one arm I could still manage against some wild creature." Gabriel said, sounding to be in relatively fine spirits despite being aware he only has one arm at the moment.
It wasn't long until Dracul could make out the sound of wheels turning and the clomping of hooves, about five sets, alongside the sound of what seemed to be supplies clanking around. He could also make out the positions of the sounds. The three adventurers were at his side and Gabriel was behind him, with the clattering being in front of him.
Then his sense of touch came to. He can feel himself laying on what felt like smooth metal, along with what felt like something around his wrists. It felt like metal. Chains. When they hit a bump he could soon hear the sound of those chains rattling. {Wonderful...} Was all he could really think at the moment. Finding the fact he is now bound in chains frustrating. What's more he can feel that the metal was suppressing his magic, not allowing him to cast anything if he wanted. That wasn't all though. He could feel a cool breeze. Wind. Meaning he is outside the tomb he was previously in. {At least I'm outside.} He took some comfort in the fact he would at least be able to see the outside world, even if it is bound and caged like some wild animal or some common thug.
It was soon he managed to regain his sense of sight. The darkness fading, finally awake... And he was beginning to wish he didn't open his eyes. The sight he was met with only confirmed the fact he was put in a cage, and his wrists were chained along with his ankles. The chains themself being enchanted, preventing him from using any magic. He managed to see out of the corner of his eyes the three adventurers on horseback, the mage being to his left and the brawler and rogue being to his right. In terms of their environment, the road they are on appears to be in the middle of a woodland area with a fair amount of trees surrounding them, green grass, and so on. A mule carrying supplies being the thing in front of him besides metal bars. He can safely say Gabriel is behind him. It was also somewhat dark, the sun had more than likely just recently set. His worst thought had been realized. He was on a carriage. A prison carriage. {Oh great. This is lovely. Not ten minutes and I'm caged like some beast. I'm beginning to wish I stayed asleep and woke up when they were gone.} Dracul thought, not enjoying the situation in the slightest. He didn't move though. Instead he continued to act as if he was unconscious, listen into their conversation until he wished to speak up.
The female mage spoke up, looking over at the carriage that was being used to carry Dracul. "He's been out for quite a while. How long has it been? 12 hours?"
"Give or take, yeah. Shouldn't be a problem though. If the stories are anything to go by he shouldn't die of hunger. Guess immortality is a blessing and a curse." The rogue said, confirming that half a day has passed since Dracul had lost consciousness.
"Doesn't mean we should at the very least make sure he's fine, Chris. He's been in there for centuries and you saw how he prioritized eating before fighting. I don't see any harm in-" The female mage said, revealing that the rogues name or possibly nickname is 'Chris'. Though she was soon interrupted by Gabriel.
"If you are suggesting we give that devil something to eat, then forget it. I'd sooner feed what we have to the dogs." Gabriel told her in a firm and serious tone. Seems their previous bout had made the possibility of Dracul getting anything to eat being slim. "Besides, who's to say he won't attempt to catch you off guard and trick you into letting him free?"
"Gabriel has a point, Jess. Sure he may not have seemed all that bad earlier, but we don't exactly know him all that well." Chris had stated, pointing out the fact that Dracul is pretty much a stranger to them while also revealing the female mages name to be Jess.
"You mean other than all those stories told about him? My mother always said, 'Don't believe anything you hear'-" The brawler was saying before being interrupted by Chris.
"Yeah, but that other half is 'and only half of what you see'. We heard it all before, Brock." Chris said in what sounded like annoyance. Not only revealing the brawlers name, but letting it also be known that Brock has probably said some similar things before.
Before the likelihood of any bickering could begin, out of nowhere Dracul could feel a sneeze coming on. At probably the worst time ever as well. Since he couldn't move at the risk of being seen as awake, he couldn't do much of anything to prevent the sneeze from happening. He soon let out a loud sneeze, stopping the conversation in its tracks and making Jess, Chris and Brock look at him. {Gods damn it...} Was all he thought. He had hoped that he could remain quiet until they had all stopped, but it doesn't seem like that is going to happen now. Seeing as how his cover is now blown he had decided to move, crossing his arms to the best of his ability while also leaning back against the metal bars behind him. He didn't say anything though.
"You're finally awake. Someone was just beginning to worry." Brock said, letting Dracul know that a certain someone, Jess, was starting to worry.
"I'm guessing that someone was Jess, right?" Dracul asked, revealing the fact that he had been awake long enough to catch the short version of their names. "I appreciate the concern, despite the circumstances."
"Don't get too comfortable. For all I care you can starve till the end of time." Gabriel spoke, not bothering to look back though his voice was filled with nothing but silent hatred towards Dracul.
"Ouch. Your words wound me, knight. You mad because you'll likely be needing a hand for the future?" Dracul said, his first words being filled with nothing but sarcasm but his other choice of words sounded as if he was taunting him. It didn't help that he had a slight grin on his face. The response he got only being a frustrated growl from Gabriel. After hearing that he said, "Can't blame me for you losing your arm. I was making it clear that I had no desire to fight you at that time. You lost it because of your own foolishness."
"One more word and I'll be sure you lose your tongue before you are sealed once more." Gabriel warned, continuing to keep his eyes on the road. His frustration growing with each remark Dracul made.
"Can't wait." Dracul said in a rather uncaring manner. After exchanging a few pleasant words with Gabriel he turned to Jess. Knowing she will likely be the easiest to talk to. "Jess, right? I got the knights full name but he never bothered introducing you or your companions."
Hearing Dracul address her by the short version of her name she turned to look over at Dracul. He's not wrong on that regard. Since Gabriel gave his name, she figured there likely won't be anything wrong with her introducing herself and her friends. "Oh. Well... I'm Jessica Adams. The boy in the hood is Christopher James, and the big guy is Lucas Brock. Silver ranked adventurers of the Twin Wolf Guild."
"Really Jess? Might as well tell him about my favorite color while you're at it." Chris said, clearly sounding as if he disapproved of her just giving away his name.
"Is it forest green?" Was all Dracul said, looking over at Chris. Really only taking a shot in the dark and only really guessed by the color of his hood. Chris was about to say something but ended up going silent and looking back to the road. Seems his lucky guess may have been spot on. After that Dracul looked over at Jess and said, "Well, it's nice to meet you then Jessica and friends. Present circumstances not standing. I'm Dracul Pendragon, but you already know that don't you?" He only received a nod from Jess. Afterwards he said, "I figured. You may call me Drac if you wish."
Brock for some reason couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He found something amusing about this whole situation. He was about to be asked what's funny but before anyone asked he said, "Sorry. I just find it funny that such a dangerous man can act the way you do. It's nothing at all like most would expect."
"Why would most people think that, pray tell?" Drac said, looking over at Brock with some bit of curiosity. He had a feeling his image was not the greatest given how Gabriel treated him, but ever since he was called a 'devil' he couldn't help but wonder why he was called that.
"Funny. I thought you'd know. Story goes you sold your humanity for power and was stopped by Iros." Brock told him, giving the shortest version of the story people were told.
Drac couldn't help but laugh lightly at such a story. Though afterwards he said, "Oh man, whoever told that couldn't be more wrong. Especially that first part. If Iros had actually fought he'd more than likely try and eradicate me."
"Then who sealed you?" Jess asked, her voice having a hint of curiosity within it. Figuring that he would likely be more than likely to tell who had sealed him as most stories usually end up either being fabrications or exaggerations.
"It was... Hmm... Give me a moment..." Drac told them, placing a hand under his chin as he attempted to remember who had sealed him. That right there was odd to him, because he'd have no problem remembering the face of someone who managed to preform such a feat. Yet the more he thought the more he kept drawing a blank... This made him slightly frustrated though he did remember one detail. "Strange... The only thing I can remember is someone with green hair. Why- Oh gods damn it." He said, saying the last parts quietly, knowing only one possibile explanation as to why he can't remember the face of the individual. Someone, likely the foe he faced, locked away parts of his memory. {There's only two things that can do that. Either another champion or a deity. Anything less wouldn't have the same effect.}
"Something wrong?" Jess asked, noticing that he seemed to be somewhat lost in thought and somewhat annoyed.
Hearing her made Drac look over at her, and after taking a breath he calmed down. Seeming more relaxed now and he said, "I'm fine. Just having... Difficulty remembering is all." He told her, though he knew if he didn't continue speaking they would try to press on. He'd much rather keep his worries to himself and figure it out afterwards. So before they asked he quickly formed a question of his own. "But that's unimportant. So tell me, what age is it?"
"Age?" Jess asked. Seeming somewhat confused at the question.
"You know, the year? Age 289? 290?" Drac asked, clearing up the confusion and giving some examples as well as guesses as to how long he's been sealed. Though he was only met with silence and saw looks being exchanged by the others, mainly Brock and Jess. Seeing this, Drac figured he may have been in there longer than he thought but he wasn't too concerned. He then said, "I don't like being kept in the dark, so any answer would be-"
"1310." Chris said, answering the question without much in terms of hesitation. Though Drac did look over at him, having a look that said for him to say it again. "1310. You been sealed in there for little over a thousand years."
Drac had grown silent upon hearing that. His gaze drifting away from the adventurers and down to the floor of the cage he was in. He now held a seemingly neutral look on his face. Now being somewhat hard to read in terms of what he may be feeling.
"Really Chris? Couldn't just try and lay it gently on him?" Jess said, disapproving of how Chris had decided to answer that question.
"Hey, he was going to find out eventually. No point sugar coating it." Chris responded, not really seeming to care about how he laid it on.
"You really can be heartless sometimes..." Jess said, continuing to be disapproving of his attitude. Though before they could continue, Gabriel had stopped the carriage that carried Drac. Making the others stop to look over at him.
"We'll be stopping here for the night. Let's set up camp." Gabriel told them, pulling the carriage over to the side of the road. Followed by Jess, Chris and Brock.
With Drac meanwhile he simply stayed quiet. Not saying a word. Lost in his own thoughts.
----
A couple hours had passed by after they had decided to set up camp. With a fire being made with the four having their sleeping rolls gathered around it. It was still going, and all but one was sleeping after they had eaten the food they had prepared. That one was Jessica. She was the first on look out in case anything got too close to the camp. Though every now and then her gaze shifted over to Dracul. He hadn't said a single word since they set camp. He was just sitting there, staring at the flooring of his cage and occasionally out over to the side to stare at the starry sky. She knew that the news that Chris had oh so gracefully given him may have hit him a bit hard and despite his silence, she knows he's likely starving. She looked over at the pot that was over the fire, and one of the unused bowls. Eventually she had went over to the cage, having a bowl of stew go through the bars. As she gave it she said, "Here. I figured you might want something to eat given how you were back in that tomb."
Drac didn't say anything. Nor did he even seem to acknowledge her or her actions. After receiving nothing but silence for a few moments she started to walk back over to the fire, that was until Drac spoke and asked her. "You know what I did before I was sealed?" Once she had stopped at looked over at him he continued to speak. "I found someone special to me. Married. Even had a kid. I planned on doing one last adventure before experiencing family life. She must have been two months old before I was sealed... Now it seemed I woke up a thousand years late to experience that. Even with my immortality I was willing to see my child grow and live a full life." His words were calm, his expression collected, but his voice held a hint of sadness within them. He was still staring at the sky.
Jessica walked closer to him, stopping by the cage. She listened to his words, and despite his calmness she can sense his sadness. She then asked, "What were their names?"
"... Maria was my wife. Our daughter was Sara. Sara Pendragon. When I first held her I felt a sense of happiness unlike any other. I frankly found it odd... I never been good with emotions. I found that they could cloud my own judgement. Yet I wanted a family of my own. I wanted to be a father. Certainly better than my own. Now? I have nothing. Nothing but my thoughts and memories to keep me comfort." The more he spoke, the more the sadness in his voice became clearer. He tried to conceal it and hold his calm expression, but his voice betrayed him. What's more he could even his eyes begin to water. Yet just as he felt that, he felt something unexpected. Arms wrap around him. It made his eyes widen slightly.
Jessica had listened to every word he spoke and could feel his emotions boiling over. Frankly it was enough to even bring her to tears. But instead of allowing either of them an opportunity to cry, she did something she doesn't do often, even with strangers. She moved to the area behind Drac, and reached her arms into the cage to hug him. To try and find some way to comfort him, without using words. No words could really bring comfort for his situation.
Dracul was at a loss for words at the moment, though he could see what she was trying to do. Her hug was warm and comforting. It almost reminded him of a hug a mother would give to her kid. He didn't say anything for a moment, but after he felt himself beginning to calm down his next words showed that he was grateful for her actions. "Thank you.."
Jess smiled upon hearing those words. She can tell it helped calm him down and brought some form of comfort to him. She kept the hug in for a bit, but after a little while she broke it. Stepping back a bit before speaking. "Mind if we keep it just between us? I don't wanna end up getting teased by Brock." She asked, hoping the two could keep what happened between themselves.
"Of course." Drac said, looking back at her with a small smile then looked over at the bowl of stew she had placed in the cage. He reached over towards it, grabbing it before simply chugging the stew in one go.
Jess was not at all surprised by this. She expected this might happen. "Guess you'll be needing another serving." If there's one thing she was thinking, he may end up emptying the entire pot by himself.
----
About half an hour had passed and to no ones surprise, the entire pot of stew had been emptied. Not even a drop was left. Jess and Drac were still conversing with one another during that time, letting the time pass by. Though Drac was still in that cage and Jess was outside it, there was one thing that became clear to her. Drac was no threat to them. All those stories that the church made painted a false picture of him.
After the last bit in his bowl were eaten, Drac laid the bowl down and sighed in content. He was still hungry but this was fine for the moment. He leaned back against the bars, closing his eyes. He wasn't tired, just relaxed.
Seeing Drac was now much more relaxed, Jess had decided to ask something she was curious about. "Hey, Drac? Mind if I ask something?"
"What is it?" Drac responded, still keeping his eyes closed and leaning against the bars.
"That spell you used to defeat that Stone Guardian. The lightning based spell. What was that exactly? It seemed pretty high leveled to be able to turn that guardian to dust." Jess asked, her voiced filled with curiosity. Clearly interested in what that spell was called.
Drac opened his eyes abd looked over at her, though the look if anything was one that showed that he was somewhat confused. He then answered by saying, "It wasn't anything special really. Just an ordinary level 1 Lightning Bolt spell."
The look that had grown on Jess showed that she was completely taken aback by that statement. A level 1 Lightning Bolt spell? She's seen that spell done before and she didn't remember seeing it produce such destructive results before. Though she can tell Drac was serious in that statement.
"Given your reaction, I can tell that may come as a surprise. Even the weakest spell can create results like that if you put just enough power into it, and with proper technique it can be easily controlled." Dracul told her, speaking about it as casually as one can. Finding it to be no real big deal.
"But too much magic can make a spell unstable.." Jess said, still somewhat surprised by the idea of such a low level spell having such destructive capabilities.
"That's why it takes practice for most. I'm guessing people don't try pushing their limits anymore... Sad." Drac said, his voice showing the amount of disappointment he held. It was enough to let him know that magic had regressed somewhat and people don't bother trying to advance their control over magic.
Silence had passed between the two for a moment. Jess let the information she had been given sink in while Drac found the idea of the regression in magic advancement troublesome.
The silence was soon broken by Drac as he spoke to Jess. "You should get some rest. I'll likely be up all night, so you don't need to bother waking the others up. I'll let you know if there's something dangerous."
"Really? You would?" Jess asked, finding his words surprising. She knew he was basically making their job easier on keeping him locked up, and relieving them of some of these work. So she found it odd.
"It's the least I can do for what you've done." Dracul simply said, figuring those words would be enough to give her a reason as to why he was offering to stay on guard.
Jess, although hesitant in knowing that doing such a thing might anger Gabriel, simply nodded. She felt like she could at the very least trust him. So she went over to her bedroll and laid down. Letting the noises of the night lull her to sleep.
Drac meanwhile looked out of the bars, staring at the forest. While he for one did not plan on staying locked up, he didn't want to go back on his word. To him, his word is his bond and he didn't plan on breaking it. Besides, she was the one who showed him some bit of kindness while the others were wary of him. He'll repay it. He knows though that there will be other opportunities in the future to get out. He had a funny feeling that the morning might present one. Though he did make a promise as he stared out into the forest. {You may not know it, but I consider you the closest thing to a friend in this age. Any friend of mine can rest assured that I will aid them when they need it.} In other words, if there's anything that pose a danger to Jess or her allies, they will need to hope he isn't around or they will not live long to regret their mistake.