Castlevania Fan Fiction ❯ The Banished ❯ The Banished - Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

The Banished Alucard x Richter Belmont

Chapter VI

By S. Krause & W.D.

Boring legal stuff etc:

CastleVania and its characters are property of Konami games. I did not create any of the main characters in this fiction and therefore make no claims of ownership. This fiction was written solely for my enjoyment and in no way reflects the actual story-line of the CastleVania series or the true personalities of the characters. And last but not least, I do not, in any way, make any money from this!

NOTES

Sources: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, and Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse

"Trevor Belmont" from Castlevania 3 is known as "Ralph C. Belmont" in the JP version of Castlevania 3.

Thumbnail graphic by Lara Yokoshima

A dhampir is a child born from the union of a human and a vampire.

WARNING – This story contains homosexual material. If this sort of thing offends you then PLEASE DO NOT READ IT!

Thoughts are written in ITALICS

#VI#

One year later...

###

Richter set down the ax and wiped his brow. He had been working without rest for many hours but imagined it would still take a few more days of felling trees until enough woodland had been cleared. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine the simple, beautiful garden he had planned for the space.

Alucard emerged from the nearby cabin and tended to the make-shift clothesline that hung near the simple wooden dwelling. Even though he was naked from the waist up, the cool evening air caused him no discomfort.

"These are finally dry- No longer need I walk around without a shirt on."

Richter glanced toward the cabin and smirked. He was tempted to make a sly remark about how he rather liked seeing the dhampir partially undressed throughout the day but decided against it. Such comments could lead to another sleepless night of aggressive sex together, which Richter needed a brief reprieve from.

"Do you have anything in your vault of treasure that would help speed our plans for this place along?"

"I can check during my walk tonight," Alucard offered. "Care to join me?"

Richter took a moment to stretch his tired limbs before heading towards the cabin.

"Not this time- I want to start early tomorrow. It will be dark soon but will you help me settle in before leaving?"

Alucard smiled and turned to follow his companion inside.

"Of course."

###

Richter walked into the single small bedroom and quickly rid himself of his clothes.

Alucard entered a moment later and picked up after him.

"Are you certain you wish to sleep already?"

Belmont smiled and laughed quietly to himself; He knew what the other man had on his mind. Many of their nights together over the past year had ended with hours of intense passion and sex. After kissing and petting each-other, Alucard would inevitably abandon his restraint and take him roughly. It never failed and the dhampir never seemed to tire of it. In the end they were both always satisfied, but Richter would be left exhausted and often sore the next morning.

"I need a night to truly rest," he said. "Can you contain your urges until tomorrow?"

Alucard frowned but appreciated the honesty.

"That is disappointing but I understand. It seems you were able to see through to my true intentions rather easily..."

Richter laughed and rolled onto his side to get comfortable on the large bed. The thick down-feather mattress was a luxury that stood in stark contrast to the rest of the simple cabin.

"Perhaps I can read your mind? Regardless, I still don't understand how you got this bed..."

Alucard sat down near the hunter on top the fine linen sheets.

"An elaborate ruse that involved bribing commoners and a greedy merchant willing to place the order. Getting it here undetected was a more complicated and magical affair."

"Sounds expensive and inconvenient," Belmont laughed.

"I had to part with a few valuables from my collection. I wanted you to be comfortable here with me."

Richter reached out from beneath the covers and took hold of Alucard's hand. He squeezed the pale fingers tightly and smiled.

"I hope we can make this our home for a long time."

Alcuard returned the smile. Moments like this often reminded him of how much his life had changed since they had grown so close.

"I hope so as well."

Richter yawned as his eyes fluttered closed.

"Promise me you will live here until I say it is time to leave."

"What do you mean?" the dhampir blinked.

"Just promise me?"

Alucard rubbed Belmont's hand gently with his thumb.

"I promise. Knowing that, you should sleep well now, Richter."

He carefully set Richter's hand back on the bed and stood up. The change in breathing and heart-rate made it apparent to him that the human already fallen asleep. He studied Richter's resting form for several long minutes, forever imprinting the image of the mortal sleeping peacefully into his mind.

"I will cherish the time we have," he whispered. "One day you will be gone too, Richter. What terrible thing will take you away from me?"

The half-blood swept his fingers over his mortal companion's brow to gently brush aside the long brown locks of hair.

His voice became sad yet remained barely audible.

"Will it be illness? Injustice? Or perhaps simply the cruel hand of time that steals you? I wish it was within my power to keep you with me forever..."

After placing a soft parting kiss on Richter's cheek, Alucard quietly left the bedroom and closed the door.

As usual, he would now remain awake for much of the night and occupy himself with various chores. But first, he had to make his special trip to the vault. Potions, food conjuring charms, a few weapons, and various tools would greatly benefit their new home.

The dhampir made his way through the small kitchen area and paused to look at the mess that littered it.

"Why can you never put things away after using them, Richter?"

With a few blurred movements, Alucard picked up the dishes and half-eaten food the hunter had left out. At some point, in the midst of his unnatural speed, he dropped a few small kitchen utensils. His reflexes and coordination were second to none, but still not perfect when it came to cleaning. Fortunately the commotion had not made too much noise, so Richter was likely undisturbed.

Annoyed, Alucard rolled his eyes and began to hastily retrieve the small items. Among the dropped utensils was a simple knife that was left spinning on the floor from the hectic flurry of motion.

The half-blood reached down for it but went still as he watched it come to a standstill. The sight of the small blade spinning about had reminded him of something from his past; something terrible.

"It may not be within my power," he said. "But perhaps there is a way I had not considered..."

###

Alucard's journey to the collapsed cave had been brief and uneventful. During his last visit he had managed, with great effort, to dispel the magical ward the had prevented him from teleporting inside. Afterward he had fully sealed the entrance and stairway so now, to all outward appearances, the hidden vault once again appeared to be nothing more than an odd grassy clearing in the woods. With the only way into the subterranean room now being by advanced magic means, his treasure was safe and secure.

The enchanted candles lining the stone walls crackled to life as the dhampire warped into the room. He wasted no time and gathering up a handful of potions, food conjuring items, and a few other trinkets. He set the small horde of valuables aside in the corner of the room, making them easy to retrieve when needed.

"I will come back for these later," he muttered under his breath. "As for now..."

Alucard then rapidly moved about the room and sifted recklessly through the reaming loot. He went from pile to pile, carelessly tossing aside handfuls of coins, jewelry, and even some weapons as he searched. When he reached down to pick up a well-made shield he finally found what he had been looking for.

He tossed the fine piece of armor behind him and looked down upon the small weapon that had been hidden beneath it. To most it would seem to be nothing more than a simple sickle- But Alucard knew the weapon's origin and who had once wielded it.

Holding it by the handle, he studied the curved blade for a few moments under the candlelight. Though it appeared ordinary enough, the sickle reverberated with dark and evil power as he held it in his hand.

"Now I just need to find a place rich with death. A graveyard should suffice..."

###

The sound of birds chirping with the approach of dawn roused Richter from his sleep. He reached for the pillow next to him and pulled it down over his head to drown out their innocent songs.

"I hate birds," he grumbled.

The hunter rolled over to face his half-blood companion as he did every morning but instead found the spot empty.

"Still not back?" he wondered aloud. "Well, he did have a lot to do..."

He had grown used to seeing Alucard next to him every morning when he opened his eyes but wasn't yet too concerned. The trip to the vault may have just taken more time than usual, or perhaps the dhampir had found more useful items there than he had expected to.

"Perhaps I should have pleased him before sleeping?"

###

A lone wild wolf sped through the antiquated gates of the small graveyard and came to an abrupt stop. The animal lifted its nose to sample the air. Satisfied when it caught the scent of death, the wolf relaxed and sat down on its hind legs. A faint blue aura then surrounded the furry creature as magic took hold and it shifted into its true form.

With the transformation complete, Alucard wasted no time in walking to the center of the old burial ground. He slipped off one of his gloves and grazed the back of his hand with the edge of the sharp sickle. It had taken far too long to find a graveyard remote enough for his plans and he hoped that the daylight wouldn't impede his summoning efforts.

With the small weapon now stained with his own blood, the dhampir tossed it forcefully across the cemetery. It spun through the air unerringly into the face of a large headstone before landing undamaged atop the earth.

"In the name of your master and my father,"he shouted, "I request an audience!"

Moments later the rotting ground began to shake beneath his feet as the sickle ignited into blue flames. The small weapon was soon gone- leaving only charred dust behind.

The shrouded form of Death remained motionless as it materialized into existence in front of Alucard. "You dare lure me here?! For what purpose?"

The dhampir took a moment to study the ominous figure that had appeared in front of him. He knew that he had to choose his words carefully or the vile deity would exploit any ill-conceived agreement to its advantage.

"I wish to bargain for the mortality of Richter Belmont."

Death remained motionless and became no more animated when it spoke.

"Why should Death grant you anything?"

Alucard swallowed the dry lump that had formed in his throat. Even though he had bested this wicked being in battle before he still respected, and even feared the power at Death's disposal.

"Is there nothing that can be done? Can we not reach some sort of agreement?"

Death slowly raised a skeletal hand from its side. A large ornate scythe blinked into existence and floated precariously above Alucard's head.

"A bargain?" the creature teased. "You have nothing to bargain with!"

"Are you certain the son of Dracula can offer you nothing of value?"

A disembodied laugh echoed from beneath Death's hood.

"No one ever triumphs over Death indefinitely," it boasted. "Not a human, not a Belmont, and not even you!"

Frustrated by the deity's lack of interest, Alucard lowered his head and turned to leave. He got only half a step however when several spinning blades materialized directly in front of him. The wickedly sharp sickles spun about suspended by magical means in the air mere centimeters from his face.

"I am leaving," The dhampir muttered, unfazed.

With a simple flick of its wrist, Death whisked the dangerous weapons away.

"Actually, I have reconsidered. There is... one possibility..."

The half-blood turned to face Death's hollow stare again. "Then what is it you want me to do?"

Dark and sinister laughter again escaped from beneath the spirit's hood.

"You misunderstand. To make this bargain you must agree NOT to do something: You must never again take up arms against Lord Dracula, or interfere in any way in his resurrection or campaign to purge this world."

Alucard's eyes widened at the thought. In his mind he imagined his father reigning over a world burning with chaos and drowning in blood.

"And if I agree and abide by these terms, you will make Richter Belmont immortal?"

"No! I will not permit him to become some human-god creature!"

Alucard folded his arms over his chest. "Then what will you do?"

"I can agree to 'stop his time'" Death explained. "He won't die from time's passage or natural illness- but it will be up to him to survive the likes of disasters, murder, or..."

The evil being went silent; It wanted to create tension and hoped to illicit an emotional response from the dhampir. The simple ploy proved to be immediately effective.

The pale skin on Alucard's face darkened with rage. "Or what?!"

"An accident..."

"If that's the best you can do, then I can only agree never to directly interfere."

Death chuckled at the counter-offer but nodded approvingly.

"Mankind will eventually fail- even with your guidance. I suppose it is an agreeable compromise, Master Alucard. Just know that if you go beyond passive interference Richter Belmont's soul will be immediately consumed."

"Now... Let me see here," Death mumbled. "Ah yes. Richter Belmont."

With little more than a thought, the haunting spirit willed a typical looking hourglass into existence. The simple timepiece floated steadily in the air in front of them until Death took hold of it.

"How fortunate for him that you have come here now- It appears he has only a few months, or perhaps a few years left if he's fortunate."

Alucard's eyes went wide with alarm. The thought of losing Richter so soon shook him to the core.

"I agree to your sickening terms," he snapped. "Now spare him!"

Had it lips to smile with, Death would have been unable to conceal its delight. In reality it had no idea how much longer Richter's natural life would last, but the deceptive theatrics had proven surprisingly useful in manipulating Alucard.

Darkness swirled around the hourglass and an eerie chill filled the air. Within moments the simple timer became fully encased in a block of solid ice.

The frozen hourglass vanished as Death levitated into the air to float above the dhampir.

"The bargain is made. I hope, for his sake, young Belmont can tolerate the terms of his new longevity. As you are already aware, long life can be a blessing... or a curse."

Alucard stood silently as the sinister creature laughed once more and disappeared. He glanced up a the morning sky and took a moment to reflect on what he had just done.

"There was no other way."

###

Richter leaned back in the chair with the length of the Vampire Killer whip wrapped around his arm. He had gotten fully dressed and prepared to start his day working on his garden project but then had decided to wait for his companion to return instead. He felt a sense of relief when the door finally opened and Alucard stepped inside.

"I keep forgetting it's not necessary to worry about you," he smirked. "Still, you were gone a very long time..."

Alucard set down a small the bag of trinkets he had retrieved from the vault and eyed the hunter curiously.

"I am sorry for causing you concern. There is something we must discuss."

Richter toyed with the whip in his hands and raised an eyebrow.

"Can you tell me after I tie you up with this and reward you for your patience last night?"

"Reward me?" Alucard blinked. "How? Why?"

Belmont smiled suggestively and stood up. He held his whip lazily at his side and dragged it across the floor behind him as he stepped towards the dhampir.

"I won't tell you until you take off your clothes."

Under normal circumstances, Alucard would've jumped at the opportunity of exploring something new and pleasurable with the hunter. But at the moment he needed to be taken seriously; it would be wrong to indulge his desires before confessing what had happened.

"Richter," he began sternly, "I was not gone for so long because you denied me last night. There is something important I need to tell you- I need you to listen."

"Alright," the hunter relented. "What happened?"

The dhampir took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts.

"Over the past year my feelings for you have evolved," he began. "Never have I felt this way about another. Your significance to me cannot be overstated."

Richter could not help but smile. Did the half-blood really believe such a dramatic confession was needed after all they had been through together? Still, listening to Alucard give voice to such feelings warmed his heart.

"Are you trying to say you love me?"

"Yes," Alucard glowered at the human."Now let me finish."

Richter bit his lip and felt his heart flutter at the sudden admission. The mood had suddenly changed and effectively shut down his playful antics.

"I apologize," he said. "Please continue."

"Every night when you sleep I watch you. It reminds me to cherish you because I know, one day, you will be gone. Time never stops, Richter, and that terrified me. It terrified me to know that being without you one day was inevitable."

"Alucard…"

"You once told me to find meaning in my life and live for myself," the dhampir recalled. "But last night, as I watched you again, I realized I cannot be without you. So… I made a decision and took action."

Richter's eyes widened. "You took action?"

"Yes," Alucard confirmed. "While it is true that I lack the power to spare you from such a fate, I was aware of one ancient spirit that could."

The vampire hunter suddenly felt uneasy. This had to be an exaggeration or some sort of metaphor- Alucard couldn't be serious about this.

Alucard began to worry when Richter remained silent. He knew there was no going back now and he owed it to his lover to disclose everything.

"Because of my relation to my father and my knowledge of dark magic I was able to summon Death and strike a bargain."

As the story took an unexpected dark turn Richter became increasingly uncomfortable. "You bargained with Death?! The evil… What did you do?!"

"I agreed to withdraw," Alucard answered cautiously. "He was either unwilling or unable to make you immortal- but you will no longer age or suffer from natural illness."

Richter suddenly felt sick with apprehension. He now accepted that the dhampir was serious, however the details were not yet entirely clear.

"You agreed to withdraw? What does that even mean?"

"I cannot take up arms against my father," the half-blood sighed. "I am also forbidden from directly interfering in his potential resurrection or his sadistic crusade."

Richter found the details startling; It was difficult for him to even fathom the other man agreeing to such terms.

"Have you lost your mind?" he asked. "My life is not yours to gamble with! Aside from that, why would you agree to something so terrible?!"

The dhampir could sense the dramatic shift in mood. In desperation, he blurted out whatever came to his mind without giving his words a second thought.

"Without you I do not care what happens to everyone else. Without you, Richter Belmont, I would rather rot in a tomb and never awaken. I did not gamble your life away; I prolonged it for our mutual benefit!"

Richter took a step back to distance himself as Alucard became unraveled. He had never seen the dhampir lose his temper quite like this; It was a rare display of raw emotion and defensive passion.

Alucard didn't stop, and when he noticed the hunter step back his voice only grew louder.

"You said to me once you were done playing the savior- Well, I too have had enough of it! Why should I protect a species that looks upon us both with disdain? Let them fight their own battles- Have you no faith in your own kind to fend for themselves!?"

With a smooth and sudden motion, Richter cracked the Vampire Killer whip into the air. The loud snap proved effective at silencing Alucard and gave him an opening to respond.

"What would have happened to Trevor?" he asked sharply. "Or Sypha? Or, better yet, what would have happened to me if you did nothing? Would I not still be among your father's minions and doing his bidding?"

Alucard eyed the whip at the hunter's side cautiously; it was a weapon that even he had to fear. He was surprised by his own loss of composure and realized it had only served to anger Richter. It would be for the best if he softened his tone before things got worse.

"Richter," he answered calmly, "you raise valid questions, but the truth is I do not know how events would have unfolded if I had not intervened. I want to believe another hero or group would rise to the occasion and the world would move on."

"I can't believe this," Richter growled. He found himself hoping he'd wake up and realize the entire argument had been but a nightmare. He turned his back to the dhampir and tried to reign in his anger.

"What happens if you break your vow?"

"Your life will end," the dhampir lamented. "And your soul forfeit."

Alucard found himself overwhelmed by anxiety when Richter turned away from him. It was too late for a more diplomatic tone to make any difference. The best he could hope for now was Richter would be angry with him for a few days and then gradually embrace the idea of a long life together.

"I thought perhaps you would come to like the idea of spending centuries together with me. Does that truly not appeal to you?"

Richter turned to face him again and shook his head.

"Of course it appeals to me," he sighed. "But it's a fantasy Alucard. If everyone chokes on the blood spilled by your father- what then? We live happily ever after on a dead rotting world? Eventually we would both be slaughtered as well."

The dhampir said nothing. In his haste he had not considered the bargain from such a grim point of view. It was becoming clearer that Death had gotten the better of him.

"As I said already, my life wasn't yours to bargain with," Richter added. "I was grateful just to spend my remaining days with you- I didn't care if it was weeks or years. When you don't plan on living forever you try to appreciate every day."

Alucard could feel tears beginning to pool in the corners of his eyes. When Richter brushed by him to open the door he found himself paralyzed by fear.

The hunter stopped in the doorway and lowered his head.

"No single life is worth millions of souls," he stressed. "It would seem your father never learned that either."

The comparison to his father wounded the half-blood deeply. Under normal circumstances Alucard would have objected to such an unfair statement, but at the moment repairing the rift between them took priority.

"Are you going somewhere?"

Richter paused to look over his shoulder at the dhampir. "Yes. I need to be alone for awhile."

Alucard kept his distance but still followed the hunter towards the woodland path. Even though he was physically capable of outrunning the other man he knew giving chase would not improve the situation.

"Please," he begged, "please return soon!"

But the desperate request fell on deaf ears. Richter had already become so driven by his anger and disappointment that he just wanted distance from the half-blood. Perhaps when alone he would be able to come to terms with the profound implications of what Alucard had done.

#E#