BOND THE STARS (MxM)

3(┬┬﹏┬┬)

They traveled a day more before they reached the Belmont estate. Trevor went on about some strange looking tree on the way to the ruined building while also filling Sypha on some details from his childhood. They were getting closer and Zaros could swear he was hearing the screams of that night, the cries of a mother who had lost her child, the shouts of a father who was fighting against the growing fires.

Zaros' frown deepened as they reached the ruins. His teeth elongated as he jumped out of the caravan, going forward with checking out the place. It was abandoned, as expected, but he just couldn't let go of the strange feeling pooling at the pit of his stomach. Was it regret? Regretting that he didn't do anything that night? Even if he didn't kill those people, was he still carrying the burden of not doing anything at all?

"It should be here somewhere." He could hear Trevor's voice from over the other end of the ruined mansion as then the sound of clattering stones filled the air. They were clearing up what Zaros deduced was the entrance to the Belmont Hold.

"Where did the bounty hunter go?" Sypha wondered aloud, receiving an answer from Adrian who waved the question away as if he could physically make it disappear. Rude.

Zaros made a few circles around the Hold, unsuccessful in detecting anything out of the ordinary and believed the place worthy of his presence. The place smelled of magic even after years of not being used. He didn't miss the Belmonts, but he knew a few of them and they weren't an evil bunch of bastards. They truly believed what they were doing was save the world of the monsters in the shadows. When not all monsters were entirely blood thirsty. He respected the name of the Belmonts.

Maybe that was why he was feeling the heaviness grow at the pit of his stomach. He had saved Trevor Belmont when he was no older than thirteen, his sins were paid for letting the mansion burn with all the people in it.

Zaros went back to their little group, looking at Sypha who was now chanting something at the door. The language she was using was almost ancient, the words her magic was writing were even more so. Soon enough it opened, revealing a spiraling staircase.

"It's the magical door of death, Belmont."

"Shut up." Trevor deadpanned, leading the way into the Hold.

Zaros frowned as he followed them last. His vision was good enough, so he didn't need a torch, but entering supposedly the one place holding the knowledge and bones of other vampires didn't sit right with him. He was a bounty hunter, not a collector. He didn't understand keeping the things you kill behind glass.

Adrian continued to tease Trevor about whatever he had thought about from the Belmonts being chased from France, to mummified cats.

Zaros passed them all while Sypha lit the place up. He moved through the rows of books, eyes going wild while he searched. There was surely going to be a book about vampire bonds. Or Leon Belmont and his predecessors were too busy killing the magical beings, instead of questioning them about their lives.

He made sure to not look at the skeletons, hanging from the ceiling, or the skulls behind the glasses, in order like they were in a fucking museum. Hoarders. That's what the Belmonts were.

And suddenly he wasn't feeling too bad about not helping them survive the fire and the wrath of the church.

Zaros moved between the shelves, but he couldn't continue his search as he felt a strong grip on his shoulder. Adrian. The dhampir was holding him in place, grip tightening dangerously hard and if Zaros wasn't a vampire his arm was going to be broken by now. He slowly let the book in his hand drop to the ground, red eyes locking in the gaze of the golden ones that were glaring at him. Zaros was taller but right now Adrian had the advantage of his anger and probably his hatred too.