Chapter
6 MORE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE
“I don’t get it,” said Pip. “Now that he’s broken the seal, Alucard’s a
free man, I mean vampire right? So what would he still want with Lord Hellsing? If I were him, I would be out of here as fast
I could.”
Seras raised an eyebrow as Pip
continued his ranting, barely resisting the urge to thump the mercenary on the
head.
“For the life of me, I can’t think of
any good reason he would take her away.”
Seras groaned inwardly. Pip could be so dense at times. “And they call me a bimbo,” she muttered
under her breath.
“What was that Lady Seras?” asked
Walter, looking up tiredly. While still remarkably fit for a man of his age, the strain and worry of
the last few days was beginning to show on the butler’s face.
“Oh nothing.
As you were saying Walter before this oaf interrupted?” prodded Seras
embarrassedly while Pip scowled.
“As I was saying, my belief is that
Sir Integra’s disappearance is connected to this engagement arranged by the
Queen. We had received her Majesty’s
envoys at two earlier that day. Sir
Harold and Sir Randolph were highly secretive about the whole matter, merely
indicating that Sir Integra would be receiving the Queen’s summons later in the
evening after which she was to see the Queen immediately. From the state of things, I don’t believe
Lord Hellsing knew of this engagement before her disappearance.”
Walter’s pained expression at the word
‘engagement’ invoked an involuntary chuckle from Pip who immediately tried to
hide it as a cough. “I doubt Sir Integra
would appreciate being married off just like that.”
Walter sighed softly as he got up from
his seat. As he slowly opened the
windows in the southern end of the room, he said gravely, “Pip, you must
understand that archaic as they are, arranged marriages are a way of life for
the nobility. None of us have a choice
in this matter.”
Seras was thoughtful as she noticed
the slight tinge of sadness in Walter’s voice and his choice of words. “’Us,’ Walter had used us,” she mused.
“But why the Duke
of Ellington?”
Walter said, furrowing his brow.
“Is there something we should know?”
asked Seras gently.
Walter replied hesitantly, “I doubt
either of you know of the old feud between the previous Lord Hellsing, Alucard
and the previous Duke.”
“The previous
Duke? The father of the present Duke of Ellington?”
questioned Pip curiously.
“Well suffice to say there is a past
between the two families, details of which you need not concern yourself with
save to say that Alucard blames the death of the previous Lady Hellsing on her
cousin. He has never quite forgotten
that incident and ...”
“Her cousin?” mouthed Pip in
disbelief. “The rumour is that the Duke
is the next in line for the throne since the Crown Prince’s abdication. So if this engagement goes through, our Sir
Integra could possibly be the next queen of
Seras gasped, surprised as she
recalled the reputation of the present Duke of Ellington. The man was a renowned playboy, his romantic
escapades being constant headlines for the tabloids. How in the world the Queen could have
conceived such an incompatible match - even if Integra’s mother had been cousin
to his father?
“Now wait a minute Walter, I know her
Majesty is fond of Sir Integra but this is incredulous. What next?
Don’t tell me she is actually Alucard’s or your daughter ...”
“Pip be serious!”
“Hey, I’m just citing an example ...”
said Pip catching sight of the disconcerted look on Walter’s face, “It’s not
possible, right?”
“Pip, stop interrupting and let Walter
brief us!” chided Seras, finally losing her temper, giving the mercenary a
death glare not unlike one frequently seen on Integra’s face when reprimanding
Alucard.
Still gazing out of the windows
uneasily, Walter continued “My theory is that Alucard had intercepted the
Queen’s letter and has taken matters in his own hands. However, even if he acted in honor of the
late Lady to prevent marriage of her daughter to the man whose father he
believes to be Lady Amelia’s murderer, I cannot condone his kidnap of Integra
...”
[“Seras ... Walter ...”]
Suddenly, Pip gave a cry as he noticed
Seras collapsed on the floor, her face frightfully pale.
“I’m alright,” called out Seras
haltingly as the mercenary rushed to her side.
“It was just a dizzy spell.”
“What happened? Are you alright child?” Walter dashed over,
his face full of concern at her pallor.
“Vampires don’t faint unless,” he paused, “have you been refusing your
rations again child?”
“No,” replied Seras slowly. Pale as vampires were, it was of great
concern to Walter and Pip to see her ashen white. “Walter,” she said suddenly clutching his
hand excitedly, “I think I saw her Lordship.
For a moment, I heard her voice and then I saw it, through her eyes.”
“What?
Where is she?”
“I think she was in an old castle,”
said Seras uncertainly as Pip supported her into a seating position. “She was in a very large room, full of
banners and I think there was a strange insignia on the chair in which she was
seated ...”
“Lady Seras, about the insignia, was
it one of a dragon entwined around a lion?” pressed Walter urgently as he
recalled his nightmare. And then it all
made sense: the butler shuddered at the sudden realisation that he should have
known all along where the castle was – hadn’t it been but 40 years ago that he
had been in that accursed castle?
“I think so although I first thought of
it as a winged snake fighting with a big cat ...”
“The sign of Dracul,” mouthed Walter
slowly. “His family insignia.”
“Can someone fill me in on this? Are you saying she’s in Alucard’s
castle? In
“But Walter, if the previous Duke had
harmed the late Lady Hellsing ...” stammered Seras.
“A misunderstanding,” replied Walter
nervously. “Now if you excuse me, I must
consult the Hellsing journals for the exact location of the castle. I do believe we are all overdue for a small
chat with Alucard. Pip prepare yourself
and brief one or two of the men whom we can trust to take care of matters here
at the mansion while we are away. Lady
Seras, are you with us?”
Seras nodded mutely as Walter turned
to leave, unable to shake off the nagging feeling that there was something in
the puzzle Walter was not telling them.
----------
“Vlad
Tepes? Dracula? Alucard?” thought Integra confused as her
mind quickly made the connections. “No
this cannot be, I must still be asleep.
This is a dream and no more,” said Integra to herself, closing her eyes
again.
“Who
are you madam?” repeated the child curiously, tugging more urgently at her
dress. “I have never seen you in this
castle before.”
Fearful
that she was not merely dreaming as she hoped, Integra rose quickly to
curtsey. She prayed she could pass off
as a inhabitant of the castle, hoping that perhaps the way of the Romanian
nobility was not too unlike her own. “My
name is Integra Hel-,” Integra said cautiously, biting back a cry of surprise
as she noticed that the child’s eyes were, although redden from crying, a
striking ice blue like hers. “Where am
I, my little lord?”
“I
am not little,” replied the child strangely reminiscent of her own usual retort
to Alucard. “And you are in the ceremonial
banquet hall. Now before I call the
guards, you should tell me who you are,” said the child, arms akimbo.
Integra
pursed her lips nervously as the young child studied her intently. She had no idea what was going on. What was she to do if this was no dream?
“Perchance,
are you my new English nurse?” asked young Vlad Tepes. “Father mentioned getting me a foreign nurse
to ensure that I learn more about other kingdoms. Would you be her?”
“Yes
my Lord. Forgive me, it is as you have
guessed. My name is Integra Helens and I
have just arrived from England to serve your family,” she lied
uncomfortably. The idea being in
servitude to Alucard’s family greatly rankled the Hellsing spirit in her but
she could think of no better story at the moment.
“What
madness is this?” Integra thought. “Have
I by some strange spell gone back in time?
This is crazy!” she screamed internally.
“What do I do now? If this is no
dream, I am in deep trouble ...”
“Well
then nurse, let us make haste from here,” Vlad Tepes said, the urgency in his
voice breaking her thoughts. “Father has
strictly forbidden unauthorised entry to the ceremonial banquet hall. He would punish you if he found you here
without permission,” the young Vlad Tepes said as he walked to the door,
motioning for her to follow him.
“Quickly nurse,” he urged. “I
have lessons with my tutor in the afternoon and father will be greatly
displeased if he learns that I am tardy.”
Deciding
to play along until she could better grasp her circumstances and figure out a
solution, having no other possible option at the moment, Integra obediently
followed the child. “I beg my Lord’s
forgiveness. I was lost and perhaps too
tired from the journey,” said Integra, smarting at the young prince’s
reprimand.
The
child said nothing but walked faster, forcing Integra to struggle with her
skirt to keep up with him.
“Until
this I was still unsure if he was indeed the arrogant bastard I know,” she
thought as she raised one eyebrow involuntarily in disbelief.
“Oh
please let this be a dream; wake up Integra,” she repeated in her mind, part of
her still hoping in vain to wake from what she prayed was a dream as they
walked quickly along the passageways until they came to a familiar oaken door. Throwing aside the door, the young prince ran
eagerly into the room. Integra looked
about in surprise as she recognised herself to be in the very chambers Alucard
had assigned to her in her own time.
“Read
it,” cried the young prince eagerly as he pointed to a leather bound book lying
on a reading desk in the middle of the room.
With detached amusement, Integra noted his childlike excitement. “Read the second chapter to me nurse. Quickly.
My tutor will be here soon and I would like to finish the story
first. I assume you can read. My last nurse could not. I hope you are not like her.”
Suppressing
her mild annoyance at taking commands from Alucard (to be), Integra noticed the
deep scratches on the back of his hand.
She had noticed the wounds for the first time, as he had lifted to point
to the book on the table. Despite
herself, she found herself feeling extremely sorry for the child. Instinctively cradling his hand gently in her
own, she asked sadly, “Who did this?”
Vlad
Tepes said nothing but merely stared at the floor. Integra felt her heart ache as she saw the
pain and frustration in the child’s eyes.
“Shall
I dress your hand my Lord?” Integra asked, disbelieving at her own sympathy for
the child that would grow up to be her kidnapper and whom she must have
threatened a hundred times to stake.
The
young prince shook his head before answering very quietly, “No, thank you
nurse.”
“Well
my Lord,” she asked, unsure of her next move.
“Shall we begin reading?”
Vlad
Tepes nodded, looking happier.
Walking
to the reading table, Integra opened the book quickly just as the young child
sat down excitedly on one of the stools beside the table. However, even before she had the chance to
read the first word, Integra saw a frightful darkness escape from the pages –
which quickly enveloped her and consumed the rest of the room.
----------
“Wake
up Integra, wake up my child,” came a long forgotten voice in the
darkness. “Sleep no more. Open your eyes and see what you have feared
to acknowledge ...”
“Mother?”
she cried out, recognising the voice.
Opening her eyes slowly, she was somewhat disappointed to find herself
alone, seated against a huge apple tree.
“Where
did this tree come from?” Integra thought as she began examining the tree
carefully. Integra blinked as she
noticed a mark carved on its trunk. A
queer feeling came over her as she recognised the mark: a rough depiction of
her family insignia, the Hellsing crest.
“What
madness is this?” she said as she held her head, frustrated. “Where am I now? Is this a never-ending dream? Where is this place? When will I wake up?”
As
if in response, a deep laugher broke out above her.
Startled,
Integra glanced around, eager to track down the source of the sound.
“Who
are you? How dare you mock
Hellsing? Come down here you knave,” she
yelled angrily. “Come down now before I
make you.”
“Foolish
woman,” mocked the voice (a woman’s), “Are the eyes of Hellsing mere
decoration? Do you not recognise who I
am and can you truly make me do what I do not wish little girl?”
Looking
up, Integra caught sight a crow perched up on the branches, by which great
apples hung.
“Who
are you?” Integra questioned just as she got a terrible shock of watching the
crow disappear, leaving in its place ...
“Rip
van Winkle,” Integra said disgustedly.
“I thought Alucard had disposed of you.
No, this cannot be real. This is
just a dream.”
Rip
smiled cruelly as she looked down amusedly at Integra. Plucking an apple, she bit into it before replying,
“You think this is all but a dream?
Foolish humans, how long will you ignore what is so blatantly before
you? No matter, I assure you this is no
ordinary dream even if you cannot fathom the issue of how it is possible we are
meeting again Miss Hellsing.” The
vampire laughed again as if amused by Integra’s quizzed look. “Nevertheless, I am glad you remember my
name.”
“What
do you want vampire?” said Integra, fighting an unexplainable horror within
herself at the sight of the stain of the dark juice too remarkably similar to
blood forming around Rip’s mouth as the vampire deliberately bit into the fruit
again.
“Nothing,”
replied Rip, grinning triumphantly, her fangs glistening with her face deadly
white, white as salt. “Nothing but you,
nothing but you child,” she said as she licked her lips cruelly.
Without
further hesitation, Integra took to her heels, running as fast as she could
(dream or no dream, dress or no dress she did not like where this conversation
was going); Rip after her.
“Foolish
woman,” snarled Rip viciously, materialising suddenly in front of Integra,
cutting off her route of flight. “Do you
not know there is no escaping fate?”
“Stay
away from me vampire,” cried Integra, reaching instinctively for her revolver
only to remember that it lay abandoned by her bedside.
Rip
grinned cruelly as she grabbed Integra’s chin with one hand, her other hand
running the half eaten apple against Integra’s lips. Integra shuddered, Rip’s hand was deathly
cold.
“Have
an apple dear?” said Rip speaking sweetly as she allowed some juice to drip
into Integra’s mouth, her voice sounding strangely and horribly to Integra like
her mother’s.
“I-I
don’t think so,” gasped Integra. The
juice tasted sweet and yet horribly sickening as if mixed with blood. As the juice flowed down her throat, Integra
felt as if a knife had been plunged into her stomach. She put her one hand painfully to her
abdomen, the other vainly attempting to push Rip away. “No, I-I don’t want ...”
Rip
laughed cruelly. “You simpleton. Do you know what this is? Don’t you want to know what really happened
to your mother? Who you really are? This fruit will allow you to know ...”
Integra
shook despite her best efforts. “Don’t,”
she cried. “I don’t want ...”
“Because
living with the truth is more fearsome than living a lie isn’t it? Don’t you want to know who your father really
is?” Rip tempted. “You know it as well
as I do ... it isn’t Arthur is it?”
Integra
stared, ashen faced in horror. “Lies,
keep your lies and devilish fruit away from me witch.”
“Witch?”
repeated Rip with a strange smirk crossing her face. “Integra, where are your manners? Is this any way to greet your mother?”
“Mother?”
gasped Integra reviled at the idea.
“Damn you monster!” she cursed, struggling once more to push Rip away.
“No
it was not possible. It had to be a lie
... Mother was not a vampire. I’m going
to kill this bitch!” cursed Integra silently under her breath and she studied
her opponent quietly, hoping to find some weakness to her advantage.
“Monster? Bitch?” questioned Rip amusedly as she bit
once more into the apple. “Yes, a
monster. However, moulded from your
mother Amelia Hellsing,” she snarled.
Integra grimaced in disgust, fighting the impulse to gag at the sight of
some of the dark juice flowing down the vampire’s chin as she spoke. “An unholy alliance between the professor’s
genius, her body stolen from the grave and /his/ dark blood. Don’t you see the resemblance? You and me ... we are perfect sides of the
same coin, one striving for the darkness, one striving for the light.”
“You
lie,” Integra winced as Rip’s hold on her chin tightened, forcing her to open
her mouth a little more. “You ...”
“Lies? No matter,” Rip said before suddenly taking
Integra’s mouth with her own, forcing the remainder of the sickly fluid down
her throat.
Integra
struggled futilely; the liquid burned horribly, causing Integra’s vision to
blur and her head to hurt. After what
seemed an eternity, Rip finally released her, laughing in morbid satisfaction
as Integra crumpled at her feet.
“What
have you fed me?” demanded Integra, struggling to fight the pounding migraine
that was threatening to overwhelm her.
She
received no answer but a malicious laughter.
It rang painfully in her ears, even as her surroundings were engulfed in
silent darkness again.
----------
Choking,
she spat out the awful, coppery tasting liquid within her mouth.
Integra
opened her eyelids slowly. A voice in
her head told her that she was back in her time but she knew with a dreadful foreboding
that something terrible had happened.
“Voices? Was I hearing voices?” she wondered with
uncertainty. “Was it a nightmare or a
foreshadowing of the horrors to come?”
As
her head cleared and her vision slowly came into focus, Integra recognised with
disgust that the sticky liquid she had spat out and with which her dress was
covered was blood.
“Am I bleeding?” she wondered, inspecting herself for signs of injury,
finding none. While the knowledge that
she was not wounded was usually welcomed news, the lack of hurt in her body was
now, on the contrary, most terrifying and disconcerting. And then she realised what her body had found
so amiss - her vision was strangely
clear but her glasses were most certainly lying broken beside her.
She
took one look at Alucard was standing at the other end of the hall before she
screamed.
Pip sighed,
desperately trying to refocus on the task of mapping up Alucard’s castle. They had flown from
Walter and
Seras had been working non-stop for the past few nights trying to figure out a
plan to rescue Sir Integra while he had been charged with the duty of mapping
out the terrain around Alucard’s stronghold.
Pip had studied the maps within the commander’s possession and was
amazed by the manner in which the castle was constructed.
“Despite being
an old man, he’s quite the militarist; you have to give it to him,” thought Pip
aridly. Considering the powers that Alucard
had already exhibited even when under Hellsing control, it was unwise to
attempt a direct clash with him.
Attempts to
sneak into the castle were fraught with difficulties. The castle was perched upon a sheer cliff
made of solid granite and was surrounded by valleys. There was only one road up to the castle,
through a small village both some distance away from Tirgoviste. It was impossible to scale the cliffs for
one. For another, even if they were
foolhardy enough to challenge the mountain, they could not have done so without
being noticed by the castle’s inhabitants.
Although the presence of the small village located at the foot of the
hill permitted them the option of trying to mingle into the castle as one of
the locals, the possibility that they would be recognised quite quickly as
strangers outweighed the attractiveness of the idea.
There had been
a route by the other side of the mountain through a forest and across the Arges
river. Unfortunately, the only bridge
across the river had been broken a week back, leaving the raging river
impassable.
“I would have
preferred to drop a whole bloody army platoon on him from the skies but even
then, who knows.”
Putting down
his map, Pip rubbed his eyes irritably as he felt a headache creeping up. They had been under tremendous stress for the
last few days. Walter had advised him to
get a quick nap before excusing himself to catch up with his old friend. Unfortunately, as exhausted as his mind was,
the adrenaline in his body was stubbornly keeping him awake.
Idly, he
looked across the room at the corner where Seras’ coffin lay. Despite his fatigue, Pip could not help but
recall with amusement the young vampire’s surprised reaction the last time
Alucard had playfully sealed her within her coffin before shipping her off to
In his short
time with Hellsing, Pip was amazed and impressed by the growth in maturity
Seras had exhibited. When they had first
met, she was but an extremely shy woman/vampire; unsure of and even frightened
by her own powers. In but a matter of
months, she had become an efficient soldier, earning her place amongst the
elite of the Hellsing organisation.
“Man, look at
the time,” thought Pip adjusting the strap of his watch as he examined it. “We are scheduled to leave tonight. I need to pack”. Sifting through the mess of maps on the
table, he was surprised to come across a thin bound journal.
“What’s this?”
he thought as he idly leafed through its pages.
He recognised the neat handwriting as that belonging to Seras. A quiet little voice inside his head tried to
remind him that Seras would probably not be too happy if she caught him nosing
through her journal but this was quickly drowned out by the other louder voice
of curiosity.
------------------
April 7
We will leave
I had argued
last night that we should have taken a small army with us but on retrospect, I
think Walter’s reasoning is right. This
mission would be jeopardised if anyone outside the three of us even remotely
suspected Sir Integra’s disappearance.
Our priority is to locate Sir Integra and Walter has expressed his
opinion that if we are to secure her freedom, it is by guile and not by force.
Master is much
too powerful to fight directly. He is
more powerful than any of us can imagine now that the seal has been
broken. However, I would find myself
less nervous if I had two Halcyons, no make that three.
------------------
April 8
We have
arrived at a military airbase in the
I wonder what
Master has in plan for Sir Integra. I am
nervous that he may be reading my mind but Walter assures me that the bottle of
blessed water in my uniform pocket will prevent him from detecting my
presence. He swears that he has done the
same with much success when he has had need for his own privacy. I wonder what Walter means.
We have spent
the whole night researching the journals while Pip is working on mapping the
terrain of the castle. It is not going
to be easy finding a way into the castle.
We also have yet to find out how Master was subdued, something we need
desperately to repeat.
I have asked
Walter to rest. He is worn out with
fatigue and worry for Sir Integra. I
will read the records a little more myself – it is at least another four hours
before dawn. Pip has fallen asleep. He looks like a child in his sleep.
Note to self:
I must be very careful not to break that bottle when I sit or lie down.
------------------
April 9
They are all
exhausted and Walter is more frantic with worry for her Lordship’s life as the
days pass even though he does not say so.
We will leave for
Tirgoviste tomorrow night. In the last
two days I keep having dreams of Sir Integra.
The one last night was of her being tied up against a tree, screaming as
a phantom in black residing amongst its branches chuckled malevolently.
I have
informed Walter of my dreams of Sir Integra, although for his sake, I have
omitted their exact content. I have
asked him if I am going mad. He assures
me I should be still sane but believes that I am experiencing some of her
Lordship’s dreams. Having taken her
blood recently, he postulates that I could be connected telepathically to her
Lordship. Apparently some vampires can
gain momentary telepathic links with persons whose blood they have taken –
provided the aforesaid person has not been turned into a ghoul. This would explain my recent visions of Sir
Integra. They are so avid I almost
expect her to appear in front of us any moment.
There are so
many things to learn about my new life.
I know so little of vampires. I
only know that Master had been bound to servitude of the Hellsing family by
their blood. I wonder what has gone
through his mind all these years.
I wonder if he
reads Sir Integra’s thoughts? I wonder
if she can read his?
The bottle of
holy water is still safe in my pocket.
----------
“Ahem ...”
Pip jumped,
startled to find one rather annoyed Seras Victoria standing behind him.
“And what are
you doing with my diary?” asked Seras.
“Diary?”
smiled Pip weakly. “I though it was a
military record,” he stammered
“Very funny
Pip. The next time I catch you, you’re a
dead mercenary,” answered Seras, snatching the journal out of his hands.
----------
Integra
screamed, her terror increasing by the moment as her mind fought to comprehend
what had just happened.
“Integra ...”
said Alucard, approaching her.
“No,” she
sobbed. “Don’t come near.”
“Integra ...”
“You did this
to me,” she yelled and with a strength and speed that surprised her, she
realised that she had slammed him against the wall.
“What is
happening to me?” she cried, confused.
“Tell me,” she begged.
“He has awoken
from his 500 year slumber seeking his Valkyries,” replied Alucard cryptically.
“What rot is this? Who is
this person? Why is there blood in my
mouth? What have you fed me?” she
demanded hysterically.
“You know what happened. He
was here wasn’t he? Even in my sleep I
felt his presence,” answered Alucard.
“What?”
He yelled, his voice barely restrained with fury, “You saw her
didn’t you? His dark emissary!”
Integra stared in surprise at the torrent of emotions that had
suddenly erupted from Alucard. In all
her years, she had never seen his eyes so wild with hate. “What are you talking about? Explain yourself immediately!” she commanded,
attempting to assert her authority.
Alucard
continued as if as he did not hear her.
“I have sworn for these 500 years that I would seek out the bastard and
finish what I should have done 500 years ago.”
Integra
stared, confused as her mind began swirling.
What was Alucard rambling about?
Were they under threat from an ancient vampire? How was Hellsing to deal with such a monster
especially if it had its hands full already with a renegade one?
“I did not
know until I tasted her blood ...”
“Rip?” asked
Integra, fighting the nausea that was threatening to overwhelm her. Was Rip really created from her mother? What sort of monster was this to have the
gall to desecrate her mother’s body?
“I didn’t know
that he had taken her. I only found out
after I killed her that she was ...”
“Why didn’t
you tell me?” she screeched as she tightened her grip on his scarf.
“Would it have
done any good?” he questioned, his voice strained with a strange emotion she
could not quite identify. “Would you
have spared her? This is your fate.”
“But ...” she
stared at him aghast.
“You refused my
blood all these years only to have his forced upon you,” spat Alucard almost
savagely.
Integra stared
at Alucard fearfully. “You mean I am ...
like ... one of ...”
Alucard said
nothing as he melted into the shadows of the wall but Integra thought that for
a brief moment, she saw a look of pity upon his face.
----------
Walter paced
the room nervously. They had entered
Romania by plane and had taken a 2-day journey by car from the airport to this
little village by the foot of the mountains.
It was fortunate Josef had his contacts within Romania. Too many questions would have been asked if
they had tried to ask for a vehicle with all the windows sealed up on their
own.
The villagers
had regarded them with suspicion at their arrival three nights ago. It would appear that strangers were rare, few
visiting the village save for the odd Dracula enthusiast.
He had tried
to visit the castle earlier but was prevented by a few men who had blocked his
path. When he had tried to explain that
he was really a tourist, he had been told that the castle was off-limits for
renovations.
As he had
turned to leave, he caught one of them saying to the other in their native
Romanian dialect, “... the master of the castle has returned.”
He had studied
the watch for the last two nights. The
foot of the mountain path up to the castle was guarded constantly by a patrol
of two men save for a brief 3-minute interval around midnight during the change
of guards.
It would
appear any attempt to reach the castle would have to be done during those three
minutes despite the risks should they meet Alucard then. Walter glanced up from his papers. The sun was setting and Seras would be
awaking soon.
Just then, a
soft knock was heard on the door.
“Pip is that
you?” asked Walter warily.
There was no
reply, only another knock.
Walter opened
the door, surprised to find a woman with long white hair fainted on the
floor. Brushing her hair aside, he was
surprised to recognise the stranger.
“Sir Integra,”
he cried in hushed tones as he cradled her limp body in his arms.
------------------
April 15
Sir
Integra has returned today. Walter found
her collapsed by the door. She looks
pale but we have found no evidence that Alucard has attacked her in any way. Walter is extremely concerned about her condition. Her hair is all white as if she had been
subjected to extreme stress in the last few days.
The
village doctor assures us she is fine.
He has urged us to flee the village but refuses to say anymore. Sir Integra has been sleeping since we found
her outside the inn door. The innkeeper
was initially reluctant to let us take her in but Pip’s stash of cigarettes
appears to have convinced him otherwise.
She
tosses in her sleep as if suffering from violent nightmares. The strange link between our minds has been
broken since our arrival to the village.
I do not understand why this is so.
I should be relieved but I have a foreboding feeling about this.
The
innkeeper’s daughter visited Sir Integra with her mother this afternoon. The middle-aged woman left a little rosary on
Sir Integra’s bed before making a strange sign towards Sir Integra’s sleeping
figure and towards me. The older lady
refused to enter the room but stood at the door praying the whole time. They seem afraid of us.
I wonder if
this is of any significance but I cannot find Sir Integra’s glasses. I wonder how she had made her way down
without them. I wonder why Master had
not prevented her from leaving.
------------------
April 16
Sir Integra
still does not awaken. She has developed
a fever last night. The doctor has given
her antibiotics but the temperature persists.
The villagers
seem unusually tense. What has happened?
------------------
April 17
A strange and
horrible thing has happened! I was, in a
bid to bring down her temperature, sponging her Lordship’s feverish body when I
accidentally broke the bottle of holy water upon me. As a drop of the blessed water fell upon her
Lordship’s breast, I was horrified to see it leave a light brown mark.
I have told
Walter. He is nearly mad with
anger. We have examined her teeth but
found no other signs of vampirism on her.
We do not understand what has happened.
What has Master done?
------------------
April 18
Pip who had
left for the nearest town two nights ago has managed to contact Commander
Josef’s friend. He will pick us up
tomorrow evening. We should be in Praha
in 2 days if all goes well.
The mark has
not gone away, but the light brown scar across Sir Integra’s chest has turned
lighter somewhat. We fear the
worst. Her signs are not dissimilar to
that which has been recorded to have been experienced by Madam Mina Harker
before Lord van Helsing’s capture of Master.
Has Master fed
Sir Integra his blood against her will?
The records have shed some light on what could possibly have happened to
Sir Integra. In the absence of freak
chips, only truly powerful vampires can sire other vampires. This is done by first draining the victim of
all his or her blood, bringing the victim’s heart close to arrest. To complete the embrace, the vampire will
feed his own blood to the victim just before the heart stops. Extremely old and powerful vampires can
however, cause their victim vampiric poisoning by merely feeding the victim
their blood. Although still human,
should the affected victim consume blood, the embrace will be completed and the
victim will die, only to rise again as a vampire himself.
The only way
to break the spell is to defeat the vampire responsible before the victim gives
into his or her bloodlust.
We will have to
confront him. There is no doubt about
that. If he is responsible for this,
even I will not forgive him.
----------
Walter sighed
worriedly as he took her temperature.
Although the fever had subsided late last night, Integra had not awoken
since they had found her collapsed on the floor last week.
They had flown
her to the military airbase in Prague and were awaiting the arrival of Doctor
Trevor. In his usual discreet manner,
Josef had asked no questions but had quietly arranged for living quarters for
them at his private residence off the base.
Carefully,
Walter examined his charge. The mark
left by the blessed water had faded slightly but was still distinctly
visible. This was not a good sign.
The old man
knelt down wearily by her bed. “Dear
God, please let her be alright. Preserve
her immortal soul for blessed Amelia’s sake ...” he prayed.
As he went to
get her medicine, he could not help but notice the raven outside the window.
----------
Integra awoke,
somehow she must have managed to escape her imprisonment as she was upon the
road down to the village. Two strangers
were quite close. One was what appeared
to be a knight in black armour with his visor down. The other was a lady who wore a long
fluttering dress of dazzling red.
“Who are you?”
Integra cried out in confusion at the figure dressed in red before her. Was it her imagination or did Integra see her
own likeness in the woman’s face even though her hair was white and her eyes
red? The knight stood silently beside
his lady.
The woman said
nothing but merely gestured for Integra to follow her as she turned to
leave. Just then, Integra heard a
familiar voice cry out behind her, “No, Integra, it is a trap.”
Looking behind
her shoulder, Integra saw that it was Seras who had called to her. Relieved, Integra turned towards the young
vampire. However, she had barely taken
two steps, when she found herself strangely unable to move any further towards
Seras - just as Seras too appeared to be prevented from advancing further
towards Integra.
Integra became
painfully aware of the fact that while Seras was trying to tell her something,
she could not hear what the young vampire was trying to say. It was almost as if a thick glass wall had
been erected between them just as she was about to reach Seras.
“Seras?” she
cried, straining her eyes to decipher what the young vampire was trying to tell
her as she pounded desperately against the invisible barrier between them.
“I can’t hear
you,” Integra yelled, “there’s something here ...”
Before she could
finish her sentence, Seras had vanished: just as suddenly as she appeared. Integra could not help but gasp in panic.
“Why do you
not follow? Why did you turn back?”
Integra turned
to see the strange woman in front of her.
She held out her hand beckoningly.
“Come Integra, you must follow me.”
As she
deliberated whether she should take the strange woman’s hand or run, Integra
felt icy cold fingers grab her wrist.
Before she could figure out what was happening, she realised that she
had somehow been teleported into a richly decorated room. How this came to be she did not know. However, looking around, Integra recognised
herself to be alone in one of the rooms in the Hellsing manor - even though the
furniture looked slightly different.
“Sweet
mercies,” she cried. “Am I still stuck
in these horrible illusions?”
She ran toward
the doors, but just as she was about to approach them, she found herself back
in the middle of the room. Angrily, she
screamed – but at whom she herself did not know.
“Who are you? Show yourself at once or leave me be. Damn you and these horrible dreams!”
“Horrible
dreams?” chuckled the sweet quiet voice behind her. “What dreams dear Integra?”
Integra turned
to find the strange lady smiling sweetly at her. A very sweet and drowsy smell seemed to come
from the woman making it harder and harder to think.
The strange
woman began to speak. “There are no
dreams Integra, merely memories. Why do
you seek me?”
“Seek you?”
asked Integra drowsily. “I didn’t seek
anyone. I was ...”
“You were?”
prompted the lady sweetly. The strange
woman was beautiful and young and yet if you looked at her closely, you would
have felt that there was something that was not quite so right about her. “Do you know who you are? Have you not yet discovered the things which
they have hidden from you?” the woman asked.
“I am ...”
With her last thread of self-control, Integra turned her back to the woman,
holding her hands to her face. She
slapped her cheeks in a desperate bid to sober herself from the stupour that
was threatening to overcome her. “You
are all a nightmare, this is not real. I
shall awaken and will be in England dictating the next mission to Alucard ...
this is all not real!” she said, almost shouting by now.
The strange
woman laughed: the richest most musical laugh imaginable. “Well sweet thing,” she said as she walked
forward and wrapped her arms around Integra’s body. “I am Horror.
You have found me and you shall have what you must learn.”
“I did not
seek you,” replied Integra indignantly as she tried to push Horror away. “And what is this which I must learn?” she
mouthed weakly.
“That which
you must learn,” repeated Horror softly and solemnly.
Integra was
about to protest when she realised that someone was coming into the room. Involuntarily, she held her breath, as part
of her sensed that she was about to be shown something very important.
The door
opened and two men stepped into the room.
Integra bit her lip to stop herself from crying aloud as she recognised
the older gentleman. The younger man
looked familiar but she was not quite so sure that he was whom she supposed he
was.
“Don’t worry,
they can’t hear us,” she heard Horror whisper into her ear. “We don’t exist in their time no more than
they in ours.”
“Adam,” said
the older man sternly.
“Adam?”
thought Integra. She had recognised the
older gentleman as her great grandfather Abraham van Helsing (before her
grandfather had anglicised their family name).
She had memorized every detail from his portraits since she had been a little
girl. Was the younger man Adam Hellsing,
her grandfather?
“Father what
is it you wished to speak to me about?” asked the younger Hellsing (in his late
thirties), clearly nervous.
Abraham
scowled. “And what are you planning to
do about the girl?”
“The girl,
father? Of whom are you speaking?”
replied Adam, his face a little flushed.
“You know of
whom I am speaking,” said Abraham angrily.
“You think that I am still in the dark as to the foolish charade you
have set up with Evelyn?”
Adam said
nothing, his face deathly pale.
“Surely you do
not forget your marriage vows to your wife?
To remain faithful to her unto death?” bellowed the old man. “You think it possible I would not find out
that you have had a daughter with another woman?”
“I ...”
stammered Adam.
“Do not think
I am in the dark as to what you have been up to during your time as your
cousin-in-law’s assistant in India. Your
cousin has confessed that Amelia is not merely the child of a faithful servant,
adopted by her and Henry. The mother had
died in childbirth, deserted by you. In
her decency, your cousin would not let you leave your flesh and blood alone in
India, unable to fend for herself.”
Adam Hellsing
said nothing but merely looked at the floor, as if wishing it could swallow him
and hide him from his father’s wrath.
“What have I
raised you to be?” said the elder Hellsing.
“Your mother would turn in her grave if she knew. I had consented to you joining Henry during
his stint as governor of India hoping that you would learn to do something
useful with your life. Instead, I find
that you have been fooling around in India.
More unbelievable is the fact you had deserted the poor woman even
though she was pregnant with your child!”
Abraham Helsing
was livid as he continued with his tirade.
“We are knighted by her Majesty to protect great England and all her
people from the undead. We are
sanctioned by the church to defend its people from the forces of darkness. I have served my country but failed my
conscience. I fight evil but what do I
find in my own household? My son
behaving like some common heathen!”
Integra gasped
ashen faced. Amelia actually her
grandfather’s daughter? But would that
not make her father and mother siblings?
Was she ...
“Father, I
...”
“Shut up, I
will not let your wife Minerva learn of this.
She would die of a broken heart if she knew. Evelyn and Henry shall continue to raise
Amelia as the child they adopted from India.
No one must ever know of this disgraceful state of affairs except for
the four of us, do you understand?” admonished the elder Helsing, his voice a
mix of anger and sadness.
“Yes father,”
replied Adam, his hands shaking.
“Now go before
I change my mind and kill you.”
Integra gasped
as her surroundings suddenly melted away, leaving her and Horror standing in
the middle of the manor’s gardens.
“So Integra,
the Hellsing closet has more skeletons than one can imagine ...” mocked Horror.
“Fiend,”
Integra snarled, pulling herself loose of the embrace. “Who are you?
Are you too his harbinger of doom?
Who is your master?” she demanded savagely.
“Shh ...
patience. There is more you have yet to
learn of,” laughed Horror as she pointed towards the bushes in front of
them. “He will reveal himself to you
when he is ready. Behold, your parents
approach ...”
“What do you
mean,” asked Integra before realising that Horror had disappeared. In her place stood the knight. He said nothing but merely raised a black
gauntlet, pointing silently at the lovers entering the garden.
“Mother and
...” mouthed Integra in disbelief, her face drained of all color. “My father is ... is ...”
Integra
watched intently as the woman she recognised to be her mother stepped through
the gazebo. Amelia was wearing a simple
white dress with her platinum blonde hair piled neatly in a bun.
It was
then Integra noticed it, the birthmark right below the hairline on Amelia’s
neck. Involuntarily, Integra reached to
touch the back of her own neck. She
could not help but stare dumbfounded.
She had always heard the servants comment how much she resembled her
mother but she had not expected this.
“Thank
you for your help,” said Amelia, curtseying.
“I shudder to think what would have happened to me if you hadn’t arrived
then.”
“It was
no bother milady,” replied her companion.
“Please be careful in the future, the streets are full of gangsters and
petty thugs these days. I would not
advise you to wander on your own in the evenings. Your fiancee would be devastated if anything
untoward happens to you.”
Integra
strained her eyes to catch sight of the man whose voice she was hearing. Part of her was sorely disappointed that the
gentleman was not showing any intention of entering the gardens; yet the other part
of her was relieved, dreading the knowledge that she was about to gain.
“A
foolish act on my part truly,” replied Amelia softly. “But I was anxious to purchase the cigars for
Arthur. Oh, pardon me for forgetting my
manners. Will you come in? The least I could offer you is a cup of tea.”
“I
regret that I must decline your kind offer milady. I will need to report to my post in ten
minutes.”
“I
thought I knew everyone in the organisation,” said Amelia. “But it seems I may have missed you sir. Are you new here?”
“No, but
I was in Scotl’nd for the last six months,” replied the man who sounded as if
he was in his early thirties. “I must
have been still seconded to the Scottish army when you arrived.”
Integra
froze as she slowly realised who the speaker was.
“That
probably explains it. I’m sorry to have
taken up some much of your time. Perhaps
if you could allow me to offer you tea at another time sir,” said Amelia. As she turned, Integra noted a slight flush
on her mother’s face.
“It
couldn’t be ...” muttered Integra soundlessly.
“It cannot be.”
“I take
my leave milady,” replied the man.
“Wait. Sir if I may have the pleasure of knowing
your name.”
“No, the
pleasure is mine milady. The name’s Walter,
Walter Kum Dorne.”
Just
then, another voice spoke. “Walter, you
can have tea another day. Hurry up, I
anticipate a good hunt tonight,” said the second voice impatiently.
“Yes
Alucard,” replied Walter sounding amused.
“We take our leave milady.”
Integra
sank to her knees. The fading footsteps indicated
that the speakers were leaving. Had that
been Walter and Alucard?
“... Behold, your parents approach ...”
Horror
had said that the man with whom her mother was speaking was her father ... but
it was impossible, it could not be ... could it?
“Amelia,
who were you speaking too?”
Integra
turned to catch sight of a distinguished woman in her early forties. Her dark eyes were cold and she had a rather
strict look about her. If the woman had
been younger, the resemblance would have been uncanny.
“Rip van
Winkle? How can this be? I thought ...” mouthed Integra silently. “She shouldn’t exist in this time but ...”
“Good
evening Lady Minerva,” replied Amelia, curtseying. “I was just speaking to the men I met at the
gates.”
“I see,”
replied Minerva dryly. “Amelia, I would
have not thought that I would need to impress upon you your changed
status. You are a member of this
distinguished family and it will not simply do to have you fraternizing with
the troops like the maids in this house.
I do not wish to have to repeat this again.”
“Yes,
Lady Minerva,” replied Amelia as the elder lady began walking away.
Suddenly,
Integra felt cold metallic fingers circle her throat. Before she could react, she found herself
pinned to the floor. Despite her increased
strength, the knight was too strong for her as she struggled in vain to pry his
strong fingers off her throat. She
gasped desperately for breath as she felt the life being squeezed out of her
body. Her vision blurring rapidly from
the lack of air, she could just about make out the outline of Horror who had
reappeared beside the knight.
“W-h-o
are t-he-y?”
“That is
an interesting question is it not Integra?” said Horror with great amusement in
her voice. “So many questions, so little
time. Save your breath girl, there is
not much left.”
“Fiend,”
cursed Integra in her mind.
Horror
said nothing but merely laughed sweetly as she sat upon the grass. Running her fingers idly through Integra’s
hair, she giggled as the platinum strands turned white at her touch. “Give up child. Rest and let him have your soul,” said Horror
soothingly. “Sleep the endless
sleep. Why fight anymore?”
As Integra
stared blankly at Horror, a second voice (sounding like her own) prompted, “Your
existence is a mistake, a symbol of all that is perverse. Give up and die.”
“Yes why
not,” said Horror. “Sleep and rest. It’s no use.
You are defeated.”
“But
soon the real battle will begin,” said a third voice. “Give up now and you might as well end your
misery yourself.”
Integra was
jolted back into reality at the familiarity of the third voice. “Alucard,” she thought.
“It’s no
use,” said Horror sweetly even though her face (which was inches from Integra’s
own) was contorted with anger. “Even he
has abandoned you, you are on your own child.”
Just
managing enough strength to lift her right hand, Integra dug her fingers into
Horror’s eyes. Horror screamed as blood
gushed from her injured eyes. “You’ll
pay for this Integra,” she screeched as she began writhing on the floor in pain.
The
knight stared confusedly at his injured lady.
As his hold on Integra’s neck loosened briefly, Integra took advantage
of his distraction to call upon her last hope of rescue.
“A-L-U-C-A-R-D,”
she yelled, exhausting the last ounce of strength in her body.
The hold
on her throat tightened. Just before she
blacked out, Integra thought she caught sight of a flash of red.
----------
She felt
something cool upon her forehead. She
opened her eyes slowly. As her vision
slowly focused, she recognised the man knelt by her bed, sponging her face
carefully.
“Sir
Integra,” called a surprised Walter, finding his charge awake at last. “Sir Integra, do you recognise me?”
“Walter,
is that really you? Where am I? This is not another of those horrible dreams
is it?”
“Dreams?”
asked Walter uneasily.
“I’ve
been having the most awful dreams. I
dreamt I was attacked and Aluc- ...”
“No, Sir
Integra, this is no dream. You are safe
with us now.”
“Where
are we?”
“We’re
presently in the
Integra
said nothing. Her attention was focused
at the mirror near the foot of her bed for staring back at her was a woman
whose hair was white as snow.
“How did
you find me? And my hair,” she said as
she recalled her near fatal encounter with Horror, “Walter, my hair, it’s ...”
“The
doctor that found you attributed the color-change to the stress of the last few
days.” Walter lied quickly. “He said
that you should recover with sufficient rest.
Some workers restoring Alucard’s abandoned castle had found you
unconscious in the basement. You were
severely undernourished. The workers
were scared witless but fortunately someone had the sense to carry you down to
the village for immediate treatment.”
“Restoration?”
“Yes, I
do believe there is presently a project to restore the castle for use as a
tourist attraction.”
“How
ironic,” she said cradling her head. “I
am alive and I guess I should be thankful for that. There are certain perils from being the great
granddaughter of a famous vampire hunter.”
“Forgive
me Integra. I beg your forgiveness for
allowing all this to have happened to you.”
“Don’t
be too harsh on yourself Walter,” Integra sighed, “My arrogance was the cause
of my downfall. Alucard was a ticking
time bomb and to think that I believed I could simply leash the devil and
control him,” she said softly. “How will
I face my father?”
“Integra! I ...”
“Perhaps
Alucard knew.”
“Knew
what?”
“That my
blood was tainted; that my father was not ...”
“My
Lordship,” Walter gasped. “That is not
true.”
Integra
half-laughed bitterly. “I will have to
report this to the Queen but right now, all I want to do is to go home.”
“Integra.”
“I want
to go home. As soon as practically
possible.”
Walter
answered uneasily as he turned to leave the room, “Yes Sir Integra. But I will
first need to get Doctor Trevor to make sure you are alright.”
“Walter?”
“Yes Sir
Integra?”
Integra
breathed deeply. “Walter, before you
go. Tell me, did you know my mother
well?”
“We were
good friends,” he replied, his voice slightly strained. “She was ... a wonderful lady and dear
friend.”
“Can you
tell me more about her?” Integra asked quietly.
“Please?”
She
swallowed as she saw her butler’s shoulders stiffened involuntarily. “I will tell you all I know when we are back
in
She
stared intently at his leaving figure, fighting the million questions going
through her mind. Could she ask
him? What would he say? Had Horror been real or was she but the
product of an over-imaginative mind?
“No,
this is madness,” she told herself strictly.
“It was just a nightmare. It was
not real. Horror does not exist.”
Still,
she couldn’t help wondering. Were her
nightmares suppressed truths or was the suggestion that either her faithful
steward or Alucard was actually her father all but foolish fancies?
Why did
Lady Minerva look like a older version of Rip?
And most
importantly, why was she an exact replica of her mother Amelia, down to the
birthmark behind their necks?
----------
Dr
Trevor looked at Walter worriedly as they approached the helicopter. “Walter, about Integra.”
“Hush,”
whispered Walter urgently. “Return with
the required medicine quickly and tell no one in
“How
long do you plan to keep this from her?” asked the doctor. “Look Walter, the other knights are getting
suspicious.”
“Stall
them as long as you can Edward. Integra
doesn’t need to know anything because it’s going to end soon. We are leaving for his castle now. With his death, she will be free of his
accursed mark.”
“But ...
it’s Alucard we’re talking about,” said Dr Trevor, his face turning pale. “Can you truly say that you are confident of
subduing him?”
“No,”
replied the butler gravely. “That’s why
Pip and Seras are coming with me. If I
fail, it falls upon them to finish my work.”
“But
Walter, this is madness. We might have
had a chance thirty years ago but ... Furthermore, is it wise to leave her here
alone, unguarded?”
“I can
only hope the spells employed one hundred years ago by Lord Helsing still
work.”
“But ...” said Doctor Trevor hesitantly. “What if ...”
“No more
questions doctor. We each have our work
cut out for us. No one must know of what
has happened this last few weeks. Not
ever. This is a secret we must take to
our graves.”
----------
Integra
stared at the ceiling of her room listlessly.
Dr Trevor had left an hour ago after a lengthy examination. Despite his assurance that her that
everything was fine and that she should be up and about within a week, Integra
felt uneasy. Walter had also tried to
assuage her worries - after all, as he said, she had been subjected to extreme
stress and rest could only be good for her.
She would be home in
Except the situation was anything but fine. The two men were keeping something from
her. Her throat was horribly dry. The curtains in her room were always tightly
drawn and even in his inspection, the doctor had kept her room dimly lit.
And
there was still the inexplicable fact that she was having perfect vision
without her glasses and in such dim conditions.
Shuddering, she recalled her encounter with Rip van Winkle.
“No, I
mustn’t think that way. There must be
some rationale explanation for all this,” she chided herself sternly.
[Knock,
knock]
“Come
in,” she answered, looking intently as the door opened and two soldiers
entered. The two soldiers gestured
Integra to remain still as a third man wheeled in a strange contraption from
which tubes filled with a reddish liquid hung.
A strangely familiar and delicious smell wafted through the room. Integra was horrified at her own reaction to
a smell that had previously sickened her.
Blood. It was the undeniable smell of blood.
----------
Two more
days had passed since she had awoken.
She was growing increasingly frustrated at the constant blood
transfusions she was subjected to – once every four hours. There was something not quite right about the
whole thing. Perhaps her dream had been
...
“Not
quite right is the word,” chuckled a low voice in the dark.
“Alucard,”
she snarled before she was surprised by her own reaction. Her voice sounded strange to her, almost
feral. “How did you find us so quickly?”
She
looked around for a weapon, dismayed to find none.
“Do you
think you could have left my castle if I did not intend you too?” he asked,
leaning idly against the curtains.
“Walter tried to keep me away with your great grandfather’s old spells
but, as you humans are fond of saying, history has a strange way of repeating
itself.”
“What do
you mean?”
“It was
most useful that one of your guards forgot to renew the seal around your room.”
“Damn
you,” Integra cried just as she felt a sharp pain go through her head.
“Still
adjusting aren’t you?” said Alucard, smirking.
“Regretfully, I remember the initial pain all too well.”
“What
are you talking about,” she demanded.
“What am I adjusting to?”
“You
don’t remember?”
“Remember
what?”
Alucard
said nothing but stared at her intently.
He
walked over slowly before sitting down by the side of her bed. “Integra, you disappoint me. I thought you would have realised what was
happening much sooner.”
“Who is
responsible for all this?” she asked angrily.
A bastard
I thought I had reduced him to dust - apparently killing him once is
insufficient.”
Integra
sat up, looking at Alucard with surprise at the intensity of hatred in his
voice. She was long resigned to the fact
Alucard was anything but good; still she had never seen him exhibit so much
loathing before.
“Alucard,
who is the person that did this to me?” she asked as she held up a strand of
her now silvery hair. “Someone has been
messing around in my head ... I have
seen the most horrible things. You must
know something. Tell me,” she pleaded.
“This is
just the beginning.”
She felt
him press something cold and metallic into her hands. She stared.
It was her gun.
“Be
careful now,” he warned. “The silver
will hurt you doubly in your present state but it should suffice to convince
you of my sincerity in this matter.”
She
shuddered as another wave of pain ran through her head.
“You
fight but how long can you hold out? Why
do you cling to your pathetic humanity?”
“I won’t
lose!” she snarled, glaring at him.
“You
know the futility of your attempts child.
Surely you remember your great grandfather’s notes on Mina and Lucy.”
“Fiend,”
she gasped, lugging at him. This time
Alucard was faster, pinning her arms as he forced her to lie down on the bed.
“I
assure you this has nothing to do with me,” replied Alucard dryly, his face
inches from hers. “I recoil in disgust
at the fact he still walks this earth.
Disgust that he still lives, except ...”
“Except
that this means you get to kill him again, whoever he is?” said Integra
trembling as she saw the crazed smile cross the vampire’s face. The visions over the last few days were not
just mere dreams; they were nightmares come true. Something more sinister than Alucard was in
control here. Something whose blood now
coursed through her veins.
“What
have I become?” she cried. Despite
herself, Integra felt a tear roll down her cheek.
“I’m not
crying,” she protested. “I’ve just got
dust in my eye.”
Alucard
said nothing. Releasing her arms, he
gently lifted a finger to arrest the descent of the offending droplet.
Startled,
she pushed his hand away. “No, I am not
crying. I am Integra Hellsing. I cannot give in, not now, not ever.”
“Of
course you are,” Alucard replied, his voice calming her somewhat. “Come and I will tell you all you need to
know. I am your only ally. You cannot return to England, not like this. Just like it was thirteen years ago, you
don’t have any other options.”
“But,”
Integra replied, hesitant. “Why are you
helping me? It is not in your nature.”
“No one
crosses me twice and lives,” he snarled.
“I want him dead, more than anything else in the world and I dare bet
that his death would give you great pleasure too milady.”
With
reflexes quicker than even she expected, Integra had the barrel of the gun at
Alucard’s head. “How do I know you are
telling me the truth?” she asked.
“You’ve been very good at keeping your thoughts to yourself. How do I know you’re not in cahoots with this
person, whoever he is?”
Alucard
laughed. “Wonderful, you would make a
good vampire even though your silly head refuses to admit it.”
She
glared at him.
“You
don’t have any other person to turn to and you know it. Soon the real battle will begin. Give up now and you might as well end your
misery yourself,” he said, gesturing to her gun.
She
froze at the familiarity of the words.
“But Walter, he will ...”
“The
poor man does not know what we are up against.
Hurry, if you value his life. He,
Seras and Pip are on their way to my castle but Verdorben is already
there.”
“You
fled?” she asked incredulous. What kind
of enemy was this if he scared even the great Alucard?
Alucard
snorted in disgust. “I have defeated him
and I will defeat him again but I could not risk your capture.”
“My
capture?”
“You
defeated Horror this time because he has underestimated you. You will not be so fortunate the next time he
sends his other minions for you.”
Clenching
her eyelids, Integra tried to fight back the remaining tears that were threatening
to flood out. She had never felt fear so
acutely since that fateful night thirteen years ago when she had fled to the
dungeons to avoid her pursuers.
She had
hoped to find her knight in shining armour.
Instead,
she had found a monster and a life that she had never dreamed would be so
terrifying. Nothing had changed,
thirteen years later she was still fleeing for her life, with only the same
monster for an ally.
“Swear
to me that you won’t hurt Walter or Pip or Seras,” she said as she lowered the
gun slowly.
“Fine, I
will not lift my hand against them,” he answered. Approaching the window, he said “I leave now.
The question is, are you still afraid child?”
She
frowned at his words. Ignoring the
little voice at the back of her mind, Integra gingerly stepped onto the
window-sill.