DecemberOwl

Author's Note: This starts slightly after the priests' attack from the other chapter. ___________________________________ Alucard Throughout the trip and as I got to know some of the people of Denasti, Cristine had still been on my mind the most. Oh, how much I missed the red-headed beauty. How she would feel against my body as we held each other, the sound of her laughter, the smile she would give to me each day we are together, her soft voice whenever she soothed me whenever I felt troubled. I yearned for her presence again, her voice, and her smile. God, how much I miss her beautiful smile, especially whenever she greeted me. I practically in agony without her near, but the thought of her was kept me hopeful. Once I saw that the castle was near, I couldn't help but smile at the sight. " You seem oddly happy.", I heard someone close to me say. My happy thoughts were gone after that. I turn to the person and realized it was Greta. " Hm? Oh, you caught me smiling.", I stated then turned my head forward. " I know, that's how I guessed.", she responded," Care to tell me about that?". " I was just thinking about how Cristine would often greet me.", I answered her truthfully. I smiled again when I mentioned it, the thought had returned to my mind. I just couldn't help myself. " Just her greeting or more?", I hear her pressuring me. Just from hearing her speak in a curious but intrigued tone, I could that she was grinning. I had plenty of ideas on what she meant by that. I chuckled in response, both in finding it humorous and a tad embarrassing. " I think of plenty of things when it comes to her. But I do wish to keep those thoughts to myself.", I told her. I glanced at her for a moment. She was shrugging her shoulders as if to say "Oh well". But as she did that she said," Suit yourself, your embarrassed amusement was fun while it lasted.". I made a small chuckle after her response. Not long after, we then stopped when the castle was near. I looked to the villagers as they observed the place. I looked up to it, thinking that my beloved was still asleep due to how early it was. The strange man I met earlier called Saint Germain looked up at it with awe. The blunt but stoic leader of Denasti named Greta wasn't as intrigued as him. She looked like she had disdain for the place. " Dracula's castle.", the strange man breathed without the awe leaving him," Astonishing, it's quite--" " Ugly as sin.", Gerta interrupted him. " It's not ugly.", I was calmly offended. I gave her a small look of annoyance when she argued," It's ugly. And it's sad. And it's cold. Bad things happen here." Though she wasn't entirely wrong on the last part, I still was a bit offended. I was born and raised in the place. Good things have happened in that castle as well. I should know, I've been there for most of my life. Besides, the woman hasn't even been in the place yet. " That's my childhood home you're talking about.", I told her, still calmly defending the place regardless of some of its few flaws. " Well, that explains a lot.", she responded then sighed," Sorry, some places just have a chill on them. Maybe my people and I can warm it up a little." " It's magnificent.", Saint Germain whispered as he turned to another direction and stated," And there. The Belmont Hold, I believe." I watch him, almost amused yet also uncertain by how intrigued he was of this place already. " This, my dear lady,", he added as he extends his arms and turns back to our direction," just maybe the most important place in the world." " At this moment, it is the best defense I can think of.", I started as I looked back at the place and take a few steps forward. I then turn back to them and say, " Welcome to my home.". I even gave them a small bow as I tell them. I watched as each of the people pass by. I exchanged a few smiles at Greta. ___________________________________ Opening the doors for them, I began to have a strange feeling. Something didn't feel right about the place. I felt my smiling face change into a look of uncertainty. My eyes scanned the room a bit. " Something wrong, Alucard?", I heard Gerta ask but did not break my focus. " I'm not sure, but it does feel like it.", I answered her then looked around the main hall a bit. I turn back to them before walking up the stairs." I will return, shortly.", I told them. I then got up the stairs and headed straight towards my room. My eyes widened with worry seeing that she wasn't there. I then searched for her in her old room, my father's study, I searched almost every single room even calling for her, until I stopped at the laboratory only to see she was not there either. My heart pounded like a hammer in my chest once I realized she wasn't anywhere. My head became light and my balance became unsteady. I fell to my knees and breathed heavily, trying to hold back all of the emotions from showing. I covered my eyes with my right hand, my fingertips were gripping on the few strands that fell into them as my head became low. My breath shook as I felt a single tear leave one of my eyes." Where is she?", I wondered. I then removed my hand when I heard someone enter. " Alucard, what is wrong--", desperate to know where she was, I ignored Greta's question and immediately rushed to the arcane room for the mirror. ___________________________________ As soon as I entered, the mirror already began to take form. " Show me Cristine.", I told it as I walked towards it. When it did, my eyes widened with utter shock from what I saw. A beast was ripping apart three screeching priests with its teeth and jaws. It was covered almost completely in their blood. Observing the beast, it appeared larger than the priests; about slightly over six feet possibly, dark grey skin with an indigo hue, long messy hair that was the shade of blood that was almost becoming dry, though the blood-covered most of it I could tell that the teeth were as white as pearls, and the eyes were black and darker than coal. Strangely, it was also wearing a familiar black gown that was now ruined by tears, mud, and blood. " This can't be right...", I started then demanded," Show me Cristine, please.". But it did nothing, it only kept its image of the beast. I shook my head a little as I finally realized that the beast was Cristine. " No... How?", I questioned out loud, shocked from all of...this. Christine began to howl or tell before she began chasing a deer that was close by to her." Where is she? Is she near?", I asked it before the mirror showed to be the woods. I could barely see the castle, meaning she was not very far, only a few miles away. I immediately rushed through the halls where the villagers were still looking around in. I rushed past them before I shut the doors. As I did, I looked to the villagers and saw a few had fallen to the ground." Sorry.", I told them as I quickly shut the doors before rushing to where the mirror last showed me. No doubt in my mind Cristine would likely be somewhere else right now, but it was my best lead. Not long after I had entered the woods, I found the dead bodies of the three priests. I glared at the corpses since they were a reminder of why so much of this has happened. One with dark hair had his entire jaw and throat ripped out, even missing an eye. His body was laid against the tree but not in a way that looked like he was sleep. His body looks as if it were thrown against it. Another priest with blonde hair was on the ground with the head still intact but the boy was ripped in two. The body was only connected by his intestine. But his top half was on its back while the bottom was on the opposite side. There was so much blood in the area. One that caught my eye was in a form of a trail, I began to follow it. I walked for half a minute to find the body of the third priest's face down. Just out of curiosity, I grabbed his shoulder and turned his body. For the first time in my life, I feared the corpse before me as most of his chest was gone. The rib cage, the lungs, even the heart. Not to mention his face was gone too and his eyes. All that remained of it was the still bleeding corpse making its last scream before it was finally completely dead. It was almost amazing that the priest made it this far. He should have been dead before coming here. Shaking my head a little, my focus went back to searching for Cristine. I kept looking around the area until I discover footprints, bloodied footprints. They were all in a running pattern, not to mention some it was on twos then on fours. This had to be her. Without a second thought or doubt, I followed the trail. As time passed, a myriad of questions rushed through my head. What did I saw? It couldn't have been here, could it? Cristine would never harm even a fly, would she? Could she be possessed or had some creature just turn her? No, it would have taken longer than a day, possibly? No matter how many questions had arisen in my head, I could not figure out an answer to at least one of them. Not that it was a surprise, not many can think of it on their own. Though, I feel like I should know of this. Maybe father may have a book on her condition. I will figure it out when we return... Or maybe she knows? But yet again, she would have told me if she knew, so maybe it was best that I would figure it out. Eventually, I began to hear strange noises that weren't very far. I turned my head to the left since it came from that direction. I slowly approached the direction and readied myself to attack in case if it wasn't Cristine. Using my one free arm, I moved a tree branch to see who or what was making the noise. To my disappointment, it was nothing more than a deer that was making his way through the place. I then left the area and continued to track for my lover. ___________________________________ Hours later... After for God only knows how long, it already had become nightfall. The trail still went on, only this time it wasn't a straight direction. I had been growing tired after such a long while, but I wasn't going to give up over that. Even if it took years, I would still search for her. The thought of holding her again still kept me going. That was until I felt something wet land on my cheek. I looked up and my eyes widen at the realization of what was happening after feeling a feel more. " No, no, no, no, not yet.", I panicked as kept following the trail, feeling the raindrops start to slowly fall becoming rapid," Not yet, not until I find her.". I began to run faster to not lose the trail. As the rain began to erase the trail, I started to dash. But to make things worse, the trail was gone not long after." Oh God, no.", I quake and my heart began to pound," Please, no. It can't be gone!". Once the trail faded I stopped, I desperately searched for any design of it but found nothing. It was all washed away into the mud. I fell on my knees and used my hands as support from falling in. I gripped the ground tightly as I felt myself fight back tears. My heart grew heavy as I began to lose hope of finding her. Lightning struck as I yelled out in pain and anger. My eyes then shut tightly as warm, salty tears streamed down my face. The thought of losing her crept into my mind, making my cries harder to fight back. After a minute or so, my began to open when I hear some strange footsteps nearby. I looked up and saw two night-creatures heading towards something. One was tall, with black fur and feathers with four glowing red eyes. It appeared as some strange wolf and bird hybrid of some sort. The other one was a tad larger than the other but also much faster than the other. It had dark greyish-green skin, a large nose, and wore many furs from various animals; mostly rodents. I couldn't tell if it was an ogre or a troll." At least that made more sense.", I thought. Either way, it was not pleasant to look at. Curiously, I slowly got back on my feet and began to follow them close by. I hid behind a tree nearby and watch them. They were both observing something from another tree. " Is it dead?", the ogre-like creature asked in a deep and scratchy voice. The feathered one approached whatever it was looking at closer. It looked to the ogre and shook its head. The ogre gave the creature an almost-toothless grin. It rose its arms, about to smash whatever or whoever was before them to death. Without a second thought, I had my sword unsheathed and slicing through the creature's wrists. It cried out in agony as it searched for me. I left the tree's side, revealing myself to them as I summoned my sword back. My eyes widened as I discovered that what the ogre was about to smash was Cristine. Her body was back to her normal self. She laid there unconscious and covered in blood. I could easily tell that she was freezing from her body shivering. The worry in my eyes then became determined as I readied myself. The feathered wolf began to attack first. I sliced through one of its winged legs, making it more vulnerable. Plenty of its blood got on me. Not that I cared at the moment anyway. The ogre then charged at me as if it were an angry bull or rhinosaurus. I moved aside and sliced through its leg. The creature fell to the ground. The second one came back for more as it tried to balance on its now three legs. It made the horrible move to pounce on me. It only realized how foolish was a tad too late as I easily stabbed my sword through its heart. I tossed it aside the moment it stopped moving. I looked towards the ogre as it attempted to crawl away. I walked towards it was the calmest expression on my face. I stepped on its head once I was close enough. I pressed my foot hard enough for it to not move an inch. " Allow me to put you out of our misery.", I started in the coldest tone I ever said to anyone and anything. Then I stomped its head in like a bug. Its skull cracked like an egg. I looked at its corpse in disgust before looking at Cristine. My eyes were filled with worry again as I rushed to her. I knelt beside her and held her face. She groaned tiredly from my touch." Alucard...?", she whispered, her voice was low and scratchy. " Yes, it's me.", I answered her. I then began to remove my coat to wrap around her to keep her warm. Though it wasn't much, it was the best I could do for now. Once the coat was wrapped around her, I lifted her with one arm behind her back while the other was under her knees. Her head lay against my shoulder." We're going home.", I told her as I began to walk back to the castle. ___________________________________ Hours later... The dreadful rain still hasn't stopped once we arrived at the castle. Cristine was still in my arms completely unconscious. I had heard nothing from her since I found her. Fortunately, her heart was still beating and she was still breathing. As I arrived, I saw that one of the villagers was outside of the door with a lantern close by. As soon as he saw me, he rushed over to help I assume since he saw me with Cristine in my arms. He looked shocked to see her in blood." What has happened to her?", he questioned worryingly. " She's freezing, get the door for us.", I told him. He nodded then ran up the stairs to open the door. I quickly climbed the steps and entered the castle. "Home at last.", I thought to myself. The bliss was short-lived, however, once I remembered that I had a lot of questions to answer Greta since I left without much of a word.