I - Shadows
A/N: words in italics are dreams and excuse any spelling errors with words that aren't in English. I don't speak Latin, German or Hungarian so apologies if there are mistranslations.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hellsing or Hellsing Ultimate, that credit goes to Kouta Hirano.
The hills faded into shadows as night encroaches upon us, though whether it is day or night I now am struggling to differentiate any change in the landscape for several days now. Fields blurred to forests, and forest in turn would grow to cover hills and create a sight of nothing but moss green for miles. The roads were no longer paved after the first day outside of my family's land. My guards and driver had been instructed to travel on roads that were scarcely populated, in order to avoid the chance of spies or unwanted attention should my uncle send his men to pursue us.
As much as I nag in my thoughts about the plain view from the carriage, I selfishly hope that somehow this journey will not end. If only we could continue to travel forever in limbo among the forests and hills, to never to reach that foreign land... Where I will be offered to the man that holds my future in his hands, like I am a humble gift from a ever grateful vassal. But I am no fool, I know this fantasy is a silly wish of a child. We will travel for many more days, but I will be brought to Wallachia where this Prince Vlad awaits my arrival.
It has been eleven days since my companions and I left my home, and we are a mere few days past the border of the kingdom of Hungary. I asked Claudia if we would have a chance to stop for a day in Hungary so I could simply relax outside the confinements of the carriage for even a few hours, but my request was denied. Claudia, along with my quaint entourage had been commanded to prevent any chance of bandits or wandering thieves from attacking us, which meant never staying in one place during daylight hours. The only time we stop is to make camp just before the sunset, only to be moving on again well before dawn. This luxury Unfortunately is only to prevent the horses and knights from dying from exhaustion.
In my boredom I had begun to subconsciously fumble with the necklace that hung heavily from my neck. I stare at it intently, it has become a constant source of entertainment in this rather empty carriage. It is a silver crucifix but despite its plain design the cross does not lack beauty. The body of the cross is made from the finest of silver and has a illumination even in the slightest of lighting, and on the back contains the family sigil and motto in Latin: Legati ex Deo sumus (we are on a mission from God). The Von Hellsing family has a lineage of devout and pious knights, and our loyalty and faith is as much of a part of our being as our piercing blue eyes.
I clutch the crucifix in my hands, I feel the silver pressed into my soft flesh. This necklace is my most precious possession, a gift from my father that will never allow me to forget him or my home.
As I peer once again outside the small window of the carriage, I spot the young squire riding ahead of the group, he is continuing his regular duty of scouting a campsite for the evening. It is strange though for them to leave it so late, and I can tell by Claudia's constant glancing out her window that she is growing nervous from the anomaly. I don't recall any carts or people on the road today, so I doubt its thieves. What on earth could have them so highly strung?
The sunlight glows an orange hue, it's final rays disappearing behind the distant mountains, the night now begins to make its entrance. A shiver runs up my spine. It is as if the chill of night is already upon us, but the feeling of fear in my stomach alerts me of my own fears. What if we are being followed? Is there something lurking beyond the trees? Watching?
I turn my head sharply towards the sound of hooves against the worn dirt road. But it is not the squire returning, it is one of the older knights riding past the carriage at an alarming speed, only to then ride alongside the Carriage driver. I attempt to hear their conversation but the sounds of horses prevent me hearing anything spoken in hushed voices. Barely a moment later the knight once again falls behind to the back of the entourage, followed by the sound of of the drivers whip and the carriage rocking as the pace quickens. My concerns can no longer be ignored, I have the right to be informed of our travels.
"Claudia, have the knights encountered a problem?" My voice is surprisingly shaky, but I attempt to remain polite and proper. She hesitates to answer.
"I'm sorry dear, I haven't a clue. I assume they are just having some difficulties finding a suitable place to camp this evening." As I peer into Claudia's eyes I am met with the same confusion and concern that I am also experiencing.
"Would you mind asking the driver of our whereabouts? I am dreadfully tired and hope to stop soon. I know they are doing their duty of escorting me to our destination as swiftly as possible, but I wish to know why it is we have sped up so late in the day." Sometimes I have to be pushy around the servants, I don't necessarily enjoy it but as of lately I have had to remind Claudia that I am no longer a child locked in a castle, and must be treated as a member of the nobility. Even if it means speaking in a more passive aggressive manner to get results, just as the knights wives do in order to persuade their headstrong husbands.
With a sigh Claudia moves timidly as she shifts in the carriage to speak to the driver through the small window that is nearest to the driver.
"Pardon me sir, but my Lady requests to know why is it that we are gaining speed. Are we having difficulties finding a suitable resting place?" Claudia strains to be heard over the horses and turning wheels, but she is not met immediately with a response from the driver. My impatience grows, so I swiftly move to the front of the carriage in order to hear the reply.
"Tell Lady Van Hellsing there is nothing to fear.. The knights simply spotted a large pack of wolves. We thought it best we avoid them and leave this area." The strain in his voice is evident, and his pausing only strengthens my belief that he is lying. Something is wrong. Though a pack of wolves can take down a knight on horseback, it is highly unlikely they would attack a party of our size.
"Thank you." Claudia turns back to her seat, she seems exhausted and stressed but nonetheless rests her head on the side of the carriage, hoping for sleep. I too am sleepy but I do not have the will to feign sleep in this situation. My stomach churns. My intuition of creatures lurking in the forest has been proven to be all too real, but my curiosity grows alarmingly as my mind wonders over the possible monsters that are in this forest.
The light of the sun has altogether disappeared, sunken well below the hills. The knights light torches to guide them down our path, but the consuming darkness strengthens our vulnerability as we light ourselves as a target in an otherwise dark forest. My need to sleep grows, but I no longer wish to stop our journey at this moment. I once again move to the front of the carriage and look out through the small window to the driver. I cannot see the mans face, I can roughly see the outline of his figure.
"If we slow down will the wolves reach us?" I can hear a jolt as he is shocked by my sudden question. He was obviously not aware of my presence.
"I can't be sure my lady." His breath is short, though whether that is due to me surprising him or his fear of the situation.
"Do pardon my curiosity, but are the horses faring well?" I struggle to keep my voice at a volume that will not disturb the tired Claudia, but still be heard by the driver.
"They are calm."
"Do they tire?"
"They are showing no signs of weariness my lady." It takes the man a while to answer, I fear he is distracted by something else.
Though my entourage seems to be functioning in their duties, I believe their fears of being followed to be a reality, wolves or human though I cannot be sure. They do not wish to stop, but they also fear straying from their orders, meaning they will eventually have to stop for the night. I cannot overcome this feeling of fear, the sense of danger is causing me to tremble at the thought of being chased through the night. It is best we lose our pursuers, otherwise we may fall into a worse fate if we are discovered on foot hiding in the forest.
"Where is Sir Faust?" I try to speak in a serious tone, I want to make my intentions appear dire in order to present my command to the head of my security. Sir Faust is a rather mature knight of many battles but his loyalty is sometimes overridden with stubbornness, I hope he will choose to follow my orders over his own intuition.
"Several feet ahead my Lady." The driver makes a gesture but it is merely a blur of movement among the darkness.
"I no longer care to stop and make camp. I wish to continue out journey throughout the night, these forests are no place for a maiden. I pity the poor horses and understand the guards must be weary but I fear we could meet worse outcomes if we stop. Tell Sir Faust to continue until dawn, only then may we rest." I am met with silence. No response from the driver, only the sound of Claudia uncomfortably shift behind me in response to my brash command. Finally the silence is broken.
"Yes my lady, I shall inform Sir Faust." I let out a sigh of relief at the drivers words. I return to my place from earlier and rest my head on the hard wall of the carriage, I can just about hear the driver talk with Sir Faust, but otherwise all I can identify is the steady pace of the horses and the rocking of the carriage along the old dirt road.
The anxiety that had me trembling is subsiding, my eyes grow heavy but I am not sure if I will sleep easy. I close my eyes, and hope the night will be over shortly.
We all grow wearier by the day. It has been many days since the "wolves" incident and our paranoia is causing us all to tire of travel. The fear has caused our stops to grow shorter each day but I have grown accustomed to sleeping in the carriage despite it being unforgivably uncomfortable to rest on for long periods of time. Fortunately, the wild forests have given away to swampy hills as we near the Danube river. If I weren't so lethargic I may have been excited to be near the city of Budapest, I have never been near a city with a scale as large as Budapest. Sir Faust still insists we steer clear of any place larger than a village and only time we have stopped in a village was to bargain for new horses for the knights.
As we cross another bridge worn from years of travellers and farmers use, the distinct smell of crisp fire waft into the carriage. At first I panic at the thought of being chased by something as unforgiving as fire, but as I look through the small window and turn in the smells direction i am met with the sight of empty farmland. The ground is dry and barren, ravaged by overuse, disease or drought. In my lifetime I have only experienced a poor but brief harvest, though I remained rather unaffected by it I know the peasants struggled to feed themselves. Father.. He opened the granary to the peasants but it was also low, and majority of it had to be stored for the next planting. I do not like to think of that year, when our lands were left helpless to the wrath of famine and drought, and I feel nothing but sympathy for the inhabitants of this land.
"They've burn it." Claudia has awoken and surprised me as she joins me to peer out the little window. She continues to speak. "The smokey smell, the ground here must have been cursed with disease, they've burned the remaining crops since they are no good. Shame."
We pass the fields burned and barren, and they abruptly stop as the land joins a commune of cottages, leading to what I assume must be the local village. I cannot spot any villagers, but the smell of flames grow faint and is replaced with the sounds of life.
As we turn the corner, the carriage jolts forward as we abruptly stop at the order of Sir Faust. I am confused as to why we would stop, I move towards the door but a plump hand blocks the door.
"My lady, remain in the carriage." Claudia looks nervous, but needy to leave our confines. I return to my previous position in my seat. We sit silently fidgeting in anxiousness. I concentrate my hearing on the noise outside, it doesn't not seem to be anything dangerous but I can hear the sounds of bustling movement. That can mean only one thing, people. I am oddly excited by the presence of anyone that is not a knight or servant at this point, and I begin to wish that by some occurrence of spontaneous decision making, Sir Faust will allow us to spend the day among these Hungarian villagers.
After tense moments of silence and poorly spoken Hungarian, I hear shuffling of heavy feet as a knights move towards the front of the carriage. The carriage door opens and I am met with Sir Faust's worn face, his iris' no longer have any glimpse of green in them due to dehydration and sleepless nights.
"Lady Von Hellsing, we must move on. The village is not fit for us to stay, they are struggling to survive on what little resources they have after their crops shrivelled up and died." He looks oddly disappointed, maybe he too wishes for rest and now had his hopes dashed after meeting with the villagers. Perhaps they are faring worse than us, but I cannot help but feel annoyed at the situation. Surely we could supply them with a payment in exchange for a place to camp, maybe Sir Faust just fears unwanted attention from these people.
"Forward! We will continue until we reach the forest edge." Sir Faust yells to the driver, and we once again jolt forward.
The rocking carriage cannot drown out the sounds of the villagers as they mutter and follow our entourages exit. They don't seem hostile, if anything just curious as to why we are travelling so far from the main roads.
"Stop." Claudia turns awkwardly at my words and stares in shock at the brash command.
"Wolves do not follow past the trees, and thieves do not steal what is already ravaged by famine." I continue to peer through the small window, looking for a bare area among the small thatch houses.
"We shall camp here and recuperate tonight. If we give the villagers some of our supplies or luggage I doubt they will refuse. I know this may not be my fathers orders, but I'm tired of being chased by shadows and wolves." I hear no reply.
"It will only be for a night. And if we rest now, we may travel with greater speed tomorrow." I bang on the door of the carriage, spooking the driver into halting abruptly. The horses whinny and the knights mutter at the sudden stop, but I proceed to exit the carriage. I demand some respect, and I want for my entourage to respect my simple need to breathe outside the confines of a carriage.
The village seems to be surrounded by an aura of unease, as if they lack comfort or hope. Their eyes linger with weariness and mistrust as they watch us set up camp. After a brief discussion (which could have easily resulted in a lengthly conflict), I was able to persuade my guards and driver to allow for camp to be set up on the outskirts of the village grounds. Sir Faust refuses to allow me to speak for myself even though my father is absent, but I did not give up without a fight. We are unsafe, regardless of whether we are in a forest with "wolves" or in a town of "foreign starving peasants", at least the presence of the villagers prevents an open attack in the middle the village.
I now have to wait and watch from under an ancient tree as the knights set up camp and unsaddle the horses, apart of the agreement to stay here was that it is merely to rest, not run about the village. I begin to be consumed with a wave of lethargy, the lack of movement in the last few days has made my body weak and weary. As much as I long to see even a glimpse of the village or even attempt to converse with its inhabitants I cannot bring myself to move from my place under the looming tree. I turn my attention to the shadows that slip through the ageing leaves, the colours dance between pale golds and orange, which contrasts to the moss green of the grass.
"Why do you carry such a thick cross around your neck?" A thickly accented voice breaks the silence. It is the squire form among the guards, I have never spoken to him before so it comes as a shock to hear a Hungarian accent from his lips.
"Von Hellsing's must never forget their duty. That is why we carry the weight of our faith with us into battle." I repeat the words I had been told by my relatives, all who have fought and died on the battlefield by these words. The boy scoffs and turns towards the old tree, as if it is somehow worth addressing and not myself.
"You are no knight. A maiden does not know the burden of a warrior, castles are a very distant life from the battlefields." I should remind him of who he is talking to, I feel this squire has not yet mastered the art of chivalry, but it does not mean he should be allowed to mock my family name.
"Battles go beyond war." I do not bother to meet his gaze, and his attitude has given me nothing but a sour mood. I stand up and head towards the others, I need to speak to with Claudia on the matter of supplies. We have given a portion of our small supply of grain to the villagers in return for letting us stay, but I wonder if we need to trade any of my valuables for other foods. Unfortunately the boy isn't done speaking.
"Forgive me. I am tired and forgot my manners... My lady." I hear the grass rustle under his feet as he hurries to my side. Why won't this boy leave me alone? I was quite content under that tree.
"Your excused... Sorry, I know you are Sir Faust new squire, but what is your name? I cannot properly forgive you if I don't even know who you are."
"István. My family are lesser known knights, I am from a region just North of Budapest. Now that I am of age, I have been adopted as his squire." I can hear pride in his voice as he speaks. But I cannot find any personality behind his tone.
"Why is it that you are following me? Did your mentor assign you to spy on me in case I am suddenly attacked?" He frowns at my sarcasm, but he does not halt.
"Well, yes and no.. I was assigned to watch as the others set up the tents. But I have to tell you something."
I stop at his words. His voice has lost its monotone and I can hear anxiety as he spoke.
"Go on."
"I do not speak this dialect of these people all too well but I understood some of the elder men. They grumbled of the Germans who had passed through earlier today. And I know from the tone and disdain in their voices, they weren't the most friendly travellers." His accent became thicker as he spoke, like the words were trying to hide among this pronunciation.
"These people are afraid, they have been harmed by others and I fear of people who resemble us. That is why I came to you. As you were dozing under that tree, a small group of peasants were watching you with icy eyes. As I strolled past I heard them mumble about the boszorkány returning to destroy what is left of their farmlands."
"boszorkány?" I have never heard such a word before.
"A witch, they believe this famine is caused by a witch." He moves closer, so he can hush his words.
"And I fear they believe there is a witch amongst us." There is fear in his eyes, but I do not trust him. Why would he tell me and not Sir Faust? This boy must be paranoid. We have all let our nightmares scare us out of our wits.
"If this is a dire worry, why have you not told Sir Faust? Surely you would choose to tell your master and the man in charge of our travels over a maiden such as myself." I barely finished speaking before he blurted his response:
"He won't listen to me, he believes I jump at the slightest of shadows. I cannot be seen as a Craven if I am to become a knight! It is his duty is to protect you, if the maiden is frightened he will pack order us to pack up immediately."
So, I am a convenient vessel of his message? He appears distraught, his brunette hair slightly wiry and his skin is dirty from days of travel. But what worries me is his brown eyes encircled with large dark bags. I cannot tell if it is exhaustion that makes them clouded and weak, or if it is fear that drives him to seek my help.
"My lady, I beg of you. Do not stay here!" István drops to his knees, begging for release from his fears.
I stare at the dishevelled squire, but I cannot bring myself to feel empathy for his anxieties. We are all tired of travel and are constantly in danger. We have finally found a place to rest even if it is only for an evening, and with a payment of grain to the villagers they had agreed for us to stay. If we were "pagans" like the boy suggests they believe surely they wouldn't have accepted it. Would they?
I am brought out of my thoughts by István's snivelling, he is trying so hard not to weep. I am tired of all this fear. And I'm tired of the endless roads. Though I have already been rather selfish today, I am going to ignore the anxieties of this crying boy and use this evening to get some proper sleep. I sigh and collect myself before I snap at his childish act. I lower myself so he will be able to hear me over his snivelling.
"István, I need you to listen carefully." I speak delicately, as I did for the servants children at home. I cannot afford to break this squire completely, he will be useless otherwise.
"We will leave before sunrise, but I am not allowing this superstition to get the better of us. Tonight we will rest here. And if you are truly fear the worst István, volunteer to guard the grounds. But I honestly suggest you try to sleep even a little tonight. That way, you will be prepared physically and mentally if we truly do face great danger. Understand?"
István does not answer me, he merely rises and meets my gaze. He still appears distraught with his his eyes watering and red, but he nods in understanding. Hopefully a minuscule amount rationality has returned to him, as he certainly made me question my own.
The sun is about to completely fall below the horizon, giving the fields and houses an blood orange hue. The few peasants about the village are now entering their homes and the knights have finished unloading the tents and this evening supplies. I leave István as he heads toward the knights horses nearby, the squires work will not be over for a while; the large, exhausted horses look in desperate need of more water, and their hay seems to be depleted.
I walk towards the glow of a small fire, there I can see Claudia fuelling the flames with a bundle of kindle. To her left I notice the tan hide that makes up my tent, it is plain and ordinary as a large and decadent one would only make me a target for thieves or vagabonds. Despite this appearance, it's promise of bedding and protection from the cold is as inviting as my quaint bedchamber back at my now childhood home. I slip past Claudia before she can offer me supper, and into my tent.
I untie and hurriedly whisk my thin cloak on to the grass floor, and continue straight to my makeshift bedding. As soon as I make contact with the familiar comfort of soft fur covers, my lethargy sweeps away all the thoughts consuming my mind. The last thing I observe as I close my eyes, is the last rays of today's sunlight, welcoming the night as I finally drift into sleep.
I am running through the stone corridors of my home, running frantically from whatever it is that is chasing me. I cannot not see it but whatever it is consumes the walls with shadows as it pursues me, gaining speed with every second. All I can hear is my ragged breathing and bare feet padding against the floor, I want to scream for help but my voice cracks at any attempt at words.
There are several doors along the corridors, but each one won't open, and each time I stop to try, the darkness would start to consume the floor around me, leaving me no choice but to abandon the door and flee. At the end of the corridor was a final, large oak door. I run towards it and practically attack the rusty old handle, but it wouldn't budge no matter how hard I push and pull, so I was left with no option but to turn the corner.
As I turn, I see the door creak open... Light seeping through and the sound of my fathers voice, calling my name flows out of it. But before I can react the doorway was consumed with the shadows. The light is abruptly snuffed and my ears are filled with the sounds of screaming... As if thousands of people are being burned or stabbed by the darkness...
I am frozen on the spot as I hear their cries, hundreds of thousands of voices all screaming agonising words of warning:
Run! You must live! Get away from here! Don't let us die in vain! Hurry! Hurry! HURRY!
The corridor slowly disappears into the shadows as I watch, frozen in fear as the darkness creeps along the walls, the roof and the floor.
I shut my eyes in anticipation of death. There is nothing but silence.
"There you are. My fraulin."
A/N:
Hello and thank you for reading my latest chapter, I was planning on updating last week but I have been busy preparing for exams, one down and five to go! The next chapter should be complete by the end of the month so bare with me for the cliffhanger. Yes Integra is acting a little less... Well, like Integra at this point but I assure you this is intentional. Also the change of Integra's last name is not an error, I wanted her name to be more traditional so it could match the time period better.
Also thank you so much to those who followed and favourited this story already, it feels awesome to know that people are reading this and I promise that in the next few months the updates will become more regular. Just need to get the exams out of the way and then I'm free forever!
Soul93: thank you so much for the review and follow! I thought it was odd that this storyline/ relationship for Alucard X Interga didn't exist on this website (haven't checked other sites), so I decided I would change that. I felt like I was weird for writing a fanfic like this and honestly thought no one would read this. So once again thank you for taking the time to review and I hope I don't disappoint you!