"Why is it that we allow ourselves to be led even when those we follow lead us straight into walls?"
The stroll through Dragozen was more than just awkward, it was almost unbearable. It was still dark so there weren't many humans out, but that didn't mean the streets weren't still bustling. The road was dirt while the buildings were made of high grade metals. Some of the building were four and five stories high at most unless it was a government building.
The dirt street was brightly lit with solar powered lights that absorbed energy during day and automatically switched on at night. Takaso shot a glance back to where he had just come from. The Science spire sat atop the Hellsing building like a crown. In the center of Dragozen was his work and home; the Hellsing building was an imposing structure that cast a shadow over most of the inner city like a lion guarding its young.
Though the materials use to craft the building were of the highest grade and finest technology it still resembled and old medieval castle. From the top of what civilians dubbed the 'Hell Castle' you could just barely see the eastern wall that bordered the Northern Sea. The old walls were crafted of out dated woven steel bricks that weighed nearly a ton each but they did their job protecting a city that almost span from the Northern to the Irish sea, almost.
Takaso continued through inner city; he spied gargoyles lazing about. The stone creatures were the cities immediate defense before his organization arrived or the Royal guard intervened. Hundreds of the beasts sat about the 'Hell Castle', some the size of dogs and other the size of horses or elephants. Although not all gargoyles were guardians, some of the smaller ones were sold as pets were some of the larger 'horse like' ones worked in industries and farms.
Not all was easy going however. Takaso stopped in the street as he noticed Akaska had stopped following him.
"What's your deal? C'mon we got'ta get this over for the old geezer."
He noticed that she tugged on her collar and was starring hard to the left and nervously glancing to the right side of the street. Takaso turned to see what she was so jumpy about but a man rode by on his horse and almost ran him over.
"Hey! Watch were you're going!" He shouted while jumping away.
The man which he could only assume was another vampire simple shot him the finger and continued on his way. 'Some people' He thought as he straightened his jacket.
Finally able to get a view of what had gotten to Manto's dog, he frowned. Across the street was a hound dealer. Those are people that raise and bred beasts of dog and dog-like form. There were three classes of hounds: Pet- the most common among the masses for their friendly, protective and domestic attitude, Guard- the next most popular for their outstanding guarding ability and loyalty however they were not good pets and are mostly owned by industries and large complexes, then there are War types- massive and aggressive dogs bred to kill anyone or thing at the snap of your fingers. War Dogs are strictly reserved for the military and select few breeders.
Creatures that fell under the category of dog are: some demons, Lycans, domestic dogs, and some shape shifters. Takaso observed the beasts under the breeders care. All but the pet class ones were muzzled and chained or caged, even the lycans in human form had some form of muzzle. Though they were in rather good shape considering most he saw on display were guard class.
Takaso turned and went to fetch Akaska. He could only assume that since she was a War class dog that she suffered the same brutal training that others did, and being part wolf would have only made it worse. Basically if you called someone a dog it was the same thing as saying they were a slave.
The Hellsing vampire stood before the dog and reached for her collar. Her moment of unease faded as she jumped back and snarled at him. Takaso jerked his hand back, clutching it as if he had been bitten. Akaska bared her fangs and crouched low; her black hair stood on end and she stared him down with her orange eyes.
"Well if you don't won't to be touched C'mon!" He ordered.
Slowly she rose straightening out her stance and glaring harshly at him.
"Just a misunderstanding folks, go back about your business."
Takaso did his best to reassure the people and monsters around them that she wasn't going to slaughter him and then turn on them. Most of them gave him dirty looks before continuing along. His acute hearing did pick up on the few: "Get control of your mutt!" or "Damn Hellsing soldiers can't do anything right…"
He sighed and continued with Akaska in tow.
"We'd better hurry" He gazed up. "The sun will be rising soon. It took too long to walk here from the spire."
They arrived at the trailer. It was a nice blue building with various clothed manikins in the display window. However he spotted a 'No Dogs Allowed' sign on the front door. He groaned and looked back at his follower. The whole point of the trip was to get cloths for her and that reviving broad so it wouldn't do any good for him to enter alone.
"C'mon."
The door opened as he marched in anyways. She didn't even glance at the sign and he wondered if she could read. Immediately the manager spotted them and pointed to the door.
"No dogs allowed, out with you!"
He made a shooing motion with his hands, but kept his distance. Know Takaso understood why dogs weren't allowed. The tall thin man was a satyr and he knew all too well that goat men and dogs tended to not get along as dogs had a habit of nipping at their heels.
The satyr clapped along the gloss floor with a stick in hand.
"Hold up I just need to get some lady cloths then we'll be out." Takaso held his hands up in defiance.
"Oh so you Hellsingers thing you can just barge in here and do anything, huh?!" He sung his stick around hopping from one hoof to the other. "Well I think not!"
"Just clam down. I just want to get two sets of cloths, one for the dog and-"
Takaso was cut off as the manager screamed at him and swung the stick.
"No! Dogs don't need cloths, the fact she even has any on at all is a privilege!"
The goatman swung the stick with all his might. Customers squealed and fled to the opposite ends of the store as the bat shaped stick shattered across Takaso's head. He didn't bother moving; this weak strike was nothing compared to what he was used to. Sure his face was now scratched and bleeding lightly but it felt like someone threw a pillow at him.
He heard Akaska snarl; Takaso's instincts kicked in thankfully as she lunged for the goatman. Her body hit him like an armored ATV as she struggled with him trying to get the satyr within reach of her claws. The satyr lost his balance and fell back on a few racks as Takaso held Akaska back.
After biting down on the vampires shoulder and ruing his cloths she regained her composure. He was lucky he was able to hold her back considering he wasn't her owner, but he assumed the mood control jewelry kicked in.
"Look we just want to get some cloths and then well leave, a promise. OK?"
The satyr remained on the ground and just nodded.
"Let's go Akaska, the woman's cloths are over here."
Once they reached the woman's cloths section or rather girls since he didn't quite think she was an adult yet. The dog just stared at him plainly.
"Well you gonna get some cloths or what?"
She looked around before returning her eyes to him and tilting her head. Takaso pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"Oh right you don't know how…"
Takaso scanned the clothing racks for something fitting. He held up a simple brown shirt measuring to see if it would fit and watching her reaction. She remained placid as usual.
"Hum…"
He tried a blue one, red one, and a black one, but she seemed to like the neon green one best. For a moment he caught her brows raised and a little twinkle in her eyes before she surprised it. She was worse than him about bright colors.
"Hold this." He shoved the shirt in her arms. "Now for some shorts and then underclothes…" Takaso frowned regretting accepting Manto's request. The last thing he wanted to do was search through a bunch of women's under cloths. "This is going to be a long night."
Back at the spire, at the very top floor Manto sat at his chair with an obvious smile plastered across his face. He was fiddling with various objects as he waited.
"Poor boy, guess I should have told him she doesn't know of to take care of herself." Manto paused in thought. "Hum… Did I remember to place her tags on her collar?"
He glanced to a nearby table. A set of four tags laid innocently on the edge.
"Whoops!" He laughed to himself. "Sorry Takaso!"
It was quiet; not a sound disturbed her ears as she lay, or at least assumed she was laying down. It was pure bliss, not a worry in the world. She was no longer tired or ill, it was like she was free of all burdens. No more caring, or feeling. Here thought was but a fleeting feeling here and then there, but never in the same place.
She frowned as the cloud like bliss dissipated; being replaced by a heavy weight on her body. She frowned and tried to move away but the feeling remained even as she felt herself sigh.
'Great' she thought. 'Which one is it this time using their aura to get on her nerves?'
Usually they would show their selves once she knew they were there, but after a short wait the pressure only increased. It was a burning in her chest, like she couldn't breathe. She tried inhaling, but just couldn't remember how. Has she ever breathed before? Did she need too?
With all her strength she fought the suffocating pressure on her body. Still it persisted causing a ripple through her mind. She felt it, for once she felt that she could think clearly no longer in just a haze. Awake now she gasped for air trying to pull it into her lungs. Her will lashed out against her enemy before it finally gave way.
Blue eyes shot open to a blank world. She inhaled with a loud gasp. The woman's bright eyes panicked and scanned the white surface that covered her vision. Instinctively she mentally called out for her servants, but neither responded. Not even a feeling of their mass of aura brushed passed her. She attempted to call out to them but found her voice dry and silent. Not a sound escaped her as she fought whatever dared cover her.
The woman rolled and felt herself fall; it was a short fall and she soon found her self slamming into a hard surface. She groaned and fought her captor again before pausing.
'It's soft…' Her mind wondered.
A small tannish hand reached up and pulled the fog away. She examined them only to realize the hand was hers and the fog was merely a sheet.
'A sheet?'
Looking around she noticed she was on the floor. Her eyes spotted all the equipment that was strewn about, however fear never once crossed her mind. Instead she could only feel anger at her servant for failing to respond.
'Where the hell it's that lazy ass vampire!' She screamed into her mind before she spotted a pair of black boots.
'Well it's about damn time!' She looked up from the boots. 'You're not…!"
Takaso frowned and held back the sudden urge to shiver in disgust as he looked at his hands. They just felt dirty now and the looks the woman in the 'underclothes' isle didn't help at all. He led Akaska back to the dressing rooms and was amazed that they were the only ones there and all the stalls were empty. 'Guess everyone else knows what sizes they needed. '
"Alright dog go change."
He looked at her curiously as she set the cloths down.
"What-er you..?"
Takaso jumped back; his hands flew to his face, poorly covering his eyes.
"What are you doing?! Not here in front of me! Go to the stalls!"
She had her shirt up just over her stomach and looked at him with a look that assumed meant: 'what's the difference.'
"Go!" He pointed to the stall.
Akaska gathered the cloths and marched into the stall with an all too familiar silent huff and a flick of her hair. Takaso sat on a bench nearby shifting sitting positions every once in a while accusingly checking his phone, picking at his nails/ears, checking his boot laces, and eventually started to pick at his bangs.
He yawned before standing and marching to her stall banging on the door.
"Hey what's taking so long?!"
The door swung open and he flinched covering his eyes, half expecting her to not know how to dress herself and be naked. Takaso breathed in relief when she came out with cloths on, but had only changed her knee length pants.
"Why didn't you completely change?" He almost growled in frustration.
The wolf-girl tugged on her oversized leather collar.
"Oh…"
Takaso reached for the collar and she reminded him once again that she didn't being touched when she snapped her jaws and snarled.
"OK-fine… just change back and well get those cloths and just assume they fit…."
She turned heading back into the stall and thankfully closing the door.
"Good you're awake." Came a soft, clam, elderly male voice. "How do you feel Miss. Hellsing?"
Integra snapped her head up to the man in the black boots. She didn't know how she had mistaken him for Alucard as he wasn't nearly as tall or broad and didn't have that booming voice that irritated her so much. A few feet from her was an elderly man.
He smiled at her before kneeling down and reaching for her. Integra noticed as he pulled the sheet up and wrapped it over her shoulder to cover her. Her face flushed as she realized she was revealed down to her skin and made a better attempt to cover up.
"Can you understand me?" Manto asked softly.
Integra nodded.
"Good. Can you speak?"
She opened her mouth before closing it again and frowning.
"I see…" He scratched his stubble.
Manto stood and went to retrieve an item from a desk. Integra could only describe it as a metal detector wand. The old man held it out and waved it over her before starring at a small screen.
"Well everything appears to be intact and reformed in their proper place." He chuckled before returning to the desk.
Now he stood before her with a small rectangular device that he held delicately in front of her face.
"Don't blink."
She heard a ding and flinched as a bright light practically attacked her eyes. Her hands shot to her face.
"Son of a-" Integra paused realizing she could speak again. "How…?" She looked up at the man for answers.
"Neat isn't is." He gestured to the box. "This is a device that we use to assist awaken coma patients that have forgotten how to preform simple tasks. It only lasts five minutes but helps them remember how to perform the tasks again through experience." Manto held his hands out. "Here, try and stand."
The wizard pulled her to her feet and Integra was sure to keep everything covered.
"Where am I?" She asked though it sounded more like and order.
"This is the Science Spire, located at the heart of Dragozen City just above Hell Castle."
Integra nodded. "Where is that?"
He smiled. "England, my dear. You are still in your homeland."
"England? But I've never heard of Dragozen city? Where am I? Why am I not at home? Where are my servants, and why am I naked!?" She practically shouted the last part.
"My deepest apologies, my dog and Takaso have yet to return with requested cloths. I will explain everything however, but first tell me what's the last thing you remember?"
Integra racked her brain. The last thing she remembered…
"Are you alright, Sir Integra?" A solemn voice filled her ears.
The old iron woman looked up from her paper work. In front of her wooden desk was Seras. The blonde red clad vampire stared down at her almost sadly.
"How long have you been standing there?"
Seras shifted dragging her feet and tilting her head.
"A little bit…"
Integra shifted her cigar to the right side of her mouth.
"What do you want, vampire?"
The Draculina hesitated shifting again.
"Just checking on you… and all…" Seras stated eyeing the floor.
Integra frowned and shot back in her chair her prepared to give Seras a full talking to about how she was perfectly fine and didn't need a baby sitter, but a pain immediately stopped her. She flinched dropping the cigar on the desk and almost slipping right out of the chair.
Seras was at her side in an instant stopping the old Integra before she hit her head on the desk. Integra rested her head on the vampire and took a moment to catch her breath. Looking out the window she spotted the moon full and bright in the night sky. Suddenly she felt the urge to go outside.
She rose from her chair and started for the door. Seras shuffled behind her. She could hear it.
"Sir, where are you going?"
"Outside."
Seras eyes widened and she quickly moved to block the door.
"It dark and its freezing! Are you insane?!"
"Seras, I'm just going to sit under the oak for a moment. Move out of the way." Integra ordered.
She heard it again.
"At least put on a coat. Cold weather isn't good for old-"
The vampire didn't finish the sentence. Integra's glare advised otherwise. However the master of Hellsing relented and turned to her desk once more. She fetched her coat and slipped it on, but that's not all she did. Integra pulled her gun from its holster and laid it on the desk along with her spare cigars, lighter, knife, and anything else in her pockets.
"Integra?"
"I have a coat on, now let's go." She stated as she puffed on her former cigar.
Seras followed the master to her spot on a cracked stone bench under an oak tree. Integra sat overlooking the grounds. A light breeze blew ruffling her silver hair, the grass, and trees. The moon was large and bright in the cloudless sky. She inhaled the tar filled smoke. It was peaceful that night, she didn't even feel cold.
"Tell me Seras" She exhaled the smoke. "Where are you going to go?"
The Draculina heard the sound again. It was a weak sound that came from Integra.
"Into the night of course."
Integra laughed.
"Of course. Will you manage?"
"Without Alucard?" Seras finished the question. "Humph."
She exhaled another cloud of smoke.
"Careful Seras. If you start trouble in London I might just have to come back as a ghost and haunt you." She chuckled.
Seras Grinned widely.
"You could try, but don't forget I don't scare easily." Seras joined her in a laugh.
"What about your foes?"
It was silent as Integra waited for the young Draculina to answer.
"Let them come." Seras stated clearly. "I'll be waiting."
Integra smiled as she looked at her feet, suddenly she was tired.
"I'm sure Alucard would laugh." Integra swayed.
"No doubt." Seras stated weakly.
She struggled to keep her voice even as her body shook; she clamped her eyes shut and repressed the need to cry as tears of blood trailed her face. The thumping slowed.
"I'm tired…" Integra slurred.
"Of course-Sir-w-why don't you take a n-nap."
Seras struggled to get the words out as Integra began to sway. Her breathing slowed as her cigar fell from her lips. She leaned back falling into the vampire's waiting arms. Seras was looking away hiding her tears behind her bangs. Integra chuckled.
"You shouldn't cry Seras. Monsters don't cry."
"R-right. Th-ey don't. I just got something in my eyes is all."
The red clad vampire smiled forcefully giving the master a perfect view of her fangs.
"Such a terrible liar…" Integra closed her eyes. "I'll have to scold you in the morning…"
"Goodnight Integra…"
She took one final breath before all movement ceased. The only sound filling the night were soft sobbing and the wind blowing past the trees.
"Goodbye…"