CHAPTER 3- INVESTIGATION

Walter awoke that morning groggy and exhausted. The sun was intense against his eyelids and he turned away from the window, hiding under the warm, dark covers. Alucard had screwed him up good, and he groaned at such a thought with a throbbing pain across his forehead. If Mr. Florescu knew what had happened between them...perhaps he heard? No, there was no way he could have known. The manor was so large and the walls were extremely thick.

Walter's face reddened as images of the previous night flowed through his mind, Alucard's taller form plundering his body many different ways in the shower. Blue eyes opened and dispelled those visions. The light seemed even more intense and he squinted. "God..."

What time was it now? He jumped out of bed, looking through a pile of clothes scattered across the floor. "Ah!" He withdrew a silver pocket watch from his tailcoat. "I-It's noon?" The clock did not lie; it was 12:00. It seemed not only the trip but Alucard's hormonal attack had ruined his sleep patterns. Typically the butler would wake at 6 am sharp, dress and prepare Sir Hellsing's breakfast. Though he began to wonder why he should worry. In Romania he was a butler, but a guest first. Would Sir Florescu require him to work? A part of him believed the answer was, 'Yes.'

Pulling on his undergarments and pants, he stared at the coffin by his bedside. Seemed that Alucard was still asleep. He threw one of his dress shoes at the ebony box, hitting a golden-piped corner. "Are you still sleeping in there?"

No reply came. He shrugged and continued to dress until all that remained bare were his feet. Walter tied the left shoe and moved across the room to gather the right. He smacked the heal against the corner of the box again for good measure. "Alucard. You agreed to investigate in the daylight hours. Get up!"

Again there was silence within the sarcophagus. He tried nudging the lid off with one elbow, just enough to peek inside. Low and behold it was empty. Now his heart began to race and he knew that his absence would be noticed. Walter cursed a couple times before leaving the room, making sure his clothing and hair were in perfect order. It took him a few minutes to remember that he wasn't in London anymore and had to think before moving throughout the manor. This was the sort of place that was easy to get lost within, and already being late meant he had no time to waste.

Several minutes later he stood at the entrance to the main sitting room on the first floor. Two men sat conversing in Romanian as Walter knocked softly on the door pane. "Come in, please," he heard Mr. Florescu command. The butler entered, bowed and stood by his landlord.

Walter noticed that Mr. Florescu fancied formal wear as he looked the middle-aged man over more than once. He was dressed similarly to yesterday, however instead of a military uniform he brandished eclectic formal attire. His top was a gray, high-necked jacket, decorated with gold trim and leaf patterns around the neck. Four gold braided cords held the jacket tightly closed over his broad frame.

Walter turned his attention elsewhere, to Mr. Florescu's companion.

Who is this man? Walter thought idly whilst a small voice in his head fervently screamed that he already knew. Dark shaggy hair draped over a pair of high cheekbones. He wore a black, double-breasted suit, covered with a trench coat. He sat with legs crossed, donning a pair of what appeared to be orange welder's glasses, their lenses brightly reflecting what little light there was in the room. A wide grin graced the man's face as he bared a pair of fangs. "Are you getting it now, Walter?"

"Ah, Alucard?"

The vampire wagged his finger. "Ah, no yelling. That is quite rude."

"Indeed. Please refrain from such outbursts." Mr. Florescu plucked a cup from the table and sipped the hot liquid. "Skipping breakfast, I see..."

Those calculating eyes fell upon Walter who suddenly felt very small, like an ant faced by a hungry bird. "Well, sir..."

Alucard cleared his throat and spoke on Walter's behalf. "Nu fi atât de greu pe bă -l purtau afară. el este

încă destul de tineri. El este favoritul meu, asa ca sper că veţi încerca să fi frumos să-l." (Romanian: Don't be so hard on the boy. The trip wore him out. He is still quite young. He is my favorite, so I hope you will try to be nice to him.)

Dumitru Florescu placed his cup on the saucer and sighed. "Dacă insistaţi, Domnul meu." (Romanian: If you insist, My Lord.) He looked to Walter with accusing eyes. "Please, sit."

Walter blinked. Wait...me? He thought. Alucard nodded, assuring him that he wasn't hearing things. The only free spot was next to the Nosferatu and he was grateful for it.

(Dumitru Florescu speaks with a Romanian accent: 'w's are pronounced as 'eu's and 'th's are pronounced as 'z's. Anyone speaking English with a Romanian accent will be written with these rules in mind.) "I wanted to speak to you before you boz begin zhe investigation." The bearded man stood and walked slowly around the sitting room. He seemed lost in thought for several minutes until his voice filled the space. "I do apologize for my behavior, Mr. Dollneaz." He nodded to Alucard. "Your partner has informed me of your accomplishments. But kneu zis..." He pulled something from a bin near the hearth on the far side of the room. "I like to see one's skills for myself."

Mr. Florescu threw an object in Walter's direction which collided with something invisible and fell to the floor. The unidentified object had been sliced in several pieces followed by a metallic echo as it fell upon the rug. Walter stood with one foot on the tea table while the other leg was braced at the edge of the couch. His arms were crossed, holding tightly to something extremely thin and unseen. Thick droplets of blood stained his shredded gloves, most of it collecting around the thick cuffs of his dress shirt. Walter cursed under his breath. It had taken hours to make sure the whites had been properly bleached.

"So I see..." The Romanian lowered his hands. "Right after all."

"You doubted me?" Alucard adjusted his sun glasses with two fingers.

"Not at all. I only prefer to see such zings for myself."

"So...going to converse as if I'm not bleeding all over your expensive furniture?" Walter sarcastically stated, releasing his hold on the microfilament wires. A few strands caught the light, reflecting with a neon blue tint before they retracted into non-existence. He sighed. Damn that really stings... It had been ages since he'd done something so stupid, using his weapon without the proper shield, his black gloves. Did he have any choice? No, unless he wanted to lose the head upon his shoulders instead. He glanced at his bloody fingers and then to the floor. "Sneak attacking me with a dagger? How hospitable, indeed."

"Ahah, we are not soft here in Romania," chuckled Mr. Florescu. "But I must apologize for I did not zink you would be injured from this exercise."

Of course...throw a dagger at the butler. He won't be hurt...not at all...

Alucard cackled at his partner's thought.

"Really, I do apologize, Mr. Dollneaz." He came closer to the pair and clapped once. Adina Welsh entered, exchanged a few short words with her master and left. Minutes later she returned with a box and a pair of scissors. "I would like to appoint Miss Welsh as your personal maid. If you need anything during your stay, don't hesitate to ask her for it."

Adina blushed as she sat next to Walter while removing his gloves. "Oh my...what did you do to yourself?" Several lacerations, deep but thin as paper cuts, littered the butler's hands.

The boy shook his head with a small smile. "Nothing to worry about. I've had this happen before."

The maid looked at her Master, then to Alucard and back to Walter. It was not her place to ask questions though it was apparent she wanted answers. She sanitized and wrapped his wounds in a few short minutes. "There, all done." She collected the box and scissors and bowed. "I'll return soon to clean a blood stain I saw on the rug."

"That won't be necessary..." Alucard extended his hand, pointing down. The previous bloodstain had vanished.

"Ah...but Sir..." Golden eyes could not believe what they witnessed. Adina looked to Alucard, who she did not recognize.

"That will be all," her Master commanded. Adina bowed again and left without another word.

Alucard grinned. He had absorbed the loose blood under his shoe, regarding it as a small, delicious snack.

Was that really necessary? Alucard couldn't help but chuckle at the butler's thought. He wasn't sure if Walter referred to the sneak dagger attack or Alucard's small meal; nevertheless he was amused. "So," Walter began. "I assume you did that to test my measure?"

"You are correct."

"Let me guess..." Walter already knew what Mr. Florescu was going to say.

And sure enough he nodded and plainly stated, "Sir Hellsing."

Why am I not surprised? The youth shook his head, believing that his Master's name was a source of bad luck. Anyone who was familiar with Arthur knew of his hobbies and idiosyncrasies, mainly that he was a slacker, slob and well-known sleaze. And any persons associated with him were put under scrutiny, Walter especially for his age and thin appearance.

"I do apologize to you, Mr. Dollneaz," said Mr. Florescu after bowing to him. "I hope such an injury shan't impair you on the battlefield." He resumed his position on the sofa adjacent to Alucard and Walter.

"Well until a couple years ago, I used to do this all the time."

"Really?"

For whatever reason, Mr. Florescu actually seemed interested. The darker cast to his eyes lifted and now Walter could tell they were a deep green. "Yes. Until I mastered the art of using Severing Garotte, I sliced up my hands on several different occasions."

"Not to mention, that in such a short amount of time, Walter here gained the nickname, 'Angel of Death.'" Alucard rested his chin against the back of his right hand and chuckled.

I don't believe that was necessary to mention, either... Blue eyes shot a short glare in the vampire's direction.

Come now, Angel. You earned that title yourself. You should be proud of your accomplishments.

"Oh, zat was you?" The older gentleman's eyes went wide a moment, seemingly fascinated by Walter's nickname.

"He is too modest to boast about such things. But it is true. He and I vanquished many foes on the battlefield in Warsaw back in 1944."

"You're speaking as if that were decades ago..." Walter shook his head. "But I wouldn't worry about my hands. I've fought with worse injuries," he stated.

"Please, continue." Mr. Florescu looked imploringly to Walter.

Was he really that interested? "Very well..." It hadn't been that long ago, but when Walter thought about it, it seemed longer than 12 months; the battle in Warsaw, Poland against the remaining Nazis, in particular those who were creating artificial vampires. No doubt that fat Major and his comrades were behind these attacks, it had to be them. "Referring to Warsaw of 1944, that battle. We were against a small group of Nazi's that had a laboratory made for producing artificial vampires."

"Yes, Sir Hellsing mentioned zat."

"But it was their prized fighter that gave me a run for my money. He's the only one who's been able to grab my weapon with his bare hands."

"Zat is quite interesting." Mr. Florescu shifted a little in his seat, enthralled by Walter's battle story.

Walter smiled. He was starting to feel like less of an ant in his landlord's eyes. "He avoided one of my attacks and landed a punch to the left side of my face. I don't quite know the specifics of the injury, but it ruined the vision in my left eye."

"You're supposed to wear a monocle if I remember correctly." It was just like Alucard to butt in, and by this point Walter didn't even bat an eye at such a remark.

"Yes...but I dislike wearing it."

"Why is that?" Alucard grinned.

Mr. Florescu sat quietly, waiting for Walter to respond.

"I'm 15; it's unbecoming."

Alucard quietly chuckled. "I've never know you to be so vain." Besides, Angel, I rather like how it looks on you. Adds a bit of intrigue to your face.

Walter swallowed, hoping his cheeks weren't betraying his pride with a rosy tint. "But even with the injury, it does not impair my eyesight greatly. I can still serve and battle properly."

So you think...Alucard thought with a mental grin. He didn't mean much by the comment; it was only to derail Walter's thoughts, enough so that the boy groaned softly.

"You mustn't disregard such zings, Mr. Dollneaz. As long as you are in my home, you are required to wear it."

Walter turned to Alucard. Thanks, Dad... he sarcastically thought with narrowed eyes.

Alucard couldn't stifle his laughter and threw his head back to enjoy it.

Oddly, Mr. Florescu paid no mind to the wild laughter, sitting quietly. The man simply stood to walk idly about the room again. "I enjoyed your story."

Walter felt his shoulder's tense as he saw the Romanian follow the same path he did before throwing the dagger. "I'm glad to hear it, Sir. But please refrain from testing me again."

"Aha. Do not fret; you have passed."

"Then I hope you won't mind if I ask you a few questions." Walter sat properly, straightening his spine. He gave his undivided attention to Mr. Florescu.

The man nodded. "Go on."

"I think it's only fair that I inquire a few things as you've inquired a few about me: the dagger and my previous war injury. I have two questions to ask of you."

An eye for an eye. Zis boy is smarter zan I gave him credit. He nodded with a short smile. "Go on and ask."

"Honestly they are mundane in nature...but my first is the cause of...spirited comments made by my Master."

Mr. Florescu quirked one eyebrow at the word 'spirited', which, to him, indicated something rather vile.

"Sir Hellsing spoke at length about your wife, and I was hoping to meet her."

The air in the room felt heavy as Mr. Florescu bit his lip and reclaimed his seat with eyes closed. "She has pasted."

Now Walter felt like a git. After all the comments Arthur had made, he never imagined Sir Florescu's wife had died. "I'm deeply sorry for asking..."

"Do not apologize. I hadn't spoken to Sir Hellsing about it." He stared at the intricately designed rug before speaking again. "What had you heard about her?"

"...If you don't mind, Sir, I'd rather not repeat my Master's comments."

"Că păcăli!" (Romanian: The fool!)

Alucard grinned, while Walter believed Sir Florescu had cursed in Romanian. Either way, he was certain it was directed at Arthur. And he was sure that Arthur deserved the comment for his debauchery.

"It is just like zat damnable Englishman to say such zings. As long as I have known him, he has been a păcăli!"

Walter nodded with a pathetic expression. Even someone as upstanding as Dumitru Florescu lost his temper with the thought of Arthur's shenanigans.

"Anything more?" He nodded to Walter.

"Oh, it was about the Florescu Manor. I've studied a bit about old architecture, and I can't help but notice the French influences."

"Yes..." Sir Florescu let his lips form a small smile. "Nicoleta loved France." He stood again, admiring the decor of the sitting room. "She fell in love euiz (with) it after visiting zere years ago. And zhis manor began construction after zat. It is based off the Peles Castle in Sinaia, anozer place she admired greatly."

The smile never left the gentleman's face and it made Walter wonder...wonder if he had actually made Sir Florescu sad or not.

"Have you seen her picture in ze foyer?"

"Not yet, Sir."

"Please have a look at it sometime." He sat again, lacing his eight fingers together. "Enough of zis idle talk. Zere are more pressing matters to address." He nodded to Alucard who grabbed two rolled documents off the end table at his left and handed them to Sir Florescu. He flattened one of the papers and splayed it on the table. "Zis is a map of the area around ze estate. I have marked off the areas that have been attacked."

Thumb, index and middle finger rested against Walter's chin as he examined the sites. He had hoped to know a bit more about Alucard before looking over this information, but tried his best to understand otherwise. The first string of vampire attacks began in more rural and war-desecrated villages, advancing to less affected areas. The most recent, and seemingly more carefully attacked areas, were of historical significance to Vlad Dracula, as Mr. Florescu put it.

I can't follow this at all...Azure eyes blinked rapidly, following the words of both men in the room, but it was no use. The conversation began to slow in Walter's mind as his thoughts took center stage. He wondered now how beneficial it would have been to research the topic of Vlad the Impaler before the trip. Or if reading the Dracula novel would have done any good. His eyes flicked towards Alucard. If only I could read your mind instead of the other way around. Then I wouldn't be out of the loop like I am now.

For now, all Walter could do was to absorb as much information as possible and ask questions later. He didn't like being at such a disadvantage, but there was nothing he could do about it. The teenager breathed gently, heart slowing to a comfortable pace as a result. Focus.

The first thing he heard was Mr. Florescu say Dracula. But it wasn't anything like how he nor Sir Hellsing said it. Druh-koo-lee-uh. Druh-koo-lee-uh...that differed substantially from Drah-cue-luh. He repeated the new mnemonic phrase several times in his thoughts.

"Ze amount of victims steadily increased as time progressed, so it is hard to say if the number of vampires increased or not. Zey seem to be eating, not turning zeir victims."

"Not to mention the visit one of them paid when we arrived," added Alucard. "He seems like a weak child. He and his group must be attacking children or the elderly."

"It shouldn't be too hard to attack humans at zis time. The euar (war) has impaired the people of zese parts greatly." Green eyes of the Romanian looked gravely over the map. "Zere are not many survivors...after ze euar, zere is no one left to fight. Zis is ze reason you are boz here. I can only offer intel to ze two of you." He stood and knelt on one leg, which his hand over his heart. "Please restore order to zis area."

* * *

"I know I said this wouldn't impair my fighting...but this really stings..." The butler walked briskly down the main staircase and stood in the foyer. He examined his hands which were covered with a new pair of white gloves. But new gloves weren't going to cover the fact that his hands burned with those thin, itchy cuts. Blood pulsing through his veins felt unusual in his appendages and he wanted nothing more than to sit and scratch at them all day.

Have a look at her picture...his thoughts reminded. A large painting was hung above a fireplace in the foyer. It included both Sir Florescu and his wife. But Walter couldn't make out the finer details of the painting and cursed, searching one inner coat pocket for his monocle. He held the circular glass to his left eye and continued to admire the painting. He had to agree with Sir Hellsing; Mr. Florescu's wife was beautiful. The painting portrayed her with long brown hair that framed her delicate features and porcelain skin.

An image of Adina flashed across his mind and he began to wonder why he thought of the maid. There wasn't anything particular appealing about her, at least not compared to Mr. Florescu's wife. But the feeble maid seemed to bring a smile to the boy's face and he had to admit he found her cute.

"I see you're giving me more reasons to be jealous." Alucard entered from the staircase, walking gracefully down the steps as if posing for a painting of his own.

Walter wasn't understanding Alucard lately. Jealousy...did Alucard even know the definition of such a word? Something like that shouldn't apply to him; he was the father of all vampires as far as Walter could tell. His power was unmeasurable; no one could rival him. He was feared by his enemies and envied by others. So what on Earth could Walter do to make him jealous, even jokingly so? The teenager didn't understand. "What reason have you to be jealous of anyone?" Walter remarked, placing the monocle in his pocket.

"So testy. Is there something on your mind?" The vampire stood, regal and dark against the brown shades of the manor. He towered at least one foot over Walter, fully clad in black. Walter was sure it was to contrast his smaller form.

There were many things he wanted to ask, but questioning Alucard wouldn't give him a straight answer. Even if he had something to ask, when he looked to Alucard and remembered what happened between them last night, he found his tongue in knots.

Walter quickly left the manor until he was upon the dirt road outside. It wasn't long until Alucard filtered into his vision at his right side.

A deep red washed over Walter's cheeks as he looked away from the vampire, idly counting clouds in the sky. "What reason have you to take this new form?" Try as he might not to look presently at Alucard, Walter could still see that taller form standing over his. That shaggy short hair draped over high cheekbones of his long face. It was hard to erase that face from his mind.

"So it's that, hm? How interesting." He moved to Walter's left who averted his eyes elsewhere. "As you know, my form means nothing to me. But I was certain it would rile up those youthful emotions of yours, so I decided to keep it."

Walter looked to his partner, deciding it best to stare the beast in the eye. "Sir Hellsing won't be happy to know that you've taken another form."

"Where is he to reprimand me, Angel? Our landlord will not tattle. He seemed to enjoy this form and thought it fitting." A wicked grin graced the vampire's features. "Besides, if the Nazi's are our enemies, they will surely remember the form I took last. Best I take another form altogether. Catching them off guard even once could possibly tip the odds in our favor."

Walter laughed at such a thought. When weren't the odds in their favor? While he hadn't seen Alucard's full potential, Walter was certain that the odds were permanently tipped in Hellsing's favor. "As if such things matter to you. What reason have you to worry about anything like odds?"

"Well, if I were in my smaller form, it would be harder to defend you if such an occurrence should arise. Considering those gashes on your hands, I'm sure you'll be needing some extra help." His grin deepened.

Walter turned away, his cheeks scalding. "I can manage just fine. So where are we headed first?"

"The closest town it seems: Fieni."

"Fieni..." Walter repeated thoughtfully.

"Seems like you have a lot of questions on your mind. Care to share them?" The vampire purred.

That uneasy feeling was coming back to him. With a slight cough, Walter spoke. "Very well...the most important question of all: how are we getting there...by carriage?" The butler looked around at several carriages that were set at the side of the manor. One would be enough for their expedition.

"No, that won't do. We would be sitting ducks to the enemy."

"Then what, we're walking?" Walter wasn't out of shape, but he already knew that walking around the countryside of Romania would be terrible in his current shoes...not to mention that each site they would be visiting was much more than a few miles apart.

Alucard stood a foot or so from the butler and lifted both hands to the level of his chest. "What would you prefer: over one shoulder or 'bridal style'?"

"What?"

The question was, unfortunately, rhetorical. Before Walter could realize what was happening he was looking down at the manor. It was far larger than he imagined. Wait...we're flying? "What in the...?"

Alucard cackled as he heard Walter's confused and unspoken thoughts loudly in his head. "Now if I told you beforehand, this wouldn't have been as much fun as it is now."

Blue eyes squinted to adjust to the wind and atmospheric dust that swirled around them. Once Alucard reached his desired velocity, Walter was able to open his eyelids a bit wider. The youth had been hoisted under his knees and arms in the vampire's hands. Small gusts of wind swirled his hair about and he noticed it was the cause of two leathery bat wings on his partner's form.

"Since when have you had wings? I've-" Walter wanted to finish his sentence which would have followed as, 'I've never seen them before.' But the words never met his lips. The color drained from his face as he stared down at the Earth. For a few seconds he remembered an animated cartoon he had seen at the theater on one of his days off. What was the character's name? Walter couldn't remember. He was a short, irritable, gunslinger with a long red beard who was always outsmarted by a mischievous rabbit. At one point the character stepped off a cliff and didn't fall until he realized he was standing on air and fell with an echoing scream.

But Walter found that he couldn't scream, nor could he look away from the land that was too far from his feet.

"Don't worry," Alucard purred gently, tightening his grip. "You'll be fine as long as you don't move much."

Walter swallowed with a short nod. He felt that if he breathed wrong somehow he would fall to his death. Why was it that jumping out of an airplane hadn't scared him? Walter, with what little brain power he possessed, remembered that planes typically flew above the clouds. And currently Alucard was flying a lot lower. Even though he couldn't reason why he was scared, he was scared. Really scared. Almost lose control of your bodily functions scared. Or had he already? The air around them was chilly due to the approaching winter and their speed. So even if he had wet himself, he had no way of knowing.

Alucard snorted for a few seconds before the full volume of his laughter burst from his mouth. "Oh, Angel...ahaahaahaaa!" His previously straight flight pattern began to teeter in a zig-zag formation.

Walter had finally been able to tear his eyes away from the Earth only to be startled by the new uneven flight pattern. He uttered a surprised noise that was a cross between a, 'Yip!' and a 'Aye!' and threw both arms around Alucard's neck. "Straighten up, you damn vampire!"

"Angel, you're most amusing today."

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Walter's tone indicated he was back to his old self, or at least he was trying to act like he was.

"What would you do if I said, 'Yes,' to that?"

There was silence between the couple until their aerial adventure had come to an end and Walter's feet were safely on the ground.

"So why were you so meek up there, Angel of Death? You didn't bat an eye when you fell from the plane in Poland."

The butler's face exploded with a dark red blush. "It's not like I acted that way because I wanted to!" He glared at Alucard who offered his usual smirky expression. "You took me by surprise, you daft fool! I didn't have time to get my bearings."

"So, is it you like to be in control?" Alucard 'hmmed' with an enthused tone.

Walter had a retort ready and waiting in his mind. Though the words never came as he was distracted by the barren land about them. Florescu Manor had been stunning, seemingly untouched by the war and even the vampire outbreak. This town, however, showed terrible damage.

The two stood perched atop a grassy hill which overlooked what remained of Fieni village. Dilapidated wooden structures speckled the countryside. What buildings were standing clearly showed that no one lived within their walls. Hinges creaked and leaves rustled as the wind carried through the ghost town.

Having seen his share of war-ridden towns, Walter was not completely surprised by the sight before him. This was a case, his thought chided. There was no time to allow emotions to root and take control of his mind. Visit the town, collect evidence, locate the enemy and destroy them. The enemies objective mattered not; it was merely a search-and-destroy type mission.

Alucard adjusted his shiny glasses at the bridge, propping them higher with one finger. "Your mind is telling me you have several questions to ask. What would they be, young Angel?"

There was a certain smugness to those words, the same demeanor that Alucard displayed when he took on the role of the cat that had cornered the mouse. Walter would not be some defenseless creature and knew to retaliate against such words. "Enough of your probing! All I want to know is the details of this town."

No fun already... he grinned. "Very well. I could tell you weren't able to follow the conversation earlier as it was." Two chilled fingers and his thumb stroked the teen's chin before their owner spoke. "Fieni, a small farming community located on the outskirts of Florescu Manor. It seems this was one of the first to be targeted by the enemy."

"So...am I to assume there's no one left?" The butler directed his attention to the desecrated village, which looked more like a ghost town than anything else. The wind rushed around the couple with the sound of their coats flapping about, carrying its gusts through the center of the town again. Wooden structures that once resembled buildings moaned against the resistance of the wind, protesting, as if wishing to be left alone.

Alucard nodded once. "We will see soon enough."

The two descended from the hilltop into the ruins of Fieni, checking each farm carefully before moving to the next. And the hours to follow only proved Walter's suspicions to be correct.

"There's no one at all..." The young servant said aloud, slightly surprised by the outcome. While he didn't expect to find normal humans in any town pillaged by vampires, he was equally shocked not to find newly turned vampires or even ghouls. There was simply a number of dead bodies drained of blood.

Walter crossed his arms, propping his form against a door frame that was the front door to an abandoned house. It was one of the last farms in the town to search. Something wasn't adding up to him. Vampires typically snacked on a few humans, if not a few dozen. But more than likely the rogue vampires turned prey in their hast either into fellow vampires or subordinate ghouls. But instead there where only piles of lifeless husks that were once the villagers of this town. But what did this all mean?

"Still confused by our findings, Angel?" Alucard emerged from the house at Walter's side.

"Somewhat..." he answered rather seriously. "We've hunted vampires before...and usually the rogues can be found masking themselves in a town with lots of humans. Or...some of the less intelligent louts create an army of ghouls to command. But this town has neither...seems like a dead end already."

"Their motives are different than what you are used to."

"What do you mean?" Blue eyes leveled with the shiny orange rims of Alucard's glasses, his gaze asking for more to be said.

"Do you not remember our fond welcoming to the Manor?"

He nodded. "The rock cast into the window..."

"You're thinking too highly of their intelligence. Such tactics are child's play. Nothing more." Alucard proceeded from his spot in the doorway, and Walter followed behind. "There is no reason to question their motives. Any idiots who plan so poorly must be destroyed immediately."

Walter'a expression was turning sour. At first he was genuinely following Alucard's words until he had a realization. "Alright...then if these fools are such idiots as you say, why is it we've spent 3 hours searching and we've come up with nothing?"

Alucard turned on one heel, offering a matter-of-fact expression in return. "Just because they are weak doesn't mean they are easy to find. I never claimed to be fast at locating anything."

"What? But- I- Since when?" Alucard wasn't making any sense at all; and it made the young butler feel as though he were in a gag comic. Alucard...Dracula...he was the best of the best. Why would he be unable to locate even low-level vampires? A distant memory unearthed itself from Walter's conscious: their fight against the werewolf captain back in Warsaw. 'Walter, good luck. I'll leave it to you. See you later!' That damnable vampire! Walter thought, seething with anger. It was like that time all over again.

"I never claimed to be good at finding anything, just as you know I'm not proficient at fighting werewolves." Alucard grinned, the corner of his lips exposing a deadly canine to his partner.

"Will you stop probing my thoughts?"

Alucard's grin increased in size, only to falter seconds later. He could hear it; it was faint, but still audible to his preternatural ears. It was a heartbeat, a human heartbeat, but rather faint. He had noticed the beating before, but it had been so soft and disregarded it as a dying human. Evidently that wasn't the case as he gazed forward, away from Walter's eyes.

And the butler looked in the same direction.

An older man stood a few yards from them. He was short and thin, and supported himself with a wooden cane. His complexion was dark and his skin was splotchy, covered in darker patches around the cheek bones. "Te acolo! Ce faci aici?" (You there! What are you doing here?) The man barked in a gruff voice.

Oh great...Walter could feel a headache coming on now. As if it wasn't hard enough to understand Dumitru Florescu.

Alucard 'hmmed' softly and said, "Suntem aici pentru a investiga." (We are here to investigate.)

"Investiga?" (Investigate?) The gentleman laughed, throwing his head back a few inches. "Se pare că am avut dreptate să aveţi încredere." (Seems I was right to trust you.)

"Ah, deci ai fost cea pe care am observat mai devreme. Ai fost cu ochii pe noi de mult?" (Ah, so you were the one I noticed earlier. Have you been watching us long?)

The old man laughed. "Ai vazut ma? Ha! Deci, ceea ce cauţi?" (You saw me to? Ha! So what are you looking for?)

"Informaţii." (Information.)

* * *

Damp, dusty and rickety; just a few of the words to describe the interior of the gentleman's shack. Walter didn't mind so much the condition of the structure. However, the impression he was getting from this man was anything but friendly. He took a shine to Alucard and disregarded Walter without as second thought.

The two sat at a wooden table, waiting for their host to meet with them.

"So what is all of this about?"

"Why so annoyed, Angel? Still miffed about me hearing your innermost thoughts?" Long gloved fingers rotated the orange sunglasses about the table.

His lips formed a deep frown. "You know that's not it. What is this man's problem with me? He hasn't even given me a once over."

"Jealous?" Alucard grinned.

"Why you-" Walter found himself interrupted by a deep chuckle as their host sat across from Alucard. Before anything else happened Walter stood and went to the door.

"Running away already, my dear Angel?"

"No. But I won't be of any help with the witness. Don't worry yourself; it's not as if I'm stupid enough to search on my own. I'll just be outside." The door closed behind him with a resounding creak.

(Alucard and the old man continue to converse in Romanian, but I left the dialogue in English as it would be easier to read.)

The old man spread his calloused, dirty hands across the table as his laughter lessened. "What's wrong with your partner?"

Alucard snorted gently with amusement. "He was discourage by your disposition."

"Ahah! Well that one has a lot of spunk for a page. Getting up outta here like that."

The vampire chuckled. "Yes, indeed he does."

The elder man chuckled, slamming a palm against the table. "Ha! Well, I have to say, I'm glad I was right about you!"

Alucard softened his expression. "Oh? What do you mean?"

"I was right. That you weren't one of them. Those monsters that took the lives of everyone else in town. I would have been a goner if I had been wrong about you."

"So," he smiled, wrinkles under his eyelids deepening. "What made you think I wasn't one of them?"

"Your face. I'd recognize those features anywhere. You're a descendant of the Voivode himself, right?"

"You mean to say I am from the same bloodline as Vlad the Impaler?" He chuckled as quietly as possible. "Yes. In a way, I am."

"Ahaaahaa! I knew it! Someone with a regal face like yours had to be related to him. So it seems our government isn't a bunch of idiots after all. You here on official business then, huh?"

"Yes. I would like to know any information you have on the creatures terrorizing your village."

"Fine by me. But before that, what's your name?"

Alucard expanded his lips into a somewhat sincere grin. "I am Doru."

"That's an interesting one. Mine is Nistor."

"Well Mr. Nistor, it is a pleasure to meet you. Now to the matter at hand."

Mr. Nistor sighed while his fingers moved against themselves. "Those creatures were strigoi."

"It's been a long time since I have heard anyone speak about the strigoi. I believe the rest of Europe calls them vampires."

Mr. Nistor snorted. "Well I don't care what the rest of them call them. They were strigoi and I saw them as clearly as I see you." He paused momentarily to collect his thoughts. "They came a few weeks ago at night. They attacked the livestock. And then they went after children. And then...everyone...everyone I knew. Drained them all of blood and left them."

"How many strigoi were there?"

"Three or four. Wasn't more than a few. All of them were men...and after they took everyone they torched the crops and the buildings."

"Mr. Nistor, how is it you were able to survive?"

"Oh those buffoons! They didn't want a old coot like me." He chortled.

"Yes it would seem that is true."

"Eh don't you worry about an old man like me." Mr. Nistor smiled.

It was clear by the faint heartbeat that this man would not live to see many more days, which reminded Alucard of how humans viewed their mortality. Most faced death weakly, trying as hard as possible to run from their fate. But this man was much different.

Those tired human eyes shown all the pain and struggle Mr. Nistor had witnessed in his life. Though it seemed he was the type to possess dignity in light of recent events. Equally, he seemed to realize his time was near. "Just take all I'm telling you and see if you can save some other town. This one's been gone for a long time now."