Chapter 6.

Warm. A simple word yet had so much meaning. It could mean affection between two people. The temperature in a room or outside or it could mean the feeling a person could experience.

And Alucard felt none.

He never really felt much to begin with anyway, but being not an everyday vampire, he could choose whether to feel such things. Warmth however, was eluding him. In fact, it had eluded him since the wedding, which if he was right, had taken place, three months ago.

Three months since the loss of the little bit of freedom he had.

Three months since the shackles were tightened.

Three months since everyone had turned against him.

Three months since the burning of his throne.

Three months since his undead heart was stood on and ground into the ground.

Three months since he discovered the true meaning of pain: something he never knew before and never needed to know before.

Alucard shivered and rubbed his arms through his threadbare shirt, so worn it had holes and had lost its original shape and stared out of the main window in Integra's office. Lost in thought, he bit his already cut and bruised lip, accidently drawing blood.

Swearing under his breath, he sucked the blood from his lip, trying to conserve any little blood he had left in his body. His master after deciding that the vampire couldn't keep his mouth shut, a lesson was in order to curb the rebellion that the vampire still had left.

Alucard closed his eyes and rested his head on the glass pane, arms either side and he remembered.

Flashback

Anderson walked around the vampire held still by two of the Hellsing Army personnel, and took in the wide eyes and the heaving chest, all in fear of what his master was going to do.

"Vampire!" He hollered, making the vampires eyes snap towards him.

"You have been caught by no less than half of Hellsing's army, attempting to feed from the servants in the stables! Do you deny it?"

Alucard had shook his head and attempted to make some sort of sound, hands tightening on his already too thin arms, holding him upright.

"II...I..."

Anderson had smirked at the pitiful attempts made by the vampire to clear his name. Of course the vampire, had only done so on his orders, forced to attack the servants least the seal attack him first. And of course, the soldiers had just walked in on that moment. How convenient.

"I think the creature's guilt is clear for all to see! Now, to show what it means to betray Hellsing!" He roared, walking over to the draped object in the middle of the field, pulling the sheet off.

A collective gasp went around and Alucard had pulled against the hands letting out a scream of "NO!" as they all saw what was sitting there.

Alucard's throne

Alucard let out a moan and turned to Anderson, eyes blazing.

"You can't do this! You have no right! I haven't done anything! I was only fol..ARGH!"

Anderson backhanded him across the face, splitting the lip and sending him sideways only held up by the two armed guards.

"Listen here, Slave, no one wants to hear your pitiful voice! Keep your lies to yourself!"

Alucard stared at Anderson in fury, chest heaving, blood trickling down the front of his ripped shirt.

"So, it is only fair that, the Vampires 'throne' is set on fire, back to hell whence it came from!"

Anderso walked over to where the throne was and threw a container full of petrol over the wood, ignoring the screams of Alucard behind him.

Smiling at Alucard over his shoulder he called out, "This really is for your own good you know."

And then he threw the lit match onto the petrol sodden throne.

Alucard had stared in horror as his beloved throne had gone up in flames.

"No, NO!!! Master, please! Put out the flames! I..."

Anderson strode over to the distraught vampire, watching him twist and turn, trying to run to his flaming throne.

"Curb your tongue! This was all through your own doing!!! This is what happens when you try to hurt Hellsing! Next time, it'll be your coffin you ungrateful monster!"

All that could be heard was the screams of Alucard as he watched the ancient chair slowly burn away in front of his eyes.

"I believe as our 'guest' has so much vocal energy he can spend it in his cell for a while, no blood."

Alucard shivered again and looked over the field. He could still see the charred ground where it had been burnt last week. Could still feel the flames and hear the laughter of the men around him, jeering at his tears that had leaked out, no matter how hard he tried to stop them.

He sighed and looked over his shoulder at the door. He didn't really have much time until Integra came back. If Integra found him in here, she would inform Him and then Alucard, no matter what would be in big trouble.

Alucard ran a hand through white hair caused by lack of blood and turned to the books on the shelves and flicked through a pile absently.

A glimpse of gold caught his eye and he turned, curious.

"A book of ancient seals".He mused turning the book over, wiping the dust off with one hand.

"Interesting book there Vampire." Came a hissing voice from behind.

Alucard spun around, book still clutched in his hands, eyes wide as Anderson stood in front of the door, glasses glinting, fingers grasped around the silver whip in his left hand.

"Would'cha mind tellin' me why you are in your mistress's room without her permission? Without MY permission?"

It was at that moment that Alucard made a decision:

He dropped the book and smashed through the pane of glass that he had rested on before, plummeting to the ground, catching himself at the last moment and making a run for it into the forest on the grounds.

Anderson grinned wildly, teeth gleaming.

The hunt was on.