Chapter Fourteen
Alucard held the mutating Drake across his arms while simply staring down at her; his red-orange gaze held a strange concern within their depths as they softened. He knew she would be changed but only if she ingested his blood but he never imagined it would have resulted in Polaris leveling what was left of the once-great capitol of England. It had changed not only her DNA and appearance but always her usually controlled composure apparently. He witnessed her blindly attack that metal-made blimp without any regard for her own well-being. A realization then dawned on Alucard. Polaris was being to care about more than just her own survival. She had begun to care about the same species whom she hated since their creation. She cared enough to level the entire city in order to destroy the entire threat. But more so, she was beginning to mutate as she was meant to eons ago.
A small gasp came from his lips as Polaris' normally pale china-like skin began to darken to a moderately pale blue; the white of her hair and eyebrows then streaked with slowly engulfing shades of blue and blue-violet. Scales began to push themselves through her delicately blue skin in waves of shimmering blue that trailed up to her jaws before fading toward her ears. What was happening to her? Why was her body reacting to the change this dramatically? Perhaps it was because she had refused it for eons while Mother Nature continued to evolve. Perhaps it was because her DNA was so old, so prehistoric, so original, that it did not want it evolve. It did not want to change with the world. And because of this stubborn nature of hers, her DNA reacted violently with his.
While the Drake remained unconscious and her skin waving with growing and receding scales, Alucard knelt with Polaris in his arms; he rested her against his bent knee to sit her up while her head rested back over his thigh. The Vampire gently brushed a few strands of her now various shades of blue hair from her even paler blue face before sneering; not at the impending change taking place before him but at himself for allowing his lust for blood and for her to do this to the only other creature he's held close to his dark Vampiric heart. As he continued to stare at her with concern, his mind stretched and trailed toward the unconscious Drake's own mentality. But there was nothing. Not even a hissing snarl by her mental guard or even a wall of ice normally protecting her mind. His gaze widened as yet another whispering gasp parted his lips; the Drake's mind was consumed by the very darkness he wielded. Even the glistening aura clouding her form began to fade. The shimmering waves of scales growing and receding across her skin began to slow before only the tops of her knuckles upon each hand held tiny scales overlapping into larger scales along the back of her hands. A collage of jewels began to push themselves through her delicate skin upon her forearms as her nails lengthened into dark blue human-like talons. Her form still resembled what she appeared as before only instead of snow white locks of hair, it was replaced by waves of blue varying in shades and tones. Layers of pale blue scales slowly settled upon her forearms while the collar around her neck began to shift into a delicate chain holding a pale blue topaz jewel. Her skin darkened from a pale china color to appear as though her skin had a pale blue hue to it. Was she still alive? Alucard couldn't even hear a heart beat within the flood of silence swirling within the mutated Drake's mind. Since her head was leaning back, Alucard saw only her neck leading up to her chin; his eyes flickered a quick flash of red-orange as he gritted his teeth before resting his forehead against her chest and whispering,
"Come back to me, Drake. London needs you. I need you." As he whispered into her silent mind, Polaris' eyes shot open in a wide, insane expression; they were no longer her renown steel blue gaze tinted in a glimmering blue. Her pupils narrowed into slits resembling a reptilian gaze while encased in oblong rings of varying shades of yellow to nearly orange. The whites of her eyes no longer shimmering a pale blue as before but as a dim, almost cream-colored yellow. Alucard soon regained his composure before his gaze widened at the sight of the Drake. She awoke. Polaris slowly pulled herself up and sat in silence at the sight of her hands. She seemed the same yet at the same time, she seemed different. The Vampire remained silent with a neutral expression upon his face; it was not that he didn't know what to say more of as how to say it or how Polaris would react. It wasn't until Polaris spoke in a quiet whisper that Alucard broke from his trance,
"What happened to me?" The one question that Vampire did not, under any circumstances, want to answer. He knew of her temper and for her to realize he had known about this entire scenario would only bring her undivided wrath upon him especially when the Drake had no known control over her-found change. A few moments of silence passed before Polaris turned her pale yellow gaze toward Alucard,
"Alucard...? W-What happened?" It was then that Polaris noticed London; the buildings had all fallen into piles of rubble and rhubarb; the streets were littered with bodies, internal organs, limbs, and blood. Especially the blood. Polaris had never noticed the sweet intoxicating smell before but now, it filled her sinuses with the sweetest of all scents to her now. "Did I...? Did I do this?" Her wide, frightened gaze scanned across the once-great city of London as her mentality swallowed reality. She had leveled London, killed whoever was left, and mutated into something she wasn't expecting. Alucard gave a slow, cautious nod before he spoke,
"Yes. You did. Polaris, you must understand why you've changed..." His words were cut off by her large, frightened pale yellow eyes. She always knew of her strength but she rarely used it to its fullest extent. And now that she mutated into something else, her abilities were unknown. She didn't even know if she could manipulate Ice or Water still. His words were forced from him due to his reluctance to tell her the truth,
"You were dying, Drake. I had no other choice." What was he saying? His blood did this! He did this to her to save her life?
"I made you drink my blood while you were unconscious. You were dying. I... I didn't know what else to do." The Vampire was just as inexperienced as showing emotions other than anger and disgust as Polaris was at understanding it all. Just as her eyes began to shine and narrow in anger, three words soon broke that welling anger and dispersed it.
"I'm sorry, Polaris." He lowered his head so that the wide-rim of his hat cast a veil of black over his face. The Vampire actually apologized? Apologized for doing the exact same thing he did to Seras? It wasn't his his nature to be apologetic. It wasn't in his character to actually care about what his actions might cause. Or so the Drake thought. He had done what was necessary to save her even if it meant changing her entirely. She understood that because she had done the same thing for him centuries ago. A few moments of awkward silence passed before she stood and turned her back to him. Her wavy locks of blue-violet streaks billowed in the passing breeze that carried with it the scent of blood and decay. Her Draconian heart no longer beat for the Vampire's blood mutated her into something that held both Vampire and Drake characteristics. Her fists clenched tight before she turned to face him,
"Does this mean you're my master?" The question caught Alucard off guard. Her master? He had never even thought about what such a change would mean to both him and her. He did what he did by instinct, the instinct to save her life without even thinking. But since she drank from him and turned, he only created another Vampire or something that resembles the species. With a shake of his head, he answered,
"No. I am not your master. You are still the free creature that... fell for a lowly Vampire." The Vampire stood before turning away to cross his arms and gaze over the fallen city of London. It was a mere break in the impending war against Humans and Vampires. Polaris' gaze dropped to the stone platform that she stood on before she turned away to leave the Vampire and this city. Polaris turned her topaz gaze toward Alucard from over her shoulder before a pair of wings outstretched from her shoulder-blades. They resembled more bat-like than reptilian as they gave one great flap, lifting the Drake into the air as she soared North, away from the city, from those hellions, and from Alucard. Small droplets of tears floated from the air to Alucard's hat with light thuds against the wide-rim which in turn caused the Vampire to turn his attention to the faint trail of glistening fog left behind by Polaris.
The Drake traveled for what seem like hours into the Northern Arctic Circle, simply gliding before coming to land upon a small ice berg. It's cool temperature felt wonderful against her hands as Polaris knelt; it had been far too long since she visited the only place she's ever called home. After a few moments of holding herself together, she broke down; the Drake fell to her knees before leaning forward to rest her forehead against the cold ice of the berg. Tears streamed down her cheeks before she reared her head back and let loose a pulsating screech into the air; it echoed and whispered through the Vampire's ear as he sneered. She was lost for the first time in eons; what was she suppose to do? She didn't even know who or what she was anymore. Her heart didn't beat. Her mind couldn't hold together any longer. Her DNA was mutated. She wasn't herself anymore. She wasn't the disciplined Drake that roamed Earth for eons while watching it grow and mature. And it was all because of that damn Vampire and his will to save her; it was because of the Drake that she let this whole scenario get this far. She leaned forward to rest her forehead against the cold ice yet again before bursting into tears; tears streamed down her cheeks before freezing and becoming a fine mist as she wailed. The Drake was crying, not for herself but for what she'd done to London and for what Alucard was forced to do to her to save her life. She was so lost even her instincts didn't make any sense. Her undead heart now told her to return to London while her instincts told her to return to her seclusion.
"What do I do? I can't go back to that place or to that Vampire. Not like this..." She turned her attention to the night sky before wiping the frozen tears from her eyes; it wasn't until his voice echoed within her mind that her wailing ceased, causing her eyes to widen while still filled with tears as all of her unspoken vows immediately vanished,
"I'm sorry, Polaris." Her dead heart ached as his voice held a tone of regret; regret for stealing her heart, for changing her, for everything. She didn't respond but merely hissed aloud and spread her large bat-like wings to take to the skies in a streak of pale blue before breaking the sound barrier as she barreled South toward London yet again. To hell with confusion. To hell with the war. To hell with everything she loathed in that Vampire. If these freaks wanted to change the Drake then fine. She would show these freaks of Nature what exactly they have created. Polaris finally accepted her fate in an obvious glare of her gaze; she hated it of course, but then again it was wonderful to know that she was no longer alone in this world. She reached London in a matter of moments; Alucard gave a whispering gasp before turning to see a streak of pale blue shoot across the sky and into the floating metal structure. A painful screamed echoed through the air as she passed through the invisible field of exploding pink and purple electricity with no remorse before her trail of pale blue bounced and sliced through the large metal contraption floating above the fallen city. Echoing screeches and clashes of diamond and metal were carried through the air as small explosions erupted from the sides of the blimp while streaks of pale blue continued to slice and swirl around the now-descending structure. She was venting her anger again only this time upon the enemy instead of that Vampire. The streaks of blue soon vanished as Polaris flickered into sight behind Alucard who merely observed the Drake's new-found speed and agility. The metal blimp crashed into the Earth in an explosion of dirt, rubble, debris, and flames causing Polaris to grin as her wings faded into glimmering veils of mist. The Vampire said nothing; he didn't even turn to look at her.
"Alucard. Is there something wrong?" Her words were low, almost as a whisper as she took a step forward but soon halted once the Vampire tensed a bit. It obvious in his broad shoulders as they sat straight instead of the usual relaxed expression.
"No." What the hell? One moment he's nearly doubled-over at the possibility of losing the Drake and now he wouldn't even look at her. Polaris sneered before taking another forward while her words shot through his mentality like arrows,
"It is your fault I am like this now. You saved my life and now both you and I must suffer the consequences for it." The Vampire clenched his jaws together to grit his teeth yet again. The Drake was right. She knew all too well the consequences of instinctively saving a life without even a second thought. Her black blouse billowed in the wind as it passed in silence; why wouldn't he turn and face her? Why wouldn't he answer? In the past months, this man tormented her, pleasured her, aggravated her, and cared about her all at the same time and now, that same man wouldn't even acknowledge her existence. Why?
"Look at me, Alucard!" Her words rang through his mind painfully as the rim of his hat dipped, indicating he lowered his head a bit. Why was he acting like this? Why did he seemingly regret causing Polaris to evolve into what she is now? Even the Vampire did not know. A few moments of silence passed before he turned to face her; his expression was not the admirable sarcasm that usually plagued his features. It was neutral as though she was just another creature to him; one of which forced a glare from Polaris.
"What's wrong with you?" She spoke aloud with words slithering with ice behind them but the Vampire did not answer, which only aggravated Polaris even more as she snapped, "Answer me!" Her eyes began to shimmer a bright pale yellow as a result of her aggravation as she took yet another step forward to the unusually silent Vampire. A few moments of irritating silence passed before Alucard finally spoke,
"You are right. It is my fault." He turned to face her with a fatigued expression on his face. What the hell had happened so dramatically to have caused the King of Vampires to seem so fatigued and depressed?
"I am the reason the Great Ice Drake of this planet fell in Love. I am the reason you, Polaris, are now Vampire." Her gaze widened for a few moments before her pupils slid down to gaze at her hands. She was Vampire? Her blood, DNA, appearance, everything mutated into... Vampire? But how? She still held her capability to resume her true appearance as a Drake. Her attention to the scent of blood had greatly increased and her appearance altered but other than that, she felt no different than when she was a Drake. Is this what her ancestors meant by evolving? Is this what she was suppose to accept? The Vampire spoke yet again to break her confused silence,
"You were dying, Polaris. I had no other choice. You've done what no other being on this planet could." The Drake turned her attention back to Alucard, her eyes still slightly wide from sheer surprise and confusion. Had a Vampire fallen for a Drake in the same respect she fell for him? This entire time she had spent in his company, it never occurred to her that perhaps this Vampire matched her in more than just mind, body, and strength; that he returned the same feelings she regrettably had for him. The Vampire took a few steps toward Polaris before towering over her yet again; he then placed a bent finger below Polaris' chin to tilt her face toward his before planting a gentle kiss against her dark blue lips. She had been so stubborn in believing such a thing was possible yet by that simple kiss, her undead heart fluttered regardless of it's breathless rhythm. Alucard soon broke the kiss before a wicked smile stretched across his lips,
"Allow me to have some fun with these heretics this time, my dear." Those same words he spoke to her in South America before they massacred that swat team. And in the same tone as before, Polaris replied,
"After you then." She moved to the side while sweeping an arm out to her side; that same wicked smile stretched across her own dark blue lips as Alucard cackled. Her gleaming teeth held a pair of fangs that extended her canine teeth abnormally which in turn poked out from below her top lip. The Vampire's form was engulfed by a that same strange darkness he seemed to wield with ease before it soon settled, leaving Alucard dress in his black leather buckled body suit with a sinister smile stretching his lips. His long black mane hung above half of his face, which in turn covered half of that sick smile of his as well. A few moments passed before the Vampire flickered from sight, leaving Polaris smiling into the air as the passing breeze lifted her blue mane to billow off to the side.