The dark figure watched silently from above as the humans passed,
dressed in uniform with Hellsing emblems patched on their shoulders. Each
gun over the right shoulder. Each face held expressionless, not knowing
what was to come. A pale face grinned with pearly sharp teeth and glinting
scarlet eyes, spying the artery just above the collar of a young officer.
It had been a decade since Van Helsing first encountered the demon that is
here described. Since then, the doctor had formed an impressive
organization with the assistance of the Queen and Protestant funding. Dr.
Van Helsing had decided to add a second "L" to the title of his
organization to make it "Hellsing." "Hell" seemed much more proper to the
title as the work of the organization was in dealing with the Damned.
The demon's name which Helsing vowed was his true enemy: Dracula. Dracula. In the demon's native land this name had two meanings, both fitting to the creature. The Dragon or, Helsing's favorite, Son of the Devil. But the doctor had to wonder, was Dracula the son of the Devil? Or, perhaps he was the Devil himself....... Perhaps. But, nonetheless, the Church would always claim victory over evil. This is what Jack and the others thought, but Abraham wasn't so sure.
"I'm just saying that he is strong, Jack," Helsing said, setting the wine glass on the table as he stared at his former pupil. "Have faith in the Protestant church always, but don't be so careless."
"Careless? I realize I have been slacking a bit, Professer, but careless never. I am as devoted to defeating this creature as you are!" Jack insisted as he removed his vest and loosened his tie.
"Oh? Are you?"
"Yes!"
"Then why did you let him take your sister, Jack? You knew all along that he was watching her. Why did you leave her alone?"
"I had business elsewhere. How was I supposed to know he'd strike at day?"
"You must assume the worst, always. He wasn't born yesterday, Jack. He was born centuries ago. He's clever. He lurks in the shadows of day and beneath the stars of night. You knew he wanted her. Any other business should come after the safety of her, always."
"I understand......."
"Well, it doesn't matter anymore. She's gone. We can't help her now."
"Are we going to....... well, you know."
"Free her? No, no. He'll be careful about this one. After Miss Lucy, he'll be much more cautious."
"Please, don't remind me of poor Lucy."
"Oh, leave your emotions to one side! You should have learned by now!"
"Yes! Yes, I have, but let's stop bringing up the past."
"We mustn't. We can't stop that! We've got to learn from our pasts. Otherwise our memories would have no reason, no purpose. We would forget all and lose our footing. Our control."
"But, for now, what will we do about dear Marisa?"
"Marisa.......We'll wait on her. Wait until our next encounter with Dracula himself. If she is present, we'll deal with her then. If not, another battle with the Ancient Prince will be met and we shall hope for the best, as always. There isn't much we can do, but wait."
"I hate to leave her there with him."
"She doesn't mind. All his victims become voluntary in time. When he took her, I imagine she was ready and willing to go," Helsing said with a heavy sigh, looking down at the glass. Half empty.
Jack went to the window and watched the soldiers moving out to the field to train. Also watching across the way was still Dracula with a broad, open smile. Suddenly he perked up, the smile disappearing as he remembered his new companion.
"She's waiting. The babies are always so hungry at first........" Dracula chuckled to himself. He turned his head and searched out the organized crowd of soldiers, finding the same young officer he had been spying before. Moving like a shadow over darkness, he closed in, drifting over the many heads till he found the one that pleased him. He grinned as he closed in. "Young and fresh. This one should please her. And give the Witch Doctor in the window quite a fright, I expect. The man looks like he needs a little action."
Dracula looked over at the window at his nemesis, Helsing, standing beside Jack. Overseeing the march, he seemed so unassuming.
"Right. Mustn't keep her waiting."
With one silent movement, Dracula swooped down on his victim and pulled him off the ground by his head, snapping his fragile spine in doing so. In the window, Helsing watched as the officer was carried off. It came as no surprise. It had been a dull night and he expected something. He turned and watched with a bit of sadistic amusement as Jack frantically rushed around in a hopeless frenzy, mumbling what seemed to be an ongoing sentence of words that couldn't be understood, even by their speaker.
Outside, the soldiers had stopped their march to watch the corpse of the poor boy carried away. Dracula flew over the city, moving down on Carfax Abbey and landing his feet on the soft ground. He carried the still warm body inside and searched for Marisa, his new companion.
"Marisa?" he called. "I've got a present for you."
He watched as a pale brunette in a white dress of silk and lace entered the room. Marisa smiled and walked toward him, her silk slippers hitting the floor with a soft patting sound. Dracula dropped the body on the floor and stepped over it to catch Marisa in a warm embrace, despite his icy skin.
"Mmm." Marisa squeezed him and then released to look into his eyes. "You took a really long time."
"I had to find the perfect one for your first prey."
"He's dead?"
"This one, yes. The next one won't be." He lifted her chin. "Oh, but don't be so disappointed. He's still quite warm. Come. We'll dine together in the parlor."
A soft smile appeared on the young demon's face. Dracula bowed down and picked the body up again.
"Hurry now, before he freezes. They get cold so quickly after lying in the chill of the night air. Hurry."
Marisa grinned and ran to the parlor with the quick patter of her slippers.
"Hurry, Master! Come on! He can't be cold! You said cold blood doesn't taste as good. You don't want me to start off on bad blood, do you? Hurry!"
Dracula smiled, following the figure of lace, almost like trailing a frail little ghost toward an unknown oblivion, as the room past the great mahogany door was dark, and his vampire eyes couldn't see what lay past the hardwood frame at such a distance. He caught a glimpse of the last bit of lace skirt as it disappeared into the shadow, soft giggles still echoing back to him.
Strange how this newborn demon seemed so celestial yet. So soft and innocent with her small, frail frame. Even the Son of Satan felt a hint of shame in taking her soul. What would become of the tiny angel with dragon's blood in her veins?
The demon's name which Helsing vowed was his true enemy: Dracula. Dracula. In the demon's native land this name had two meanings, both fitting to the creature. The Dragon or, Helsing's favorite, Son of the Devil. But the doctor had to wonder, was Dracula the son of the Devil? Or, perhaps he was the Devil himself....... Perhaps. But, nonetheless, the Church would always claim victory over evil. This is what Jack and the others thought, but Abraham wasn't so sure.
"I'm just saying that he is strong, Jack," Helsing said, setting the wine glass on the table as he stared at his former pupil. "Have faith in the Protestant church always, but don't be so careless."
"Careless? I realize I have been slacking a bit, Professer, but careless never. I am as devoted to defeating this creature as you are!" Jack insisted as he removed his vest and loosened his tie.
"Oh? Are you?"
"Yes!"
"Then why did you let him take your sister, Jack? You knew all along that he was watching her. Why did you leave her alone?"
"I had business elsewhere. How was I supposed to know he'd strike at day?"
"You must assume the worst, always. He wasn't born yesterday, Jack. He was born centuries ago. He's clever. He lurks in the shadows of day and beneath the stars of night. You knew he wanted her. Any other business should come after the safety of her, always."
"I understand......."
"Well, it doesn't matter anymore. She's gone. We can't help her now."
"Are we going to....... well, you know."
"Free her? No, no. He'll be careful about this one. After Miss Lucy, he'll be much more cautious."
"Please, don't remind me of poor Lucy."
"Oh, leave your emotions to one side! You should have learned by now!"
"Yes! Yes, I have, but let's stop bringing up the past."
"We mustn't. We can't stop that! We've got to learn from our pasts. Otherwise our memories would have no reason, no purpose. We would forget all and lose our footing. Our control."
"But, for now, what will we do about dear Marisa?"
"Marisa.......We'll wait on her. Wait until our next encounter with Dracula himself. If she is present, we'll deal with her then. If not, another battle with the Ancient Prince will be met and we shall hope for the best, as always. There isn't much we can do, but wait."
"I hate to leave her there with him."
"She doesn't mind. All his victims become voluntary in time. When he took her, I imagine she was ready and willing to go," Helsing said with a heavy sigh, looking down at the glass. Half empty.
Jack went to the window and watched the soldiers moving out to the field to train. Also watching across the way was still Dracula with a broad, open smile. Suddenly he perked up, the smile disappearing as he remembered his new companion.
"She's waiting. The babies are always so hungry at first........" Dracula chuckled to himself. He turned his head and searched out the organized crowd of soldiers, finding the same young officer he had been spying before. Moving like a shadow over darkness, he closed in, drifting over the many heads till he found the one that pleased him. He grinned as he closed in. "Young and fresh. This one should please her. And give the Witch Doctor in the window quite a fright, I expect. The man looks like he needs a little action."
Dracula looked over at the window at his nemesis, Helsing, standing beside Jack. Overseeing the march, he seemed so unassuming.
"Right. Mustn't keep her waiting."
With one silent movement, Dracula swooped down on his victim and pulled him off the ground by his head, snapping his fragile spine in doing so. In the window, Helsing watched as the officer was carried off. It came as no surprise. It had been a dull night and he expected something. He turned and watched with a bit of sadistic amusement as Jack frantically rushed around in a hopeless frenzy, mumbling what seemed to be an ongoing sentence of words that couldn't be understood, even by their speaker.
Outside, the soldiers had stopped their march to watch the corpse of the poor boy carried away. Dracula flew over the city, moving down on Carfax Abbey and landing his feet on the soft ground. He carried the still warm body inside and searched for Marisa, his new companion.
"Marisa?" he called. "I've got a present for you."
He watched as a pale brunette in a white dress of silk and lace entered the room. Marisa smiled and walked toward him, her silk slippers hitting the floor with a soft patting sound. Dracula dropped the body on the floor and stepped over it to catch Marisa in a warm embrace, despite his icy skin.
"Mmm." Marisa squeezed him and then released to look into his eyes. "You took a really long time."
"I had to find the perfect one for your first prey."
"He's dead?"
"This one, yes. The next one won't be." He lifted her chin. "Oh, but don't be so disappointed. He's still quite warm. Come. We'll dine together in the parlor."
A soft smile appeared on the young demon's face. Dracula bowed down and picked the body up again.
"Hurry now, before he freezes. They get cold so quickly after lying in the chill of the night air. Hurry."
Marisa grinned and ran to the parlor with the quick patter of her slippers.
"Hurry, Master! Come on! He can't be cold! You said cold blood doesn't taste as good. You don't want me to start off on bad blood, do you? Hurry!"
Dracula smiled, following the figure of lace, almost like trailing a frail little ghost toward an unknown oblivion, as the room past the great mahogany door was dark, and his vampire eyes couldn't see what lay past the hardwood frame at such a distance. He caught a glimpse of the last bit of lace skirt as it disappeared into the shadow, soft giggles still echoing back to him.
Strange how this newborn demon seemed so celestial yet. So soft and innocent with her small, frail frame. Even the Son of Satan felt a hint of shame in taking her soul. What would become of the tiny angel with dragon's blood in her veins?