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Flame of Purification

A dark figure came from above landing right in middle of the empty space between Abraham Van Hellsing, Wilhelmina Harker, John Seward, Jonathan Harker, Lord Godalming and the critically wounded Quincey Morris. They saw the shadow but has no strength to speak against or stop it from what it was about to do. Willpower and strength was drained from every strand of their muscles and they did nothing but watch everything unfold. Whatever was the shadow snapped the bowie knife, not taking any chances with a sharp blade on a hand of a mortal, from the hold of the poor Quincey. It should not have matter with the fear that the shadow casted by its fiery red eyes on mortally wounded Quincey and the souls around him. Its darkened hand which resembled nothing but claws took hold of the knife and pierced its left hand, set the knife on the side and gagged Quincey with its wounded hand. The blood forced its way inside his mouth, down on his throat, leaving a man no choice but lead the dark cloud of gore into his system.

Quincey coughed dark blood but drank most of it. Hatred superseded his fear at the shadow, the creature before him can only be that being, the creature that he hated and despised the most, the creature which brought him so much pain. He cursed the shadow above him but words won't come out only pain, fear and hatred mixed in his bloodshot eyes. His eyes on the shadow overlooking his form, he thought there was sadness with the way it cast a look at him, perhaps it was pity but when the hand released his lips and the shadow leaned over, he heard the creature whisper something and the shadow lifted his hand shooting toward the dark sky. His claws disappeared but he felt where it landed rushing down. There was an agonizing pain and when his claws came back into his view, it was already holding his precious life, specifically his heart. Pumping blood all over his chest, trickled on his face but it no longer reached his veins, at that moment Quincey knew that death was only a couple of seconds away. Now Quincey knew that he had no choice but to welcome death, at least there was hope that Lucy was waiting on the other side. His soul marveled on this thought as the gust of the wind passing from the Carpathian Mountain gave him tranquility.

Glurk! The horrid shadow held the heart, pierced his nail and contaminated it. The heart turned black, corrupted until it was surrounded by a black flame and forced it in Quincey Morris saying, '…this shall replace your human heart that has ceased to beat,' and plunged it right through his chest. He groaned in pain as life brought color to his face. Mina cried over the whole scene having to witness in close proximity. She was not heard swear until this day where the pain that crossed the face of their American friend that had sacrificed so much, his life and now his humanity, was enough to pierce her heart with more than just physical pain. They all wanted to take his pain away, his tormented voice blew all creatures, birds and earthly animals away from the place, unable to bear the pain the voice alone carries, and the lot of them had to bear witness on this torture that gnawed on their soul, but none of them was even able to lift a finger.

One for each of them, the shadow pierced its finger to their forehead, each of them letting out a terrible howl as they get their turn and though no blood came from its operation, the pain that it caused was enough for them to faint. Mina, being the closest was first to experience pain and followed shortly by her loving fiancé, Jonathan Harker. Lord Godalming, Dr. Seward and Van Hellsing have tried to resist but they all have failed and shortly succumbed to sleep. When they woke up, they wailed and suffered from the loss of complete stranger who they called Quincey Morris despite having a different face.

They traveled far, hunger and weakness enveloped each of their core, but they were still able to draw strength from a dead comrade, enough to reach them to the nearest town. Lord Godalming quickly arranged for a proper burial ceremony and with his wealth, and the help of the natives, everything was accomplished in the next three days. They came back as promised to the town and took their dead after a few months after Lord Godalming and Dr. Seward took care of all the necessary documents. And with heavy hearts for the second time, Quincey Morris, was declared dead and buried to his home country and town, Texas. It was a closed casket and memory from that mourning made it through their hearts.

'No, I can't believe this. It might be an illusion…Are you saying that's how it all happened?' Jonathan asked, still remained unfaithful to the religion Van Hellsing was raising for them.

'We are not forcing you to believe everything right now, but the fact remains that I can overpower every single one of you if I so wish, but my master lifted a finger for your sake, for all our sake and for your son. If you still won't listen and let Dracula succeed in his plan...then I guess you have abandoned your son and I have failed in my task. ' Quincey further stressed, even gaining the support of Van Hellsing along and asked the couple to reconsider, and let Quincey look into the child.

'No! Not my son.' Mina pleaded.

Kaboom! An explosion in the second floor took all their attention, Jonathan and Mina did not waste a second and climbed the stairs up, followed shortly by Dr. John Seward and Van Hellsing. Alucard had finally opened his eyes and without a word, his butler, Quincey Morris, understood what was needed of him and disappeared to prepare. Upstairs, it was dark with the clouds covering the moon but the lights from the hallway was enough to at least recognize a face and it was but a shock in the eyes of John, an inexplicable and inexcusable sight of his wife holding the boy hostage unconscious in her arms. 'Nancy, what are you doing?'

Nancy smiled and leaned into the figure behind her, a dark stalker of the night, where a huge wall was torn down by the explosion revealing the black and empty backyard outside. Jonathan, Mina and Van Hellsing were astonished by an unfathomable revelation. They tried hard to see past the shadow but couldn't, the face of Nancy was more than discernible and enough to understand what was happening. It was just devastating truth that the friend that Mina introduced to Seward a couple of years ago has turned against the lot of them, Seward was frantic saying that his wife must've been poisoned to doing it or was hypnotized, but Nancy answered her with that red lips of her, 'no, my dear husband, I've been interested on vampires for far too long until I heard about your patient Renfield. He was a really interesting fellow isn't he? And so are you and your friends. And sweet Mina, you don't know how elated I was when I learned your relation to the doctor, after that, it was all too easy.'

'What are you saying? That isn't true my darling, please tell me it isn't and it was the devil speaking for you.'

She laughed and raised her chin, kissed the figure behind her, and that was when they finally realized what creature has infested their home as his fang glistened against the moon. Hair short as the shrubs of grass and a pale skin that avoided the sun for far too long, the figure stood at the edge and stared at them with his red eyes. 'A vampire?'

'Oh, you are so right dear Jonathan, I found them at last or should I say they found me during that summer when we visited that rusty old castle.' Nancy revealed as the vampire behind stroke her curly long hair along her lightly tan skin. She giggled at his cold hands running at her navel, 'Uh, this is so exciting, isn't it Noel?'

'So you are called Noel,' nobody even noticed not even Noel when a second shadow took over his in an instant. Noel would've moved already if not of a syringe that has pierced his flesh by the side of his neck. He watched in horror as the murky bluish liquid was forced into him until the content was emptied. Noel brushed off the shadow, intending to shred with his steel-hardened sharp nails, but it quickly escaped just in front of Van Hellsing. An inhumane feat, Noel knew from that encounter that the owner of the shadow weren't as simple as human. Stabbing gaze realized the identity of the shadow, blessed by the moon; Quincey Morris put a satisfied grin looking at the empty syringe. 'You vampires, aren't so friendly.'

'No-Noel, the child?!' Nancy exclaimed. The boy was no longer in her arms. Her attention was focused much on Quincey that she hadn't noticed the slightest change. A glimpse at Quincey's direction and they saw the young boy in deep slumber on his left arm. Jonathan and Mina approached their old friend with delighted and damped eyes at the sight of his concern glance and his hand pushing the young Quincey to their warm embrace.

'Stupid woman!' Nancy received a speedy punishment as the right hand of Noel slapped a sense into her, blisters of blood escaped her lips and hugged the mirror near the bed of the boy. Driven to the right corner, her head had hit a small table that broke a lampshade. Seward wasn't so kind to accept remorse against his beloved wife no matter the pain that remained hanged on his heart. He would have blindly attacked Noel if not of another hand that forced his shoulder still. Quincey stopped him with the hand that rescue the boy a moment ago.

'You can't even handle such a menial auxiliary function.'

'My, and now you're raising a hand against a woman,' Quincey teased him delightfully, releasing the doctor after noting his better expression, his free left hand took a case inside his suit, placing the empty syringe and taking another but now with red substance. 'You lack the way of the gentleman.'

'Silence! I will not allow you to speak to me that w-ack!', nausea took over his senses and Noel threw up. A hand still a hold of his aching neck, Noel stared at the man accumulating his murderous intent giving himself a grotesque figure. Veins bulged in his face and the nails were longer by an inch along with his teeth that has become horrid and pointed then table fork. 'I will make you pay for what you did to me…

'I will kill you all!' He let out a growl that shook the Harker household. Unshaken, Quincey urged to charge at him. Unable to quench his anger, Noel was ready to attack until a pair of shadow transfigured into a human form and held him in place. To his right was a thin figure, but a careful glint on his eyes while the other, on the opposite side, a tall man, probably at least seven, thick and strong as the Major Oak. With just a hand, he was able to hold Noel down, enough force to put a dent on the floor.

'You! Let me go, let me-'unconsciousness left him soon as the grip on his neck tightens.

'Serv, please handle Noel with care, his candidate after all.'

Serv took his weakened comrade on the shoulder and excused himself first, 'I'll be going first captain.' Van Hellsing did nothing but open their eyes and ears. They were at least safe for the time being and have taken the Harker boy back. Seward has calmed down as well, in the far left corner counseled by a familiar face. Hellsing joined them and thanked Lord Godalming for pulling Seward in time or it could have been worse. The strength and power of the vampires that has appeared in front of them weren't something they can confront so casually.

The word candidate certainly piqued the curiosity of Quincey, and it hurt his pride a bit to be taken of lightly, 'what do you mean by candidate?'

'So sorry, I don't mean to be rude. My name is Quentin Valencia, pleased to me you…?'

He was taken by the formality and politeness that a pause was unavoidable, '…interesting, I am known before under the name of Quincey Morris but please be free to refer me as… Frankenstein.'

This time it was Quentin to take a pause, deep in his thought, '…what's wrong?' Frankenstein asked.

'Apology, Mister Frankenstein, it's because you strike me as my lord do, I never thought that I'd meet anyone with the same air as him, regarding the candidate I am sure you have at the least a vague idea as you are here, do you not?'

Frankenstein did not believe he could lie until this day, 'Indeed, I do. But please humor me, who is this lord you speak of?'

'You are not taking me for a fool, don't you Mister Frankenstein? I don't think-, 'his face suddenly went sour and not a word, his eyes bearing a knowing skin to fear, Quentin escaped out, Frankenstein knew in an instant what it could be as he sensed something off below from their floor and crossed the stair down leaving the shaken lot to recuperate. Van Hellsing and Jonathan stood to follow but the latter was advised by the former and stay with his wife and child.

'Call out if anything happens, I'm afraid we're not out of the waters yet,' Van Hellsing advised. Lord Godalming did not move either to follow but help Dr. Seward look into his unconscious wife.

Van Hellsing carefully treaded the stair and the nauseating atmosphere along with the harrowing scream hailed him mute. In the middle of the receiving area stand Alucard with the same cold expression of his eyes, and immediately next to him was a vampire, kneeling down, snarling in pain from the pair of arms forcibly pulled out of his shoulders. Blood on the floor but nothing on Alucard, Quincey or rather, Frankenstein, was standing next to his master as always and closer to the door where the escaped Quentin stared in awe. He was just in time when it all happened. The fool vampire tried to harm Alucard, thinking himself as superior, but everything was too heavy as soon as he approached him. And the moment Alucard uttered the word kneel, the fool was forced to kneel down.

Alucard simply lifted his forefinger in his sight and as he put down, the arms fell as easy as the fruits from the trees. Everything else whereas Van Hellsing witnessed it. He dared not to move a muscle until Frankenstein elaborated the scene. 'This one will probably try a sneak attack from behind and get the child back…he ran out of lack facing the master.'

A voice echoed to recognize the overwhelming strength and power, 'Vampire King! So it's true, the lord will certainly be delighted of this news.'

'Quentin! Captain! Please save me…'

'Are we not going to try and save him, Captain?' Serv came back, approaching from behind his superior.

'Do you want to face the King of the vampires? I don't think so; we must leave now while we still can or rather while the King still allows it.' Having said that, the two disappeared into the night, a smile on their lips and delight reflected in their eyes, Frankestein asked should he follow but his master bid him not to.

'Those two harmed no human yet, but not this one, eager to kill and to satisfy his hunger, only he was never satisfied. ' Alucard responded. A claim that boiled Van Hellsing to make an argument, as he has witnessed, Alucard has the power to end them all but chose not to and doesn't seemed to have care much for humans unless blood was spilled. He grasped the trail of the stair hard in anger and at his atrocious behavior, a scene that left Lord Godalming wondering of what has happened.

'How can you let them go? If you have the strength, why not wield it. If you are so determined in helping the humans why are you holding back? What are you-,'but Hellsing was immediately interrupted.

Frankenstein roared furiously. 'Stop! How dare you speak to my master that way, Abraham Van Hellsing. We have come here to save everyone in this household and that we did. If you will not offer gratitude that at least show respect.'

'Quincey, I understand what made you this way but the professor is correct. And how can your master be certain that they have not harmed any human yet?' Lord Godalming refuted.

'Correct? Certain? The master said they haven't and he doesn't have any reason to lie. My master treasure nothing of this world except for life and If you think otherwise than why not kill all the wolves, the snakes, everything that could harm a human. You do not understand lord Godalming. My master values life whatever form it was in and if everyone here values life as their own, then you lot should understand this… I will stand by my master. If you have more to say than say it to me and I will listen to your humane qualms.'

Mina wanting not to bear witness a fight between old friends, gave her son to Jonathan, and without hesitation, mayhap of obligation and dedication, she hurled herself in the middle and asked both to calm down. She pointed that both have a good and noble reason to follow, but they must peacefully discuss things with an open mind and accept the ideals of one another. She pleaded for Van Hellsing and Lord Godalming to calm their hearts before words of gratitude were offered to Quincey and his master. Jonathan and Mina bowed their heads in front of Alucard, tears in their eyes, knowing that words weren't enough but was all they could offer for now. The parents of the young Harker cradled him and kissed his forehead while he lay unconscious oblivious to the blood spilled for his safety.

Hellsing fell in silent. He knew that Quincey was right and if there was anything far more dangerous than the vampires then it was the creature in front of him, Alucard, but weird as it may, there was no place safer than being under his protection. It was then that he collected his thoughts and despised the old bones he has. Destroying life was never the first option and at that moment the vampires had neither intent nor the strength to harm. He offered sincerely, 'Please accept my apology, Quincey, Master Alucard… I should not have let my anger towards vampire cloud my judgment.'

Arthur Holmwood nod in agreement with Hellsing. The very thought of the vampires bring forth images that he had wanted to forget, the memories of his dear Lucy that was damaged for eternity. He sat down, elbows on his knees and closed his fingers. He raised his head once and apologized to the Harker for raising his voice and to Quincey and his Master. He rested his forehead on his closed fingers and shut his eyes in silence.

It was the fool vampire that shattered the silence. He knew that his death will come and there was nothing better to do but laugh his worries away. The drama before him was entertaining in a way and he used it to fuel his evil chagrin. Quincey went to his side, bowie on his right hand, 'Master, can I dispose of him?'

All the eyes reverted to Alucard and his cold eyes staring at the ghastly figure of a weakened vampire. He has no blood left in him, only flesh and bone that seemed to have thwarted the dangerous aura that he should emit. The hairs have fallen out from his head revealing nothing but his pale skin. Hard as he could, with pain in his eyes, the abandoned vampire gazed to the eyes of Alucard. Time has come and his verdict was for him to, '…burn along with your soul.'

Cold words from Alucard were enough that hairs on the skin of their human friends stood. Greater emotion than fear hurled the lot at the sight of the fiery black flame engulfed the vampire and all that was his. At the sight of the fire, Jonathan was concern that his home will be burned along, he began to protest but Mina and Hellsing stopped him, showed him everything around the flame but the flesh of the vampire was safe. Not even the wood under the vampire was scorched neither the ceiling where the black flame reached with little effort. Mina cowered and hugged her son closer away from flame and the sight, Jonathan tried to cover his family, his back turned on the flame unable to bear the pain of the vampire while the flesh was torn bit by bit. Hellsing was a man known for having strong-will and gut deeper than any man that stood there, but the torturous agony that the vampire has to go through was crushing and painful beyond compare.

When the flesh was almost gone, the blood boiled and evaporated along with the remaining tendrils of muscles that tried to cling to the bone but still the vampire's cry for pain continued long as his bone begun to crumble into ashes. Mina wept over the shoulder of his husband, asking, pleaded to end it, hoping her son would not wake to bore witness, but Quincey stood and denied her, gritting his teeth for he knew this was part of the knowledge his Master wished to impart. A glare from Alucard straightened Jonathan and forced to turn about, standing beside his wife with their son in her arms. Staring at Mina, Alucard promised not to show the young Harker what they were all to witness and gave a nod to the boy that fell deeper into sleep.

Once more, the lot pleaded but the voices have reached deft ears. It was then that they realized what the Vampire King wanted. They sought to escape but their feet failed them. Close their eyes but they were compelled to see it through. Frankenstein broke their moment of silence, 'This is what my master wishes for you to ponder about, how much value a life has…and how much must be paid at the cost.'

Tears escaped Mina, pure grief and pity trailed down her soft skin, but it did not stop the agony of the vampire. And while the relentless growl continued, the skull slowly resolved into ashes and a curious spark replaced it. The bones were like sands dripping from the hands, joining the grains that were scattered on the floor but the contagious inquisitive nature of Hellsing was focused only on the glint of sparks that was at first chaotic until it gradually became calm. Arthur shared that as the sparks became calm the scream toned down to sobbing sounds and the black flame turn blue.

'What's happening?' John asked at last. In the back of their mind, they already have an idea of what happened but Alucard had to make it clear and they all listened and believed his words without condition. If there was a being capable only in telling the truth no matter how harsh, it was no other but him, master of Frankenstein, revered and feared by the vampires, the vampire king Alucard.

'This is not an execution. This is a purification ritual.'