One Light Burning

[eiahmon]

Title: One Light Burning
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I wish.
Summary: Lords of Shadow continuity. When Alucard wakes in his sarcophagus, he doesn't look at the mirror and so does not regain his memory of what had happened to him. Instead he finds his father, and the entire world shifts.
A/N: This little idea has been sitting on my hard drive since October. I would write on it for a couple thousand words or so, then I would put it aside for a while, and then I would write on it some more. Finally though, a couple nights ago, I got a burst of inspiration, and the last 12,000 words were done over the course of three sittings.
A/N 2: Here you go, TatteredSeraph, my first Alucard centric fic. Hope you enjoy! :)

It was dark. It was hours from sunrise still. There was no others nearby aside from a few lesser vampires, and they were moving away. Somehow, he knew all of this without opening his eyes, and a tiny part of him thought that was strange, but for the most part, he simply ignored it. He knew that he was lying on his back on a hard surface, and he reached up blindly and felt something cold and smooth over him. He pushed against it, and he felt it move and shift, so he pushed again. With a grating sound, (Stone on stone, he thought.) he pushed it away from him, and he saw faint light through his eyelids as the stone crashed down somewhere nearby.

He blinked his eyes open as he sat up, and he saw that he had been lying in a stone coffin. Had someone thought him dead? He put his hands, which were covered in metal gauntlets, on the rim of the coffin and used them to stand and climb out. The metal of the gauntlets and his boots clinked as he hopped down to the cracked stone floor and looked around. He was in a large room that had no roof, which allowed him to see the night sky and the room's circular walls were lined with statues of red headed men holding swords. Directly across from the coffin was a large mirror, framed by statues of dragons, and something about it seemed to beckon him closer, but he ignored that for the moment. There was something else...

Something felt wrong, something was missing, something... something... He looked up through the open ceiling towards a single room that sat higher than the rest of the structure around it. Light glowed through its windows, and he felt something within him being pulled in that direction. Whatever was missing, it was there, and he needed to find it. He turned his back the mirror, and began to walk towards the tall, red double doors opposite it, barely noticing as he went the light coming from it.

He stepped out onto a small landing at the top of a long, outdoor staircase. The doors closed behind him, and the sound made him shiver as he began to walk slowly down the steps. He pulled the lapels of the blue leather coat he was wearing closed to shut out the chilly wind, but it seemed as though his shiver was more of a reflex than any real need. His white hair whipped around his face (Shouldn't it be darker?) as he reached the bottom of the stairs, and he walked down a walkway and then through a set of double doors and back inside.

From what little he could see of it, the castle he was in was massive, and though part of him felt that it was familiar to him, he was still surprised at how easily he navigated the seemingly endless corridors and staircases. He couldn't picture any map, nor remember the layout, but that relentless pull led him on. Nothing disturbed him as he walked, but he began to feel a tickling in the back of his throat, which made him swallow, but that did nothing to ease the tickle. Instead it only seemed to make it worse. When was the last time he had something to drink? Hopefully he would find something to soothe it when he arrived at wherever the pull was leading him.

As he neared his destination, he began to feel the presence of another, and it was powerful, oh so powerful, and as he walked up to a set of set of large double doors embossed with a dragon emblem, he felt the other presence shift and sharpen; it was aware of him now. The doors slowly swung open on their hinges, and he didn't hesitate before he walked in.

He was in a throne room, he dimly realized, and the doors he had come in were on the north wall. (How did he know that?) The high backed, red velvet upholstered throne was against the west wall, up on a dais, and bracketed by four large lantern stands. Those stands were burning with a blue-white light, and smoke was rolling off of them to cover the floor.

The throne's occupant stood up, and the doors closed behind him as he shuffled in. The tickle had become a painful burning, and his teeth were aching for reasons he didn't understand. Was he ill? Was that why he had been put in the stone coffin? He shivered again; was the other going to put him back in it? He was so cold all of a sudden. All he wanted was a warm blanket, a soft place to lie down, and a hot drink.

The other vampire, who had dark hair and red eyes, and was dressed in a gold accented red armored coat, black trousers, and boots, walked up to him. "Alucard?" he said quietly, sounding a bit confused and surprised.

Was that his name? he wondered as he shuffled up to the other vampire, shivering. His body felt so heavy, and he was grateful for the other vampire's arms that opened up to catch him as he stumbled and fell. This... this was the source of the pull, the one holding him. This is what he had been seeking. The arms around him pulled him up and held him close to the other's bare chest, and he closed his eyes and rested his head on a armored shoulder.

They stood quietly for a moment, and then he felt another nearby, much weaker than the one holding him.

"My prince?" came a voice from behind them.

"My son is thirsty." said the more powerful vampire. "Bring him something to feed from."

"Right away, my prince." The presence departed then, and he looked up at the face that was close to his own.

"I'm your son?" he rasped.

The other gave him a sad smile, something that he thought did not suit the other at all. "Do you not remember?"

"No. What happened to me? Was I ill? Why was I in a coffin?"

"Yes, you are my son, and you were in the coffin because you had been seriously injured, and I had believed you dead."

"Dead?"

The other – his father's – eyes flashed for a moment, though he somehow knew the anger wasn't directed at him. "Yes," he said as his arms tightened for a moment. "I thought that you had died. I was not expecting to see you alive ever again."

He closed his eyes. "Father..."

"My servant will return soon, Alucard, and once you have fed, I'll take you to a place where you can rest, but you must feed first. Thirst is why you're so weak now."

It took a great deal of effort to force his eyes open. "Is that my name?"

"Yes," his father said, sounding strangely quiet, "that is the name I gave you." The arms around him briefly tightened again.

Alucard felt the presence of the weaker vampire returning then, but it was not alone. A tantalizing scene touched his nose, which made the burning in his body that much hotter. He faintly heard a woman's cries, but he paid them no mind as the doors opened behind them, and the weaker vampire approached, bringing the scent along with it. The cries also grew louder as the scent came closer, and he raised his head to look.

The weaker vampire was standing nearby, with its eyes averted from its prince as was proper, holding a struggling human woman in his arms.

"Let me go, you foul thing!" she shrieked. "Spawn of Satan! Let go of me!" She noticed who she was in front of then, and her eyes grew wide as the stench of horror rose from her. "You!"

"Be silent, woman!" Father snarled. "Be grateful that I give you to my son to ease his thirst instead of feeding you to my servants!" The woman went quiet and shrank back away from Father, who then held his hand out. The woman flew out of the weaker vampire's arms and into Father's grip, and he easily held her still with one hand clenched on the back of her neck.

"Drink, Alucard." Father said, and he used his other arm to help him step over to the woman. She stared at him as he shuffled the short distance to her, and she tried uselessly to wiggle out of Father's grip as he wound his arms around her. His teeth ached, and he knew what he needed to do.

He opened his mouth wide and bit down onto the juncture of her neck and shoulder, which caused her to stiffen and cry out in pain. The first taste of her hot blood touched his tongue, and he moaned in relief as he began to drink. He was aware of Father's arm supporting him around his shoulders as the woman's blood slowly banished the chill he was feeling. His shivering faded and stopped as her struggles ceased, and when the blood flow stopped, he lifted his head to see that she had become a dried out husk. He dropped her to the floor and felt Father's other hand come to rest on his arm.

"Clean that up." Father told the weaker vampire, and then he spoke softly into his ear. "Come Alucard, you need to lie down." With one arm around his shoulders, and the other hand on his upper arm, Father led him out of the throne room

Alucard bowed his head as he walked and trusted Father to lead him safely along. "Why am I so tired?" he mumbled as they went.

"You've been asleep for a long time, son; you probably need more time to recover."

Alucard thought about that for a moment. "How long was I asleep?" he asked as he was ushered into a large, luxurious bedroom.

Father didn't answer at first. Instead he only led him to the large canopied bed in the center of the room, which was covered by large pillows and heavy blankets. The tasseled bed curtains were ragged and worn, but the sight of it looked so inviting that Alucard didn't care. "Thirty years," Father said as he sat him down on the edge of the bed.

"Oh," was all Alucard could say; he didn't have the energy to say more than that. He pulled his metal gauntlets off, which allowed him to see his long white claws for the first time. He held his hand up and looked at them for a moment before he decided that they could wait until later. He pushed his boots off, climbed up into the center of the bed, and laid down, with his head resting among the multitude of pillows. He smiled sleepily up at Father, who returned it. "You'll be here when I wake up? I won't be back in the coffin, will I?"

Father pulled a heavy fur blanket over him and tucked it around his shoulders. "No, you'll be right here when you wake up, and if you call for me, I will come." He smiled again, "Go to sleep, son." and then he turned and walked out of the room, extinguishing the candles with a wave of his hand as he went.

Alucard closed his eyes, settled down into the pillows and mattress, and went to sleep with a faint smile on his face.

******

The sun had set when he next opened his eyes. He raised his head and saw that he was still in the large bed under the fur blanket, and his senses were quick to tell him before his eyes could that Father was very close by.

"Father?" he said as he rubbed at his eyes for reasons that he couldn't understand, as there was no gunk or sand in them. Habit perhaps?

"I am here, Alucard."

The other vampire was seated a short distance from the bed, on a richly upholstered couch that was just big enough for two, with his legs crossed and his right elbow resting on the arm. He looked the perfect picture of relaxed.

"Did you sleep, Father?"

Father shook his head. "No, I do not need to sleep. Sometimes I come in here to lie down and think, but I never sleep."

"You come in here...? This is your bed?" Father nodded, and Alucard tossed the blanket aside and jumped to his feet. "I'm so sorry!"

Father's looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "If I did not want you in here, I would not have brought you here." He paused for a long moment, and then he raised his left arm and beckoned Alucard closer. "Come sit with me, son."

Alucard swallowed and pattered on bare feet across the dark wood floor up to the couch, and he hesitated for a moment before he sat down. "Father...?"

"Sit, Alucard. I am not angry."

Still hesitating a bit, Alucard sat, and before he could stop himself, he scooted over to nestle against Father's side. Something within him needed, no demanded, that he be close to him, but he didn't understand why. To his pleasant surprise, Father's arm came around his shoulders and held him, and he smiled faintly and closed his eyes.

"Do you remember anything?" Father asked.

He shook his head slightly. "No, why not?" He opened his eyes and looked at Father.

"You slept for many years, Alucard."

"Is that why?"

"I assume so."

Alucard laid his head against Father's shoulder. "Is Mother here?" Father stiffened next to him, and he didn't answer for several minutes.

"No," he finally said, "She died when you were very young."

"So all I have is you?"

Father closed his eyes and nodded, and Alucard reached out and hugged him, which made him smile faintly. He felt one of Father's hands rake through his hair, and he relaxed at the soothing touch and the feeling of being safe, protected, and loved.

"Are you thirsty, son?"

Alucard nodded; his throat was tickling again, and Father stood up and pulled him up with him.

"Come then, we will go find a drink."

"Are you thirsty too, Father?"

"I am, so let us be away."

"Shouldn't I put my boots back on?"

"You do not need to. You are my son, as well as a vampire; there is nothing is this castle that will harm you."

"Al.. alright then."

Father's arm came around his shoulders then, and he leaned into him as they walked out of the bedroom.

The castle was even larger than he had first guessed, and if it hadn't been for Father walking with him, Alucard would have been hopefully lost within a few minutes. As it was, he still quickly lost track of all the hallways and staircases they took until they reached a large circular room. Father pushed down on a tall lever, and Alucard whipped around at the sound of machinery moving. The doorway that they had come through was closed off by a gate that rose out of the threshold, and then the entire room began to move. Alucard stumbled slightly at the sudden movement, but Father was suddenly there to steady him

"We're moving?" He looked at Father in confusion, who nodded. The room moved down for a minute or so before it came to a stop, and a gate dropped down, which allowed access through a doorway opposite the one they had come through. He followed Father out of the elevator and into a massive, open space that was hot and full of steam and smoke, and brightly lit by the lava flowing below them. Several walls that were scattered about were lined with long rows of people chained to them that were crying, moaning, and screaming. Some though were completely silent, while others still were already dead and in various stages of decomposition.

Alucard wrinkled his nose in disgust at the stench, and his sensitive ears protested the sheer level of noise. He stepped closer to Father and hid his face in a futile attempt to block out the sound, and Father snarled in anger.

"Be silent!" he roared in a tone that echoed through the space, and the prisoners in the chains went quiet as they stared at him in wide eyed terror. Father gestured for one of his minions, creatures that were twice his height and wearing armor over their fronts, to bring two prisoners to them to feed upon. The jailers looked upon Alucard with some curiosity, and he felt the urge to hide behind Father until they quit staring.

"No one will harm you here, Alucard." Father said quietly. "They know better than to put their hands on anything that belongs to me." Alucard nodded as one of the jailers returned, dragging a screaming filth covered child along behind him. The sex couldn't be determined through all the dirt, and Father sneered in disgust at it.

"It is too young." he snapped at the jailer. "Feed it to the others and bring me something older." The jailer nodded and dragged the child away, while one of its companions approached Alucard, hauling a struggling teenager by the neck. Father nodded in approval, and Alucard wrapped the boy in his arms and drank. After a few seconds he let go of the desiccated husk and looked up to see Father feeding from a young man, and once he was done, he ripped the heart out of the chest and squeezed the remaining blood into his mouth before tossing the crushed organ aside. The corpses were then taken away, and Father took him by the arm and led him out of the dungeons.

"Are you still tired?" he asked as they walked down the dimly lit corridors, and Alucard shook his head.

"I feel fine now, Father. I think I just needed more rest to recover, as you said."

He saw Father smile again out of the corner of his eye, and part of his mind whispered that his father never smiled, so why was he suddenly doing it so much? "Since you cannot remember the castle, I will show you. It is your home now after all, and it wouldn't do for you to need me to lead you around all the time."

Alucard smiled weakly; was Father annoyed at having to lead him?

"No, Alucard, but I still want you to know the layout of the castle."

"Yes, Father."

For the next few hours, Father walked him all over the castle: through the entrance hall, into the chapel, into the dining room, through the library, around the theater, and so many other places that Alucard knew it would take him weeks to remember them all. Finally, once the tour was done, he showed him to a set of rooms close to his own, and said that they were for Alucard to have as his own. Alucard was confused for a second; if he had already been living there, shouldn't he already have his own rooms? But maybe because he had slept for so long, Father hadn't had a chance to give him rooms before. Maybe he had been injured when Mother had died?

Anyway, the rooms were dusty and hadn't been used in a while, but a quick call to Father's servants took care of that. The curtains and bed hangings were still a little ragged, but Alucard found that he liked them that way, for reasons he couldn't name. With Father's permission (and directions) he nipped down to the library for books to stock his own shelves, and, with the help of the Librarian, he spent a good hour in there picking out things that he thought he would enjoy reading. Even with his vampiric strength, he needed the help of a few servants to carry them all back to his room, but soon that was done, and he had a cozy reading area to call his own.

By the time that was all done though, his senses began to warn him of the approaching sunrise, and he went off in search of his father. Like before, he found him by following the pull, and he found him on a large balcony that overlooked the courtyard, watching the brightening eastern horizon. Off in the distance, Alucard could see a village.

"The castle is yours to explore." Father said quietly as he stared at the horizon. "But," He turned to face Alucard and looked him directly in the eye. "You are to never, under any circumstances, go outside the castle walls. Do you understand me?"

"Why Father?"

"Because while you are safe here in the castle, outside of its walls I have many enemies that will think nothing of using you to get to me." He placed his hands on Alucard's shoulders. "I have already lost you once, son; I don't want to lose you again. Swear to me that you will not leave the safety of the castle, and if I tell you to go somewhere and hide, you will do so without question."

"I understand Father, and I will do as you say."

Father gave him a gentle smile, and then he took him by the arm and began to lead him side. "Come, the sun is rising; let's go inside."

"What do you do during the day, Father?" Alucard asked as they walked inside.

Father shook his head and didn't answer as they stepped into the cool darkness of the hallway. "That is not important." he finally said. "You may do as you please as long as you do not leave the castle walls."

They walked into the throne room, and one of Father's servants scurried up to them. The weaker vampire bowed in submission, and then raised its head to speak.

"My prince," it said, "we have caught an intruder in your castle, in the theater."

Father came to an abrupt halt, and Alucard winced slightly when the elder vampire's fingers tightened painfully around his arm for a brief second before letting go.

"Bring him here to me." he ordered, and the other vampire bowed and scurried out of the room.

"Go to your room, Alucard." Father told him. "I will deal with this."

"I want to stay here with you, Father."

"No, you are to go to your room while I deal with the intruder." Father looked at him in a way that brooked no disobedience. "Now, Alucard."

Alucard bowed his head in submission, "Yes, Father." and then he turned and walked out of the throne room without another word.

He kept his eyes on the floor as he walked down the empty halls to his rooms, and as he went, he faintly heard a voice echoing against the walls. He paused and raised his head. It was a man's voice, and he was cursing and yelling as he was dragged to the throne room. The voice sounded strangely familiar to him, and he could hear the laughter of the lesser vampires that were taking him there, each of them hoping that their prince would give them the pleasure of feeding from their prisoner.

Alucard's breath caught in his throat. No! He couldn't let that happen! He had to stop them...! He turned back to the direction of the throne room, and then stopped. Father had told him to go to his room, and he didn't want to disobey him. Father's anger was dangerous (Though he couldn't ever remember seeing it.), and he didn't want Father angry with him. But that voice... he knew it somehow. He had to know how!

He began to walk back towards the throne room, but he kept his distance and hoped Father would be so focused on the intruder and lesser vampires that he wouldn't notice him hovering nearby. He crept down the halls, suddenly grateful that he hadn't put his boots or gauntlets back on yet, since their absence allowed him to move like a ghost down the halls after the lesser vampires and their struggling prisoner. They reached the doors to the throne room again, and Alucard crouched down behind a statue as the doors swung open and the intruder was dragged in, still cursing and yelling. Once they were inside, Alucard darted forward, and he caught a brief glimpse of the red haired man, with a wild red beard and clothing made of animal hides and furs.

He sucked in a breath as his heart skipped a beat; he knew this man, though he could not remember how or why. He was pushed to the floor and down onto his knees in front of the throne, and Alucard felt his stomach clench as Father stood up and walked slowly down to him. He saw Father's long, black claws tip the man's head up to look at him.

"You're his son." Father said, and Alucard ducked back around the door frame, out of sight. "You wasted your time coming here."

"I came to avenge the deaths of my parents!" the man spat, and Father laughed quietly, a sound that made Alucard shiver.

"You are a fool. You have wasted your life, just as your father did."

"You killed -" Alucard heard the man struggling against his captors. "-my father! My mother died because of you!"

Father laughed again, though Alucard thought the laugh sounded a little... forced? "Take him to the dungeons, and put him away from the others. Do not touch him."

"Yes, my prince."

Alucard scurried away from the door and back down the corridor as the two lesser vampires dragged the intruder out of the throne room, and he ducked around a corner and watched as they hauled the man towards the dungeons. The scent of the man's blood touched his nose, and he just barely managed to stop himself from chasing after them.

"I know him." he said in the now silent corridor, and he winced as his voice was carried down the empty space towards the throne room. Hopefully, Father hadn't heard that... He would have to see the intruder closer later, once Father was busy elsewhere, but for now, he would do as he had been told. He turned away from the throne room, and darted back to his room to wait until Father called him.

******

The sun had just set. Father was out of the castle for whatever reason, and he had told Alucard to stay in their wing until he returned.

"I want you to be safe." Father had said. "It will be easier for my servants to protect you if you are in one place. I will come and get you when I return."

Inwardly, Alucard had chafed at the restriction – he wasn't a child to be sheltered and shielded! - but outwardly he had nodded meekly in agreement. "Yes Father, I understand." Father had gently squeezed his shoulder and walked out, and Alucard had sat quietly in one of the chairs in his sitting room and tracked Father's presence as he moved away. He waited as his presence receded further and further away, and then it seemed to fade and vanish. Alucard didn't know if it was because he had left the castle or if he was just too far away, but it only made it easier for him. He made himself wait several minutes after Father's presence disappeared before he stood up from his bed and slipped out of the room.

None of Father's servants were about, which made it easy to move down the halls and stairs to the lower levels and down into the dungeons. He navigated through the haze until he reached the area that Father had brought him to a few days before. One of the Jailers spotted him and brought him a human to feed from, and once he had slaked his thirst, he asked:

"Where did you put the intruder?"

It looked at him for a moment, and then it said something in the strangest language he had ever heard. (Though with the complete lack of a memory on his part, that wasn't saying much he admitted.)

"Where is he?" he asked again. "I must see him."

This time the answer was clear; the Jailer shook it's head in an obvious no.

"I am the son of the lord of this castle. You will take me to see the intruder."

The Jailer tilted its head and looked at him, and then it turned and gestured to one of its fellows, who then approached. The two of them spoke their strange language in their even stranger voices for a few moments, and then one clamped its massive hands down on Alucard's upper arms, picked him up, and carried him back towards the elevator.

"Stop!" he commanded as he squirmed in the Jailer's grip. "Put me down this instant! I order you to take me to the intruder!"

The Jailer let out an unmistakable laugh and tossed him to the floor inside the elevator and began to walk away. Alucard snarled as he got to his feet, and he ran up behind the Jailer and leapt onto its back. The creature yelped in surprise and reached up to grab him, but he sank his fangs into its neck before it could. It howled in pain as he drank, and he quickly drank as much as he could and hopped off as it toppled to the floor, dying.

He then ran back to the the previous area, and ducked around a corner out of sight of the second Jailer. He watched for a moment as it patrolled back and forth in front of the chained prisoners, and when it had its back to him, he quickly darted across the floor to stand behind it. It turned around, but he moved to keep himself at it's back, and it did not see him. It stood there, looking at the spot he had been, and it scratched its head. Alucard couldn't help but smirk as he used its confusion as an opportunity to run along the row, towards where he hoped the intruder had been put. At least, he thought, the cries of those imprisoned covered the sound of his booted feet crunching on the bones that littered the floor.

Finally he came to an area that consisted of a large arena like space that sat lower than the rest of the floors. The bottom, like everywhere else in the dungeons, was littered with human bones, and sitting against one of the arena walls was a single red haired figure, chained to the floor by his ankles. Two more chains held his hands above his head, and he raised his head and looked up at Alucard as he hopped down to the sunken floor and walked over to him.

"Who are you?" said that familiar voice, and Alucard was unprepared for the wave of emotion that washed over him then. He stumbled back a few steps before he righted himself and stepped up to the chained man.

"That is not important." he replied as he pulled at the chains, breaking them. "You need to leave, quickly, before my father comes back."

The red head stood up and gave him a wary, distrusting look. "Your father? Dracula is your father? Why then are you helping me?"

Alucard shook his head slightly. "I don't know. I just know that I have to get you out of here before Father returns." He grabbed the man's still shackled wrist in a tight grip. "Come with me."

He began to move back towards the elevator, without giving the other a chance to answer, but he quickly stopped as they reached the arena wall.

"What is it?"

"The second Jailer is up there." Alucard said quietly. "I got past him just a few minutes ago without being seen, but I doubt both of us will."
"What are you going to do?"

"What I have to do. Stay here."

Alucard grabbed the ledge above them and easily vaulted up onto the higher floor, and then he walked calmly towards the Jailer, who evidently hadn't noticed the death of its fellow yet. The creature visibly started when it saw him, and he smirked again when it scratched its head in confusion, and again, he used its confusion to run past it. He then quickly leapt up onto its back, and before it had a chance to shake him off, he bit down onto its neck and began to drink. Within a few seconds, it toppled to the floor, dying, and Alucard hopped off of it and wiped his mouth. He then shoved the body into the lava far below.

He was surprised when he returned to the area and found the red haired man still waiting there for him, but he didn't stop to question it.

"Let's go." he said simply, and he reached down and grabbed him by one chained wrist and hauled him up onto the higher area. "We have to hurry."

The two of them were unhindered as they moved back to the elevator, though Alucard did stop to shove the body of the other Jailer into the lava as well, which made the red haired man stare at him for a second.

"You're a vampire too." he said. "Dracula is your father, and yet you're helping me escape. Why?" Alucard only shook his head and dragged the man onto the elevator. He pushed down the lever, the gate rose over the doorway, and the elevator began to ascend.

"I don't know why." he said quietly. "A better question would be why you came here in the first place?"

The man's blue-green eyes seemed to burn with inner fire at the question. "I came to avenge the deaths of my parents. My father came to this castle and never made it out. My mother was killed by Dracula's monsters as we tried to run."

Alucard laughed without humor. "Your father was the greatest Brotherhood warrior who ever lived, and yet he could not defeat Dracula! What makes you think you have a chance?"

The man took a step towards him. "Did you know my father?'

Alucard sighed and looked away. "I..."

"Answer me! Did you know my father!"

"I don't know!" Alucard snapped. "I can't remember anything!"

"What do you mean you can't remember?"

"Exactly that! I remember nothing before waking up in a coffin three days ago! My own father was surprised to see me alive. I can't remember my mother, my life before this -" He waved vaguely around them. "and I have to take my father's word that my name is Alucard!. I remember nothing!" He shrugged his shoulders. "Perhaps I met your father; I certainly can't tell you though." He shook his head again as the elevator came to a stop and the gate over the doorway dropped down. "It doesn't matter. We have to go." He walked off the elevator and into the corridor, and he could faintly hear the other's footsteps behind him, walking over the worn, red carpet.

Alucard didn't know where his father's servants were at, for they only saw a few as he led the other towards the castle's front doors. He heard them speaking to each other, each speculating about their prince's son, as though they had never seen him before.

"Looks like they can't remember you either." said the red haired man as they hid in an alcove for two lesser vampires to walk by.

Alucard frowned; that was strange. One would think that they would know about their lord's son, yet they seemed to have no idea where he had come from. He would have to ask Father about it...

"I'll worry about it later." he said as he stepped out of the alcove. "We're almost there."

The entrance hall seemed deserted as they crossed the large, open space, but there was a growl when they passed a small, wrecked chapel not far from the front doors. Alucard stopped where he was, and he threw out his arm to stop the red haired man as well. A second later, three lesser vampires walked out of the chapel and came to stand in front of them.

"You are disobeying your father, young prince." one of them said, as though it was scolding a small child, and its comrades laughed.

"Let me pass." Alucard said with a conviction that he didn't really feel. He had just woke up a few days ago, and he didn't know what all he was capable of yet. There was also someone he would have to protect as well.

"You may pass," said a second one, and Alucard stated to walk forward. "but the human may not. The Dragon said he is to remain in the dungeon, so there he will return."

"Do not touch him." Alucard said as he backed up a step. "I am ordering you to stay away."

The three laughed again. "We do not obey you, little princeling." said the third. "Only your father commands us, and he has given us our orders."

"I won't let you."

"You have no say in this, princeling." With that, the three charged them, and Alucard showed Simon aside.

"Run, Simon! I'll deal with them! Just run and don't look back!"

Simon didn't run at first; instead he only stared at Alucard in shock for a second. "It cannot be!" he whispered, and Alucard turned to him.

"Run!"

Simon stared at him for another second, and then he bolted for the front doors while Alucard turned to the three lesser vampires. One of them turned to chase after Simon, and Alucard darted over to intercept him.

"Don't you touch him!" Alucard didn't think; he just acted. He leapt at the vampire threatening Simon and buried the claws on both hands deep into its neck. A hard wrench to the side tore its neck open, and a second hard wrench, this time in the opposite direction, ripped its head off. It fell to the floor as blood sprayed from the severed arteries, and Alucard jumped down to the floor and spun around to the other two.

"Try to follow him," he snarled, "and you will die."

The two remaining vampires looked at each other and then looked at him. "We have our orders, princeling." said one as they began to approach. "However, those orders do not say anything about leaving you unharmed."

Alucard backed up a step. "Stay away from me!"

The second vampire only laughed quietly as they stalked towards him, each brandishing a sword large enough that no human would be able to wield it. Alucard's eyes darted to the left, past the vampires and to the large double doors that led into the hallway and down to the dining hall. From there it would be easy to reach his rooms -

The first vampire, the one standing on the right, charged him, and Alucard darted to the left and tried to slip past the other, but the flat of a blade slammed into his stomach. He bent over double as the air was kicked from his lungs, and he fell to his knees, stunned by the force of the blow. The flat of the second sword collided with the side of his head, which sent him spinning to the left and down to the floor as the room titled.

He could faintly hear them walking up to him over the ringing in his ears. "You will learn what happens to those who disobey our prince and kill one of us." Alucard gasped for air as he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, but a hard kick to his side knocked him back down. He sprawled out on the carpet on his back, just as a blade was rammed into his gut, pinning him to the floor. He screamed, but blood burbled up and burst out of his mouth, turning the scream into a gurgle. The blade was wrenched out, but before the gaping wound could start healing, the blade was shoved back in, and then ripped out a second time. Alucard arched his back in agony, but the blood flowing from his mouth and nose prevented him from making more than a low gurgle. His senses then pinged a warning to him, and he cast widened eyes to the windows, where the first streaks of sunlight were becoming visible. A second later, he nearly sobbed in relief when Father's presence touched his senses.

"Father," He managed a relieved smile as he felt Father coming closer.

"Father," one of the lesser vampires mocked, "You don't have a father! The prince produces you out of nothing and says nothing about you! We have no proof that you are who you say you are!" Alucard heard its booted footsteps on the carpet, heard the whistling of the air being cut by the blade of its sword.

"What are you doing to my son!" Alucard saw a cloud of smoke and embers move across the floor from the castle doorway, saw it dart over to him too fast to be seen by human eyes, saw it materialize into his father, who caught the vampire's sword in his hand. "That is my son you are attacking!" Alucard raised his head and pushed himself up onto his hands and knees as Father seized the lesser vampire by the neck and dragged it over to him.

"My.. my prince. I can explain!"

Father said nothing. Instead he grabbed the vampire by both shoulders, and Alucard felt his eyes widen in horrified fascination as Father ripped it apart with his bare hands. The creature exploded into a shower of blood that seeped into the floor and vanished. The other vampire staggered back with wide eyed fear, but Father suddenly appeared in front of it. He seized it by its head and neck, and he bit and drank from it before he tore it to pieces like he had with the other. Only then, with both of them dead, did the elder vampire turn to look at his bloodied son.

Father seemed to teleport across the room to stand in front of him, and his hand appeared in his sight, and he grabbed it with his own and used the leverage to pull himself to his feet. The room swayed a bit as he stood, and he leaned on Father's shoulder for a second to pull himself together. Father's arm came around his shoulders to steady him, and the elder vampire then bit through his armored sleeve and offered him his bleeding wrist to drink from.

Alucard stared at the dripping blood, at the way the light reflected off of it for a second, before his thirst began to burn like a roaring fire. He seized the offered wrist in both hands and pressed his mouth to the bite and began to drink. He paid little attention to the blood that was smearing across his chin and cheeks as he fed. A minute later, with his thirst finally stated and his wounds healed, he pushed Father's wrist away from him and took comfort from the protective arm around his shoulders as Father began to walk him out of the entrance hall.

There was no conversation as they walked through the castle, and Alucard smiled sleepily at the feel of Father's arm around him, guiding him through the maze of corridors to their wing. He intended to wash the blood from his body and sleep the day away. Father would protect him while he slept. Father would...

Alucard started in surprise when he was shoved down, none too gently, into a chair in his sitting room.

"Father?" He looked up at the elder vampire in confusion, and only then did he notice the glowing red eyes, the curled upper lip, and the lengthened fangs.

"You disobeyed me, Alucard." Father said in a low voice. "I told you to stay here, in this wing, yet I found you in the entrance hall. Care to explain why?"

Oh no, no, no, he didn't dare tell Father the truth. Instead he drew his knees up to his chest and looked down at the floor. "You said nothing in this castle would hurt me." he said with an accusing tone. Father growled, and his power crawled across Alucard's skin.

"Rest assured," he growled with barely constrained fury, "I will be finding out why they saw fit to attack you, but that does not explain why you were not where I told you to stay."

Alucard squeezed his eyes shut as his father's anger pressed down on him, and part of him wished to tell him everything, about his feeling that he knew the red haired man – Simon – that he couldn't leave him down there in the dungeons, that the lesser vampires had attacked him while allowing Simon to escape the castle. He opened his mouth, ready to confess all, but he paused for a moment and then closed his mouth without saying anything.

"I'm waiting for an answer, Alucard."

"I... I can't."

"Answer me, Alucard." Father's tone commanded obedience, and Alucard opened his mouth without intending to, but he was interrupted before he could speak.

"My prince." Alucard looked up to see another lesser vampire kneeling the doorway.

Father spun around to look at it. "What is it?" he snapped.

"Two of the Jailers are missing, my prince, and the prisoner you wished kept untouched is gone. His chains have been broken."

Alucard shivered, and Father's eyes flicked to him and narrowed for a moment before he looked back at his servant.

"You are certain that no one else touched him."

"No one was there but the two Jailers assigned to watch him, and they are both missing."

"Or dead..." Father slowly turned to look at him, and Alucard bowed his head, unable to meet the elder vampire's angry, red eyed stare. "You are dismissed."

"Shall we search the castle, my prince?"

"Don't bother. I am certain that he is long gone by now. Leave."

The lesser vampire scurried away, and Alucard cringed and curled up on himself again when he felt Father's power flare to life, beating down on him. The light from the candles and lanterns dimmed, and the beams supporting the ceiling above creaked and groaned as dust sifted down.

"Alucard." Father snarled. "What. Did. You. Do?"

"Father..." Alucard squeezed his eyes shut as Father's power continued to press down on him.

"What have you done!" The candles went out, and the entire room shuddered.

"Father please..." The lanterns went dark.

"Alucard!" His hair stood up on end, and he felt something akin to small flames flickering across his skin, though he could see nothing.

"You're frightening me!"

A hand grabbed him roughly by the chin and wrenched his head up to meet Father's eyes. His pupils were dilated, and the red irises were glowing. "What did you do while I was away, Alucard? Why were you in the entrance hall? Did you let the prisoner go?" Father's voice was quieter, yet Alucard found it more frightening than his raised tone just a few seconds earlier. He began to shiver. "Tell me, Alucard."

Alucard found himself unable to disobey. "I let Simon go."

Father growled. "Why?" he demanded.

"Because I know him. Because I didn't want you to harm him."

"Did you kill the Jailers?"

"I did. It was the only way to get him out."

"Did the others attack you in the entrance hall because you were helping him escape?"

"They did." Father's hand let go of his chin then, and Alucard sighed quietly in relief.

He was completely unprepared for that hand to return and to make contact with his cheek in a painful slap that sent his head snapping to the right. Hands then seized him by his upper arms and jerked him up to his feet to meet Father's furious gaze.

"Do you realize what you've done!" Father hissed. "I told you to stay here, Alucard! You disobeyed me and now you've risked everything we have here!"

"Father, I just let one man go. What could -"

"Be silent!" Father snapped. "That one man could lead an entire army to our door! He knows the layout of the castle, Alucard! He could return and go straight for you, or for me! They could use you as a hostage against me! I will not have an army attacking our home, Alucard! Why didn't you do as you were told!"

"I just didn't want you to hurt him!"

Father shoved him back down into the chair and loomed over him, and he cringed and looked down. "Alucard," Father said in a low growl through clenched teeth. "I expressly forbade you from leaving this wing while I was away. You disobeyed me, killed two of my servants, helped a prisoner escape, and then forced me to kill two more of my servants when they tried to stop you. You have endangered us both with what you have done. What am I going to do with you?"

Alucard shivered. "Are you going to put me in the coffin again?" he asked in a small voice.

Father said nothing, and the silence stretched out between them for several minutes, before Father abruptly turned and strode out of the room. The slamming of the door made Alucard wince, and he hid his face in his knees as he felt Father's presence moving away.

After a moment, he raised his head and wiped his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. What now? He'd made a terrible mistake it seemed, and Father was furious at him for it. Was Father going to punish him? How? And what was he, himself, going to do about it? He needed to clear his head, to think, and he couldn't do it here, where the memory of Father's anger floated on the air like a haze. He stood up, took another deep breath, and walked out of the room.

For the next few hours he wandered the castle aimlessly, lost in thought. He could feel Father's presence at the back of his mind, but the elder vampire did not come to him, nor did his servants bother him. He walked the empty corridors as his thoughts ran around in circles. He should have obeyed Father; he should have stayed where he'd been told to, but Simon...

The laugh surprised even him. He didn't know who Simon was! He didn't even know how he knew the man's name, and yet he had disobeyed his father to help someone that he couldn't even remember! And he had killed three of Father's servants and caused the deaths of two others.

Father had good reason to furious at him, it seemed.

He stopped in mid stride. "I was a fool." he said to himself. "Father was right. I need to go speak to him." He turned around to head to the throne room, and only then did he realize something. He looked around him, but he did not recognize where he was at. Had Father not shown him this area of the castle? He was certain he hadn't seen it before... He closed his eyes for a second and felt for Father's presence, and like he had before, he felt a pull that lead in one direction. He opened his eyes and began to follow it. The path took him through a door that led outside, and he had to cross a large, heavy chain that was wide enough to serve as a bridge, to a platform on the other side.

He stepped down onto the platform and felt something fly behind him. He paused and looked around just as a large creature with wings, a missing eye, and four mechanical legs dropped down to the platform in front of him.

"Look at what you've become." it said with a deep voiced laugh, exposing row upon row of long, pointed teeth. It walked right up to him, so they were face to face. "You don't remember me, do you?"

I met this thing before? was all he had time for before it reached out grabbed him by his left leg as he turned to run. It snatched him off the floor and slammed him down against it, and he cried out in pain as the world spun. He was slammed down a second time.

It held him up to its face. "I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time." It walked over to the edge of the platform and held him out over it, and it laughed again.

Alucard looked down and saw nothing below but a black emptiness. Was it going to throw him down there? Could he survive the fall? Would he be able to -

Why did he feel so warm all of a sudden? What was burning?

Oh God, fire!

Alucard saw the flames engulfing his coat and felt their heat across his skin as they burned through his clothing. He reached up and tried to bat them out as the creature laughed and raised his hand to throw him down.

But it paused and held onto him as his clothing disintegrated under the heat of the fire. His skin began to blister and burn, and he howled as it melted and peeled away.

"It wouldn't do for your daddy to find you and rescue you." the creature said. "I'll have to do something to prevent that, and I know the perfect thing."

Alucard began to scream.

He wasn't aware of what the creature was doing, only that wind was fanning the flames and making them burn even hotter as what was left of his skin burned away. His hair went up in a flash of heat, and all he could see and hear was the fire. And then he couldn't even see it as it consumed his eyes, leaving him blind. He wanted to call out to Father, to scream for help, something, anything, but the heat of the flames destroyed his voice as it burned his mouth and throat.

"This will do nicely."

If he could have, he would have screamed again as he felt himself collide with a hard, flat surface. He was vaguely aware of the creature laughing, followed by the sound of clanging metal, but he paid no attention to that as he rolled around to try and smother the flames. His burned body screeched in protest at the movement, but he was rewarded when the fire went out, and he slumped down to the floor under him as his consciousness faded.

-- Part 2
Back to the Archive

Comments

[tatteredseraph.livejournal.com]

Woohooo! :D So this is what you've been busy writing! :D Excellent! :D I've just made a nice big mug of tea, and am about to settle down and read all of this. *Grins* 'll let you know I think at the end.