Hellsing Fan Fiction ❯ The Order of Lilith ❯ Memories of the Fallen ( Chapter 1 )

AN: It took a bit longer than I had hoped, but Chapter 1 is finally here. It seems that this particular installment should be more appropriately labeled 'flash-back-o-rama,' (woo-hoo! O_O) but I think it's important to find out what happened between Integra and Alucard while she was locked in the Tower of London, as well as more of Alucard's memories from the past. After this, I think I'll finally be able to concentrate more on that… thing, what is it???… Oh! The plot!

Thanks to everyone for the replies and suggestions! *hugs* I appreciate your comments so much, and I'm new to writing these characters and your input is very helpful. Oh yes, boring author's notes are almost over, just one last thing. I don't own Hellsing or its characters. Though I would like my own vampire… Hmmm… *rummages through mail-order catalogues* I wonder how much shipping is with the coffin?

Thanks so much for reading!

The Order of Lilith

By Stella

Chapter 1 - Memories of the Fallen

The Night of the Last Battle - Hungary, 1476

The shouts of his own men tore him from sleep, their deep baritones rising to feverish pitches of terror over the distance. The prince threw back his coverings and parted the material of the tent in order to peer out onto the field beyond. At first, he noticed nothing unusual. The storm had passed; the moon rode high across the winter sky. Silhouettes of his impaled enemies were cut out against it, but there were no signs of an attacking army as far as he could see. Yet the cries continued.

A cloud wisped over the moon's glowing face, sending the earth into deeper shades of night. When the darkness passed moments later, the prince suddenly understood the cause of the unrest. He looked out once again onto the illuminated field. The ring of bodies had disappeared.

Most fell quickly, though a few remained caught in the wrenching motions needed to slide down the lengths of steel and pull the spears from their own bodies. The corpses began to move over the plain, heralding their progress with roars that seemed to rise from the very pits of hell.

The prince's breath misted in the winter air as he charged into the night, pushing through a trembling front line of soldiers that had scrambled into a defensive around the camp. Even then he could not believe what he saw. A dream, it must be. 'Or a nightmare,' he told himself. 'Creatures such as these only exist in nightmares.'

His men quaked and cried out from their ranks. He heard the clatter of armor and the sound of swords and spears falling to the ground. He wanted to turn, to scream at them to pick up their weapons, to stand and fight, but the prince could not look away. The leader of the grotesque army had searched him out and now held his gaze in an iron grip that would not release.

She was both beautiful and hideous at once, Aphrodite and Medusa in one form. White skin shone like polished marble, seemingly untouched by the death and dirt that she glided over while guiding the horde of mutilated, groaning remnants of soldiers that stumbled and crawled behind her. The curves of her body were barely hidden beneath sheer robes that flowed and rippled in an invisible breeze. Long tendrils of raven hair were wound around her head - they seemed almost alive, like snakes that writhed and moved of their own volition. Her eyes glowed red through the haze of the midnight battlefield.

The mysterious figure stretched out an alabaster arm towards the prince. Lips the color of red death parted in a sinister half-smile and the stranger opened her mouth as if to speak, but emitted only a low whisper of icy breath that wrapped around him and froze him where he stood.

'Dracul… '

She drew closer and the weapon he held slipped from his grasp. "What demon are you?" He labored to form the words, but it was all he could do just to breathe. His limbs were heavy and cold, his feet anchored to the ground.

A strange language answered him, unintelligible, yet conveying her message with haunting clarity. "I am death and not death, cursed by God. You know what I am. Now ask yourself, prince, what demon will you become?"

Like a flash of lightening she stood before him, eyes blazing akin to embers that refused to die. His traitorous arms refused to comply when every racing thought in his brain urged them to reach out and kill her with his own bare hands.

She merely laughed at his struggle, then picked up the gilded sword at his side and ran him through.

* * * * *

In the shadow of the Hellsing manor Alucard tilted his head back to watch the moon emerge from a grey mask of clouds. Something about the sway of the heavens, the movement of light and dark, made him think of that night. Strange how he could still see it vividly after so many centuries. There were things, many things, about his human life and the time since that faded into the shrouded mist immortality can cast over the mind. But not that last battle. And not her.

The sound of clanking metal and the soft rustling of fabric sounded at his side. He didn't have to look to know that she wasn't ready yet.

"Almost there, Master. Sorry. Walter was just getting these set out for me when you arrived."

Seras fastened the ammunition box for her cannon and finally strapped the case to her back. She hefted the giant gun until it rested on her shoulder, letting gloved fingers flex around the barrel as though she were greeting an old friend. "I think that's everything. Sir Integra did say there was a group of these FREAKS, right? And that there's the possibility of…"

She trailed off. Alucard's apprentice mimicked his stance and looked to the sky. She shifted from one foot to another, and then set to checking her supply of bullets once again. As Seras restlessly readjusted her equipment, he could sense something of a distraction tugging at the younger vampire's mind

Alucard pushed his glasses over the bridge of his nose. "Don't be concerned about the priest, police girl."

Her eyes flicked over to him, as though she were still amazed by his ability to see into her thoughts. She sighed softly and returned her gaze to the ground. Alucard continued to watch the celestial dance above.

"There are far more terrifying things roaming the night than that sad Vatican lab rat." He turned and smiled widely, stretching his arms out to embrace the evening air. "It would be a real shame to keep them waiting."

"Master?"

"What is it, police-girl?"

The young vampire's neck was craned in the direction of house, toward the lighted windows of Integra's office. The dark outline of the Hellsing Organization's leader was visible to their vampire eyes, hunched over her desk, forehead resting on her hands.

"I… I'm concerned for Sir Integra. She still seems unwell, even though-"

The shadow gained its feet and moved away from the desk. The lights in the room dimmed a few moments later. Alucard smiled.

"She is a Hellsing. Your concerns are unfounded. Integra will be defeated only if she admits weakness, and that she never will. One way or another, she will continue to fight."

A slight grin graced the features of the officer when she looked up at her master. "Sometimes I think that you and Sir Integra are very much alike, despite… obvious differences."

Alucard nodded. "Perhaps we are, police girl. Perhaps we are. Now come on," he smirked, vanishing into the London fog. "The night has only just begun."

* * * * *

She slid under the sheets; they were cool against her bare feet, soft against her calloused hands. Integra's dizzy head sank back into the oversized pillow, and she moved against the confines of the suit still buttoned around her body. Just a few minutes, she told herself. All she needed was a few minutes. It had been over twenty-four hours since last she slept, and after giving her servant orders for the evening, she knew all the cups of tea in the world couldn't keep her awake any longer.

Moonlight trickled in from windows across the room, making the darkness more comfortable. When she was a child, she had always been grateful for a cloudless night and the silvery rays that would filter in through the ancient glass. Integra had never cared for the harsh pitch-black shadows that often clung to the corners of the Hellsing manor, and all the old buildings she'd grown accustomed to as a member of the nobility: Buckingham Palace, the National Gallery. The Tower of London.

She cursed herself silently for allowing that place and the time she spent there to creep into her thoughts. She knew what would follow. Every time she closed her eyes, the scene would play out like a movie, over and over again. In each instance, she remembered something else - words Alucard had uttered, some detail of the room. But nothing, nothing in all these remembrances could douse the small flame of regret that burned inside of her. And she hated herself for it.

"Drink," his mind told hers. It was a constant buzzing in the back of her brain, relentless and unceasing. She'd lost count of the days she had been imprisoned, only realizing another night had come when Alucard appeared, seeming none the worse for wear after their ordeal with the mysterious foreign vampire. But the same could not be said of her. Every inch of her being ached, as if her body was protesting at simply remaining alive. The wounds on her neck still felt open and angry. They reminded her every waking moment of that awful night. And as if to torment her further, those very same gashes along her throat burned like red hot brands every time her servant was near. On that last night in the Tower, the hurt had been nearly unbearable.

"Alucard." She gave a slight nod upon his approach. Pain shot through her shoulders and she winced in spite of herself. The cigar between her fingers seemed to weigh a thousand pounds as she lifted it to her mouth.

"It will please you to know that Walter is recovering quickly."

She managed a smile. "Thank God."

The vampire leaned against the aged stones and crossed his arms. Crimson lenses hid his eyes, but Integra knew only too well that they were locked on her.

"The old 'Angel of Death' is hard to kill even now."

"So you're impressed then?"

He chuckled lightly. "Very."

Her focus shifted to the heavy door across the room. Thick oak slats reinforced with iron strips, and another few inches of solid metal on the outside - how many prisoners had it held in over the long years?

"Have they brought him here yet?" she asked. "Or taken him to--"

Alucard shrugged. "Not yet. But I'm sure it's only a matter of time."

'I'm sorry, Walter.' Her eyes found the floor and the pain began to swell once again. She repressed a shudder when the invisible knives stabbed at her tortured flesh.

Her servant moved away from the wall. "You know as well as I do that he would not tolerate those words."

Integra lifted her head.

"You were strong, my Master. Even now, I can sense that strength and know it will transcend this miserable existence. But your body is in ruin and you've lost everything that defined you as a human - your honor, your freedom. You no longer have a duty to England."

"My family will always have a duty." She could hear the strain her own voice even as she attempted to straighten her posture. "We are bound to serve the Queen, the Church and-"

"No." The word echoed out loudly through the stone chamber. He stopped his progress and stared at her from the center of the room. "You have been betrayed and abandoned. I am all you have left… Integra."

She shot up from her place on the bed, steadying herself on the nearest wall. "As long as I bear the name of Hellsing I will not give up. Until I am dead and buried, I will never stop fighting. Nothing has changed. Alucard."

He moved forward and before she could blink, his face was leveled with hers. Thin ashen lips curled back to reveal the fangs behind them. "Look around you, my Master. Everything has changed."

The head of Hellsing took a deep breath and opened her stinging eyes, only to close them again. Mechanically, her fingers lifted the glasses away from her face and they fell back on the quilt. She pressed the cool metal frames to her palm and tried to let consciousness fade. Sleep. Just a few minutes. Sleep. Certainly the strongest tea could not have kept her awake - but the churning thoughts in her head were far more potent. The memory had started, and there would be no rest.

Deep in the belly of the Tower, Alucard stood before his master and asked for her orders. He knew them, she thought, certainly he did.

Her stomach turned when she imagined the blood pouring into her mouth - at the idea of taste, the smell and most of all, what it would make her. She touched the cross at her throat and asked God's forgiveness; she asked for her father's understanding. This was how she chose to continue to fight. And fight she would.

Alucard grinned and sidled up to the nearby table. Integra looked away, but she knew he would not let her escape this. Once an order is given, it must be carried out. Walter's words came back to her. "Even if the cost is our own lives."

The echo of shattering glass funneled straight to her brain. He loomed near the bed, smiling over her with eyes glowing behind his glasses. She stared up at him and bit into the cigar while bound hands came to rest in her lap. The cell's dim lamplight glinted off his fangs, and the vampire took a step closer. "The decision is yours."

She let out a bitter laugh. So it had finally come to this.

He grabbed a handful of her blond hair and slid a gloved finger against her heated cheek, drawing her body in closer to his. She watched the blood drop from her servant's hand and form a modest pool on the floor.

"Now is the time, my Master."

"I will continue to fight," she told herself when the wounds on her neck caught fire again. The thoughts became murmurs that tumbled from her lips. They pulsed in time with the rhythm of her heartbeat. Alucard hovered nearer, offering the bleeding hand until she took it in her own.

"I will continue to fight. I will-"

"Yes, that strength!" The pitch and fervor of his deep voice rose with every word. It rang in dark triumph through the cell. "You will do what no Hellsing before you was able to."

No Hellsing before… Images of her father flashed in rapid succession. Integra reeled backwards, but Alucard's arms held her firmly. The scent of the blood filled her nostrils and her eyes flew open. She clamped her mouth shut and turned away.

"Your hesitation is useless. Don't hide your true will. Master!"

"Alucard…"

He gnashed his teeth and tightened his grip on her body. "They're coming. You must, Master! Now!"

The sound of old clanking metal and the rattle of heavy iron keys shattered the air around the lone figures in the room. A rush of wind rustled her hair and Alucard disappeared into the shadows. Integra spun around in time to see the faithful pair of royal messengers pass over her prison threshold. They seemed not to notice her breathlessness, or her rumpled suit, or the fact that her hands had been freed. They simply nodded and began to speak.

"Sir Integra Wingates Hellsing. We bring word from Her Majesty. The Queen regrets not delivering this news to you herself, but… Your freedom has been granted. You may return to your home and resume your duties with the Hellsing Organization. A car awaits when you are ready." They bowed and replaced their bowler hats, exiting as abruptly as they'd arrived. This time, however, the sturdy door remained open.

"So you'll trust them again?"

"I have a sacred duty," she replied to his bodiless voice. "Perhaps this is God's way of telling me how I must… or must not go about it." The torn flesh of her neck continued to radiate discomfort in sharp waves. Integra grit her teeth and started towards the door.

"You gave me order," he called out.

"And it will hold for now, as I give you another. Let us not speak of this again."

The airy laughter followed her. "If you say so, my Master. Though I hardly see how we'll be able to avoid the subject. You know as well as I do - this isn't over."

Integra pulled herself upright and set her feet on the cold tile floor. The light from the night sky created a quiet path to the window which she followed with lithe, careful steps. The view of the grounds and the city beyond seemed calm, almost desolate. She replaced the round silver frames on her face and stared out at the serene mist gently rolling over the banks of the Thames. The dark landscape looked so peaceful.

But in all the years she had run Hellsing, if she had learned one thing, it was not to be fooled by the semblance of tranquility. Alucard and Seras were still out on the night's mission. There had been no word from them yet, not that she'd expected any this soon. But she knew… Somewhere out in the night, they were waiting in the darkness for evil to descend upon the city. This is why the Hellsing organization must endure, why she must fight. Out beyond the stone walls of her family home or any prison that could hold her, there was one inevitable truth: Monsters were on their way to spill innocent blood.