Ab incunabulis [From the cradle]

It took another week for both mine and Karin’s wounds to completely heal…another long week in which our rooms were prepared and our situation was discussed. Sir Integra had reached the decision that the Gouls wanted to kill me for fear of something that lied deep within my blood, like an ancient secret someone was afraid would be unlocked. Discussing the situation further, Karin, Sir Integra and I reached the conclusion that both Karin and I should learn how to defend ourselves, and the training would commence as soon as we would be able to.



The first training session would be in gun shooting. Walter led us to the shooting grounds, were all the Hellsing staff were currently training. Walking past all the men that were fiercely shooting their guns at the plastic and paper practice targets, we could hear them commenting on out presence at the Hellsing organization. “What the hell are these two doing here?” “Don’t they know this is no place for women?” “The Devil’s bitches are here…”. Those comments annoyed the hell out of me, and I could clearly see that Karin was equally as pissed off as I was, but we didn’t say a word. We let Walter lead us to a less crowded space, were we could finally start our training. He gave us two different guns, and explained:



- You, Miss Silvia have a 9 mm semiautomatic. It shoots eleven round per magazine. Miss Karin, you have a 9 mm Colt Revolver. It shoots 6 rounds.



- These are not anti-freak weapons. – I stated –



- No. they are not. It’s only your first day of training. – He tried to explain –



- Thank you Walter… - I started in an acidly sarcastic tone – Now we can ‘die’ happy.



- Now, now… no need to be rash…- he told me – Have you ever held a gun before?



- No…- I answered truthfully, and a bit embarrassed –



- So first let’s see what you two can do, and then we can discuss anti-freak weapons.



- Suits me – Karin said grinning –



- Fine – I finally gave in –



I stood at the white line before me, which was painted on the grass. I aimed the gun towards the paper target I was supposed to hit. That moment, I felt like the gun was an extension of me, my mind focused and cleared of all other thoughts. There was only me and the target. I removed the safety with my thumb, braced my arm and My body, and placed my right foot further behind so I would have leverage as the recoil would hit. I cocked the trigger. The gun fired. I had aimed for the head…and unbelievably, I hit it dead on. I shot another bullet towards the same place and then another to the heart. I didn’t miss a single one. While I was shooting, hitting the target seemed like the most natural thing to me; like missing was impossible, but once I lowered the gun and came down from my ‘high’, I realized what I had done. My actions were almost inhuman. I had never held a gun before in my life rather alone fire one, and here I was three bullets fired and none of them had missed their target.



- Well…- Walter said staring dumb folded at me – You seem to be a natural.



- Natural born killer – Karin said half joking half worried –



I on the other hand was oscillating between stupefied and ecstatic. I didn’t know what to think of me any more.



Disregarding my prior ‘knowledge’ of shooting, we continued the training. Walter paid less attention to me and more to Karin, who was a quite talented shooter. She hit the paper target every time, not in the head or the heart directly, but for her first time shooting, it was excellent. I on the other hand continued to shoot like I had been doing it on an expert level for years. In the five hours we had spent training, almost all of the Hellsing troops were gathered around us, ogling at how good we were.



It had been a tiring day. It was nightfall and we had managed to finally give Sir Integra the reports on our training status, after an hour and a half Walter and I had spent trying to convince her that today actually ‘was’ my first time holding a gun. I was utterly exhausted. Walking down the corridors of the Hellsing manor, I had gotten lost again. Karin was already in the subbasement and was waiting for me. I walked around for a bit, but to no avail. I was alone, with no one to ask for directions and I was lost in the Hellsing manor. I started to retrace my steps and after two turns, I noticed a corridor that wasn’t there when I had passed the same spot minutes before. The floor of the said corridor was covered in a thick lair of cold fog that went up to the ankles. “So there you are…” I said to myself.



- Are you trying to screw with me, Alucard?



I got no response. The “new” corridor I had “discovered” was actually the original way into the sublevels. Alucard must have hidden it from me when I first passed it.



I walked through the thick fog with the intention of getting to my room as fast as I could and taking a shower than sleeping peacefully for the rest of the night, but Alucard just wouldn’t let up. When I was supposed to reach the stairs that would take me to the subbasement, I was met with a brick wall.



- ALUCARD!!! I sincerely hope you’re having fun tormenting me because at least that makes ‘one’ of us happy!!



All I heard was his dark chuckle that seamed to come from all around me. He then dispatched the fake wall, granting me permission to go further. As I went down deeper into the Hellsing underground, I thought about how much Integra has gone through to keep us safe. She had furnished two rooms in the sublevels, complete with four poster beds, central heating, fireplaces and bathrooms; all this just so we could be close to our protector. If the doors to mine, Alucard's and Karin’s rooms were opened, we could see inside his chambers and he could see both of us. I reached the main corridor before I even realized it. Passing Alucard’s room, I had a strange urge to go inside. I was mad at him for playing with me when I was in such a bad mood, so I decided to yell at him a bit.



- Alucard!!! – I yelled swinging the door open – What the fuck was that?



His room was truly grand; with an unnaturally high ceiling and no windows it looked a bit ominous at first glance. The decorations were modest. The room only bore a large throne-like chair and a table, on which stood a bottle of red wine and a half full glass.



- What was what? – He asked slightly grinning in amusement at my anger, witch pissed me off even more. -



- That! Why were you screwing around with my head? I had a very long day and I’m not in the mood for your jokes!



- Oh…That… - He said as if he just realized what I was talking about – You said you could sense me and I thought if that was the only thing you could do.



- You were testing me? What am I? A guinea pig?! – I got no response – Listen Alucard…- I said calming down – I do not appreciate your torment. Please do not play with me like that.



- I suppose you will tell me to go bug somebody else?



- Is that what everyone else is telling you?



- It seams it has become a habitual line for me to hear.



- I will not ask that of you. I only wish, if you ever want to know something, to come and ask me straight out.



The next thing I knew I was forced into the wall behind me, the door slammed shut on its own volition, and he had his hands on each side of my head, not letting me escape. I didn’t flinch but he was an imposing figure. At one meter and 93 centimeters in height, he completely towered over me and my 1,64 m.



- And who do you think you are little girl? Requesting ‘anything’ of me…Do you even know who or what I am?



- Do you figure me some kind of idiot? – I asked cockily, as if he didn’t even scare me, as if I wasn’t staring Nosferatu in the face – I am afraid to inform you that if so, than you are terribly mistaken. – He ‘was’ a bit taken aback by my boldness. –



- Oh? – He asked, mocking me –



- Vlad the third, also known as Vlad Ţepeş. You are True Nosferatu…and yes…I know the definition of that therm. Can I go now?



- It seems you are not as ignorant as I first thought – He said removing his arms – Good night Silvia.



- Noapte bună Voievodul meu. [Good night my Voievod (Prince/Ruler)] – I said leaving his chambers. –



Before I entered my own room I heard a faint whisper. The voice was Alucard’s: “Noapte Bună” he said.





TBC