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Alucard was alone.
Trevor and Sypha were long gone on adventures of their own. But him? Left in the same house he grew up in. The same house he killed his father in.
Dracula had left a soot stain on his life. A shadow that would never leave. His attempt to wipe out humanity..that was not the father Alucard had known.
Alucard would never be without guilt. The remorse in Dracula’s eyes in his last moments replayed, over and over.
Every day was the same. Eat with the stupid ragdolls he made of his friends, wander around aimlessly, sleep.
Alucard wondered if he should find company. Perhaps.
Yes.
He would like a cat. Someone to stretch in the sun with him. And keep him company. Someone that wouldn’t betray him.
Where he would find one is the real question.
Well..there were villages some odd distance away. Maybe they had cats.
A smile slowly graced Alucard’s lips. The thought of having company not trying to kill him seemed nice.
“Very well then,” Alucard thought as he gathered a basket and some cloth. “Time to find myself a cat.”
He soon set out on his journey, boarding his horse and taking one last glance at the castle (as well as the dead bodies on sticks in front of it) before heading out into the forest. Where was he going? He didn’t really know. He just knew there were villages in every direction, so he had to end up in one eventually.
The villagers were scared of him. They shrunk at his presence. What had he done to terrify them so, he wondered.
He tried to approach one old lady to ask of any nearby cats, but the moment he opened his mouth she screamed “Vampire!!” and ran.
Alucard protested “I’m not-!” before cutting himself off.
Nevermind.
He sighed, head hung low and legs shuffling back over to his horse. He accepted his fate, ready to go back to the castle.
His sad walk paused as he heard a yowl. Then some soft mewls.
Alucard’s vampiric hearing pointed him back into the forest, and he ran through the spiky bushes, thorns pricking his skin, but he couldn’t care. Not when he had his mind set on something.
It was a mother cat and her kittens. They were maybe a few weeks old. And mama..fresh dead. Looks like something wild got her and she saved her babies.
He could respect that. He would always respect a sacrifice. Dracula was his father, but he was always a mama’s boy. Soft and sweet.
A sacrifice called for a burial. He spent his evening crouched there, dirtying his hands while digging a hole. Her body was lowered in, and he murmured a few words of blessing. May she never know hell.
The kittens protested when he moved the body. Sweet things, so innocent. He only planned to take one home, but three isn’t that many more. Right? Right.
He loaded them into his pockets. One, two, three..that’s all. Small litter.
Alucard calmly strolled away, finding a path back to the village. The villagers were still wary of him, but when he approached a new woman, one that seemed smart enough to realize he wasn’t a threat, everybody else tensed. Then he broke the silence:
“Apologies to disturb you, madam. I just wanted to ask if you know of anybody here that knows how to take care of kittens?”
They were all taken aback. He pulled one of the wriggling critters out of his pocket to make his situation clearer.
The old lady from earlier approached him, gently taking the kitten from his hand.
“May I..?”
Alucard hesitated, then handed her the other two.
She nodded for him to follow her, leading him to a small, cozy house. Once they were inside, she began to check the kittens from the window light.
“I’m sorry for running earlier. You must understand..our village is still in recovery from the attacks.”
Alucard shook his head. “Madam, no need to apologize. I understand not many people are fond of me. My heritage is..complicated. But right now, seeing you check the kittens for me is proof you’re a kind soul.”
The cats were set on the table, orange faces mewling. The old lady spoke up again, “You have two boys and a girl. Are you taking them all?”
Alucard hesitated, then firmed his head and nodded. “Yes. They lost their mother. I can’t let them lose each other either.”
Her eyes crinkled with a smile. “You’re a good man.”
“I try.” Alucard smiled back.
He had stayed the night at an inn in the village while the lady (whose name he later found out was Anne) checked over the kittens. She claimed an old lady like her didn’t need as much sleep as a “growing boy like you”. Gah! Alucard found that embarrassing. He’s grown!
To return the favor, however, he went out and bought some fresh fruits for Anne. Old folks were the best, in his opinion.
She had determined the kittens were healthy and would only need regular care. Food, water, attention, and somewhere to sleep. Yeah. He could do that.
“Thank you again, madam. You’re always welcome as a friend in my castle.”
Alucard bowed his head to the woman, expressing his gratitude. She only patted his head and ruffled his hair.
“Safe travels, lad.”
Somehow, going home that day felt less burdening. The clicks of his horse’s hooves felt less agonizing, and more free. And best of all, the precious orange kittens in Alucard’s basket, curled up and sleeping quietly. One named Trevor, one named Sypha, and the last named Vlad.
Alucard wasn’t alone anymore.