14. HER PLAN PT1

Just moments after disappearing from the room, Linux appeared above the castle she resided in. Her sanguine eyes staring at the horizon, specifically the direction of Enslynue. A grin stretched on her face as she jumped up, shooting through the clouds. Once above cloud cover, her back moved and from the shoulder blades emerged two wings, the wings were catalyst that carried her over the distance between Amalie and Enslynue.

She penetrated the barrier without detection and navigated her way through the vast lands with pinpoint precision. Her detection ability locked onto the only person she was after, she reshaped her features with her transformation ability, hiding away her crimson hair, in exchange for a more tamed pigment being a mixture of grey and silver. Her skin tone also blended in, becoming a tad bit tan while her eyes turned to green.

The transformation discarded her previous armor, and in its stead was a white flowing blouse, semi heeled strap shoes and tight fitting shirt. She made her wings disappear thus losing altitude and she plummeted towards the ground just as she had planned.

“SOMEONE HELP!”

.

Alucard was busy honing his skills with the sword when he heard the cry for help, he looked around him but couldn't see anything. With the scream becoming more and more audible, Alucard glanced upwards and immediately jumped into action. He stepped on the sword he shoved into the ground tip first and propelled himself upwards towards Linux.

Getting into her proximity, Alucard wrapped one arm around her shoulders while the other just beneath her knees before guiding the both of them to land on the ground. Once on the ground, Alucard placed Linux down and stared at her.

“What is your name and what were you doing up there?”

Linux pretended to be meek. She blushed and put her fingers together, mustering the courage to look Alucard in the eye, after a few moments she opened her mouth to answer the young king. “My... My... Na.. Name is Anastasia, I was up.. There with a Griffin I saw in the forest and I wanted to ride it but I ended up falling.”

Alucard shook his head and folded his arms. “You should be careful next time you almost hurt yourself doing that.”

She nodded and turned to walk away, all the while taking a glance at Alucard.

Alucard felt uneasy watching the woman walk away, it was as if she had something dark to her, something enticing and it made her irresistible in his eyes. He cleared his throat. “Anastasia was it?”

Linux stopped and turned around, facing Alucard. Her mouth twitching upwards at the corners forming a smile. “Yes my lord?”

“Where do you live? I'd like to walk you home.”

Linux's smile deepened as she forced a blush to her cheeks, she averted her eyes from Alucard's, staring directly at the grass beneath her feet. “That wouldn't do your majesty, I live in the country side, the griffin carried me far from home.”

“Where are you going to be resting? The country side is indeed very far from here.”

“I'll look for an Inn your majesty, I'll get going now, take care.”

Alucard watched the slender figure slowly recede down the garden road, quickly coming to his senses, Alucard took his sword and headed back into the palace, preparing for the elders to arrive.

-

Exiting the garden and the palace itself was a happy Linux. She had set the plan in motion, the only thing she needed now was time to let the plan unfold on itself. Even without lifting a finger, she not only seeded a seed in the king but also found way into his heart, she took the notion killing two birds with one stone to the extreme.

The sentiments she was experiencing made her skip a step, glee shining in her eyes. Her behavior made people on the street look at her as if she was mad and many of them ignored her. She made it up the hill after leaving the crowded plaza and sat next to the peach tree. Her mind racing with ideas while watching the setting sun.

“Soon, I will have the second closest thing to the Yggdrassil. Very soon Aether I will find you and you will hand it over to me.”

-

Alucard made it to the throne room but quickly excused himself, his head was spinning and he couldn't understand what was the cause of it. He got to the bathroom and stared at the mirror, specifically his reflection which for some reason contradicted him.

“Well well, we finally meet.”

The Alucard on the mirror broke the silence startling Alucard himself, who took a step back and stared at the smirking reflection. That wasn't supposed to be possible, he wasn't smirking yet the person before him was.

Getting over that momentary state of shock, Alucard composed himself and stared right back at the obsidian scalera the reflection had. “Who are you?”

“What do you mean who am I? Can't you tell that I am you?”

The sinister tone sent chills down Alucard's back, the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. The malice in the tone was nerve wrecking.

“No you are not me”

“How do you figure that I am not you? We look the same, we talk the same.”

“But still...”

“But still what? I am the manifestation of the true you, the true Alucard. You are nothing but a fake, why are you pretending? Why are you pretending to be someone you are not?”

“I don't know what you are talking about. True me? What do you mean true me?”

“All will be revealed in due time, until then keep the body for me safe HAHAHA HAHAHA! I'll see you soon copy.”

The reflection faded with the laugh while Alucard stepped away from the mirror clearly shook from what he had just heard. Him? That thing? And what did it mean when it said “keep the body safe for me”. The sense of dread grew more and more.

Leaving the bathroom, Alucard went to his chambers immediately however he failed to notice the black substance that leaked out of his reflection's ear or the reflection itself appearing. It stared at the door before chuckling to itself as it vanished yet again.