Sneak Peak: Go and Conquer (Chapter 9)

 

Chapter IX - Barbarians

Seras wasn't sure how long she had been running for, but her escape was only brought to a halt by a large lake in front of her. The dark water almost looked like a black void under the limited light of the night sky. The reflection of stars twinkled upon the surface, revealing the small, gentle waves that lapped at the sandy edge. Thick forests surrounded the young vampire in every direction, the trees seemingly closing in on her and making her chest feel tight with a sense of claustrophobia. Every creature within the forest seemed to have scarped upon sensing Seras' very presence. However, that was probably for the best - no matter how lonely it reminded her that she was.

Growling to herself, the draculina grabbed hold of a large log and launched it into the water. The loud splash and resulting waves were satisfying, especially when the water rippled over her shoes. But she couldn't enjoy the blue view for too long before her vision began to turn red. A strange strangled sound filled the air, and it took Seras a second to realise that it had come from her own mouth. Her knees wobbled before giving out, and she collapsed where she had once stood, burying her face into her hands as she sobbed uncontrollably. The blood stained her porcelain skin crimson, and the metallic scent burned her nose, but she didn't care.

“I rue the day that I created you.”

No! She had tried so hard to push that moment to the back of her mind, far away into the deep recesses along with the painful memories of her parents’ murder. Now, Anastasia had dragged them to the forefront, where their evil savagery threatened to tear Seras apart from the inside. She tugged at her blonde hair, desperately wishing that she could somehow peel her skull back and let all of those memories float away and leave her alone. Now she was reliving it over and over and over and over again.

Why did the red-headed vampire have to do this to her? Seras never would have agreed if she knew that this is what her training would involve. Not even her master had been this cruel towards her. Though he would express his impatience, he would still let her learn and adapt to things at her own pace. She would never forget all of the times he would try to force her to drink blood, use her powers, and forget everything that it meant to be human. Seras wasn’t sure she could ever complete that last task. How could she?

Though she never wanted to be a pushover, the young vampire didn't want to be a sadistic killing machine like her master. He revelled in chaos and gore. Meanwhile, Seras preferred to fight only when necessary. The memories of ripping that other male vampire limb from limb invaded her mind as a cruel reminder that that wasn't always strictly the case. 

Seras cringed. Cringed at how much she had secretly enjoyed the feeling of her claws digging into his flesh. Cringed at how euphorically drunk the power of having his life in her hands made her. Was this what her master felt all this time when in battle? If so, Seras could easily see how one could become addicted to something like that. But she didn't want to be that kind of person – that kind of vampire. But was she fighting a losing battle. Everyone wanted her to be this terrifying, formidable, powerful draculina. Her master, Anastasia and her band of followers, and hell, even Integra encouraged her to embrace her true nature from time to time. Was this a battle that Seras had already lost?