Before The Darkest Nights
It was a dark and stormy night. It was late August 1888, and a forest in the English countryside. A young man was walking through the rain that poured down on him. But we knew who this man was, as he was Ludwig James Frye. He was wearing a black top hat with goggles on his eyes, which could not be seen outside these goggles, as if he were hiding something. He wore a black cape over his demon hunter attire.
He was walking into a small rural village on the outskirts of London. He would enter this village and head for a local pub. It had been a long night for our hunter, and we wished to have a stiff drink to help calm our nerves. He would enter the pub in this town.
Ludwig entered this pub and met the others, who glared at him as if they had never seen him in these parts before. Ludwig, always the calmest person, did not feel their gazes, and he smiled back to show them that he was not scared of them. He walked up to the counter, where the pub keeper was ready to serve him.
“Hello, young man. How can I assist you tonight?” He would ask him.
“Ah, yes. If it’s not too much, I’d like a glass of gin and tonic, please,” Ludwig smiles as he orders.
“Very well, young man. I’ll have a good drink for you shortly.
The pub keeper goes and pours him a drink. One of the guys looks at Ludwig in the pub and sees his cape dripping wet on the floor, but something else is dripping from his clothes. He sees blood dripping under him on the floor. The attire under his cape is covered in blood from the demon he had just slain. This freaks out the man, and he looks away. The pub keeper comes back with the drink he ordered.
“Your drink, young man.” He slides the glass over to him.
Ludwig takes the glass and downs one drink, and the men in the room stare at him, impressed.
Ludwig finishes his drink and places the glass down before them. “Ah, thank you, my good sir. I need that after a tough night in the woods.”
Ludwig left money on the counter, left the pub, and began walking to the village’s entrance, where someone was waiting for him.
Ludwig walks to the gate, where he sees Alucard waiting for him. He wore a black cape over his demon-hunting attire, but had a hood over his head. He was now a bit taller, having grown since he was eighteen, two years having passed. He was no longer the inexperienced young man he once was. Alucard was now an experienced hunter and one of the Frye Order’s top demon hunters, rivaled only by Liam. He sees Ludwig come closer and turns to him as he looks in a different direction.
“Ah, Lord Frye. Have you finished tonight’s hunt?” Alucard asked.
“Yes, the creature we came for has been killed, and it seems time for us to retire for the day,” Ludwig replies.
“Very well, Lord Frye.”
Before they move, a stray lightning bolt strikes them, illuminating Ludwig’s goggles with a flash of light. This revealed his changed eyes. Upon closer inspection, his once brown eyes had changed to a red hue, resembling something demonic. What happened to Ludwig for this to change in him? To find out, we must head back before this night even started, before Ludwig would face his darkest nights.
It was the spring of 1888; the snow had just melted. With the beautiful weather, London contributed to the disappearance of snow in a building used by the Frye Order as its base and headquarters. In a room that had become a classroom, where new hunters came to learn from the very best hunters who had come from the past and the present, Ludwig was at the helm of teaching such a class. He was casual but wore a black tie over a new white dress shirt and pants, complemented by black shoes. He had a black jacket that went with this, but he took it off and rested on a chair nearby with a briefcase made of leather.
Ludwig was writing on a chalkboard, and it seemed he would rather be elsewhere. Ludwig was not the teaching type, but he knew he was the only hunter with more experience dealing with demons than Alucard or Liam. He would hear a bell signaling that class had ended.
“Alright, everyone, we will continue this next week at the same time. Remember, if you’re out hunting later tonight, please stay safe. I shall be out too, and the other top hunters,” Ludwig’s closing statement to them.
They all say, “Thanks, Lord Frye, for the lesson.”
Ludwig leaves the building and heads for a black automobile waiting for him. He gets in the back and sees Jay driving it.
“Ah, Professor Ludwig James Frye,” Jay joked.
“Quiet, Jay. I was only here today because the real teacher is not feeling well,” Ludwig explained.
“I think it could be good for you when you retire from this line of work,” Jay added.
Ludwig laughed, “I don’t think I’ll be retiring anytime soon, my friend.” I still have a lot of demons to slay.”
Jay looks at him through the middle mirror. “Sir, have you decided on a Grand Master yet? You should pick one. You can’t be both the Patriarch and Grand Master forever. I think Sir Alucard could be a good fit for the job.”
“He would, but I have eyes on another man for the job. He has already impressed me enough on multiple occasions.”
“Sir Jonathan? But my lord, he has been gone for over two years, and we have no idea when he will return?”
“Then I shall fill the shoes until he is ready to return. I was roaming these streets alone when I was young; now, I am a hunter with allies. I have no reason to give another man that sin to lead my organization than someone I can trust. Alucard is a skilled hunter, after all. But Jonathan has seen more than anything he has. But it was more his noble soul that intrigued my interest. He was willing to sacrifice everything to defend his family and save the life of a man he had no business saving. He had that man who is your true.”
“It sounds like a messy relationship to me.”
“Indeed, but I have a strong feeling he will return at some point,” Ludwig says, his voice filled with hope and anticipation.
Ludwig and Jay have returned to the Frye manor, where they were greeted by the new servants who were part of Liam’s family. They all bow as they walk through the front door. Ludwig stops and looks around to see them.
Ludwig began to clap before speaking: “Thank you all for the warm welcome, everyone.” I appreciate all the hard work you have all done for me. You have brought new life into my home, and I hope you continue to work hard.
Jay gets close to him, “Lady Victoria is probably waiting for you. She has been working diligently on behalf of the Frye Organization.
“I see. She, of course, is doing the work I no longer want to do.
“Yes, and ever since you made her president, company stocks have gone up, and it has sadly seen a better standing than when you ran it.”
“Again, a task I have thrown to her. But she is doing well for me. I shall go see her right away.”
Ludwig and Jay head to Victoria’s office in the Frye Manor, where she can run the company side of the Frye Organization. She has taken over the business in the last two years and has done an excellent job. They both enter the office and see her at a desk. She is wearing black office attire. She notices them.
“Professor Frye,” She smiles.
“You’re not going to start calling me that, too?” Ludwig sighed.
She would give Jay a look, which signaled him to provide them with privacy. Jay then closes the door behind him and stays on guard for them. You see, Ludwig and Victoria have started a relationship with each other. However, I have not yet informed anyone about it. Jay is the only one who knows of their relationship, but that is only because it is hard to keep a secret from a cyborg who knows everything in the Frye Manor. But Jay only wants what is best for his master.
“So, how was your day?” she asked as she got up, headed to a coach, and sat down.
“Boring, I’m not a teacher. I am a hunter,” Ludwig says as he leans on her desk.
“Well, maybe Alucard can do it next time. At the same time, you play in your lab or visit with me. There are still things I am learning about this company. I must say that your mother did a remarkable job before you took over, and the person who took it over until you were of age.”
“Yeah, but it is in good hands now. I must thank you for your hard work.”
“Well, I only took over because you seemed stressed over it, and getting proper rest for the hunts at night. Plus, it gives me a duty now.
“It would be funny if Mother saw us together. Her son is with her former maid’s daughter.”
“Always, but they would both be happy. But speaking of family. It is almost time for us to share our relationships with others. Especially Alucard.”
“Sure, I think Alucard would be fine with us. It’s more like your other brother, I would worry about.”
“Jonathan? He has not been seen in the last two years and has not written a letter about how he is doing. Plus, it may be years from now by the time he returns.”
“I know, but if he would cut off my head, and I am not talking about the one over my shoulder. He has trusted me with you and Alucard’s well-being.”
“Yes, but even the mighty Jonathan can’t tell me who I can’t be with.”
“You’re a tough woman, and I give you that. But I support any decision you come up with, as any man should with their lover,” Ludwig said with a smile.
“Thank you, love,” Victoria smiles back.
