"I like nights such as this." A sinister gaze passed over the cottages of sleeping residents. "A small but decent village, this is." A thin figure stood on a notorious religious symbol. "A good number of bodies but not enough to have their own law forces." A toothsome smirk. "My favorite type of town." He looked over his blue clothed shoulder at the run down but still used building. "Ah, a church. Fools, people who believe nails and plaster ward off my kin."
It served as a vantage point, right on top of the cross. A blonde drunkard stumbled out of a pub, a classic victim, his fourth one since he first preyed there. Up above, clouds hid many stars' view of watching the forthcoming event. Oh, but the moon was nearly full, playing into a monstrous tale. No surprise, the intoxicated poor soul was a man, not that a preference came about. Only difference was blood type, not the gender it belonged to. Nevertheless, a pissed woman would have made the setting less typical.
Striding from chimney to chimney, the navy colored demon closed in on the wobbling, walking man enough to catch the scent of whiskey and wine. "And rum." Following continued until the staggering legs stopped to rest against a stone wall. Perhaps the wall of his own home? No matter though, the shadow of a cape draped the sleeping man who occasionally hiccuped a snore. "Very drunk."
Silently, his first shoe tapped once against the ground, then his second. He leaned down in front of the alcoholic, examining. Maybe too drunk to drink. He dare not take in the blood to become inebriated himself. The man looked so easy to drink though. Ah, it wasn't the demon's first time biting someone so drenched in vile drinks. He drew his face close to where his fangs brushed against a vein.
XXXX
A sigh was heard as a young man closed the door to a old house near the edge of town, holding two buckets in hand and made sure his dark green cloak, better to blend in when hunting with the others, covered him. "Oughta to get up now, before the sun rises; there will be many people there otherwise." The young man started walking for the center of town, blue eyes looking at the still village.
"Alfred!" A young woman's voice called out, breaking the silence. The man, Alfred, faced the sound and grinned happily.
"Ah, Elizaveta, what are you doing up this early? It is not yet dawn." Elizaveta held up a small bucket of her own and pouted.
"Pa forgot to get water last night, he was at the pub. Ma sent me out to get some, do you mind if I join you?"
Alfred smiled and jokingly held out his arm. "But of course, fair lady. It would be an honor to accompany you to the well." Elizaveta tucked long brown locks behind her left ear, lightly shoving Alfred's shoulder. Heading towards the well, Alfred's grin on her back, his steps caught up to hers easily. Elizaveta, the first friend he had made in this village after arriving six years ago, frowned, worry in her green eyes as they met the ground.
"Did you here? There's been another attack."
Blue eyes widened as he stopped next to the well. "What? When? Who?"
"Pa found the man, on his way back from the pub. Ludwig, the one who lives alone on the west side of the village." Elizaveta said as Alfred pumped the well, water springing out of the ground and into his first bucket. "Pa said he's been stored with the others in the old jail, you know, the one that has that underground part?"
Alfred shook his head, pumping fresh water for Elizaveta's bucket after filling his second. "I know the one. That's four people now. I'm surprised others haven't started leaving the village yet." The town was decent sized, in his opinion, not too small that they didn't accept new people like himself after some time, but not too big where they ran out of food often. Although, living in the middle of forest like they were, helped in the food area.
"But where would they go? For almost everyone, these homes are all they know. Many won't leave the place their families have lived for generations." Elizaveta explained, concern taking over her features.
The blonde haired man agreed, seeing her point. "That's true, I just hope whatever's doing this goes away. We're not a big rich community, don't have much to offer. I need to go back, see you soon Elizaveta!" Alfred waved as he returned towards the old house, buckets filled.
"Rosa? I'm back." The tall man quietly slipped in the door, making sure to not awaken the elderly woman who lived in the house, if she was sleeping.
"Alfred? Welcome back deary, how was your trip?" Alfred entered the kitchen to start preparing soup, as that was all Rosa was able to eat.
"It was good. Crisp air, kinda cloudy, moon was beautiful, not as much as you though."
Rosa laughed as she slowly sat up in her bed. "Oh, you sweet talker you! So nice to this old lady."
"Someone needs to take care of you. What would happen if whatever was attacking the towns people went after you?" Alfred stirred the soup, being careful to not splash any.
He and Rosa often joked around like so, after her only son died last winter in a hunting accident and she had fallen sick. Alfred used to live in the house next to Rosa's, until a village drunkard had tried to burn it down. Charles, Rosa's son, had asked him to look after his mother for him while he went on the trip. Alfred had been helping and living with Rosa for almost five months.
"I'd like to see them try! I'll turn them over my knee and give them a good old fashioned spanking!"
Alfred laughed loudly as he poured the soup into a bowl and placed it, as well as fresh milk, on a tray to bring to Rosa's bed. "That'll show them!" Alfred set the tray down next to the bed and smiled sadly. "Just be careful, ok Rosa? I'll stay here and take care of anyone who comes looking to harm us."
XXXX
Once the lunar essence reached her fullest phase, different bloody bites dripped spots on the dirt path from such sharply deadly but precise fangs under brimming lips. After tasting the liquid of life from a German, Russian, Spaniard and various other ethnicity, the demon enjoyed himself, not making plans on leaving to the dangers of larger cities. He made himself a lovely home out of the small graveyard mausoleum. It was child's play, well, dark play that is. Remove the desolate bones from the finest casket in the tiny building and take it for one's self. Still being the gentleman he was, he buried the bones, what was left of them anyways. His new home laid near the church, making the jump to the high cross unseen, easier.
This time, a blonde man kissed the forehead of a young girl, in the doorway of their home, before closing, locking the door and leaving her. Father and daughter? Big brother and little sister? A wavelength of icy breath exhaled from his mouth. "A cold evening it is." Then why did the man carry his green coat under a bare arm? Peculiar, it was, but not enough to stop the lurking creature from making his dinner choice. Seems the blonde man alone made his dinner choice as well as he neared the bakery.
While waiting a few buildings outside, the thirsty fiend decided to take a kinder, more settled approach to the man. Ambushing the sober or biting the drunks were fine, but he wanted a change of pace. "Mmm." The scent of warm french bread and pastry wafted passed the alley way as so did the blonde man who still carried his coat.
Unaware of light foot steps tracing in time with his own, a gentle pat on his shoulder startled him. His body turned to the sight of a taller male, bowing with his small blue hat and holding out his also blue cape. "Good evening, sir." He greeted with an accent dissented from the English country.
Not wanting to be rude to the other, he replied with a bow. "Good evening to you too." Aw, that was an accent the self-proclaimed gentleman had not heard yet in this town. Well, back to business.
Caustically, he took a step forward and offered his hand, gloved in soft silk. "May I carry one of your items?" He hoped to gain some trust and maybe entrance to his home so the attack wouldn't draw much attention when indoors. Each time he drank, people were becoming less likely to venture outdoors and the risk of being caught grew greater.
"Thank you, but there's no need. My home isn't that far." He faced back to leave the Englishman behind. He hadn't plan for a rejection. Guess it meant to go about it the old-fashion way. "My sister is waiting, I have to get to her soon." Oh? So she was a sister. His sense of smell detected a similarity in their blood but it wasn't keen enough to tell the difference. Maybe his senses would strengthen after some years passing, after all, the gentleman had been a vampire for not that long.
XXXX
Blue eyes peeked around a corner, checking to see if the person inside was asleep. Alfred smiled when he saw Rosa was, and exited the door, closing and locking it. He breathed in deeply and looked around, tilting his head when he saw a figure walking away. Ah, yes, the Swiss man, Vash if he remembered right, must be running an errand for his younger sister. Vash, even though he wasn't a hunter, had many knives and daggers on him, so he knew he'd be fine this late out. Alfred headed east, towards the small watering hole that was ten minutes from Rosa's.
The blonde spent the time thinking about his past, and stroking the thin faded blue scarf around his neck. His mother had made it for him, back when he was ten, and he wore it ever since, never taking it off except to bath and clean it, now that she had been gone for so long. So long, that the scarf had been reduced from it's original length, withered away by time. He remember the day she took him to the clothing shop and he hand picked the color he wanted...
He liked the small lake best for bathing, because he wasn't comfortable bathing near others, and the hole was pretty secluded. The blonde knelt next to the watering hole and scooped his bowl with water, adding soap afterwards. Alfred gently removed the scarf and began cleaning it, staring into the water with the reflection of the full moon and thinking. Nights like this, so calm and peaceful, reminded him of a man he had met, long ago. Sadly, he couldn't remember much of this man, just that he had a beautiful face. The darkness of that night, so far away, prevented him from remembering much.
XXXX
Immediately paying no mind to the distant gentleman, Vash thought of how delighted dinner would be tonight, like every night with his sweet, delicate sister. Then he felt that gloved hand, the one he refused, elegantly crawl up his neck and cover his mouth. Cold, even through the silk, the hand was cold. The body of the Englishman close against his back felt below the lowest tempters the village ever recorded. "That's the first time anyone has ever denied me." Oh god, his breath like icicles trickled down Vash's ear elicited strong, unwanted trembles. His head tiled unwillingly, giving better access to a slick but brisk lick on his warm flesh. The demon blew lightly on the spot, with wind chill shivering the Swiss man. Vash's eyes darted and caught the glistening shine of a mouth opening with fangs. No! Was he-?
His muffled scream from his pierced throat was foreign to himself, dropping his bagged food. Struggling to pull away, the vampire proved his strength by holding Vash effortlessly in place, drinking in his decadent blood rapidly. He heard the sound of Vash's coat dropping, then the gentleman's emerald eyes shot open as his own scream muffled in the bite when a sharp edge sank into his left side. He released his grasp to see a knife held by the Swiss. So that's why he carried his coat! He was hiding a weapon!
With his body already drained, Vash pushed in the blade deeper in the vampire who hissed and quickly to broke the handle off but the metal remained inside. Vash fell to his knees, body freezing from the inside. The demon stepped inside an ally and tried to stop the bleeding as he staggered to find a new victim to replenish is blood lost. Another hiss as the blade deepen inside. He stained his gloves, preventing a trail of his vital fluid to lead to him. A house, he needed to find a house not close to the others and drink the occupant.
Vash, fangs drawn and throat parched, strolled towards his home, with the intent of tasting the blood of his awaiting little sister.
XXXX
White teeth gleamed as Alfred grinned, scarf cleaned and tied around his neck, where it belonged. Even if he couldn't remember the face well, he did remember a voice, and noises. His head snapped up, turning towards the the town. The sudden scream erupted loudly in the otherwise quiet night. Alfred, on his feet, sprinted after the horrible sound, soon coming across others who had heard the shrill from a distressed voice, or maybe just him running to it? He passed Romano, one of the Italian twins, and Roderich, a Austrian who liked Elizabeta. He ran to a house, that sounded like someone was fighting in. Alfred kicked open the door and stared in shock at what was going on within.
Vash, soaked with blood, struggled with his sibling, Lili, trying to bite any part of her, it seemed. Alfred sprang into action, dashing behind Vash and wrestling him away from his sister. Francis, a french baker, and Gilbert, the German who claimed to be Prussian, helped hold the struggling vampire long enough for the other villagers to tie him up. They prepared themselves since they feared the worse and well as put a piece of rope in Vash's mouth, to prevent him from biting any others. "Has she been bitten?" Alfred panted out, ready to hold Lily down if needed.
"No," Roderich replied, holding the sobbing girl in his arms, "she hasn't been, we got here in time."
Alfred looked over, confused at Vash. "I don't understand, I just saw him maybe ten minutes ago, he seemed fine then..."
"I have had it with these attacks! It is time something is done!" Francis yelled, still struggling with Vash. "Maybe now we will have a meeting, after what has happened tonight?" Others nodded, going over to help Francis and Gilbert.
Elizabeta walked over to stand next to Roderich, who was holding a still crying Lili. "You need to speak to your father Roderich. It's time for a town meeting." Roderich saw eye to eye with her and looked down at Lili, unsure what to do with the frighten girl.
"Me and Brother will look after Lili, if you want?" An Italian voice asked. Alfred turned around to see Feliciano, Romano's twin brother, standing in a corner of the room, next to his brother. "Its gotten kind of...lonely in the house, we'd love to have someone else stay with us. Right brother?"
Romano smiled at Lili gently, even if he was known for throwing around curse words like candy, he always held his tongue and showed a kinder hand around the fairer sex. "It would be our pleasure...maybe you can talk him into eating something besides pasta?"
Elizabeta smiled and gently took Lili from Roderich's arms, bringing her over to the Italians. "Thank you both. I'll stop by your house later with things for her." They agreed and left, Lili looking so small clinging to the two of them.
"The meeting will be at nine tomorrow, please spread the word. It will be in town hall." Roderich stood behind them, looking outside.
Alfred turned to look at Roderich and Elizabeta apologetically. "I can't, I need to get back to Rosa, she's...getting worse. I'm sorry."
"We understand Alfred. Go, take care of her. Just make sure to show up at the meeting." Elizabeta smiled sadly in understanding.
"Thank you." Alfred walked outside, heading for the house not far enough away for his comfort. After all, what if whatever attack Vash and the others, went after Rosa?
XXXX
With people trotting and trailing to aid of the cries of the hollering girl, the vampire leaped to the roof tops to stay out of sight. He winced and applied pressure to his gash, almost unbalanced by the blade still not removed. If practically everyone was up and alert, he couldn't not find a victim in time to save himself. "Damn my carelessness." He should of known better, small the town was, but even they were not idiotic enough to have themselves unprotected at night after his increasing attacks.
A quiet jump to the next village hut caused a quick hiss at the edge sinking a little more in. His healing abilities could not begin until the steel was gone. He steadied his breath, drawing near a home furthest from the screaming which calmed down. He noticed a shine up ahead once standing on the roof. Fearing it to be a bullet, he looked only to sigh. The large pond or watering hole, as he heard some villagers call it, reflected the moon up above in its ripples. How much he enjoyed spending time-ripples? Someone was there.
He softly stepped onto the ground, near a window mirroring the lake. Maybe the person's slumber inside was not disturbed by the shriek? He prayed as his blood loss leaked between his fingers. After carefully breaking the window and slipping inside, he was comforted by snoring which he followed into a room where an old woman slept. "Mnn!" The stabbing pain sent him to the floor, he needed it out before his body could repair itself - and soon! He thanked that it was not forged from silver but all the same it burned. Psychically, it was futile to remove, for it agonized him greatly. "Too intolerable." But there, right there, no more then mere inches away from him was blood the he required to at least keep him alive. Never had he killed someone by drinking them dry, he always let them live with the "gift" he had given them. With so much staining his trousers and turning his white gloves crimson, he met only one choice. "Sorry, ma'am."