Hello people.
Consider this a delayed Halloween story, if you wish. The idea has been in my mind for the past month, and I needed to get it out before I work on my other current story, Bad Blood. This one was heavily inspired by (and written to) the song "Howl" by Florence and the Machine, as well as "Scream" by Boa. Check them out, if you don't know them, and a high five for those who do!
For an abandoned place, it's really well kept. In fact, the hedges looked as if they were recently trimmed. Heading further down the gardened stone path to the entrance of the manor yielded the culprit-a girl of about eighteen was tending to the rose bushes right in front of the grand house.
Red hair tied back in pigtails, the girl hummed as she used a pair of trimmers to snip the dead roses, unruly branches, and insect-eaten leaves off of the bush.
Curious, Fang walked over behind her, watching her silently work until the girl saw her as she bent to pick up the unwanted parts. "Oh, hello!" She smiled and waved cheerfully.
"'Ello there." Fang tilted her head. "What are ya doin'? I thought no one lives here."
The gardener shrugged, continuing to clean up as she did so. "Well, that's no reason to let a perfectly fine garden get all wild and messy." She paused, glancing up at Fang again. "And besides, I have orders to keep the garden tidy. I come here every two weeks to make sure it looks nice."
"Orders? From who?"
The girl shrugged again. "I don't know who. I just get a letter requesting that I do it and a package of money for it. I guess they just want to keep this old place up. It is a really pretty manor, after all."
No one has lived here in over a hundred years. Who would care enough about its garden? "Hm. Well, thanks for your time, miss…"
"Vanille." She smiled brightly again, packing up her bag of gardening tools and walking over to Fang.
"Ya can call me Fang."
"That's a strange name," she giggled, the skipped around, looking at her handiwork. "Say, what're you doing up here anyways?"
"I'm new in town. Guess you can say that I'm interested in history."
"Ohh, well this place sure has a lot of it." She plucked a small flower from the flower bed that lined the path. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Fang. I've got to go now. Ciao!" She waved once more, then skipped off, leaving Fang to gaze up at the looming manor by herself.
It was old, alright. The style was a much earlier design than of the rest of the town, but it was majestic and elegant, vibrant in color and intricate, yet simple in design. The old residents were obviously nobles. It stood tall and proud, overlooking the sea and town, barely weathered or aged at all.
Two statues of armored knights stood guard before the steps to the front door, so detailed that they looked as if they could come to life at any moment. The windows of the manor were covered with thick curtains, revealing nothing inside. It was grand, but it did not exactly give off the most welcoming feeling.
Perhaps it was the tall pointed tower behind the manor. Or the way the shadows stretched further than they should.
Smells like a vampire den. With a small shake of the head, Fang walked up to the giant wooden door. It was about ten feet high and carved with flowing designs of no meaning. Much to her surprise, it was unlocked. It swung open with ease, and she cautiously went inside, grabbing her trusty lance from her back. She unfolded it into its full, deadly length, and smiled at the reassurance of holding the wooden shaft. She had made it herself. Kain. The best vampire-slaying weapon. Though, it wasn't the only thing she came armed with.
Three steps in, and the door closed by itself. It would be pitch black inside, were it not for the candles giving off a warm, dim light. Fang sniffed the air, alert for any kind of threat. The air wasn't musty like she anticipated, either. The entire building seemed very much alive. Someone has been here not too long ago…or is here…
Sensing no threat, Fang relaxed herself and studied the room more. The foyer was clean and empty. There was a hall to the right and the left, and a giant curved stairway to the second floor in front of Fang. Littered around the room, against the walls were alters with porcelain pots or other valuable sculptures. On the walls hung giant paintings depicting various scenery. Small statues on pedestals added to the aesthetics of the room.
"You should knock before entering another's residence." The voice was distinctly feminine, but authoritative, and commanding.
Fang whipped around behind her to see a young woman in an elegant, ruffled red dress holding a matching glass of red liquid. She held herself in a regal manner, staring at Fang with a calm, composed, neutral expression, framed by styled champagne locks that flowed to one side of her head, ending in a twisting cascade on her chest. Perhaps the most pronounced part of her were her piercing blue eyes. That, and how very beautiful she was. She could have easily passed for a queen.
But beauty didn't mean harmless. Fang knew that fact very well.
The huntress tensed and held her lance up defensively, wary, but throwing the mysterious woman a smirk anyways. "Sorry, didn't know that the abandoned manor was occupied." How tha hell did I not hear her? Or smell her? Must be somethin' ta do with this weird house.
The woman's mouth twitched into what was a small, amused smile and slowly sipped from her glass. "Yes, I suppose I cannot blame you for that." She took another sip after swirling the drink around for a few moments, then set the glass down on a polished wooden table beside her. "This house is enchanted, you know. It will never crumble in time. I can't say the same for the garden, though. A shame if such a beautiful garden were to be neglected…" Her gaze was fixed on Fang with an intensity that could tear right into Fang's soul so she could open it up and scrutinize it.
"Are ya tha vampire that's been killin' tha townspeople?"
The woman didn't respond immediately, casually checking the nails on her right hand. "Why would you ask that?"
Fang growled, glad that her lance was between the two of them. "Because ya smell like a bloodsucker."
She smiled and glanced back up to meet her intruder's gaze. It almost gave Fang a shiver down her spine. "Interesting. You know what a vampire smells like?"
"Yeah. I hunt 'em. It's my job."
The woman began to saunter over to her. Fang tried not to stare at the way her hips moved, with the way her tight dress hugged her curves. Or how much of her ample chest showed with the corset-like top. "That doesn't sound like a very fun job." Fortunately, or unfortunately, Fang couldn't look away from her eyes.
"No, but I'm good at it." Before the vampire could get any closer, she slashed at her with the lance, confident that the devil of a woman wouldn't find her just another one of her poor victims. Oerba Yun Fang was no victim. She was the bane of all bloodsuckers and devils. There have been those that cowered at just the mention of her name.
But her strike only hit air. "Really." The woman was in front of the stairs now, looking as calm as ever, though she regarded Fang with a slight gleam in her eyes. Amusement. "They used to call me Lady Farron. But you may call me Lightning if you wish; it is my current favored name." She licked her blood red lips. "So you're the one the Mayor hired. Yun Fang, the Huntress."
"Yeah, that's me." Fang furrowed her brow. How did she know? This wasn't right. It wasn't right at all. Lightning moved faster than any other vampire Fang had fought. They were fast, but she wasn't slow, either. A predator had to be fast to catch its prey, after all. Wait. Farron. Farron Manor. The vampire she was dealing with was old. Very old. It was common knowledge that the older the vampire, the more powerful they were. Centuries of living leads to experience. And danger.
All the ancients are supposed to be dead.
"Oh yes. I have heard a lot about you, Huntress." Farron was circling her now, examining her like a piece of meat. A piece of bloody, delicious meat.
Fang faced her bravely, making sure not to show any hints of weakness. I've killed dozens of ya bloody vipers. And you're no different. Well, she hoped so at least. "Have ya, now?"
Fang blinked and Lightning was gone. She froze when she felt a breath against her ear, making the hair on the back of her neck stand and goosebumps form. "It's been so long…since I had any fun," Light purred. Her voice was velvet, Fang couldn't stop the shiver that ran through her body.
Fang flinched when she felt a cold but soft hand cup her cheek. She felt herself flush, body warming itself up to counter against the icy touch that trailed across her lips and along her jaw. Damn it! The Huntress tried to turn her head, maybe headbutt her, but her entire body was paralyzed. The only thing she could move were her eyes.
Lightning smiled, looking into those fierce green eyes with steeled blue. "You're here to kill me, aren't you? How about we make it more interesting—we're going to play a game. The first to three strikes wins. Blood must be drawn." She leaned closer, until there were but a centimeter apart. The heady scent of roses nearly intoxicated Fang. "The winner gets to do whatever they want to the loser." For an undead monster, Lightning's breath was very warm. "So if you want to finish your little job…" She grabbed Fang's chin with one hand and tilted her head, playing with the necklace underneath her hunter's coat with the other. For a cold-blooded killer, her touch was very tender. "You'll have to catch me first."
She grunted when a sharp blade cut across her cheek and stumbled once Lightning let her go. It took but a second for her to regain her balance and she growled up at the vampire. The blasted woman was licking the blood off her finger, eyes sharpening at the taste. "Mmm," She smiled again at Fang. "That's one strike for me." And then she disappeared in a blur.
Fang huffed, bringing up a hand to the cut on her cheek, about an inch below her right eye. It stung, and she knew it was deep, but it quickly sealed, leaving only a tingling sensation where it once was. She'd find out later that it left a scar; it was a marking of territory.
She glanced around warily. Every dancing shadow was an enemy. Was Farron even alone? What if she had vampire underlings as well? Powerful ancients usually had those to do their dirty work. Could she hold out until nighttime? Fuckin' vipers.
The Huntress checked to make sure everything was in place. The hidden knives, her light armor, Etro's cross, and various other anti-vampire assortments. It was all there.
She gave a small sigh of relief, closing her hand around the pendant resting against her chest. Her most precious possession; the reminder of who she was—the insignia of the Yun Clan. A wolf's head howling at a crescent moon. The best hunters of all Gran Pulse. The lost clan.
She stuffed it underneath her tunic and twirled her lance. The game of cat and mouse had begun. Despite the odds, Fang smiled. She was the Huntress, after all. And after getting a good whiff of Lightning's scent, she wasn't quite so invincible. She could be tracked. There was the faintest of trails, and Fang took off at a sprint. She wasn't going to lose. The prey doesn't eat the predator.