Well, here's the next chapter! And since I didn't say it in the last one, I'll say it now; I do NOT OWN D, VINCENT VALENTINE OR ALUCARD! I do, however, own other characters in this story, as well as the puppy Molly in particular (it's a cameo of my new puppy! Short but sweet!) Anyway, here it is! I hope you enjoy it! Remember, please Read and Review!

Chapter 1

The Ungrateful


"The promised amount," the mayor nodded, the large Adam's apple in his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard. "Ten thousand dalas." His watery, grey eyes looked at the three, darkly handsome Hunters before him, and though none of them held any sort of ill presence, the mayor, who was edgy by nature, felt completely awkward, as though he was standing in front of a judge, waiting to receive his sentence. "I-I hope that is alright..." he offered, wishing they would say something, anything to alleviate the oppressive presence of the heroes of his town.

The apparent leader, D, stepped forward, his pale hand taking the latch of the briefcase sitting sternly on the desk, flipping it open in one smooth motion. Dark eyes peered over the money within, not showing any sort of emotion or sense of accomplishment, like any normal Hunter would have. Anyone else would have been gloating, or would have worn a smug look on their rough faces. But this man, and his companions as well, showed not hint of such a thing. They simply looked at the money for another silent moment, before the lid was snapped shut once more. The mayor jumped, not quite expecting the startling movement or sound that came with it, his Adam's apple bobbing once more, as his pale eyes met D's deep, dark gaze.

"We will be on our way..." was all the man in black said, before turning. His cloak flicked ever so slightly from the movement, but that was all. Taking the suitcase, he and his two fellow Hunters moved out of the office as quietly as they had come in. The mayor held his breath, until the trio left, then collapsed almost gratefully into his chair, a handkerchief dabbing his sweating brow. There had been no real reason to feel so uneasy with the men who had saved the children of the small town, the mayor's son included, but still, there was simply something heavy and frightening about those three sets of eyes.

The Hunters walked with a stern pace through the meandering streets of the town, now seeming much less foreboding then just yesterday. Children played outside again, stopping as their rescuers passed silently. And though they whispered to one another, or a stray smile and wave were sent to the men, not once did they return the motion, nor even turn to look at them. And so, after a number of apparently ignored greetings or thanks were made, the children all gave up on the idea.

Finally, after what seemed more a death march then one of victory to all watching, the three men arrived at their new destination; a small tavern in the south-eastern corner of the town. There, three horses stood tethered to the posts out front, all three calmly drinking from the trough before them. They had been placed there this morning, as part of the deal to remove the witch/vampire from the people of the city's midst, and were given gladly by the mayor, who was more then eager to get rid of the three dark hunters.

"Molly! Come back!"

The tiny voice called out from the alley to the left of the tavern, and only moments later, a small puppy came bounding out from the shadow of the through-way, its brown eyes looking very eager. The tiny animal made its way around the corner, oblivious to the three hunters standing in its way, before screeching to a halt in front of three pairs of unmoving boots. Round, wet eyes looking up at the men, the puppy took only a moment before it realized that its presence wasn't exactly welcomed, and began to back up, only a small series of whimpers escaping its throat. It was in that moment that the owner of the voice made an appearance; a young girl, around ten, her round face slightly sunburned, and red hair in pigtails. She scooped up the puppy in an instant, scolding it, and, like her pet, not noticing the aura of the men before her, who had stopped to watch the incident with emotionless eyes.

"Molly! You shouldn't run off like that! You're a bad puppy!" the girl said to her dog, holding it in front of her, blocking her view of D, Alucard and Vincent. "I don't want to lose you!" Cradling the still whining dog in her arms, she looked, finally up at the hunters. "I'm sorry, misters," she said with a smile, though her eyes held a veiled sense of anxiety. "Molly likes to run off and-!"

"Sophie, come away from there!" a woman who was obviously the girl's mother called, appearing from almost no where, and taking the little girl's hand, not even giving a glance to the hunters who had saved that very same child not but a few hours ago. "You need to stay away from those people," the woman muttered, dragging the girl away, who cast a sort of sad glance back at the men, before disappearing back into the alley.

And thus, the story of the three best hunters in the Frontier was, once again, playing out. There were probably a thousand tales that surrounded the men, concerning who they were, what they were like, and just what they were beneath their handsome faces. Words like 'demons,' and 'dhampirs' floated after the trio wherever they went. Despite that the first named was a fairly close description of one of the men, and the latter the complete truth of the other two, the hostility, whether hidden or open was so strong that it could be felt in the town, even after a monster or Noble that had been plaguing them was dealt with. But this never seemed to trouble the Hunters. They simply came, did the job, got paid, and moved on. There was no need to allow such words to bother them, for those who spoke the words would probably never be seen again anyway by them.

And so, it was with a silent air that the men mounted their horses and started out of town at a gentle pace, the hems of their capes billowing like a wide train behind them, the only sound besides the horses' hooves.

These folks are about as cheerful as a mausoleum... the voice from D's Left Hand muttered as they passed the outer fringes of the town, the now fully risen sun beating down hardly on the field out before them. It was a long stretch of grass, most of it plowed for the fields, or half eaten by the town's livestock, with large stones and boulders interspersed here and there. All in all, a very welcoming sort of place to travel in; it was easy to see in any direction for a good mile or so by human eyes and even further for the three Hunters.

"They seemed a bit more grateful then the last town at least..." Vincent offered quietly, his eyes not moving from the path before them, his voice muffled by the cowl of his cape that was, once more, drawn up around his throat and mouth. But his companions heard him perfectly, and, unfortunately, knew he was right. Last time they had been 'escorted' out of time by the Sheriff and his gang, though every person in that posse knew that the Hunters were leaving by their own choice, and could have very well killed all ten of the 'escort'

"They paid in full and the job was finished," D answered, his dark eyes shaded by the wide brim of his hat. "That is how this job works."

"Even still," Alucard responded, his own eyes actually moving to D's face. "You would expect to see some sort of gratitude...we may not be human, but having an entire generation of your town saved from the clutches of a vampiress is not something you would expect to give you the cold shoulder for..."

Neither Vincent or D disagreed.

"But that still leaves us with our next destination." Vincent spoke up, deciding to change the subject. "We have received no correspondence from anyone, nor is there any town within the immediate vicinity besides the one we passed through. I suppose we are without work for the time being."

"Funny, ain't it?" D's Left Hand snickered, even through the dhampir's grasp on the reigns of his horse. "You three work yourselves into heat syndrome, and in the end, you can't hold a job to save your skins!"

"It is not as though we are without money, though," Alucard replied coolly, "As I see it, we have more then enough to last us for a good month and a half." Supplies, repairs and lodging was not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, and even more so for people like the three Hunters.

And so, the trio passed through the field in silence, each of their faces solemn, as though they were part of a funeral march. Whether they were aware that they were being watched at the time was indiscernible, even to the one spying on them. However, that didn't matter; he would make his move and approach them soon enough. He needed their help, despite what trouble or situations it may cause, despite the stories of them he had heard.

But how could a Noble ask for the aid of three Vampire Hunters?