Scene 2
Like an extension of his will the blade danced out again, the silvery arc left in its wake a flash of death. He twisted his wrist slightly, driving his blade deeper into the ford of zombies. His horse reared and he sent it galloping, crushing the bodies beneath a mass of gore and blood. A Master of Familiars, the half-breed selected among his companions and brought forth his demon, the most reliable and vicious of them, though he tended to complain a lot, which he did while he drove his spear through torn bodies. Alucard paid it no heed. They made short work of them and continued on their journey.
As he galloped his steed past the gory field the demon familiar danced off his shoulder, purple wings taking it high in the sky. He scouted ahead, gremlin-like eyes peering into the dusty world beyond. Alucard and his six familiars had travelled now for several weeks, trying to keep the carriage in their line of sight, yet never having the resources to manage to do so. Whoever this vampire noble was he certainly had the capacity to evade the expert hunting skills of the most famous hunter in all the land.
The demon fluttered back, his pudgy face growing eager. "Master, there are more. They lay in wait for you."
Alucard's sword flashed upwards, catching the moonlight. "Then let's not leave our guests unattended, shall we?"
Again, his sword danced to the tune of death, delivering that sentence to those that had skipped along the line of unlife. As he worked, his mind scattered like the blood, transversing back to his discourse with Lord Bernadis. He had taken the quest, not out of nobleness or fortune but to learn of who of vampire blood stalked the lands of Transylvania again. He didn't even consider his father for he was not to return for a hundred years. But if not him, then who? His vampire kin were almost slain to a man...
Fortunately, with skill such as his the half-breed's sword still found the bodies and his shield still deflected them, too. As one flung itself at his head, Alucard threw out his sword and cleanly sliced it in two, spreading the indescrible guts on its fellows. They came despite it but after the half-breed put his mind to the task fully they quickly found out why he was the most impressive and expensive hunter in the land. The result was always the same. They perished, finding true death with the swing of his swordarm.
"Anything else out there?" he asked while pushing back his golden locks and it splashed over his cloak, the color of midnight stilled. It was not so unlike him, half light, half dark. "Are we gaining on the carriage or falling further behind?" Whatever the case was with the vampire and his maiden-prisoner Alucard wanted to make as swift work of this as with the zombies so he could return to his slumber, the one thing that brought his soul any peace.
The demon set out to the task assigned him, diving high into the sky and scanning the terrian. He cocked his head quizzically for a few minutes then with a squeal he hurried back to his master, his face again anxious. "I'm afraid the carriage is drawing ever farther away..."
"Then we must be quick to cut if off-"
"Master, there are two humans up ahead."
This was unexpected. The vampire would likely have slain any in his path...or would he? Perhaps Bernadis had taken some advice, at least to hire someone else. But then a meeting with the Belmonts would be the last people he longed to see, especially a certain married-in Belmont...Alucard shook his head, that fountain of golden hair flowing backwards. He could not let anything or anyone stand in the way of his mission. Chuckling his tongue, the half-breed hunter sent his steed furiously up the hill. As she moved, they blended into the night sky with her black coat and his ebony cloak such that it became impossible to tell where the hunter and horse ended and the sky began.
As he travelled so did his thoughts. A vampire. A stolen maiden. Kill the vampire. Retrieve the maiden. Simple enough quest. Yet his half-blood sense scented trouble as if somehow he knew this vampire and that brought with familarity and forbodding. No matter. They all died the same way--either by sword or by stake through their beatless hearts.
Something drew close...
Very close.
Close enough to smell the stench.
Close enough to hear the whizzing.
Close enough...for his hand to dart out like independent of his body and ensare the object a scant inche from his marble face. His golden eyes narrowed as they took in a cross. Burning. In his hand. Yet not burning his hand. Alucard had no fear of crosses, being of half-blood and too high of vampire standing for it to affect him gravely. As he had clutched the item the horse crested the hill, rearing at the sudden movement he made. His cloak flew up as the wings of a bat briefly concealing the lower half the moon. As his horse dropped to all fours and his cloak settled, Alucard crumpled the cross to dust in his hand and dramatically blew the bits away.
A clap. From down the other side of the hill. His gaze shifted from his hand to the two below, a man and a woman, hunters both. He could see that from their attire, the hooks for stakes they bore, the sraps for whips they now carried in their hands, and crosses, always crosses both real ones and ones sewn into their leather. And he knew them, if only in passing, yet that passing did not go without notice, particularly for the woman. The demon fluttered down to his shoulder, little tongue darting out in boredom.
The man was waving his finger. "I should have known that was you. Nice catch, by the way. If anyone could do that with a flair, I'd imagine it would be you. So, tell me, how you've been?" There was no response other than the horse stamping its foot and the wind picking up Alucard's cloak. "Ah, talkative as ever. Well, I know only one reason that would have you leave the comfort of your coffin--vampires. So if we're after the same bloodsucker why don't we do it together?"
Again, nothing. Alucard's expression had not changed, half highlighted by the stunning moonlight, half left in shadow the midnight skies.
It was the woman who spoke next, her green eyes glittering hopefully. Yes, he knew her well, too well perhaps. Her face brought swift pain to the dhampire, but he smothered it beneath an icy exterior even as she uttered softly, "Adrian?"
"Alucard."
And with that he was off, vanishing beyond the pale moon making them all wonder if they had not dreamt the mysterious meeting with the dhampire.
