IV The Beautiful Stranger

3 days ago...

A strange door opens into the twilight sky of Ransylva, but the phenomenon was so brief that nobody could notice. What happened next caught the curious stares of many. A very bright light shimmered in the sky and then a fireball was falling at great speed. "A meteorite", said those who were watching. The fireball kept falling until it disappeared in the middle of the forest outside the town. Not so far from there, a young boy was busy herding the cattle while his older sister was outside the farm chasing away the wild creatures with her laser rifle. The flashing light of the fireball and the sound it made as it crashed on the ground has caught the boy's attention. He quickly locked the cattle inside the fold and whistles. A brown horse appears and the boy hurries and rides on it. He was worried about his sister for she was somewhere out there.

Meanwhile, the young woman who was busy shooting night creatures to keep them away from her farm was suddenly startled by the light of the fireball. She followed its course with her eyes as it fell to the ground and shortly after she heard the sound of the impact. The wild creatures of the forest were desperate and many of them were running away from the place where the meteorite fell not just because of the sound of the impact, but also because some trees and the grass were burning in flames. The commotion made the place more dangerous because many of those creatures were running in her direction and of course the young woman knew that the predators would come as well. She decides to get on her horse and ride back to the farm, but as she was heading back, the horse makes a sudden stop. The woman hit the reins of the horse, but it didn't want to continue. "Come on Speedy. What's wrong with you?", she said not knowing the danger that was coming. Out of nowhere, a huge werewolf appears blocking her path. The horse neighs and stands on its hind legs. The woman tries to hold on to the saddle and at the same time, she tries to fire her rifle. She manages to shoot the wild creature, but it only made it more furious and it was coming at her. She takes control of the horse and heads back to where she was before at full speed. She was caught between the werewolf and the trees on fire. She makes up her mind and covers her nose and her mouth with a bandana to avoid breathing too much smoke and rides towards the burning trees hoping that the werewolf doesn't follow her there and that she could make it through in one piece.

Some distance ahead, another soul was struggling for survival. In the middle of the burning grass and the bushes lies a dark figure. He was resting on the ground where he stayed still for a while. The heat, the smoke, and the fire didn't seem to affect him. It was a tough landing, but it was the best he could manage to do considering his current condition. Many thoughts came across his head as he remembered the events. First, he was standing with Minerva in front of the portal as it activated. Second, something pulled them both into the portal. Third, a mysterious being probably a very powerful vampire appeared and everything went out of control. The evil host was trying to get rid of him and for some reason, he wanted to take the barbarian woman with him. That's when the battle of the wizards began, but unfortunately, his opponent had the upper hand. He wounded him badly and threw him out of the... what was that place? A flying fortress perhaps? His thoughts were suddenly interrupted. He could feel that something or someone was coming. He opened his eyes, but all he could see was fire all around him. Maybe that circle of fire was protecting him from possible intruders, but it was also making it more difficult to see what was out there. Slowly he tries to sit up despite the pain he was feeling because of the bleeding wound he had on his belly. He lays his right hand on the wound and raises his left hand and says "Come to me" and suddenly the circle of fire around him gets absorbed and disappears. Now he had a better view of his surroundings. He noticed that it was nighttime, that he was in the middle of a forest, that many trees were on fire, and that a hungry velociraptor-like creature was sniffing around for prey. The reptile looks at him now that the circle of fire was gone and it had the intention to make him its dinner."Damn!", he said quickly laying his left hand on the hilt of his sword, but before he could make a move three shots were heard. "What was that?", he said. The creature roared in pain for it was hit by the laser shots and falls dead. The wizard could hear the galloping of a horse approaching and someone shouting. "Now what?", he said unsheathing his sword and waiting.

The young woman was trying to escape the werewolf as she was riding down a hill when she sees what she thought was the silhouette of a person sitting on the ground and not far from him a reptile. She makes sure the werewolf wasn't too close and makes a brief stop to use the rifle's target sight to have a better look. What she saw took her breath away and made her heart skip a beat. That person was wearing dark clothes, a wide brim hat, and a dark cloak. In just seconds many thoughts and memories invaded her head and she couldn't help but say his name, "D". She also noticed that something was not right, maybe he was hurt because her vampire hunter friend wouldn't be sitting in the middle of the forest like that. Without any second thought and knowing the man could be in danger, she targeted the reptilian creature and shot it three times. Now that the raptor was gone, she hits the reins of the horse and rushes down the hill forgetting about the werewolf. She was so excited that she wasn't thinking with her head, but with her heart. She let her emotions speak as she shouted his name while her horse was galloping, "D! You have returned! D!". Since the wizard had consumed the fire that was surrounding him, the woman had no obstacle to approach him. Her heart was beating faster now that she was just a few steps away from the one she thought was her beloved vampire hunter. It was night time and the only light was that of the fire on the trees at some distance and of course the light of the full moon so she couldn't see the details. His long dark hair, his wide-brimmed hat, his long dark cloak, even the size of the man, all those superficial characteristics matched. She couldn't see his face for he was wearing a bandana to cover his nose and his mouth. She believed he was just keeping himself from breathing the smoke just like her, so she didn't mind. Quickly she gets off the horse and runs over to him shouting, "D! Are you alright? D! Please answer me!"

The wizard remained still as he heard a horse and the voice of a woman saying something. It was a foreign language, probably one of the many human dialects. Now they were both on sight and the woman has gotten off the horse. She was approaching fast making him feel a little uneasy. Even though she didn't look like a threat, he kept his hand on his sword ready to make a move if he needed to. Because of her scent, he could tell that she was human. He couldn't understand what she was saying so he remained silent, but his eyes opened widely when he saw the big bad werewolf behind the unaware woman. "Get down now!", he shouted as he noticed the werewolf was about to jump. The woman didn't understand so he quickly moved and pulled her down onto him and stuck out his sword. The werewolf was already in the air and it didn't have the chance to move away from the sharp sword, so it impaled itself on it. The woman was taken by surprise when he pulled her. She hit her face with his armor's chest plate. She didn't realize what was going on until she heard the werewolf howling in pain. She could feel the hard breathing of the dying creature very close to her. She turned to look and first she noticed the demonic red eye on the hilt of the sword. Then she saw the edge of the blade was red too, but it looked more as if a stream of blood was running through it as the impaled werewolf was drying up like a mummy. She got paralyzed for a moment as she was trying to cope with what she had just seen. The wizard shakes the dry corpse off his sword and lays it by his side. He sighed and whispered, "That was close". The young woman snaps out of it. "You... you saved me", she says, but then she realized the man was not her beloved. His voice was different and she couldn't understand what he was saying. His sword was different too and it was very creepy. She pulled herself away from him thinking that maybe she has run into a noble and asks, "Who are you?" Then she noticed her hand was moistened in blood, but it wasn't hers. "Oh my God, you're hurt", the wizard noticed the woman's fear, but he was not surprised. He was used to be feared and loathed by humans. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't mind showing her his long sharp fangs and demonic eyes or use his magic to scare her and make her go away, but he was not in shape to do so. In fact, he needed the woman's help to get out of there before he falls asleep, but there was a problem, she didn't understand his language. He will have to use his magic one more time and hope he doesn't fall asleep when he does. He extends his hand at her inviting her to come closer. The woman looked at his hand and even though he was wearing a gauntlet, she could see his pale fingers and long black nails. The man was also wearing rings on his fingers. She was reluctant to get closer to him, but when she looked up to his eyes, she couldn't resist and moved over to him. Once she was within reach, he laid two fingers on her lips and said, "Speech", then he moves back. The woman felt something strange as the language barrier has been broken.

-What happened? What did you do?- she asked.

-I just opened the language part of your brain so you can understand what I say, but I also learned your language - the wizard answered. He didn't have time to sit and have a nice conversation with her so he goes straight to the point. -I guess it was you the one who killed the lizard beast. I don't know why you helped me and I'm grateful, but I'll need your assistance one more time. If you get me out of here and find me a place to rest I'll reward you.-

The young woman didn't know what to say. She rushed over to help him because she thought he was D, but now that she knows he's a stranger she has her doubts. What if the man is a noble like Count Lee? On the other hand, he saved her from the hungry werewolf, and he was hurt. She's a good-natured person and being merciful is one of her greatest virtues. She showed mercy to the Count's daughter even though she tried to kill her, it won't be different now for the stranger. Besides, up to now, he hasn't tried to harm her, so she'll take the risk. She didn't even think about the reward as she made up her mind.

-Alright, I'll take you out of the forest because I know you're wounded. Night has fallen and this place will get even more dangerous. Besides, you also saved me from that werewolf. But I warn you, if this is a trick or if you try something funny, I'll shoot you- the woman said seriously.

The wizard simply nods. He felt that having to depend on an ordinary human was humiliating, but he had no other choice. That vampire took him by surprise and gave him a good thrashing and he had to use too much magic energy to protect himself and to counterattack. His body was asking for sleep. It was the best way to heal his wounds and regain his stamina.

-Ok, so do you think you can stand?- she said getting up and reaching her hand out to him.

He nods and refuses her assistance. Slowly he kneels using his sword for support and then he raises staggering a little. Once he's on his feet, he sheathes the sword. He was too proud to show her how vulnerable he actually is. The woman noticed his effort and believed he was just acting by foolish pride.

-If you don't accept my help, you'll make it worse for the both of us. We do have to get out of here as soon as possible and you'll need help to walk and to get on the horse. So stop acting like an almighty fool and let me help you. - she said and then she starts to cough because the smoke was starting to affect her.

The wizard didn't like to be told what to do, but he had no choice. He was in no condition to argue and he didn't have much time because if he falls asleep he'll be trapped in that place. He doesn't think that woman was strong enough to carry him. She's too thin and too short very different from the barbarian woman. Now the woman was getting affected by the smoke. She was right, they had to get out of there fast before she faints.

-Alright, lead me- he answered.

-Good-, she said and moved next to him. -You can lean on me. I'm stronger than I look, trust me.- she said taking his arm and putting it over her shoulder to help him walk over to the horse. The wizard let her lead him still not saying much something that made her think even more about D and his silence. She breaks the silence and says, -By the way, my name is Doris Lang. I supposed you do have a name too.-

-Sparen, that's how everyone calls me.- he answered.

She thought it was a very unusual name, but she didn't say anything. As they got near the horse she said:

-Well Sparen, now you have to cooperate and do an effort to mount on the horse. I'll give you support.-

-We don't have much time-, he said as he held on to the saddle and pulled himself up with the strength he had left.

-Why do you say that? Is it because of your wound?-, she asked mounting the horse now that he was already sitting on the saddle. She coughs some more.

-Because I'm falling asleep and because you're breathing too much smoke -, he answers.

-Don't you dare to think about fainting. I won't let the smoke overcome me either. Now hold on tight, we're getting out of here!-, she said hitting the reins of the horse. The wizard holds on to the saddle and wraps his right arm around her waist. The woman was a little uneasy as she felt his arm around her waist and the man's body that close to her. She has not let any other man get that close to her after D left six years ago. Because of the current situation, she put all those thoughts aside and hurried the horse. Sparen noticed her sudden change, but he didn't pay much heed to it. To him, it was more important to avoid falling off the horse and getting out of there.

Doris turned the cyborg horseback to the path where they came from, but before they could make it to the top of the hill and away from the fire, a burning tree falls blocking the trail. The woman pulled back the horse. The flames were too high for them to go through. The horse was uneasy and the woman knew that if she didn't do something it might throw away both riders. She regains control of the cyborg horse and turned around, but the path downhill was already burning too.

-Oh no! We are trapped! What do we do now?-, she asked desperately.

-Go through-, the man answered showing no fear or concern.

-What?! Are you kidding?! We'll burn our asses if we go through the fire-, she answered raising her voice.

-Just turn the horseback to the trail and ride through the flames lady-, he said with a demanding tone. Then he spread his cloak around them and the horse. -My cloak will protect you from the fire. Now go!-

-Alright, alright!-, she answered. She didn't know if it was going to work, but she had no other choice but to trust him. If they stayed where they were they would surely die.

The young woman turned the horse back to the trail and hit the reins. The cyborg horse started to gallop uphill and through the flames. Doris was a little scared in the beginning, but then she noticed that what the man said was true, the fire was not burning her or the horse. Once they were out of danger, she pulled the reins to slow the horse a little. The woman was a little surprised as the wizard's cloak shrinks and returns to its normal size. Then she thought about her reaction. She let herself be driven by desperation and shouted at him for no reason. She takes a breath and then says:

-You were right, your cloak protected us from the fire. It's the second time you have protected me and I... I just want to apologize for shouting at you. I was desperate and I wasn't thinking.- She waited for him to say something, but the man remained silent.

-Sparen?- she called him. -Do you hear me?-, she asked. Suddenly she felt him leaning on her back. He was heavy and it was uncomfortable to ride like that, not to mention the awkwardness she was also feeling. She wouldn't mind if it was D, but that man was a stranger. She sighed thinking that the man has fallen asleep as he said. "What do I do now? I hope I can keep him on the horse until we get to the farm. I'll be lucky if I don't fall off the horse with all that dead weight on my back", she said to herself.

-Someone is coming-, the wizard whispered to her. He just wanted to warn her before falling asleep.

The young woman startled when she heard him whispering. She thought he was completely gone.

-You're still awake?-, she asked, but got no answer. She was worried now that he told her that someone was coming. She stopped the horse and laid her hand on the rifle. She hears the galloping of a horse coming and gets ready to shoot, but then she hears a familiar voice calling out to her.

-Doris! There you are! Thank God you're ok. I was worried about you. Did you see the meteorite?-, the boy shouted as he was approaching.

-Dan! Thank God it is you!-, she shouted. She lays down the rifle and sighed feeling relieved.

The boy noticed his sister was not riding alone. Someone was riding on the back of her horse. A tall dark figure wearing a black cloak and a wide brim hat. Just like his sister, he was confused and let the emotions flow thinking that his friend and role model had returned.

-D! You have returned! I've missed...-, the boy shouted excitedly, but he was interrupted by his sister.

-Dan, no-, she said.

-What's wrong sis? Is D alright? What happened?-, he asked noting the man's condition.

-I know how you feel, but he's not D-, she answered.

The boy was disappointed. He was eager to see the vampire hunter again. He was only eight when his sister was kissed by Count Magnus Lee. He remembers feeling hopeless and crying when D said words to encourage him. He'll never forget that.

-If he's not D, then who is he? Why are you carrying him on your horse?-, the boy asked her.

-I'll tell you everything on the way. We must return to the farm now-, the woman answered and adds -Please watch my back, it's a little hard for me to move as you can see-.

-Alright sis, I'll keep my eyes and my ears open-, he answered.

Both siblings hit the reins of their horses and begin their journey back home. The boy couldn't keep his eyes away from the stranger for too long. He was very curious about him. He was waiting for his sister to start talking, but he was anxious so he breaks the silence.

-Ok sis, who is that guy?-, he asked quickly.

-His name is Sparen and that's everything I know about him-, she answered. She didn't know what else to say for he was a stranger.

-What happened out there? Why are you carrying him on your horse? Are you taking him with us to the farm?-, the boy invaded his sister with many questions, but it was natural for him to be concerned.

-Ok, I'll tell you everything. I was chasing away the wild beasts with my rifle when I saw a fireball falling from the sky. The meteorite set the trees on fire and the creatures of the forest were running desperately. I thought it was dangerous to remain where I was, so I was heading back to the farm when a werewolf appeared blocking the path. I had to turn back to where the fire was and there I saw him. Just like you, I thought he was D-, she said.

-I see, so you went over to find out.. right?-, the boy said.

-Exactly, but before that, I saw a raptor that was too close to him and I noticed the man was sitting on the ground not moving, so I knew something was not right. I shot the beast three times until it was dead and then I rushed over to see if he was ok. The next event happened so fast that I still don't know exactly how it happened- the woman said.

-What happened sis? Please continue-, the boy insisted.

-The werewolf followed me there, but I was not aware. The man quickly reached out and pulled me, then I heard the beast howling. When I turned to look, the werewolf had been impaled on the man's sword and it was dead-, she recalled.

-Jeez, you really got distracted, sis. So, that guy saved you. Maybe he just wanted to pay for what you did for him before-, the boy stated his opinion.

-Maybe you are right-, she answered.

-So, what happened then?-, he asked.

-Then I realized he's not D. His sword was different, his voice was different and I couldn't understand what he was saying, but I also found out that the man was wounded and he was bleeding-, she said.

-I see, so you decided to help him even though he's a stranger. You do have a big heart, Doris. It's hard not to love you, sis-, he said.

-And you are the best brother anyone could ever have Dan-, she replied.

-So, are we going to take him over to our house?-, the boy asked.

-That's something I've been considering. The man asked for my help. He said he needed a place to rest for he was falling asleep and so he did right before you arrived-, she replied. -But I won't do it if you don't agree Dan. We could leave him out in the barn-, she added.

-That's tough. He's a stranger and he could be a noble or one of those mutants, but considering that he saved you from that werewolf, we could give him a chance... if that's how you feel sis-, the boy answered.

-Alright, we'll take him over to the house, but we'll be keeping an eye on him-, she said.

The siblings had an agreement just as they arrived safely at the fence of their farm. They put down the force field fence and entered the farm. Getting the sleeping wizard off the horse and carrying him over to the house was not a very easy task for he was heavy. When they finally could get him inside, they removed his cloak and laid him on the sofa. They also removed his hat and put it on a rack with the cloak.

-I don't think he's comfortable enough sis, we should take his belt and sword too-, he said reaching out for the sword, but his sister stopped him.

-Dan wait, be careful. Maybe you are right and he's not comfortable enough, but you shouldn't touch that sword. I saw what that thing did to the werewolf and I think it's dangerous-, she warned him.

-Ok sis, I'll remove the belt without touching the sword-, the boy said and carefully loses the sword's belt and the combat belt off the man's waist and takes them over to the rack. He couldn't get his eyes off the sword's hilt and its scabbard, both things looked like fine pieces of craftsmanship, but he couldn't see the demonic eye on the hilt because the sword was resting in the sheathe.

Doris was checking up on the man when she noticed the hole on the chest plate of his armor, but she also noticed he had stopped bleeding. That made her suspicious. No ordinary human would stop bleeding just like that. Her thoughts were interrupted by her brother.

-Perhaps we should remove his combat suite too, don't you think?-, the boy said. -But first... why don't we take that bandana off his face and see how he looks like?-, the boy asked. He was very curious. His sister was curious too, but at the same time, she was feeling disappointed because she won't be looking at D's face.

-I don't know Dan. He has been wearing it the whole time, even after we got away from the fire-, she replied.

-I know you are not happy because he's not D. I feel the same too, but I'm dying of curiosity and I know you are too. You just don't want to show it. Let's play rock-paper-scissors. The winner will remove the bandana-, the boy suggested.

-That's silly but ok... let's do it-, she drew lots and Doris was the lucky winner.

-Rock, I win-, she said mocking at her brother.

-Aahhh!-, he protested. -Alright, you win... now do it-, he said wasting no time.

-Ok, here I go-, she replied as she approached and extended her hand. Gently she pulled the bandana down to the man's neck. She stared at the man's face in silence. He looked so serene, so peaceful, so innocent, she can't believe he was the same person who killed that werewolf making his corpse dry up like a mummy. Now she paid more attention to his looks. His ebony locks of hair falling over his fair skin and the handsome traits of his face made her think about her beloved hunter. Well, he was not as handsome as D, but he was not that bad either.

-Wow! I don't know who this guy is, but he looks a little like D, don't you think? Maybe he's one of his relatives. Doris, do you think D has a brother?-, the boy asked.

The young woman was still daydreaming when her younger brother called out to her.

-Planet Earth calling Doris, do you copy?-, he said chuckling.

-Huh?-, she said snapping out of it. -Did you say something?-, she asked.

-I see, you are impressed too. I also think he looks a little like D-, he replied.

-Perhaps, but other important things make D who he is. He's brave, he is honorable, he is honest and he's a gentleman. Besides I think D is more handsome-, she answered a little bothered thinking that there's only one D and that stranger was not him.

Dan couldn't understand his sister's sudden mood change. He knew how much she suffered when D left and how much she missed him, but it's been six years already. She still refuses to look at other men and she turns them down even before they could properly introduce themselves. This time, there's something different. Maybe it was because of the physical similarity between that man and D the young woman didn't hesitate to bring him over to the house, but now it looked like she was mad at him for not being D.

-Sorry sis, I didn't mean to bother you-, the boy apologized.

-It's alright Dan. I think we should just let that man rest. We still have things to do-, she replied.

-Ok sis. Do you want me to help fix dinner?-, he asked.

-No, I'll do it. Just go and take a bath-, she said.

-Ok. I'll take a bath in a flash and help you-, he said running upstairs.

Doris looked over to the sleeping guest for a brief moment and then she headed over to the kitchen. Sometime after the siblings had dinner and they agree that Doris would take the first-night watch. They both agreed that they were going to be cautious around the stranger so they were going to watch him while he was sleeping. It was late at night and Dan went over to sleep while his sister was sitting on an armchair a few steps away from the sleeping guest. She had her rifle ready just in case but hoped for a quiet night. She stared at the man, but she was not really looking at him, her thoughts were away, thinking about other times, especially those times she spent with her beloved vampire hunter. And so the night went on silently and with no novelty.

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((Author's Note: Perhaps you have noticed that I do not go very deep into describing the world created by Mr. Hideyuki Kikuchi and his characters, that is because I have only seen the anime and read a couple of chapters of the manga, but I have not read the books (although I have read summaries about some of the stories). The second reason is that I do not pretend that this is a canonical story, so you will see that perhaps the characters, situations, and certain things in the environment are somewhat different. I would like to know what you think of Minerva and Sparen so far. I would appreciate a little feedback.))