Between two worlds Chapter 8: IX Interview with a vampire hunter: Part, a vampire hunter d fanfic

IX Interview with a vampire hunter: Part 1

Minerva's transformation had caused a stir in the town. The sheriff and his men went out to hunt the creature that flew in the serenity of the night. On the way they met D. The sheriff accused the handsome hunter of being involved with the creature, so he decided to chase him back to town. On the other hand, Minerva and her pet Ulter were hiding in an old barn waiting for D to return when suddenly an unexpected visitor enters the place ...

The mysterious person was a girl, and from the looks of her, she could be about fourteen years old. The girl walks towards a pile of wooden logs. She looks around her again to see if anyone had followed her. Seeing no one, she proceeds to remove the logs. There was a hidden door on the floor and she opens it. Then she takes out a trunk and opens it. Minerva observes her from above with great curiosity and wonders what is in the trunk. The girl takes out a couple of objects, including a nice mirror, a wooden stake, and a cross. She puts all those things on the floor and then takes something else out, an old photograph. The girl looks at the picture for a while and says in a low voice: "Hi Grandpa, I miss you so much, especially your stories about vampires and hunters. You don't know how much I would like you to be here." She puts the photograph back in the trunk and takes out a short sword. The girl looks at the sword and smiles, then she gets up and moves away from the trunk.

Minerva could no longer see the girl or what she was doing, so she decided to come down from where she was. She tells Ulter to watch the area while she spied on the girl. The gargoyle dog stayed upstairs watching as Minerva went down to see what she was doing. The gargoyle woman comes down the stairs stealthily trying not to attract the attention of the girl. Minerva hides behind some boxes and from there she could see what the girl was doing. The girl was very distracted in her business and she did not notice the presence of the gargoyle. The young lady begins to play with the sword as if she were facing a fearsome vampire with it. "Surrender horrible creature! I will finish you!", says the girl. Then she trips over a piece of wood that was laying on the ground and accidentally falls on the boxes where the gargoyle woman was hiding. The boxes fall to the ground. Minerva tries to sneak between the things that were in the place, but the girl manages to see her.

The girl was very scared. She dropped the sword to the ground. She had heard stories from her grandfather about monsters and vampires from a very young age, but she had never seen one in person. Minerva curses under her breath at being discovered. Now she must find a way to keep the girl quiet until D returns.

The girl screams desperately, -What the hell are you? Help! Someone help me!

Minerva watches her and makes a face, -Oh please. Do you think someone will hear you in here?

The girl remembers the sword and throws herself to pick it up from the ground. With the sword in her hands, the girl dares to do an act of bravery and threatens the gargoyle woman. -Get away from me and let me go or I'll kill you! -, the girl yells at the gargoyle.

Minerva sighs and says, -Are you serious? You don't even know how to wield that sword.

The girl moves back a little until she bumps into a wall. She continues to threaten Minerva with the sword. -I swear I'll kill you if you come closer!... Help! Someone help me! -, the girl yells.

Minerva approaches the girl. The young lady attacks the gargoyle with her sword moved by fear. The gargoyle woman dodges the girl's attack and takes her by the arm. She squeezes the girl's arm a little to make her drop the sword. The girl drops the sword but tries to kick the gargoyle woman. Minerva catches the girl's leg with her other hand and wraps her tail around the leg that supports the girl and pulls her down. The girl falls to the ground and tries to protect herself crossing her arms in front of herself.

-Help! -, the desperate girl shouts again.

-Stop yelling, it's annoying. I'm not going to do anything to you, if I wanted to hurt you I would have already done it -, Minerva warns her.

-If that's true then let me go -, says the scared girl.

-Unfortunately, I can't do that until D the hunter comes back for me -, Minerva replies.

-What are you saying ?! Do you mean D the famous vampire hunter? Do you know him? He's back already?! -, the girl asked very excitedly.

Minerva looks at the girl in surprise. Mentioning the vampire hunter made the girl forget how scared she was.

-Yes, I know him. We will travel together if we can get out of this town -, Minerva replies.

-Wait, wait, wait ... How is it possible that he is traveling with you, being you one of those monsters that he hunts? ... -, the girl realizes that she was reckless and says, - I'm sorry. .. I didn't mean that, please don't eat me ...

Minerva growls and replies, -I don't like eating humans, silly girl, because I am one too. This appearance is only temporary and in the morning I will be a woman again.

-Then you are one of those shapeshifting mutants? How unfortunate -, says the girl.

-Yes, of course -, Minerva answers, looking around from time to time to make sure that the girl's screams have not attracted anyone else.

-Do not worry, I promise you that I will not yell anymore, nor will I try to escape or tell anyone about you if you talk to me about D that is. Since you know him, I don't think you'll have any problem talking about him -, says the girl with a blackmailing smile.

-Who'd say! You foxy girl -, Minerva mumbles.

The girl grins and quickly begins to invade Minerva with questions about the vampire hunter. The gargoyle woman noticed that the girl was a devoted admirer of D. Minerva knew that she couldn't tell the girl anything about where she came from, how she came to that world and how she met the hunter, so she had to lie a bit. She told the girl that he had rescued her from a place where she was held as a hostage along with other people who had unfortunately perished. The girl believed the story and then began to ask more personal questions. She asked all kinds of questions, from things as what was the hunter's favorite drink, to more personal things like what kind of woman he liked. Of course, to all that Minerva only answered, "I do not know", but the girl insisted on continuing with her questions. The gargoyle woman was already beginning to get annoyed with the questions to the point that she came to think that she would rather face a horde of orcs than have a girl talk.

-By all the gods! I already told you that I don't know anything. Don't insist anymore on asking me questions about the vampire hunter -, the gargoyle woman finally exploded.

-You lied to me! You said that you knew D and that you would travel with him, but I see that everything was a lie just for me to shut up and not ask anyone for help -, says the disappointed girl. Then she starts yelling for help once more.

-Be quiet! Stop screaming! -, Minerva says angrily. She whistles and Ulter appears.

The girl gets very scared when she sees the huge gargoyle dog approaching. -What is that thing? -, she asks, backing away.

-This is my friend Ulter. I know I told you that I would not eat a human, but my friend would not hesitate to do so. Now, stop yelling and trying to get attention, or I'll tell him that he can have you as dinner -, Minerva says to the girl trying to persuade her.

-Ok, ok, I won't scream anymore -, the girl replies. The girl sighs and looks at Minerva with sad eyes.

-Now what? What's wrong with you? Why are you looking at me like that? -, she asks the girl.

-I thought what you said about meeting the hunter was true. Maybe you're not even waiting for him -, the girl answers.

-Yes, I met the hunter, but less than a day ago. As you can see, I don't know him well enough to answer your questions. And yes, he said he would go and pick our belongings from the hotel and then he would come for me. I think he is delaying and that worries me -, Minerva replies. -I think I should go back to town and see what is happening. So you should relax, when I get out of here you will be free to go.

-Do you think D is in trouble? -, asks the girl.

-Probably, that's why I should go to town as soon as possible -, Minerva answers.

-But, if you go there looking like that you'll cause a stir. I mean, no offense, but you look scary -, says the girl honestly.

-Thank you for your sincerity, but I have no other choice -, replies the gargoyle.

-I know we didn't start well, but I can help. I can go to town and find out what's going on -, the girl offers.

-How would I know that you won't go and tell anyone about me? -, asks Minerva.

-Because I would do anything for D the vampire hunter. One of the things I would like the most is to meet him in person, but if that is not possible, then I will settle for just being able to help him -, says the girl.

-Ahh... Alright, I will trust you. If you bring me news of the hunter and do not tell anyone about me, I, Minerva of ..., I Minerva, give you my word that you will have the chance to meet D before we leave this town -, says Minerva and extends her hand to the girl. She almost messes up and mentions the name of her lands.

The girl's eyes widen and light up with joy. A wide smile is drawn on her face. It seemed to her that the strange creature was neither joking nor lying. At last one of her dreams would come true.

She quickly shook the gargoyle's hand and the deal was sealed. -I swear that I will investigate everything I can and bring you news as soon as possible and I will not tell anyone about you -, the girl says. Then she adds, -By the way, my name is Amanda.

-Alright, Amanda, now go and do as you said. Come back as soon as you find out what happened to the hunter -, Minerva says.

-Right! -, the girl replies.

The girl covers herself with the hood again and slips out of the old barn. She rushes over and borrows one of her father's horses and hurries out into town. Minerva stays with Ulter in the barn, but how long is she willing to wait? ...

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Meanwhile, D had come to town. He quickly went to the hotel where he would stay with Minerva, but upon arrival, he met the guards. The men refused to let him into the rooms and informed him that the hotel would no longer host him there because of the incident with the creature. The hunter informs them that he would only go to look for his belongings, but still, the men did not want to let him pass. D didn't want to fight, but the stubborn men left him no choice. The hunter knocked out the men easily with his superhuman strength and went up to the room to find his and Minerva's things, but to his surprise, they were no longer there. The hunter curses under his breath and leaves the room. As he left the scene, he ran into the sheriff and his men, but this time they weren't alone. In addition to the men who had accompanied the sheriff, there were other armed men from the town and some onlookers who arrived at the scene. The hunter was surrounded, and although none of these people were a real threat to him, he did not want to hurt anyone. "What are you going to do now?" the Left Hand whispers. "Someone has taken Minerva's belongings, I can't leave without them. I don't want to hurt innocent people. Either I will have to run and hide until I find out who has her things and where they have taken them, or I will have to give in" the hunter whispers to the Left Hand.

-Give up now dhampir! -, the sheriff warns D.

-Give me back my belongings and I'll leave this town without hurting anyone -, answers D.

-Go ask your demon friend. I told you that I would arrest you if you didn't hand me that demon, but you decided to challenge me. Now I won't let you go. I'll lock you in a cell until you decide to hand me that horrible creature -, the sheriff answers, feeling more confident now that more people were surrounding the hunter.

D takes one last look around, and when he was determined to swing his sword to break through and escape, he noticed that there were children in the middle of the crowd. The children looked at him with fear in their eyes. He then removed his hand from the hilt of his sword and decided to stay put. The sheriff was preparing to order the men to open fire, but seeing the hunter remove his hand from the sword, he thought D was giving up.

-At last, you understood that there is no escape. I am the law in this town and not even your kind are above the law-, says the sheriff with a triumphant smile on his face.

-"Damn" -, D curses softly.

-Officer Brooks, as you know this man, I give you the privilege of being the one to arrest him and escort him to his cell -, the sheriff orders the old man.

-Sir, I do not agree with what you are doing -, answers the old officer.

-It's an order, Officer Brooks. Do you intend to rebel as the hunter did? -, asks the sheriff.

-But this man is innocent -, answers the old man.

-You have to carry out my orders. If you don't want to, I'll remove you from your post -, warns the sheriff.

-But sir ... -, he protests.

-Sir, just do what he is asking you, it is not worth losing your job -, says D to the old officer.

-But this is not fair. I can't arrest someone innocent -, the old man replies, looking at D with empathy.

-I'll be fine, don't worry -, answers D.

-That's enough! Officer Webb, put the handcuffs on him and help Officer Brooks do his job -, the sheriff orders.

Officer Webb did not hesitate to go and put the handcuffs on the vampire hunter, but D resisted and with his strength, he pushed him to the ground. The sheriff was furious and asked another officer to do what the previous one could not, but he also ended up knocked to the ground. Then the sheriff understood that the hunter would not allow himself to be touched by anyone, and asked Officer Brooks again to take over. The hunter stood still and allowed the old man to put handcuffs on him and lead him to prison. The old officer locks D in his cell and removes the handcuffs.

-I'm very sorry to have you locked up in this place. I apologize for myself and the others. You must understand the sheriff, he only cares about the safety of the townspeople -, says old Brooks to the hunter.

-It's not your fault -, replies D.

-If there is anything I can do for you, just ask me -, says the old man.

The hunter thinks for a brief moment. Old officer Brooks struck him as a man he could trust.

-There is something I need you to do for me -, says D.

-Just ask me for what you need and I'll do it for you -, the old man replies.

-I left some things in the hotel room and when I came back for them, they were gone. Do you think you can find out who took them and where they took them? -, asks D.

-I can not believe it! Did someone dare to steal from you? -, the old officer shook his head. -I'll tell you something, not only will I find out who has your belongings, I'll get them back for you.

-I appreciate it very much Officer Brooks -, replies the hunter.

-You don't have to be thankful, after all, I'll just be doing my job -, the old man replies. -If there is nothing else you need then I will leave.

The hunter nods goodbye to the old man. Now that he was alone in the cell, the hunter sits on the cot thinking. His thoughts were interrupted by his inseparable companion.

-Putting that old man to work for you while you're locked up here wasn't such a bad idea, but don't you think it would be better to get out of here and give the thief what he deserves yourself? -, suggests the Left Hand.

-I think it's best to wait for things to calm down a bit. I just hope Minerva doesn't come back to town before dawn -, says D.

-I think it's too much to ask of that hotheaded woman. We both know that patience is not one of her virtues. Let's make a bet. If she waits until dawn, I promise not to joke for the next few days. But if she shows up tonight and causes a stir in town, then you will let me speak freely for the next few days. What do you say? -, says the Left Hand.

D just sighs and remains silent.

Meanwhile the old officer Brooks began to investigate who had dared to steal the hunter's belongings. The man had already left his work shift and quickly made his way to the hotel. Instead of wasting time asking the employees, he went straight to the hotel manager. He knew that nothing moved in the place without the consent of that man. Fortunately, even though it was very late, the man was still at the hotel. Officer Brooks asked him several questions, but the man denied knowing what he was talking about. The old officer asked him no more, but his instincts and his experience told him that the hotel manager was lying and that he could be the one holding the hunter's belongings. He then knew that he would have to do things differently. The old man says goodnight to the manager and leaves the place.

In the dead of night, a speedy rider on his horse was heading to the entrance of the village. The rider is stopped by two men armed with rifles. They ask him who he was then the rider removes his hood revealing that it was a girl.

-Amanda? What are you doing here at this hour? -, asks one of the men.

-I had the feeling that something interesting could be happening in the town and decided to sneak out of the house -, the girl replied.

-Reckless girl! Don't you know there is a demon on the loose? -, said the other man.

-A demon? How come? I heard D the vampire hunter had returned from his job for the Briggs. He wouldn't let any demon ravage our village -, the girl replies.

-Dream on, young lady. The sheriff thinks the vampire hunter and the demon are partners -, the second man says.

-That can't be true -, she replies.

-It's true Amanda. The sheriff has him arrested and sent his men to search for the demon. He even asked us to watch the entrance of the town -, the first man says. -So, I suggest you go back to your house with your parents. It's dangerous out there.

-I can't do that. The sheriff is wrong, I must go and talk to him -, the girl says.

-We will not let you pass, so go home now -, says the second man.

-Come, I will escort you to your house -, says the first man.

-Oh please just let me speak to the sheriff. I promise you that as soon as I tell him what I have to say I will go home -, the girl insists.

-Certainly not! The sheriff is too busy to attend to you. Just leave, and don't bother any more girl -, says the second man.

-You are just a grumpy and embittered old man, Mr. Stone, that's why no lady likes you -, says the girl and sticks her tongue out at him.

-Damn spoiled brat! I will teach you some manners! -, the offended man says raising his hand to hit her.

The other man chuckles, but quickly stops him and says, -Hey, don't pay attention to her, she's just a girl.

While that was happening, Amanda shook the reins of her horse and stepped forward into the village. The men were taken by surprise. Mr. Stone pointed the rifle at her, but again the other man prevented him from firing. And that's how the girl was able to enter the town. Once in town, she saw a man who was walking down the street. As she approached, she could see that he was the old officer Brooks. The girl stops the horse and greets the officer.

-Good night Officer Brooks -, says the girl.

-Amanda? What are you doing here at this hour? Don't tell me that you escaped from your house again -, says the old officer.

-This time it's different sir. I'm glad to meet you here. There is something I would like to know and you are the right person to tell me -, says the girl.

-What is that you want to know? -, he asks.

-Is it true that the sheriff arrested the vampire hunter? -, the girl asks, looking back from time to time.

-Yes, it is true. The sheriff thinks that he helped a demonic creature that showed up in town to escape. I had to handcuff him and take him to his cell. It's a shame because I think the man is innocent ... but, who told you that? -, he asked her.

The girl sees one of the men who stopped her at the entrance of the town and quickly says goodbye to the old officer. -I believe he is innocent too. Now I have to go, my parents will realize that I'm not at home. Have a good night sir. - She shakes the reins of the horse and gallops in a hurry towards the outskirts of town.

The man, who came running after seeing the girl talking to the old officer, finally reaches the place, but the girl had already made the horse move, so he could not reach her.

-She escaped again! -, says the exhausted man.

-We all know that that girl is a wild colt, Mr. Frost, after all, she is the granddaughter of old Wild Willy -, the old officer replied.

-That crazy old man was obsessed with vampires and hunters, and now his crazy granddaughter follows his legacy -, Mr. Frost says.

The old officer just chuckles and says goodnight to Mr. Frost.

On his way home, the old man thinks about the old days when he was a kid, and how Wild Willy assisted the vampire hunter who is now unjustly locked in a cell. A group of girls had been kidnapped by a bloodthirsty vampire lady, and D the hunter had been hired. Although the fearless hunter did not need help, Wild Willy took his weapons and went with him, because one of the girls was his youngest sister. No other man dared to go rescue the girls. Nobody knows how the man could survive, but he returned in one piece, along with the hunter and the girls. From that moment on, young Wild Willy took the hunting of vampires and monsters seriously until he became a father. Over time, people began to forget his exploits, and then they became the tales of a crazy old man who was obsessed with vampires and hunters.

Amanda hurries back to the old barn to tell Minerva the news. The girl returns the horse to the stable and stealthily walks towards the barn. She looks around her to see if anyone is following her, seeing no one, she enters the barn. The gargoyle woman was waiting for her in hiding, but when she saw that it was Amanda, she quickly comes out of her hiding place.

-I'm glad you're back. Could you find out something? -, Minerva asks.

It-Just bad news. D has been arrested because the sheriff thinks you are a demon and that he helped you escape. The sheriff also asked his men to look for you. Did you murder someone in town and that is why the sheriff is looking for you so urgently? -, asks the girl, suspecting that there was something else behind all that.

-I haven't even touched anyone in town. That man and the others must be scared by my appearance -, Minerva replies.

-I don't blame them for being scared ... err, sorry ... As for D, I think what they did to him is exaggerated. What are we going to do to get him out of there? -, Amanda asks her.

-You've already done your part, it's time for you to go home to sleep before someone comes for you -, the gargoyle replies.

-But that is not fair. I'm already involved in this mess. Also, I want to help D -, the girl responds.

-I was the one who got D into this mess and I must be the one to get him out. I thank you for what you did, but I don't want to involve you in this anymore -, Minerva replies.

-But you can't leave now, not looking like that. The sheriff and his men will hunt you down. Why don't you wait until dawn? You told me that you would transform into a woman then -, the girl suggests.

-Do you think D deserves to wait until then? -, Minerva asks her.

The girl looks down and says, -No, but my grandfather said that it is better to do things calmly and well done than to do them quickly and badly.

Minerva is surprised to hear the girl. She didn't expect such wisdom from someone so young. The girl reminded her of Grim the dwarf. The gargoyle woman finally says, -Okay, I'll wait until dawn. Then I'll go to town and get D out of where he is.

-You don't seem to have a plan, do you? -, asks the girl.

-Things are not planned much where I come from, we only remove those who are in the way -, Minerva replies.

-Well, that's not the way things work around here. I'll tell you something, why don't you stay hidden here and in the morning I'll come back with some clothes for you, so you can disguise. Then we will go to the hotel and while I distract the guards you'll sneak in and look for your stuff. What do you think? -, asks the girl.

-That sounds like a good plan -, says Minerva.

Amanda just nods and says, -I'm glad you agree.

Minerva sighs and says, -Alright, I'll wait. Now go home.

Amanda sneaks out of the barn and returns to her house. She makes sure not to wake anyone up and gets into bed. Meanwhile, Minerva stays hidden in the barn with Ulter hoping that no more intruders show up.

A few hours later the sun begins to rise. A new day begins in town and people begin to do their morning chores. The sheriff's men were already back in town and had found nothing. It seemed that the demon they were looking for had been swallowed up by the earth. The sheriff had gotten up very early hoping to have good news, but when he heard that his men found nothing, he decided to go visit the hunter. D was lying on the uncomfortable cot when the man arrived.

-Good morning dhampir -, the man says.

D sits on the cot looks at the sheriff and says, -I can tell from the look on your face that you couldn't find anything.

-Are you making fun of me? -, asks the man.

D remains silent.

-Apparently, your demon friend ran away and left you. How unlucky you are, that means you'll stay locked in here for longer. You already know what you have to do to get out of here, just tell me where that demon is hiding and you will be free -, says the sheriff.

Once again, D remains silent.

-I see, you won't say anything. I don't know why you protect him, after all, that demon doesn't care about you. He left you here abandoned -, said the sheriff. He heads towards the exit and stops by the door. -If I were you, I would hand over the demon's head on a silver tray -, says the sheriff before leaving.

-I still don't understand why you put up with that guy. I know you do not like to abuse your strength, but certain people do not deserve your compassion -, says the Left Hand. -It also seems very strange to me that Minerva did not come, I wonder what could have happened. For how impatient she is, I do not doubt that something or someone has prevented her from coming -, says the Left Hand.

-I hope not -, answers D.

-By the way, what are we waiting here for? It is clear that the sheriff has no intention of letting you go -, asks the Left Hand.

-The old officer Brooks said he would bring Minerva's belongings, I just wait to hear from him -, replies D.

-And what will you do if the old man does not fulfill what he promised you? You know that he would not be the first human to disappoint you -, says the Left Hand.

D doesn't answer. He has been disappointed by humans many times before, but for some reason, he believes in officer Brooks.

Two hours later, the old officer reports for work. Without wasting any more time he goes to visit D in his cell. He informs him that he had not yet been able to find the belongings that the hunter had left at the hotel, but that he already had an idea of who might have them. The old man asks the hunter for a little patience and promises him again that he'll bring him his belongings, and then he leaves.

Old officer Brooks began his task of searching for the hunter's belongings. The man went to visit his niece to ask her some questions. The woman is a hotel employee and usually works until dark. The officer asked several questions and his niece informed him that one of her co-workers received orders from the hotel manager to remove some things from room 303. She also told him that these things were usually taken to the hotel's forgotten objects room.

When dawn comes and the first rays of the sun illuminate the sky, the gargoyle that was resting hidden behind a haystack begins to transform. Minerva feels the magic flow through her body just as it had happened at nightfall, but this time her monstrous features disappear returning her to her human appearance. She stretches and gets up, then greets her faithful friend and asks him to go rest. Ulter transforms into a figurine and Minerva places it back in the necklace around her neck. The woman waits for Amanda and in no time the girl appears in the barn with a bundle of clothes as she had agreed on the night. The girl is surprised to see Minerva in her natural form, but she did not expect her to be a tall, muscular woman. The women's clothes the girl had brought her did not fit her, luckily Amanda had also considered dressing Minerva as a man and introducing her as a relative of hers who came to visit. The baggy jeans and the loose cotton shirt with long sleeves well concealed the curves of the barbarian woman. The girl tied a cloth band around the woman's breasts to hide her voluptuousness. Amanda tied Minerva's hair into a ponytail and put a cowboy hat on her head. Once she finished dressing up the barbarian woman, she hands her a mirror so that she could look at herself.

-Do you think this will work? -, Minerva asks her as she looks at herself in the mirror.

-If I did not know that you are a girl I would fall in love with you -, Amanda answers.

-I honestly have my doubts about this -, Minerva tells her.

-Just relax! Nobody in the hotel will recognize you and you can look for your things without problems -, Amanda answers. -Now let's go before someone sees us in this place.

Amanda sneaks out of the old barn and makes sure no one is around, then waves Minerva out. The barbarian woman comes out of the barn and follows the girl. They both arrive at the stables so Amanda asks Minerva to stay hidden until she can get one of the horses out. The woman hides and lets the girl do what she has to do. The girl meets her father in the stable, but she quickly makes up an excuse to be able to take one of the horses. The girl prepared the horse and took it out of the stable. Then she waited for her father to leave, so she could call Minerva. When no one was around, both girls mounted the horse and galloped towards the town.

On the way to town, many people greet Amanda, but everyone was curious to know who was the young man riding with her. It was the first time they had seen the girl ride with someone other than her father or her brother. Upon reaching the town, Minerva could feel the gazes of the people like when she first arrived with the hunter, then she remembered what D had told her about people and strangers so she did not pay much attention to them. The girl takes Minerva to the back of the hotel where the rooms of the special guests were. The barbarian woman stayed outside and let Amanda do her job. The girl walks into the hotel.

-Good morning -, says the smiling girl to the guard. "There's only one of them...where's the other one? This could be trouble", she thinks.

-What are you doing here girl? Don't you know that this part of the hotel is for special guests? Get out of here before the manager sees you or you'll get me in trouble -, says the guard.

-I know, but I need help -, the girl says.

-What's going on? -, asks the guard.

-My horse's saddle needs an adjustment. I've tried, but I don't have enough strength to put it back on its place, please sir help me -, says Amanda with pleading eyes.

-I'll get in trouble if I leave my post -, the guard answers.

-But my horse is there in front. It will be quick sir. Please -, the girl begs.

-Alright, I'll try to fix it -, says the guard.

-Thank you sir -, says the girl smiling.

The girl came out with the guard, so Minerva took the opportunity to sneak into the hotel. She went upstairs and walked to room 303, but when she tried to get in, she couldn't because the door was locked. As she was trying to break down the door, the second guard appeared. The man asked her to be still and she obeyed. She waited for the man to come closer and when he did, she surprisingly grabbed his arm, flipped him over, and threw him to the ground. She then punched him in the face and knocked him out. She checks to see if the man has the keys and when she finds them she begins to try them all on the lock until she finds it. Minerva opens the door and enters the room, but when she goes to look for her things she realizes that they were not there, someone had taken them. She curses and leaves the place in a hurry, but when she was going down the stairs the guard was right at the door. Amanda saw Minerva and tried to distract the guard from looking inside. Minerva tries to sneak out while Amanda converses with the man. Then a voice from inside the hotel is heard shouting "Hey! Who are you?!" The guard recognized the voice of one of the hotel employees and quickly enters, meeting Minerva face to face. The barbarian woman pushes him hard, throws the man to the floor, and runs away. She takes Amanda by the hand and they both run quickly. The guard and the hotel clerk run after them.

-Stop thieves! -, they yelled at them.

Officer Brooks left his niece's house and headed toward the hotel. He was right, the hotel manager had lied to him, but why? What interest did the manager have in the hunter's belongings? Suddenly while he was walking he ran into the commotion. He could hear a man yelling for some robbers to stop. Then he could see two young people running towards him, and one of them was Amanda. He cuts them off and orders them to stop. Minerva was ready to take down the old man if he didn't get out of the way, but Amanda, seeing who it was, persuaded her to stop.

-Officer Brooks, I'm glad it's you! -, Amanda says agitated and trying to catch her breath.

-What trouble have you gotten yourself into now, young lady? -, asks the old man.

-Those men are accusing us of being thieves, but we haven't stolen anything -, says the girl.

-I know you're not a thief, but who is this young man? -, asks the officer.

-Well... he is... -, the girl is interrupted by the guard and the hotel employee as they finally arrived.

-Well done Officer Brooks, you stopped the thieves -, the clerk says.

-We haven't stolen anything sir -, Amanda insists.

-Clearly, you distracted me so your friend could break into the hotel to rob. Do not deny it now girl -, says the guard.

-But that's not true! -, says Amanda.

-Wait, calm down. I'm sure this is a misunderstanding. We'll talk about this at the station. Please come with me all of you -, Officer Brooks tells them.

Minerva, Amanda, the clerk, and the hotel guard went with Officer Brooks to the station. There everyone gave their version of the facts. Seeing that the youths had not taken anything from the hotel, Officer Brooks only asked the youths to apologize to the employees for their mischief and then told the men that they could now return to their jobs and that he would be in charge of punishing the young people. When the men left, the old officer began the real interrogation.

-Now tell me the truth. Surely you already knew that the room that this young man entered was the room where the vampire hunter was staying, right? -, Officer Brooks asks.

Minerva remains silent. Amanda lowers her head but decides to speak.

-Yes, we knew. This is all my fault. You already know how much I admire the vampire hunter and I just wanted to have something from him, so I asked my cousin to sneak into the hotel and get it for me -, says the girl to avoid talking about Minerva.

-I know you Amanda, and I know this is not about getting a souvenir and nothing more. Why don't you tell me the truth and tell me about the girl you dressed in your father's clothes? -, asks the old man.

The girl opened her eyes widely when she heard him, "how did he know that she is a woman?", she wondered.

-Only if you tell me the truth, I can help you. I know the vampire hunter didn't return to town alone, a woman came with him. They both stayed at the hotel, but since last night's incident, no one at the hotel has seen the lady, and I assume this young lady is her. Am I right? -, the officer asks them.

Before Amanda can say anything, Minerva confirms to the old officer what he was suspecting.

-Yes it's correct. I am the woman who came with the hunter. This girl only helped me enter the hotel to look for my belongings, but when I entered the room, they were no longer there -, Minerva replied.

-Very well, but what I can't understand is why you're hiding from the hotel employees -, the officer tells her.

-It's obvious, Mr. Brooks -, Amanda interrupts. -Last night she left the room to take a walk, and when she returned she found the mess of the demon and the vampire hunter, she was afraid and ran away to avoid getting involved. I had left my house at night and found her walking alone, and that's how we met. She told me what had happened and then I came to see what had happened to the hunter. Then I met Mr. Frost and Mr. Stone and they told me that the hunter had been arrested. I wanted to see the sheriff to find out if that was true, but I ran into you on the street... and the rest you already know.

Minerva is surprised by the ease with which Amanda tells the old officer the facts in her version.

-Is all that true? -, the old man asks Minerva.

Minerva just nods.

While the girls were talking with the old officer, the hotel manager, who was still at home, searched anxiously among the belongings that D and Minerva had left in the room. The man thought that the hunter and his companion must have things of great value since bounty hunters often had treasures that they took from the places where vampires reside. Going through D's things he couldn't find anything he was looking for, apparently, the hunter had taken his gold coins and his valuables. Then the man began to rummage through Minerva's things. Her belt and dagger didn't seem like much to him, but her backpack caught his attention and her armor case even more. That metal box with gold ornaments was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The man thought that inside that box he would find the treasure he longed for, but he had a problem... he didn't know how to open the box. A little frustrated, he decided to put the box down for a moment and began to rummage through the backpack. The backpack was lightweight, so when he opened it and looked inside he couldn't see anything. "Who travels with an empty backpack?", the man wondered. The man drops the backpack and goes back to trying to figure out how to open the box. The man checks all sides of the box without finding a lock or padlocks. He touches all the ornaments on the box looking for a button to open the box, but that doesn't work either. He takes the box in his hands, feels the weight of it again, and tries to shake it a bit even though it is a bit heavy. "Come on my treasure chest, open for me! My precious treasure tell me how to remove this metal box from you. Tell me how to disassemble this armor on you", says the man. Suddenly the box is activated and one of its sides opens. The man gets scared and drops the box. Then the armor comes out of the case and assembles in front of the man's astonished gaze. The armor remains erect for a few moments, but since no one claims it, it falls to the ground in pieces...

Back at the station, old officer Brooks informed Minerva that he knew who had taken the things and had promised the hunter that he would find his belongings and return them to him. Minerva asked to see the hunter and speak with him. Officer Brooks told her that it would not be easy since the sheriff has his cell well guarded, but he would find a way to put them in touch. He asked the girls to wait in the office while he talked to his co-workers. The old officer was well respected in his work and since the sheriff was not there, Minerva was allowed to enter the cell area for a brief moment. Of course, none of the guards knew that she was a woman, much less that she was the woman who had come to town with the hunter and had caused a stir.

D was lying on the uncomfortable cot when one of the guards enters with another person. The guard tells her that she only has a few minutes to talk to the hunter and then walks away from her. D sits and looks at the person and quickly recognizes her.

-D, it's me -, says Minerva

The hunter stands up and walks over to talk to her in a low voice.

-What are you doing here? They could discover you and catch you -, he tells her.

-I know. I'm sorry, I got you into this mess, but I'll get you out of here right away, you'll see -, she tells him checking the hardness of the bars.

-That won't be necessary. I know how to get out of here, but our belongings were stolen and I'm just waiting for officer Brooks to bring them or at least tell me who has them -, says D.

-Now I understand why someone like you has not left this place, you are one of those who prefer peaceful solutions. I know perfectly well how strong you are and you have tasted a bit of me too, you know that if we get together these people will probably end up hurt, but you don't want that, do you? –, says Minerva.

-I prefer that you leave things as they are -, answers D.

-You ask a lot of me, hunter. I hate to sit idly by and you know that my patience is short, but out of consideration for you, I will do what you tell me. Now tell me, how much longer should I wait? -, Minerva asks.

-If all goes well, at sunset, before you transform, I will leave this place and we will leave here. If Officer Brooks can't deliver our belongings, then I'll convince the old man to reveal who has them and I'll go get them. You just wait for me in the old barn as we agreed before. Do you think you can do that? –, says D.

-Alright, just don't be late -, replies Minerva.

-Hey, you guys, time is up -, the guard tells them.

Minerva nods to D and he returns the nod.

Amanda was waiting for her outside, partly anxious because she wanted to know what Minerva talked about with the hunter, and partly angry because they didn't let her in to see him. Minerva tells her what she agreed with D. The girl was a little frustrated because she was hoping to see some action, but apparently, they would just have to go to the barn and wait. So they go back to get the horse and then they returned to the barn.

Meanwhile old officer Brooks went to the hotel and asked the employees to show him the room where they keep the things that the guests forget. The employee was hesitating if he should show the room to the officer, but as he was the authority he had no choice. The old officer entered the room, and after searching he did not find D's and Minerva's belongings there. So he asked the clerk. The man didn't want to say anything, but he didn't dare to lie to the officer either. Then he told him that the manager had secretly taken those things to his house with the help of another employee.

Officer Brooks went to the manager's house and upon arrival, he ran into something unusual. The man's wife was outside the house with their children, and several people were standing in front of the house. The door at the entrance of the house was broken as if someone had demolished it with a sledgehammer.

-Officer Brooks, thank God you're here -, says the desperate woman.

-What's wrong ma'am? What happened here? -, he asks.

-It's my husband, he brought home a beautiful box that had been forgotten by a hotel guest. He opened the box and out of it came a strange combat suit. My husband tried it on and he lost control. He started breaking everything he touched. I told him to take off that combat suit, but he didn't listen. He started laughing like a mad man and saying that nobody could stop him now. He also broke the door on his way out. Please help him officer -, says the woman.

-Where did he go? -, asks the officer.

-I think to the town -, the lady answers.

-Tell me, did your husband take anything else to the house? -, asks the officer.

-I think so, a backpack and other things -, the woman answers.

-Could you give them to me? Their owners have claimed them -, he replies. -Don't worry, I'll look for your husband. Perhaps the owner of the combat suit can help him.

The woman immediately finds the other things and hands them over to Officer Brooks, later apologizing for her husband's recklessness.

While that was happening, both Minerva and D felt that something was wrong, as if they were both connected.

Back at the old barn, Amanda looks at Minerva because her countenance has suddenly changed.

-Is there something wrong? You look worried -, the girl asks.

-I don't know, I suddenly had a bad feeling -, Minerva replies.

Back in the hunter's cell, the Left Hand could sense his companion's sudden uneasiness.

-You could feel it too, right? -, asks the Left Hand.

-Something is not right -, the hunter answers.

-I wonder what it could be -, says the Left Hand.

-I don't know, but I don't like it -, answers D.

((To be continued on chapter 11 ))

((I hope you enjoyed it, please review))