Chapter One:
Araydia
With his cyborg horse in the stables and a cozy place to stay with a hot meal, one might be satisfied. The elderly woman had ran up to him and insisted that he stay there for the night. She took him by the arm and led him inside before leading his horse off to a stable.
D soon learned that this woman was a grandmother and was living on the dangerous outskirts with her middle-aged daughter and young grand daughter. They didn't even have a barrier to protect them. 'Granny', as she insists to be called, was in the kitchen making tea while D sat in the den on a couch. Across from him was Granny's daughter, Kessie.
It was a cozy atmosphere, in some upstairs room. With one window to the right draped by white curtains- glowing yellow due to the dull lamp and light shade- a brown carpet, wooden coffee table and such, it seemed like a style the Vampire hunter was so use too. A few things were cluttered about on the shelves and such.
Granny made her way into the den and set the kettle on the table, under a kitchen cloth.
"Talk spread fast through-out the whole village that the local bartender harbored a Vampire hunter!" The elderly woman spoke. Her white hair in short curls and her apron fastened around her plump body. Kessie picked up a teacup and saucer and sipped some tea.
"Mom heard you were heading south, she's eager to open up her hospitality to any passing stranger." Kessie set her cup down. "And I'm afraid one day it won't be for her good."
D hadn't spoken much at all most of the evening. The chirping of crickets outside could be heard even into the little room. He crossed one leg over the other and politely listened to what they had to say, without saying a word.
"And sometimes we don't know what to do." Kessie continued on. She tightened her knitted shawl around her shoulders and folded down her dress. "We can't afford a barrier and lately we've been loosing a lot of cattle due to the Werewolves!"
"Oh Kess, calm down." Granny said while turning her attention to the Vampire hunter. "It's just me and my Kess, and our dear Ray."
"Who'll never marry." Grumbled Kessie.
"Where is that child anyway? She's been stuck in her room all night---RAY!"
A soft thudding of footsteps came down the hallway, but stopped to go into another room where racket was heard.
D remained silent and stoic as ever. Kessie picked up her teacup again. "She'll soon be eighteen and she's still as stubborn as ever!"
"Runs in the family."
"She refuses to get married, even for the welfare of the farm! I'd ride her into town and leave her there if I could but she'd follow me home! She'll never leave this farm!"
"WHAT?!" A girl poked her head out from the corner of the wall and peered into the den at Kessie. Her hair was midnight black and pulled back into a messy bun, with two pieces of bangs sticking to the side of her face and getting in the way. She blew them away and soon her attention shifted around the room when she caught the one thing that wasn't suppose to be there.
"Huh?" she replied in a softer tone.
The girl glared at D with piercing blue eyes, glittering under the light. "If this is another man you're bringing home for me Aunt Kess, you can send him back right about. now." The girls head turned from their view and disappeared back into the hallway.
"That's our Araydia." Kessie sighed.
"RAY! Get back in here!" Granny demanded.
Araydia stomped back into the room and faced them with her arms crossed. She was bare footed and had on a khaki colored dress, which hung loosely on her body, reaching down to her knees. Her dress had no pockets and a lot of patches. Your typical farm girl.
Granny spoke, "Ray, why don't you get us more tea and maybe fix the hunter a meal?"
Before D could say he wasn't hungry, Araydia's voice interrupted him.
"Hunter?!" She turned to D. "YOU'RE the guy all the fuss is about?" She burst into giggles. "I heard he was like seven feet tall, but not some scrawny guy in a sombrero!" Araydia continued with her giggles as her granny gave her the evil eye look.
"I expected some big, buff guy with a lazer gun." She turned on her heel and left for the kitchen, still in her giggle fit.
"Now you see my point." Kessie deadpanned, referring to why Araydia would never marry.
A few minutes later the girl came back into the den carrying a tray. She set the tray down on the coffee table and poured Granny some tea. D didn't want any.
"Welp," Granny said with a wheeze as her hunched frame stood up. "I'm heading off for bed ladies, goodnight."
"Good night Granny," both Kessie and Araydia replied.
With Granny now retiring to her room Araydia could say her snide remarks to D without harsh punishment. She took in his appearance. He was not at all like she had heard, and a bit tense with the fact of all the people Granny had to show her hospitality for, it had to be this one.
Kessie fumbled under the quietness. "So where is it you're from D?" she asked.
No reply.
"Uhmm. Is it just you and your horse that travel?"
Still no reply.
"Uh, Kessie, I don't think our friend here speaks English."
Kessie turned to Araydia with a lazy eye and the girl just snickered. "He does too, he told Granny he was heading south!"
"You mean South to the border?"
"Ray!"
"Look at him! He's from Mexico! He's goin' back South to the border!"
Her Aunt Kessie was turning red.
"He wears a sombrero and one of those cheap cloaks they sell in Mexico! You don't think Choco and his Little Donkey have actually KILLED any Vamps do you!?"
Kessie glared and slapped Araydia clear across her cheek. The girl turned red in shock and soon flushed with embarrassment.
"I'll go to bed now."
Aunt Kess nodded. Araydia stood up, not once glancing at D and disappeared around the corner. But the young girl just couldn't give in to the temptation in her mind. She poked her head around the corner;
"And no speaka Es Spañol!"
Araydia
With his cyborg horse in the stables and a cozy place to stay with a hot meal, one might be satisfied. The elderly woman had ran up to him and insisted that he stay there for the night. She took him by the arm and led him inside before leading his horse off to a stable.
D soon learned that this woman was a grandmother and was living on the dangerous outskirts with her middle-aged daughter and young grand daughter. They didn't even have a barrier to protect them. 'Granny', as she insists to be called, was in the kitchen making tea while D sat in the den on a couch. Across from him was Granny's daughter, Kessie.
It was a cozy atmosphere, in some upstairs room. With one window to the right draped by white curtains- glowing yellow due to the dull lamp and light shade- a brown carpet, wooden coffee table and such, it seemed like a style the Vampire hunter was so use too. A few things were cluttered about on the shelves and such.
Granny made her way into the den and set the kettle on the table, under a kitchen cloth.
"Talk spread fast through-out the whole village that the local bartender harbored a Vampire hunter!" The elderly woman spoke. Her white hair in short curls and her apron fastened around her plump body. Kessie picked up a teacup and saucer and sipped some tea.
"Mom heard you were heading south, she's eager to open up her hospitality to any passing stranger." Kessie set her cup down. "And I'm afraid one day it won't be for her good."
D hadn't spoken much at all most of the evening. The chirping of crickets outside could be heard even into the little room. He crossed one leg over the other and politely listened to what they had to say, without saying a word.
"And sometimes we don't know what to do." Kessie continued on. She tightened her knitted shawl around her shoulders and folded down her dress. "We can't afford a barrier and lately we've been loosing a lot of cattle due to the Werewolves!"
"Oh Kess, calm down." Granny said while turning her attention to the Vampire hunter. "It's just me and my Kess, and our dear Ray."
"Who'll never marry." Grumbled Kessie.
"Where is that child anyway? She's been stuck in her room all night---RAY!"
A soft thudding of footsteps came down the hallway, but stopped to go into another room where racket was heard.
D remained silent and stoic as ever. Kessie picked up her teacup again. "She'll soon be eighteen and she's still as stubborn as ever!"
"Runs in the family."
"She refuses to get married, even for the welfare of the farm! I'd ride her into town and leave her there if I could but she'd follow me home! She'll never leave this farm!"
"WHAT?!" A girl poked her head out from the corner of the wall and peered into the den at Kessie. Her hair was midnight black and pulled back into a messy bun, with two pieces of bangs sticking to the side of her face and getting in the way. She blew them away and soon her attention shifted around the room when she caught the one thing that wasn't suppose to be there.
"Huh?" she replied in a softer tone.
The girl glared at D with piercing blue eyes, glittering under the light. "If this is another man you're bringing home for me Aunt Kess, you can send him back right about. now." The girls head turned from their view and disappeared back into the hallway.
"That's our Araydia." Kessie sighed.
"RAY! Get back in here!" Granny demanded.
Araydia stomped back into the room and faced them with her arms crossed. She was bare footed and had on a khaki colored dress, which hung loosely on her body, reaching down to her knees. Her dress had no pockets and a lot of patches. Your typical farm girl.
Granny spoke, "Ray, why don't you get us more tea and maybe fix the hunter a meal?"
Before D could say he wasn't hungry, Araydia's voice interrupted him.
"Hunter?!" She turned to D. "YOU'RE the guy all the fuss is about?" She burst into giggles. "I heard he was like seven feet tall, but not some scrawny guy in a sombrero!" Araydia continued with her giggles as her granny gave her the evil eye look.
"I expected some big, buff guy with a lazer gun." She turned on her heel and left for the kitchen, still in her giggle fit.
"Now you see my point." Kessie deadpanned, referring to why Araydia would never marry.
A few minutes later the girl came back into the den carrying a tray. She set the tray down on the coffee table and poured Granny some tea. D didn't want any.
"Welp," Granny said with a wheeze as her hunched frame stood up. "I'm heading off for bed ladies, goodnight."
"Good night Granny," both Kessie and Araydia replied.
With Granny now retiring to her room Araydia could say her snide remarks to D without harsh punishment. She took in his appearance. He was not at all like she had heard, and a bit tense with the fact of all the people Granny had to show her hospitality for, it had to be this one.
Kessie fumbled under the quietness. "So where is it you're from D?" she asked.
No reply.
"Uhmm. Is it just you and your horse that travel?"
Still no reply.
"Uh, Kessie, I don't think our friend here speaks English."
Kessie turned to Araydia with a lazy eye and the girl just snickered. "He does too, he told Granny he was heading south!"
"You mean South to the border?"
"Ray!"
"Look at him! He's from Mexico! He's goin' back South to the border!"
Her Aunt Kessie was turning red.
"He wears a sombrero and one of those cheap cloaks they sell in Mexico! You don't think Choco and his Little Donkey have actually KILLED any Vamps do you!?"
Kessie glared and slapped Araydia clear across her cheek. The girl turned red in shock and soon flushed with embarrassment.
"I'll go to bed now."
Aunt Kess nodded. Araydia stood up, not once glancing at D and disappeared around the corner. But the young girl just couldn't give in to the temptation in her mind. She poked her head around the corner;
"And no speaka Es Spañol!"