Chapter 1
The soft trotting of a Cybernetic horse moves slowly at it's masters command. With a short pull at the reigns, the beast halts, throwing its head back before settling down.
"This looks like a nice place..." A muffled voice hints at sarcasm.
The rider says nothing before moving on and spurs his horse into a full gallop, racing down the wind dirt track towards the village ahead.
The villagers were not present on the streets as the Vampire hunter finally arrives, only lights from house windows show any sign of life.
He makes his way to the tavern located at the far side of the village and dismounts, tying his steed's reigns on a post outside.
Silently, he moves to the entrance and an equal silence greets him as he enters the tavern.
"Nice place, nice people..."
"Quiet." D says to his audible hand slowly.
The Dunpeel goes to sit in a quiet corner and the usual noise of drunkards and tavern life returns, although D wasn't that interested.
As soon as he is sat a barmaid is sent to D's side with a nod from the innkeeper and she quickly pulls out a note pad and pen, ready to take his order.
What caught D's attention straight away was how relaxed these people were, sharing a Tavern with a Dunpeel present...
"So, how may I help you?" the young woman asks, flicking an old sheet of paper over the pad. She places pen to paper ready to take his order.
"I want information." Was all that passed his pale lips.
The girl raises a brow and turns her head to look at her boss, shrugging her shoulders, hinting she may need help here...
At that, the inn keeper wipes his towel over his shoulder and rubs his hands together before walking calmly over to D's table.
He was a large fellow, round and tall and he was balding on the top.
"What seems to be the trouble here?" He asks his cheeks flushing, hoping there wouldn't actually BE trouble.
"I want information..." D replies in a low tone.
"Well what would that be about, sir?" The round man asks, scratching the back of his head nervously.
"About the Mistress that runs this village."
Both bar maid and tavern owner grow quiet, they knew he was going to ask that.
"I uh...We don't have a Mistress running this village...We have a Mayor, however."
The girl gives a sharp look at her boss, her eyes questioning if that was the best he could come up with.
"You are lying..." D replies simply and stands, forcing the two to step back in surprise.
"N-now why would we lie? A Mayor is what we have, and we don't any trouble here...Y-y-you understand, sir?"
D doesn't reply as if he hadn't heard the man at all and looks around the tavern for the man who had hired him.
In the opposite corner of the tavern, a slender rugged looking man waves his hand lightly and the Dunpeel walks over to him, leaving the bar maid and Tavern owner to skutter off somewhere else.
"I thought you would never come!" The man says with a wide grin, slapping his hand on D's back in greeting.
Noticing, D wasn't too amused at this, shrugs and begins to head up a near flight of stairs, ushering the Vampire Hunter to do the same. Soon he leads D to his room and pulls out the room key, proceeding to unlocking the room and walks in. The man shuts the door behind D and goes to light a candle on a near table.
"Sorry about those two down stairs." He says with a light chuckle.
"You can't really trust any of the people here..."
"Why?" D asks immediately.
"Well...the 'Mistress' that they so urgently deny has this strange control over them...and you know what kind of creature has those powers..."
The man then walks to a set of draws, opening the top draw and pulling out a bottle of whiskey.
"You drink?"
D merely raises an eyebrow and the man laughs in reply.
"You really don't say much do you?"
No answer.
Still chuckling, the man pulls up a chair at the table and takes a long swig before continuing.
"Ok, here's the story." He begins.
" I had moved here quite a few months ago, and everything SEEMED fine here, until the night of the full moon." He pauses to take another drink.
" Everyone was all hush, hush around me; even in the Tavern and I was beginning to grow suspicious, since everyone was ranting on about the 'Mistress'."
"You brought me here because you were 'suspicious'?" D says with a slight hint of annoyance in his cool voice. He didn't like where this was going, but he would let the man carry on. If this was true, he would get paid.
"Ok, ok! I know this all sounds pointless but listen." He says before continuing, sensing D's disapproval of his tale so far.
"It was fool moon, the villagers were chanting 'Mistress' and then they flocked to the village square and you know what happened then?"
D remained quiet, his eyes forcing the man to continue.
"They dragged a guy from the local jail and tied him down to a post. And then 'she' came." He sups his beverage excitedly.
"She was the most beautiful creature I had ever set my eyes on, all dressed in crimson robes and all that is fine. That's when it happened. The Mistress suddenly lunged at the poor bastard, and ripped into his throat with these great big fangs that grew from her mouth just like THAT!" and he snapped his fingers together to exaggerate the moment.
D nods slowly. That was what he wanted to hear, she certainly sounded like a Mistress vampire...
"Where will I find her?"
The soft trotting of a Cybernetic horse moves slowly at it's masters command. With a short pull at the reigns, the beast halts, throwing its head back before settling down.
"This looks like a nice place..." A muffled voice hints at sarcasm.
The rider says nothing before moving on and spurs his horse into a full gallop, racing down the wind dirt track towards the village ahead.
The villagers were not present on the streets as the Vampire hunter finally arrives, only lights from house windows show any sign of life.
He makes his way to the tavern located at the far side of the village and dismounts, tying his steed's reigns on a post outside.
Silently, he moves to the entrance and an equal silence greets him as he enters the tavern.
"Nice place, nice people..."
"Quiet." D says to his audible hand slowly.
The Dunpeel goes to sit in a quiet corner and the usual noise of drunkards and tavern life returns, although D wasn't that interested.
As soon as he is sat a barmaid is sent to D's side with a nod from the innkeeper and she quickly pulls out a note pad and pen, ready to take his order.
What caught D's attention straight away was how relaxed these people were, sharing a Tavern with a Dunpeel present...
"So, how may I help you?" the young woman asks, flicking an old sheet of paper over the pad. She places pen to paper ready to take his order.
"I want information." Was all that passed his pale lips.
The girl raises a brow and turns her head to look at her boss, shrugging her shoulders, hinting she may need help here...
At that, the inn keeper wipes his towel over his shoulder and rubs his hands together before walking calmly over to D's table.
He was a large fellow, round and tall and he was balding on the top.
"What seems to be the trouble here?" He asks his cheeks flushing, hoping there wouldn't actually BE trouble.
"I want information..." D replies in a low tone.
"Well what would that be about, sir?" The round man asks, scratching the back of his head nervously.
"About the Mistress that runs this village."
Both bar maid and tavern owner grow quiet, they knew he was going to ask that.
"I uh...We don't have a Mistress running this village...We have a Mayor, however."
The girl gives a sharp look at her boss, her eyes questioning if that was the best he could come up with.
"You are lying..." D replies simply and stands, forcing the two to step back in surprise.
"N-now why would we lie? A Mayor is what we have, and we don't any trouble here...Y-y-you understand, sir?"
D doesn't reply as if he hadn't heard the man at all and looks around the tavern for the man who had hired him.
In the opposite corner of the tavern, a slender rugged looking man waves his hand lightly and the Dunpeel walks over to him, leaving the bar maid and Tavern owner to skutter off somewhere else.
"I thought you would never come!" The man says with a wide grin, slapping his hand on D's back in greeting.
Noticing, D wasn't too amused at this, shrugs and begins to head up a near flight of stairs, ushering the Vampire Hunter to do the same. Soon he leads D to his room and pulls out the room key, proceeding to unlocking the room and walks in. The man shuts the door behind D and goes to light a candle on a near table.
"Sorry about those two down stairs." He says with a light chuckle.
"You can't really trust any of the people here..."
"Why?" D asks immediately.
"Well...the 'Mistress' that they so urgently deny has this strange control over them...and you know what kind of creature has those powers..."
The man then walks to a set of draws, opening the top draw and pulling out a bottle of whiskey.
"You drink?"
D merely raises an eyebrow and the man laughs in reply.
"You really don't say much do you?"
No answer.
Still chuckling, the man pulls up a chair at the table and takes a long swig before continuing.
"Ok, here's the story." He begins.
" I had moved here quite a few months ago, and everything SEEMED fine here, until the night of the full moon." He pauses to take another drink.
" Everyone was all hush, hush around me; even in the Tavern and I was beginning to grow suspicious, since everyone was ranting on about the 'Mistress'."
"You brought me here because you were 'suspicious'?" D says with a slight hint of annoyance in his cool voice. He didn't like where this was going, but he would let the man carry on. If this was true, he would get paid.
"Ok, ok! I know this all sounds pointless but listen." He says before continuing, sensing D's disapproval of his tale so far.
"It was fool moon, the villagers were chanting 'Mistress' and then they flocked to the village square and you know what happened then?"
D remained quiet, his eyes forcing the man to continue.
"They dragged a guy from the local jail and tied him down to a post. And then 'she' came." He sups his beverage excitedly.
"She was the most beautiful creature I had ever set my eyes on, all dressed in crimson robes and all that is fine. That's when it happened. The Mistress suddenly lunged at the poor bastard, and ripped into his throat with these great big fangs that grew from her mouth just like THAT!" and he snapped his fingers together to exaggerate the moment.
D nods slowly. That was what he wanted to hear, she certainly sounded like a Mistress vampire...
"Where will I find her?"