A/N: Vampire Hunter D belongs to Urban Vision, Streamline Pictures, Hideyuki Kikuchi (Asashi Sonorama), etc. No copyright infringement intended; this fic is merely for the enjoyment of fans. This story is mostly based off the first Vampire Hunter D movie (1985).
Curse of the Count
Evil Overlady
- Chapter 2 -
D! It was no use. Thinking his name wouldn't bring him any faster, and even if he had run outside when the bells sounded, there was no way he would know to check on her here. To everyone else the trouble was out there.
It was up to her.
Okay... You're a witch... So... do something witchy... Stacy brought out one shaky hand and rubbed her thumb and forefinger together. Come on...
The vampire leader grinned toothily. "Whatcha going to do, girl? Attack us with your bare hands?..." He snarled at the rest. "Get her!"
She gasped and cupped her hands together. "Ball of flame!"
A ball of fire shot out from between her hands and took out three guys directly in front of her who had been standing one in front of the other. The burning head-sized globe knocked them across the room, engulfed them in tongues of flame which soon dissipated, leaving nothing but ash.
The other vampires stared, as surprised as she was.
The first vampire turned back. "You'll regret that, girl."
Stacy shrank. She was beginning to think that she would...
Moonlight glinted off a long blade as it came down on three others, splitting them from head to toe. A cape swirled as the hatted figure spun, separating four torsos from their legs, spewing black iquor everywhere.
D touched Stacy's hand briefly. "Are you all right?"
She nodded quickly.
"Get him!" the lead vampire yelled to the few remaining.
D sliced sideways and down again, stopping a mere hair's breadth before splitting the skull of their leader, the only one left standing.
Thick dark liquid dripped off his sword and onto the vampire's forehead. "Who sent you?"
The vampire just stared, paler than Stacy thought possible.
"Answer!" D shouted.
"Uh... Master Sertius... He knew Mayor Hanoch would send for help and the town would be vulnerable then while the humans were distracted..."
"I want you to send a message to Lord Sertius. Think you can manage that?"
"Uh... huh..." He barely nodded.
"Tell him D's come for him..." D withdrew the sword, holding it out to the side, blade pointed to the ground.
The vampire gaped a moment longer then scrambled away into the shadows of the dark stables.
Stacy approached carefully from the side opposite the sword. "That's the first vampire I've ever encountered."
"It won't be the last..." D said softly.
Stacy tightened her lips and looked to where the vampire had gone... lost in her own thoughts.
They dined at the mayor's home, gathering around a long table blanketed in lovely white lace and covered with more food than Stacy had ever imagined.
D had attended out of civility and made no move to join them except in the occasional sip of wine.
It had to be tough, Stacy thought, being half vampire. He'd probably catch and drain a rat later as he did with the squirrels he served for supper in the woods... It twisted Stacy's stomach in knots thinking about it, but he couldn't help who he was or what he needed for survival any more than she could help the occasional turning someone into a toad or the necessity of cleansing her aura to keep out the dark energies that were becoming more prevalent as they entered vampire country...
She had to keep moving. Staying in a town populated solely with regular people would only make herself an open target when conditions got bad... and they always did. As long as small populations were isolated and the supply routes vulnerable and the vampires were in control, things would always be bad...
Oh, Grand-mama... I miss you.
"Aren't you hungry, Mister D?" Mayor Hanoch was carving up some pheasant.
"I'll eat a little later," D declined politely. "And it's just D."
Stacy looked at him and then at the uneaten meat and mashed potatoes on her own plate. She hadn't felt very hungry either, not with the thought of Colt cleaning up the stables, leaving an empty chair by her side.
She felt D's eyes on her, and Stacy folded in on herself, wishing she could just disappear like the wind...
A hand fell on her shoulder, and Stacy looked up, meeting Merula's eyes. "You never get used to it," the older woman told her. "Especially, when it becomes personal..." Her blue eyes drifted to the chair across from her on the other side of her father.
"Who sits there?" Stacy asked weakly.
The mayor lowered his eyes sadly. "Placidia, my younger daughter." He finished carving his slice of bird and lay it on his plate. "Lord Sertius took her as an example to me. He promised to return her if I agree to cooperate... But I don't trust him. That's why I called for a Hunter... to be rid of him."
Merula placed a supporting hand on her father's arm.
"What exactly does he want from you?" Stacy asked.
"Our horses," the mayor explained. "He wants to supply his army with something they can feed off of..." He wrinkled his lips in disgust then took in D. "You can't do that with DLs..."
D nodded knowingly. "What does he want this army for? Do you know?"
The mayor shook his head. "No, and if I did I damn sure would've come up with a plan by now..."
"Father, we'll get her back..." Merula said sweetly.
He nodded. "I know, child... I just wish..."
"You did the right thing by coming to us, Mayor." D's eyes grew distant. "Vampire lords are not known for keeping their promises... to anyone..."
Stacy blinked. What does that mean...?
"We'll start first thing in the morning," D finished.
D made his way back to his room, pouring over and partially memorizing Merula's map to the vampire lord's castle and her instructions. The mayor's daughter had insisted she come along but D said he'd think about it... One daughter to worry about rescue was plenty, he secretly thought.
"I hope you're not considering bringing the witch along..." his symbiote remarked.
"No," D answered, almost adding, Satisfied?
"D, how do you know?" Stacy's voice interrupted, coming up behind him. "How do you know vampire lords don't keep their word? What happened to you to make you so bitter towards your own k- vampires," she amended quickly, glancing around for eavesdroppers.
D unlocked his door and left it open for her to follow.
She closed the door behind them as he dropped his scabbard - with sword - on the bed and removed his cloak.
"Placidia might still be alive, and if we get involved we just might make matters worse..."
"Hear that? She's worse than you, D," the symbiote remarked.
"Be quiet," he muttered then turned to Stacy. "She's not alive. More likely she's been turned and Sertius is simply keeping her out of sight in order to get what he wants."
"But, D, you don't know," Stacy repeated, exasperated. "You can't know..."
"What would you have me do?" D snapped.
"Demand to see Placidia in return for some of the horses..."
D watched her silently then turned away, removing his hat, fingering the pin in it. "My mother," he said.
"What?" Stacy asked quietly.
"She fell in love with a vampire, a count. He promised to keep her forever safe... One night one of his kind broke into our home and killed her..."
No sound came from her end for a moment. "D, I had no idea..." came her sympathetic tone.
D eyed her through long hair. "That is why vampires can never be trusted."
She watched him with warm moss-green eyes. "I trust you."
D wouldn't acknowledge that, even with a change of expression. "You should get some rest. They won't attack again tonight, not after losing so many of their own... We've won... for now."
Stacy crossed her arms, leaning against the door. "You are so damned sure of yourself..."
D met her gaze. "I have to be."
"And what if you're wrong?" she countered.
D turned his gaze to the moonlit window. "I'm not."
He felt Stacy's gaze on him. "Well, for both our sakes let's hope not," she bit. "I don't think we have much luck left..." The door slammed, and D turned.
"Nice girl," the symbiote said sarcastically.
Naive... was D's first thought, but that didn't make her ignorant...
D watched the door a moment then settled back against the pillows, and before he knew it, he was sound asleep.
Morning was a welcomed sight, though slightly chilly.
Stacy had read about the phenomenon in one of her books, where one day the air would be warm and the next, especially after a rainstorm, cold. They called it... a "Front."
Stacy huddled under the black cloak Merula had given her "as part of their payment..."
"It'll be chilly up north. If that is where you are bound..." Merula had said.
"It is," Stacy had answered, accepting the garb graciously. "Thanks."
"Why would you go there, where vampires abound? I mean, I understand D... but why you?"
Stacy had moistened her lips hesitantly. "I'm not welcome anywhere else..."
"You're welcomed here."
"Trust me, Merula... You won't want me..."
Merula hadn't pressed the matter, and Stacy hated having to avoid it. But while there existed a conflict between humans and supernaturals - a rightful one at that - the humans would simply have no tolerance for those that fell between... dhampirs, fairies, half fairies, wood spirits... and sorcerers...
Red ninnied as D mounted Shadow Fright, the urge to herd strong.
Merula held her reins, patting her muzzle. "Good luck." She saluted him with two fingers.
D nodded to her and looked back over his shoulder at Stacy.
Stacy nodded once and that was enough.
D righted himself in the saddle and the gates opened.
Shadow Fright neighed and they galloped off.
"May the stars guide you true even in daylight..." Stacy blew on the flower petals in her cupped hand, sending pink confetti into the wind and outside the city walls before the gates closed once more, mentally cursing him out for his stubbornness.
"I wish he'd agreed to bring someone along..." Merula uttered.
"D's not used to working with other people... Sometimes I think he's on a suicide mission..."
"I know how he feels..."
Stacy turned surprised eyes Merula's way but Merula just stared at nothing. "I'd give my life for my sister's..."
Stacy started reluctantly. "Merula... She may not ever come back... not as you knew her... Be careful."
Merula refocused her eyes and looked at Stacy. She nodded. Then, after a pause, she sighed, "Well, then... Perhaps, I should show you around the town..."
"Actually... I thinking about outside of it."
Merula straightened. "We are not following D..."
Stacy dismissed it with a flick of the wrist. "No, not D. Colt mentioned last night a place where you find horses. I'd like to see it."
Merula tensed. "The Field? We've not sent anyone that way for many moons..."
"All the same, if that's where you get the horses, I want to see it. It might help D... If you don't want to come..."
"No," Merula stopped her. "I'll take you. I know the way. Just let me get Red settled and we'll ride out together... Anything that will help your friend..."
Shadow Fright came to a halt by the cliff face, and D scanned the boulders, searching for the small opening that would take them up the back way into the castle.
At last he spotted it and motioned Shadow Fright onward.
His left hand came up of its own accord, and a pair of eyes took in each cobwebbed shadowy corner of either side of the long winding narrow passage. "Pretty big lapse of security if you ask me..." the symbiote remarked.
"Keep looking."
"My, aren't we in a testy mood today..." The eyes rolled. "Perhaps you'd feel better if I played the dhampir while you be the hand... I'm doing the best that I can..."
D ignored him.
They approached the end of the tunnel and entered a dimly blue-tinted room. On the far wall a woman was sprawled face down on the cobblestone floor, wrists shackled to the wall. Long blonde hair cascaded over ragged clothes.
D's eyes softened somewhat as he dismounted and walked carefully up to her to kneel beside her.
Pale thin fingers slid yellow hair aside to look at her neck.
She'd been bitten, and the wound looked old.
D exhaled. His fears had been realized. "I'm sorry..." he whispered, slipping his hand over to his knife. The woman he'd come to rescue was gone, he tried to reason to himself. She was no more than Lord Sertius' fledgling now... He would make it quick and as painless as possible...
A delicate hand gripped his wrist with the strength of someone who had just taken hold of a ledge. The woman's eyelashes fluttered and pale blue eyes opened slightly. "Am I dreaming...?" Her voice was dry and devoid of energy.
D felt his heart clench as human sympathy won over his supernatural impassiveness. "Did you drink... drink of his blood...?" He dared to hope.
Her pale brow wrinkled somewhat. "No... He never offered... Who are you...?"
D sheathed his knife. "I am called D. Your sister, Merula, sent me here to rescue you, Placidia. Can you walk?"
"My sister... How is she?"
"Worried. Now, please, we must leave here..."
"I don't know if I can..." A tear escaped her eyes and trickled down her cheek.
"She's malnourished and dehydrated..." the hand reported. "She's lucky she's held on for this long..."
"Stay still," D said. "I'll try to pick the locks..."
"You needn't got through so much trouble," a new voice boomed.
D looked up as the young slick-haired vampire lord stepped down the dungeon stairs, holding in his hand a blue crystal like the ones that lit the room...
"You won't make it out of here... alive."
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