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 4 -
Something wet touched Placidia's lips, and she woke up. A shadow loomed over her, but the sun wasn't quite as high. "Drink," a gruffy man's voice came. "...It's water."
Placidia gasped and grabbed the canteen in both hands, immersing her parched mouth in its ambrosia sweetness.
The bearded man turned to D and shook his shoulder. "Hey... You all right there...?"
D slowly stirred and eyed the man suspiciously.
The man nodded. "Good. I was afraid I'd have to haul your carcass over to the nearest town. You looked dead."
D sat up. "So I'm told..."
"You can have the water after her."
Placidia stopped mid-sip and blushed, relinquishing the canteen.
The man handed it to D. "Here."
"Thank you," D answered sincerely and drank.
"You folks are damn lucky I found you. It's not a good idea to be wandering the flats this late in the day. I was 'cause I was looking for a particular town, Engleberg. Can either of you point me in the right direction?"
D nodded and shared his water with Shadow Fright, who drank eagerly.
The man looked like he was about to object but didn't say anything...
"We're heading in that direction," D continued. "I am D, and this is Placidia Hanoch, the mayor's daughter."
The man's eyes widened incredulously. "Well, I'll be! You found her alive?"
Placidia lowered her eyes shyly.
"We got lucky," D said. "I didn't catch your name..."
"I am Dmitri Vulpas."
Placidia looked up and past him at his brown cyber horse. "Your mount is just like D's."
"He's a DL5. My fourth one... I'm a vampire hunter." Dmitri turned his gaze slowly to D. "And... I'm guessing you're one too..."
"You must be the one Mayor Hanoch sent word to..." D noted. "I'm afraid there's been a case of mistaken identity... I've already been hired."
Dmitri narrowed his eyes. "Did you slay the lord?"
"No," D answered honestly. "Lord Sertius is very much alive..."
"Then there's still a job to be done... I'll speak with the mayor. If you would lead the way."
D sighed and helped himself to his feet and then helped Placidia.
Merula guided her champagne-colored horse, Tauk, to the top of the hill and stopped. Stacy came up alongside her on Foxfire, a white gelding with black speckles.
"This is it," Merula reported. "It shouldn't be too much farther now..." She urged Tauk onward.
Stacy glanced over her shoulder where the town disappeared and followed...
The grass was tall, almost up to their stirrups. Stacy scanned their surroundings, but not a horse was in sight...
The sun was getting lower in the sky. I didn't expect it to take this long... They must've made their way here during the night... which would explain why they hardly ever come here...
Some commotion sounded off to one side and Stacy and Merula turned their horses towards the source.
The grass parted and in the nest of flattened vegetation lay a pinto and a butter yellow foal. They opened their eyes when Stacy and Merula approached.
Stacy looked around. "She must've just given birth..."
Merula smiled and nodded. "And what a beautiful baby it is..." she said to the pinto sweetly.
A wind blew their direction, and Stacy suddenly felt the icy feeling of dread. "Merula, we must go..."
Merula had dismounted and approached the foal with rope and a handful of oats. "In a moment... Oh, Father would be so pleased to see you..."
"Now."
"But, Stacy, we just got here. What could possibly..."
"Roar!" a furry shape of teeth and claws launched out of the grass and onto the champagne hore's back.
"Tauk!" Merula shrilled in alarm.
The horse went down in a spray of blood.
Stacy yanked on Foxfire's reins as he started to panic, twisting them around to meet their attackers.
Another fanged-and-clawed beast launched for her. Stacy yanked out her knife and slit its throat, letting it fall past her.
Stacy turned to another one, green eyes narrowed. She spread her fingers. "Ice."
The creature froze and landed like a rock.
A thin rope sailed through the air and lassoed Stacy, pulling taught on her shoulders, and yanked her off the horse and into the grass.
One of the animals was on top of her, fangs bare.
"Stop!" a man's voice commanded.
It closed its mouth and looked up.
Stacy followed its gaze to the man holding the other end of the rope atop a black horse whose eyes glowed red. "Master wants this one alive..."
Stacy balled her fists, struggling in her binds. There was something woven into the rope... keeping her from using her magic...
"Kill the other one. Tie her to the gelding. We'll send a message to the mayor... He chose the other daughter..."
"No!" Stacy launched to her feet.
The man yanked back on the rope, sending her to the ground. She hit her head on a rock and passed out.
The watchman in town looked up as a ghostly white horse trotted towards the gates, a bundle on its shoulders.
Dark eyes widened and he went and rang the bell. "Mayor! Mayor! Come quick! It's Foxfire!"
The mayor rushed out of his house, the two hunters and his daughter flanking him.
The watchman hurried with the wheel to open the gates.
The Mayor ran out and took the speckled white horse's reins, calming him as he turned to the bundle. "Merula!"
Placidia pushed past D. "Sister!"
D's heart clenched. He feared what they would discover...
"No!" the man cried madly. "My daughter! Sertius, you bastard!"
D took the note strapped to the gelding and written in blood. "You made your choice. The other still lives. Four horses for her at dawn at the Field."
Dmitri read over his shoulder. "I'll rid us of that scum-sucking lowlife once and for all..."
"Wait," D said in monotone. He slipped his hands over the woman's neck. He placed two fingers firmly behind her jawline. And waited. "She still has a pulse."
"A what?" Dmitri asked.
D brought out his knife and cut her bindings, dumping her onto his shoulder. "Bring a doctor," he ordered Placidia. To the mayor he said, "Take me to the clinic."
"This way." The mayor pointed.
Dmitri took the white horse's reins and followed.
At the clinic, D set her on the bed and started tearing the place apart looking for towels to stop the bleeding.
"What magic is this...?" the mayor asked. "My daughter lives?"
"For the moment," D explained. "We need to get her breathing again... Put your lips over her lips and breathe into her. Be careful none of the air escapes."
"What?"
"Do it. And rub her vigerously like you're trying to warm her..."
The father slowly did as asked.
"I found the doctor," Placidia announced, hand behind a man's back.
"Good. Where are the towels?"
"In that cabinet." The doctor pointed.
Dmitri watched the father for a bit then joined D, pulling out towels and bringing them over to the woman to brace against her bleeding neck.
D put a hand to her shoulder. "Merula... Blackbird... come back to us..." he said softly.
Suddenly, she let out with a loud gasp and started coughing.
"Merula!" her father cried.
"Sister!" Placidia cried as well and joined him.
Dmitri put a hand on D's shoulder. "You are a wizard..."
"No," D corrected. "Merely educated."
The mayor looked up from sobbing. "I... owe you more than I can pay..."
D nodded solemnly. "You owe Stacy. She'd been right about Placidia all along..."
"We'll get her back," Dmitri said. "Our vampire lord has to grapple with two hunters now..."
D shook his head. "We'll need more than a pair of hunters. We'll need..." He looked at the mayor. "...a distraction."
The mayor spoke quietly. "The four horses..."
"D, you can't..." Merula rasped. "I love those creatures..."
D put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I won't let any harm befall them..." He turned to the mayor. "Shadow Fright is in need of repairs." He looked at Dmitri. "And I doubt your DL5 will fair much better against his magic stone..." He turned back to the mayor. "It's unlikely that he'll harm the biological horses he so desires..."
The mayor nodded slowly.
"We'll need six of your best," D continued. "I'll take the four to him. Dmitri can sneak in the back way and find Stacy. He shouldn't know about you yet," he told the hunter.
"I don't know what she looks like..."
"But I do." Colt stood in the doorway, rifle in his hands.
Merula held her father's hand for support. "Colt, stay out of this..." she groaned.
"No, Merula." Colt stood his ground. "They don't know their way around your father's horses like I do, and I'm partly to blame for Stacy going out to the Field. I will not let her down."
"I'm not guiltless either, Colt... She knew the risk..."
D saw the look in his eyes. He'd had a similar look in his own eyes when a vampire count abducted a woman he cared very much about... Doris... D placed a hand on Merula's shoulder. "I'll look after him."
"But D..."
D ignored her and looked the young cowboy straight in the eyes. "Stay with the horses. They're key to this plan. Lose them and we risk losing Stacy. Understood? ... Let's ride."
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