V- For those of you who noticed, I'd like to apologize for the lack of
updates (unbeknownst to me, college ended up requiring genuine work). Now,
I want to take this time to extend a great deal of gratitude to Codes778,
who's been kind enough to give me over half my reviews.and I'm positive
more than one person is reading this. Let this be a hint to the rest of
you. On that note, I also want to point out that bad reviews won't bother
me (so long as they insult the story and not me).
Although still unaware of the full implications of his actions, the Heavens smiled upon Karasuman and the knife was removed from his throat. "What did you just do?" the perplexed woman demanded, still holding her weapon in full view. Karasuman fell to his knees, first to thank God and second to show submission to the human that spared his life. The demon then took note of the woman's weapon glinting menacingly in the moonlight, "Please don't kill me," he pleaded, wiping away the trickle of blood from his neck. "Answer my question!" the woman snapped, slightly louder than she intended.
"Maria, might you tell me what's going on here?" inquired a man, who nearly materialized in the garden. "Oh Alucard, you won't believe what I've just found." Maria replied, audibly relaxing and once again gesturing to the unfortunate demon with her hunting dagger. Even without hearing the man's name, the recognition was instant. Karasuman turned whiter than a skeleton fresh picked of meat at the sight of the vampire hunter and slowly rose to his feet before attempting a subtle exit, but Maria was once again upon him, "I thought I told you not to move." She said in far too syrupy a voice for Karasuman's liking. Alucard gazed on impassively, trying to place this demon. Judging by its actions, it knew who he was, not that the issue was terribly important, Maria had probably killed it by now anyway.
Alucard continued to assess the scene, noticing that Maria was shrugging at him, and that the demon was indeed still alive. "Maria, why don't you kill it?" His wife lowered her weapon, now confident Karasuman would no longer try to flee. "I had every intention to, but then he made the sign of the cross." She explained. Alucard nodded in acknowledgement before turning his attention to Karasuman, "Where have I seen you before?" he calmly inquired. The demon sank to the ground at Maria's feet and wrapped his wings around his diminutive form, even though it was a simple question he had little desire to speak with Alucard. He averted his gaze to the ground, suddenly realizing just how enthralling dirt really was. "Answer me, demon!" the vampire hunter commanded much more forcefully than before. Karasuman flinched and whimpered involuntarily, "In the Clock Tower," he began softly, ".around six months ago." He buried his head in his knees, just wanting to be left alone. After that, Alucard honored his implicit wish.
Maria backed up toward her husband, all the while keeping a sharp eye on their unofficial prisoner. "He's obviously rather intelligent, not once has he attempted an attack since arriving." Alucard commented, staring at the trembling black ball of feathers in the corner of his yard. Maria remained dubious, "Do you think he might be one of your father's spies?" she whispered.
"That's highly unlikely. He would send something much less.conspicuous if he were just gathering information. None of my father's minions would also invoke our Lord for assistance." A dead silence followed while the vampire hunters exchanged glances and began to whisper inaudibly to each other. Two long hours crept by before Karasuman finally relaxed, presuming his life was no longer threatened. He sat intently watching the hunters converse, debating on whether to be frightened or bored, the monotony of it all broken up by a gesture toward him from time to time. The suspense was agonizing. He just wanted something, anything to happen. On top of this current dilemma, the sun was also beginning its ascent into the sky. Karasuman had never experienced the full blaze of the sun before and wasn't entirely certain if demons suffer the same way a vampire would. Alucard seemed to be ignoring the imminent dawn, so the demon deduced that he would be safe, but crawled into a shady spot just to be sure.
Two sets of eyes once again fell upon him upon the attempted movement, "Perhaps we should continue this inside?" Maria prompted. With the coming of morning, the village would once again stir to life and two vampire hunters interrogating a demon in their garden might cause unwarranted panic. Alucard nodded his consent and went to retrieve Karasuman while Maria entered their domicile. "Come with me, demon." Alucard commanded, unknowingly continuing to intimidate the demon. Karasuman snapped to attention and obediently followed him.
Had he not been so stressed, he would have likely laughed at the irony of the situation. Of all the places he expected to be this heavy, foggy morning, the home of his mortal enemy was not one of them. Once inside, Maria ushered them to the kitchen table before sitting down herself. Karasuman sat stiffly at the edge of one of four chairs surrounding the polished pine table, leaving his hands to rest lightly on the surface. The elegance of the Tepes household mirrored that of Dracula's castle perfectly, with the exception it was much more well-kept. Before joining his wife and accidental intruder, Alucard conspicuously remove his family sword from its honored place above the dormant fireplace. "Now demon, Maria and I have decided to give you a chance to explain your presence here." Karasuman nodded knowingly and thought for a moment, trying to properly address the implied question, "I was looking at your town and slipped onto the wrong side of the wall?" he more asked, hoping he gave a satisfactory answer.
"I trust you weren't planning to attack us." Alucard threatened swiftly. The demon avoided eye contact with him, "I wouldn't do that, I just ran away from Dracula." He rested his head on the palm of his hand and nearly whispered, "I can't afford to make any more enemies."
Both Alucard and Maria appeared as though they had been struck in the spine with a metal rod, "Would you care to elaborate?" Maria asked, after recovering from the initial shock.
"I'm sorry." The demon shyly replied, although clandestinely confident he had taken the first step to earning their trust. "Don't apologize, just do it." Alucard demanded, for the first time truly concerned with what his enemy had to say. Karasuman proceeded to explain, in perhaps too concise a manner, what happened to him from the moment Alucard defeated him until the present.
Maria was quite taken aback by the narrative, "I'm shocked Dracula would actually treat one of his servants that way." Alucard shook his head at her, "Don't be. If my father's minions fail, they tend to face very harsh punishments, especially the weaker ones, and this demon here was by far one of the easiest victories I had." A comment that would have cut a deep metaphorical wound had it not been true. "I feel he poses no threat. Even if he wanted to, he can cause us no harm."
Karasuman inwardly smiled. Even without voicing his intentions, or lack thereof, the vampire hunters had deduced that he meant no harm. At least as assumed so until Maria moved across the kitchen and beckoned her husband to follow, "Now there is only the matter of his apparent version to Christianity." she whispered. Alucard took a moment to gather his thoughts, "I know not what the theological implications of a demon seeking salvation are, but perhaps Father Aurel would." He guessed, hoping their local pastor at the cathedral of St. Quirinus would be able to assist them in this increasingly complex matter.
Although still unaware of the full implications of his actions, the Heavens smiled upon Karasuman and the knife was removed from his throat. "What did you just do?" the perplexed woman demanded, still holding her weapon in full view. Karasuman fell to his knees, first to thank God and second to show submission to the human that spared his life. The demon then took note of the woman's weapon glinting menacingly in the moonlight, "Please don't kill me," he pleaded, wiping away the trickle of blood from his neck. "Answer my question!" the woman snapped, slightly louder than she intended.
"Maria, might you tell me what's going on here?" inquired a man, who nearly materialized in the garden. "Oh Alucard, you won't believe what I've just found." Maria replied, audibly relaxing and once again gesturing to the unfortunate demon with her hunting dagger. Even without hearing the man's name, the recognition was instant. Karasuman turned whiter than a skeleton fresh picked of meat at the sight of the vampire hunter and slowly rose to his feet before attempting a subtle exit, but Maria was once again upon him, "I thought I told you not to move." She said in far too syrupy a voice for Karasuman's liking. Alucard gazed on impassively, trying to place this demon. Judging by its actions, it knew who he was, not that the issue was terribly important, Maria had probably killed it by now anyway.
Alucard continued to assess the scene, noticing that Maria was shrugging at him, and that the demon was indeed still alive. "Maria, why don't you kill it?" His wife lowered her weapon, now confident Karasuman would no longer try to flee. "I had every intention to, but then he made the sign of the cross." She explained. Alucard nodded in acknowledgement before turning his attention to Karasuman, "Where have I seen you before?" he calmly inquired. The demon sank to the ground at Maria's feet and wrapped his wings around his diminutive form, even though it was a simple question he had little desire to speak with Alucard. He averted his gaze to the ground, suddenly realizing just how enthralling dirt really was. "Answer me, demon!" the vampire hunter commanded much more forcefully than before. Karasuman flinched and whimpered involuntarily, "In the Clock Tower," he began softly, ".around six months ago." He buried his head in his knees, just wanting to be left alone. After that, Alucard honored his implicit wish.
Maria backed up toward her husband, all the while keeping a sharp eye on their unofficial prisoner. "He's obviously rather intelligent, not once has he attempted an attack since arriving." Alucard commented, staring at the trembling black ball of feathers in the corner of his yard. Maria remained dubious, "Do you think he might be one of your father's spies?" she whispered.
"That's highly unlikely. He would send something much less.conspicuous if he were just gathering information. None of my father's minions would also invoke our Lord for assistance." A dead silence followed while the vampire hunters exchanged glances and began to whisper inaudibly to each other. Two long hours crept by before Karasuman finally relaxed, presuming his life was no longer threatened. He sat intently watching the hunters converse, debating on whether to be frightened or bored, the monotony of it all broken up by a gesture toward him from time to time. The suspense was agonizing. He just wanted something, anything to happen. On top of this current dilemma, the sun was also beginning its ascent into the sky. Karasuman had never experienced the full blaze of the sun before and wasn't entirely certain if demons suffer the same way a vampire would. Alucard seemed to be ignoring the imminent dawn, so the demon deduced that he would be safe, but crawled into a shady spot just to be sure.
Two sets of eyes once again fell upon him upon the attempted movement, "Perhaps we should continue this inside?" Maria prompted. With the coming of morning, the village would once again stir to life and two vampire hunters interrogating a demon in their garden might cause unwarranted panic. Alucard nodded his consent and went to retrieve Karasuman while Maria entered their domicile. "Come with me, demon." Alucard commanded, unknowingly continuing to intimidate the demon. Karasuman snapped to attention and obediently followed him.
Had he not been so stressed, he would have likely laughed at the irony of the situation. Of all the places he expected to be this heavy, foggy morning, the home of his mortal enemy was not one of them. Once inside, Maria ushered them to the kitchen table before sitting down herself. Karasuman sat stiffly at the edge of one of four chairs surrounding the polished pine table, leaving his hands to rest lightly on the surface. The elegance of the Tepes household mirrored that of Dracula's castle perfectly, with the exception it was much more well-kept. Before joining his wife and accidental intruder, Alucard conspicuously remove his family sword from its honored place above the dormant fireplace. "Now demon, Maria and I have decided to give you a chance to explain your presence here." Karasuman nodded knowingly and thought for a moment, trying to properly address the implied question, "I was looking at your town and slipped onto the wrong side of the wall?" he more asked, hoping he gave a satisfactory answer.
"I trust you weren't planning to attack us." Alucard threatened swiftly. The demon avoided eye contact with him, "I wouldn't do that, I just ran away from Dracula." He rested his head on the palm of his hand and nearly whispered, "I can't afford to make any more enemies."
Both Alucard and Maria appeared as though they had been struck in the spine with a metal rod, "Would you care to elaborate?" Maria asked, after recovering from the initial shock.
"I'm sorry." The demon shyly replied, although clandestinely confident he had taken the first step to earning their trust. "Don't apologize, just do it." Alucard demanded, for the first time truly concerned with what his enemy had to say. Karasuman proceeded to explain, in perhaps too concise a manner, what happened to him from the moment Alucard defeated him until the present.
Maria was quite taken aback by the narrative, "I'm shocked Dracula would actually treat one of his servants that way." Alucard shook his head at her, "Don't be. If my father's minions fail, they tend to face very harsh punishments, especially the weaker ones, and this demon here was by far one of the easiest victories I had." A comment that would have cut a deep metaphorical wound had it not been true. "I feel he poses no threat. Even if he wanted to, he can cause us no harm."
Karasuman inwardly smiled. Even without voicing his intentions, or lack thereof, the vampire hunters had deduced that he meant no harm. At least as assumed so until Maria moved across the kitchen and beckoned her husband to follow, "Now there is only the matter of his apparent version to Christianity." she whispered. Alucard took a moment to gather his thoughts, "I know not what the theological implications of a demon seeking salvation are, but perhaps Father Aurel would." He guessed, hoping their local pastor at the cathedral of St. Quirinus would be able to assist them in this increasingly complex matter.