Life's Mirage
I do not own VHD;B but I really wish that I did...
Many thanks to my reviewers! All four of you! (Chels and Laura, I'll thank you personally)
Kenshin no sakura: Thanks Colleen! Here's chapter two! You might like it more!
Blackjackkat: Thank you! Your review means so much to me!
Lucidscreamer: (bows) I really appreciate your advice, sorry about that, I tried harder on this chapter. Forgive me and thank you for your review I hope you continue to read.
Stega: Thank you! Please read on!
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D tied his horse's reins to a small gnarled tree in front of the hillside caverns. There was loads of fresh, damp grass and flowers spread around and the android equine felt perfectly happy to obey his master, for once, and didn't try to yank the restraints apart, but began munching away on the delectable treat. Winds whipped D's cloak playfully from side to side as he observed his immediate surroundings. The tracks from the tank most assuredly disappeared inside...and did not come out again. Well, at least that meant he knew where to find it, there was no exit except the entrance, so there was no where else whoever it was, could be. The sun had begun to set; thankfully, the day had been horrendously bright and sunny...disgusting.
"D! Please, let's just leave!" Left hand cried again. The Dunpeal stared down at his complaining appendage with distaste.
"I told you," He muttered. "A human thief wouldn't come all the way out here...I want to see who- what, it is." He strode purposefully into the caverns.
Left hand continued to mutter savagely as it had done all the time D had ever known it, therefore making the sound easy to ignore. It was dark inside, and pleasantly cool reliving D from the day's strenuous heat and refreshing him a bit. The trail left by the tank went a far way inside; whatever was controlling it didn't like the light... D drew his sword.
"Hey, whoa! What'd you pull that thing out for?" Left hand sounded agitated, the stupid little pain-in-the-rear. "What's in there? Something horrid I'll bet! Were not even being paid! Just turn around and leave. Ok?"
D did not respond. Anything he said now would be twisted by the parasite into something dreadful, better to just keep quiet. The floor of the dank interior was covered by a thick layer of moss in most places, which had the doubled respectable effect of keeping his quarry's trail visible...and silencing his advance. Moving forward slowly, the Dunpeal kept himself alert for an attack of any sort. He expected a minor barboroi of some kind, something that would see the tank as being an addition to itself and perhaps even its status if the vehicle still contained weaponry. A vampire would surely see the thing as cumbersome and useless, so no worries there...but some minor barboroi had terrible poisons... There it was, about twenty feet to his left, the tank looked more battered and dented than before but otherwise in good condition, whoever had stolen it had been lucky...until now, still the fool would deserve this death for not being intelligent enough to clean up its own trail. D readied his sword arm, and moved towards the door.
Leila woke up slowly. She felt confused for a moment when she glanced around and saw the unmoving inside of a rented room, instead of the normality of the jostling walls of the Markus's rover. Her memory slowly drained back and she pressed her face down into the pillow, attempting to suppress a sob of loneliness. Her family was gone! Again! This was the second time she had lost a group of loved ones to vampires, first her parents...and now her adoptive brothers! She couldn't hold the tears back any longer, and cried to herself for awhile. The huntress remembered how kind they had always been to her, especially Grove...she'd give anything to have them back. She missed talking to Grove and Nolt (who had been a surprisingly nice conversationalist when he felt up to it), Borgoff's ever- present smile of encouragement and his stupid accent...hell; she even missed Kyle being an ass hole!
"Damn it, Kyle!" She cried, slamming her fist into the sheets. "I even miss you! So why won't you guys come back?"
After about ten minutes she had dried her eyes and cleaned herself up. The previous day she had purloined some more normal clothing from a lecherous traveling tradesman by flirting with him. She had then dragged him out of town, beaten him up, and stolen the clothes but no one needed to know that. Sliding open the dresser into which the new outfits had been unceremoniously stuffed, Leila chose a simple lilac top and a blue embroidered skirt. It took her a further ten minutes to figure out how the shirt tied in the back and how to layer the skirts.
Staring at her reflection in the mirror Leila found it to be decisively odd looking. She hadn't worn clothing like this since Kyle had dragged her to a party once (She still hadn't forgiven him for that) telling her she had needed to be more social. It had been a flop party and Leila had ended up storming out after being felt up by some random guy, stopping only to bitch- slap Kyle's smug face by the door. She grinned, it had always been strangely fun to fight with Kyle...sibling rivalry was normal, wasn't it? No, wait...that hadn't been the only time...Grove had asked once what she looked like in a dress, and seeing as his brothers were all out at the time, she had obliged and changed into her mother's old outfit...he had said she'd looked beautiful. Grove always had something nice to say, he'd never put her down once, maybe that was why she had always felt so close to him. Too bad that dress had been ruined that time that a lizard barboroi raided the tank...she would've liked to have it to remember...
Leila sat back down on the edge of the bed, assaulted by memories, one in particular stuck out...the day that the Markus's had accepted her into their family. She had come only asking for a job, considering that no one else in that town would hire her. Seeing as it was her parents the vampires had taken, she was always under scrupulous surveillance by the men in the town, and it had only been the fact that she was a fifteen-year-old girl that kept them from throwing her out of it. A year after they had stoned her mother to death, a rouge group of werewolves had begun raiding the place nightly, so naturally, three days later the Markus brothers had arrived. Leila had watched them working with awe as they took out every werewolf in less than an hour, with none of them even injured! She had immediately raced over to them and begged to be allowed to go with them.
Leila sighed heavily, they almost hadn't allowed it. Kyle had collapsed into a fit of raucous laughter at the suggestion, Nolt had just stood there looking uncomfortable, and Borgoff had started telling her it was too dangerous for a little girl.
"I was only four years younger than Kyle, Borgoff..." She murmured into the silence, eyes closed as she lost herself in memory.
She probably wouldn't have gone if it hadn't been for Grove. He had been so much healthier then, nine years ago... He had still been thin and always looked a little under the weather, but he had been as fast as Kyle, and his skill with a rapier had been unmatched. He'd had red hair then too, and worn an outfit that greatly resembled Nolt's only with more of a shirt beneath the vest, and worn his red hair in a small ponytail than draped back across his shoulders. She didn't know about his spiritual powers back then, didn't find out until he was forced to start using them as his only weapon, five years later when his illness set in. He had smiled one of his kind, genuine smiles and suggested to Borgoff that they give her a chance.
Kyle had immediately begun protesting, and Nolt had voiced a few complaints, but Grove had always had his way as long as he'd made his suggestion to Borgoff...he was such a pushover when it came to his youngest sibling. Borgoff had given in nearly immediately and before she knew it she was being taught (oddly enough by Kyle) how to handle a large and fancy gun. She had proved herself to be quite good with her selected "instrument of doom" and had been pulled into the family faster than she would have believed possible. Leila smiled to herself and wiped her eyes dry again, before standing and walking out, in search of a job.
D slowly opened the door, careful to keep it from creaking. He made his way up the three steps with as much caution as he could exert, still hadn't made a sound...good. There was a large shape huddled in the back, perhaps it was asleep? The Dunpeal snuck closer he was nearly on top of it when the creature cried out softly in its sleep. D froze.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Left hand whispered worriedly. "Just stick the damn thing and lets get out of here huh?"
D slowly re-sheathed his sword and walked over to the side of the tank, found a light, and switched it on.
"Dear God!" Left hand cried. "How the hell did he get here?" D was wondering the same thing, as he stared down as the prone form of Borgoff, who was still shivering and whimpering softly on the floor. "What are you gonna do now?" The parasite persisted. "Just do what I said! Kill him and let's go!"
The Dunpeal couldn't. He knelt down and lifted the other's chin, two bite marks, he was a vampire then... D drew his sword again, and began to raise it when Borgoff woke up.
The oldest Markus brother sat up abruptly shivering, only to find a sword at his throat...out of one nightmare and straight into the next.