Chapter 16:
For a moment, D said nothing to the question, but looked down at the sleeping Seras. He lifted his head back up to this creature that knows so much about him and replied coolly. "She is no spouse of mine, but the blood you smell is hers. The injuries she sustained are great and we need a place to rest."
Left hand shot him a look, D said "we" instead of "she". There were so many things his hand could say, all that would be funny, and more that would piss D off. Normally, left hand would say it without hesitation, but this creature in front of him seemed old and strong, not one to waste time with.
The creature smiled at him, her piercing gaze bore into his red eyes. "You say she is not your spouse, and yet she calls you master…how amusing." She stated amusement in her voice, and her tail swished from side to side behind her. "However, I do see her poorly state. If you can mind the bones, you may use my den to rest, if you wish. Never in my life have I seen a dragonic refuse an invalid, and I am not going to start now. I must warn you, Dunpeal, that if I see you starting at her blood or do anything of the kind to put her in danger, than I will not hesitate to stop you myself. "
D nodded silently. His left hand decided it was time for him to speak. Left hands pudgy little face squirmed out of his hand and grinned. "I would not worry about that, dragonic. D does not drink already dead blood."
The dragonic looked at his hand for a second and then Seras, contemplating the chances of it being true. After a minuet or two of silence, she continued. "Ah, I see. I understand now why you came so far into the forest. The farther in you are, the longer the night lasts, thus my fire burns bright. Come, rest. There is nothing in this forest that can get past me." She motioned them to enter her little den, which was basically just a cave in the side of a mountain sized rock.
D jumped off his horse and landed with a light thud sound, trying as best he could to not disturb Seras. His cape followed his descent from the horse and straightened with his landing. He held Seras with both arms and walked towards the cave. The dragonic took hold of the horse's reins and tied him to a nearby tree. Noticing D stare at this, she commented. "There are no threats for him here. What you do have to worry about is if that girl you carry dies of blood loss."
D looked down at Seras, her blood was still flowing, not as freely as before, but the wounds had not completely stopped. He looked back at the dragonic, his eyes half hidden by his hat. "I have nothing in those respects that I can help her with. I have bound some of her wounds, but I lack materials for the rest."
The dragonic walked to him. She stared straight at him, not even a foot away. "Materials are nothing. That is the easy part. The hard part is your decision, Dunpeal. Would you sacrifice your blood for her, being only but half of an undead?" She questioned him.
D stared dumbly at the dragonic, and then to Seras. He did not know what to say and hung his head. The dragonic tossed her head back a little and walked into the cave. The dragonic's tail swayed with every step she took and flicked at the end, almost hitting D. D followed in suit, bringing Seras closed as to not hit her on the any side of the cavern walls.
D saw that the cave, which looked small on the outside, was actually pretty big. The only thing that would have bothered a normal human was the sound of crunching with every step. It was the sound of breaking bones, all of varied sizes, and odd shapes. The cavern itself was fairly dark and pretty narrow. After a minuet or two of silent walking, the cavern opened up to a bigger room with a small fire in the middle. This must be her sleeping quarters. D thought as he looked around and noticed a section of the ground that was not littered with bones, but instead had soft looking pillows.
The dragonic followed his gaze. "You can rest her there, if you wish. Just be careful not to get blood on my pillows, or it will not be her that you will have to worry about." The dragonic said and turned to leave, her voice trailing back as she walked. "I am going to fetch some cloth and there is a stream near by. I will only be half an hour or so." Her voice trailed and she was heard no more.
D stood there, staring at the fire and walked around it. He gently placed Seras on the pillows, or tried to, as she still clung to him a bit for warmth. D gasped slightly as she did so, even through the armor, D could tell that she did not want him to leave her. With some effort he got her to cling to a pillow instead. Even weak she has a vice grip. She is not a human, but if she were a full vampire the wounds would have healed already. D thought, looking at her, but then noticing that her blood started to pour more. Remembering the dragonic's words, and as much for her shivers, he removed his cape and wrapped her in it. By the time he got the cape off and around Seras without hurting her more, he was getting tired himself.
"You know D; you could do with some rest as well. I mean, I wouldn't want you to collapse from heat exhaustion, or anything. If that happened, I would be stuck as well." Left hand spoke and noticed that he was motionless and staring at Seras. "I know you're tempted to take a taste, but you do not know where this one's been. You can't really be thinking about that. She is undead, I think, I can't even tell." He continued as D still ignored him.
D stared at her for another moment and took a seat next to her, with difficulty as he was in armor. Am I ready to give my blood to her? The wounds do not heal, but she is at least part vampire. Who is to say that she will not start feeding off of humans…why do I hesitate to kill her? Knowing what she is…who is your master, little one? As D thought to himself, left hand only continued his mindless chatter. "Come on D. It is not like this is the only girl who has fallen into your lap hurt, bleeding. I remember another certain girl whose wounds you bound, and you did not look at her like that twice. What's so special about this one?" Left hand scrutinized while trying to figure out what D was thinking about.
D started to clench his hand when the dragonic came back in, seeing that Seras was kept from bleeding all over the place. "I was hoping you would do that." She said as she walked in. The dragonic put down the water in a bowl that she attained next to the heat of the fire. She handed D the two shirts worth of cloth that she was able to get on such short notice. "That should be enough to clean and bind her wounds. I shall take no part, dragonic's are not known for medical advice." She sat on the other side of the fire, near the door way. Her tail stretched out and curled around her. The dragonics stretched out her scaly wings, laminated by the fire, and looking fierce against the darkness of the wall. "Ah, that fells better already." Looking now at D. "What be the girl's name? She is obviously not from these lands."
D was already dipping bits of cloth in the water and brushing off the new blood from Seras left arm. He started to wrap the large gash when he heard the question. "Seras." Bringing Seras up more and removing parts of his cape to see the wounds on her chest. "Seras Victoria."
The dragonic gazed into the fire. She knew the name, as did many in the mythological world. "Now there is a mystery…Why would she be here without her master's protection?" Looking up at D, she continued. "It is clear now. There is something erroneous in the vampire world. What is even more amusing is how come two such vampire hunters could find each other, and in the Valley of the Lost no less…"
D paused what he was doing for a moment, and looked up at her. "Vampire hunter?" He questioned, barely believing it.
The dragonic looked at him rather shocked, but did not make much out of it. "Yes, she works with one of the most powerful groups in Britain: the Hellsing organization. It is the only group known to use vampires to hunt vampires; here they are the second most notorious hunters...you being first as you live so near." She winked at him, and her wings came back to the resting position.
D looked at the girl, so innocently sleeping, and yet harboring secrets. Left hand decided to join in the conversation at this point. "Psst...D, Hellsing. Isn't the one you are supposed to find from the Hellsing organization? Maybe she knows him, or better yet, where he is at this time. This is good, D, real good. We can use the girl to find him, and then the rest of the money will be ours."
D sat in silence and then dipped the cloth back in the water and continued to clean wounds, at this point; he had to remove part of her shirt. It was not like he was ripping her shirt off, just undressing her so he could bind her wounds. He glared at his hand. "I do not use people. She is weak at the moment and needs help, not to be used like a tool."
Left hand looked at him. "Whoever said I meant now. I mean when she is a little more up to it. Her help would be of great use."
D stopped and clenched his left hand hard. "I said no. It is unsporting for a vampire hunter to do such. I will find Arucard on my own."
The dragonic just listened to their little conversation. She knew from previous encounters with Dunpeals that you do not just go between one and his hand. Hm…He does not even know…it is just one of those things that he will have to find out for himself. I just hope, for his sake, that he knows what he is in for…
D finished dressing Seras wounds, which took an hour as he was arguing a bit with his left hand. The dragonic left the cavern to hunt and go about her business, trying not to disturb them too much, as that would not be a good thing. When D finished he covered Seras back up with his cape and leaned himself back against the wall next to her.
D stared at her, still asleep that whole time. Seras stirred a little, hugging the pillow with her back up against the wall, and curled in a fetal position. D could have sworn that she smiled a little, and he could not help, but he glade for it. "Sleep in peace, Seras." D said and continued to stare into the fire until all he saw was a blur and then blackness engulfed him. He fell asleep, knowing he did something good.