Hey guys, what'd you think of chapter one? I know, it was a REALLY short chapter, but I wanted it kind of to be a prologue to the beginning of the fic. I promise this chapter will be longer though u.u You all get to meet one of my characters now :D Hope you like the chapter, please review. -Invader Nicole
P.S. : Sorry it took so friggin' long to update, I wanted to finish writing chapter three before posting chapter two. Squeek :P
Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Hunter D or VHD Bloodlust, I only own Epiphany and Gwen.
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Chapter Two: Dusk and Her Embrace
By Invader Nicole
D arrived at the gravesight after a short while, it was still dark out, no one saw neither D nor his horse. He knelt down on the ground infront of the tombstone and pulled a white lily from his armor, laying the flower on the ground while resting his right hand against the slab of rock. He was glad the sun wasn't out and glad that Left Hand wasn't adding his own little comments to D, he surely would've loved to mock D for this small act of happiness around someone. He did miss Leila, he was thinking about their conversation during the rain storm. As he continued to remember that night D's horse neighed and was pawing at the ground with its hooves'.
D looked to his horse, it was staring at another part of the grave. This part of the grave had a burning candle next to it and person wearing a cloak looking over the flame. The clocked figure looked up, they also heard the racket D's horse was making. The person removed the hood of their black cloak, letting the candlelight cast an almost familiar aura around them. It was a woman with long, wavy chestnut colored hair, pale white skin, and wisteria purple eyes.
D looked at her with surprise, he couldn't figure out why, but he felt compelled to keep staring at her. Said girl was also staring at him. She looked so familiar to him, almost in a frightening way. He then realized the familiar stare atleast, that was the same stare Charlotte gave to Meier, he was giving the same one to the woman right now. The same longing stare Charlotte gave Meier when she wanted him to bite her neck and turn her into a child of the night, a vampire, casting away her innocence as a human. D knew this wasn't what the woman wanted, she didn't even know he was a vampire much less who he was.
"Say Something, D."
D looked down to his left palm, Left Hand had appeared. By the looks of it he was invading D's thoughts again.
"No."
"Why not?" Left Hand questioned.
Before D could say anything he heard a rustling noise and looked back towards the woman. She had risen from the ground and was walking away from the grave she had been at moments ago.
"Goddamnit D, follow her then," Left Hand hissed to the hunter.
"I doubt stalking will attract women." D responded nonchalantly.
D decided to take Left Hand's advice though, he climbed his horse and quietly followed her. He followed her for about hour an hour until she stopped in an open meadow. He got off his horse and hid in the tall grass, watching her as he kneeled onto the soft earth. It looked as if she was waiting for someone. After a few minutes three men on horses' arrived. They wore strong armor, carried a sword at their sheathes, and looked both angry and pleased at the same time. One of them removed their helmet, the person had pale white skin and spiky, black hair, his dark eyes were narrowed at her.
"Epiphany, I presume?" He asked the woman.
The woman looked up at him, her lilac eyes also narrowed. "Yes, now tell me what you want."
One of the other men got off their horse and took their sword from out of his sheathe. "We want you dead."
Her eyes' widened in surprise, she winced at their sneers of pleasure. Her hands closed into fists at her side, the nails digging into her palms.
"Why may I ask do you want me dead?"
The man standing walked towards her, the sword shining brilliantly in the moonlight and the sound of grass being stepped on was the only thing that could be heard. He stood infront of her, his cold, colorless eyes staring into her own. He raised his hand and swung it at her face, the 'smack' noise deafening everything around them. Epiphany stepped back, her hand caressing against the painful red mark and forming on her ivory-colored skin.
"Shutup, don't be stupid. You know what you've done." The man held the tip of the sword, holding the handle with the other free hand.
"I haven't done anything. If anything, your the ones who've done harm towards me."
For the first time she looked towards them, her eyes trying to hold back the tears that wanted to be released. She wouldn't cry though, not infront of them, not infront of anyone. To cry was to show weakness and she couldn't do that, she never could.
"Towards me and my family."
She heard a click and looked up to see one of the men on the horses, he was aiming a gun at her. The barrel shined beautifully in the moonlght, hiding its real danger. 'Show no fear, show no fear, show no fear,' she kept telling herself that. The man standing infront of her raised his sword, the tip stopping an inch from her face. He slowly moved her light brown hair out of her face, cutting a few hairs with the blade.
"I really don't care what you think. My men and I have been given our orders, we have to kill you. Why our master wants you dead we don't care, as long as we get paid."
Epiphany's whole body was shaking now, her palms sweaty, the pain from her nails long forgotten. Her throat felt dry but she asked them one question in a quiet, timid voice.
"And who is your master?" she asked, already knowing their answer.
The man raised his sword over her head, the gleam shining in the moonlight.
"Meier Link."
Epiphany closed her eyes, awaiting the death that was sure to come. As the man began to lower his sword she swore she could hear a beating sound in the grass, someone or something was coming towards them. Fast. The next thing she heard frightened her, the quick sound of a sword when it comes in contact with human skin and tears the flesh apart. 'Am I dead yet?' she asked herself. She opened her eyes, expecting to see nothing but darkness surrounding her. Instead, Epiphany saw a body sprawled on the floor, it was the man holding the sword over her head moments ago. His body was cut in half at the waist, his blood flowing onto the ground. 'What happened?!' her thoughts were screaming.
It was then she noticed the shadow over her, her eyes looked upwards to see a man bathed in the pale moonlight, casting a bright aura around his body. His black armor shined, as did the midnight blue cape draped around him. A black aumish-like hat with a pearl on the side rested on his wavy dark brown, auburn hair, as it fell over his face, hiding half his ghost-like skin. His eyes, a mix of dark brown and amber, held her gaze for a moment. It was then she noticed the long sword in his sharp-nailed hand, the blade was covered in blood. She looked around, the other two men were gone. She kept her gaze on his face, trying to catch anything suspicious about him, she found nothing, only the mysterious and forlorn look in his eyes.
"Did you save me?" she finally asked as a few seconds passed.
"Yes."
"Did you kill the man with the sword?"
"Yes."
Epiphany almost choked at his response. This person, her savior, just killed a man yet he showed no concern or care for it. 'He acts like he does this on a regular basis,' she thought.. He did it with such force, the man was cut in half in mere seconds, she had barely heard him come towards them.
"Who are you?"
"D, I'm a vampire hunter."
Epiphany began to back away from D. 'No, he's just like the others then.' She couldn't stay any longer, soon she'd be dead, lying on the floor just like the man was. His eyes, she couldn't help but stare into them. He never blinked, ever since she first saw him. She gasped, she remembered him now. D. He was the famous vampire hunter, the one that killed Carmila's spirit, the one who tried to save Charlotte. He began to walk towards her, putting the sword back into the sheathe at the same time.
"Go away," she demanded. "I know what you want from me."
D stopped walking towards her, she obviously didn't like him very much. "I don't understand what you mean." D noticed her eyes changed from surprise to anger quickly.
"What do you think?! Your a vampire hunter! Your just like those men that tried to kill me!" Epiphany yelled then looked away from D, she didn't want him to see her cry. "You want to kill me for the money, just like all the rest." She turned back to him, hopeing death would come quickly.
D stared at her, a solemn look set into him. "Your not a vampire," he said simply.
Epiphany double-backed from this. "How do you know? You haven't even seen my fangs."
D gave her a hard, cold stare before answering. "Any vampire would've fought against those men to protect their own life. You just stood there in fear. Your not a vampire, but your not a human either. You're a Dunpeal."
Epiphany couldn't help but gasp loudly at this. 'How'd he know?!' she kept asking herself. Her hands went to her face, covering her mouth. She'd just met D and already he knew her biggest secret. She knew now more than ever that she had to run, to get away from D before he found out anymore.
"Smart move D," came the raspy voice from D's palm. He raised his left hand to Epiphany to show her not to be afraid. Epiphany's eyes widened, she tried to hold back a scream that was crying to escape. Her knees collapsed under her as she fell to the meadows floor. Left Hand's face wrinkled in disgust, "Nice move D, real smooth. We definitely need to work on your people skills."
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D stared into the flames of the fire he had prepared, wondering what to do. He had decided to stay in the meadow and rest for the remainder of the night, his horse needed resting as well. The fire burned brightly, relfecting everything around it. D looked toward Epiphany, it was then he noticed a few things he had missed before. She looked so much like Charlotte, almost like a twin. The only difference would be their eye and hair color. Epiphany's hair was a light shade of burnt sienna brown in a wavy pattern. Her eyes were closed but he remembered their pale purple color. She wore a long, white dress, D covered her in a dark purple cloak to protect her from the cold. He couldn't help but wonder though. 'Is Meier Link still alive? If so, why does he want this Dunpeal dead?' D decided he would ask her a few questions when she awoke, he'd be sure to introduce her to Left Hand later. Much later.
"That was a really stupid thing to do, D."
D looked at the palm of his left hand, the wrinkled face, two hollow black eyes and the mouth that somehow possessed teeth and a tongue. It never left him alone, he was lucky to have his own thoughts to himself sometimes.
"Your not exactly the most popular person on this planet if you haven't noticed. People usually run when they see you, or get the wooden stakes, torches, guns, pitchforks, and swords ready for your arrival. Call it a friendly greeting," said the hand.
D sighed in frustration, Left Hand had a point. Everywhere he went he was hated by all, whether it be a human or a vampire. He remembered what Carmila has said, he wished he could get rid of all those painful memories. He heard a soft groan and turned to see that Epiphany was awaking. Her hand came to rest on her forehead, brushing a few strands behind her ear. Her eyes landed on D, noticing his stare on her.
"Where am I?" Her voice was shaky, as if she were afraid of D.
"Your still in the meadow, you fainted after those men left." D lied about her fainting after meeting Left Hand, he'd mention that later.
"I remember now. Why did you stay and help me?"
D looked back towards the flames in the fire, his eyes appearing as if they were aflame. "The soldier said they were sent to kill you from their master, Meier Link. That's impossible, he's in the City of the Night."
"That still doesn't answer my question. Why did you save me?"
He turned away from the flames, his eyes meeting hers. "I want to know if he's actually here and why he wants you dead. I couldn't find him if you were dead, now could I? I'll need to keep you alive, no doubt he'll send others to try and kill you."
"Oh," she said with a hint of dissapointment.
"You're name is Epiphany, correct?" he asked after a pause of silence between the two.
"Yes, how did you know that? I don't remember telling you my name."
"The soldier asked you your name before he said he wanted to kill you. I was just checking if it was correct. Your name means 'a sudden intuitive realization or perception of reality.' Any reason why you have that name?" he asked out of nowhere.
"Yes, my dad told me that reality's a bitch and I'd have to deal with it sooner or later. That my name would serve as a constant reminder of this and that's why he named me that. What about you? That's 'D' stand for?"
A few seconds passed before D finally spoke. "I don't really know why my parents named me D, but I think I know why."
"Why?" she inquired.
D sighed and looked back into the flames, this conversation was only reminding him what he was trying to forget. "It's complicated to explain, you probaly wouldn't understand."
Epiphany grew angry at this, her lilac eyes narrowing at the hunter. "I'm a Dunpeal, I have to live every day of my life knowing people either hate me or fear me. Your the one that doesn't understand. People respect you since you wipe out the vampire species. Your the one who would never understand, no one does," Epiphany said as she threw a twig into the fire, watching it burn.
Time passed before D fianlly answered her, his voice remaining the same solemn, nonchalant voice it always had, despite what he was feeling inside. "Your wrong about that, I know what it's like to be hated and feared at the same time."
"By vampires?"
"No, by humans and vampires." D sighed, his eyes locking with hers, trying to get it through to her. "I think 'D' stands for Dunpeal. I am a Dunpeal. I know what it's like, I've lived many years, hated by both humans and vampires. I know exactly how you feel and more, I've lived through it all."
Epiphany was silent for a few moments, 'He can't be a Dunpeal!' she thought. "I never knew, I'm sorry. I heard so much about you but never that you were a Dunpeal."
"There's a first, usually that's the first thing learn about me." D said followed by a small laugh. He stopped, his face had a look of surprise, since when did he ever laugh? "We should be getting some rest now, tomorrow we have a full day ahead of us. I hope you'll be prepared for it."
"Okay, Van Helsing."
D gave her a strange look before daring to ask. "Van Helsing?"
Epiphany shrugged at his question. "Van Helsing was a hunter of vampires, werewolves, that stuff; so I'll call you that or D at times."
Usually D would've argued about this but he was too tired to try, he would talk to her in the morning about his new nickname. "Goodnight Epiphany." D said as he put the flames out and rested on the grass, letting the last stars shine before his eyes closed.
"Goodnight, D," Epiphany said to the already sleeping D.
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