Aera awoke the next morning to a cloudy windy day. She got dressed into a long black skirt, with a slightly loose white tank top. She slid on her work boots, and walked down the stares. To her surprise and amusement, she found D laying on the couch, his hat covering his face, his sword and cape at his side.
Aera tiptoed passed D, and opened a closet door in the next room, grabbing a long red coat, that used to be her father's, and put it on. She then walked to the back door and stepped outside. It was in fact a little bit cooler. The long grass and the trees from the woods all the way in the back were swaying because of the strong wind. Aera stepped off the back porch into the grass, as she made her way to a little garden near her wooden fence. He long black hair blew wildly in the wind.
After a few minutes a picking flowers, Aera walked to the stables, relieved that the villagers had not touched her father's horse. It was a beautiful black horse, almost like D's; horses did not come in many others colors now a days.
Aera settled the horse, and then mounted it, ridding it around to the from of the house, and leaping over her front gate, to the other side of the village.
About 15 minutes later, Aera arrived at the grave yard, where the sheriff told her where her father was buried. Aera found her fathers grave, and dismounted. Aera placed the flowers on the grave, and sat there, the wind still blowing wildly.
Tears started to stream down her face. Out of all the things her father has been through, all the obstacles and dangers, Aera thought he could survive and live through anything. Deep down she knew it was not true, but she never really though one day he would not be there, and now that he isn't, Aera felt she was dying too.
After a few minutes, Aera wiped away her tears, blew a kiss to her fathers grave, stood up and turned toward her horse. Aera was startled when she saw D sitting on his horse, next to hers. "How long have you been there?" Aera asked partly embarrassed. "I followed you." D replied. "Why?" Aera asked. "To make sure the villagers did not give you any problems….." D answered. "Why would they do that?" Aera asked. "I think we should leave now….." D stated, as villagers walked in and crowded around D and Aera, who was now on her horse.
Aera looked down at all the people, most of them looking angry, some crying, others confused. In all the familiar faces, Aera noticed the sheriff and the mayor. "Whats wrong McCarthy?" Aera asked the mayor looking alarmed. "You killed half of our families that's what!" screamed an angry man from the crowd, everyone agreeing with him. "I DID WHAT?" Aera asked not being able to believe these people would say such things.
"Aera, about 30 people were attacked by a vampire last night. They were drained of almost all their blood, and transformed to undead slaves, leaving their families and disappearing…..now with your father being seen talking to a shady figure, then you showing up after almost a half a year with that shady figure……it leads us to conclusions….." The mayor said.
"you think I did that? Have you ever tried blaming the vampire?" Aera asked. "Besides…..im out here in broad daylight!" Aera yelled. "She does have a point there McCarthy….." The sheriff said with a satisfying smile on his face. "It could have been the vampire in the old castle in the woods….." The sheriff said trying to steer the crowd away from blaming the nice girl who always babysat his children. "Nonsense…..even though there is still fear of that place and its property everyone knows it has been abandon for centuries…..that's why when her father exclaimed she had been kidnapped he became the laughing stock of the whole village…..the senile old vampire hunter…..caught up in his own adventures in my opinion!" Tears of anger and sadness ran down Aera's cheeks.
The mayor's eyes then shifted to the shady figure next to Aera. He paused for a bit, staring at the man. "you…..what's your name?" He asked D looking suspiciously at him. D stayed silent. "I said what's your name?" The mayor yelled, pulling his pistol out of the holster and shooting it into the air. " D!" Aera yelled in fear that the mayor would shoot him. At the sound of the gunfire, the horse Aera sat on reared up on its hind legs knocking Aera off, and running away.
Aera sat there in a little bit of pain, and shock. A few seconds later, Aera found D holding his hand out to help her up. he had dismounted his horse, which had not been spooked by the loud gunfire.
"You're the vampire hunter D." The mayor said so everyone could here. "The dhampir!" another person shouted. everyone was now shouting. The mayor fired another bullet into the air. Everyone fell silent. "So it was you then. Vampires and dhampirs alike cannot be trusted!" the mayor yelled.
"D didn't do it! He was with me the whole night!" Aera yelled in anger. "Im sure he was! And all the other nights you have been missing! Look at her stomach! She's pregnant!" another yelled pointing at Aera's stomach.
Aera looked down, the red coat was open, and although the tank top she had on was loose, it did not cover up the fact that she was with child. Aera closed her coat, with embarrassment, not as much toward the people, as to D. They had assumed he was the father of her child.
The crowd was wild now. they were al ready to attack the two standing in front of them when another gunfire went off, this time the sheriffs. Everyone fell silent again. The sheriff stepped forward. "The town has a law against creatures like you dhampir." The sheriff said looking at him. "Aera…..is the child carrying a dhampir?" The sheriff asked. Aera looked up at D, who looked back at her. She noticed his right hand raised a little bit, getting ready to pull for his sword if necessary. He nodded to her. "…..yes….." She said, more tears running down her face.
The crowd surprisingly stayed silent. They were all curious as to see what was going to happen next. "She must be banished! It's the law sheriff!" The mayor said. "I'm sorry Aera…..by law, you must leave our village…..and by law, you hunter D, are under arrest." The sheriff said. "What? What did he do?" Aera cried. " He turned our families into zombies!" screamed a woman in the crowd. Everyone agreed with loud cheers. "Are you going to come quietly?" asked the sheriff, yelling over all the shouts of "stick a stake through his heart!" and "Kill them both!"
"Take him and his lover!" another one screamed. "HES NOT MY……" Aera was cut off, as D mounted his horse, and swooped her off her feet, placing her in front of him on the already racing horse. "stay down…." D told her, as the men from a distance still shot at them.
They quickly road back to Aera's house. "get what you need, hurry." S commanded. Aera jumped off the horse, as did D. Aera ran into the house, grabbing all of her fathers weapons which were stored in a loose floorboard in the kitchen. She ran up to his room, and found one of his weapon belts, strapping it on herself. She ran back down the stares taking all of the weapons and attaching them to the belt. She then ran to her family room where she took a picture of her whole family.
D stood waiting at the door. "lets go." D replied. They both got back onto his horse, and rode to the woods. "I'm so sorry D….." Aera said as they went. She was truly embarrassed, and D could tell with out a doubt. "You have nothing to be sorry for." D replied. "Its not your fault for any of this." D added. There was a pause. "Didn't any of those things the people said hurt or offend you?" She asked. There was another pause. "…..no….."
It was about 6:00 when D stopped. They had been traveling in the woods for about 4 hours now. D dismounted, and helped Aera off the horse. He let the horse drink out of the little brook that ran through. "Where are we going?" Aera asked D, sitting at the stump of a tree. "mothers brother….. does he live around here?" D asked. "he lives in Seener Village…..but that's an hour that way…..to get to the road I mean…..from there it's a week's ride, and that's without stopping for rest." Aera said. "and the mayor, the sheriff and anyone they could gather is probably on their way there right now….." Aera said. "I know a faster way." D exclaimed. "You do?" asked Aera. "it will take 2 days." He said. "D…..why are you still helping me?" Aera asked. "Your father paid me to slay the vampire, and assure your safety….." D answered. "D…..when someone pays a vampire hunter, they pay half then, and the other half when they have completed their task…..and you know I don't have the rest of the money…..my father had it all stored away in a bank……so why are you still helping me?" Aera asked.
"Your father paid the whole amount." D said unsheathing his sword and inspecting it. "well why on earth would he do that?" Aera asked thinking her father in fact had gone crazy. D turned and looked at her. Aera's eyes darted down to the ground, where she started to blush. "Perhaps your father knew he was going to die……and that's why he also sought out another hunter."
"I guess…..that makes sense…..maybe……my head hurts……" Aera said rubbing it. "Then don't think…..come on……we still have a long journey."
The two rode on. It was about midnight when Aera started to fall asleep, leaning against D's back, her arms still wrapped around his waist. The horse was at a steady pace walking now, so she was able to keep her balance.
So we get to that kids house…..and then the villagers find us…..then what? Don't forget buddy, you need to go back and kill that vampire!" D's left hand said. be quiet…..you'll wake the girl." D said. "aaw how cute…..she's sleeping on you…..you better be careful…..you know how attached human's get……especial the female one's." the voice exclaimed. "the only thing attached to me right now is a parasite that does not know how to keep quiet." D said calmly. "oh that hurt, that really hurt. I have been a good parasite, always helping you…..i saved your life! And im only known to you as an attachment…..im hurt
Just then a high pitch squeak came from the back of the horse, as Aera fell off, or was startled and attempted to jump back falling off the end. "now look what you've done." D said in a monotone voice to the left hand. D stopped the horse and climbed off, walking over to Aera.
"W…..what is that thing?" Aera asked looking at D's left hand. D clenched his left fist, quiet mumbles could be heard. "…..its a parasite." D simply said. "My mother never told me about this." Aera said. "That's because your mother never knew….." D said.
Aera crawled up to D, and looked at his left fist. D slowly unclenched his fist, revealing the face. "So keep it a secret!" the face said to her, causing Aera to jump back a little. "You go that?" The face stated more than asked. Aera shook her head quickly and nervously. "you can go away now." D said to his hand. "Sheesh I know when I'm not wanted…..you ask me he got up on the wrong side of your couch this morning!" Aera giggled. It amused her how that parasite was able to talk to D in a jokingly sarcastic tone like that. The face disappeared, leaving D's hand completely normal looking.
D helped Aera up and back onto the horse. She slowly fell asleep once more as D rode on.