"Dialogue" – speaking
Dialogue - thoughts
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Chapter 16
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There was fog. It was everywhere, swirling around in thick clouds, twirling around their feet and whisking off as soon as it was touched.
Oddly depressing, it was. Gloomy and dismal, enough to dampen anyone's high spirits. The bloody stuff hung in the streets like a plague, cold and damp, muffling any sounds nearby. Even the scurrying of a rat was now a mere patter, more like rain droplets than anything.
And speaking of rain, the weather wasn't holding up. It was back to its miserable springtime course.
Drizzle, more drizzle…
A slight pause, and then a trickle.
It was followed by spitting, the heavens scorning the people, which ended with a downpour.
An endless torrent of water that drowned out even the most resilient plants and left the mangy dogs of London scampering under unwelcome doorways with their tails between their legs. It left the cats smelling of the dogs, and worth nothing more than a simple tool. Catch the rats searching for cover…you weren't welcome back in the house until you were dry. Get used to sleeping outside, you mangy animal.
It was drizzling now….
The horrible stench of the streets rising up in wafts of steam that was pungent in her nose. The springtime rains trapped all the horrible stenches London was ashamed of. It trapped them and forced them upon the people, leaving them sick in it's wake.
This was how Meryl found herself, trailing after Vash, a half-vampire who had a heart nobler than most men.
Trotting through the swirling, thick fog coating the narrow, winding streets.
She wouldn't ask how Vash knew where Milly lived. She had only realized he was the one leading several minutes ago. Her mind was in too much of a blank for her to think straight, no less use common sense to answer any questions she might have had.
But they were all answered, albeit briefly and much to her chagrin.
Meryl was still in shock, and the full severity of her situation still hadn't managed to worm its way into her brain, which by itself was slowly shutting down. It still hadn't come upon her; her thoughts were more along the lines of how hungry she was.
Truly strange, it was.
She couldn't remember if she had had breakfast yet or not.
Carefully, Milly set the full plate of eggs and toast before the priest, and then, smiling happily, she retrieved her own and took at seat at her kitchen table opposite the man. Her kitchen had always had a nice warm and comfy feeling about it. As though there was always a fire burning somewhere in a hearth, keeping it heated on even the coldest of days.
She had always liked it like that. It was even nicer though, when someone was there to talk to. It was no fun being warm and cozy with no one to talk to.
Wolfwood had been kind enough to come over early before they decided on a time to head out for Meryl's house to question Vash further.
He was a nice man, she was certain. Even if he was a half-blood, a demon as her sempai called them, she believed him to be incredibly honest. Milly felt he could be trusted, and didn't understand why Meryl pestered him so.
The poor man. He had had it hard his entire life, and the small woman was only making it more difficult for him.
A sigh from the tall woman brought Wolfwood's gaze up from his plate, and he fixed the girl with a stare.
"Everything okay, big girl?" Eyeing her full plate, he frowned slightly. "Not hungry, are you?"
Biting her lip, Milly shook her head, picking up her fork at the man's subtle urging. She had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, the kind she only had when something bad—well not necessarily bad, but something important, was about to happen.
"I'm fine Mr. Priest. Just worried for Meryl, I suppose…" she trailed off, catching the smile from Wolfwood as he heard her nickname for him.
Skewering an egg with his fork, he arched an eyebrow at the woman. She had been acting generally out of place all morning, and he was beginning to wonder about her.
It isn't me, is it? he asked himself, pursing his lips slightly before speaking again.
"Eat up, Milly. If you're worried for Meryl, you won't be any good to her if you starve yourself." He grinned, adding with a wink. "Besides, these eggs are delicious, and this toast! Have you ever thought about taking up a chef's hat for a living? It's much better than chasing down vampires at night…"
"Wait…" Vash held up a hand, stopping in his tracks, nearly causing Meryl to walk right into him.
Instead, she halted just as quickly, her face still somewhat blank and her ears still not quite hearing. Despite this, though, she managed to give him a questioning look, a frown creasing her brow and curling her lips downward. This showed she wasn't just some other walking zombie.
"What?" the petite woman asked irritably, but her voice was only half in it, her tone displaying bored exasperation more than annoyance.
Vash didn't answer for a moment, but instead slowly turned, his aqua eyes searching for something Meryl couldn't possibly see. His red overcoat fluttered around his boots in a nonexistent breeze.
That was when she noticed it.
The incredible tension in the air. The silence, even through the thick masses of fog.
It wasn't natural.
"I…I think I'm lost…" he said finally, his brow furrowing in concentration, but his eyes didn't stray from their surroundings.
Raising an eyebrow, Meryl took a quick glance around them, coming out of her deaf haze for a moment to point out the right direction. She certainly hadn't come out from the safety of her room to be led around like some dog by a fool who didn't know his left from right. He had been doing fine with the directions only a few minutes before…
"It's that way." She stated flatly, pointing off to her right before starting off. The light drizzle was getting to her, and she was cold.
But Vash's hand shot out to catch her arm, and he spoke, his voice a low whisper. "No, wait…"
Slowly, a pair of blank smoky-grey eyes turned, scanning the area as a slight tremor ran up her spine. Something wasn't right, even someone ignorant to the world could guess that.
"What is it…?" she all but breathed, sliding from Vash's now slack grasp and turning to blink at her surroundings.
"Wait…" Was his only response, and she did just that.
Leisurely, almost languidly, figures appeared through the thick misty fog clouding the streets, strolling casually through the white swirls to confront the two.
Swallowing a lump in his throat, Vash turned, gazing into the mists. They were coming in at all sides, circling them like caged prey. He didn't like it at all.
Beside him, Meryl watched the figures as they slowly took on forms, human forms.
But maybe not all that human…
Her eyes were fixed on one of them, slightly taller than the rest, his form imposing, and strangely familiar…
Beside her, a low growl was heard from Vash's throat, and he whispered a name so vehemently, Meryl briefly wondered if she had mistaken him. Maybe he wasn't the gentle and kind man that she had known all along, but a demon like the rest of them.
"Legato!"
That name sparked some recognition in Meryl's mind, and quite suddenly, as if she was waking from a dream, her head snapped up, her eyes focused on the tall figure stepping through the mist.
Golden eyes.
Another tremor found it's way down her spine, and she felt her muscles tense, getting ready for that split-second decision on whether to stay and fight or run until she couldn't breath any longer.
"Ahh…Vash, how nice to see you again." Was the reply through the fog, and Legato stepped out into the open, his form much clearer and his cold, yellow eyes focused only on Meryl, even though he was speaking the to half-blood.
Staying silent, the petite woman shied away from those eyes, instead focusing her attention on Vash, who stood stiff as a board beside her.
"What do you want, Legato?" the blonde demanded, his eyes narrowing. "Did Knives send you?"
Offhandedly, the blue haired man shrugged. "Whoever else, Vash? Every vampire in London has been sent by Knives, it was only a matter of time before we found her again." He smirked then, averting his eyes from Meryl to fix his dead stare on the half-blood. "Tell me, Vash…I don't quite understand. Why ever did you take the girl outside? She would have been much safer in her own house."
Taking a step towards Meryl as the circle seemed to close in on them, striding forward into clearer view from the wafting fog, he answered with a growl, almost like some feral animal.
"That is none of you're concern, Legato. Take them and leave now, and no harm will come to any of you."
Legato seemed to contemplate his words a moment, casting his eyes over the vampires under his command. Then, he shook his head in a sign of dismissal. Vash should have known better. Pure bloods were too foolish for their own good.
"Just think about it, Vash. Just for a moment, realize that every vampire in London is searching day and night for the beauty beside you. Knives is offering an almost unlimited award to the one who brings her to him alive, unharmed, before the mark begins to take effect…Think of all the possibilities if you were the one to take her in, to hand her over to Knives. My master would be very pleased, indeed, Vash. Who knows, he may even accept you back as who you rightfully are—"
"Enough!" Vash's angered voice interrupted the man, and Meryl started somewhat, not quite certain she had heard his voice so harsh before. But…she couldn't help wonder what Legato was saying. Goodness knows only half of it made sense to her.
She was glad, however, the half-blood would stay true, even when such a tempting reward was being waved under his nose.
Her thoughts were cut off, however, when the tense scene before her suddenly took a hostile turn, definitely for the worst, and Legato suddenly had a gun aimed at him, its holder none other than Vash himself.
"I have told you once, and I'll only say it once more!" the blonde's voice started, clear but wavering slightly. "I wont have you endangering the lives of others, no matter what orders Knives has given you! Now, back off!"
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As Milly stood at her kitchen sink, depositing dishes into the large tub, her mind was set racing, as it seemed to do nowadays. Ever since Meryl had come to her asking for help in finding that odd man, Mr. Vash. She hadn't been able to make sense of what the small woman had been asking her at first. Something about a feeling, and then she had showed her that…what had it been?
A mark?
Had it been a mark?
Frowning, Milly dumped the last of her dishes in the sink and turned the water on, her hands wandering absently for a dishtowel.
A sort of warning sign was going off in her head, and she suddenly found it quite hard to ignore. It was telling her everything she had forgotten over the past week. She had been too caught up in the events, Mr. Vash, Sempai having been injured and their discussions with the half-blood over Knives. This mysterious Knives…
And then, it all came crashing back down to her.
The mark…the mark had been bleeding.
It had been red and swollen, as though cut in with a knife…
That was right…but Meryl had insisted she hadn't been the one to do it.
She hadn't been the one to mark herself with a K.
Dishtowel and dish alike slid back into the sink with a slight splash and muffled thunk.
Why hadn't she paid more attention to Meryl? Why hadn't she questioned her further, why had she forgotten about it? How could she forget something so significant?? A 'K' on the back of Meryl neck? It all made sense to her now…well almost. It almost made sense to her. She wasn't as dull as she seemed. Milly was sure she was right on this one.
Why would Lord Knives Saverem mark Sempai with a K, when she hasn't even met the man before?
Milly stood motionless for a few moments, her hands poised over the sink, the water still running, until a familiar voice interrupted her.
"Honey, are we almost ready to head out? You can leave the dishes till later, you know. I'll help you with them once we're done at Meryl's."
Milly didn't turn, but reached back into the steaming water to retrieve her washcloth, the wheels in her mind turning rapidly with her new discovery. Slowly then, she spoke, ignoring the priest's earlier words.
"Nicholas…what it the significance of a marking made by a vampire. One on the neck, besides the initial bite…like a letter? A letter on the back of your neck? What does it mean?" her voice was somewhat frantic, and she listened as Wolfwood seemed to shift nervously behind her.
"Why do you ask that, Milly?" for once, his voice was completely serious.
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Vash's words seemed to crumble what little of the surrounding vampire's resolve had been present, and doubled with the gun pointed at their leader, the bloodsuckers literally went mad.
Meryl had always known they were weak in their sense, simply barbaric monsters, but as the first one advanced on her with teeth bared, her presumptions were rethought quite quickly. Now, they were bloodthirsty savages with little attached to the words moral ethics and a fair fight, no less the idea that their leader might want important hostages alive instead of speared through by a couple fangs and left rotting on the street until they turned.
Unfortunately, Meryl's reflexes weren't up to normal standards today, and she found herself merely staring at the things, the things advancing on her.
The first one to reach her face however, was blasted away by a single shot, and Meryl suddenly found herself yanked backwards by the hood of her cloak before yet another bloodsucker was sent to the ground, writhing like a worm. Under normal circumstances, she supposed she would have found the sight either pleasantly vengeful or revoltingly disgusting, but as the person behind her seemed quite intent on choking her with her own clothes, the petite woman couldn't get anything out of it.
"Stop struggling, shorty!" A voice she recognized a Vash's said in her ear, and she calmed immediately while being dragged yet further from the angered vampires.
When had he moved? She hadn't seen him get behind her!
"Yes, well maybe if you wouldn't try strangling me with my own cloak I wouldn't have to!" she retorted hotly. "Anyhow, I don't think I trust you at my back enough to have you behind me, or dragging me!" Forcefully, she ripped herself from his hands, and whirled around to face him, another biting snap hot on her lips.
The petite woman wasn't expecting, however, to come face to face with a gun, and it was enough to shut her up for the time being.
Vash's face seemed slightly paler than usual, almost painfully dark circles ringing his eyes, which weren't up to their usual vigour or sparkle. The gun in her face perhaps was part of his present pallor, but the sight of her wide eye and slightly open mouth seemed to snap him out of his deathly stupor. His next words dashed Meryl's resent fears, and she obeyed him without question.
"Down!" Even as he said it, his hand came down upon her head, forcing her to lower her head, and seconds later; he fired one shot into the oncoming vampire. It fell to the ground at Meryl's feet, injured but certainly not dead. Vash never killed on purpose.
And then, he was dragging Meryl around from her half stunned state, and pushing her before him, once again with a command.
"Go! Ahead of me! You know the way to Milly's, so don't keep her waiting!"
This time however, Meryl turned with a reply, her face stormy even as she glimpsed the incoming daywalkers through the foggy streets. Angrily, she narrowed her eyes at the half-blooded blonde.
"Think again, you overgrown broom head!" Flinging her cloak back, she pulled out a derringer, one loaded with silver. "If you actually believe you can order me around you better reconsider. You have all the answers I need, and I'm, not about to let you get away with them! Now, hurry up before I loose my patience and start shooting these things!" even as the words left her mouth, Meryl knew it was cruel, but how was she supposed to make the stubborn man move if not with a threat?
Vash's eyes narrowed, and it seemed, even with that action, what little humanity he clung to dissipated. His beautiful aqua eyes were that of a dead man.
"Fine." He stated harshly, and whirled past the petite woman without another word, his large, silvery gun clutched firmly in his hand.
Meryl joined him, running in step beside him, leading them to Milly's house, where she had always known a place to seek refuge from the world. This time, however, she wondered if it was such a smart idea…
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--Cayenne Pepper Powder