Disclaimer: I am not the creator of the following Charactors. D and The parasite on his hand was created by Novelist Hideyuki Kikuchi. I owe this story to my mother and the Lord.

6

The two travel in silence for the first hour, Marianna in front riding side saddle and D in back to protect her. D kept a light steady pace, the last couple of days had been so rough. However he couldn't help but wonder if he should go faster. D saw Delron fall but he didn't see him die. Though he didn't want to believe it he knew that Delron was not that easy to kill. They would see each other again, but D hoped it would be a while before they do.

"So did my parents send you?" Marianna asked.

"Your father did."

"What about my mother?"

D stopped the horse and looked away unsure of how to tell her. With a heavy sigh he answered,"Your mother died fighting Delron. From what I was told she fought bravely but Delron's power was to much for her and she died. I'm sorry."

There was a moment of silence then Marianna began to cry. As her light sobs became harder, buring her face in his chest, surprising D. He hesitently placed an arm over her to comfort her. Holding Marianna brought back memories of Doris. Doris was a young woman he met when he was hired to kill Count Magnus Lee. Doris fell in love with D but he remained distant. He came by every so often to see Doris and her brother Dan after completing the mission. Doris and Dan became more than friends they became like a second family. Eventually as all humans do they grew old and died but that did not stop D from visiting them when he came by their village. Marianna stopped crying after 5 minutes then lightened up. After making sure she was alright D pressed on.

After a long ride of silence Marianna asked "How do you deal with it?"

"Deal with what?" D countered.

"The death you see and hear. The death that people tell you when they hire you, the death you see when you go after those you hunt. How?" She asked raising her voice. Marianna heard tales from her father about being a vampire hunter and the sadness that came with it. She did not fully understand why until now and wanted to know D and her father dealt with this pain.

"I don't dwell on it much." D replied softly. "I just listen enough to find my opponents weakness."

"It seems like a sad life." She said in toneless voice.

"It is."

Marianna looked at D with sorrow. This man was what her father once was and because of her mother he changed. She wondered if D ever let any one in and if so he didn't show it. However Marianna could sense that there was something D held in his heart that almost made him change. Whatever it was she felt it when he comforted her but she couldn't tell what it was.

As night began to creep in D stopped to rest for the night. D built a fire to cook food from a pouch on his horse. As the two ate Marianna asked,"What made you become a vampire hunter?"

D looked at her surprised at the question. "Why do you ask?"

"Well your a Vampeal so you have the choice to live as human or Vampire. So why a hunter."

D looked at the fire and sighed, "Vampires of this age have become corrupt with power. The nobility they had became a thing of the past and so I took it upon myself to send them back to the darkness from whence they came."

Marianna looked at D with astonishment. After dinner Marianna laid next to the fire and began to sleep. D kept a close eye on Marianna as she slept. Looking at Marianna D saw her red hair and lips glowed with fire in front of her making an enachanted scene.

"D, you usually don't think of Doris outside her village. Is there a reason you thought of her today?"

"No." D replied coldly

"I think there is. I think you like her and why not after all she is very pretty plus she is a Vampeal."

"Enough. I don't wish to talk about this." D said sternly.

"Why do have feelings and deny them?" the parasite called. "After all feelings are what guide people."

D sat in silence not knowing the answer.

"Ah need to think, eh. Just remember what Murphy said." And with that the parasite became silent.

D looked over to see Marianna shivering in the cold. Standing up he walked over and put his cloak around her. Hearing a rustle D looks up to find a werewolf launching himself from a tree. D pulls out his sword but is too late. The werewolf knocks the blade out of his hand and claws D's chest. Cluching his wound D see's that the werewolf is eight feet tall with pure black fur sharp snarling fangs and piercing red eyes filled with hunger and rage.