Rotten Apple
Chapter Two: Savior or Deceiver?
A long silence followed the girl's response to the dhampir's question. He could tell that she was nervous and in fear, "don't worry…I won't take you back there," he told her. D felt the girl relax and lean her head against his back. For some reason, though the feeling was foreign, D felt comfortable with her around.
They rode on for another two miles in silence before the seventeen-year-old asked, "are you a dhampir?"
Though outwardly apathetic, the Vampire Hunter could feel that familiar feeling of dread and sorrow creep back up from the depths of his soul, "yes…" he replied.
The girl took a long sigh, "I had a feeling that you were one. My friend, Daphne, told me about dhampirs many years ago. She told me that society hated them and that my differences paled in comparison to theirs," she replied.
The two continued on their journey for another hour before the dhampir decided that it was best to stop and rest. Once his female companion fell asleep next him, D could not help but look her over and watch as her breath enter and exited her chest. He began to think of Doris Lang again before becoming suspicious of the girl's parentage. The dhampir gently stroked the girl's cheek with his Left-Hand before pulling it back hastily.
"Well we finally know why she is different, congratulations," the parasite remarked with a chuckle.
D was speechless by what he discovered, "I didn't know…" he told the parasite.
"Well you can't change it now," Left Hand told him.
The hunter continued to watch over his young companion until she awoken several hours later. Rosalia stretched before staring at the half-vampire with a small smile, "good morning," she told him. He nodded in response.
"So, what town are you taking me to?" she asked.
"We are going to Ransylva and after that I'll take you to Krauhausen," he told her.
"oh…ok," she told him.
He looked at her and for a split second she thought that she seen a gleam of emotion cross his face. She turned to his cyborg horse, "should we be going?"
The Vampire Hunter got to his feet and packed everything away before mounting his horse and pulling the girl up behind him. They took off in a gallop down the road.
Holding onto his waist tightly, the seventeen-year-old smiled, "I don't know what it is, but I feel very comfortable with you D." she told him.
"I am glad," he responded indifferently.
"I never talked this much back at the orphanage except to my friend Daphne. She didn't care that I was different; in fact, she said that I should be proud of the fact that I wasn't like everyone else. She also told me that I possessed a beautiful soul—whatever that meant," Rosalia mentioned.
"I agree with your friend, you are special and you have a beautiful soul," D replied.
"Yeah-well I guess that I was not special enough to get adopted. After a while I got to the point where I no longer wanted to be adopted, so I quit trying to impress potential families because they always said the same thing about me—though I was very pretty and well mannered, I just had something about me that was "off" and they did not feel comfortable with it."
A tinge of sadness stung at the man's heart, even though he kept his unemotional demeanor, when he heard the girl's plight. He understood what it was like NOT to be accepted by society and it hurt him to know that his companion had to suffer with the same fate even though she looked very much like a typical human being.
After several hours, the couple arrived at the town of Ransylva, and Rosalia instantly remarked, "this town looks familiar to me."
The two continued toward the town.
XXX
D decided to take his young companion to a hotel to keep her safe until he returned from his mission.
"I want you to stay here until I return," he told her.
Panic crossed her face, "Where are you going?!"
"I have some work to do and once I return, we will begin our journey to Krauhausen. Don't worry, I will not abandon you here," he told her before handing her a few dollars to get a meal.
Though still appearing unsure, Rosalia took the money, "just promise me that you'll come back," she told him. Once, the man left to complete his mission, Rosalia entered the hotel to ask the desk clerk where the nearest restaurant was or if they had an open cafeteria. After the hotel door closed behind her, D's companion approached a petite middle-aged woman behind the counter.
"Um…excuse me," the she said politely.
Looking up, the desk clerk made direct eye contact with the dark-haired girl. Suddenly, an uncomfortable feeling began to envelope the seventeen-year-old from the woman's scrutinizing stare.
"You look familiar," remarked the clerk coldly "Are you Doris Lang's child?"
Rosalia shook her head no, "I don't know anyone by the name of Doris Lang. I-I just want to know where the nearest restaurant is or if you have an open cafeteria."
"Our cafeteria is only open to guests who are staying here, and the nearest restaurant is five blocks away," replied the woman.
"Well, thank you," Rosalia replied before turning to leave.
The clerk did not respond and returned to filing. Once, outside Rosalia began to walk down the road in search of the restaurant. It took her about twenty minutes to find the restaurant since she had to turn around and retrace her steps several times. Entering the establishment, she was met with stares for which made her feel slightly unwelcomed. Despite her feelings, the teen placed herself at a table and waited for a server.
Shortly after sitting, a waitress approached her, "What would you like to eat?" she asked.
"A ham sandwich would be ok," replied the girl.
"You look familiar. Are you related to Doris Lang?" inquired the waitress.
"Who is Doris Lang?" responded the teenager in bewilderment.
"She used to own the ranch just out of town. Many years ago, she was marked by the vampire, Count Magnus Lee; however, she was able to hire a Vampire Hunter, by the name of D, who dispatch the Count before her metamorphosis into a vampire was completed. Months after she was rescued, she gave birth to a baby girl who was believed to have either been fathered by the Count or the Vampire Hunter. Once the child aged, many of the townsfolk concluded that the child was fathered by the hunter due to her lack of dhampir characteristics. Sadly, Doris died of cancer about a year after her daughter went missing," explained the waitress.
Rosalia felt a mix of emotions before asking her, "What happened to her daughter?"
"The town believes that the little girl was either placed with a relative or placed up for adoption," responded the server before submitting Rosalia's order to the cook.
Looking around the room while waiting for her food, she could still see some of the locals staring at her and whispering amongst each other. After about ten minutes, the waitress returned with her food, "is there anything else that I can get for you?" she asked.
The dark-haired teenager shook her head before dining on her sandwich.
SEVERAL HOURS LATER:
D returned to Ransyla with the children in tow and received his payment before heading back to the hotel to get his travelling companion. To his surprise, she was waiting for him outside the hotel with an uncertain look on her face.
"Are you alright?" he asked as he pulled her onto the back of his horse and rode off.
About a mile out of the town, Rosalia finally spoke up, "D…did you know a woman by the name of Doris Lang?"
"Yes," he replied.
"Did you rescue her from a vampire?" she asked.
"Yes," he told her.
Tightness began to build in her chest, "do you think that I look like her?"
"A little bit," he replied.
The tightness in her chest got stronger before she asked, "are you my father?!"
There was a long pause before D responded, "Yes…I am."
Her eyes became wide with surprise, "you are my dad?!"
"Yes."
She tightened her grip around the young man's waist, "I wouldn't have it any other way."
A small smile crossed the dhampir's lips as the two continued on their way to Krauhausen.
TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER THREE