Chapter Seven: Weaknesses
It was a tense standoff. For a few moments, D, Dirk, and Belladonna found themselves facing the worst the village had to offer; half listening when the village elder jeered at them from his unicycle.
"The Barbaroi are skilled warriors! You'll be hard put to escape with your very lives, dunpeals!" the elder crowed, as D mentally took a tally of the weapons they all carried. Dirk had Marvin in one hand, and a dagger in the other, and he himself had his own longsword held at ready...That only left Belladonna unarmed.
"Belladonna, you do have a weapon, don't you?" D asked, quietly; very concerned for her safety, at this point. The girl again smiled.
"Sure do! Just waitin' for the right moment, that's all." Belladonna replied, her answer taking the more experienced Vampire Hunter off his guard a little bit.
"What better time than now, 'Donna?" Dirk whispered, restraining himself from snarling at the creatures that were closing in.
"You'll see." Belladonna chirped, surprisingly calm, despite the circumstances. And then, seconds later, all hell broke loose. Something that looked almost like a ghost started ripping through the 'village' square; destroying whatever was unlucky enough to be in its' path.
"What the devil is that?.!.?" the village elder yelped, as the being flew into sight. It was just the distraction Belladonna had been waiting for.
"Now!" Belladonna shouted, as she leaped up, unholstered what appeared to be twin tri-barreled handguns, and fired them expertly into the now-panicking monsters.
"Dad..." Dirk muttered, as he watched Belladonna fight.
"Yes, son?" D responded.
"Remind me not to get on her bad side, okay?" Dirk said, looking just a tad bit queasy at the sight of what Belladonna's guns were doing to the mutants. D managed a smirk, and shook his head.
"I'll try." D muttered, hiding his expression at Dirk's expense as he got back onto his horse, and motioned for him to do the same.
"The carriage is getting away!" Belladonna shouted, as she pointed out the quickly disappearing vehicle.
"On it!" Dirk replied, as he urged Burdock into a fast gallop that left even D's mount in the dust.
"I think I am inclined to agree with you. My son has, in fact, lost his mind." D thought, his expression deadpanning as he watched the younger Hunter go.
"I told you so!" Left's irate voice snapped back.
"Your apprentice is quite the courageous one, I see." the village elder stated, as D prepared to take off after the younger Hunter.
"I think the jury is still out on that one...though I am inclined to believe that insanity might be what it'll come back with." D muttered, resisting the urge to slap a hand to his face when Belladonna took off too; bringing up the rear in Dirk's hot pursuit.
"Insanity for you? Or for the lad and lass?" the elder again asked, with amusement clearly written on his weathered features.
"All of the above." D grumbled, as he put the spurs to his horse's flanks, and took off after the two youths. He therefore probably didn't hear the elder's parting remark over the noise of dying mutants, or the explosions going off in the background.
"I've got to hand it to you, Vampire Hunter, I admire your grit. Not only are you in the most dangerous trade the world has to offer, but you are trying to be a teacher and a father at the same time. Not an easy feat, I know that for a fact." the old leader said, as something almost akin to human sympathy for the disappearing Hunter appeared on his aged face, and then disappeared almost as quickly. It wasn't his place to have feelings like that for his enemies, and he had more to contend with at that moment.
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Days later, D found himself reunited with his son and Belladonna, once again. Dirk flinched as another appraising glare was directed at him. D was astride Belladonna's horse, just behind her, since his own horse had been killed in the pursuit of Meier Link's carriage.
"I said I'm sorry, Dad." Dirk mumbled, getting almost a growl in response to that.
"Sorry doesn't cut it. That was the most foolish thing I have ever seen you do!" D muttered, angrily, giving Belladonna a scathing look as well before continuing, "And you, Miss Collins, what the hell possessed you to follow us, anyway?"
"Curiosity, mainly. I wanted to find out just how difficult Vampire Hunting can be, that's all." Belladonna replied, surprised when both D and Left muttered something about it 'not being a hobby' under their breaths.
"Okay, okay, we're both sorry, D. But I can't go home now, since I've come so far already." Belladonna said, as the dunpeal behind her sighed in exasperation.
"Just as hardheaded as her ancestor..." Left mentally grumbled, and D was inclined to agree. Finally, after crossing a long stretch of desert, they arrived in a town.
"There's a stable at the end of the block. I'm going to see about getting a new horse there. I want you two to stay out of trouble until then." D said, his irritation showing a little more freely than Dirk was used to.
"Will do. C'mon 'Donna. Let's go and get something to eat. I don't know about you, but I'm starving." Dirk stated, as he dismounted, and led Burdock to a hitching post.
"Okay..." Belladonna agreed, as a troubling thought crossed her mind, "Was it just me, or did D's temperature seem a little bit higher than normal?" Once inside of the establishment (that of which happened to be half-bar and half-restaurant) Dirk breathed a sigh of relief when a blast of cool air hit him upon entering.
"Hello you two. What can I getcha?" a waitress asked, when the pair had taken a seat near the door.
"A sandwich and a glass of water, please." Dirk replied, politely.
"Same for me!" Belladonna chirped, trying to put aside her unease, for the moment.
"It'll be ready in no time!" the waitress said, cheerily, as she rushed off to get their order.
"Well, well. Look what the wind blew in." another woman's voice purred. Startled, Dirk looked up, and saw that the only female member of the Markus Clan was standing there, smirking at them.
"Um...Hello...How's your shoulder? Is it doing all right?" Dirk asked. Leila's expression bordered on disbelief (that he would ask about her) and skepticism (whether she believed he was being honest in his concern for her or not).
"It's...fine." Leila responded, getting a sigh of relief from Dirk for that (much to her confusion).
"Good to hear." Dirk said, blushing slightly when he remembered what he'd had to do in order to bandage her wound. Leila almost snickered at the young Hunter's expense.
"Despite his own mixed blood, he's almost endearing...Almost." Leila mused, watching through the window as the sheriff and his posse rushed in the direction D had gone; their intent very obvious. This did not go unnoticed by the pair sitting there, as worry appeared in Dirk's eyes for his father.
"Be seein' ya, kids." Leila said, silkily, as she left them, and started following the posse to where a confrontation was about to begin.
"That bitch! She snitched on D!" Belladonna hissed, barely containing her wrath at this.
"Stay calm, 'Donna. We won't do ourselves or my dad any good if you get upset in here. Trust me on this one." Dirk whispered, also resisting the urge to go help his sire out of his predicament. They both knew, now, just how precarious their own situation now was. As calmly as they dared, they ate their meal as quickly as they could, put what water they didn't drink into their canteens, paid the bill, and raced to their horses. Burdock snorted when he sensed his master's unease, and started galloping before Dirk's heels could even touch his flanks.
"It's amazing how much that horse seems to understand just what Dirk wants of him." Belladonna thought, wonderingly, as they raced to the stable.
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D listened as the elderly owner of the horse he'd just purchased argued his case. He remembered only too well what had happened, all those years ago, when he'd risked his life to return the children to their families.
"I had barely made it to the next town. The doctor there had had a difficult time putting me back together...the wounds from both the vampire and this town had been so severe." D sourly thought, not allowing any emotion to emerge on his face, until he caught a glimpse of Dirk and Belladonna hovering outside near the entrance. He could almost feel their worry from where he stood.
"You've got to hand to them, D. Those two truly care about you." Left mentally muttered, having sensed the strength of the pair's feelings as well. D stifled the urge to sigh.
"Yes. But where will it lead them, I wonder?" D silently replied, watching as the old man revealed a huge gun from under his work bench, and pointed it at the sheriff.
"Get on your horse, stranger." the old man ordered, quietly, as he leveled the gun at the sheriff's chest.
"Thank you." D murmured, after he'd mounted.
"No, I should be thanking you for what you did for me." the old man stated, then continued, when the men before him gasped, "That's right! I was one of those kids! I always regretted the way that you'd been treated after that. How, instead of thanking you, we rewarded you with bigotry." Deep within D's steel-grey eyes, something stirred within him; almost a look of warmth, and Dirk could sense that the words had moved his father, even if it didn't show outwardly.
"So...it's true what they say...Dunpeals don't age..." the old man stated, off-handedly. D only nodded slightly in response. It was then the old man turned his gaze to the two youths that waited beyond the doorway, and smiled slightly.
"The lad bears an uncanny resemblance to you...and I'm sure he's as fine a Hunter as you are." the old man remarked, getting an odd glance from D.
"Not yet...But maybe someday he will be...If and only if he doesn't try anymore stupid stunts." D commented, dryly, as he spurred his new mount into motion and rode past the men; heading for the waiting pair.
"Let's go. The longer we linger here, the colder the trail gets." D stated, as he led the way down the path leading away from the town.
"We're right behind you, Dad." Dirk said, in a tone that told his sire that there would be no more foolishness on his part.
"Lead the way, and we'll follow." Belladonna murmured, shoving her own misgivings to the side as she did just that. The people of the town could only watch as the three riders disappeared down the trail.
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Charlotte looked longingly outside at the sunshine as she waited for Mashira and Caroline to finish watering and feeding the horses. Meier was resting within his coffin beside her chair, waiting for nightfall.
"Do you wish to go outside, Charlotte?" Meier's voice asked, from within the casket itself. Charlotte started a little at the sudden break in the silence, then shyly nodded; feeling like a little girl, all over again, in just that one moment.
"Then go right ahead, then. It might be the last time you have the chance to." Meier encouraged, then added, "I wish I could go out with you."
"I wish you could, too, my love." Charlotte sighed, noticing the sadness in Meier's voice, and wishing she could ease that intangible pain. With that thought in mind, Charlotte grabbed Meier's cloak, and wrapped it around herself.
"At least I can take this small piece of him with me." Charlotte thought, as she reached out for the door-latch, and opened the door.
"Master? What is it? Can I help you sir?" Mashira asked, when he'd noticed the door opening, and almost panicked when Charlotte started to emerge from within (still thinking that it was Meier coming outside, and almost having a heart-attack in response)
"It's still light outside, Master!" Mashira yelped, then gaped at the cloaked figure when it didn't burst into flames, "What?.!"
"Leave her alone, Mashira." Meier's voice said, from inside the carriage.
"Yes sir." Mashira replied, quietly; his relief very easily seen and heard.
"She misses the sunlight, let her enjoy it." Meier stated, tiredly, as he closed the door after Charlotte to prevent any of the sun's light from getting in.
"There's some old benches over in that direction, Miss Elbourne, if you want to sit down. It'll be a little while yet before we're ready to go." Caroline offered.
"Thank you." Charlotte replied, with a gentle smile, as she went to do just that.
"Sweet kid, that. I hope they make it to wherever they're going. I really do." Caroline murmured, as she watched the girl carefully make her way over to where the benches were situated.
"As do I...Well, at any rate, we have work to do." Mashira said, as he started putting the tack back onto the horses. Caroline nodded.
"Right. Let's get this done as soon as possible. Since Benge hasn't returned, we must assume that the Hunters aren't too far behind." Caroline agreed, as she got down off of her perch on the carriage, and started helping Mashira get the horses harnessed and reattached.
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Dirk and Belladonna both paused when D motioned for them to stop.
"What's up?" Belladonna asked, whispering since they knew the carriage wasn't too far away.
"The girl is just over there." D stated, as he pointed out the young woman to them. Lo and behold, there she sat, gazing sadly at the sun-filled skies.
"You're right! There she is! But why would the vampire just let her out like this?" Dirk questioned, confusedly.
"He must trust her to return." D murmured, as he walked forward, and waited for the girl to notice that he was there. It didn't take long for that to happen; almost immediately she looked up, and then fearfully got to her feet and started backing away.
"I am D, a Hunter, and these are my apprentices, Dirk Lang and Belladonna Collins. Don't be afraid, we will not harm you." D quietly assured her, as Belladonna and Dirk showed themselves to her as well.
"Miss, you sit in the sun, so you haven't been changed yet!" Dirk said, voicing his earlier confusion.
"And yet, you called out for him that night, in the carriage. Why?" D asked.
"I suppose my family didn't tell you that I am in love with Meier." Charlotte responded, after a few uncertain moments.
"You don't know who he is. You can't be in love with him." D quietly said, almost sounding as though he were trying to talk her out of her heart's decision.
"It's true. If only you knew how good he's been to me...I love him...Please, believe me, since no one else will." Charlotte begged; the desperate note in her voice tugging at Dirk's own heartstrings.
"You don't understand. He is what he is, Charlotte, and he'll take you in time...and when that happens, I will have to kill you." D murmured.
"Fine! Kill me then! I would rather die than go anywhere without him! Don't take me back there, I mean it! I simply could not live without Meier!" Charlotte declared, strongly.
"She means it!" Dirk thought, his blood having almost frozen in his veins when he'd heard his father tell the girl that he'd kill her if she got turned into a vampire.
"How sweet that is!" a familiar voice sneered, "She loves a vampire! So very sweet! IDIOT!" Charlotte let out a yelp when a hand connected with her face; slapping her hard enough to knock her down.
"Stupid girl! Get up, we're going!" Leila demanded.
"Leave me alone!" Charlotte replied, stubbornly; her hazel eyes reflecting a willful and stubborn spirit. A spirit Dirk easily recognized.
"The look in her eyes...it's almost exactly the same as the one Mother had had in her eyes when someone spoke ill of Dad!" Dirk thought, as he watched the female Hunter twist the girl's arm behind her, and hold her there.
"You'll do as I say! Do you have any idea just how many people your beloved Meier has killed?.! This vampire you want to protect?.!" Leila snapped, as she forced the girl to her feet.
"N-none!" Charlotte gasped, wincing in pain from having her arm wrenched.
"Fool!" Leila growled, then pointed her gun at the trio that stood quietly before her, "And you three! Sorry, but I really don't want to split any of my profits. You understand, don't you? It's business."
"Uh...Lady...Look up! LOOK UP!" Dirk thought, as he started to reach for his sword; unknowingly mirroring his father's movements as he did so.
"Above you." D warned, grasping his sword at the exact same instant that Leila was grabbed by Caroline's hair and forced to let go of Charlotte, and as Mashira picked up and carried her off.
"It seems we have no choice, now...Dirk, go after the girl. I'll handle things here." D ordered, getting a nod from Dirk, before the younger Hunter raced to get back to where they'd left the horses.
"What do you want me to do, D?" Belladonna asked, as she unholstered her guns, and prepared for a fight.
"Make sure he gets there, but don't go with him. It'll be safer for you, in the long run, trust me." D muttered, as he started a running battle with Caroline.
"Right, right...whatever." Belladonna grumbled, taking off after Dirk a few moments after that. D chose to ignore the last comment, as he ran into the forest that stood on one side of the lake, chasing Caroline until she merged with one of the trees, and shot off away from him up the tree's trunk. Not even a second later, D felt a crushing weight descend onto him, and force him to his knees with a groan. Pain of a fiery intensity ripped through him then, making him, out of reflex, grasp his throat and grimace.
"T-too much sun...! I warned you about the heat, but you don't listen!" Left shouted, when he felt how hot D's skin had become.
"Damn...of all the times it had to strike...It HAD to strike now!" Left mentally cursed, as his host gasped desperately for air, and then rolled to avoid an attack from above.
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Dirk ducked and wove his way around his attackers as he made his way to the horses. Thankfully enough, his mount, and those of his father and Belladonna were still alive.
"Burdock! To me!" Dirk shouted, getting the horse's attention immediately. With a leap, Dirk mounted, and turned about to deal with his attackers. They all consisted of more of the mutants from Barbarois that had followed Meier Link's carriage at a distance.
"Don't worry about these buggers, Dirk! Catch up with the carriage! Your dad and I will be along in a little while!" Belladonna cried, as she jumped fearlessly into the fray.
"You sure you can handle this, 'Donna?" Dirk asked, not willing to leave her in the unfair circumstances.
"Yeah! Go on!" Belladonna said, reassuring Dirk with a carefree grin.
"Okay...Just don't haunt me later, okay?" Dirk muttered, as he took off after the carriage.
"We'll see...Now, who wants to dance?" Belladonna asked, with a smirk, as she returned her full attention to the mutants standing before her. For a full minute, all was silence, and then one mutant stepped forward, squinted at her, and asked, "Say,...aren't you...?"
"Yes. I am." Belladonna replied, her grin widening as a look of panic etched itself onto the mutant's face.
"RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY! IT'S THE MUTANT KILLER OF COLLINSPORT! RUN AWAY!!!" the mutant screamed, as he turned tail and raced away from her as fast as his legs could carry him.
"Oh darn...One less target to hit...Oh well..." Belladonna muttered, before entering the fight with all the gusto she could bring (which is to say, quite a lot, actually).
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Leila coughed as she returned to her bike. She'd been knocked into the water by Caroline before D had attacked said mutant, and was only now getting her breath back as she jogged along. When she chanced a look up when she'd stopped beside her bike, she spotted D in a small cave; struggling to dig a large and deep enough hole for himself.
"Leila? Leila, do you read? Over." Borgoff's worried voice asked, over her comm-link.
"Yeah, I copy." Leila replied, getting a sigh of relief from the other end of the transmission.
"Thank God. Where are you?" Borgoff questioned.
"I'm at Lake Chiron and have just lost sight of the carriage there." Leila responded, pausing when she saw D collapse from his efforts.
"Okay. By the way, have you seen any signs of the dunpeal Hunter?" Borgoff again asked.
"No, I haven't seen him." Leila lied.
"All right. Let me know when you do. Borgoff out." Borgoff said, before his end went quiet. With silent steps, Leila approached the downed Vampire Hunter; caution giving way to almost concern when he didn't react to her presence.
"Strange..." Leila thought, as she carefully kneeled beside him, reached out, and turned him onto his back. She almost recoiled when the sticky warmth of blood coated her hands, and when he flinched at the direct contact with his wound.
"Damn, dunpeal...What'd you do to yourself?" Leila muttered, as she carefully removed some pieces of his armor, and got a good look at the wound.
"This looks to have been taken care of before...but it's broken open again...What's he doing on a hunt when he isn't even completely recovered from a previous one?" Leila mused, as she left his side to go and grab her own first aid kit. When she'd finished bandaging the wound, and had buried him up to his neck in the soil, she could only gaze at him in wonder, and shake her head.
"It looks like the tables have turned..." Leila thought aloud, as lightning flashed in the sky; heralding the storm to come...In more ways than just one.
Author's Note!
Finally! I think I am finally getting past my writer's block! I hope this was a good chapter, and that it was worth the wait!
Gemini14