Voices in the Night
Chapter 4
Vampire Hunter D fan fic
D heard the scream too. He had his sword strapped to his back and was out the door in one minute flat. He ran silently down the stairs and out the main doors of the tavern to the street in front when he smelled them. He reached up with his right hand and un-sheathed his sword as he stopped. He stood waiting for the attack. In front of him 2 figures stood in the shadows. One was holding a body and D knew it was Henry the stable boy. It had his scent. One of the figures stepped out of the shadows into the moonlight. She was a vampire. She was tall and slim with a black vest covering a crimson poet's shirt and black form hugging leggings with knee high heeled boots and hair that hung down her back in a low pony tail. It was almost as black as D's. She carried no weapons though. Her blood red lips parted to reveal her fangs as she began to speak.
"Well now, who do we have her Crash?"
(Hehe, Crash…what a name.) D's left hand said loud enough for only him to take notice.
Crash was holding Henry as he stepped into the moonlit street. He didn't smell like a vampire or a human, but a shape shifter. They had a different smell in their blood. Right now he looked like a farm hand. He was barefoot, no shirt and dirty trousers. He had red hair that was a mess. D couldn't make out an eye color. Who ever he took the shape of must have had no eyes.
"Looks like we have us here a hunter Twyla." He snickered.
"So you must be the Hunter D. My name is Twyla and I am the leader of the DeWinters assassination group." She said as she curtsied to D.
The commotion had finally reached the mayor because he was running up behind then in his night shirt and boots followed closely by the sheriff and the taverns owner. They stopped dead in their tracks when Twyla had turned and faced them. She giggled to herself at the sight of grown men shaking in their boots literally.
"Mayor, I am here to tell you remove this bounty. You have until dawn to do so. If you choose not to young Henry here will become a servant in the house of DeWinter for all eternity."
The mayor stood defiantly as he glanced back at D and saw him shake his head ever so slightly.
"I will not Twyla. D was hired to dispose of you and them for hurting my Crystal." He said as he stood there waiting for her to strike him down.
Crystal watched from her shadow hiding place. She couldn't believe what she just heard. He still convinced himself that she was dead and blamed her mother. She could feel her anger reaching its boiling point. She tried hard to control it but in doing so her breathing increased just slightly. She saw D out of the corner of her eye, he was standing there looking like and angel of death ready to deal his hand and he was glaring in her direction. Oh crap! He knows I am here! She thought to herself. I have to calm myself.
The vampire's wrath on the mayor never came; instead she turned to face D laughing. D's eyes looked to Twyla once more.
"Well Mayor, I hope that your hunter here had plans to save your sorry little town because now he is going to have to. By the way Mayor, it wasn't Countess DeWinter who did anything to your daughter."
The sheriff gave the mayor a sideways glance but said nothing.
Crash started laughing and took the shape of D's horse with Henry on his back. D raised his sword slightly. Its magnificent blade caught the moonlight.
"Oh aren't we the feisty one. Do you plan on killing me hunter?" Twyla asked as she crouched into a fighting stance.
"I do" D replied calmly.
"Well then let's do this then hunter."
Her hands became long metal claws. She growled as she bared her fangs. The townsfolk that were watching the spectacle from their homes shut the windows and the mayor and barkeep ran to the stables. The sheriff knowing she wouldn't hurt him walked over and stood on the butchers' porch. He watched as D and Twyla stood facing each other posed for battle.
"Oh no" Crystal said as she climbed on the roof of the butchers store being sure to remain in the shadows of the trees. "He might need my help, Pearl has to be around here somewhere." She said quietly.
D waited for Twyla to make the first move. She seemed familiar to him though he was unsure as to why. He didn't have to wait long. She lunged at him claws extended growling as he caught a glitter of her fangs in the moonlight. D leaped into the air and spun to keep an eye on his target as his cloak billowed out around him like wings. He landed gracefully dropping the tip of his sword to his boot as she came at him again. Taking a swipe at his left hip she leaped for him. He brought the tip of his sword up and parried the attack. Taking a step back he took a diagonal swipe. He hit his target but he didn't cut her clean through like he intended to do. She landed next to where D's horse stood. Well, where Crash stood. He did cut her from hip to shoulder. He dropped the tip of his sword back down to his boot and prepared for her next move. She stood glaring at him. Her wound had already begun to heal as she walked towards him. There was a rustle of leaves that caught his attention but only for a moment. It was all she needed. She took advantage of this and lunged at him again this time taking a swipe at his right shoulder and taking a chunk of flesh with her. He didn't get his blade up in quick enough.
Pain shot from his shoulder down his arm and back again. He furrowed his brow slightly at this not wanting is opponent to think they have gained the upper hand. She had got him good. He heard as gasp from the roof of the butchers place. He knew that person was still watching him. Twyla glared at D once more.
"You're better than I thought, another night D. I will come back for you." She clicked her tongue and Crash galloped towards her. She reached up gripped the saddle and vaulted onboard. He reached in his cloak with his left hand and hurled a wooden stake in her direction. He listened quietly when he heard it make contact with something. But it wasn't flesh it connected with.
He painfully re-sheathed his sword as the mayor and barkeep ran towards him. Their eyes widened when they saw D's shoulder. It hurt him and he was losing blood. But he didn't show an ounce of pain on his face.
"Do you need a doctor?" the Mayor asked.
"No" D's words came quiet and undaunted. "Go home; I will take care of them." He began to walk away.
"D, go clean up first. They won't be back tonight."
D stopped and thought a moment. He did need to clean up.
"Mayor, how many assassins did you say there are?"
"We usually only see 4; but there has been rumors of 5."
"Thank you" D said in almost a whisper. He started back to the tavern with the barkeep on his heels.
"You will save Henry right?" the barman asked nervously.
D stopped but he didn't turn around. "I will try." He replied.
It mush have been all he needed to hear because he didn't press it any further. D walked up the stairs and headed back to his room to clean up. He was feeling weaker. He lost a lot of blood.
Outside the sheriff stayed on the porch as the mayor headed back home. He was impressed with D's skills with that massive sword. He honestly couldn't see how one could wield it with its immense size but he witnessed him do it with amazing ease. This is going to be tougher than I thought .Pearl will help me, I know she will. HE thought to himself as he stuffed his hand in his pockets and hopped off the porch heading back to his house. Tomorrow would be his turn.
Crystal was on that same branch outside his window she was on earlier. She couldn't believe what she had seen. He was powerful no doubt and that was just a taste of what he could do. Now was as good as any to meet him and let him know what he was in for. But before she could reach out to his window she had second thoughts. She quickly retreated from her tree, and ran down the inside of the wall to the rear gates, opened them silently and started running to her cave. He would go her direction, she just knew he would. He knew he was being watched and she knew once he had cleaned up he would be head out those gates like he promised. But she didn't think he would talk to her without using his sword. She had an idea and had to get moving to make it work to her advantage. She knew he would go her because she would draw him to her, she just hoped he wouldn't resist her.