Vampire Hunter Abroad: Stranger in a Strange Land - A Vampire Hunter D Fanfiction

[Elf]

Chapter One: The Kinslayer

“Oh yes, going to Mars was such a good idea. Kill this vampire who’d seen you in a vision hundreds of years ago . . .”

The dhampir known as D ignored the blathering coming out of his left hand. He would have clenched his fist to silence it, but he needed both hands to steer. Warning klaxons blared out around him as red lights flashed in the edges of his vision. He looked out the wide window and gritted his teeth as he attempted to pull up on the flight stick.

Clouds, blue sky, and sunlight were flashing through the shuttlecraft’s windshield. The ship was descending too fast, and D, despite his remarkable array of skills, wasn’t a pilot. Autopilot had gone out on reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere, and D had barely managed to keep the ship from burning up.

The alarms grew louder as the ship spun towards the ground. Red light engulfed the cockpit as D attempted to pull the throttle up. “We’re going to die. Horribly. In a crash,” the parasite in D’s left hand lamented.

D let go of the stick with his right hand and grabbed the blue amulet that he always wore around his neck. The fist-sized sapphire was cool against his palm as he jerked it free of the chain. Gold links shattered and sprayed upon the floor as the gem was pressed against the navigation system beside the control panel. It began to glow and flash various characters in it. There was a shrill whistle and blue lights flickered across the control panel.

“Autopilot reengaged,” an artificial female voice chimed throughout the cockpit. The descent smoothed and instead of pitching forward towards the ground, the flight evened out. D sat back in the pilot’s chair and closed his eyes for a moment.

The same falsely cheerful voice began to go through a landing checklist as D picked up the amulet from the control panel. He eyed the blue gem and closed his fingers around it, making a note that he was going to have to replace the chain. The voice from his left hand chimed in, “Look, we’re not going to die a horrible, flaming death today.”

D rose from the pilot’s chair to watch as the ship landed on the Frontier, clenching his left hand into a tight fist.

***

“You’re just going to leave the ship here?” Left Hand asked as the unlikely duo exited the craft.

D replied, “What else am I going to do with it?”

“I don’t know. Hide it? Made sure it was someplace other than the middle of a goddamn desert.”

D clinched his fist, silencing the parasite for the moment. Desert stretched on throughout his field of vision. The air seemed to waver in the heat at the edges of his vision. Without a mount to ride all he could do was walk until he found civilization. He kept his fist clenched, not wanting a lecture about not planning things through once they had gotten back to Earth from Mars.

According to the ship’s scanners, there was a small settlement ahead a good five miles away. The only issue was the sunlight blearing overhead. He adjusted his hat on his head and headed in the direction where the ship said the settlement was.

On Mars the sunlight hadn’t been a problem. Both the vampires there and he could be out in it without any ill effects. Which made the hunting there interesting, even though the image of Cecile’s tears as his sword ran her through in the ruddy light was currently the vision replaying over and over in his mind. As were the words that the prophetess said about finding his true purpose.

The parasite living in his hand seemed to know more than he let on but was being strangely unforthcoming about any answers.

You were his only success.

No, I was a science experiment of a madman, D thought to himself, a man trying to stop his people from dying out.

Maybe the Sacred Ancestor, knowing about the Nobility’s eventual decline, created D to be his Grim Reaper of his own kind. There were existential questions he had no answer to. He had plenty of pieces, but not ones to fit just right in the puzzle that was his existence. Back to Earth, back to finding the next target, he thought as weariness crept through his shoulders.

“What’s next?” Left Hand asked as they trudged through the sand together.

D answered, “Same thing as always.”

“Look, I know that gorgeous vampire got in your head on Mars. I don’t blame ya; she was a looker, and good god that perfume she wore.” The carbuncle gave a little chuckle. “However, we both know what your ‘true purpose’ is.”

“And what’s that?” D adjusted the weight of his knapsack on his shoulder as they walked.

The fingers of his left hand wiggled and D lifted his hand to his face. A small, malformed face appeared in his palm and looked at him with beady, black eyes. “To fix his mistakes.”

D let his hand fall back to his side as he continued to walk, heading towards human civilization once again.

***

The Stardust Inn was surprisingly pleasant compared to the rest of the town of Craven. It was run by a plump, matronly woman who had blushed furiously when D had requested a room. She checked up on him with clockwork frequency, seeing if he needed a meal or anything else. D had politely declined her hospitality other than the room and bathing facilities the inn had to offer.

He was currently sitting at a table in the inn’s dining room with a map spread across it. The next nearest town was Cronenburg, which was at least two days of a hard ride away. Cronenburg was also larger than Craven, which meant there was more of a likely time to find a new bounty to hunt.

D heard footsteps approaching and didn’t look up when a harsh male voice said, “Look, Lauren might be sweet on ya, but we don’t like your kind in our town.”

They were words that D had heard countless times in some iteration or another. He could hide his ears under his hat, but people could glean from just looking at him what he was. Then the suspicious whispers would start and then they would build to a head to the moment D was currently in now.

“I will be leaving your town tomorrow,” he said without looking up from the map.

The human slammed his hand down on the table beside the map. “You’ll be leaving it tonight, half-breed.”

D looked up at his antagonist. He was a young man in his early twenties with hair so short it was impossible to tell if it was brown or blond. He was dressed in typical ranch hand attire with a rifle resting across his back. And of course he came armed, D thought as he resisted the urge to go for his sword.

“Kevin, leave my guest alone!” D looked over at the bar to see the proprietress of the inn heading towards them. Her graying blonde hair was pulled up into a ponytail at the nape of her neck, and she wore glasses over her brown eyes. She had her hands on her hips as she glared up at Kevin.

The young man rubbed the back of his neck and looked down. “Lauren, he’s a dhampir. They’re dangerous. They’re Nobility, and you know what Nobility does.”

“He paid a fair rate on his room. I don’t get many borders here so I’ll take my coin where I can get it!” Lauren poked Kevin’s chest.

Before D could say anything, the door to the inn swung open. Standing there was a petite young woman who reeked of magic. D felt the carbuncle begin to stir in his palm so he made a fist to keep it silent. The young woman had long, curly black hair that hit the middle of her back and icy blue eyes. She was dressed in a red bib shirt and blue jeans with a long, brown leather duster. He couldn’t see it when he looked at her directly, but from the corner of D’s eyes, he saw that her ears stood tapered into high points like a knife blade, poking up from the nest of curls.

She looked around the room and smiled when she saw D. She reached into her duster and pulled out a manila envelope. Then she walked over to D’s table and placed the envelope in front of him. She gave him a nod and a wink before turning on her heel and walking back out of the inn.

Lauren blinked owlishly and asked, “What in the world?”

“She was a looker,” Kevin said with a whistle.

D extended his left hand over it and whispered, “Is it trapped?”

“You smelled the magic on that girl too, didn’t you?” the parasite replied in a voice low enough that only D could hear it.

D answered, “Yes, and her ears were pointed.”

“Like yours?” Left Hand asked.

“No. Like knife points,” D answered.

He felt a jolt through his left arm and frowned. “Burn it,” the carbuncle said, “Don’t open it. Just burn the damned thing.”

Frowning, D opened the letter and pulled out a piece of parchment.

The handwriting was small and terse, but easy to read.

He read:

To the Vampire Hunter known as D:

The reason I am reaching out to a vampire hunter is obvious. I have reason to believe there is a vampire terrorizing my father’s territory, yet I have no concrete proof. Yet corpses drained of blood keep appearing.
I need help proving that there is another Noble haunting these lands and, most likely, will need them dispatched.

Please follow these coordinates:

57.3229N, 4.4244W

I do hope you can help me. We can discuss payment when you arrive; I do not trust sending you an advance due to the fact you’re currently in the Frontier and that my courier is traveling alone.

Or rather, I hope you do decide to help me.

Sincerely,

Bronach, the Kinslayer

D frowned at the letter, especially how the author had signed it as “Kinslayer”.

And mentioned “another Noble”, meaning that there’s more than one vampire in their region, D thought as he slid the letter back into the envelope. He stood from his seat and grabbed his map, carefully folding it enough for him to stash it into one of the pouches on his belt. He looked at Kevin.

“I am leaving tonight.” He looked at Lauren and offered her a nod. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

***

“You know where those coordinates were, right?” the carbuncle in D’s hand asked as they rode a brand-new cybernetic horse.

D spurred the horse faster with his spurs and leaned forward. A chill wind whipped at his hair as he rode and caressed his face. The moon hung low overhead, casting everything in a ghostly glow.

He answered, “Great Britain.”

“And you know what’s in Great Britain? The Fae, D. And you do not want to mess around with the Fair Folk.” D felt his left palm shudder against the reigns.

D replied, “We’ve fought pixies and the like before.”

“I’m talking about Faeries; beings that are so beautiful they’ll break your heart when you’re looking at them, and then you won’t care when they decide to rip it out. Or, even worse, how their blood is so addictive that a Noble would do anything to get another fix. They’re dangerous, and you know what they’d do to someone like you?”

D wrapped the reigns around his left palm, silencing the parasite there. There was the sound of spitting as the leather straps were pushed higher up his palm. Left Hand continued, “Well, you can kiss your precious virginity goodbye for one thing. Well, maybe that wouldn’t be a bad thing . . .”

D resisted the urge to sigh and push his fingers into his palm. He kept riding, taking a moment to enjoy the night air against his face and hair. Mars had almost been stifling to him.

“You know, we’re a long way from there. You’re not going to ride the whole way there, are you?”

D shook his head and answered, “No. I’m planning to take a blimp there.”

“Remember what I was saying about not wanting to die in a fiery crash?” the parasite asked.

“You know it would take more than that to kill us.” D spurred the horse faster, riding into the night.

***

The blimp got D as far as Dunkirk. He had hired a boat to take him across to the island and planned to ride the rest of the way to the coordinates he had been given. Luckily, the blimp’s captain, for some extra coin, had accommodated his request to take his new cyborg horse with him.

As soon as he got onto British soil, it began to rain. It was a cold rain that would chill a man’s bones. Being what he was, it made him feel sluggish and cold, but he had suffered through worse. Even with his Left Hand complaining the entire time, D made good time to Lochland, once known as Scotland.

The coordinates lead him to a large lake. There were fishermen and taverns around it. A gray castle loomed beside it as well. Its stones seemed to shimmer when the light hit it just right, reminding him slightly of some of the homes the Nobility kept, but it lacked the technology the vampires favored. He remembered the scent of magic that the courier that had given him his message carried.

It smells like the air here, he thought as he stared at the vast, dark water stretching before him.

“Oy, are you here to hunt Nessies?” a low, masculine voice said from behind him. D turned his head to see an old man with a wrinkled face covered by a steel gray beard approaching. He wore a woolen cap and a heavy weatherproof coat. His right hand gripped a cane that helped him keep his balance as he approached.

D shook his head and answered, “I’m looking for someone.”

“There’s a lot of people around here, lad. You hav’ta be more specific.” The man’s voice had a lilting, sing-song quality to it. It wasn’t an accent that D was familiar with, but he reasoned it had to be one for the area.

D tilted his head as the rain beat down on his hat. “Bronach, the Kinslayer.”

The old man blinked before his wrinkled countenance broke out into a wide smile, showing several missing teeth. “You’re looking for Lady Bronach?”

Lady, well, knowing her gender will help find her, D thought as he felt his Left Hand begin to stir out of its slumber. He gripped the reins to keep it silent as he nodded. “She sent me a summons.”

“She’s our huntress, you know. She helps keep the Nessies in check. Also protects us from the things from the Sluagh that can run amuck.” The old man reached up with his left hand and tugged the cap down over his ears, nodding once the tips were properly covered.

D nodded, taking this information in. Even though he had no idea what a “Nessie” was. He had heard something vague about the Sluagh before, so he made a note to interrogate his hand once they were alone.

And it wouldn’t be the first time another hunter’s contacted me once they realized that they were in over their heads, he thought. He wondered how abrasive this hunter would be to him. Or would she attempt to throw herself into his arms, as others had in the past. Hoping that wouldn’t be the case was a futile exercise.

“Where can I find her?” D asked.

The old timer answered, “Well, if she’s not on a boat catching Nessies, she might be at the Benleva getting information, but she’s most likely with her da at Urquhart Castle.”

D gestured to the shimmering castle in the distance. “I take it that’s Urquhart Castle, then.”

“Right you are, balach bòidheach, but be careful. While Lady Bronach is a friend, there are things in that castle that would kill you with a kiss, or make you want to die in their arms.” He pointed his finger and waved it at D, squinting at him. D pulled a couple of gold coins out of his pouch and extended his hand towards the old man. The old man blinked and then smiled before taking them out of D’s hand. He gave D a tiny salute as D began to kick his mount into motion. “Good luck and thank ye kindly!” the old man called out as D began to ride towards the castle.

[Elf]

Chapter Two: Faeries Wear Boots

The rain had kicked up from a gentle spray to a full-on downpour by the time D had reached the castle. He was soaked past his armor and to his skin. His shoulders felt heavy under his coat and pauldrons, and he could feel that his core temperature had dropped.

Left Hand spoke up, “D, you should get inside. You’ve been in this weather all damned day.”

“If something attacks, we’ll be fine.” D dismounted from his horse. While the rain dropped his body temperature and metabolism, it was more of a bother than anything truly debilitating, like Sunlight Syndrome. He was uncomfortable, not incapacitated, but considering the carbuncle was attached to him, if anything was out of the normal, the thing fretted.

At least one of us has a sense of self-preservation, he thought with a slight smirk as he approached the large wooden doors that served to the entrance of the castle. The drawbridge itself had been down, but the doors themselves were closed. Up close, the place reeked of magic, which smelled like ozone and smoke blended together. The dark stone walls that made up the castle had veins of a white mineral running through them and had a schiller on them.

D lifted his right hand to knock on the door, but it opened before his knuckles could touch the heavy wood.

Standing there was the courier that had delivered D the message. Now she was dressed in a simple black dress with a white apron. The once wild black curls were coiled up into a bun on the top of her head, and the knife points of her ears were poking out from the bun. Her icy blue eyes had elliptical pupils that roamed up and down D’s form before her cherry red lips spread into a smile that had slightly elongated canines in both the top and bottom of her mouth.

She doesn’t feel like a Noble though, he thought as he clenched his right hand into a fist so he wouldn’t draw the sword on his back.

She bobbed into a perfect curtsey and said in a breathy voice with that same lyrical accent the old man had, “Welcome to Urquhart Castle, Vampire Hunter. The Kinslayer isn’t here at the moment, but I have been given instructions to bring you inside once you have arrived.”

“Thank you.” D nodded as she stepped back, and he entered the threshold of the castle.

She fell into step with him and clasped her hands behind her back, causing her skirt to sway against her hips. “I am Isobel.”

“D,” the dhampir replied as he kept watch on her in the corner of his eye.

She tilted her head as she continued to smirk at him. “It took you long enough to get here.”

“How did you arrive back so quickly?” D looked down the hallway he was being led through. It was made from that same shimmering stone, except the walls and floor were polished to the point where it looked almost like gemstones
instead of just stone. There was a painting on the wall of a tall man and woman. Their features were almost identical, except the young woman’s face had rounder cheeks and larger eyes. Both had violet eyes and long hair that looked black at first glance, but D could see that the artist gave their locks crimson highlights. They also had tiny grins on their face and their eyes were alight even in the painting. They also had the same ears that reached high points from their hair.

She faced D and placed a finger to her lips. He noted it was filed to a sharp point and thicker than a human nail, but not quite a Noble’s claw. She tilted her head. “That is my little secret. The Kinslayer did not tell me I needed to bring you with me, so I did not.”

D heard the crackling of a fire and smelled something burning, but it was not a familiar fuel for fire that he’d been acquainted with. He also heard male voices talking to each other. A deep, rich lilting voice said, “Your move, Coinneach.”

“Damn it, Angus, I forfeit.” This voice was still male, but softer, and the accident not as pronounced.

A female voice, who also had that same rich accident, said, “Do not be so quick to give in, my love. You can get out of this.”

“How?” the second male asked.

The first male replied, “Do you wish to show him, Gwendolyn?”

“It is more entertaining if I watch him figure it out for himself,” the female replied with a slight chuckle.

Isobel turned down another corridor that led to an open room with a fireplace with a roaring fire. There was a table in front of a fire with a full set of chess pieces on it. One of the men sitting at the table was the one from the painting. Across from him was a Noble; D could sense him up close and smell the blood on him.

But it’s not human blood, the vampire hunter thought with a frown.

The Noble was tall and broad shouldered, with chestnut brown hair falling into his face. His ears were also pointed, but it was the broad, bat like points that D was used to. The Noble looked up from his chess pieces and frowned at D.

Isobel bobbed into a curtsey and gestured towards D. “This is the vampire hunter that the Kinslayer bade me to find.”

“She never said that they were a dhampir,” the Noble said as he looked at the man from the painting.

The man from the painting sighed and shook his head. “I did not expect that he would answer her summons. She did not even pay an advance.”

“She didn’t want her currier to be robbed or worse on the Frontier,” D said as he straightened to his full height.

On the couch was a woman with snow white hair and the sort of curves that even made D notice. She also sported knife-point ears and had alabaster skin a shade darker than her hair. Crystal blue eyes with elliptical pupils raked over D’s form. A slow smile curved lips the color of ripe raspberries.

“Mayhap little Bronach is not as frigid as we all feared. Please, take a seat.” She extended her pale hand to the seat on the deep plum colored upholstery beside her.

The man from the painting stiffened and fixed his violet gaze upon her. D noticed that his pupils were round, more normal like a human’s. “Gwen. I have not extended hospitality to him.”

“Mayhap you should. Cheer your little girl for her . . . fine eye for talent.” Those crystalline blue eyes locked on D as she continued to smirk rapaciously at him. “I am Gwendolyn. My scowling consort is your employer’s father, Laird Coinneach Coilltearachd.” She gestured at the frowning Noble. “And this is Lord Angus Campbell, the Noble who presides over this territory.”

So, this is one of the Nobles that she mentioned. Her letter said “another Noble” was attacking the people here. Is this man an innocent like Mayerling was? Or is his closeness to the family blinding this Kinslayer?

“Call me D,” he said as he moved to stand by the fire.

Campbell stood up from his seat and gestured to another chair that was currently vacant. “Please, sit until my niece returns.”

Niece? Is she a dhampir as well, or the offspring of one of these beings here? D thought as he felt Left Hand shift in his palm. He clenched his fist to make sure that the thing didn’t start talking in front of a potentially hostile audience.

“I have not extended hospitality to him,” Coinneach said in a low voice.

Gwendolyn smiled, flashing perfectly white teeth as her eyes gleamed like ice. “Your daughter has. I believe the little bastard is forgetting her place. Her father is too lenient towards her.”

Campbell’s gray eyes flashed crimson as he projected an aura of bloodlust and fear that filled the room. D’s hand went to his sword as the Noble stood to his feet and walked over to Gwendolyn. “Call her a bastard again, Gwendolyn.”

Her eyes flashed an icy blue as the temperature in the room dropped. D could see his breath in little clouds of steam as the rainwater in his coat began to freeze. She stood up as well, ice crystals blossoming where her feet touched. A rime of frost began to spread across the floor and up the walls.

“Do I need to remind you why you are the only Nobility left in Scotland, Angus?” Gwendolyn asked as her skin began to glow with a cold, blue light.

Coinneach lifted his hand and sighed. “Enough, both of you.”

“Oh, Gwendolyn’s having a bit of a tiff again, is she?” a low, husky feminine voice with that same rich accent called out from the hallway.

D turned from the argument before him and saw a tall girl whose black and violet lined cloak was dripping with ice. A streak of mud decorated her left cheek, and her heavy boots were crusted with it. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a tight braid revealing the high points of her ears, but blonde strands framed her face.

She approached with a steady gate and gestured with her thumb behind her. “Did you know that someone left a cyborg horse just wandering around on the castle grounds? I took it to the stables.”

“Lord and Lady, who would bring a cyborg mount here?” Gwendolyn’s nose scrunched up as she shook her head.

The newcomer tilted her head and raised her right eyebrow. “Probably someone who’s not from around here.”

Campbell smirked as he gestured to D. “I believe your vampire hunter got your summons.”

“Oh, excellent!” She flashed a smile as she approached D with a hand extended. “I’m Bronach.”

“The Kinslayer,” D said as he looked at her hand and back at her face. She had the same large, violet eyes as the woman in the painting, but her hair color was all wrong. Her face was also leaner with higher cheek bones.

Bronach let her hand drop as she kept her eyebrow quirked upward. “I knew that would get your attention.”

“Yet you have no Noble blood, but he claims you as his niece.” D gestured to Campbell, who frowned slightly.

Campbell said, “I was married to her aunt.”

“Which is why he is the only Noble left in Scotland,” Coinneach said.

[Elf]

Chapter Three: Come With Me Now

Bronach was aware that she was coated in mud and soaked to the bone. One of the old fishermen had come to her earlier that day to let her know that there had been a Nessie sighting on the Loch. She immediately made her way down to the beach to find that there was spoor and marks in the mud from the creature’s flippers.

Old Fergus had found her on the docks, getting ready to board one of the boats that would go hunting for the Nessie. He said the most beautiful man he’d ever seen was asking for her. Even more odd was that he was mounted on a cyborg horse, which was incredibly rare in these parts. Because of the hold the Fae had over Great Britain after driving the Nobility away, the high technology of the vampires was few and far between. Nature and magic were the primary forces here, other than a few remnants of the Nobles’ reign like the Nessies.

She had made her way home to find said cyborg horse wandering around the castle in the pouring rain. Feeling sorry for the creature, she had taken it to the stables with the actual horses. She wasn’t overly sure that it could eat hay, but she put some in the stable anyway. Then she had made her way into the castle to see the rime of frost spread over the stones and begin to freeze the water on her cloak and clothing.

Isobel had been watching with her manic glee. Gwendolyn’s magic was leaking everywhere and her poor dear Da just looked exasperated with everything. Uncle Angus was allowing Gwendolyn to bait him. Again, Bronach thought dryly.

In the middle of it was an incredibly gorgeous young man.

She couldn’t believe how young he looked, in his late teens if anything. Yet the aura emanating from him was anything but young. It was almost crushing with its intensity, the feeling of death behind it was a tangible thing.

He was tall and broad shouldered, but most of his figure was hidden by the long black duster he wore. Long, raven hair tumbled down his shoulders to his back from underneath his large traveling hat. His skin was like fine white marble; his face was carefully sculpted with a wide mouth, elegantly sharp cheekbones, and dark eyes that she couldn’t quite make the color of.

Bronach resisted the urge to rub the streak of mud from her cheek before she offered him her hand.

He didn’t take her extended hand as the bantering of her family and their consorts sounded around them.

Then her father said, “Which is why he is the only Noble left in Scotland.”

The youth turned to look at the elder Faerie with a frown. He looked at Bronach with those dark eyes as that aura threatened to drown her. There was part of her that wanted to get sucked into its undertow, to see how deep that power went.

If he thinks he can threaten me with this, then he can just shove off, Bronach thought as she straightened to her full height and folded her arms across her chest.

“You said that you believed that there was another Noble hunting these lands.” His voice was low and soft, like velvet laden steel.

Bronach nodded and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. “Aye, I did.”

“I am D, and I received your letter.” He pulled a folded manilla envelope from the combat belt around his narrow hips and handed it to her.

She sighed and offered him a smile. “I’m honestly surprised you came.”

“I have questions.” His hands were at his side as he took another step closer to her.

Heat began to fill her cheeks and the tips of her ears despite the fact she was wearing half-frozen clothing. “I probably have answers.”

She looked at her father and smiled at him. “Is D our guest then?”

“If he obeys the laws of hospitality, then he is welcome here.” Coinneach sighed as he rubbed his forehead.

She moved quickly over to Coinneach and kissed his smooth, warm cheek. “Thank you, Da,” she whispered to him before giving his shoulders a quick squeeze.

He reached up and took her left hand, giving it a gentle pat before letting it go. “Just be careful, sweeting.”

Bronach blinked to see D watching the two of them. His head was slightly tilted, but his expression was as lovely and unreadable as a doll’s. Yet there was something sharp in his dark eyes, and she saw his jaw clench ever so slightly.

“We can go to my solar; and hopefully I can answer your questions.” Bronach rubbed her chilled arms and narrowed her eyes at Gwendolyn. “And maybe warm up.”

Isobel smirked from where she stood, her eyes bright in her face. “I imagine that would be pleasant for both of you.”

Bronach bit the inside of her cheek at the lady-in-waiting’s words. D’s eyes narrowed at Isobel and that aura seemed to pulse aggressively around him towards the other Faerie. Then it was gone as he turned and looked at Bronach.

“I will take your lead then.”

She rubbed the back of her neck under her braid and offered him a lopsided smile. “Please, follow me.”

***

D followed the tall blonde up a series of winding staircases that lead up to one of the castle’s towers. There were four rooms he could see; three of the doors were closed and one was opened to what looked like a small study. There were bookshelves filled with various books from heavy leatherbound volumes to cheap paperbacks. Beside a chair was a music stand with loose sheets of music on it and a violin leaning against it. A fireplace had a stack of earthen bricks beside it and a metal rod with a tea kettle hanging going across it. A desk had a high back chair and there was an overstuffed recliner that looked like it had seen plenty of use. He also noticed that there were crystals of various colors, even though a good number of them were purple, tucked into the shelves or displayed on top of the bookshelves.

Bronach turned back to face him and offered him a lopsided grin. He could see she was biting the inside of her cheek and that there was a soft flush against her cheeks and the tips of her pointed ears. “I apologize if they said or did anything down there to you.”

“I’ve experienced worse.” D shrugged and noticed that her posture relaxed slightly as she walked over to the hearth.

She picked up a few of the bricks and laid them at the bottom of the fireplace before opening the tinderbox beside it. “The others can do this with magic; I’m not so lucky.” D blinked as she pulled out a blow torch and striker.

She smirked as she lit the torch. A bright blue flame extended from the flume, and she held it close to her face. “But I make do.” She then held the torch towards the bricks, waving it slowly back and forth over them. It took a few moments, but they caught fire and began to burn with that same earthy scent he had caught downstairs.

She shut off the torch and put it and the striker back in the tinderbox. “Peat,” she said, gesturing at the burning blocks.

“You use that as fuel here?” D asked as he moved towards the fire.

Bronach nodded and answered, “There’s an abundance of it here, and it burns nicely. There’s some wood, but groves are sacred to my people. We don’t like to cut them down unless there’s no other choice.”

She untied her cloak and draped it over a hook by the fireplace. She gestured to a hook on the other side of the fireplace. “I bet you’re freezing.”

D was quiet as he took off his duster and hung it on the hook. He stood at the opposite end of the fireplace, feeling the warmth of the pale flames start to seep through his armor and wet clothing. “Thank you.”

“I would murder for a cup of tea. Would you like some?” She smiled at him as she pointed to the kettle over the fireplace.

D remembered a girl a long time ago offering him a cup of coffee after she had made it for herself. Lina had been dead for quite some time, but that bit of courtesy she showed him stayed with him. “And there was that whole bit about extending hospitality that sounded damned important,” Left Hand said in a low voice from where it rested at his side.

“The Rules of Hospitality are something that the Fae take very seriously,” Bronach said as her voice drew off. Her wide violet eyes blinked as she looked at D before they narrowed at his hand. “That wasn’t your voice.”

The being that resided in D’s hand laughed and D clenched his fist to silence it.

Bronach’s long ears twitched as she stared at his left hand. “These aren’t for show. I hear quite well.”

“Well, the cat’s out of the bag. She was going to find out, sooner or later,” the parasite said, his voice muffled by D’s fingers.

Sighing, D lifted his left hand and extended his fingers, palm facing outwards. There was that sickening crawling sensation of the face taking form there. D watched as small, dark beady eyes looked the blonde over before giving a slow whistle.

Don’t say it, D thought as that face tilted towards him. “Not bad. A little lean, but she’s got a nice face. Probably cleans up nice. The eyes are pretty too, if that’s your thing. It’s not mine.”

And there it is, D thought.

Those violet eyes narrowed and sparked. The blush deepened on her cheeks and ears. D could hear her heartbeat begin to race as her blood began to rush within her. Her jaw twitched as her ears flattened against her head. Her right hand clenched into a fist as she stared at Left Hand.

D lowered his hand and the thing said, “Hey, wait a second, I wasn’t done yet. I’ve never seen a Faerie in person before. Heard about them. Gotta say, you’re not what I expected.”

“And what were you expecting?” she asked in a low voice.

D answered, “I didn’t know that my client was going to be a Faerie.”

“Is that a problem?” Her heart started to race even more as she shifted her weight.

D shook his head. “Not unless you start harming humans.”

“Of course not! I like humans . . .” Her heartbeat started to slow down as she shook her head. “I try to help them, when I can.”

“A man in town said you protect them from things from the Sluagh and hunt ‘Nessies’ for them.” D extended his right hand to the fire, letting its warmth spread across his chilled skin.

Bronach bowed her head with a slight smile. “I was Nessie hunting when I was told of your arrival.”

“What is a Nessie?” D asked.

She held her hands out to the fire as well, rubbing them together. “Years ago there was a legend of a Loch Ness Monster. When the Nobility moved in, they actually created beasts that fit the legend’s description and released them into the loch. They’re predatory and dangerous, and they’re an invasive species.”

She flashed a lopsided smile as she lowered her hands. “Luckily, they’re delicious if fixed properly.”

Of course the Nobility threw this place’s ecosystem out of balance just to make a legend real, D thought with a shake of his head. Aloud, he said, “And what of the Sluagh?”

“What do you know about Faeries?” Bronach replied.

D tilted his ears and regarded his client. “Very little. I know that you can use powerful magics.”

“I can’t, but yeah, others of us can. Da can do some really nasty stuff if pushed.” She rubbed the fingers of her right hand against the streak of mud on her cheek.

D met her eyes and nodded. “Enlighten me then.”

[Elf]

Chapter Four: Enlightenment

Bronach blinked. D’s dark eyes were a deep, midnight blue. Like the night sky, she thought. They were so dark a blue that they were almost black. A color you can almost fall into.

Damn it, quit getting distracted because he’s gorgeous. That’s not fair to him; he probably has people swooning over him left and right because of his looks. See the person, not the package, the Faerie thought.

And the poor guy has a gremlin living in his hand; no wonder he didn’t want to shake hands with me.

That means he probably never gets any privacy and I’m just going to cut that thought off right now.

She walked over and pulled her recliner closer to the fire before moving to behind her desk to grab the chair there. She carried it over to the hearth as well and sat in it. With a flick of her wrist, she gestured to the recliner. “Please, sit down. This is gonna take a while.”

D looked at the chair for a moment before gracefully sinking down into it. He adjusted the sword on his back to be able to sit and still draw it. He sat upright, not taking advantage of the chair’s ability to recline. His hands rested on his lap as he watched her.

Bronach sat at her desk chair and crossed her legs. She began to untie her boots, wincing at the amount of mud that was on them. “So, there are two main courts: the Seelie and the Unseelie. Simplified, the Seelie is the Court of Day and Summer while the Unseelie is the Court of Night and Winter.”

“One of light and the other of dark,” D said.

She shook her head and sighed. “It’s not that simple, because there’s darkness in the day and light at night, but night and day and winter and summer are the courts’ domains.”

The right boot came off first and she sat it by the fireplace. “One can easily bleed on a summer afternoon as they can a winter night. The courts aren’t Good and Evil; that’s human morality, not Fae, but both exist in each court, like you can find good or evil people, but most Fae side towards neutrality and hedonism.”

She took the left boot off and flexed her feet by the fire, smiling as she felt the warmth creep into her frigid toes. “Then you have the Wild Hunt and the Sluagh. The Hunt is a primal force of balance, while the Sluagh is something that could easily be considered ‘Evil’. Think of the Hunt as dawn and dusk, Fall and Spring, while Sluagh holds beings that would come out during the Witching Hour. Undead, blood drinkers, corpse eaters, devourers of flesh. The creatures of nightmares come from Sluagh.”

“And you hunt those?” D had propped his right elbow on the recliner’s arm and rested his chin on his knuckles. Those dark blue eyes were focused on her, and the unreadable look in them made her shift slightly in her chair.

Bronach nodded and brushed a stray lock of hair that had escaped from her braid from her face. “Aye, I do. Especially if they threaten Drumnadrochit.”

“That’s the village that’s next to the lake and castle,” that hoarse voice said from D’s left hand, which was resting palm down on the arm of the chair.

D asked, “And what do you do when they attack?”

“I hunt them down and take their heads,” Bronach answered as she met D’s eyes with a frown. “Beheading kills pretty much everything. Even the Fae.”

“Is that how you earned your moniker?” D’s legs stretched out, inching closer to the hearth and the warmth there.

She shook her head and closed her eyes. “No, I earned that when I killed my aunt’s murderers.” She inhaled deeply and clenched her fists, while biting the inside of her cheek.

“Campbell’s wife?” D asked, his voice softening slightly.

She nodded and opened her eyes. “Yes. There were those who saw their marriage as an abomination. A group of Faeries went to kill them both. Uncle Angus survived, Aunt Caoilfhionn did not.”

Why am I telling him this? Bronach thought with a shake of her head as she looked away from her handsome employee and into the pale fire.

“Then you hunted the ones responsible for your aunt’s murder.” D’s voice was almost whisper soft. She turned to face him again.

She swallowed and nodded, looking down at her hands. “That’s how I earned the title ‘Kinslayer’. Because they were other Faeries who I hunted down one by one. Not the Sluagh, but my own kind.”

“Your uncle stays here because he doesn’t want to go back to where his wife was slain.” D’s right hand flexed as if it was clutching something.

She nodded and said, “Why would he? He has a coffin here in the lower depths of the castle and all the Faerie blood he can drink. He also keeps Da company. Uncle Angus lost a wife, but Da lost his twin.”

“So, Campbell doesn’t feed on humans?” D asked with a blink.

Bronach gave him a lopsided grin and shook her head. “He’s got gorgeous Faerie women offering their throats and other parts at all hours. Not only do we suffer no ill effects from a Noble’s kiss; our blood is apparently magically delicious.” She felt her cheeks and ears heat up. “And it’s supposed to feel good as well? I’ve never been bitten, so I can’t personally testify to that. However, some of the maids in waiting will go on and on about it. Gets right tiresome.”

“The Faerie here are Unseelie, I take it?” D asked.

Bronach nodded and toyed with the cuff of her shirtsleeve. “Except for me, I’m only half.”

“Downstairs, the ice wielder, she called you a bastard.” His eyes met hers, his stare boring into her for answers.

Bronach swallowed and replied, “Aye, a bastard birthed of a union demanded by both Queens Titania and Mab. The Fae drove the Nobility out of these lands and they wanted to keep it that way. So, they wanted to breed a perfect hunter. Da’s natural magical talent could be quite nasty for a Noble if he wanted it to be. My mother was technically a Seelie Faerie, but she runs with the Wild Hunt.”

***

D watched as the blonde looked away from him and into the fire. There was something wistful in her gaze as she watched the pale orange and gold flames flicker in the gleaming hearth. The Fae drove the Nobility out of these lands, and they sought to create a vampire hunter in case any of them came back, he thought as he looked at the Faerie before him.

He had a flash of memory. A sterile lab: needles, tubes, bags, and scalpels with lights so white and brilliant they still burned in this his mind. A lab that he had destroyed while escaping it.

He pushed it aside and looked at the fire as well. He softened his voice as he asked, “It didn’t go to plan, did it?”

“No, it didn’t. Instead of making a vampire slayer, the Court ordained breeding experiment gave them a Faerie killer.” Bronach sighed, her slim shoulders slumping somewhat.

D tilted his head and looked back at her. “How so?”

She fidgeted with the cuff of her sleeve again before looking back at him. “I have magical resistance. I can’t really cast spells except with a few small glamours and a half assed version of Prestidigitation, but I can sure as bloody hell tank them
head on if they’re thrown my way. I also can regenerate faster than my Faerie counterparts. I’m stronger and faster as well. Keener senses and whatnot.”

D nodded at that, taking that information in. “You nullify magic then?”

“Lord and Lady no. If I did that, the Hunt would have killed me at birth. My body just resists it. It says ‘no’ and the spell just dissolves around me.” Bronach shook her head before flashing him a lopsided smile as she held her hands up palm first.

“Faeries have no ill side-effects if a Noble feeds off of them?” D clenched his left hand into a fist to keep the parasite from speaking out of turn.

Before Bronach could answer him, D heard footsteps coming up the tower. Bronach turned her head to the door with a frown as well. She sighed and rubbed her forehead before her eyes met his.

“I’m sorry,” she said with a wince and a grimace.

D frowned at her and asked, “Why?”

“Bronach, I brought you some water in case you wanted to make tea,” a breathy, female voice called out.

Bronach closed her eyes and rested her index finger and thumb on her forehead. “Thank you, Étiennette.”

A tall, statuesque woman entered Bronach’s study – Solar, D reminded himself – carrying a tray with a pitcher on it. She, like almost every other Faerie he’d encountered other than Bronach, was dangerously curved and had those knife point ears. Her skin was an ebony so dark that it seemed to gleam, hair a shade lighter than her skin fell to her waist, and black eyes fixated on D. A smirk graced her full lips as she sat the tray down on Bronach’s desk.

“Well, our guest is as gorgeous as Isobel and Duchess Gwendolyn proclaims.” Her voice took on a purring quality as she continued to eye D.

Bronach now had her index and middle finger on each of her temples with her eyes closed. “Yes, he’s bloody lovely.”

“You have actually taken notice? Mayhap you are not as frigid as we all feared.” Étiennette smirked at Bronach before bobbing into a curtsey. “Please let me know if you need anything else. Anything at all.”

D grit his teeth together as the dark Faerie walked with a sway of her hips out of the room. Bronach opened one eye as she scowled. “Again, I’m so sorry.”

“You have been informative and answered my questions honestly. You don’t need to apologize,” D said, allowing a slight grin to curve his lips.

Bronach blinked as she looked at him, leaning forward in her chair. “I called you all the way from the Frontier.”

“I didn’t have to answer the summons,” D replied. Yes, I did, he thought.

Bronach nodded and tucked a loose lock of hair behind her pointed ear. “Ah yes, why I think there’s a Noble running around who’s not my uncle.”

“You said your uncle doesn’t drink human blood, only Faerie?” D asked. That explains why the scent of blood was so different. It was coming from a source I’ve never smelled before.

She nodded and replied, “And if he didn’t?”

“Then I would be forced to hunt your uncle,” D answered as he looked into her large, violet eyes.

Her eyes widened before she frowned, leaning back in her chair. “If he did drink from the unwilling, I would let you. I can’t say the same for Da, but I wouldn’t stand in your way.”

“You said unwilling, not human.” D canted his head at her.

She sighed and bowed her head. “Aye. If he started biting people against their will – human or Fae – that’s akin to rape no matter if they’re mortal or not. Which I would not abide, uncle or not.”

“Would you let him drink from you?” D asked.

She grimaced and stuck out her tongue with a shake of her head. Her entire body shuddered from her seat. “He’s my uncle, for Lord and Lady’s sake! That’s a taboo that even the Unseelie won’t touch.”

He bit back a grin at her response. “Point taken.”

“Do you drink blood?” Bronach asked as she looked back at him.

Left Hand asked, “You offering, sweetheart?”

D clenched his left hand into a tight fist, digging his nails into the parasite’s face.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Bronach said in a soft voice.

D nodded. “I take plasma supplements.”

“Well, be prepared to have the ladies in waiting offer to open a vein and more for you.” Bronach snorted and shook her head, rolling her eyes.

“They’ll be disappointed; besides, they shouldn’t be wasting themselves with someone like me.” He shrugged and blinked as she looked at him with those wide eyes again.

She smiled and he noticed it lit up her whole face. “You’re exactly the kind of person they want to get their hands on.”

“You don’t get along with them,” D said. He kept his left hand clenched to keep the carbuncle quiet.

Bronach shook her head and looked back to the fire. “They call me frigid, and other things. I know I’m . . . odd.”

“You’ve never taken a lover?” D could smell it on her, underneath the smell of mud, lavender, and rain. I want to hear her say it. It may make her a liability if this becomes a real hunt.

She looked back at him and gave him a crooked smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m a thousand-year-old virgin, if that’s what you wanted to hear.”

A muffled noise came from the palm of his left hand. D dug his fingers deeper into his hand, feeling the bite of his nails against his skin. “I’m sure you have your reasons, but it will also make you a target for the vampire that may be hunting your land.”

“I might as well wear a dinner bell, right?” Bronach asked with a snort.

D answered, “You . . . would be a tempting thing, yes.”

“That means I’d make good bait.” Bronach leaned forward in her chair, folding her left arm over her legs, and resting her chin on her right fist.

He shook his head. “I’d rather not put my employer in that position.”

“We may not have another choice.” She shrugged with a tiny grin and hard eyes.

She does think like a Hunter, D thought, trying to rationalize if it was a good thing or not. Most Hunters he had crossed paths with weren’t the most upstanding individuals. Yet, she’s the one willing to put herself at risk.

“Hopefully, it doesn’t come to that,” D said.

Bronach uncrossed her legs and sat up in her chair. “Now, let me tell you why I think there’s a vampire hunting these lands.”

[Elf]

Chapter Five: A Job to Do

“She has a dhampir in her solar. Alone.”

Coinneach’s gorgeous countenance had a frown and sullen eyes on it. Had it been any other circumstance, Campbell would have teased his brother-in-law about it. However, Campbell had his own concerns.

The name of the famous and stunning Vampire Hunter known as D had reached them even in Lochland. Of course, he would be the one that Bronach would search after and bring here, as he picked up his black knight chess piece. He looked at the exquisitely carved obsidian in his hand before tracing the knight’s helmet with his thumb.

Gwendolyn smiled from her place on the sofa, which had been dried by Isobel after the Faerie’s little fit earlier. “Do not worry, my darling. I am sure that Bronach would not catch the attention of the Hunter upstairs. Besides, I believe that Isobel and Étiennette would most likely show the Hunter some hospitality later this evening.”

“Are you fine with this, Angus?” Coinneach asked.

Campbell shrugged and finished his move, taking Coinneach’s bishop. “Étiennette and Isobel can entertain anyone they wish if it doesn’t interfere with their duties. They are not mine to command, Coinn.”

“I know the two of them regularly take care of your special needs.” Coinneach’s voice was soft as he leaned forward towards Campbell.

Campbell shrugged as Coinneach picked up his rook and studied the board. “Morven has expressed interest in attending to me as well. Just Étiennette and Isobel’s enthusiasm keeps her from doing so.”

It is worth noting that the two of them are addicted to my kiss, he thought. He yielded his body to the pleasures the two Faeries offered, but his heart was still Caoilfhionn’s. It will always be Caoilfhionn’s.

“Well, they have someone new to play with in the Hunter.” Gwendolyn stood up and walked over to the chess board. She frowned and lifted her hand to rest her knuckles under her chin. “I am sure after his long journey that their attention will be welcome.”

They won’t be what he wants, Campbell thought, keeping it to himself so he wouldn’t add more worry to Coinneach’s current anxiety. Bronach, despite her years, was still a maiden. Combined with being a Faerie, she was a dangerous temptation for anyone with Noble blood other than Campbell.

He knew why she kept her virginity; she had confided in him ages ago.

It was a simple reason, but a lovely one. One that the pleasure-seeking Faeries of the castle couldn’t wrap their heads around. One that a romance loving Noble could understand all too well.

The right person hadn’t shown up in her life yet.

I hope she knows what she’s getting into with this Hunter.

***

Bronach poured water from the pitcher into the tea kettle before getting her pair of quilted hot pads. She slid the quilted, insulated mittens on her hands before sliding the kettle on the metal rod that hung just above the fire. She felt D’s eyes on her with every movement she made and the urge to keep blushing was strong.

“You . . . would be a tempting thing, yes.”

Does that mean he wants to drink from me? His little parasite was going to probably say something off-color before D clenched his fist on it. Am I tempting him just by being here?

“So, there have been five bodies found without heads and their bodies drained of blood.” Bronach pulled off the hot pads and rested them on her desk for the moment.

D asked, “Where the bodies burned?”

“No, they’re currently entombed at the local morgue.” She shook her head as she looked at the teakettle; steam had started to rise from the spigot. She walked behind her desk to pick up an ornate wooden box she had there. It had three crows and knotwork for protection and prosperity carved onto the lid. She opened the box and pulled out a tea kettle, a little tin box with her favorite tea, and two teacups with matching saucers. The teacups were arranged on the desk, and she filled a teabag with the orange spice tea that her father had imported from the Capital for her.

A frown formed on D’s face as he met her eyes. The dark blue was almost enough to drown in. “After I see them, I suggest burning them to prevent them from rising.”

“They were beheaded though. Shouldn’t that be enough prevention?” She pulled out a blue cloth wrapped cone and two spoons. “Sugar.” She gestured at the blue cloth cone as she sat it on her desk.

“Victims of the Nobility can be very odd. I have seen victims come back from behind beheaded, just wandering aimlessly.” D shrugged his broad shoulders as he looked at her tea set then back at her.

She blinked as she scraped some of the hard lump of sugar into her teacup with her spoon. “Just like chickens?”

“Except more dangerous.” D’s eyes narrowed with a frown.

Bronach lifted up the cone of hard sugar and tapped the spoon to it. “Sugar?”

“You didn’t have to go to this trouble.” He shook his head before gesturing to the teakettle on the hearth.

She grinned at him and scraped a tiny bit of sugar into his cup, much smaller than the amount she had given herself. “It brings out the flavor of oranges in the tea. I’ve been trapsing in freezing mud all day. You’ve been out in the rain all day. I promise this will help.”

He grimaced, slightly, but she had caught it. He adjusted himself in his seat before standing up and taking off his sword. The long, curved weapon rested on the chair right in reach. He sank gracefully back into the firm cushions of Bronach’s favorite piece of furniture.

“Then I will take some.”

She smirked at him before putting the quilted pads back on her hands to remove the kettle from the fire. Steam billowed up from the spigot and filled the air. She poured the heated water into the teapot and almost instantly the smell of orange, cinnamon, and clove filled the room. “We take tea very seriously here.”

“Faeries do?” D blinked before looking at her teapot and back up at her.

She laughed and shook her head. “No, people from Lochland. Or the Land of Angels. They’re Scotland and England to me.”

Damn, I should have gotten biscuits to bring up here. I’m being an awful host, aren’t I? Bronach thought.

“The Fae here, they keep to the original names, don’t they?” he asked.

Bronach shrugged and answered, “They keep the names before the cataclysm. Apparently, bringing these lands back from ruin was hard.”

“This place is very different from the Frontier.” D shook his head before crossing his legs.

She inhaled the sweet, spicy scent of the tea and sighed. “I want to see it.”

“The Frontier? You’re better off staying here.” His voice was soft, and there was a sadness to it.

“I wanted to be the one to find and ask you to come here. Both Da and Uncle Angus threw an absolute fit at the idea.” She sighed as she picked up her teacup, tracing her finger along the lip of the cup. The delicate ceramic had three crows painted on it, matching the box she kept it in.

Those dark blue eyes leveled on her. “They were right to. It’s dangerous, and the people there fear things that are different than them.”

“And I’d be ringing a dinner bell for any Noble that would have been in my vicinity.” She smiled and it felt sharp to her as her eyes narrowed at her gorgeous guest.

D nodded. “Yes, you would have.”

I can take care of myself, damn you, Bronach thought. “You cosmic wanker,” was what she said.

“What?” He blinked at her with a frown that made him look both infuriating and endearing at the same time.

She picked up the teapot and poured the golden-brown fluid into each teacup. “Oh, this whole twaddle about me not being able to take care of myself. Protesting this to you isn’t going to get me bloody anywhere.”

“Nobility are completely different than Faerie.” His frown deepened as he looked at her.

From his left hand, that hoarse voice said, “D, just shut up while you’re ahead. Sorry sweetheart, this is all kind of new to him.” Then the parasite chuckled.

“I have a name, and it’s not ‘sweetheart’.” She raised her eyebrow as she handed D the teacup resting primly on its saucer.

***

Why do people I do not know always try to feed me? Do I look malnourished? I know I’m pale, but there’s nothing I can do about that.

D took the teacup that his host presented to him. He eyed the three crows that were painted on the cup, complete with blue, green, and violet iridescence in their feathers. “Consider yourself lucky, at least it’s not calling you ‘baby’.”

“I’m sorry I got pissy just now.” Bronach brought her tea up to her lips, blowing on the steam rising from the cup. He noticed that her bottom lip was plumper than the top, giving her a slightly pouty appearance.

He nodded, still slightly bewildered about what he said offended her so much. Still, it’s a nice change from being fawned over. Then he prepared to empty the contents of the tea when the first bit hit his tongue. It was hot, but he could taste oranges, cinnamon, and clove in the amber-brown liquid. He blinked before slowly sipping it, feeling it warm him from within.

“I told you that you’d feel better,” she said with a smile.

D rested the saucer on the arm of the chair before wrapping his cool hands around the teacup to warm them. “You mentioned Fae that drank blood. What makes you think that this isn’t one of them?”

“Dearg-Due normally don’t behead their victims and there would have been signs of sexual activity if it was one of them.” Her cheeks and ears flushed pink again as she looked away from him.

D asked, “Have you encountered one of them before?” I’m not sure I can pronounce that name properly.

The blonde nodded and looked back at him. “A couple of decades before, there was one that was feeding on people in Lochend. She was making a real nuisance of herself.”

“You had to hunt her.” D took another sip of tea as he watched her nod.

She looked down at her cup of tea with a sigh. “Dearg-Dues are very lonely. They often fall in love with someone they cannot have or doesn’t love them back. So, they seduce others and drink their blood to sate the loneliness inside of them. Usually at the cost of the life of the person they drink from.”

Compassion isn’t something I get to see with other Hunters, D thought, wondering how she would have handled the plight of Charlotte Elbourne and Mayerling.

“She wasn’t any different; she fell for some bloke that was happily married and expecting their first babe. She went around seducing and draining other men, leaving bloodless corpses in her wake. By the time I was called in, there had already been a handful of victims.”

D looked at her and twisted the cup in his hands in a clockwise circle so it could warm the rest of his hands. “You did the right thing.”

“Doing the right thing isn’t always easy.” She smiled up at him, a wistful look in her eyes.

D nodded. “No, it’s not.”

She rested her cup on her desk and stretched in her seat. “So, we need to talk about payment.”

“We haven’t confirmed a Noble yet.” Except for Campbell, who’s most likely addicted to Faerie blood and not interacting with the world outside of this castle after his wife’s murder.

“You still traveled all the way from the Frontier to here. I should at least pay for your time and travel expenses.” Bronach held up her hands in a gesture of surrender.

D eyed her and kept his left fist clenched. The thing was a good negotiator, but D was afraid that the parasite would ask for something like the Faerie girl’s blood or virginity. Even if she had been as destitute as Doris, I doubt she’d offer her body as payment, D thought.

No, she’d find the culprit on her own and deal with it, no matter what the cost.

“A hundred-thousand dalas, does that sound fair?” Bronach asked, “Plus your travel expenses. I’ll cover anything else while you’re here.”

D asked, “Do you want me to stay at the castle?”

“I would, but I don’t know if that would be the best for you.” The blonde grimaced and took a drink of her tea.

He tilted his head and took a drink himself, allowing himself the enjoyment of the warmth it brought. “What do you mean?”

“I’m worried about what Étiennette and Isobel will try to do to you.” She was blushing again, the pink reaching the tips of her pointed ears.

D offered her a faint half-smile. “I can take care of myself.”

“No, you don’t understand what they can do. I’m pretty sure most of the time Uncle Angus just sits back and lets things happen because it’s not worth the energy to try and fight them.” She shook her head with a sigh.

He asked, “Your father allows this to happen?”

“I also think Uncle Angus allows it to happen so he could feel something other than grief.” Violet eyes looked into her teacup, as if she was divining it for answers.

[Elf]

Chapter Six: Forever Fades Away

“She’s cute, and not a child. She’s probably the closest you’re ever going to get in your age range.”

D resisted the urge to clench his fist and simply glared at his left hand.

Bronach had brought him to a guest room, which had an elaborate four poster canopy bed, a hearth, and a vanity which he noticed didn’t have a mirror. There was a giant dire wolf skin rug that filled most of the room. He could put his things in the clothes press and chest of drawers.

Bronach had apologized for the lack of a closet, but he reasoned that was part of the reason he had been given this room. There’s really no place to hide here for an ambush. There was a window, but he was three stories off the ground. Not as high as Bronach’s tower apartment, but still respectfully off the ground.

And I’d wager she wants me away from her uncle while he sleeps.

Left Hand prattled on, “I really can’t tell what her figure’s like under those baggy clothing she’s wearing, but she does have a nice ass. In that athletic sort of way that you could bounce a coin off of and get change.”

“I want to know why there aren’t any Nobles in Great Britain,” D said as he looked down at where the countenance carbuncle resided.

Left Hand snorted and D felt that sickening sensation of his skin crawling as it revealed his face. The dhampir lifted his left hand so he could face it while he asked his questions. “The Fae kicked them out. You heard her; the Faerie didn’t like the Nobility ruling their lands so they took it back.”

“How?” D eyed the parasite.

It blinked and stretched its mouth in a yawn. “Come on, we should get to bed. You were in the rain most of the day. Your metabolism is still slowed.”

D clenched his fist and heard the thing make a garbled sound. He released his fingers with a glare. “How?”

“Faeries are truly immortal; not long lived like Nobles, who can actually die of really old age, but immortal. Like you. Which is another point in Blondie’s favor.” It blinked and wiggled its mouth before coughing slightly.

D sighed and shook his head. “I don’t need a reminder of that.”

“So, how the Fae kicked the Nobility’s ass out of Great Britian. Magic, and probably with the help of some humans, but a lot of magic and a lot of anger. They weren’t going to be subjugated like the humans were. Oh no, way too proud for that. So, with a bunch of hocus pocus, they stood their ground and fought back. And after the Nobility had been driven out other than a small handful like our friend Uncle Angus, the Fae worked together to restore the land to what it was before the cataclysm.” The parasite yawned, exposing its little nugget teeth and endless black maw.

D said, “They didn’t completely erase what the Nobility did.”

“The Nessies are proof of that. Kinda curious to see one actually. From a safe distance of course.” It pursed its lips together and slowly blinked its beady, black eyes.

D hung up his coat in the clothes press before starting the arduous process of removing his armor. “Do you think there’s another Noble here?”

“Well, we just have to see about these bodies Blondie found. She seems convinced there’s one.” Left Hand gave a motion that was like a shrug before it flexed D’s fingers on its own.

D looked out the window at the night sky. The downpour had quieted to a drizzle and fog was starting to roll off the ground. There was a nip to the air as well; D was more used to the arid conditions of most of the Frontier.

“She needs something to hunt.”

Left Hand said, “Wonder what she lost then.”

“Its just a part of her nature.”

***

Bronach lifted her violin from its resting spot against the music stand. She collected her bow, sat down, and flipped through the sheet music until she reached the desired page. The wooden instrument was tucked under her chin and the bow rested gently against the strings. Taking a deep breath, she drew the bow against the strings before sliding it across to hit the desired notes.

A dark, haunting tune filled the study as she played. Her eyes fluttered shut as she fell into the rhythm of the music, becoming one with the bow and violin. Her lips pressed together as she concentrated to make sure each note was hit on time, so nothing was out of place. Her stocking covered foot tapped against the cool stone floor, keeping time as well.

As her song wound down to a close, she heard light footsteps come up the stairs. The Faerie put down her violin and bow before rising from her chair. Uncle Angus stepped into her study and his sad, gray eyes met hers.

“You know, I know why Gwendolyn wants you to play at her next gala.”

Bronach grimaced and shook her head. “I’d rather not. Not for her.”

“You know, its most likely that she’ll become your stepmother.” The Noble offered her a smile, flashing his curved fangs.

She shuddered and rubbed her hands against her forearms. “Don’t remind me.”

“You know, before the Court mandate of pairing your father off with your mother, Gwendolyn had already set her cap towards Coinn.” Angus walked over to the recliner and sunk in it with a little sigh.

Bronach grinned at him and raised her right eyebrow. “You know, we can get you one too. You can put it beside your coffin. Which, shouldn’t you still be there right now?”

“I slept enough for today.” Something flashed through his eyes, making them look like burnished pewter.

She walked over to him and rested her hand upon his. His skin was cool against hers, but not unpleasantly so. It was something she had long since got used to when it came to her uncle. Is D’s skin cool like this, or is it warm? Or is it somewhere in between?

Why the hell can’t I get him out of my head?

Aloud, she said, “Nightmares again?”

“Aye.” He nodded before looking into the flames currently flickering in her fireplace.

She grabbed the chair behind her desk and moved it so she was facing him. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“It’s the same one I always have, being so close to saving Caoilfhionn but not fast enough.” He clenched his fists and Bronach could see his claws lengthening, biting into his flesh.

She took one of his hands in hers and pried his fingers away from his palm. There were already tiny cuts that were tricking blood and were rapidly closing. “Why couldn’t I save her?” There were bloody tears in his eyes as he looked at her.

Bronach let his hands go and knelt beside him before wrapping her arms around his waist. “Because you were outnumbered and out gunned.”

“Yet you killed them all.” He shook his head as he returned the embrace, stroking her hair.

Bronach sighed and rested her head against his shoulder, giving him a squeeze. “Because I hunted them down one by one. I just put the playing field in my favor, that’s all.” And my magical resistance helped quite a bit, except for that one bitch who got a bit too clever for her own good . . .

Angus pulled away and wiped his eyes. “You’re a good lass.”

Bronach let him go and went back to her seat. She shrugged and brushed a lock of hair away from her face. “I did what had to be done, that’s all.”

“No one asked you to.” Angus shook his head with a sigh. “No one ever asks you.”

Bronach frowned and folded her arms across her chest. “The villagers ask me all the time for assistance. Like with the Nessies and these bloodless bodies they’ve found that don’t look like anything Fae related.”

“Your father’s worried about you and this hunter you hired.” A ghost of a smile played across Angus’s lips as his eyes met hers.

She felt heat blossom across her cheeks and the tips of her ears. He pointed at her as his smile grew. “Well, well, that’s a reaction I’ve never seen from you before.”

Bronach scowled and narrowed her eyes at him. “I’ve blushed in front of you before.”

“Not like this.” He shook his head with a smile. “Of course, the first man you take notice of is a dhampir.”

She sighed and gave him a wan smile. “He probably hasn’t noticed me like that. He probably gets people fawning over him all the time.”

“For his looks, but if he shows a sign of what he is that’s quickly replaced by fear.” Angus looked back into the fire, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Bronach blinked and asked, “What do you mean, Uncle?”

“Dhampirs are . . .” Angus tilted his head and rubbed his chin for a moment. “A tragic existence. They are born of Noble and human but are neither. Nobles see them as tainted and lesser. Humans see them as monsters.”

She snorted and slumped her shoulders. “So, you’re saying I need to know him as a person.”

He reached out and ruffled her hair. “You just need to keep being yourself around him.”

“I think he’s already written me off as someone who can’t take care of herself.” She sighed and looked down at the fire.

Angus said, “Scotland isn’t as unforgiving as the Frontier, and he’s most likely never dealt with the Fae before.”

“That’s what the parasite that lived in his left hand said.” Bronach grimaced at those words, knowing how they sounded.

The Noble stood up from the recliner and extended his hand to her. “Mayhap we should give him a demonstration of what you really are.”

“You want to spar?” A smile spread across her face as she took his hand.

He nodded with a snort. “I need some sort of challenge. Your father is lousy at chess.”

“Gwendolyn’s got the head for it.” She smiled as he pulled her to her feet.

He grimaced, gnashing his fangs. “I’d rather not. She’s awful company to be around. I only tolerate her for your father’s sake.”

***

D had woken up on his own. No one had come to wake him, and it was odd being able to sleep for so long without interruption while on a job. This may not even become anything. Or the vampire left before I got here, he thought as he allowed the shower’s heated water to pour over him.

He washed quickly, ignoring complaints from his carbuncle about getting soap in its eyes. He did make sure to rinse the damned thing after he had finished cleaning himself. The heat had been good for sore muscles after riding all day in the rain yesterday. Because the water was artificially running, it did nothing to sap his strength or slow his metabolism.

After he was sufficiently cleaned, he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Towels had been provided in abundance, so he wrapped one around his waist and the other around his long hair. Ignoring the fogged-up mirror, the dhampir began to dry himself. Once he was dry enough, he slid on the form fitting pants and long-sleeved shirt he wore under his armor. Then he took the arduous task of donning the hard caprice of the body-hugging armor that allowed him full freedom of movement as well as significant protection. Last he donned his spurred boots before hanging up his towels on the rods in the bath.

The bath also featured a huge, clawed foot tub complete with spigots for both hot and cold water. D had to stifle the urge to indulge in a long soak; after all, from what Bronach had told him, the Faeries here would be very eager to engage in sexual congress with him. Despite me not wanting them.

“What if it was Blondie who came to you, all soapy and eager?”

D shook his head as he glared down at his Left Hand. “Stop calling her that.”

“Or what?” The parasite’s face twisted to life in D’s hand and he lifted it so he could glare back at it.

D replied, “She’ll hear you. And I’ll let her retaliate.”

“You know, I am kind of attached to you and everything. You need me.” The wrinkled face sneered before smirking, the beady, black eyes narrowing at him.

The dhampir snorted. “Not as much as you need me.”

D heard the all too familiar sound of steel clashing upon steel. Grabbing his sword, he charged off to the sound of combat.

[RanmaBushiko]

Kieran pointed me your way, and mentioned you were writing here again!

Looks rather interesting, to be honest. I'm not exactly familiar with Vampire Hunter D, but the setting and characters are well written.

[Elf]

Yay! Thank you very much!

I can highly recommend the 2000 Movie, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.

It's dark, gothic, gorgeous, and extremely well animated. It has all the gothic vampire trappings that I love.

[Elf]

Chapter Seven: Gone Away

Axe clashed with claymore; sparks of steel filled the air as crimson eyes met violet. Bronach shifted her stance as Angus applied more pressure with his blade, shoving her back. She pivoted to the side and jumped back. The axe moved with her, putting her at Angus’s side instead of directly in front of him.

His eyes flickered towards her, and he swung the heavy blade towards her. She deflected it with her axe, letting the blades scrape against each other until it was free in her hands. Then she darted forward and swung herself.

The double-bladed axe lightly kissed the skin on Angus’s neck as Bronach smirked at him, catching her breath.

“Point,” she said, flashing a smile.

He nodded and took another stance with his sword as she stepped back. He bared his fangs as he said, “That’s five you and four me.”

“You said you wanted a challenge.” She adjusted her grip on her axe as she grinned at him. His stance was perfect for a knight, but still very rigid. She kept moving her feet, never standing still, always making sure to stay in motion, just like her mother had taught her.

Angus smirked, flashing his fangs. “We’ve only just begun, lass.”

Then the claymore’s long blade went swinging towards her.

***

D ran towards the sound of steel clashing against steel. He saw the sparks made from a broadsword and a double-headed battle axe as they clashed together. The sword was in Campbell’s hands, and he was pressing down on the axe that Bronach held.

The Noble’s face was etched in a rictus grin that bared his long, curved fangs. His eyes glowed with sanguine light as he bore his blade down on the Faerie. The blonde was gritting her teeth and adjusting her stance, aiming to take some of the pressure off.

D saw fangs, glowing crimson eyes, and a Noble bearing down on his employer.

His sword was in his hands while he ran over to him, his boots barely touching the stone floor. He maneuvered so he was between Noble and Faerie, sliding his blade against the broadsword. The heavier length of steel pressed against the curve of his blade for a split moment before he shoved the vampire back.

Adjusting his stance, D slid his sword down the length of the broadsword. Crimson eyes widened as D thrust forward, aiming for the heart.

“No!”

Slim yet muscular arms wrapped around him from behind and yanked.

He was pulled backwards, and he started to spin around to see what was holding him and to strike. Violet eyes were looking up at him. A heartbeat that wasn’t his own thundered in his ears. Hot puffs of soft air tickled his neck as he became aware of the smell of rain and lavender.

Bronach was holding him tightly, her arms coming up under his and resting her fists on his shoulders. Her thighs were against his, her chest against his back. “It’s fine, I swear it!”

Her low, husky voice vibrated in his ear.

As did the roar of her heart and her blood rushing through her veins.

He clenched his jaw to keep his own fangs from lengthening. D lowered his arms and she let him go, taking a step back from him. He turned to look at her and frowned.

“He had his fangs bared towards you.”

Bronach nodded and held up her hands, the axe clattering to the stone floor. “We were sparring, that’s all.”

He tilted his head. “Sparring?”

“He needs some sort of challenge. Da’s a horrid chess player.” She tucked a lock of blonde hair that had escaped her braid behind a pointed ear before shrugging.

Campbell spoke up, “I’m not the only one who needs a challenge.”

“We do this to keep our skills up.” She folded her arms across her small breasts.

Campbell swung his sword before walking over to the fireplace at the far side of the room. There was a bench there that he set his sword on before walking back. His eyes had faded back to the original gray color and his fangs were retracting to fit back into his mouth.

“And this one gets pissy if I hold back on her, so I ride the bloodlust when we cross blades.” Campbell pointed at Bronach, whose ears twitched and flattened while a flush spread across them and her cheeks.

D sheathed his sword on his back and frowned at the blonde, who was currently wincing. “Do you know how dangerous that is?”

Do you know that one wrong move could cause him to slip and lose control?

Campbell straightened to his full height with a scowl. “She is my family. I would never actively harm her.”

“Your nature would say otherwise.” D looked at the Noble, his own bloodlust ebbing. Yet he could feel the violence in his aura that was spreading across them both. He didn’t retract it, and instead let it have free reign.

Campbell stepped back with a slight hiss.

Bronach stepped forward, dropping one arm to her side, and pointing at him with her right hand. “No, you stop that.”

“No.” He purposely extended that aura of menace that had the chill of death interwoven with it towards her.

She gnashed her teeth and narrowed her eyes. She stepped forward, close enough that they were almost touching. He looked down at her and she up at him. Those eyes of hers shot violet fire as she glared up at him.

She’s not backing away, D thought. She’s either very brave, very stupid, or has incredible willpower. Or all of the above.

“If you think this is going to frighten me or cow me into being meek and subservient, you can shove off you cosmic wanker.” Her index finger poked him right in the chest, underneath his amulet.

Campbell smirked and said, “There’s my lass.”

“And why did you back up?” She shook her head before looking back at D.

D blinked down at her and found himself retracting his aura at her words. She called me a cosmic wanker again. Does she think I’m some OSB?

Shaking his head, he looked back at her. On second glance, both vampire and Faerie were dressed similarly. Campbell was wearing a turtleneck with black leggings. Bronach was dressed in a tank top that showed off sculpted muscles and leggings that showcased a lean dancer’s build.

“He’s a bit intimidating,” Campbell said with a shrug and half-smile.

Bronach sighed and removed her hand from D’s chest.

D eyed her and said, “You wanted to show me the bodies at the morgue?”

“Yeah, let me change into something more for public consumption than my workout clothing.” She pointed behind her shoulder in the direction of her tower.

D nodded and folded his arms across his chest.

“Well Vampire Hunter, let us talk,” Campbell said as soon as Bronach was out of the room.

***

“It’s the middle of the day. Why aren’t you in your coffin?”

Gray eyes flickered towards D as he followed the vampire deeper into the castle. “Have you looked outside and noticed the lack of sunlight?”

D frowned; he had seen it was overcast again. The darkness of the clouds threatened more rain, something he didn’t want to deal with. Yet there had been breaks in the clouds where sunlight poured through like streamers, pooling upon vivid green grass. This place is so different than the Frontier.

“It still peaks through the clouds.”

Campbell sighed as they turned down another set of steps. The temperature in the castle was dropping as they moved deeper into it. D asked, “Is Gwendolyn angry again?”

The Noble’s eyes flashed like quicksilver before he grinned, flashing his fangs in their retracted state. Then he began to laugh, a rich sound that echoed through the iridescent stone walls. “No, its almost impossible to warm this castle with what the Fae will allow, so the temperature drops in certain places.”

D nodded and folded his arms over his chest. “You wanted to talk to me.”

“Yes, I did.” Campbell nodded as they turned left and headed down more steps. D noticed that the temperature rose again, and he saw flickering shadows and ruddy light playing against the walls.

D asked, “Do you think a vampire is praying upon these lands?”

“I don’t leave this castle often.” Campbell shook his head and grimaced. “It’s . . . safe here.”

D said, “Bronach mentioned that your Faerie wife was killed by other Faeries.”

“Did she also tell you how she hunted each one of them down, bringing their heads back to her father and myself?” Campbell asked.

D nodded. “She didn’t give me those details, but yes, she mentioned it.”

“She brought up her axe against her own kind. You know the ramifications of that.” Campbell stopped so he could face D.

D shook his head. “I am a dhampir. I’m also half human.”

“You’re from the Frontier. I doubt your hands are free of human blood.” Campbell turned back around and headed down the hallway where the shadows loomed. The hallway opened to a giant kitchen with a fire in the hearth. The Noble strode over to the fire and leaned his hand against the stone.

The dhampir clenched his jaw but kept silent. His Left Hand let out a chuckle, but D clinched his fist. Campbell smirked and his eyes hardened, looking like the steel of his broadsword. “So, you know the ramifications of that.”

“Yes, I do.” D shook his head. “Do you think she’s being hunted?”

Campbell shrugged as he looked back into the fire, the reddish light flickering against his features. “No, but I think she’s lonely.”

D frowned, remembering how affectionate she had been with her father yesterday.

“You don’t get along with them,” D said. He kept his left hand clenched to keep the carbuncle quiet.

Bronach shook her head and looked back to the fire. “They call me frigid, and other things. I know I’m . . . odd.”

“There’s nothing I can do about that. I was hired to kill a vampire. If there isn’t one, I will leave. Simple as that.”

His Left Hand said, “Ask him why he hasn’t take a bite out of his nubile niece.”

D sighed and clinched his fist, digging his nails into his palm until it stung.

Campbell said, “Because she is my niece. She’s also the closest thing I’ll ever have to a daughter after . . .” His voice drew off and a heavy air filled the room.

D looked at him and tilted his head. “After what?”

Campbell’s broad shoulders slumped as he rested his forehead against his fist, still staring into the fire. “Before Bronach was born, my wife and I were expecting a child. We were delighted; even though both Fae and Noble are able to crossbreed with humans, there wasn’t anything saying that we could.”

“Your wife miscarried?” D asked with a blink.

The Noble shook his head and sighed. “It may have been easier if she had. No, our daughter died hours after her birth. I couldn’t put Caoilfhionn, my wife, through that again. Luckily, Faerie women are only fertile once ever ten years. So, we kept track of her cycle to insure she didn’t get pregnant again.”

“Both sides were at war within her, and neither could win,” D said in a soft voice.

Campbell smiled, transforming his face. “Then the Faerie Queens demanded that Coinn produce a child with Bronach’s mother, a Seelie Faerie who was of the Wild Hunt. Her mother was uninterested in raising a new bairn, so Coinn brought her home to us.”

“And you helped your brother-in-law raise her, and to make up for the daughter you lost.” D nodded as he looked at the Noble. “However, she wasn’t your child by blood. You’ve never been tempted to bite her?”

Campbell shook his head. “Never, and heaven help anyone who tries to victimize her.”

“Because you and her father will get revenge,” D said.

Campbell laughed and smiled at D. “Lord and Lady no. Because Bronach herself will split them in half.”

***

“She has hired a vampire hunter.”

Nicolas Bellerose sighed as he looked at his companion.

Patricia was a little taller than average height, but she was lusciously curved with curly chestnut brown hair. She was gifted with a heart shaped face, large violet eyes, and a full mouth. Her broad ears were pointed and rising out of the curling nest of her hair. She was dressed in black slacks and a gray sweater with knee high riding boots.

She currently had an orb of quartz floating between her hands as her pretty face was marred by a frown. Her eyes were narrowed at the gemstone before she looked back up at Nicolas. “Not just any vampire hunter apparently.”

Her voice was an emotionless, flat monotone, and almost whisper-soft. Nicolas wondered what that voice would sound like if there was some emotion behind it, but his father had curbed those tendencies in Patricia centuries ago. He moved closer and looked into the crystal ball that was currently floating between her palms.

“Is it necessary to make it float?” he asked.

A ghost of a smile curved Patricia’s plump lips. “It helps with my concentration.”

“Not for any dramatic reason?” He tilted his head as he stared into the crystal’s silvery depths. As his eyes focused, he recognized the kitchen of Urquhart Castle, and the solemn figure of Scotland’s few remaining Nobles, Lord Angus Campbell. The young man that Campbell was speaking to was beautiful enough to get Nicolas’s attention with his pale features and long, wavy raven hair.

Patricia raised an eyebrow. “Have you known me to be dramatic, Nicolas?”

“It’s in your blood on both sides. If you weren’t dramatic, I would be appalled.” His eyes flickered up to her before looking back into the crystal ball. “The youth with Campbell?”

She peered into the crystal ball itself, its slight glow flickering across her features. “His name is D. Which is a bit ridiculous to name one’s child a single letter.”

“Is he the vampire hunter?” Nicolas swallowed as he watched Campbell converse with the young man.

Patricia looked up at him and nodded. “The one that the Kinslayer brought all the way from the Frontier.”

“Clever girl.” Nicolas laughed with a shake of his head. Of course, the Kinslayer would be brazen enough to get the most dangerous vampire hunter known to come here.

Nicolas’s mission was simple; he was to grab the Kinslayer and bring her to his father. Dr. Bellerose wanted to see how her magical resistance worked and to see if he could replicate it. He had been leaving corpses to get her attention, to separate her from her father and uncle so he could take her.

And of course she had to import a vampire hunter from the Frontier, he thought as he looked at the handsome youth’s image in the crystal. He frowned; there was something familiar about those graceful features that he couldn’t put his finger on. Like I’ve seen that face, or one similar to it, before . . .

Then it dawned on him.

The Vampire Hunter D bared more than a passing resemblance to the holographs his father had of the Sacred Ancestor.




Author's Notes: I'm taking liberties with the VHD mythos here. It's creator even does retcons so it's fine.

Sacred Ancestor - For those of you not familiar with the Vampire Hunter D verse, this is basically the Big Daddy Vampire. Who is most likely D's own father as well. It's never said outright, but the subtext is all but blatant that it is.

If you're reading and enjoying, please let me know! If I'm writing D and Lefty OCC, please let me know there as well. One of the things I loved about fanfiction was the feedback I got from it that helped me improve as a writer.

[RanmaBushiko]

Interesting new chapter!

Still haven't found much in the way of actually watching the series, Crunchyroll doesn't have it to watch. Alas, poor me.

[Elf]

Interesting new chapter!

Still haven't found much in the way of actually watching the series, Crunchyroll doesn't have it to watch. Alas, poor me.

Amazon actually has both movies available to rent digitally, if you want to go that route!