Vampire Hunter D Fan Fiction ❯ Determination of the Damned ❯ The Threat Emerges ( Chapter 1 )

Determination of the Damned:

Chapter 1--The Threat emerges

 

Disclaimer: I do not own D or any other cannon characters from Vampire Hunter D or Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. Kikuchi Hideyuki, the genius behind this awesome franchise and the novels from which it was created, owns all cannon characters, town names, ideas, and/or settings that may or may not appear in my story. Please do not sue me, for I am but a humble fanfiction writer (and a D fanatic) who does this for fun!

 

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“Two million dollars is not enough,” His somber voice drifted across the enormous room to the seated couple, their faces alarmed at this refusal. Throwing the small sack down onto the cherry-wood table next to him, the tall man turned towards the domed entryway of the parlor. Pausing momentarily on the taupe-colored marble floor, the vampire hunter twisted his pale face to the side, waiting for a new offer. When none came, he continued walking towards the threshold.

 

“Wait,” The man stood up from his chair, holding out a hand towards the hunter. “We'll pay whatever you ask. Just bring us back our daughters--” He dropped his hand to his side, desperate for the cloaked dhampile to accept. “Please, we will give you anything you want. Just, help us get our family back.” He gestured toward the table; a small photo with two small, blond women done over in sepia tones looking back at the man--their frighteningly pure faces looking ghostly beneath the gilded frame.

 

Sighing, D turned towards the man and his distraught wife. Gazing into their worried faces, he set his price. “Two million right now. Another three once I return your children to you,” He averted his eyes when he saw their upset expressions, “There is no guarantee that your girls have not already been turned by Count Maeken—he is notorious for not keeping his prisoners alive for very long.” D shortened his distance from the couple. Hardening his eyes, he stared into the man with seriousness. “I will bring them back for that price…but, if they have already been turned, I will destroy them. At the same cost.”

 

“No! Don't you touch my babies!” The woman stood up to attack D, but was held back by her husband. “Let me go Frances, I won't let him hurt my babies!” She continued her crazed assault, swearing and hissing at the hunter through clenched teeth.

 

“Lydia, please, he is here to help us,” Frances Dosley attempted to calm his wife. Ordering one of his nearby servants to escort her out of the room, the man directed his attention to the towering figure of the Dhampile. “You, hunter! Promise me that no matter what you find at his castle, you will do your best to find my children. Bring them back to us if they are alright. But, if they are turned,” He paused, shaking his head sadly, “then you have my permission to destroy them…to secure their souls in heaven.” Tears streamed down his leathered face. These last few months after his girls had been abducted, by the feared Count Maeken had taken its toll on the respected man. In his large town of Rafort, he was the prestigious Judge that ruled over the land. His wealth and power went unparalleled. D, of course, knew that. “Please, wait here. I will go get your money.” He turned away from D; going towards the great hall that led to his chambers. “Wait here, Dhampile hunter. I won't be long.”

 

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“Gabriel, will you hurry up! We'll miss our opportunity to catch them!” The richly accented woman clung to the birch tree overlooking the cliff, waiting impatiently for her partner to come into view. She was young looking, 17 at most, and stunningly beautiful—almost too perfect to be real. Her appearance deceived others since in truth she was several thousands of years old. Her long, braided jet-black hair swayed gently in the night air; random pieces of the loose, short bangs around her face occasionally obscuring her view. Her exposed shoulders were feeling the bitter cold of the darkness, and she was getting upset at her companion's tardiness. “Gabriel!”

 

Scanning the dense forest with her sharp vision, her slanted grey eyes searched for the young man amongst the black. Come on, where are you? She strummed her long, slender pale fingers on the white bark next to her body. This wasn't the first time she had to wait for her student to catch up. Agility was never his bag of rice. Sighing impatiently, she anxiously shifted in her spot. We have to work on your running skills, she rolled her grey eyes, sending sparkles of reflected moonlight cascading about the darkness. Her eyes were her most prized feature; Warm and very inviting, they lovingly embraced her victims with gentleness; attacking them at the same time with an alarming fierceness; a fierceness that even surprised Gabriel. Enchanting and intense, they carried the sadness and loneliness of ages, quietly wrapped into their soft grey pallet. Her brilliant eyes both captivated and frightened the few lucky individuals blessed with the opportunity of gazing upon them. Using them to scan the area once more, she soon saw the unmistakable tawny hair of Gabriel emerge from the dark night.

 

“Sorry, Icel—you know I can't run as fast as you,” He trotted up next to her position, apologizing with a gentle kiss to her cheek. He quickly embraced her body from behind with his muscular arms. The two of them were a perfect match; both possessing the ethereal beauty of Gods, and the superior strength of Titans. Kissing her once more, he pressed his cool cheek to hers, whispering into her ear. “Miss me?” Playfully laughing, he spun her small frame around to face him. Looking into her eyes he smiled, enthralled by her mysterious splendor. Passionately kissing her on the lips, he held onto her taught back with his rough hands.

 

“Gabriel,” she pushed his body away gently, resisting her urge to return his advances. “Cut it out, I won't have this--” Her objections were cut short by another loving kiss. Feeling her body slowly melt into his, she quickly protested again. “Gabriel!” She brushed his affections away with her hand, leaving him standing there, giving a fake pout.

 

“Oh, my dearest; just once I would like to see you return my tenderness.” He tried to hold her again, slightly disappointed by her dismissal. “I love you, you know this…”

 

“Gabriel, perhaps one day I'll return your affection. But, that will only happen once you prove to me, that all your training I've put you through these long years has paid off,” She softly rejected his advances once more, pausing to gaze into his piercing sapphire eyes. They didn't carry the power hers did, but they still managed to shock her. “Don't you look at me like that. If we sit here any longer, those damned vampires will be long gone.” She turned towards the cliff, looking down at the dark valley. The target was moving slowly towards their perch; the lantern-lit carriage lighting up the pitch-black valley with a frighteningly yellow cast. “It's almost time to go.”

 

“Icellina, shouldn't we be making our way down there right about now? Being up here isn't going to help us catch them.” He made a face at her, lightly questioning her reason. “How are we possibly supposed to get them from up here? They are almost at the right spot.”

 

“Simple,” She smiled strangely, sending a chill down Gabriel's spine, “we will strike them from above.” She didn't turn to look at him, but remained staring coldly down at the carriage. It had reached the objected area. “Gabriel,” Her unearthly, mesmerizing voice filled his ears, “do you know how to fly, my dear apprentice? It's quiet simple.” Grabbing him with her frail hands, she at once threw both of them off the cliff; the two of them free-falling down the gigantic rock face to their destination.

 

Barely able to scream, he stared wide-eyed at the woman he loved—her treachery never occurring to him in all these 2,000 years of living with her. Closing his eyes, he prepared himself for the upcoming death; the bottom of the valley quickly getting nearer. Feeling himself lifted from the threat, he slowly opened his eyes and looked around. They were floating.

 

“Icel, how are we doing this?” He clutched to her body as they quietly descended. He couldn't believe what he saw. They were truly floating. “Icel?”

 

“Hush, Gabriel!” She focused her vision on the carriage underneath them; the roof of it becoming closer to their bodies. “As I've told you before, my ancestors were demons--one of vampire descent; the other a demonic-hybrid of sorts. It is from the demonic side that I draw this power. I didn't get too many abilities from that half-breed mother of mine; but this just happens to be one of them.” She laughed quietly, trying to remember the fleeting memory of her mother. She had been a mixed breed, half human, half demon. One day, a vampire took her to be his bride, stealing her from the home she had at Barberoy. At least, that is what Icellina believed. Truth was she didn't posses too many memories of her past. “The only other ability I got from that woman, is the ability to live in the light of day--even if it is only for a few hours at a time.”

 

“What are we to do once we land?” His voice shook a little from uncertainty. This was his first mission involving an air-raid, after all. He did enjoy being able to be this close to his beauty however; tightening his grip on her delicate waist as they neared the landing spot. Relishing in this unexpected closeness, he smirked and moved his hand down her waist to the back of her hips. “Nice.”

 

Smacking him away, she glared at him. “Would you focus for once? I will let you go as soon as we are a few feet above the carriage. Once we drop, take out the driver. I'll take care of the rest.” She had trained him well, teaching him everything she knew about the hunt; but even so, he was still young. She didn't yet trust his abilities as a dhampile hunter. “Are you ready?”

 

Releasing her grip on Gabriel, she let him drop with a loud thud. Pouncing onto the dark carriage, she quickly drew her weapon; a long, sharp blade with a rustic hilt--attached to her slender body with a wide belt across her hips. The sword was as beautiful as she; adorned with intricate carvings that wound their way along the length of the dark shaft. In its long life time, it had spilled the blood of many vampires and humans alike.

 

She didn't discriminate when it came to the hunt; whoever happened to pay enough for her services, was her temporary boss. A cold assassin who killed members of both sides equally, in order to earn cash, she was a force to be reckoned with. Despising both species equally, it didn't really matter if either won the war of the land; neither one accepted her heritage, and neither one would ever accept her as a citizen. Gabriel sometimes questioned her attitude—siding with those sickening, back-stabbing humans. But, he was still young. Too young it seemed; he didn't know what kinds of evil, humans could subject onto his kind. Icellina would never let him learn those sufferings either. She vowed to protect him for as long as she could—even if it meant being hard on him sometimes.

 

Bracing herself as the carriage came to a halt, she gestured towards the driver with a silent command. Going in for the kill, the tall dhampile ripped his sword out from its sheath; stabbing the demonic driver through the heart effortlessly with his blade. Flinging herself through the door of the stagecoach, the older of the two hunters leaped into the darkened interior, ambushing the three guards inside. Slashing at one of them with her blade, she simultaneously bit into another's neck—ripping out his jugular in one bloody, steaming piece. Joining his dark beauty inside the coach, Gabriel lunged at the third guard; his face wild with the upcoming kill. Masters of their deadly craft, both warriors glided through the night—attacking the demonic guards within the carriage with accurate precession. Shredding the last one to gory, uneven bits, Icellina calmly approached the coffin in the center of the carriage. Sheathing her weapon, she suddenly smiled, surprising Gabriel where he stood.

 

It was stunning; smooth, high-quality crimson stained wood—varnished with care, making the over-sized casket glow with an eerie shine. The vampire inside must be important… Icellina carefully ran her white hand along the velvety surface, pausing to look at the carved inscription on the lid. It didn't really matter who lay inside; the coffin alone would score the duo a hefty prize. Work lately had been very slow, so the two of them went out looking for entertainment now and then—attacking random carriages across the land for money, treasure, and vampire victims. This outing was no exception.

 

“Death is lui adevărat nume, thy maestru thy evil enchanter. El shall ridicare iar, cu eu la lui parte” She reared back, shocked at the inlaid message. “What?”

 

“What is it, Icel? What does it say?” Gabriel's eyes searched her confused face for answers. She was the one who spoke several dialects; he did not. Touching her smooth, pale skin, he tried to get her to respond. “Icellina?”

 

“Death,” She turned towards him puzzled, “is his true name? Thy master, thy evil enchanter? He shall rise again, with me at his side...” She looked back at the crimson stained wood, and made a face. “It's in Romanian—that much I know, but I don't understand the meaning of the message. What the heck does this mean?” She shrugged, touching the lid again. Sliding her hand along the engraving, she turned from the box.

 

“Gather all the valuable items you can find, I'll kill Mr. Important.” She touched the lock, ready to open it. This whole ordeal was getting boring; there were better places to go for money and a good rush. Pulling a small dagger from her right garter belt, she prepared herself. “Goodbye, vampire.”

 

Suddenly, the coffin began to shake, causing both of them to jump back from where they stood. A sickening grumble resounded in their ears. “What?!” In all the thousands of years hunting, never had something like this happened. Raising her weapon again, she backed up slowly from the moving casket.

 

“What is going on?!” Gabriel stared at his companion, then back at the box. “Why is this happening?!” The carriage was falling apart around them. “Icel!”

 

Without a word, Icellina pushed him out of the coach, instinct taking over her mind. “Run!”

 

Barely keeping up with her, Gabriel turned his head back towards the carriage; its interior growing dark as the candles near the trembling casket blew out. Crumbling around the casket, the dark structure dematerialized, revealing a giant black aura surrounding the coffin. The ground was beginning to split from this; the cracks spreading underneath them as they ran, causing rocks to jut out around their feet.

 

“What's going on?!” The young man jumped over a few rocks, trying desperately to catch his partner. “Who is in that coffin?!!”

 

Cine has disturbed meu somn? Ei voinţă a voi pay! The deafening roar hit their bodies, sending both falling onto the cold earth beneath them. Overwhelming power waves continued to crash into them; keeping both warriors on the ground. Crawling to get up, Icellina struggled to find her footing. Swerving to find Gabriel, she quickly picked him up off the ground, and threw him behind a nearby bush. She had made a hasty decision.

 

“Stay there, do you hear me?! Don't make a noise! We won't have time to run…there is nothing around here to hide inside for miles.” The dark-haired woman turned towards the carriage. “And I can't carry both of us back up that wall…It's different when descending, not too much power is used.” She gave him a sideways glance. “No matter what happens to me, stay behind that bush!”

 

“No, Icel!” He tried to stand, finding she was serious. His voice cracked with sadness “Please Icel, leave me here then. Fly up that wall alone. I'll stay quiet here. You can't face that power alone, don't be cocky.”

 

“Don't be a fool, Gabriel; whoever is in that damn coffin will know someone is out here. We disturbed his sleep, and destroyed his servants. He'll go looking for us. I'd rather he find me then you. Stay concealed until he is gone, do you understand?” She took a step toward the darkened carriage. “Listen to me for once, and just stay here. I will protect you for as long as I can.” She drew her sword, breathing hard. She could feel the overwhelming power surrounding her again—the black void cutting into her body with icy talons. It was terrible. Why does this power seem so familiar to me?

 

“No! Icellina, stay with me! I love you, don't be so damn stupid!” He watched from behind the bush as she ran towards the carriage, not looking back.

 

Please, stay hidden my dear boy, she advanced quickly towards the coach, getting hit with another powerful energy wave. It sent her flying into a rock, but she quickly recovered. This vampire is too strong; I will not let you parish for my foolishness. I'm sorry I've lead you down this path; you deserved better from me. I have lived a long life, and I've given you the knowledge I've gathered these thirty-five thousand years of being a hunter. Be strong, and stay hidden until it is safe for you to leave. Please, my dear Gabriel. Listen to me, and stay hidden!

 

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D dismounted his horse and looked across the barren town. It was pretty sad to see an abandoned place like this; left desolate after all its citizens were killed horribly by vampires. One vampire in particular, actually. Tying his robotic horse to a fence post, he shielded his eyes from the bright sunlight with his pale hand. What a pathetic loss, D walked down the main dirt road, looking calmly into the grimy buildings that lined the path.

 

He had been tracking this particular vampire for days now; finding nothing but rubble and death wherever he searched. Count Maeken was known around these parts as the Death Bringer, a formidable evil who seldom left people alive to tell the tale. So far, D had only encountered one in-tact village—but, even it was ruined to an extent. The citizens had been wary of the dhampile's presence, but were able to at least supply him with bits of information regarding his new target. He is a monster; living in hundreds of towns, villages, and castles, traveling from one place to the next, destroying all he touches. Albeit, the information wasn't all too informative, but at least it told D something about the vampire. No one knows where his true dwelling is; legend says that he materializes from his castle in Hell each night to walk among the living. One old woman in particular was bent on convincing D the legend was true. But, the dhampile knew better.

 

Peering through broken windows, he quietly searched for a possible shelter from the heat of the day. He had been out riding in this sweltering light for more than three hours now, and he was beginning to feel weak. Settling on one small, brown brick building, D entered the dingy structure and sighed. Darkness, at last. Sitting down on a hay stack in what once was a make-shaft barn, the worn-out dhampile rested his body against the cool wall.

 

Closing his eyes, D listened to the buzz of daytime outside of the barn. Spring at least, was still Spring—even if a plague was spreading across the land. Recently, this new vampire had emerged as a threat to mankind; raping the land of life, and replacing it with evil unparalleled. Over the years, Maeken had always been lurking around in the shadows of bigger, tougher vampires; while they secured their land and power. Keeping to himself for the most part—taking few victims in his wake, he was one of the few vampires humans didn't mind. But, for some reason, a few years ago he broke out from his reserved ways and became power-hunger and mad. Reeking havoc everywhere he went; such as this sad little town, Maeken began his blood-thirsty war against humanity. Moving from one place to the next, his killing spree grew to enormous quantities; and now, he held the two little Dosley girls hostage somewhere in one of his castles.

 

Emily and Kadence were, D was told, twins; both 15 years old, and known for being the most beautiful women in Rafort. Abducted during the night while walking home from a late gathering of friends, the two girls were last seen wearing their white party dresses and yellow rose-rimmed bonnets. Traveling alone on the outskirts of town, they must have known that trouble would surely find them. Stupid girls. Blond, with blue eyes, both were tall for their age—a good 5'7''; their capture must have been difficult to achieve, especially without anyone hearing or seeing anything. Heavy suspicion pointed towards the Count as the kidnapper. He had terrorized other people in Rafort that month, so the crime pointed towards him. D shifted in his seat. Maeken, have you killed those little girls?

 

“What are you thinking about up there, dhampile?” Left Hand suddenly interrupted his rest. “You're thinking about those two girls, eh? What is it with you and blonds?”

 

Ignoring the intrusion, D squeezed his hand into a tight fist, momentarily shutting up the parasite. He couldn't be bothered by that annoying talking hand right now.

 

“Oh, come on D. First there was Doris, and then that biker chick…and now, these twin beauties. Just admit it—you like the fair-haired breed.” He laughed uneasily, getting choked as his air supply once again got cut off by D. “Hey, I don't blame you—I, too, enjoy my occasional bout with the sandy-colored goods.” He choked out some more laughter. “Ah, hell. Who am I kidding? I just like sand!”

 

D continued bawling his hand into a fist until Left Hand stopped talking. You don't know what you're talking about…hand… The handsome dhampile felt the urge to sleep overwhelm him suddenly. Carefully taking his black hat off his head, he brushed his rich brown locks carelessly with his hand—sending a shiny cascade down his neck and back. Laying down uncomfortably on the hay pile, he snuggled his face into the rough strands underneath him. It wasn't the best bed he had ever laid on, but it was better than nothing. Relaxing into a semi-descent position, D slowly succumbed to sleep; his tense body released from the stress of the day. Soon, it would be nightfall—and the vampire hunter would be on his way once more, searching for Count Maeken and those little girls. Maeken…

 

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Opening her tender eyes to the intense white light, she warily looked around at her surroundings. It looked like she was in a cell of some sort, dingy and plain in decoration with chains attached to the far wall. It stunk as if hundreds of unclean men had their entrails ripped out; the steaming, putrid organs stuffed into a burning furnace, and set aflame. Where the hell am I? She tried to move her arms, but found they gave resistance when she pulled. What? Struggling to lift her head, she moved her grey eyes up her left arm to where it was bound to the ceiling. Chained, she hung there—suspended vertically in the middle of the cell; secured with chains attached to both her arms, and around her ankles. Her wrists were bloody and raw, and pain hit her when she fought the ensnarement. Shit!

 

“FUCK!!” She screamed, pulling savagely against the thick chains to free herself from this prison. Warm blood trickled down her slender arms, dripping onto her shoulders. Mingling with the dried remains of wounds, the warm liquid ran down her bare back, and between her lean legs. She was naked, dangling helplessly in the cold air of this prison. The large cell was empty, except for her, and it was dark—save for one large hole in the high ceiling above her, allowing the harsh light to come in. It stung her exposed body with its white terror, and she couldn't escape it. Gabriel, is Gabriel alright? She suddenly remembered that last night with him in the valley, when she had left him to hide behind that bush. Oh, God, please let him be alright! She twisted her body in vain again to free herself. Screaming out in agony once more, she gave up, hanging her head in shame.

 

“Gabriel?!” She begged out loud, not bothering to pick up her face. Her body was sore, and the light above wasn't helping. Choking her, it filled her bones and flesh with pain. “Gabriel?” She softly cried again, praying he wasn't in this same situation inside another prison. Please, Gabriel be alright!

 

A small thumping noise started coming from somewhere outside her field of vision. As time passed, it grew louder—until finally stopping directly behind her body. Striking her with full force, something sharp smashed into Icellina's back, making her roar with pain.

 

“So dhampile, you're finally awake?” Another strike hit her from behind—this time colliding with the back of her head. “That's such a shame. I was hoping you would have died already.” Pressing a blunt object next to her bare back, her assailant sent a powerful electric wave throughout her body. “Zeus ain't got nothing on me!” He laughed crazily, enjoying her misery. The electricity coursed up and down her frame and then suddenly stopped, leaving her shaking in its wake.

 

“Leave me alone, you BASTARD!” She managed to yell, despite the trembling. Spitting out blood, she swore at him again, pulling against the chains desperately. “When I get out of here…”

 

“But, you won't get out of here, you little shit. Alive, anyways.” That twisted laughter came again, resounding in her ears. He shoved the object against her skin again, sending another strong electric wave crashing into her. Licking his lips, he watched as she convulsed, crying out in pain. Dry heaving, her weak, broken body went limp.

 

“Stupid woman. You should know better than go against my Master. Killing his guards will cost you, dhampile.” Her attacker grinned, sinking back into the shadows, “You'll wish I'd killed you after HE wakes up…He'll make sure that whatever wounds heal from this beating, become one hundred times worse.” His yellow eyes disappeared into the surrounding darkness. “You'll see…he'll fix you up real nice. Dhampile hunter…”

 

 

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Howdy! Shiroiyuki here, hoping to give you some nice writer commentary!! Just joking, but seriously, I'd like to address all of you as readers. This is my very first Vampire Hunter D fan-fic, and hopefully, it won't be my last!

 

Like all of you, I am a huge fan of the series (and by series, I mean movies ^_^), and wish to make an exciting continuation with this story. Traveling three thousand years into the future after the second movie, Bloodlust, this story revolves around D and his encounter with the mysterious dhampile duo. Later chapters will tie the hunters together, and D will find out some *interesting* facts about his past…and about Icellina.

 

Stay tuned please, and review! I really want to know what you all think of my work, so don't be afraid to voice your opinions (even if they happen to be of the flaming kind).

 

Thanks!!!

 

~Yuki~