Vampire Hunter D Fan Fiction ❯ History repeats itself... does it? ❯ First Piece of the Puzzle ( Chapter 3 )

First Piece of the Puzzle

The cyborg horse was halted a short distance from the barn gates. It snorted and shook his head, pulling on the reins for them to be loosened.

"Coming!" a voice called from inside. "Good evening, sir." The man who finally emerged from the stable was busy cleaning his glasses with a corner of his shirt. "Can I.." - he looked up, then his eyes narrowed - "...help..." - quickly he put his glasses on, then gasped, and swallowed the rest of his offer.

D had dismounted, fluent movements showing the typical predatory grace of his immortal ancestors. Slowly he turned, the brim of his hat shadowing his face, the heavy cloak guising his form, covering his hands.

Abruptly the middle aged man stepped back and reached inside the barn, just behind the door, to grab a hayfork. "Don't come any closer!" he croaked, groping for the sharp pointed tool.

D halted and stood absolutely still. His monotone voice seemed to emerge right from the shadows. "I do not mean to harm you. I merely seek information."

"Ya...right..." Fearful sarcasm.

"No reasoning with those humans... tch..." Left Hand muttered but D muffled it by curling his fingers inside the cloak. "I'd like to take a look around the stables," D stated.

"I don't think so! Stay away! I mean it!" Suddenly D was faced with the business end of the hayfork.

"Do you want the missing persons to be found?" the hunter asked quietly. "Or do you wish to side with the kidnappers by hindering my investigation?"

"What?" The man straightened up in surprise, lowering his weapon unintentionally, then he jerked it up again. "You bastard! How dare you implying that?!" Angry and afraid he jabbed the fork towards D, scared witless but sure aiming to kill. He roared in angry defiance when his motion was suddenly halted, gasping when he realized the cause for his forced immobility. As if he had touched glowing embers the man let go of the hayfork and staggered back, staring with disbelief at the pale hand that had so effortlessly taken hold of the tool, at the long slender fingers gripping it tightly. His wide eyed gaze shifted to the hunter's face, meeting emotionless grey eyes which seemed to look right through him. The hayfork clattered to the ground, then D stepped past the shivering man and inside the stables.

"Well done, oh mighty hunter," Left Hand bickered. "You gained that guy's trust for sure!"

D ignored the parasite. With ease he moved through the shadows, having no problems in scanning the room despite the dim lighting. As much as he wished to deny it, the night, the darkness was his main realm.

The few real horses moved in their stalls, snorting or whinnying softly, while the cyborg horses remained impassive as D checked on each of them. A quick glance at the hooves, the manes, the tails, even the teeth, done and over with before the creatures could get nervous or even think about retaliation. He stopped in the stall of one of the black cyborg horses' running his hands down the creature's legs.

"What is it? Lemme see!"

D extended his left hand where the ugly little face of the parasite appeared to take a closer look. Left Hand scrutinized and sniffed, grunting in agreement to D's suspicions. "Looks like this one has been out in the woods today - and not exactly properly cleaned up..." The parasite wrinkled its already wrinkled nose. "And not only the hooves... if you know what I mean... yuck!"

"Any guess on the time?"

"Ah, gimme a break!" Left Hand complained, then grunted. "It's kinda hard to say, you know, with that thing standing in its own muck all day..."

"A time frame."

"Fine... lemme see that again... The tail too... And that stinking pile over there..." D complied and waited. "Well... it had forest bunchgrass for lunch, something not too common around town, also the leaves of some trees I haven't noticed in this locale...."

Abruptly D straightened up and turned to leave the stall. He didn't exactly expect cooperation from the owner of the stable, but he had to try anyway. As non-threatening as was possible for a man of his nature, his appearance and his reputation D stepped up to the still fearful stable owner. "Whose is that horse with the scratch on the side?"

The man swallowed his fear and stuck out his chin, crossing his arms over his chest. "Ain't telling you," he said, voice slightly quivering.

D's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Very well." With that he turned and briskly walked out. He was actually a bit surprised to find his horse where he left it, but then he suspected the man didn't want to draw the hunter's anger too much by shooing his mount away... He almost laughed, almost, and it would have been a bitter laugh.

"So, what now?"

D steered the horse around the next corner, a little ways down the street and into the next back road, where he turned the animal to face out onto the street again, then dismounted and took up position at the corner of the building. "We wait."