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Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlines	By : devilsdoormat Category: +S to Z > Vampire Hunter D Views: 1732 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Vampire Hunter D is obviously not my original property. I will make no money and benefit only emotionally from sharing. The title character, D, is pulled from both animated movies and not from the manga.

Chapter List
- 5
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"My coffee tastes weird. Does your coffee taste weird? Let me taste your coffee." Tengen was leaning over the small table, passing glances to Val, Renshen and Gencho.

"The coffee is fine, Tengen. Calm down." Renshen muttered.

They were sitting in a cafe of sorts, half open to the street and half covered by part of the restaurant. The table was draped with a white cloth, the chairs small and delicate. They'd all gotten dressed and found a place to eat.

The town was already bustling with people, but none seemed too concerned about their huge vehicle parked on the side of the cobblestone road or the four hunters sitting at a cafe table drinking coffee and eating breakfast.

The people of Morrow Valley were well dressed and smiling, waving at one another and saying 'How do you do?' 'Well!' 'How is your wife?' 'Have you tried the pork?' and all sorts of friendly banter. A farmer was pushing a cart of vegetables down the road, the cart bouncing a little and making a racket. A wealthy looking couple was walking arm in arm down the sidewalk and laughing together.

"It's so.. nice.." Val whispered.

"I know, creepy right?" Gencho grinned and took a bite of his toast. He was looking around as well, checking out the various people and narrowing his eyes at them, "It's almost like they don't know that their king is a filthy blood sucker."

"Shush now, Gencho." Renshen coughed, "Passin' through, remember?"

"Ah, fuck it." Gencho shoved the rest of the piece of bread into his mouth all at once and chewed obscenely, "Whassa point of bein' a huntah den?"

"You want the witch to pull your arms and legs off, man?" Tengen asked him, smirking, "Because I like my limbs right where they are."

"He's right, Gencho. I hate to say it, but you're gonna have to wait until we're outta here to talk the way you do." Valeria chuckled, "Your mouth is a major liability."

"Fuff.." Gencho swallowed and then grabbed his coffee cup, "It's just so weird."

"Maybe it's magic." Val said.

"Is it?" Renshen asked her.

"Eh, it could be. But I can't sense it." Val sighed, "If that witch is really Elsira the Black Madam, this whole place could be an illusion and we're all face down in a ditch somewhere, twitching and dreaming."

"Eck, what?" Tengen scowled. He lifted his eye patch, looking at Val with both eyes, "Don't even joke about that. That's fucked up."

"It's true though. I've heard about the Black Madam." Val took a sip of her coffee, "Long ago, of course, but she's mentioned in my book once or twice too."

"So tell us about her." Tengen waved a hand at Val.

"She's powerful, I know that." Val said, looking to each of the men one at a time, "My mother was afraid of her and said that each incarnation of the Black Madam was equally fearsome."

"Each incarnation?" Gencho tilted his head.

"The Black Madam will always have a daughter. The daughter will kill her own mother, take her power and then become the next Black Madam. It's how it's always been for centuries or longer." Val shrugged, "Might be a legend, might be true. But the Black Madam deals in souls apparently, and making deals with people. The first Black Madam made a deal with a demon and now all of her daughter's are cursed to gather souls for it."

"A demon?" Renshen asked.

"That's what the legends say." Val was scooping fried egg onto her toast with a careful motion of her fork. She didn't want to get her black outfit messy, "I'm not going to ask her the details."

"I wouldn't be offended if you did." That familiar voice startled them.

Val nearly fell from her chair as she turned to see the Black Madam herself, in her black and red cloaks, standing only a few feet from the table. She'd appeared there suddenly and only been noticed when she'd spoken. Her hood was pushed back, her face exposed. The long, crimson red hair with the white streaks was hanging down to her shoulders, her black blouse seen. There was a soft push of cleavage visible. Her eyes were ice blue and her face pale, but she was smiling at them.

"Ah!" Tengen did fall out of his chair.

"Did I startle you, hunters?" Elsira smirked and then wrapped her cloaks around herself. She walked around the side of the table so she might look at each of them, "Did you not sleep well last night?"

"We slept just fine." Gencho responded, sipping his coffee and glaring at the witch.

"I know you won't believe me, but I am actually glad to hear that." Elsira eyed Gencho, "I've been thinking over our encounter and perhaps I was a bit too aggressive with you lot. You can't imagine how stressful it is to see your kind come shambling toward the town my only daughter lives in. Worse yet to see you about to attack her. Can't you at least see it from that point of view, hunters? Meredith is my child. I must keep her safe."

"I understand wanting to keep your child safe." Renshen nodded, "And we mean no harm here, Elsira. We'll be leaving after we eat, heading on to Raziel's castle. We'll be outta your hair soon."

"That is what I meant to discuss with you." Elsira stated, "You won't be able to get to him."

"If you're referring to the maze around his castle, we know. We brought explosives." Renshen nodded his head, "We're set."

"It isn't a Labyrinth that can be opened with human weapons, Renshen Bui." Elsira told him, "It is a magical maze, created by a witch. She must be very powerful, more powerful than even myself! Raziel must have found a witch who could create such a structure to protect himself. But he would still need to pass through, yes? He would go hungry locked away in there for too long."

"So we can't blow it up?" Tengen asked.

"No. You can't. You need a key." Elsira grinned.

"You gonna help us?" Gencho asked Elsira.

"In a way. I will tell you what the key is, and you can decide whether or not to use it." Elsira ran her fingers through her long hair and tilted her head to the side, "Or rather, whether or not to ask the key very nicely to help you."

"Are you the key?" Renshen asked.

Elsira laughed ever so softly.

"Oh, no. Not me." She shook her head, "You see, the doors in the maze can only be opened by the fresh blood of the family Morrow. Not a vial of blood. The real deal. Right from their veins. That is how Raziel passes in and out of the maze to continue hunting."

"So we ask this vampire king for help?" Tengen was confused.

"Romulus will not help you. Neither will either of his two remaining children, Gabriel and Lucia. They are full blooded nobles, unwilling to leave their comfortable castle. However, there is another child of his living in that castle." Elsira placed her hands on her hips.

"You.. You mean that Meredith Dun- Dhampir?" Tengen sat up.

"You're saying we need to ask your daughter for help?" Val leaned in her chair.

"You could always ask." Elsira smiled.

"I thought you wanted to protect Meredith. Keep her safe." Renshen narrowed his eyes.

"I do. I do." Elsira nodded, "But I realized last night how futile it was. There will always be hunters, and someday Meredith will grow up and.. Well.."

Elsira looked off for a moment.

"I will not always be around to protect her. She has to experience life. She has to experience adventure and all the pain that comes with it. The danger. The camaraderie. The harsh truths of reality. I can no longer keep my child a child. She's been wanting to leave this town, wanting to see the world. She can if she goes with you. I am sure since you would need her that you would take care of her." Elsira closed her eyes, "And the real truth of the matter is that Raziel will never stop until he finds a way to kill Meredith. I am not strong enough to break the spell of the maze and my power has diminished much in the last few years. Only Meredith can do this. But you have to protect her."

"You really mean that." Renshen was closing his eyes too, "You'd let your daughter risk her life to join our quest?"

"I have to let her be free." Elsira turned away, "It is time."

"We're gonna ask her to join us?" Tengen raised an eyebrow, "Guys.."

"You need her, hunters." Elsira said, "You won't be able to get very far without her, and I won't send her alone to end her own brother. Meredith is not a killer. That is what you are for."

"So, I wanna ask.." Gencho leaned on the table, "How.. isn't she a killer? I mean, she's not human, I can see that, but she's not like any Dhampir I've ever seen."

Elsira chuckled.

"When Meredith was born I placed a magical charm upon her. You will see it on her left arm. It is a seal of magical protection." Elsira explained, "It guards her from the more.. negative side effects of being what she is. She loves the sun. She can spend all day in it. She doesn't thirst for blood. Not at all. She's strong and she's fast. Beautiful. Her senses are dulled, but better than most humans. What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

"Why?" Val asked her.

"To give her a chance in a world of people like you." Elsira told them, turning to face them again, "If you cover her ears, she is human. She can blend in. No one will attack her or harm her."

"I don't think she likes us much after last night." Tengen tapped his fork against his plate.

"Apologize to her. She's very forgiving." Elsira smiled, "Meredith has a good heart, you will discover that. I would approach her soon though. Your competition is about an hour away."

"Ah, shit!" Tengen slapped his own forehead.

"Y'know, I forgot about that guy." Gencho laughed.

"Elsira.." Renshen began, "Thank you. I'm sorry about the trouble."

"It is fine. Just take care of my daughter and we'll consider it even." Elsira began to walk away, her cloaks trailing behind her, "At ten in the morning she will be by the western woods, near the lake. I will make sure that she is alone."

Elsira simply disappeared again, in broad daylight, into a mist of shadow. The townsfolk who were nearby didn't react all, apparently used to the sight.

"I wanna learn how to do that." Val sulked.

"What time is it right now?" Renshen asked.

"Uh, the clock tower says nine." Tengen shifted so he could look up at the building across the street.

"Why don't we pay for our breakfast and find this western wood, eh?" Renshen finished his coffee, "If we need this girl to complete the job, I want to make sure we talk truthfully to her. Ain't gonna lie about what the job is and why."

"Killing her brother?" Val raised her top lip.

"Like I said, I don't wanna lie to her." Renshen was standing, "Let's go."

***

Meredith had her sketchbook open and was gazing across the lake. It was the same old lake with the same old willow tree on the other shore. She exhaled and tried to draw the tree again. It would look great, just like the other ten sketches she'd done of it.

Her attention was grabbed by the subtle movements in the grass many feet away, near the edge of the woods. Meredith smelled the air and caught the faint scent of a wolf. It wasn't Aatrak though and she felt like she'd been popped and the air was escaping her lungs. She hadn't seen him all morning. He hadn't come to breakfast.

No, this was an actual wolf. It was dark gray and black, moving cautiously in the high grass. It was moving to the lake, many feet away from Meredith. Did it not sense her?

She froze, trying to remain as still as she could. Just like with the deer.

The wolf was lowering its muzzle to the water, beginning to drink.

She'd caught it in a moment of repose.

Meredith placed her charcoal pencil to the sketchbook paper very softly, looking down for a moment to make sure she was drawing in a blank area. When she raised her eyes back to the wolf she found that it was looking right back at her. It had sensed her after all.

Those amber eyes met hers and it stepped back and sprinted away, back into the woods.

"Dammit.." Meredith sighed.

She heard boots in the grass and perked up. Aatrak? Why was he walking so loudly?

"A predator animal always knows when you're watchin' it." A voice from the previous night was heard.

"Huh?" Meredith stood up, turning, and faced the tall, older man once more. She wasn't wearing her cloak that morning but she was grasping for her satchel, holding her sketchbook to her side.

He fixed his cap.

"I think we got off to a bad start, Meredith. I'm sorry." The man lifted his cap from his head, placed it to his broad chest and nodded at her, "My name is Renshen Bui. We are hunters, yes, but we aren't after your father. We're after your brother, Raziel."

"I'm.. I'm not alone!" Meredith said to him.

"We're not gonna attack you, Meredith." Renshen Bui put his hat back on and held his hands up, palms out, "I made them leave their weapons in the car. We just wanna talk to you."

"We?" Meredith looked around.

"I also made them wait about ten yards back. I came here to talk to you, one on one." Renshen smiled at her, but he twisted his brows, "I don't know if you're aware of what your brother is doing to the town he's living near, or what he's doing to your father's kingdom, but he's not a good guy."

"Raziel is a dick." Meredith said, looking at Renshen with nervous eyes, "I know what he's doing."

"You know he's killing a lot of innocent people then?" Renshen asked.

"I.. I heard that." Meredith replied.

"We need you, Meredith Morrow." Renshen lowered his hands to his sides.

"What? Why?" She blinked at him.

"This might seem like a lot to ask from you, and you hardly know us, but bear with me." Renshen began. He was taking out his cigarettes and lighting one, "Your mother told us that Raziel has a magical maze around his castle. Only Morrow blood can open the doors in the maze. You're the only one who will want to help us, so we were told to offer you the chance to come along. Your mother said she'd let you go on this quest with us, but it's more of a job really. We're getting paid for it. We're gonna kill your brother, take proof back to the town he's terrorizing and collect a huge bounty. Then we're gonna bring you home again."

"I get to leave Morrow Valley?" Meredith asked him, "I get to see the world outside? I'll be getting my brother killed, but he's a dick.. but I get to leave here and go outside?"

She was getting steadily more worked up until she was dancing in place.

"I get to go out!" Meredith jumped up and down.

"Uh, yeah." Renshen blinked at her. His cigarette hung in his open mouth.

"And if Raziel can be talked to, and calmed down, maybe we don't gotta kill him, right? Don't answer that! It's Ok. Who knows? No one is inherently a dick. But it's cool! I'll come with you! I'll help! Oh my God-Oh my God-Oh my God!" Meredith grinned ear to ear and leaned toward Renshen, "Pinch me! I feel like I'm dreaming! This is the greatest day of my life!"

"I guess that's a Yes then?" Renshen chuckled.

"Yes!" Meredith skipped around along the beach, swinging her satchel, "I am totally stoked to come! But I need to pack! I have to get a bag of stuff to bring with me. Clothes and money. And food! My sword, of course!"

"Sword?" Renshen took a drag off of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke outward.

"Yeah, I'm battle trained. It's cool." Meredith ceased her skipping, put on a serious face and held a hand over her own chest, "I was trained to be a warrior, so I can help in fights!"

"Hah.." Renshen smiled at her.

"I'm pretty awesome at it, of course." Meredith posed, flexing an arm before breaking down into hysterics again, "This is gonna be so cool! I can't wait to tell Shoyan and Aat-"

She stopped. Her eyes lost their fire.

"Somethin' wrong, sweetie?" Renshen frowned.

"Nah.." Meredith shook her head, "I just need to say Goodbye to someone and it's gonna be hard. But otherwise, it's gonna be great. I'll head back to the castle and get my stuff. Are we leaving today?"

"We were gonna leave when you were ready." Renshen nodded to her.

"Oh man!" Meredith jumped, "Ok! I'll meet you at Town Square!"

With that, Meredith took off into the woods.

She nearly knocked Tengen over as he approached her.

"Hi! I can't wait to meet you again! But better this time!" Meredith called back at Tengen as she ran like the wind through the trees toward the town.

"That wasn't hard." Val commented, walking well in the woods even in her heels.

"That kid is nuts." Gencho was coming toward the beach, "But hell, what do I know? I'm a hunter who works with Dunpeals now, remember?"

"Temporary, Gencho. Temporary." Renshen stated, "Be nice to her."

"And don't try to fuck her, Ok?" Val said to Gencho, smirking.

"I'm not into that kinda thing, Snowflake." Gencho scowled at her. He wasn't amused.

"Quiet, all of you." Renshen pointed at each of them, "Have some respect for her, got it? She's gonna be our guest and partner for awhile, so you'd better shape up and accept it. She's not a typical half blood. You heard the witch earlier. And you saw Meredith. She's not dangerous. She's just a kid."

"Just a kid who could eat us in our sleep." Gencho growled.

"Gen, shut it or I'll shut it for you." Renshen pointed at the younger man, "Let's head back into town. If I can avoid crossing paths with that Dhampir hunter I'd really like that. Let's just get Meredith and go."

Tengen was lighting up a cigarette and walking into the woods followed by Val.

Gencho frowned at Renshen, shook his head and then stalked after the other two.

Renshen sighed and walked behind them.

***

Maybe Shoyan had tried to wake him earlier. He wasn't sure.

He wanted to stay in bed.

He never wanted to get out of bed.

"You're just angry that you weren't the first." Gallicker had said, grinning. His teeth were sharp. Sharper than his. He was younger, faster and flawless. He was alabaster and smooth. No scars. Time had not taken the best from him and left him a crying old man trying to hold onto a life he only had memories of. Memories and fading photographs.

Of course she would be attracted to him.

The witch in the swamp, Elsira the Black. Elsie the Swamp Witch. She had given him a new lease on life. But for what? What was there now? There was no child to care for.

He had nothing.

The pain in his guts echoed suddenly. What he had given for her..

"I will call in a favor one day as payment, Aatrak the Wolf." Elsira had said, smiling at him. She looked like Meredith. Her eyes were blue like hers. Her hair was red and her skin was pale. But Meredith was far more beautiful and full of light and life.

His beautiful Dhampir, Princess Meredith Morrow, perfect and pure.

Not so pure.

Aatrak felt hatred and heat coil inside of himself. Wherever he was, he was dreaming, and he knew it. He knew it because of the way the perspective skewed and changed. However, knowing it was a dream did not change the emotions that he felt. What was this emotion? He had felt it before, pulling his guts into his chest and stoking a fire in his blood.

Jealousy?

No, he would never feel that.

It was not jealousy.

Why would he feel jealous?

He had raised her. That bastard Gallicker had taunted him, said those horrible things. He was wrong. So wrong.

Aatrak was in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. In his arms, he felt her weight. Waking up in his own room, seeing the way the lanterns sent shadows across the stone walls. It was warm for being a castle, and the window was stained glass. Outside it was snowing.

Snowing?

It was summer.

Unless..

Aatrak looked down at the woman in his arms and remembered. He remembered the night Meredith had been crying because she had wanted to spend time with Romulus and he had dismissed her. He had been too busy with Lucia and Gabriel to help Meredith practice her fighting. So, as usual, Meredith had come to see Aatrak. When she had begun to cry, but had tried to hide it, such a stubborn, prideful girl she was, Aatrak had embraced her and taken the brunt of her sorrow.

Not even Shoyan had seen Meredith cry since the girl had turned twelve.

No, just him.

"I just.. I just want him to notice me." Meredith had cried into his lower chest, near his stomach. She didn't each reach his breast yet, "Why have a kid if you aren't going to spend time with them? Or even look at them?"

"Shh.." Aatrak stroked her hair, his claws careful not to scratch her scalp, "Your father is a very busy man, Mere. He loves you though."

"No, he doesn't, Aatrak. You're more of a dad to me than he's ever been." Meredith sobbed, trying to hold onto the thicker, stronger man towering over her, "Why didn't you and Shoyan just take me away from here when I was a baby? I don't belong here."

"I.." Aatrak lowered his chin, silenced momentarily, "Mere, you know that we could not have-"

"I know.." Meredith sniffled, her tears wetting his shirt and seeping in until he felt the cool moisture on his flesh, "Stealing a baby from a vampire Lord and his witch girlfriend probably isn't the smartest thing two Barbaroi mercenaries could do."

"Heh.." Aatrak gave her a squeeze, smelling the salt of her tears and the musk of her sadness, "Perhaps, when you are older, and you are ready to establish yourself as a vampire Queen, you can employ the services of both Shoyan and myself."

"Two things wrong with that logic." Meredith was wiping at her eyes, removing a hand from Aatrak's side, but she was smiling up at him, "One, I'm not a vampire. Not really. And two, you guys aren't even employed here. You work for free."

"We do get something more valuable than gold from staying here." Aatrak told her and pushed some of her red hair away from her face, "Do you know what it is?"

"You big cheesy dog." Meredith grinned, looking away, and gave him a push. She didn't push him away however, and pressed her cheek to his stomach a moment after, "Don't say it's me."

"It is you." Aatrak grinned.

"You're so corny." Meredith gave him a squeeze, "I love you, Aatrak."

"I love you too, Mere." He replied and gave her a squeeze back.

"Oof, don't crush me now, big guy." Meredith laughed, sounding much better and more lighthearted.

It made him happy to see her returning to her usual self.

"You are a Dhampir. You are stronger than an old wolf." Aatrak patted her shoulder, "And tomorrow we will go to the western woods, to the clearing, and we will train. How does that sound?"

"Really?" Meredith asked, looking up at him. Her blue eyes were so bright and warm.

"Yes, you are fourteen now. It is time that a real warrior took you under their wing. Or, claws, as it were. Not to insult your father, Mere, but I am a Barbaroi mercenary, am I not? There are decades of battle knowledge in these old bones, and I will teach you everything that I know." Aatrak told her.

"Old bones? Old wolf? Shut up about that, Aatrak. You're not old." Meredith feigned a punch into his belly, fist pushing against muscle, "What does Shoyan say? A little bit of gray doesn't mean you're fading away? You're still young. Young enough to train me and fight me proper! I don't want you to hold back!"

"No?" Aatrak grinned, showing his fangs, "Is that an order?"

"Yes! I order you to train me and fight me right! If you're gonna do it, don't skimp out on me, Aatrak!" Meredith chuckled and then hugged him again.

Her hug was tight, reminding Aatrak that she was in fact half vampire.

He ran his fingers through her hair. In a few short years she'd reach his chest. She'd never reach his shoulders. Like Shoyan, she'd be shorter than him by at least a head. But for now, she was small enough to disappear into his hug. She was still little enough to be his Mere. She would ask him to shift so she could ride on his back. He would decline, politely, and say that he only shifted when he hunted. She would pout and he would feel awful while he contemplated just letting her have what she wanted. Then she would smile and hug him, saying it was fine and that she still loved him.

This wasn't the same Meredith that he'd woken up with in his room.

He was still dreaming, that much was obvious, and the red hair he was running his claws through was indeed hers. But she wasn't a child that had fallen asleep on his chest that cold winter night. This was a woman.

Aatrak willed himself to wake up. This dream had shifted him back to his bed with her laying on top of him, her body warm and very grown up. This was the nineteen year old Meredith, far too old to be sleeping in his bed. He willed himself to think about their training in the western woods, in the clearing.

And, for a few moments, it worked.

They were together in the clearing and he was going easy on her. She could tell and was cross with him, telling him to use his full strength.

Aatrak did not comply at first, but he eventually forced her down and he did throw her very hard to the ground. Fine. He could be a warrior if that is what she wanted. It had hurt so badly. She'd been choking and holding her chest. No, she hadn't been hurt that much. But he had. It had hurt him inside to see her struggling and in pain, but he grimaced and lowered himself to the ground.

He'd flashed his yellow eyes at her, showing fangs and little mercy.

That is what she'd wanted, and she'd actually smiled.

"Thank you, Aatrak.." Meredith wiped blood from her mouth, "My turn, Ok?"

"You will not be able to land a hit on me, Meredith." Aatrak had told her, his voice deep and as rough as gravel, "Worry about defense this lesson. Without defense, your attacks are meaningless."

"We'll see about that!" Meredith charged him. She was so fast for one so young.

Again, he dodged her, grabbed her throat and slammed her into the ground. He had thrown her backward. She left a long channel through the mud and dirt, sliding many feet into the clearing until she rolled over herself and landed on her bottom. Her back was a mess, her leather armor shredded. Within seconds she was turning around and getting to her feet, attempting another charge at him.

"It is my turn now, Meredith!" Aatrak yelled, "Not yours! But we will do it your way!"

He grinned and lunged, tracking to the left of her before moving in fast. Aatrak grabbed for her, catching her leg as he dove, and literally tossed her in a quick, powerful swing downward.

Again, Meredith ate the dirt, sliding face first for many feet.

"Defend yourself!" Aatrak barked at her, "Do not just run at me! You are an easy target! Sense where I will attack! Use your abilities! You have them! Charging into a battle will get you killed, Meredith Morrow! Use your brain!"

"I am.. I am using my brain!" Meredith was standing, shaking as she clenched her fists, "And.. I will defend myself! But it's my turn now again! And.. you said to defend myself, but how can I if I am attacking on my turn, huh?!"

"You can defend while you attack." Aatrak grinned at her, showing his fangs.

Meredith wavered, paused, for a good few seconds before she came charging at him again.

Again. She was charging at him just like she had done for the last hour.

Aatrak prepared to grab her and throw her again and, when she got close enough, he dodged and moved to the left. His clawed hand went out for a leg that wasn't there. It happened so quickly. She'd moved. Meredith was gliding over him, twisting her body, and he'd missed it. She was a blur. He felt her hands on his shoulders, her fingers digging in.

And suddenly he was being catapulted backward, her inertia dragging him along, pulling him up and over herself as she toppled to the ground. Meredith threw him up over herself and then down, hard, into the ground on his back.

It had happened so fast and he bounced, his bones rattling as he hit the earth.

It had hurt.

But he was laughing out loud, his hand upon his face. Aatrak was laughing with joy. Triumphantly. Proudly.

Proud of her.

"How was that?!" Meredith beamed, dirt and blood smeared across her pretty little face. Her red hair was a tangled mess. Her clothing was ruined.

"That was excellent! Now do it again! And this time, I will be expecting it! So it will be much, much harder!" Aatrak was still grinning ear to ear, pride swelling in his chest.

She'd eventually beat him way too easily.

But not yet.

There would be much training to do.

The memories had passed.

He was faced with her red hair upon his bare chest again. Bare chest? No. This dream could stop now. Aatrak gritted his teeth, feeling the hot coils in his guts twisting. He fought against the urge throw her off of him onto the floor but was aware of her nudity under the blanket covering the both of them. For her honor he would not do that. It would be indecent.

What sick fantasy was this? Had Gallicker's words really gotten to him?

"Wake up." Aatrak said to himself, closing his eyes. He was aware of his own breathing and of the sound of the wind outside. The scents in the room were overpowering him. The smell of the lantern burning, the smell of the snow outside. The smell of her. The smell of himself.

She smelled like wanting. She was stirring.

"Mm?" Meredith traced her fingers across his chest, causing every hair upon his body to stand on end, "Aatrak, what's the matter?"

"This is a dream." Aatrak spoke, his voice cracking. It felt so very real, but he knew that it could not be.

"Is it?" Meredith asked him.

"Yes, it is a dream." Aatrak muttered, feeling her body move along his, "Soon I will wake up and forget about this."

"Do you really want to forget about it?" Meredith asked him and looked up at his face. She was so beautiful. Her hair flowed like red rivers around her pale flesh, laying on his chest and pooling. Her skin felt warm and good against his own. She was smiling, showing off fangs, "Haven't you wanted this, Aatrak?"

It was a dream. He'd never seen her fangs. She'd never had fangs.

Relief at what he already knew seeped through his core. Of course it was a dream. He'd known it the entire time, but it felt better to be proven correct. This wasn't his Meredith. Her skin was paler. Her freckles were gone. Her eyes were colder.

"No." Aatrak said, eyes wide, "No."

"You lie." That wasn't her voice. Meredith smiled at him, the expression coy and playful. .

"You are not Meredith.." Aatrak whispered.

"I've always wanted to know what you taste like." Meredith licked his chest, near his right nipple, and grazed her fangs along his skin. The dark chest hair was standing up, "Maybe I'll try a sample."

"You.. you will not." Aatrak stated and then tried to push her off of himself with weak arms.

"You don't like this side of me?" Her eyes were glowing red, like Elsira's had. He remembered those eyes, at the boundary.

"No!" Aatrak cried out.

Then she was straddling him, blankets being pushed away from her body.

Her breasts were perfect, her stomach smooth and lovely.

Her red hair spilled down in waves. She never wore her hair that way.

Who had he seen with red hair spilling down across her shoulders?

What was this?

Sick. A sick fantasy.

"I knew you'd love me as a woman." The voice was Elsira's, "Now, be a good dog.. and Stay!"

"Meredith!" Aatrak exclaimed.

And then he woke.

"No! No!" Aatrak was crying out, grabbing for the false Meredith. He could move and he could throw her off.

But there was nothing there.

The air was cold against his skin, the room was dark. It smelled like summer rain. The only sound he heard was his own breathing, hard and fast, and the patting sound of the storm outside. He was frantic, clawing at himself, and he was scrambling for the blankets he'd tossed off during his nightmare. He felt his heart beating.

He had to remain still for a few long moments. The endorphins were still rushing through his veins.

He could smell the wanting he'd experienced. His room stunk of it. But it did not smell like Meredith.

Rage and shame took him and he rolled onto his side, his face in his hands.

He convulsed with his pained sobbing.

What sick horror had been visited upon him?
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Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlines