As darkness spread across the sky, unholy creatures stirred into the night. The Earth became the vampires' domain, people lived in fear. Everything the people used to live on was now the aristocrats' control. Few people challenged their authority but the battle ultimately ended in futility. However, a mysterious figure refused to cower under the aristocrats command. He battled them throughout his life. Cursed to live in a bloodsoaked destiny. He is the Vampire Hunter...
Prologue- Eyes of the Moon
As the barrier protected the perimeters of the Dilim Manor, the residents inside were living in fear. Ever since the arrival of Count Rodius Rest, the once peaceful land of Malikha, became the personal playground of the Count. He raped countless women in a pursuit of pleasure and turned people into the living undead. The undead terrorized villages, feasting on the villagers' blood. Trained vampire hunters barely deter these beasts. However, people gave up on the prospect of living in peace without the aristocrats. Instead, they submitted to the vampire's grasp. Two years ago, Count Rodius Rest left his castle to his daughter Gelan. The horror still continued but under new eyes. It was midnight, the moon was shining with all of its malevolence.
"Bloody moon, how I despise your malignant glare."
"Clara, it's time to go to sleep.", said the servant.
"How can I sleep when we live in the aristocrats control?!"
"What do you want us to do, Clara? Fight them? It would be suicide if we do that."
Clara was startled when her father suddenly spoke out of nowhere. His words were like a dagger to her heart. Every word was excruciating. She knew that he was right.
As she slept, her dreams would not let her rest. Creatures surrounding her. Every crevasse was closed, she was trapped. A midst of the accumulating oddities, her lost brother appeared, looking at her with such delight.
"I'm here Clara, I'll protect you...", his tone was accompanied with such passion that it comforted Clara.
"Landros, where have you've been? I thought I lost you.", cried Clara.
"I never left. I was watching you the whole time."
This distressed Clara and began to be afraid.
"What's the matter? Aren't you glad to see me?"
"Watching me? Who are you?", she began to back away from him. Suddenly, his eyes became stern and his pupils became bloodshot. His face became gray and fangs appeared on his teeth.
"I'm your brother. Join me. We will be together for eternity. Forget the filth of humanity and be blessed with the gift of immortality."
"Stay away!", she screamed with fury as her brother and the creatures were coming near.
She could not moved, something was restraining her. Her eyes widened as they got closer. Landros was smiling, grinning with malicious delight.
"No!!!!!!!"
In a flash, the nightmare was over. Morning broke and she woke up in a cold sweat. She's been having these nightmares ever since her brother Landros disappeared three years ago. She wanted to know what happened to him but her fear was holding her back. She feared for the worst but she wouldn't give up. In her heart, her hatred toward the aristocrats was deeper than her family's. The time Landros disappeared, the Dilim family hired many hunters to find their beloved Landros. To no avail, none of the hunters returned in one piece. Some parts of them were sent back to the Dilim family, a grim reminder that the disappearance was caused by the aristocrats. This frightened the family and they gave up on Landros ever since.
Outside the borders of Malikha, a lone, shadowy figure appears within the horizon. His presence was very powerful. His galloping horse commanded recognition. His face was covered by the dark, concealing eyes that has seen many bloodshed. The sight of the village in Malikha caught his eyes and decided to survey the area. The villagers went on with their ordinary lives, almost like they don't recognize the horrors stalking their world at night. The people suddenly saw the lone figure and they wondered who was this mysterious man was.
"So, are you going to pursue the rumors that some aristocrats reside here? Getting your hands dirty again?", a raspy voice whispered to the enigmatic man.
"That is none of your business."
"Fine then! Just tell me when you got something. I'll keep quiet for now. Oops, that was too loud. Sorry."
The man then stopped by a local store to collect some information. The local store clerk became uncomfortable by the sight of him. The man then approached him.
"Could you tell me where the Dilim manor is?"
The clerk reluctantly told him the location of the Dilim family. The man walked out without buying anything. As the afternoon past, the man arrived at the assigned destination and he stood outside the gates of the manor. Clara noticed the mysterious man outside their gate. She immediately went down and met with him.
"State your business, stranger.", said Clara but the man was silent.
"Well? Are you deaf or something?"
He lifted his dark face and revealed his enigmatic eyes. She was quite taken by his face.
"Is this the Dilim manor?"
"Yes, what is your business here?"
"I want to know if the job is still up?"
"What job? Do you mean the search for my brother?"
"Yes."
"My family gave up on him but I did not. It's been killing me ever since he disappeared. I want to know what happened to him. Come on in."
Clara handled the man's mechanical steed and placed it on one of her many stables.
"This is a rare steed. A DL4 model?", cheerfully said Clara but the man did not reply.
"You don't talk much do you? It's okay. That's your business, but tell me, what is your name?"
"Just call me D."
Clara kept D as a secret from her family for she fear that they will object. She let him live near the manor, one of the manor's guest houses. Looking at D gave her a feeling of both admiration and fear for she do not know him very well. Another night fell, Clara visited D to converse with him.
"D, when did you begin hunting vampires?", asked Clara but D avoided answering question by creating a new one.
"Could you tell me about the aristocrats residing in this land?"
"Well, the master of this land is Count Rodius Rest. He came to this land 1000 years ago. With him, chaos erupted in this land. The people became slaves and they could not do a thing. However, two years ago, Count Rodius left the castle for some unknown reason. He left it to his daughter Gelan. Rumor has it that she's about 5000 years old."
"Hmm, the old ones are very powerful."
Suddenly, the surroundings became hostile as malevolent noises can be heard from a distance. D became alert to the situation.
"They are coming."
"What do you mean they are coming? Don't worry about that, the barriers are protecting us right now."
Crackling noises began to pierce Clara's ears. The barriers were being torn down. The Dilim family were startled by the commotion and got up to see what was going on. They were shocked that the undead were entering their property.
"Clara, stay here."
"Alright."
"I do not want you to witness this so I have to put you to sleep.", D removed his glove from his left palm and revealed a symbiot. It touched her and she was immediately knocked out.
"What a pretty lady, D. Do you have any intentions with sleeping with her?", said the perverted symbiot.
"Do you value my left arm? If you do, keep your mouth shut."
"Alright, alright. I'll keep quiet."
D went out the guest house and confronted the intruders. The undead focused on him and they began attacking. D unsheathed his sword and blood began spilling on the Dilim grounds. While D was fighting, someone was watching him. Shocked with the defiance of this man, he became interested. As the fight soon finished, he confronted D from the shadows.
"Excellent skills, human. Been a long time since anyone defied the Rest family. My name is Lo Kanse. I'm afraid I have to kill you now.", boasted Lo but D did not respond.
"Afraid to talk? When I'm done with you, the sweet sound of your agonizing death will be heard across the land..", then he advance with his shotel. D effortlessly swung his sword infront of the oncoming shotel. D looked at Lo with those unforgiving eyes. Lo became intimidated and he backed away to regain his composure.
"You're better than I thought. I'll have to use my technique on you." His shotel became engulfed with flames and Lo threw it at D. He just dodge but unknown to him, a second shotel came from behind and stabbed D at the back. D coughed up blood in the process. Lo was laughing and he was prepared to kill D when the wounded D rose up from his injury.
"You bastard! That's impossible. You should have been wounded!", shouted the surprised Lo. D's stab wound miraculously healed up. Lo became more intrigued with D.
"What are you? No human can survive my attack.", then it hit him. D was a Damphire.
"This is the first time I battled a Damphire. Spawned from a human slut that one aristocrat had pleasures with."
To be continued...
Next Chapter: Journey into Forbidden Territory