Vampire Hunter D Fan Fiction ❯ Untold Knight ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Catherine woke the next morning feeling exhausted as she dragged herself out of bed toward her dresser. Sitting down to brush her hair she noticed she was still wearing the diamond. Catherine took it off and dangled it in front of her face. She twisted the chain between her fingers and watched as the gem twirled around in the air. Catherine looked through her deck of guardian until she came across one called 'Sleight of hand'. She called out the guardian who was a woman dressed like a gypsy and had long black hair with blue eyes.
 
"You called on me mistress?" asked the woman.
 
"Can you tell me what this means?" Catherine thought for a minute, "Did you ever see a woman where something like this?"
 
"Yes, Ms. Kasha Lang; my old master." The woman looked around and saw the picture of Catherine's mother. "Her..." The woman pointed to the picture of Catherine's mother.
 
"Well, what does the gem stand for? What is its purpose?" Catherine yelled jumping up in frustration.
 
"Life... and patience..." The woman spoke slowly unfazed by Catherine's frustration.
 
"Thanks... you may return to your card." Catherine said holding the woman's card up.
 
The woman nodded and disappeared into her card. "I'm glad I have these, but it's hard to believe that is all the gem."
 
Catherine decided against getting dressed until she had to when her father woke up. So she decided to go about her business in her nightclothes. She felt odd as she seemed to be the only one up. Peaking down the hall she saw none of the servant attending to the dusting or cleaning of the wooden floors. Normally at least three people where there to take care of her, and see to her needs. Catherine checked every room but her father's leaving him to sleep.
 
She turned at a noise and spotted was the Countess Lamiae, which picked out her dress for her the night prior, come out of her father's room. 'What is she doing up?' Catherine thought feeling awkward. 'Why the hell was she in my father's room?' Suddenly hit by the realization that he father had a lover she felt tears well up in her eyes.
 
Running after the countess, and Catherine lashed out at the Lamiae throwing her into a wall. "Keep your filthy hands off of my father!" Lamiae looked at her a laughed sending Catherine into greater rage.
 
"You won't hurt me..." Countess Lamiae was surprised and was almost to slow to dodge Catherine's punch. Lamiae stood paralyzed with fear as Catherine came at her again angrily.. "Y-your e-e-eyes!" Catherine refused to be deterred by the pain in eyes as she charged. Lamiae watched as the flames grew in her eyes with every step grabbed a vase from behind her bringing it down over Catherine's head.
 
The vase shattered inches from Catherine's head as red flames shot out devouring the broken shards hungry. Catherine kept her head bowed enough her eyes were shadowed by her bangs from Lamiae. Grayson stepped out of his room awoken by the noise coming from the halls. "Stop it Catherine!" He pleaded seeing Catherine about to strike at Lamiae again. She dodged around Catherine ran for him, but he shoved her aside carelessly.
 
Furious not only at Lamiae but also at her father Catherine became deaf to his words. The flames licked at her body and reached out for Grayson who swatted them aside and wincing as it burned at his flesh.
 
Unable to hold the power much longer Catherine dropped to her knees as the flames died away into nothing. "Mother..." The word barely escaped her lips as she heard hoof beats coming up the road. Her hearing, sight, strength, taste, and magic had been somehow magnified.
 
Grayson stood back and watched as his daughter suffered through the pain; helpless to do anything. He could sense the strength she now possessed. He figured it to be enough to rival the King of Vampires if she learned to control it. "Kitty?"
 
"Shush!" Catherine closed her eyes and concentrated on the hoof beat; opened her eyes again and felt her spirit leave her body. Traveling down through the mighty door of the castle walls and down the rode to the rider. He was a tall man with long dark hair that flew out behind him untamed with his cloak. The beast beneath him cyborg and rushed on even as the man looked up as if he could see her. Drawing his blade he brought in down in an arc sending her spirit back to her body.
 
Crying out and gasping for air Catherine lay crumpled on the floor. "I hope we're expecting company." She looked up at her father who stood watching down at her with concern. Lamiae stood several feet behind him glaring down at Catherine arrogantly.
 
"I'm expecting no one." Grayson looked at her with sad eyes. "I can give you no answers for what is wrong with you. Just support. I've never seen this before."
 
"I will be fine dealing with this on my own." Catherine coughed lightly as she struggled to her feet, and back to her room.
 
Catherine spent the rest of the day sitting in a tree as from the castle as she could. She was talking to blonde woman she had summoned from one of her cards. Catherine had named the woman Shania. "I know I have no right to tell him he can't have a lover." Catherine growled angry at herself, and finding release in telling this to the woman before her. "It's just that I don't want him to forget mother."
 
"Maybe you should confront him?" answered Shania.
 
"Perhaps I should..." Catherine looked into the brightly colored sky. The sun was setting turning the sky a variety of bright colors. "I guess I should get back home. I'll train these new powers tomorrow with Dacca." Catherine held up Shania's card, and watched as the woman turned to smoke and returned to her card. Leaping from the large bows of three she rushed toward home welcoming the ache in already tired muscles.
 
_________________________________________________
 
"Damn you!" Grayson dodged a sword that threatened to cut into his heart. The tall man twisted around; his hat covered his eyes and facial features in shadows. The man swung his sword again catching the last rays of the setting sun. Grayson was too slow. The sword pierced his skin cutting into his left lung. Pulling the sword out of Grayson the hunter allowed him to fall on his knees knowing he had no chance of beating him anymore. "Before you kill me..." Grayson looked up at the man. "...Tell me who you are."
 
"D..." With that said the man impaled Grayson on his sword. D turned to the sound of Countess Lamiae coming up behind him. She backed away at first but then pounced on him hoping to catch him weakened. D moved out of her path and brought the sword down behind him without looking and took her head off from the back.
 
The castle doors slammed open.
 
"Father? I need to speak with you!" A female voice called out. D stood in the room refusing to move a single inch as the woman walked into the room and stopped.
Her black wavy hair pulled back in a low ponytail, her clothes hung loosely against her body. Catherine looked at her father's body then to Lamiae's. Holding back what were obviously tears she took up a fighting stance against him.
 
"I'm not here to fight you..."
 
"When you killed my father you picked a fight you can't win!" Catherine charged forward, and stopped abruptly as D dodged. Quickly changing her course to jump into the air hitting him with the back off her foot. D fell to the floor with a thud as she came down at him with her knee.
 
D was barely on his feet in time to dodge Catherine's foot, which broke through the floor. Jumping up he slammed is elbow into her back; listening as several vertebrae shattered on impact. He waited to see if she'd heal in time to come after him, and when she didn't move he sheathed his sword.
 
"I told you I wasn't going to fight you..." D left quickly before did heal enough to come at him again.
 
Catherine cried out as her vertebrae shifted back into place. By the time her back had healed enough for her to move and run after him he was just moving out of sight.
 
Catherine ran back into the house to her father's side momentarily forgetting about the hunter. "Father?" She began to cry as she moved him onto her lap. Her only hope was that he'd open his eyes and laugh at her for worrying over him while he healed as he had so many times before. "Father----!" Catherine's yell echoed down the road to reach the attentive ears of the fleeing hunter.
 
"You know D, you didn't have to kill that countess. She was probably the girls mother.” The parasite in his hand mumble as D gripped the reins tighter.
 
"No. It's not possible because the girl was a half breed; and looked nothing like the countess."
 
"Still! That girl had a strange power though, and if she hadn't been as upset as she was you'd have lost."
 
"Shut up," D demanded. They rode in silence and picked up the cash in the town of Nicar.