Chapter 2
Battle

 
Dracula's pale blue fingers froze, throwing an unpleasant BANG of incompatible notes into the air.

"D..." Dracula's voice was soft, but deeper then D's. He stood up. His long brown hair was pulled back in a pony tail, except for his shorter bangs that draped over the right side of his face. He turned his head just enough to see the dhampire. His eyes and a gentle smile could be seen past his hair. "You're back."

"I'm not back." D said rebelliously. "All I want is to get the girl and go."

Dracula's smile disappeared. He stepped away from the piano and stood a few feet in front of D. He looked straight at the dhampire, trying to see his eyes under the brim of his hat, but D had his head tilted forward so that he wouldn't make eye contact with the vampire king.

"Don't come any closer." D demanded. "I have no intention to fight you, Dracula, but I will if I have to."

"Ohh... don't worry. The girl is fine. It's you I'm worried about." Dracula said, curling the fingers of his right hand around the trim of the left side of his cape.

"I'm not here to chat. Tell me where she is." D demanded again, tightening his grip on his sword.

Dracula took another step towards D. Within a split second, the hunter removed the blade from it's sheath, sliced it through the air and brought it down upon the vampire king. Just as quickly, Dracula shot a hand from under his cape and caught the blade in his palm.

"So you wish to fight me, D?" Dracula briefly looked away from the dhampire to watch droplets of blood trickle down his arm and the sword as the blade pierced his skin.

The vampire suddenly disappeared and D stumbled forward, catching his balance quickly, he lifted his sword and cautiously looked around. A shuffle from behind him, and he spun, blocking an attack as Dracula leaped from a high stone shelf. Their swords came together with an ear shattering clanging as they repeatedly swung at each other until they were caught sword to sword and face to face. Dracula had an odd smirk on his face as he looked past their swords at D.

"You've gotten good," The vampire commented. "But you can do better then this. Come, come, hunter. Show me what you've learned."

More noise echoed throughout the room and nearby halls as they continued to battle, too worked up in their dueling to notice the red glow intensifying from the giant stain glass window at the end of the room. It wasn't until the ghostly red cougar figure was ready to pounce did Dracula finally realize its presence out of the corner of his eye, causing him to pause long enough for D to nick his shoulder with his blade. The vampire king winced and jumped as he caught his bleeding shoulder, dropped his sword, and landed just in time to see the red ghost run right through the dhampire, attacking him.

"Damnit! Stop it!" Dracula shouted at the beast.

When the guardian backed off D was unconscious.