Chapter 4
Nature's Medicine
The nurses must have removed his clothes to treat his wounds, he thought. The dhampire had bandages all over his body. He peeled one on his thigh back and sneered at the sight. Under the bandage was not only drying blood, but another substance. It was a green, thick liquid that mixed with his blood. A bacteria the monster that surprised him had infected him with when it attacked him. The infection made him sick and caused his natural healing to slow down significantly. If he were a human, he'd be dead. Yes, the creatures Dracula made were very powerful.
It smelled terrible too. D jerked his head back as the stench of sulfur and decomposing corpses leaked from the wound to where he could smell it. He put the bandage back and let the odor pass.
D looked around the room again, unsuccessfully looking for his belongings. The only clothing he found was a white robe near the bed. He tried to stand up, but his knees began to tremble, the pain rising in his straining muscles. The dhampire stood straight up, he would have fallen if he hadn't of grabbed the bed post and caught his balance. He growled at his own incapability, his muscles tensed with the pain. The dhampire stood there for a moment, until he could coax his body to stand on its own. He took steady steps, keeping himself up by holding the closest object to him until he was able to grab the robe and put it on. He headed towards the door, walking slightly faster with his adjusting muscles, grabbing onto things to keep his balance.
When he walked out the bedroom door, the same little blue creature who confronted him before was waiting.
"Master! Your wounds have not healed yet!" It said concernedly. "If you need anything, I can get it for you. What do you need, Master?"
"...Leave me alone." D ordered in a weak tone.
The guardian did as he was told.
D wondered around the castle until he found the back doors that lead to the gardens. The dhampire stood under the shade of the stone canopy above the doors as his eyes explored the beauty outside of the castle. His fathers land stretched for miles upon miles.
Just before him, was a series of marble pathways, lined with columns and streams of clear water on either side of the marble. The columns were holding up large marble bricks that acted like a roof to the paths. Ivy and other plants were growing all over the structure, showing its age.
To D's left was an open field with a large flower garden in the middle. The marble pathway was connected to it and was placed through the garden like a maze of colorful flowers. In the center of the garden was a pond and three statues.
To his right was the pasture and a fancy farmhouse. This was where Dracula kept all of his horses, cows, chickens, goats, and any other animal he wanted or needed. His father liked animals, D remembered. He always kept rare and exotic creatures around the castle and in the gardens, like the tiny neon fish the dhampire watched swim up and down the path streams.
The rest of the land was a forest with another series of dirt paths. D knew those paths by heart. He would always ride his horses down to visit the waterfall and the river that the mote was once connected to, but has since been blocked off because of quakes and the shifting earth.
The dhampire took some steps into the sunlight then made himself a seat on the side of the marble path, hanging his feet over the side and letting the cool, gently moving water massage his aching lower legs. He leaned against a column and looked out at the land before him, taking in its beauty and serenity.
He blinked a few times. The dhampire was beginning to get tired again. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, quivering from the pain. When he opened his eyes, it was dark. The hybrid looked around stiffly. The sun had gone down and it was night. Must have fallen asleep again, he thought. An entire day had gone by in what seemed to be a single moment.
A splash, and some droplets of water jumped into D's face. He lifted a hand to wipe the drops away before looking up at his offender. A tall, hairy creature snarled down upon the dhampire, then shot a claw down and lifted him up by his face. D let out a muffled scream and began to throw kicks and punches at the beast, but it was no use. He was too weak right now to even hurt the monster, and without his sword, he was helpless.
Suddenly, the beast bit down hard on D's left shoulder. D screamed again as blood and green ooze gushed from his torn flesh. Something zipped past the dhampires left ear, causing the creature to let go of D's shoulder and yelp in pain. Another shot past his right ear and the beast cried out again. More came, a lot more, hitting the beast and just barely missing D, until the monster flung the weakened hunter across the path, causing him to land face flat in the bloodied water. One last fatal howl and the creature collapsed and died.
There was silence for a moment; all D could hear was his own shaky breaths. Then the soft tread of light feet approached him.
"You should watch out for those things!" A woman's voice shouted as she came near him.
She grabbed his right arm and began to pull him up. "What are you doing out here? I thought you knew not to—" She was cut off by realization as D's face turned to see hers. "I
D had slept for a long time, he knew. The entire day and that night, for now, as he blinked his eyes open, it was early morning. He took a deep breath as his eyes focused. His exhale was a groan; the soreness had not yet left him. With a quiver, he pushed his elbows back forcing himself up into a sitting position, his body racked in pain as it protested the movement. Then hung his legs over the edge of the bed. He grumbled a little in frustration as the covers slid off his body and he realized his near nudity. All he had on now were a pair of silk, black boxer shorts, which weren't his either.