Sixth Night [Part 1]
Dracula was up first like always, and waited for Hansel to start to awake, with as much blood as the child had, he should be good for most of the night.
Hansel had slept long, but he eventually awoke, still full from the previous night. Upon rising, he sought out Dracula, unsure of where the Elder Vampire may be.
Dracula was overlooking the Gardens, stroking the head of a bat.
Hansel smiled as he entered the Gardens. "Good evening, Dracula-sama," he called out, approaching his Sire.
"Good evening Hansel, how do you feel?"
"I'm alright." His own little bat realized he was there, and flew down to his shoulder. "I do feel a bit weary, though. Not physically, but... I can't really explain it."
"It is exhaustion of magic, your body will recuperate, but the magic will not come until then."
The boy nodded. "It felt a bit... overtaxing, I guess... last night."
"It was unexpected, but it will not happen again."
Hansel's eyes darkened. "What if more Hunters come?"
"I shall deal with them exactly - but they will no longer be able to come in without alerting us well ahead of time."
"How?"
"I increased the parameters of my guards, and set up magical sigils that will trap a magic alarm if a human that is not escorted by either of us is to cross the threshold."
"Wow..." The level of power that Dracula held amazed him.
The vampire lifted his hand and let the bat fly.
"Have you questioned her yet?"
"I am about to head down if you still wish to come."
"I do."
"Come with me then," The vampire turned and headed down the stairway
Hansel followed closely behind. Dracula had seemed to imply that it was uncommon for Hunters to work together, and the fact they'd run into two on the same night he'd found someone with a connection to the Takatori family bothered him.
Dracula lead them down twisted corridors that smell heavily of wolf, blood, and baser scents mixed with earth, wetness - it's a raw natural smell.
The boy glanced around. "How deep are we going?"
"We are almost there," As he spoke, the sound of animals can be heard, of fangs splintering bone and tearing meat as well as soft cries, growls and everything else.
"They didn't go too far, did they?"
"Who do you mean?" The vampire questioned as he knocked on the door to make the werewolves aware of his presence.
"The werewolves. She'll be able to answer your questions, right?"
"They know better then to disobey me." Dracula answered as the door swung open - a fur-clad man with wild red hair answered, his eyes bright with a feral gleam - his nails were sharp and long. "Is she in any condition to talk?"
Hansel stayed slightly behind Dracula. The werewolves unnerved him slightly.
They smelled of base emotions, untamed, boiling under the surface, coiled up like a rattlesnake. The man steps back in a posture of submission and allowed Dracula and his fledgling to enter their den. A large armor-plated bull lays dead on the ground as wolves, humans, and creatures in between ate the spilled guts greedily. The female hunter from before was within site - chained to the wall, bloodied, her clothing just mere shreds, she's quietly sobbing and stopped when she sees the vampire and audibly forced her tears back to glare at him.
The boy nearly retched at the sight of the guts, but held off, as to not undermine his Master's authority.
Dracula noticed bite marks on her shoulder. "Might as well tell us everything, your own will hunt you down soon enough."
"Screw you."
Hansel followed Dracula's gaze, and saw the marks as well.
The wolves snarled at her, the one goes to smack her when Dracula raised his hand in a gesture to stop.
"You should show some respect," the boy said quietly. "You are a guest in Dracula-sama's home."
The man who answered the door snarled at the others, he seemed to be the leader of the pack. The wolves moved no further. "He's right, you'll be running with us soon sweetheart and you'll be rolling over for us in no time." the werewolf grinned toothily.
Dracula looked at him with some dismay before addressing the woman. "Who is your master? And who sent you?"
Hansel had his question on the tip of his tongue, but he dare not ask it yet.
The woman shudder and snarled. "Ravencroft is our teacher. He'll make you pay for this you monster."
"Ravencroft?" he asked Dracula.
"A small family in England - they dealt mostly with ghosts last I heard." The vampire answered.
Hansel looked back at the woman. She didn't look like much. Of course, neither did he.
"So what's a British gel doing all the way here?" The rough man asked rather lewdly.
"Kiss off," She snapped at him and glared at the vampire. "That's the only answer you will get from me."
"May I ask a question?" the fledgling asked his Master.
"Go ahead child." Dracula inclined his head.
Hansel stepped in front of her, and looked at her evenly. "Does the name Takatori mean anything to you?"
She looked at him. "Takatori...?" the woman repeated, sounding out the name slowly.
"Yes. Takatori." It was obvious from the tone of his voice that he was not a fan of the family.
Dracula shift to look, this would prove interesting.
"Why you asking me about some thing I never heard of?"
Hansel frowned. "I'm not so sure you're telling the truth." The Takatori were involved in everything. Even after death, their influence lived on.
She blew a strand of blood-caked blonde hair from her face and tried to shift, only to grimace from the bite mark on her shoulder. "Serious, I don't know."
He wasn't satisfied (he was convinced there was a connection, given the timing), but he couldn't tell if she was lying. He stepped back behind Dracula.
"Where is your master? Is he working with anyone little girl?" The vampire resumed without missing a beat.
"Like hell I'm-kyaa" She cried out as the alpha male of the werewolves slapped her across the face.
"Answer him bitch."
Hansel wasn't certain that this was the best way of getting information out of her, but if Dracula had wanted to coerce her, he would've. And besides... he was certain that with his magic had gone his other... special abilities, as well.
"It seems that we'll have to wait until her way of thinking changes," The vampire mutter in disgust.
The boy got an idea. He knew what the bite mark and comments meant. "Is the Change painful, Master?"
"I have not had the experience, Aloys?" He turned to the man.
The smile went even more crooked. "It's like being dunked in honey and let on a hill of ants and that's just the start of it."
"Of course, if one were, say... 'gifted' the grace of a trance, it would be preferable, right?"
"Then there's the way the bones break and reset themselves," Aloys added.
Her eyes widen. "What the hell do you mean?"
Hansel pretended to ignore her. "Master, if she were to answer your questions, would you roll her under?"
"If she is able to be rolled over."
The boy looked back at the Hunter. "Are you willing to answer questions yet?" If one didn't know any better, they'd think he was an innocent boy asking an innocent question.
She's clearly frightened by the discussion, chewing her lower lip.
Hansel didn't give her any time. "It looks like she's not interested, Master. We should just go."
Dracula chuckled, clever child. He turns to leave, and he could hear Aloys whisper.
"Guess we're free to teach you your place."
He gave the Hunter one last pitying look, before turning to follow the Elder Vampire.
As Dracula goes to turn the door, there's a whimper.
"wait... don't leave me alone with them again!"
Big blue eyes turned to her. "I thought you didn't want to answer any questions?"
"I - I change my mind!" she called out, trying to shy away from the werewolves' grasps. "Please!"
"Master?"
"Perhaps... do answer honestly, I do not abide by lairs."
Hansel smiled at her. It wasn't an innocent smile.
"Okay, okay - we're not working alone."
"Then who are you working with?"
"The Graves, they got a lot of cash, I don't know where, and master said it didn't matter long as the cause is right." She stammered.
"Them again," Vampire hissed in disdain.
"Master?"
"They are vampire hunters, minor but a proven nuisance."
Hansel scowled.
The girl swallowed as one of the wolves licked an open wound. "Far away, on another island in the chain, so you can't get at them without crossing water."
"Which island?"
"Shi...shikoku. They're in Matsuyama." She swallowed. "Please, let me free."
"It's on the far side of the island," Hansel whispered to Dracula.
Dracula nodded. "Anything else?"
"No... no."
"And Takatori?" the boy asked one last time.
"I don't know, maybe the Graves know."
Hansel was satisfied. After all, she had no reason left to lie.
"Please, let me go..."
Dracula paused, as if to ponder his option.
The fledgling remained silent. He didn't trust the werewolves, but surely they wouldn't do anything against his Master's wishes... right?
"You gave in rather quickly," Dracula remarked.
"wha...what?" She started.
Hansel was surprised as well. He thought that she'd only caved in fear.