Chapter 1 - Prologue: Farewells

Hunters’ Blood  Prologue: FarewellsAn old man looks on as a youth of sixteen or seventeen puts a saddle on a cyborg horse, in preparation to leave."Are you sure about this, Dirk? This is a bit sudden, even for you." The old man says, watching as the youth places the saddlebags onto the beast’s back, then firmly secures them."Yeah. I’m sure. This place just isn’t the same without Mother…..it’s too quiet." The youth replies, getting a chuckle from the old man as a response."I agree. Your mother, my sister, was quite a pistol; I have no doubt that you are her son, all right….." the old man says, wistfully, as he gazed at the youth."That may be true, Uncle Dan, but how do you explain the fact that I have remained looking so young, while you and Mother aged? I should be looking old myself by now!" Dirk says, as he motions to himself with a wave of his hand. ‘Dan’ sighed; he knew it would eventually come to this, and he’d dreaded it ever since the day Dirk had been born."The truth is, Dirk…….Your father….he wasn’t completely human…." Dan said, quietly. Dirk turned and gave his elderly uncle a look of consternation."’Wasn’t completely human’? What do you mean by that? He wasn’t a vampire, was he?" Dirk asked, his heart leaping into his throat, and his face paling, when he thought of that terrifying idea. Dan shook his head."No. He wasn’t a vampire….nor was he a mutant. Your father….was a dunpeal. The son of a full-vampire father and a human mother." Dan replied, watching as a look of disbelief came across Dirk’s handsome features."You mean……I have vampire……’Noble’…..blood in me? Why? What did Mother see in a man that had vampire blood in him?" Dirk asked, remembering how much his mother had seemed to hate vampires."He’d saved her life. In fact, he took a sword to the stomach twice and even died once to save her…..and me. You see, there used to be a vampire known as Magnus Lee in these parts, and he was a threat to all who lived here. Then your father came along, defeated Lee after a long struggle, and rode off." Dan said, trying to make a long story short."In other words, that would make me about one-quarter vampire, correct?" Dirk asked, getting a slight nod from Dan as a response. It was then that a look of resolve took up residence on Dirk’s face, as well as one of determination."All the more reason for me to leave. I’ve spent my whole life in and around Ransylva, building up my strength, and learning as much as I can by hunting werewolves. Maybe it is time I moved on. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even find my father out there somewhere." Dirk mused, as he now eagerly looked to the horizon."Maybe you will. But there is one more thing you must know, Dirk, before you leave from here…..and one last gift." Dan murmured, as he gently placed something about Dirk’s neck. "Huh?" Dirk asked, as he looked down and saw what it was that his uncle had placed there. From a leather cord, hung a blue pendant: the stone in the pendant itself was a shade of blue that he’d never seen before."Wow……Where did this….?" Dirk trailed off, as he picked up and held the pendant closer to his face; a look of wonder gracing his features as he did so."Your father gave that to me a long time ago, when we were in the vampire’s castle to rescue your mother. He never came back for it, so I assumed he must have let me keep it to remember him by…….Now, I give it to you, Dirk, as it is your birthright." Dan said, with a sad smile."Thank you, Uncle Dan. But what about the last thing you want me to know? What is it?" Dirk asked, curiously."Your father’s name……It is the last thing I can impart to you…. He called himself D." Dan stated, noticing when Dirk cocked his head to one side in confusion."’D’? Is that all you know about his name?" Dirk asked."Alas, yes. But it is enough, I think. There couldn’t be too many people with that name, could there?" Dan asked, in turn. Dirk shook his head."No. I don’t think so, either." Dirk said, as he then carefully hugged his elderly uncle."I guess this is goodbye." Dirk murmured, as a few tears escaped his cool, gray eyes and silently made their way down his face."I suppose so. Take care of yourself out there, Dirk." Dan replied, as tears flowed down his face as well."I will. Farewell, Uncle Dan." Dirk said, then whispered, "Goodbye, Mother." With a gentle kick, he got his horse moving."Farewell, Dirk. I hope you find your place in this world…..and maybe you can help him find his, as well. Right, Doris?" Dan whispered, when the youth had disappeared from sight. He smiled wistfully when a gentle breeze blew past him, and away with Dirk into the encroaching night. Even if she couldn’t be there physically, Doris was there in the spirit; and she agreed with her younger brother wholeheartedly.

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