Daniel rose the next morning and found Samael wasn't there. He left as usual then, going out for a walk. Time for him, to think and consider life now. His father was dead, murdered by a vampire. His mother was distraught, panicked, and would be of no help to him for quite some time. He no longer was to attend school; his favorite teacher was dead now anyways. They'd found her body the morning after Darius' death, floating in the low waters of the Canal. And the only person he could even possibly turn to was the hunter, Samael, who seemed so... weak when it came to being near and comforting the boy.
"Daniel," he heard Joshua call from behind him. "We need to talk." The youth turned and watched him, unconsciously bearing the wary gaze of a hunter.
"About what?"
"You know, everyone in town eventually wanted you to learn and to take your father's place, in hopes Darius' son can be as good as Darius was."
"No, I'm to go with the hunter. I'm his payment," Daniel informed calmly.
"...I think not. We're not allowing Darius' son to be thrown away like that, as though his father never did anything for any of us."
"...I'm to be a hunter, Joshua." Daniel's tone was measured, just like Samael's would have been. "The hunter's been good to me, and I'm going to repay him for his kindness."
"We'll see about that." Joshua whirled and stormed away, leaving the youth to realize how much he'd just acted like Samael.
=+=
"So... You dare?" Samael murmured in contained rage as he gazed at the large group of people before him.
"You get three days, hunter, to finish your mission," the local sheriff, Joshua Gilford, sneered, spitting in the hunter's direction. "After that, you get out of this place or we delve out our human justice upon you!"
"I'm a hunter - "
"And we don't care! It's your fault Darius is dead, and we're not letting you take his son!" Joshua raged, and Samael nearly lost his composure, stepping towards the man as though to take him by the throat, but halting before he did so. The two were of equal height and glared into each other's eyes defiantly.
"...I've got Hunter's Law over my payment." Samael hissed, narrowing his eyes.
"And I'm naming that claim as void," the sheriff replied.
"You really want a problem with the hunter council, don't you." The two men glared at each other, each trying to anticipate the other's next words.
"We don't deal with heathen laws like yours."
"Well, your humankind DOES owe my class an enormous debt - "
"Don't bring up the Rebellion." Joshua ended his part by spitting in the hunter's face, causing the man to flinch.
"Fine." Samael wiped it away. "Oh, and thanks." He shoved past the man and through the crowd. "Your vampire'll be dead in two."
But even if I have to run, I'm still taking the kid with me, Samael thought, a cold smile hidden beneath his mask.
=+=
Daniel awoke early the next morning when a hand clamped over his mouth. He struggled against it before he felt the smooth metal that covered them.
"Samael!" he said in annoyance, though it sounded more like "Fmmiel."
"Wake up, we're going to make a hunter out of you yet!" the man hissed, suddenly on the other side of the room from the youth. "I don't have much time, three days now! I've got to teach you now and somehow manage to get rid of this vampire!"
"So, what am I supposed to do?" Daniel inquired, sitting up in bed.
"Get dressed and get your ass outside, sun's not up yet," Samael hissed, and suddenly he just... wasn't there anymore. Daniel stared in astonishment at the spot Samael had previously occupied, and jumped when he heard one of the doors slam downstairs.
"Things just get weirder and weirder," he muttered as he rose.
=+=
Samael was pacing nervously outside when Daniel arrived. The man's hood was thrown back and his eyes focused on the ground before him, but his mask was drawn tight over his face. Daniel noticed dark circles under the hunter's eyes.
"How long have you been up?" Daniel asked, and Samael paused.
"All night. Sit and clear your mind." Samael continued his pacing as Daniel did what he'd been told to do. He felt no ill towards the hunter now; the show of kindness from the past few days had truly changed his view of Samael.
"Stop," Samael said a short while later. "And get up." He opened his eyes and rose to see that Samael had drawn a short sword from his cloak. Much like the one he'd used days ago, during that fight in the catacombs.
"Take it, and use it so long as you know the man you're striking isn't me," the hunter snapped, his eyes revealing anger so strong that it frightened Daniel. "Now, listen up." Daniel snapped to attention. "I've got three days, counting today, to get rid of Moresenth - "
"Who's More - "
"The vampire." Samael cut the air with his arm. "Don't interrupt me! I have three days, and I'm not giving you up, kid! You're my apprentice!" Samael turned his back on the youth. "Like it or not. Now then," Samael turned, a sardonic gaze in his eyes. "We're going back to those catacombs... And you're the bait."
=+=
Daniel hauled himself out of the waters of the catacombs, shivering and soaked trough.
Samael had dressed him completely in white for this, a loose white shirt with short sleeves, white pants, and no shoes. The short sword hung at his waist, and another dagger was strapped to his left leg. The hunter's glowing pendant was hung carelessly around his neck.
If I were a vampire, where would I be? he thought angrily.
"Vampire!" he shouted angrily, striding along the ledge as before. "Where are you!"
"Will you keep quiet!" Samael's disembodied voice drifted towards him. "No one goes after a vampire and calls them out! God, you're more foolish than I thought!"
He wandered through the passages, searching for any signs of a vampire. And found them alcoves in the walls.
The skeletons, which were so orderly in the other rooms, were strewn about, broken to bits. Shards of bone were everywhere, and even when he tried to be careful, he felt a few cut into his feet and draw blood.
"Ow!" he yelped as he stepped on a particularly sharp one. "Oh, come on!"
Samael... you better not let me down! Daniel thought as he continued, leaving bloody footprints in his wake.
=+=
From the shadows, dark eyes watched the youth's progress. Eyes so dark the pupil could not be discerned from the iris...
=+=
Daniel tripped over an upraised stone in the floor and landed roughly on his elbows, skinning them. He hissed in pain and drew in a breath, blowing on his elbows to diminish the string. He uttered an angry snarl and rose slowly, feeling cold, wet, and utterly used by everyone.
"Come on! Damnit!" he shouted, slamming his hand into the wall angrily.
He broke into a run, heading down the halls and passageways of the vast catacombs, searching for even a minor sign of Moresenth. Nothing, nothing, nothing.
"Damnit!" he shouted, slamming his hands into a wall once more as he halted. "Where are you!"
=+=
This is no good, the dark eyed watcher thought. He's too angry.
=+=
Daniel snapped to attention when he heard movement of some sort ahead, and he broke into a silent jog towards the source.
He darted back out of the room, back against a wall, when he came upon a vast coliseum of a room, with a stone sarcophagus in the center. The lid was thrown off, and the vampire Moresenth was sitting on its edge like a casual human waiting for a friend to meet him.
"You're hiding behind the door, child," Moresenth said with a smile. "So, why have you come?"
"You killed my father, you son of a - "
"Ah, ah ah." Moresenth shook his finger at the boy. "Watch your language, sonny."
"You're dead, you bastard!" Daniel howled, lunging at Moresenth.
=+=
Wait a second here! The dark eyed watcher was alarmed. That's not supposed to happen!
=+=
Moresenth intercepted the boy's attack with a rapier he'd previously had hidden in his cloak.
Daniel thoroughly forgot Samael's plan and attacked again, locking swords with the vampire. The two pushed against one another, eyes locked. Daniel's bore hatred and sorrow, Moresenth's were casual.
The vampire casually struck out with one arm, slamming a fist into the boy's stomach harshly. Daniel stumbled back a few steps, gasping for breath, but managed to narrowly dodge the rapier. He finally caught his breath and dodged another attack, the sword ripping through his shirt instead of his flesh. He snarled and swung again, only to find that Moresenth was halfway across the room. With an animalistic snarl, the count was back in front of Daniel, striking again. The youth wasn't expecting it at all and received a gash across the stomach.
"Still so determined?" Moresenth chuckled as Daniel fell back a few paces, one hand to his stomach. "Oh, that must sting a little."
"Shut up!" Daniel screamed, attacking once more recklessly. Moresenth smiled and closed his eyes, then flipped Daniel's sword out of his grasp easily.
"What!" Daniel retreated a few steps, his heart leaping into his throat. "Oh shi - "
"My thoughts exactly." Moresenth smiled as he lunged at the youth -
- Only to be disarmed by a shadowy being.
