Katherine, the Vampire Hunter

Katherine DuBois, stood in front of Venus in a relaxed pose, one hand on the handle of her sword and the other placed behind her. She cocked her head to one side, smiling.

"I changed my mind."

A wave of heat rushed up Venus' face, and her heart hammered in her chest. "Katherine? Y-you're back. Why? What changed your mind?"

"It's strange," DuBois walked into her room, removing her travelling cloak and placing it on a chair by the table, "but as I left the inn, late last night, I found that I could not stop thinking about you."

Her eyes turned to meet Venus' and as she took a seat on the bed she continued, "With each step I took, I thought more and more about that night we fought, side by side. I recalled the pleasure I felt, and the excitement of sharing a battle with a comrade. Soon, the idea of working with you, having a companion for what might be weeks, suddenly became a very palatable idea."

Silence settled in the room as Katherine and Venus stared at one another. Venus still standing by the door and the other sitting comfortably on her bed. It was some time before Venus could speak again.

"But, I don't understand." She said, "You told me yesterday that there were other places that needed your help, why did you come back for me?"

"Venus, I am a Dhampir. Half-vampire." Katherine said, giving her a significant look. Venus realized that she wasn't surprised at all, in fact it explained certain facets of her character. "A vampire seduced my mother and, when I was five, he came back to claim me for himself. Take me as a ****. My mother tried to protect me, but she was no match for him and I watched as he subdued her and then drained her dry."

"My blood called to me then, that unholy union of man and vampire, and strength I had never known before flooded through my veins." She raised one hand and clenched it tightly, "I seized a large piece of splintered wood and plunged it into the heart of my vampire father as he drank the last drops of blood from my mother. He fell to the ground, writhing and smoking, and I watched as he died. I knew, with every fiber, that this was what I was born to do. Ever since then, I have been hunting vampires."

As she told her story, Katherine removed her armor and pulled her shirt sleeves up to her elbows. Underneath, her arms with lined with cut marks and old scars, "These wounds are just a few that cover my body from the countless battles I've fought, and for years, my quest was solitary."

"To many people, I was just another monster. To be isolated and shunned. Only tolerated because I killed other monsters and kept them safe at night. But each time a vampire died by my hand, I began to ponder my existence." Katherine face grew somber and she said, "If there were no more monsters left to kill, what would that leave me with?"

Katherine's eyes drifted to the window where the sun had barely risen. Although light was beginning to flood in, there would still be an hour or two before it truly became day. The dull-red rays still shone in Katherine's face though, and she had to squint and avert her eyes. As the woman lowered her head to avoid the glare of the sun, Venus saw that her irises had a faint, opalescent glow to them, but they seemed distant, almost sad.

Then she quietly murmured, "I suppose I was lonely."

Venus remained silent the entire time, watching the shifting expressions on Katherine's face. From anger, to sadness, then resignation, and finally despair. The story played out on the beautiful lines of her face just as profoundly as it did in her words. And now Katherine was looking at her, staring, waiting for a response from her. Venus hesitated.

[Small writer's note at the end]