Scourge of the West. (ShiningKnight x fieryangel)

James sat astride his horse on a hill not too far from the small frontier, watching it intently. The people hadn't noticed him yet, a few more minutes ad the sun would be behind him and they would be able to see a black silhouette on the horizon. Until then he just watched them. His vision allowed him to watch the men and women, the children playing in the dusty streets, as if he was there. He could hear them, people talking, laughing playing as if he was stood right next to them. But he wasn't and he never would be one of them.

One of the children pointed at him. what a sight he must have made, black hat pulled down low, black coat billowing out behind him as he sat astride a fearsome black horse. The hat hid his gaunt, pale face and hazel eyes that seemed to be tinted with red. Under the hat he had long dark brown hair and his jaw was covered in brown stubble. Under the long black coat he wore and shirt and waist coat, a bandolier across his chest with various types of ammunition attached to it. Belted to his waist were two holsters in which sat black revolvers trimmed with gold. He descended into the town.

As he drew closer women rushed into the street and grabbed their children, pulling them away to safety while men stood and eyed him defiantly, hands resting on guns or whatever other weapons they had nearby. He regarded them all from behind cold eyes, barely acknowledging them as he made his way through the town, looking for a saloon. He soon found one, drawn by the loud laughter and shouting. He tied his horse up and went inside.

The noise died down rather quickly as he stood in the door way for a moment. Men and women filled the saloon, watching him curiously, some with fear or content. Others with anger. In one corner of the room a group if men were playing cards, in another corner a woman sat in a mans lap. James ignored them all and made his way to the bar. He sat down and fixed his eyes on the bartender.

"I'll have a whiskey, strongest you've got. The whole bottle. I'll be needing a room as well." He said, the whole room listening to his deep, rich voice. as he listened to the beatings of their hearts, the pumping of their blood. Oh how delicious it sounded pounding in his ears. Almost as an after thought he said. "Oh and I'll have your best girl for the night." He reached into his coat and pulled out more than enough money for all of it and place it on the bar and waited. He could practically visualise the whole room from all the sounds, the nervous tapping of a foot, a mouse scratching wood, a woman's light footsteps and even a thumb stroking the hammer of a revolver. He wondered who would be the first to react to his presence as he looked at the bounty behind the bar, with his drawing and offering ten thousand dollars for him, dead or alive.

It has been another quiet day in the clinic, as was the norm in the sleepy little town. Violence wasn't all too common, and luckily illness was rare during the warmer months. It left Isabelle plenty of time to stick her nose in a book, which proved to be a sweet distraction from the chores she was supposed to take care of. Her imagination ran wild with each new story she read, imagining a life filled with excitement and adventure, and love. A heavy sigh would catch her mother's attention.

"Would you get your head out of the clouds and please go outside to pick some more herbs?" She flinched at the sound of her mothers voice, the one thing that usually quickly draws her attention back to the real world. With a heavy sigh, she arose from the desk and headed out the door, where a small garden resided in the evening sun. Carefully, she sank to her knees upon the ground, dark blue skirt perfectly lain upon the sand neatly around her. A light breeze was blowing, which ruffled her dark auburn locks, which were so carefully pulled back into a ponytail to keep them out of her deep, emerald green eyes.

Delicately, she'd shift through the plants, picking and choosing which ones were perfect to pluck and place in a small basket, making sure to keep them organized. After all, her mother hated sorting through random herbs to find which ones she needed for which concoction. Lost in her own little world, she began to hum a sweet tune, a lullaby from her younger years that was written by her father, who sadly perished from illness when she was just a girl. It was a soft tune, filled with love, which made her smile.

The whispers of the towns folk caught her attention, and she looked across the street to see people pointing to the saloon. Feint words of a stranger drifted to her ear, catching them saying 'dangerous', 'handsome,' and 'trouble.' It seemed strange, as visitors weren't common around these parts, but Isabelle would make note to keep an eye out for this man out of curiosity.

The bartender looked around nervously before quickly moving away to fetch the whisky as a few conversations started to slowly pick up again. James just listened to it all, not really paying attention as the bartender returned with his drink and keys for his room. He gave him a slight nod before opening the whiskey and taking a sip straight from the bottle. Slowly the saloon filled with more and more sound and people started to forget he was there altogether as sounds and smells started to mingle together, allowing him to put together a mental picture of his surroundings. And the something caught his attention.

A woman's voice, soft and gentle as she sung a quiet lullaby. He could smell various plants and herbs as well, though they weren't distinct enough for him to figure out what kinds they were. Mixed in with the sounds was the scent of a woman, quite possibly the one singing. She smelled and young to him, piquing his interest. He was starting to think that just maybe this town would have more to offer than booze and whores. The hammer of a gun clicked back in his ears.

The man with the gun, who had been sat on the other side of the room with a group of friends, was barely stood when James stood and whirled around, his long black cloak flapping around him as he quickly brought his own black revolver up, quickly firing all six shots off. All of them hit the poor man in the chest, killing him while he only got the one shot off, which thudded into James's stomach. He merely looked down at the wound with his eyebrows raised, before shrugging to himself. He grabbed the bottle of whiskey and his room keys.

"On second thoughts I won't be needing a girl." He said to the bartender, who was cowering behind the bar. Everyone else in the room had either gone quiet or had fled altogether. The only people that remained where the people who worked in the saloon and those too drunk or too scared to move. Outside he could hear people running away and screaming. There'd be more trouble tomorrow, but he'd deal with it then.

James found his room, which turned out to be quiet small and contained a single bed, a chair and a wardrobe. Somehow everything managed to look quite grimy. He slumped in the chair and took a gulp of whiskey, before setting the bottle aside and stripping his coat, waist coat and shirt, revealing his toned, muscular chest which was covered in scars and old wounds. He found out a needle and threat from a pocket inside his coat and set about sowing up his latest wound. Once that was done he spent the rest of the day drinking and cleaning his guns, taking them apart and making sure everything was working as it should.

Come nightfall the saloon sounded surprisingly busy again, so to avoid any unnecessary complications he pulled his shirt on before opening the window and dropping out. He landed heavily on the dusty ground, crouching low as he picked out the scent of the woman he had smelled earlier. It was faint by now but still there as he began to follow her trail, making sure to stay out of sight of the towns folk.

Each bundle, once complete, was carefully tied together with twine, making sure that none of them got mixed together. In no hurry to get back inside, she leaned back upon hands that dug so gently into the dirt, gaze fixed upon the setting sun. The orange and pinks that painted the sky was a sight to treasure, not one she'd ever grow tired of. Reminding her of the nights she spent with her father, a sense of longing overwhelmed her. "I miss you Daddy."

With a heavy sigh, she rose and headed into the clinic, offering up the collection in the basket to her mother. "Momma the sun is setting. I think it's safe to close up shop." She only got a wave in response, signaling to go about her business. Snatching up her favorite book, Isabelle quickly settled upon the porch outside, rather spending her time outdoors than cooped up in the clinic any longer. Screaming interrupted her reading, and it took no time for the young woman to stand up and head into the street to see what all the fuss was about.

As everyone scattered and screamed of a gunman, she headed further into the crowd towards the saloon, watching for anyone who was injured. Peeking inside the dark bar, it was clear to see the body of a man who was clearly shot more than once, causing the poor girl to flinch. It was a gruesome sight, enough to keep her from entering and offering assistance. Instead, her mother could handle this job. One of the men who knew her well scolded her for coming towards the commotion and quickly sent her home.

Reaching the clinic, she headed upstairs towards her room, making sure the door was locked and a rifle was placed within reach just to be on the safe side. The sun had fallen below the horizon, enough to cast darkness into her room.

With Candles lit, shadows danced across the wall, and the light of the moon poured into her open window, a light breeze ruffling the curtains that were pulled back. Again, she started to hum the same soft tune as she prepared herself for bed.

James walked down the dusty paths of the small town, following the scent of the young woman he had yet to lay eyes upon. his nose leading the way, he soon rounded a corner and heard a tune. It was the same soft tune as earlier, the same soft voice humming it. He allowed himself a smile, tight lipped smile as he sped up, easily pinpointing the source of the tune. He walked slowly along the dusty path, looking up into the woman's room, where he caught the occasional glimpse of her in the candle lit room. It's almost too easy, He thought to himself as he took in the open window and curtains.

With a quick run up he leapt up, easily reaching the windowsill and perching on it for a few moments. She began to turn around as she continued getting ready and James was quick enough to slip into the shadows of the room, which eagerly enveloped him, concealing him in an almost unnatural fashion as he continued to watch her.
He found himself fascinated as he watched her, emerald eyes shining bright, taking in the way her auburn hair fell down her back . He smiled again, this time allowing it to reach his eyes. He had planned on finding her and feeding, ripping into her throat and savouring the taste of her oh so sweet blood. But now that he saw her in all her beauty he was starting to have second thoughts. Much darker second thoughts that involved snatching her away from her ignorant existence in this pathetic little town.

Watching her for a few more minutes, his nose full of her scent and his ears full of the sound of her blood pumping through her veins. His gaze turned to the room he was stood in, taking in the rifle she kept nearby. A feisty one, he thought. He quickly took in the rest of her belongings before growing bored. He stepped slowly from the shadows, allowing them to cast over his pale face as his steps fell slightly heavier, just audible.
"So, here you, the most intriguing and sweetest woman in this pathetic town." He said in his rich voice, a positively evil grin spreading across his face as he allowed a few his fangs to slowly descend as he stepped closer to the young woman.

Sitting at a light wooden vanity in her night gown, she gently ran a brush through her long auburn hair, continuing the lullaby that brought about memories of her father. It had been years since his death, but the tune kept him alive in her heart, along with a picture of him residing on her vanity beside a candle. There wasn't much else in her room, just a bed, a dresser, a bouquet of fresh flowers in a vase. It was a very basic room. Thinking that she heard a slight shuffling sound by the window, Isabelle turned to look, seeing nothing but the curtains swaying in the most gentle of breezes. With a shrug, she went back to her nightly routine. Rising from her stool, it was in the mirror she caught a reflection.

Eyes grew wide with fear as a man descended from the shadows, arms raised before her as if to silently warn him to stay back the moment she spun to face him. "How did you...." At the side of those vicious fangs growing before her eyes, her own expression went white as a ghost upon realizing just what she was facing. "It's not possible! You're a...." The girl was scared stiff, quickly eyeing her rifle to think if she can reach it in time. A side step to the door would bring her closer, though if legends were true, he'd be far too fast to let her shaking fingers grip it tightly. The only thing she had on hand was her hairbrush, and knew pretty well that it certainly would do absolutely nothing to the vampire.

Silent, a debate ran through her mind, whether to stand up to the creature or to scream for help, though either would probably get her no where. His steps were bringing him closer to the poor girl, who was frozen against the wall as she waited for death to overcome. It was clear what his intentions were. Lips parted in preparation to let out a blood curdling scream, but no sound would come out. The only thing she could manage was a feint whisper. "please...don't kill me..."

"Oh I don't plan on killing you." Said James once he had finished chuckling to himself in a rich deep chuckle. "Actually I don't know what I'm going to do with you." He added as he slowly walked around the room, idly playing with this and that as he listened to the booming of her heart, faster and faster. He found the flowers and leaned close, taking a deep, slow breath of their scent. Finally he sauntered over to the rifle, his eyes fixed on Isabelle's as he picked it up, checking to see if it was loaded.

"You're a clever girl." He said when he saw that it was. "Gotta keep yourself safe, though this wouldn't do much to me. A regular bandit mind you and it'd deal with him just fine. That is if you know what you're doing with it. Do you?" He asked the question casually, tossing the gun onto the bed, talking on once he got his answer. "Most gals woulda tried to blow me head off with it any way, or scream loud enough the whole town would hear. It really fucks my plans up when they do that." He moved to sit on the windowsill casually, toying with her, relishing the look of fear on her face. It had been a long time since he had come across a lady as lovely as her. "Then I have to deal with them quickly, rip their throats out and drain what I can, before disappearing into the night. Some women, like you are smart, they try and bargain, Some offer me their blood freely so I don't kill them, others offer their bodies instead of blood. With them I take both. But with you I see a choice, I can drain your sweet smelling blood now, give myself a real boost. Or I could spirit you away, take you with me a while, drain you a little at a time. I think I know the answer, you blood tells me things. But I want to hear it from your lips. What should I do to you?"

It seemed like hours had passed as she remained silently plastered to the wall, though in reality it was only a few minutes. Eyes as green as the brightest emerald kept close watch as James moved about the room, grimacing when he began to fiddle with her things. Some were far more precious than others, and it was rather disturbing to see her belongings in the hands of a killer. He wasn't planning on killing her, but what did he plan on doing? Perhaps it might be a fate far worse than death, at least that's what was feared. A quick breath was sucked in as he touched her rifle, eyes squinting shut as if it was expected to be fired. Much to her surprise, it was discarded upon her bed. "Y.yes... I do know what I'm doing with it. I'm quite good..."

While he continued to ramble on, her vision was clearly focused on her weapon that laid just a few feet away, rather tempted to charge forward and grab it. No, it would do no good against this man, but it would make her feel a tad safer. Sucking it up, she closed the distance between her and the bed, quickly snatching up her weapon and clutching it close. It provoked just a bit of bravery to boil up and spill over, finding enough confidence to appear like more than just a terrified pitiful girl who was about to meet her end without resistance. "Pity a murderer such as yourself has his plans ruined quite often. You must be the one they were talking about in town, though I'm sure they weren't aware of what you really are. I don't want any trouble, and I'm sure you don't either. Now, I suggest you take yourself out of here at once, and I'll forget this ever happened." Staring him down, the rifle leaned forward, slowly aiming right towards Jame's head. Her heart was pounding a mile a second, hands trembling with fear, which would make aiming very difficult if she tried to fire, which she chose not to. He wanted an answer, and as if her little warning wasn't enough of one, she'd add to it, as if she had a choice. "Honestly I think if you were going to kill me you would have done so by now, considering I haven't alerted anyone yet. You could have enjoyed your dinner in peace. But, I have no desire to run off with the likes of you. If I truly have a choice I wish to live. "

James couldn't help but chuckle as she levelled the gun at him, her aim shaking all over the place. She'd never be able to hurt him unless she had some kind of holy bullet loaded in there, which he seriously doubted she did, but she'd still be able to fuck up his plans pretty good. Why do they always do this? He thought to himself.
Well don't say I didn't give you a choice." He said with a sigh. In a split second he had leapt across the room and yanked the rifle from Isabelle's shaking grip. To his surprise it didn't go off. Well that makes a change. He thought to himself as he relished in the look of sheer surprise on her face. Then he brought the stock of the rifle down on her head, knocking her out. Dropping the rifle he managed to catch her before she fell, holding her in his arms for a few moments, breathing in her sweet scent before laying her on the bed. He stopped at the window, his eyes wandering over her body before leaping through into the night.

Half an hour later and he had collected everything from hid room at the inn, including the half finished bottle of whiskey. Sneaking back out the window, wishing to avoid trouble as much as possible, he began to saddle up his horse, storing his things in the saddle bag, before mounting up and riding slowly and quietly towards Isabelle's house. He easily leapt up through the window once again, before picking up her unconscious body and gently taking her with him. Sat in the saddle again, he laid her across it in front of him before urging his horse on once again. When he was a safe distance from the village he urged the horse a little faster, then a little more until they were galloping across the frontier.

The pre-dawn light was slowly starting to emerge in the east when James finally brought the horse to a stop atop a small hill. He climbed from the saddle, carrying Isabelle with him before gently placing her on the ground and then binding her hands. Then he set about gathering supplies for a fire. He certainly didn't need a fire but she would appreciate the warmth. He had also been doing things like that for hundreds of years, since he was first turned. They were little things that made him smile a little and reminded him of what it was to once be human. With the fire sorted and starting to crackle he sat down across from Isabelle, fixing his eyes on her as he waited for her to wake up.

James chuckled at her, which was certainly not a good sign. It was her hope that he'd leave peacefully into the night, allowing her to go on with her life. Such was not the case. He was nearly a blur as he closed the distance between them, not having enough time to react and shoot, or scream, or even suck in a deep breath. All she saw was life flashing before her eyes before everything went dark. A moment ago, her face was contorted with horror, and now she looked like an angel sleeping peacefully. Through the half hour she was left alone, it would appear she hadn't move, being in the same position from when he left. There would certainly be a good bump upon her head when she awoke.

Finally stirring after a long slumber, she was highly confused, sore, and her head was throbbing. Isabelle's vision was blurred from sleep, taking some time to focus. However, she could smell the fire, hear the sound of the wood crackling from the heat as the flames danced upon them, and the warmth emanating around her was enough to make her realize she was certainly near it. Shifting, it was clear that there was ground beneath her, and not at all a warm bed, and not only that her hands were bound. It took no time for the girl to panic, quickly tugging at her wrists to check the binds, seeing that they were indeed secure.

As her vision cleared, a silhouette could be seen on the other side of the fire, though who, she wasn't sure of at first. It took a few minutes to catch a glimpse of his face as the dancing lights from the fire flickered and faded. Minutes passed as she could do nothing, not having the courage to speak to the inhuman stranger that had taken her from home. His eyes were intimidating as he was clearly watching her. Finally, she'd clear her throat and manage to squeak out a few questions. "Where am I? What do you want with me?" With a cracking voice, tears threatened to flow down her cheeks into the dirt below, her heart beating rapidly once again out of sheer horror.

"I'm not entirely sure," James began in rather sinister voice as he watched Isabelle begin to panic, tears welling in her eyes and her heart beating more and more rapidly. "what I want with you. There's something about you that's caught my attention. Right now we're quite a distance from your little village, much further than anyone will think to look for you. We're going to rest for a short while longer, then we'll keep riding. There's a small town not too far from here where we'll get you a horse of your own." Once James had finished explaining he set about checking and cleaning his guns. Every now and then he would look up and check on Isabelle, fixing her with a grim warning glare if she looked like she was trying to escape.

Finally after a while he got up, stretched, clicked his back and walked slowly over to Isabelle. As he approached her he pulled a knife from his back and knelt down before her, a menacing look on her face. "Seeing as there is nowhere for you to run, I'm going to trust you." He said, cutting the bindings on her wrists, before pricking her thumb with the point of the dagger. He then proceeded to lick the blood from the blade. As he did so his eyes seemed to glow a slightly deeper red for a few moments. "And now even if you do run, I'll be able to track that much easier. Oh the things I know about you know. All your dreams, fears and deep dark desires." He had a grin on his face as he spoke, before packing up the little camp. He kicked out the fire, holstered all of his guns again, and saddled the horse before mounting it. He looked down at Isabelle then and offered her his hand. "Can I trust you to come with me willingly and easily?"

The whites of her eyes seemed to grow larger as they widened, fear driving her to tug at the binds harder. Her gaze flickered up to the sky, appearing overcast above her as there wasn't a single sign of a star to be seen. Without the stars, there was no telling what direction they had traveled in, and she had not a clue as to where she would try to run. The news of her own horse was promising, even more so that they'd be stopping in a nearby town. Though the question was clear in her eyes, would anyone believe her if she screamed for help to get away from this monster?

A man with guns was terrifying enough when you were his prisoner, but it was entirely another when he wasn't at all human. His warning glare was cold enough to freeze her from the attempts to loosen her binds, and she lay upon the dirt trying to keep it together. It could have seemed that she was even asleep once again as she stayed so still, her breathing deep but slow. It was the only way to keep herself from a fit of panic. It was the sound of him rising that had her gaze fly in his direction, shifting upon the ground in hopes to squirm away. Being tied up, there was no use.

As he moved, she got a far better look at his features that were both handsome and menacing all at the same time, a deadly combination indeed! The glint of the knife within his grasp had her whimpering like a poor puppy begging for table scraps. She was sure he'd kill her, and was rather surprised when the binds were loosened and her wrists were free. She immediately flinched away and held her hand close the moment he pricked her finger, staring at him in disbelief. "Why? Please, I offer no valuable information. I have no money. Just let me go!" Shivering in his presence, it terrified her to know that he knew about every little detail in her life, all the secrets she held within her heart. It could most certainly be used against her.

She didn't dare try to run as he cleaned up camp, not wanting to test the theory of his tracking abilities. Even more so, she didn't want to get lost in the middle of no where. Seeming to have no other choice, a shaking hand reached out to accept his own once it was offered, and climbed upon the horse. Settling upon the saddle, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly and held on for dear life. "I'll only behave as long as you keep those fangs inside your mouth and away from me." A mere whisper as her voice shook, but it got the point across, and she knew he'd hear it.