Vampire Hunter D Volume 18- Fortress of the Elder God Read Online Free Page A

lawmen hadn’t heard also replayed. It was a deep, deep, mocking sort of tone of pure delight. One thing alone was for certain: the source of that voice wasn’t human. No human being could laugh like that.
    Shortly thereafter, three sets of footsteps echoed from the ground as they started off across the wasteland.
    -
    “They’re following us, just like I thought, the lousy pests,” said a hoarse voice. It came from the vicinity of D’s left hip. There was nothing there but his left hand.
    The voice continued its harangue, saying, “This is partly your fault, you know. You’re the one who made that worthless bunch do it. You never should’ve told ’em it was dangerous out here. Talk about being completely out of luck. Those clowns think they were spared the hell of dying in a crash, and now they’re jumping into a different kind of hell. It’s a million times more dangerous out here.”
    D pressed ahead, not saying a word.
    As evening approached, the wind twined around the cooling light so it might sneak its chill into the people even through their eyes. That alone would’ve made it hard enough for a living creature to survive until morning, but this was no ordinary wasteland.
    Shortly after, the hoarse voice inquired, “You hear that?”
    There was no reply. That was as good as an affirmation.
    “Why, that’s—a flute. My! Above us and below, to our left and right, I can hear it coming from every possible direction. There must be enough people playing to start a damn orchestra.”
    “There are only two,” D said simply.
    “That can’t be!” the hoarse voice replied, and then it fell silent, adding a second later, “You’re right. You really are one scary character, you know that? Sure as hell, you’re the only one who could do a job like this out here in the Playground, where your horse got gobbled up as soon as we entered the place.”
    “How far is the fortress?”
    “Another fifty miles. We should get there tomorrow. Of course, the real trouble will just be starting then.” Chortling, the hoarse voice added, “Those clowns will be better off if they die along the way.”
    The voice stopped.
    D had halted. Even in the midday sun, his beautiful visage remained icy cold, and he kept it pointed straight ahead.
    “The sound of their footsteps has disappeared,” the hoarse voice was heard to say.
    The man’s black hair fluttered in the wind like the lush grass of the prairies.
    “So, what are you gonna do? You planning on going to save ’em?”
    Before the voice had finished teasing D, the Hunter’s boots began treading the ground before him again.
     

ENEMY SIGHTED IN THE PLAYGROUND

CHAPTER 2
    -
    I
    -
    Everyone saw the man who’d identified himself as D stop. But then he didn’t move another muscle. He simply stood still, like a gorgeous piece of sculpture. In spite of themselves, they too halted.
    “Something ain’t right,” Jan said, tilting his head to one side. His right hand was going for the broadsword on his belt. “Don’t move. I’m just gonna ask him a few questions,” he said, taking a couple of steps.
    “You stay here,” the sheriff said, clapping a hand on the mobster’s shoulder as he stepped forward. “This is myjob. Don’t do anything stupid, okay?”
    The sheriff seemed to be fighting the wind as he dragged his massive form up behind D.
    “Hey, is there something—”
    Right in front of him, D turned. The sheriff’s eyes bulged in their sockets.
    D didn’t have a face. Beneath his traveler’s hat was a gaping hole; not even his hair could be seen. A heartbeat later, the sheriff saw some sort of purplish mass shoot out of the hole. The thing split into countless purple tentacles that assailed the group behind him. There was no time to run or even to dodge them, so great was their speed. Wrapping around everyone’s torsos, they pulled tight with a strength that threatened to tear them apart. Maria’s face quickly turned blue from cyanosis. Weizmann groaned,