I really don't know where this idea came from, but since I love this series so much, I figured why not give it a shot?

Disclaimer: I do not own Dantalian no Shoka.

The Book Of Blood

The tires of the old vehicle rattled over the stone path, occasionally sending pebbles flying out to the sides.

A young man who appeared to be of fine upbringing, aging to be just about twenty was driving, his blonde hair beneath his hat reflecting sunlight. A small girl sat beside him; she appeared to be about fourteen years old and was dressed all in black, her hair reaching her slim waist. The lock on her chest shimmered in the mid-afternoon sun.

The slightly odd pair was presently headed to a small town where gruesome rumors had been popping up recently.

Evidently, a neighboring village had been decimated within a single night, but not by fire or by plague. The villagers had all been sucked dry of their blood and equally left as shriveled corpses; not even a single child was spared the terrible fate of whatever had caused it.

In their travels, the young man and small girl had seen quite enough signs whether to know if the culprit of such a travesty was a Phantom Book or not, and without a doubt, these characteristics fit those of a mind maddened with the facade of power.

After hearing of the murders a day earlier, Dalian had kept relatively silent, and now that he thought about it, Huey did not believe she had spoken a single word since they had departed that morning. After driving on the rickety road for over and hour, he was sure she would have started complaining long ago.

Presently, his blue eyes flicked sideways to steal a glance at her. Her posture was erect, her dark bonnet shading her angled face from the sun as she started off to the side away from him. With her hands folded in her lap like that, Huey thought she appeared quite the young lady when she could keep her mouth closed.

Having to quickly direct his gaze back to the road in front of him, Huey had been unable to determine if she appeared ill. He had never known her to be seriously sick, therefore if that turned out to be the case, as a gentleman, he believed he might have no choice but to wait to deal with the Phantom Book until she was well again, to which she would surely object. Or perhaps she had finally complained so much that her voice had gone hoarse on her.

Just as the slightly amused thoughts were going through his head, Huey spotted the designated town up ahead.

At the same moment, a small, familiar, tugging feeling was felt on his right sleeve and he turned his head.

"Huey..." she avoided eye contact with him and her voice seemed frail. Just as he expected her to announce that she was going to be sick, she raised her head. "I am hungry." She declared in her usual firm tone.

Huey stared in amazement for a moment before chuckling delightedly to himself, feeling foolish that he had been so concerned.

"Wah... What are you guffawing about, you imbecile?! This is certainly no laughing matter!" Outraged, Dalian raised her voice and hardened her tone into that of an angered school teacher. "I've consumed nothing but cold air for the past day and now you laugh at me when I require sustenance? How much of a fool can you be, you oaf?" She huffed out a remarkable breath, considering her small form, threw his sleeve from her grasp, crossed her arms, and turned away from him all within a matter of seconds.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Huey apologized, still laughing a bit. "We're almost there so we can get something to eat first."

Normally, she would have spat back several more sharp comments about his apparent stupidity, however she simply nodded while still facing away from him.

As the car entered the outskirts of the town, Huey wondered if the slumping of her small shoulders was merely his imagination or not.

Seated on a stool at the counter of a half-full bakery, Huey addressed the owner as Dalian happily bit into a fresh, warm bun beside him.

"You're here about the murders?" The owner, a slightly plump fellow with no hair clarified.

"Correct." Huey replied. "We've heard about it and have experience dealing with such matters."

"I see." Said the man, noting the key dangling from Huey's neck. "You must be after the book, right?"

"You know of Phantom Books?"

"Well that's been the only explanation for the murders." The man explained. "The villagers were all found dead only early yesterday morning, so when authorities went to investigate, all they found were corpses without a single drop of blood left in them. The bodies were covered in puncture wounds, as if hundreds of small beasts had sucked them dry with their fangs. Only one villager was missing, by the name of Henry Larson, so it's believed he's the one who did it. People have been saying some dark powers of a cursed book drove him mad and it's only a matter of time before he strikes again." The man finished, frowning.

"Why have the people of this village not yet fled?" Huey wondered.

"The bastard escaped into the woods in the north," the baker explained. "Left a trail of dead animals behind him, even a bear. I don't know what's going to be able to stop him if a bear couldn't do the trick."

"So it doesn't just require human blood..." Huey murmured to himself.

Dalian, who had been silently finishing her bread while listening now turned to him.

"Huey. We must go." She uttered.

"I agree." He nodded, giving his thanks to the baker.

As they exited the shop, Huey again began to wonder if she was ill; the gluttonous girl who could normally consumed up to six buns in one sitting had settled for only one just now. "Did he say anything that sparked your interest?" Huey queried.

She remained silent for a moment as they continued walking, fixing her eyes on the ground. "...Yes." She finally replied. "Firstly, there are no such things as curses in this world." She repeated the familiar phrase. "Secondly, it appears this man is on the move again, so we had best make haste."

Huey drove the old car in the direction of the destroyed village.

Once more, Dalian spoke not a word the entire way until the village was in sight. Huey stopped the car just near the entrance, noting the other vehicles as well. "It appears there is an investigation going on already." He noted with a slight click of his tongue. "If Henry decides to come back, all these men would likely be dead in no time."

He was not sure if Dalian had heard a single word he spoke, for she continued to sit upright beside him gazing out to the distant forest, her shoulders tense. "Do you want to rest a while?" Although it could mean a dangerous loss of time, Huey could not keep himself from asking. Upon hearing his words, she let out a sharp breath through her nose as if to say "Do not insult me!"

"If we rest now, it will only result in the loss of more lives." She replied, sounding almost uncharacteristically concerned. Huey caught himself staring in surprise but was too late in looking away. "Why do you appear so shocked?" She barked, clearly offended. "I desire to stop these senseless killings just as much as you do! I did not come merely to obtain the book at my own leisure as life was lost in the meantime!" Her dark eyes burned with anger and a bit of something else Huey could not quite name just before she turned away.

The last thing he meant to do was insult her, but before he could explain himself, she cut him off. "No matter. It is nearly a full moon tonight, and the powers of the Phantom Book are strong. If we were to rest long enough to let this man go until the night of the full moon, he could easily destroy twice as many lives. We must act at present." She declared. Huey decided that she was correct and would save his apologies for a later time.

Getting out of the car, he went around to her side to assist her landing, but when he reached her, Dalian had already began walking toward the distant forest. Hastily catching up, Huey asked, "Are you certain we should not drive closer?"

"No need." She murmured, her voice stoic. "I am certain we will need not walk as far as we expect."

The light of the sun was beginning to drain away as twilight set in, dying the landscape maroon; the now-vacant village off to one side seemed to be drenched in crimson blood.

By the time they entered the forest, the trees appeared to be a sickening purple, and even though the sun still shown above the horizon, shadows consumed them.

Instead of treading beside Huey as she often did, Dalian led him into the woods as if by some instinct that directed her on the correct path.

After only a short time had passed, a foul stench soon gave way to the corpse of a stag. It was shriveled and drained of blood, with dozens of circular puncture wounds about it's body. Despite the sickening scent and steadily increasing number of flies about it, Dalian remained unfazed as she neared the body. She could still see quite clearly, and it appeared to Huey that she had only confirmed something she had long suspected.

"Dalian, do you know of this Phantom Book?" He asked, coughing once to stave off the rancid smell.

"Yes." She replied, leaving the stag and returning to Huey's side. "In truth, I had suspected which Phantom Book was the cause off all this since the moment you showed me the article in the newspaper." She sighed out a breath that seemed to tremble ever so slightly.

"Really? Then shouldn't we call forth the correct book to counter it beforehand?" He asked reasonably.

"I wanted to confirm my suspicions," she stated. "But it appears it is too late to summon another book now..." She halted her pace, glaring directly ahead of them. Huey instantly followed her gaze and reached for the pistol at the inside of his coat.

The shadow of a man emerged from the trees before them. He was a few inches taller than Huey with a fair build and dark brown hair, and he carried a large book underneath one arm.

The man came to a stop about two meters away from the pair; there was a crazed grin on his face that suggested he was already consumed by the powers of the book beyond reason.

The man spoke in a cracked voice, "Sir Hugh Anthony Disward." He nodded a greeting.

"Sir Henry Larson, I presume?" Huey replied coolly. "May I ask how you know of my name?"

The man gave a chuckle before mumbling something to a person who was not present and replying. "I've heard about you, Sir Disward. People speak much of you around these parts. You wander around and collect books, they said, but not just any books. I got curious, you see, and now I merely want to go on like this..."

His chopped speech was somewhat indecipherable, and he often paused to laugh in between words. Huey could instantly tell this man was far beyond reason, his mind too consumed by the book and its dark powers, which were increasing with the nearing of the full moon.

"I don't suppose I could get you to relinquish that book you have there without a fight?" Huey asked, steadily drawing his pistol and aiming it at the man.

Henry's eyes visibly flashed with fear before he chuckled again. "Don't you know what book this is?" Henry asked with a grin, as if to stall for time.

"The Book of Blood."

The clear response came from Dalian, and Henry seemed to notice her for the first time, his eyes widening; Huey clicked his tongue when he noticed the frown on Henry's lips form back into a twisted smile.

Dalian continued to speak in a stern voice. "The Book of Blood is inherited by a noble family linage, and when read correctly would present its master with great fortune and good relationships, that is to say there would be "no bad blood" between the owner of the book and other people." She explained. "However, you are clearly not the rightful owner of that book." She snapped accusingly. "Where did you get it?"

Henry stared at her a moment longer before cackling again. "Me? It is the spoil of my hunting!" He announced proudly.

"So you're a pit-pocket?" Huey confirmed with a sigh.

"It appears to be so." Dalian nodded. "And as such, the rightful owner of this book was most likely one of those villagers and, therefore, is now dead. Since he is not the owner, this man will merely gain a false sense of power from stealing the blood of others." Dalian explained.

Her voice was cold, but from regret rather than uncaring. "All reason has been clouded and he cannot even make sense of most things anymore. He will simply continue to kill until his power high consumes his body and mind and he dies of starvation." Her eyes were still locked on Henry, her shoulders still tense. "Also, there is no book to counter The Book of Blood." She whispered.

"What?" Huey blurted, taking his eyes off Henry and lowering his gun on instinct as he quickly turned to Dalian. "How is that possible? The archives of Dantalian have 900,000 and 666 volumes, and not a single one of them can counter this book?"

"Calm your drabble." Dalian sniffed. "There is no rule set in stone that every Phantom Book has a counterpart within the library."

"So you mean to tell me this man is going to continue killing until he dies himself? How many more will he murder on the night of the full moon?" Huey's disbelief made his tone sound harsh.

"There is another way to stop The Book of Blood..." Dalian said calmly, her voice trailing off into the air.

Just as Huey was about to demand an answer, Henry began approaching them again. Huey immediately raised his pistol again and Henry stopped. "Do I have no choice left but to kill this man?" He muttered.

As of late, Huey was beginning to feel sickened at the amount of lives claimed by the Phantom Books; all humans were greedy but the weakest ones who succumbed to their avarice were drawn to seek power in the books, which ultimately ended up killing them in the majority of cases. He saw the books as somewhat of parasites, taunting the weak humans into their own demise.

Huey was snapped from his reverie when Henry spoke again.

"I should thank you for making this easier." He chortled.

"What do you mean?" Huey asked, levelly.

"The blood of normal humans gives me little more power than that of animals," Henry explained, shifting his arm slightly. "The blood of a KeyKeeper is twice as powerful." The cover of The Book of Blood opened under Henry's arm, and before Huey could react, the pistol was knocked from his hand.

"What-?"

A long tendril had snaked from the pages of the Phantom Book. As long as the trunks of the trees around them were tall, it was a dark green vine covered in large thorns. Huey gritted his teeth as he clutched the hand the vine had struck, two deep streaks of blood dripping from his skin.

"Huey..." Dalian's voice sounded anxious, and as he glanced at her, there was an odd mixture of emotion on her normally stoic face. There was a slight nervousness in her eyes as she stared at his injured hand, but before Huey could reassure her that he was fine, Henry spoke again.

"That's good..." he laughed. "Just that small amount of blood from a KeyKeeper was quite and impressive amount of power. What a great feeling..."

Dalian sent an enraged glare at the possessed man, as if disgusted by his actions of harming her KeyKeeper. Huey hardly had time to appreciate her protectiveness before the tendril swung back in front of them, poised like a cobra prepared to strike. "Ahh but, Sir Disward..." Henry raised his voice slightly. "I must thank you for making this easier for me."

"What do you mean?" Huey repeated, his hand still throbbing.

"A KeyKeeper's blood is twice as powerful..." Henry repeated, his voice cracking slightly. "But what's even more powerful than that... is a Biblioprincess's. And you've led yours right to me!" At his command, the large vine darted forward faster than the blink of an eye. Like a serpent, it flew toward the small girl.

"Dalian!" Huey yelled, but was knocked back by the vine. She let out a short shriek, but did not attempt to flee.

Within seconds, the vine coiled around her, lifting her off the ground and sinking its thorns into her dress. Dalian screamed in pain as the cruel barbs pierced her delicate skin. Instantly, the thorns became soaked with her blood, absorbing each drop into the vine that protruded from the pages of the book.

A twisted smile broke out on Henry's lips and he bellowed in laughter as the new power washed over him. "Yes!" He cried, maddened. "The blood of a Biblioprincess is ten times of a KeyKeeper's. No... even greater than that!"

"Bastard!" Huey tried to push himself up from the ground, but his injured hand could take no weight and he fell back down.

Henry's crazed laughter echoed throughout the empty forest as Huey tried to block the sensations of pain from his mind. His eyes flickered to his pistol, which was about two feet away from him, but he knew if he made a move for it, Henry would likely only hurt Dalian even more. Huey gritted his teeth and rapidly tried to concoct some method to stop the lunatic before him when a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Hu...ey..."

He glanced at the vine that had ensnared Dalian. Her body was trapped in midair within the thorns, her long hair spilling out over her shoulders. Only the thorns attempting to pierce the lock on her chest failed to seep into her flesh. "Huey..." she gasped again, raising her head to look him in the eye. There was a slight fear in her gaze, an expression he could only recall having seen on her once or twice before. "Fear not..." she panted. "This will- ah!" She let out a tortured scream as the coils tightened.

"Dalian!" Huey shouted helplessly. He used his good hand to push himself forward toward his gun.

"Don't move!" Henry barked instantly. The thorns dug deeper into Dalian's skin and she cried out again.

"Bastard!" Huey shouted again. "Let her go!"

"Did you not hear me, Sir Disward?" Henry's furious expression quickly faded into one of gleeful laughter once more. "A Biblioprincess's blood is ten times more powerful than yours. Do you know what... that kind of power feels like? I guess... you don't..." he chuckled, clutching the open book in his hands.

Huey glanced over at Dalian once more. She was struggling for breath as the constricting vine held her in place, and her face was getting paler by the second.

"Dalian..."

"Huey..." she wheezed. "This will be... over soon..." Past the agony in her eyes, there was a confident reassurance.

"What do you..." Huey could not fathom how she could say such words and be so sure of them, given her current condition. He had to wonder what knowledge she held of this sickening book and could only pray that she was correct in her predictions.

"Say, Sir Disward?" Henry's gruff voice asked. "Do you know what those flowers are?"

"Flowers?" Huey squinted his eyes in the direction of Henry's finger and only then noticed the small, pink buds dangling off the vine in between the thorns.

"Bleeding hearts..." Dalian huffed, lifting her head to send a defiant glare at Henry. Huey felt a tiny spark of admiration for the way her feistiness was still at full force, even if the rest of her was not.

"Correct, Biblioprincess." Henry laughed. "And do you know why they are associated with the Book of Blood? I guess... it's rather obvious, isn't it?"

Huey was getting increasingly annoyed at having to hear the insane man speak at his leisure as Dalian was growing weaker by the second.

"Say, Sir Disward," Henry continued, "Do you know why the blood of a Biblioprincess is ten times more powerful than yours?"

This bastard can hardly follow a single conversation. Huey managed to inch closer to his pistol, however, and wondered if getting Henry onto a long discourse could distract him long enough for Huey to fire.

"Why is that?" Huey growled in compliance. Henry chuckled again.

"This vine absorbs the blood of its victims until the heart has stopped beating," he took a step closer to Dalian and Huey felt anger burning inside of him as his fingertips brushed the handgun. "But as a KeyKeeper, I'm sure you already know..." Henry stopped before Dalian and sneered into her face. "A Biblioprincess has no heart!" With his voice raised in maniacal hysterics, Henry grabbed Dalian's hair roughly and she shrieked. "She is like an endless well of power to me!"

"Henry!" Huey shouted a furious warning as he finally grabbed his pistol. Pushing himself up, he took aim, but his injured finger was too weak to pull the trigger. "Damn it!" He cursed.

Henry laughed mockingly at Huey and continued to yank at Dalian's hair. "If there is no heart, there is no end to the power I can obtain from them!" He proclaimed.

"Y...Yes!" Dalian used a great breath to force out the word, and Henry froze before pulling her hair up above her head so that she faced him.

"What was that?" Henry jeered.

"What...you say is true..." she admitted, flashing a swift glance toward Huey. "A Biblioprincess's blood...is extremely powerful...particularly for the Book of Blood..." It pained Huey just to listen to her rasping voice, but the look in her eyes just a second ago told him that the book's end was near at last. "However, it is clear you...know not of the drawbacks... Ah!" She cried out again as Henry jerked her head back.

"Don't make a fool of me!" Henry snarled.

Unable to hold back any longer, Huey used all of his might to pull the trigger. The bullet scored in Henry's arm, and Dalian slumped forward as she was released from his grip. Blood welled out of Henry's wound as he cursed. "You!" He whipped around to face Huey who had gotten to his feet.

But before Henry could take so much as two steps, he went rigid and was rendered unable to move. "What..." The Phantom Book fell from his grasp and everything seemed to freeze for a moment. Then, the vine constricting Dalian began to shake, and Henry's countenance changed drastically. "What is happening...?" He groaned.

"The drawbacks..." answered Dalian. "My blood may be powerful...but to this Phantom Book... it is also poison."

"What... are you saying?" Henry shot a glare back at her, but Huey could tell he was terrified.

"The reason as to why... there is no counter book to the Book of Blood," she retorted, her breath drawing short. "Is because it destroys...itself..." Her eyelids fluttered weakly as she finished, and she hung limply within the grasp of the tendril.

The vine snaking forth from the pages of the book then slowly loosened its grip on Dalian and at last released her. Blood dripped from various wounds on her body as she fell to the forest floor and lie still.

The vine then moved with its lightning speed to wrap around the bleeding arm of its false master. Henry shouted in horror as it curled around him completely and Huey caught a haunting glimpse of the man's face before the thorns pierced his skull. Within mere seconds, the vine had consumed Henry's body entirely, and suddenly, both book and master had vanished; the echo of his final shout was all that remained.

Huey stood rooted to the ground for a long moment as he stared at the vacant space before him that had used to be Henry Larson. Once he had gotten his bearings back, Huey realized the true issue at hand.

"Dalian!"

He rushed over to where the girl had fallen to the ground. He knelt down beside her and noticed the dark crimson pooling beneath her small form. Her dress was stained in several places, mostly around her back and abdomen, and her usually alabaster skin was somehow even paler, like snow that had been untouched since the beginning of time whence it fell. Huey reached out to her but recoiled his hand when he saw her injuries, her white neck and collarbones smeared with drops of blood.

"Dalian?" He said again, tentatively reaching out to turn her onto her back. He moved her carefully until she rested gently in his lap, one arm supporting her shoulders as his other hand held onto her limp ones. She was breathing quickly and shallowly, panting as if her lungs could not hold a sufficient amount of air to keep her conscious.

Huey squeezed her hands silently as he willed her to open her eyes, finally realizing the reasons behind her odd behavior over the past day. Judging by what she had said earlier, Dalian had suspected the abused Phantom Book to be The Book of Blood. She had been aware of what she would be up against, and therefore, was prepared to sacrifice herself if it meant stopping the Phantom Book. When he realized this, Huey understood her fury when Henry had targeted Huey, for Dalian knew his blood was powerful as well, but was hoping Henry would take the bait of hers instead.

"I can't believe this foolish girl..." Huey gritted his teeth, pulling her closer to his chest. "If you had just told me, we could have searched for another way..." He felt her hand twitch beneath his and instantly looked to her face. Her eyelashes fluttered slowly open, like tattered butterflies', wings to reveal tired, but triumphant irises.

"Huey..." she gasped softly as recognition showed on her disoriented face.

"Thank goodness." He sighed with relief.

"Huey..." she repeated. "Why... do you look at me with such a pitiful expression?"

"Ah..." Huey blinked at her, feeling almost disappointed.

"W...What?" She wheezed. "Were you expecting me to burst into tears upon seeing your face? You truly are a fool, Hue-" she cut off his name awkwardly with a harsh cough.

"Take it easy!" He soothed, lifting her shoulders up a bit so she could breathe easier. It was then when he noticed the blood staining his coat and pants. He bit his lip as she moaned softly. "Dalian, does it hurt?"

"Wha-What?" She cried, so passionately that she ended up coughing again. When she had finally recovered, she continued her assault. "Have you ever been suffocated within the coils of a giant serpent with thorns for scales? Can you imagine a situation like that? Of course it hurts, you dunce!" Her accusatory tone ended in somewhat of a childish wail.

"You're absolutely right." He bowed his head. "I'm sorry. We must get you treatment immediately." He started to stand with her in his arms.

"Eh? W-Wait, Huey-!" She squeaked in pain as she clutched at his coat, instinctively burying her face in his chest.

"S-Sorry!" He kelt back down and remained still until her trembling had ceased.

"Oww..." she whimpered. "Huey! I did not know you were such a cold-hearted man!"

"W-What do you mean?" He asked, baffled.

"Now that the Phantom Book is gone, these wounds will heal on their own. Look there, at your hand." Huey did as she suggested and saw that the scratches on his hand had closed up and most of the blood was gone. "Therefore," Dalian continued, "Just... wait a moment until I can bear movement." She sighed, turning her face away from him; Huey wondered if she was embarrassed due to her current state that left her reliant upon him.

"Of course." He said simply.

The sun had only just begun to set, the light bathing the forest in golden orange shades. The air was chilled, and despite her best efforts, Dalian could not suppress the shudder that came over her. Pretending not to have noticed, for surely she would be bashful, Huey drew her closer to him in such an unnoticeable way that even Dalian had no room to call him out on it.

Several moments passed by on the breeze as Huey tried to erase the final image of Henry Larson's distraught, inane expression from his mind. However, the thing that aggravated him most had been Henry's claim that Dalian had no heart. Huey had never put much thought into such a matter, for he had never needed to. But even now as his left palm supported her back, he could not discern a definite pulse from her.

"Huey!" At her voice, he blinked once in surprise. "Cease your daydreaming! Let us be off." She declared.

If she was well enough to make remarks such as these, he was convinced she would be fine to suffer the amount of movement required to journey back to the car. The bumpy car ride itself might be a completely different story for her injured body, but it was growing dark now, and remaining within the forest with her like this would surely be a much worse situation.

"Very well." He said. Slowly, he stood, and although Dalian sucked in a sharp gasp, she did not complain any more.

Huey took care to make their long walk back as level as possible, but when he had walked no more than halfway to the car, he noticed her eyes had closed. Huey slowed his pace even more in an attempt to let her rest a bit before the journey home.

She made a small sound in her sleep and Huey glanced down. Her white fingers loosely clutched his coat and her delicate, doll-like face was turned toward him, her cheek pressed against his chest.

"Mm... Hue...y..." she mumbled sleepily.

Huey smiled fondly down at her with a sigh.

"What a troublesome girl."

A/N: Thank you for reading! This idea formed out of nowhere, and I simply wanted to attempt an original tale for this series to start off the category. I hope you enjoyed and look forward to the sequel, The Heart Of The Princess!

Please review!