Tally threw the two strangers to the ground. They growled, watching the two.
"I will not be hunted," Alucard said, pointing his sword down at the girl's face. Skylar pointed her sword at the boy.
"Wait!" the girl begged. "We are not hunting you. You are the Alucard."
"The what?" Alucard questioned, his brow furrowed. Skylar snickered, adding that title to something she has in mind to tease him with later. But for now, dealing with two strangers aiming for Alucard was a top priority.
"We need your help," the girl said, almost begging for the group to listen. Skylar wasn't convinced that these two were there to get Alucard's help, but she couldn't say anything about them as individuals just yet.
"With an arrow in my and Skylar's backs?" Alucard asked, not exactly trusting her words. Skylar felt the same, and Tally let out a hiss. They stepped off the two to let them get up. Skylar and Alucard kept both their swords aimed at the two strangers.
"He was going to cover me," the girl said. Skylar watched her and the boy she was with. Tally went to the other day creatures and Tara, who were building up settlements to live in. "I was going to come out to talk to you both."
"Really?" Alucard wasn't so convinced. Skylar took one step forward. Her sword tilted to lift the boy's chin on the blade. She looked between him and the girl.
"Likely story," Skylar said, looking the girl in the eye. "So you hid in the trees and bushes, watched us until our backs were to you, then you got trapped and claimed it was cover to speak with us? How would anyone believe that? Honestly."
"We have come a long way," the girl tried pleading her case.
"And most likely wasted your time," Skylar spoke up, not giving the girl an inch more. "For all we know, you could be lying and aiming to kill Alucard because he is the son of Dracula. Or worse, go after his sister after you two kill him."
"She isn't lying," the boy tried to defend her. Skylar angled her sword up, keeping him a distance away from her and Alucard. "And we do need your help."
"Who are you?" Alucard demanded. Skylar watched the two heavily.
"I am Sumi," the girl gestured to herself. Then to the boy beside her. "This is Taka. We hunt vampires."
"Not you," Taka said, but Skylar took a step in front of Alucard, almost shielding him from Sumi and Taka. "Real vampires. The pursuit of our target became the pursuit of the castle, and we only discovered yesterday that you live in it."
"I didn't notice you yesterday," Alucard said, holding his chin in thought. Skylar didn't seem impressed and remained more guarded than Alucard. "You're better than I thought. Who was your quarry?"
"Her name is Cho," Sumi said. But Skylar wasn't exactly listening. If they were watching Alucard and her yesterday. Why didn't the day creatures find them until today? They must know about them and could have tried something at night while everyone was asleep. Either way, Skylar wasn't taking any chances. "We were slaves to her court in Japan. She left to become a general in Dracula's war."
"You hid from day creatures," Skylar pointed out, her guard never dropping. "Someone who is just hunting vampires doesn't hide from creatures that are resistant to them and are their opposite."
"No! We just avoided them, we didn't-"
"They can smell a stranger within one hundred steps away, so tell me now, why were you hiding?" Skylar interrupted Taka, raising her sword. "Do not go saying that you avoided them, because they would have hunted you down the moment they realized you were hiding. They are night creatures, opposite, and remember everything from back when they were living humans. So start talking!"