Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Metamorphosis: Genesis ❯ Chapter VIII ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter VIII

“We've really got to stop meeting like this,” Sano said, tucking his hands into the pockets of his open breasted overcoat. His eyes met the cold stone of the Hunter's for a moment before he broke the gaze with another in-throat laugh.

“Did you miss me, sweetheart?” He asked, grinning toothily as the shoulders of the Hunter tensed visibly. There was no mistaking the hatred growing in the human's eyes; hatred so powerful it was a testament to years of festering and growth, a hatred that was bred from familiarity.

“It's hard to imagine a mere human surviving that kind of fall, Christian,” Sano added and tilted his head to the side curiously. “I guess it's a good thing you're not one.”

“Hold your tongue, demon!” The Hunter responded, quickly grasping a weapon from his belt. A short silver stake, about a foot long, was held tightly in the young man's grasp.

“If you're going to be ordering me around, you might as well get my species right,” Sano retorted before rolling his shoulders. The Hunter's almond eyes narrowed as he gripped the stake tightly, his muscles tensing, preparing to spring away or break into a run at a moment's notice. He took a deep breath, letting it go very slowly, a cloud of condensation spouting from between his lips and twisting into the gently falling snow.

“Let's dance.” Sano sprinted forward, the Hunter mimicking the charge; the two collided in bone-crushing slam. The sound of their impact fell on the deaf ears of the concrete buildings and snow powdered streets. Sano leapt back from the mortal, balancing delicately on the top of the iron fence surrounding Zoilia Park. He twirled the silver stake like a baton around his wrist before chuckling. He bore his fangs at the Hunter, crouching down like a big cat ready to pounce a feisty prey. Christian was quick to react, reaching for his belt and grabbing a small metal orb. He hurled it towards the dark being, covering his eyes with his arm. The orb spun furiously towards Sano before cracking open.

A bright light burst from the confines of the metal sphere and Sano hissed violently, dropping the stake and covering his face with his arms. He lost his foothold on the tentative perch and fell towards the snow buried concrete below. Mild smoke seeped up from the cracked and burned flesh on the Vampire's exposed parts. His face, chest and hands took the majority of the vicious light.

“A Lumos…!” Sano growled out in pain, grabbing handfuls of snow and rubbing it along his flesh. The quick sound of running boots caused him to look up in time to see Christian grasp the forgotten stake and make a run for his injured form. Sano's silver eyes widened as the Hunter drew upon him.

 

“It's too cold to be out here,” Kaya complained as she pulled her coat tighter around her. She was used to a milder climate by far and this snow was ridiculous. The Vampire was as pale as the frigid powder and his hair was silver—it was going to be like looking for rice in glue, downright frustrating and nearly impossible. The blonde knew, however, that if she returned without him that Lyrial was likely to run out into the blizzard herself looking for him, catch cold, and die. Perhaps that was a bit too dramatic, Kaya reasoned, but she knew that if she wanted to return to the warmth and sanctuary of Lyrial's apartment—she needed to not come back alone.

The Witch glanced down the street, looking left, pausing, then looking right. She sighed and covered her eyes with a hand, spinning around, before pointing in a chosen direction. When she pulled her hands away and was granted sight again, she laughed.

“The Cathedral?” She asked aloud to the empty night avenue. “Probably not,” She added before walking in the opposite direction. She was no Vampire but her educated guess about the race was that he would not take solace in a holy place. It was nighttime and he had no inhibitions about wandering around the streets wherever he willed so there was no point in searching out some dark and dank location like a graveyard or subway station. Kaya crossed her arms in a frustrated way, trudging through the snow. It was hard to listen with the winter wind howling past her ears every so often, blasting her with a barrage of snowflakes and ice.

She still couldn't understand what Lyrial saw in this Sano character. He was charismatic and suave from what the athletic girl had gathered, but he was also a blood sucking monster that preyed particularly on the naïve girls like her friend Lyrial. Kaya had to protect her. Lyrial was mortal and didn't understand the dangers of allowing a creature like Sano into her life. Kaya did know. They were from the same world, Sano and her. She knew what a Vampire was really capable of; she had seen too many of her people turned or ripped apart by those savage creatures. She shook her head, hugging the coat tight around her as a particularly powerful gust of wind blew by. Kaya knew and would not allow anything to happen to Lyrial.

After walking all the way down the avenue, Kaya stopped and let out a huff. She looked left and right down the new intersection and decided that neither direction was correct. She turned around and stared back the way she had come and a sudden chill ran down her spine; this chill was from no amount of winter cold. She broke into a run and hurried back down the avenue, sprinting past the apartment, her mind in a haze. Of course, she thought, her lungs burning from the cold air. Why hadn't she thought of it before? All ready she had walked twenty minutes in the wrong direction and it now may be too late.

“You'd better not be dead!” Kaya called to the empty street, running past the Cathedral quickly and back towards where she knew the Vampire would be. How could she have been so blind? It made complete and total sense, she thought as she ran along the iron wrought perimeter of Zoilia Park. Her feet skidded a bit over the ice and snow as she hooked around the corner at too fast a pace, grabbing hold of one of the bars in the fence to keep her on her feet. Kaya panted, clinging to the frigid piece of metal, catching her breath from the sprint. It had been a while since she'd had to run like that, and never in such a cold climate. Her lungs ached and her cheeks were wind burned and red, her blonde hair disheveled and caked with snowflakes. Her hand began to throb in protest to the bitter rod it clutched.

The Witch relinquished her hold and rubbed her hands together fervently. Soon feeling came back into the numbed fingertips and she felt the tingling sensation of warmth revitalize them. Her azure eyes scanned through the strong wind and lightly falling snow to an ally. Looking to the building that formed one half of the ally Kaya realized that she was behind Lyrial's apartment building.

“Bastard never went far, did he?” She huffed out and laughed. Of course Sano hadn't ventured far from the apartment. He had claimed this place and its inhabitants as his nest and was in no way willing to part from it for very long. A Vampire's nest was its home away from home, so to speak. Kaya had little experience or interest in hunting Vampires but she had learned quite a bit about them from overheard conversations of Hunters. The fictional works of this world had done well to twist and distort what Vampires were and how they operated behind mortal knowledge, but Kaya supposed that was for the best. It was for the best of all so-called supernatural beings that humans didn't know what they were, where they were to be found, or how they could be destroyed.

A sudden burst of bright light caused Kaya to cover her eyes and then blink owlishly in lieu of the surprise.

“A Lumos…!” She heard through the slew of growls and animal cries of agony. The smell of burnt flesh and ash was carried to her nose on the wind and she grimaced. Peering through sheltered alley, Kaya saw Sano in the snow, desperately trying to cool the horrible burns that had appeared on his body. She watched him clutch fistfuls of the icy powder and cover his face in quick and uncalculated moves. He was like an animal, frantic and illogical. The blonde moved to the side of the building, peeking around the corner so she could watch the scene and not be witnessed herself. The Vampire shivered as the searing pain started to ebb away with aid from the snow, only to look up in time to see the Hunter draw in.

Kaya held her breath and hesitated. The fact that she was even considering intervening was disturbing to her. Sano was a Vampire, therefore her natural born enemy. Like a fox and a swallow, they were destined to hate one another and wish the worst; the Hunter was her friend in this case. The Hunter would capture and skin the fox so the swallow could fly free, but eventually, even the swallow would become the captive songbird of the Hunter. Was it okay for Kaya to remain hidden, saving herself from the deadly entourage of the Hunter? Was it…right?

“What am I doing?” She whispered as the Hunter's approach quickened. He was seconds from driving the short silver stake into the Vampire's chest. Kaya knew not what possessed her, but the next thing she knew she was running towards the two men. She drew back her fist as she ran closer and sent it flying. It contacted with the side of Christian's face, and the Hunter staggered, losing his footing on the icy concrete below. The stake clattered against the street, abandoned. Sano looked up sharply at the sound and kicked the awful contraption into the snow to hide it from Christian's mortal eyes. As he wobbled to his feet, the nasty scrawling burns beginning to heal, he looked around.

“Who…?” He asked before his eyes fell on the blonde girl. “Oh, you've got to be kidding me,” He added before Kaya looked back at him.

“Shut up! It's because Lyrial sent me to find you. Otherwise, I'd have let that Hunter stake you. You deserve it if you can't defend yourself better than that, Vampire,” She said spitefully but both supernaturals looked towards Christian as the auburn haired young man sat up, rubbing the back of his skull which had collided unpleasantly with the street when he fell.

“Careful, you almost killed him,” Sano laughed, brushing the snow off his clothes. Christian glared up at both Kaya and Sano, pushing himself to his feet and scanning quickly for the stake.

“This isn't over, abomination,” he warned but took a prudent retreat, running down the alley and disappearing down the street.

“It never is,” Sano replied to the empty place which Christian once occupied. Kaya hugged her coat around her again, huffing before beginning to walk.

“Why'd you do it?” She stopped at the question, dreading it. She rolled her azure eyes and heaved a dramatic sigh.

“I already told you. Lyrial was worried and sent me to find you. I figured if I didn't bring your sorry ass back, I could kiss a warm night in the apartment goodbye,” She said offhandedly and looked over her shoulder to Sano. The grin he wore was cheeky and he shook his head.

“What?” Kaya snapped as the Vampire tucked his arms behind his head and sauntered passed her.

“You sure that's the only reason?” he asked, leaning forward playfully before resuming his meander down the alley.

“Don't flatter yourself,” she spat and pushed passed him, marching back to the main street. Sano came up behind her and grinned again.

“Should we follow him?” she asked, looking down the street where the Christian's footprints were apparent in the snow. The silver haired young man shook his head and tilted his eyes towards the Cathedral down a few blocks.

“Why? You and I both know where he'll end up. As long as he's in there he won't run into us and that's good enough for me,” Sano said. Kaya hesitated, a deep unsettled frown moving across her features; the military look returned to her eyes as she stared at the trail leading to the Cathedral.

“It's a bad idea,” Sano urged, as if reading the girl's mind. “There are more of them there. There's a Magistrate in this city, somewhere. There's a lot of activity here,” he added and Kaya shrugged.

“Wherever we are, they are,” she replied cryptically. “Why am I even talking to you?” She asked suddenly, throwing her arms into the air. She shouldn't be consorting with his type, let alone plotting survival.

“Because I'm irresistible to your sex,” Sano mentioned triumphantly, moving to stand beside the blonde.

“Oh, please,” she said dismissively and started to walk again.

“Well, since you asked so nicely…” The peculiar lilt in the Vampire's voice made Kaya stop and look back curiously, only to turn her face into his. Her lips brushed his and the Witch squawked indignantly, bringing her arm back to slap the intrusive creature. Sano laughed, grabbing hold of her wrist as her hand came down to deliver its punishment.

“You pervert!” She cried, furious in her own right. Her azure eyes were sharp and her wind burned cheeks inflamed brighter.

“I'm disappointed, Witch. One little kiss and you've got your panties all in a twist,” Sano teased only procuring another furious sound from the girl.

“You shouldn't be surprised if you call that a kiss,” Kaya spat before realizing exactly what she had said.

“Is that a challenge?” There was a moment of silence that passed between them, Kaya standing still in slight shock with a hand guarding her mouth in case another unforeseen oral onslaught was to occur, perhaps more adamant than the last, and Sano with his hands resting on his hips like an impatient mother awaiting a guilty child's confession.

“That's what I thought,” he said finally, laughing a bit. He began walking again, but not towards the apartment.

“Wait! Where are you going? Lyrial is worried about your sorry ass! Get back to the apartment!” Kaya called after the silver imp as he moved down the street, tucking his hands into the pocket of his pallid overcoat.

“Quit your squawking, woman. You wanted to follow him, didn't you?” Sano asked, not ending his escape. Kaya huffed, looking up the side of the apartment building that housed Lyrial. She tugged her coat around her tight and weighed the options. Knowing what the Hunters were up to would give her a great deal of leverage and allow her to operate more safely in the city and be able to better protect her kind hostess. However…she looked at Sano's back as he continued his way, unperturbed, towards the Cathedral, following the deep footprints left in Christian's wake. Playing Secret-Ops with a Vampire was not something the blonde was eager to participate in, but for some reason the need to eavesdrop on a congregation of Hunters was far too appealing and Kaya found herself trailing behind Sano.

“Can you even go into a place like that?” she asked, looking squarely up at the silver haired young man as they made it to the slab like steps of the Cathedral.

“Guess we'll find out, huh?” he replied, grinning mischievously. “But just in case, let's not go in through the front where a gaudy crucifix is liable to be dangling from the ceiling to repel the wretched like ourselves,” He added and jabbed the Witch lightly in the arm with his elbow.

“Follow me.” Kaya would have growled if she could have but followed the wayward male as he slipped into a small courtyard in the back of the massive holy edifice. There was a worn oak door with a heavy looking iron handle at an outcropping of the building, a priest's entrance from the courtyard. The garden in the courtyard had a stone birdbath in the middle; it was cracked and aged, small bits of algae growing in the once water filled crevices. The flowers were long since dead and had a sharp and withered appearance, like thorns sprouting from the once fertile soil. There were statues and carvings in the side of the Cathedral, depictions of angels and saints, their eyes turned upwards towards a dove which bore an olive branch in its beak.

“You'd think that after five hundred years they'd change their décor,” Sano said offhandedly as he picked up a chuck of jagged cement, a likely victim of the broken birdbath. He tossed it up and down in his hand and Kaya eyed the process carefully.

“What exactly are you planning to—“ The blonde watched as a delicate stained glass portrait of the Madonna shatter upon the impact of the projectile.

“What? Did you think we'd just stroll through the confessionals? I'm not sure the dear Fathers would appreciate that,” Sano replied to the unfinished question. He hoisted himself up, grabbing hold of one of the carved saint's arms, and crawled through the window. Kaya hesitated. By damaging the Cathedral, they were inviting a lot more trouble than before. She hated the Hunters, no question. They were a ruthless breed of human that sought only to decimate all that they did not deem worthy in the world.

“Are you coming or not, Witch?” Kaya looked up and frowned at the broken window, grabbing hold of the same statue's arm as Sano had, and heaving herself up into the opening. Once through, she dusted herself off and looked around. The Cathedral was a yawning cavern of mahogany and marble, accented with ornate and colorful glass creations. They seemed to be in some kind of choir loft; an impressive looking pipe organ took up most of the wall and towered over rows of pews that would have been filled with joyous practitioners of the Fayth. The craftsmanship behind the loft was commendable; while Kaya looked around, admiring the dark and hefty loft, she did not notice Sano leaving. The next thing she knew, she turned her head to see the Vampire climbing into the rafters of the Cathedral.

He clambered onto the thick wooden beam and began to crawl up its arched length. He motioned for Kaya to follow before pointing and mouthing something indiscernible. The blonde looked around the choir loft once more before moving towards the beam.

“How did he get up there?” She whispered before stepping carefully onto the edge of the organ and stretching to get a hold of the beam. Kaya felt her foot slipping and knew that if there were indeed Hunters in this threshold, then blasting a pipe organ was not a good idea. The snow-wet bottom of her shoe slipped on the well polished wood and she held her breath. No sound from the organ resounded, and looking up, the Witch could see Sano grasping her coat tightly and pulling her into the rafters.

“I didn't think your kind was that clumsy,” He whispered but with laughter in his silver eyes. Kaya grumbled and pushed past Sano on her hands and knees, crawling in front of him to be the first out on the beam.

“Shut up, that wasn't my fault,” She replied with a hiss and stopped at the zenith of the arched beam. The unlikely duo looked down to the main sanctuary where a group of men and women were gathered. Their faces were hard but reserved, a quiet strength fueled by the holy place they were trespassing in. Christian was among them, no more worse for the wear it seemed. A rumbling growl permeated from Sano's chest as he eyed the particular Hunter.

“Can you hear what they're saying?” Kaya asked, straining herself to listen. Her ears were sensitive, but the Vampire was vastly superior in the more animal like talents. The congregation whispered to one another in the massive Cathedral as if they knew they were being spied upon. Sano nodded his head and motioned for Kaya to wait. She rolled her eyes. Where was she going to go? Before she could provide a snarky verbal remark, Sano stood up and stepped forwards as if to walk straight off the beam. Kaya's azure orbs widened as instead of falling the impressive chasm and breaking every bone in his body on the marble altar below, Sano swung downwards, the bottom of his boot touching the underside of the beam. He stood upside down, directly beneath Kaya and looked towards the congregation. It was something fanciful, the blonde thought, as she watched him walk along the underside of the rafters as if it were a sidewalk.

“The Magistrate will be very displeased,” one of the Hunters said. The woman had a thin face and unsettling eyes. They seemed too active in their pursuit of all that was not good. There was a distinct unkindness about her; perhaps it was the way she stood, hip out a bit, hand itching and toying with the plethora of weapons along her belt.

“The time is coming. We have no room for error,” she added, turning those unpleasant eyes towards Christian accusingly. He tucked his arms in front of him and lilted an unreadable smile.

“Do not forget who you are speaking to, Sister Alison. If I recall, your debt to the Father has not yet been paid. Perhaps you should remember that,” Christian replied coolly.

“We must not bicker among ourselves,” another Hunter interjected. “A house divided among itself will fall—it is so true for the Brotherhood!” Christian nodded his head and moved towards the altar, unaware of any interlopers.

“That's what they do to you,” Christian said quietly, looking at the polished and reflective surface of the altar. “They change you. Lucifer has taught them to manipulate our weak hearts.” A murmur of agreement passes through the congregation as Christian turns back to look at his fellows; his eyes fall briefly on Alison, cryptically voicing his displeasure with her.

“Time is growing near, my brothers and sisters. Let us no longer squabble among ourselves and look forward to that coming night that the Magistrate has foretold; the night when Cruxis Fraternus will serve its ultimate purpose.” Above in the rafters, both Kaya and Sano frowned. What was with the riddles? Were Hunters incapable of speaking like a normal person? Kaya peered over the edge of the beam she was kneeling on, trying to lean closer to hear the unclear words of the congregation below.

“Cruxis what?” She whispered and leaned forward more, this time trying to see Sano standing on the underside of the beam. Her intentions outweighed her balance and the blonde felt herself falling forward in an uncontrolled way. Her stern azure eyes widened into a child's panic as her hands felt nothing but air beneath them and soon her knees were given a similar sensation. A silent squeal of fright passed through her throat as she briefly saw Sano on her way down. The plummet was short-lived as she felt her arms jerk up and cold hands grasping her wrists. For the second time this evening, the Vampire had managed to save her from humiliating herself and possibly worse. Now dangling above the unknowing Hunters below Kaya watched as a lucid trickle of dust followed in lieu of her slip. The delicate grey specks floated dauntingly towards her nose. The blonde held her breath and Sano watched with half amusement and half apprehension as the flecks of debris tortured his breathing companion. He looked down sharply towards the congregation who deemed themselves Cruxis Fraternus.

“Brotherhood…of the Cross?” Sano asked uncertainly but his question was answered not with clarity but with a sudden and robust sneeze. The Vampire turned disbelieving eyes to the Witch who he dangled from the ceiling. She shook her head, dizzy from the aftermath of such a powerful sneeze and groaned quietly. Sano was not the only one looking at the girl in such a discerning manner. The eyes of all the Hunters below were turned up, stunned and furious at the sight of the two interlopers.

“Any ideas?” Sano asked, focusing on the Hunters below who reacted much like hornets do when their nest is disturbed. They bustled around and some started to run to the stairs which led to the choir loft and the trespassing duo's escape.

“Run,” Kaya replied bluntly. Although they were in agriance to this solution, the practicality of it was questionable. Run? Sano thought indignantly as he looked back towards the choir loft and their escape window. Was he to simply run along the underside of this rafter, dangling the Witch in his grasp like a worm over hungry nestlings? As comical as the notion was, she would weigh down his escape.

“Get ready,” The Vampire warned and started to rock at his knees. Kaya looked up quickly, frowning with distaste.

“What exactly am I getting ready for?” She barked as Sano began to swing her back and forth. The air in the Cathedral swished past her head as the magnitude of the swaying grew.

“I hope you're quick on your feet!” Sano laughed and with one last impressive pass, he let go of Kaya's wrists. The girl was tossed upwards towards the near roof of the cavernous room. She pulled her knees in and flipped carefully onto the top of the rafter beam. There was no time for the celebratory smirk as she heard the quick running footsteps of the silver haired young man underneath the beam she stood on. Kaya ran as well, hurrying towards the choir loft and their escape just as Sano climbed out from under the beam.

“Not so fast, devils!” Sano and Kaya both skidded to a halt where two Hunters had made it up the stairs and now stood in front of the shattered Madonna window, blocking their escape.

“I trust you can take care of this?” Sano asked, raising a finely groomed brow to his blonde partner in crime. Kaya turned her nose up a bit and unbuttoned her coat.

“Yeah, but it'll be a lot easier without this thing on,” She replied. When she pulled off the heavy restricting material she sighed in relief and tossed the garment into a chorus pew. She cracked her knuckles and rolled her shoulders, her head lolling around and loosening before she shook briefly to complete the little warm-up.

“Gentlemen,” she entreated and one of the Hunters lunged forward. Kaya stepped forward as he approached blindly and allowed him to run himself into her braced fist. The Witch grasped the back of his coat collar and spun around quickly to throw the stunned Hunter off the balcony of the choir loft. His cry was brief and ended curdled as his body became impaled on one of the many iron candelabras.

More Hunters were funneling into the narrow stairwell and attempting to join their Brothers in the choir loft. Sano deemed this a bad thing and hurried to the large pipe organ. He shimmed up between a pillar and the large metal rods of the instrument. He braced his feet against the column and his back against one of the impressive cylinders.

“Now, now, let's be fair. You shouldn't all be ganging up on a lady,” He said through gritted teeth as he pushed against the organ pipes. They groaned as they began to shift and clanged loudly as they collided with one another on their descent. The brass cylinders fell atop one another like mighty fallen trees, blocking the entrance to the choir loft with their mass.

“Time to go, Witch,” Sano called as he made a break for their window exit, grabbing some of the broken stained glass and stabbing the colorful sharp pieces into the throat of the remaining Hunter.

“You're so tasteless!” Kaya scolded as the Vampire leapt out of the broken window and back into the snow of the courtyard. The blonde grabbed her coat, shuffling it on in a hurry as she heard some of the organ pipes being moved so that the rest of the Brotherhood could pursue. She hurried through the window and followed after Sano in the snow. They ran from the Cathedral as fast as they could manage, choking on bouts of laughter and relief. Eventually their pace slowed and when they were certain that the Brotherhood could not find them, they stopped. Kaya panted and rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand, almost smiling. Sano sat atop a trashcan and reached into his coat pocket for a cigarette.

“Well, that was exciting,” he mentioned as he lit up and took a drag. “You know, you're not half bad….for a Witch…and a woman,” he added and grinned, exhaling the smoke from his lungs.

“I suppose that's a compliment,” Kaya responded with little resentment. Her azure eyes had lost their military disposition since they had fled the Cathedral and seemed almost friendly.

“Yeah, well, I couldn't be bothered to actually say something nice, now could I?” Sano asked, holding the cigarette between his index and middle finger. Kaya shrugged her shoulders, but did manage a real smile.

“No, I suppose not,” she replied and met the Vampire's eyes as if for the first time. They were a phenomenal sight but the girl reminded herself that those orbs were used to ensnare people's lives and prey upon the weak minded and faint hearted—Kaya was certainly neither of those and vowed in silence at that moment to never fall into those tepid pools of moonlight.

“What's wrong?” She asked suddenly. The look on Sano's face had gone from merry to horror instantly. He was looking past her, far past her, at something in the distance. He stood up quickly, the hair on the back of his neck rising to attention. He dropped the cigarette in the snow and swallowed hard.

“Witch. What time is it?” He asked urgently and Kaya fumbled for a reply. “What time is it!?” He screamed gesturing wildly at something behind her. Kaya turned around and then she saw it. In the east, the sky was beginning to lighten. It was morphing from the inky black to pale lavender and soon the flare of orange and gold would follow.

“Dawn…” She breathed and felt Sano whiz past her at incredible speed. She pursued instantly knowing that they were now in a race with time itself. What if they didn't make it? She had no idea where they even were let alone how far away Lyrial's apartment was but the way Sano plowed through snow, practically flying, Kaya could guess that they were far away enough to worry.

Streetlights slowly flickered out along the avenue and the blonde knew that they had little time left before the first gentle rays of morning stroked the snow covered city into consciousness. Buildings began to take on a more familiar appearance as the sky lightened. Sano yanked around a corner quickly, dodging down an alleyway as if certain of its quickness to their destination. Kaya skidded in attempts to follow the erratic pattern of the Vampire, keeping up with him as best she could. She felt much like a lame cat chasing after a much faster mouse—desperate and futile.

“Tell me you have a key!” Sano screamed as Lyrial's apartment building peeked into view. Kaya's eyes widened and she shook her head.

“Why don't you have a key!?” She screamed back as they sprinted towards the door. Sano banged on the doors furiously, petitioning for entrance to the building. There was not a soul awake during these wee hours of the morning. Kaya caught up to the silver haired young man as he was about to all but break through the door of the building and find solace in its concrete confines.

“Not like this! Not like this!” He begged, banging his fists against the metal and glass of the door. “Not like this! Not like this!” Kaya looked behind them as the sun started to climb into the sky. Its golden face peered down at the scene with disinterest, shining brightly and allowing its rays to seek out those who were never meant to be in its presence. The Witch pitied Sano as the wall of light moved visibly across the snow, dispersing shadow and making the alternation from night to day. She flinched at the animal cry of agony that came when the warm wall engulfed Sano's form. He tried to hide his head in his arms, curling up against the door and sliding to the floor. He shrieked and jerked sporadically, fighting off the burning pain of the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Vampires were the enemy of her people. Kaya knew this very well but something about the tears that fell down Sano's face humanized him. This wasn't a monster being punished for its crimes—this was a person being murdered in front of her for merely being what he was born as. Vampirism wasn't his choice, it was his lot. The pity turned to an aching compassion and without thought, Kaya ripped her heavy coat off and ran towards Sano as he writhed in the light, horrible burns forming and charring his flesh. The smell was awful as were the cries that accompanied them. She closed her eyes and threw herself over Sano, the thick material of the coat hiding him from the sharp rays of the sun.

“Hang on!” She insisted and reached up blindly for the intercom system by the door. She pressed frantically at all the buttons she could reach. A chorus of buzzing echoed throughout the apartment building. Someone just had to hear them—anyone! By some chance, Kaya's fingers found the button for Lyrial's apartment and pressed insistently, holding the small white button down. She could hear the long draw out buzz sounding upstairs. A click was heard and the door opened. Kaya pushed Sano, wrapped in the winter coat cocoon, through the opened door and into the windowless aria of the apartment building. She slammed the door shut and fell to the ground beside the Vampire hidden in the coat.

Kaya sat up groggily after a moment and rubbed the side of her face which had scraped uncomfortably against the rough concrete. She frowned at the bundle of coat and man and shook her head, her cheek painted with the red claw marks of the ground. The animal cries had dwindled down to pathetic sound whimpers now that Sano was protected from the sunlight. He was curled up in the fetal position, tucking his knees closer to his chest and trying to hide his entire form in the shelter of the winter coat.

The blonde reached forward to grasp what she assumed was his shoulder and shook him. No movement responded and she sighed.

“Sano, come on, get up,” She said and shook his shoulder again. This time a growling responded, briefly replacing the painful sounding whimpers.

“Sano, I'm not going to carry you up these stairs and I'm pretty sure that the angry mob of neighbors we woke up won't be willing too, either!” She hissed and tugged on the coat, trying to pull the Vampire along. When it was clear that Sano was either not willing or incapable of walking up the stairs, Kaya groaned. She grasped the coat firmly and started to drag it as she carefully climbed the stairs backwards. She totted Sano's dead-weight frame up the concrete steps, his burned and marred flesh protected mostly by the thick fabric of the coat he hid in.

She huffed as she made it to the landing and sighed.

“You, sir, have got to cut back on the pie,” She said to the bundled cocoon and laughed quietly as the bundle stirred in protest. Kaya pushed the door of the stairwell open and leaned her back against it as she yanked Sano's limp form through the threshold. She peered around the hallway cautiously and spotted a man picking up his newspaper from in front of his door. Their eyes met a moment before his fell upon the crumpled pile that was Sano. He frowned before quickly retreating back into his apartment and locking the door with resonance. Kaya sighed in relief and grasped the coat again, hurrying down the hall towards Lyrial's apartment, hearing Sano groan and grumble from the confines of the coat.

“Well, if you'd just used your legs in the first place, I wouldn't have to drag you like a casket,” she scolded and knocked on Lyrial's door. There was silence and she rubbed her face in her hands. The poor girl was probably exhausted with worry and had fallen asleep finally. Kaya was both relief and miffed about this notion—she was glad Lyrial's mortal body had finally gotten the rest it needed, but mad that she now had a wounded Vampire whining in the middle of the hallway which would soon be busy with the middle-class on their way to the usual eight to five day.

She jiggled the handle of the door before whispering quietly. With a click, the door came open and she kicked it open the rest of the way before grasping Sano's form and dragging him into the safety of Lyrial's apartment. Once the door was shut, she leaned against it and rubbed the back of her neck.

“You're a lot more trouble than you're worth, Vampire,” She said spitefully to the bundle of body and coat. She debated a moment, leaving the injured creature in his fabric cocoon and going to bed herself, but was reminded of the potential danger of that option as she turned to look at the window in the living room that poured fresh morning light onto the carpet. She growled in the back of her throat and grasped the arms of the coat and dragged the unmoving Vampire across the floor of the living room, skirting out of the window light to the guest bedroom. She lugged Sano's form onto the bed and carefully unwound him from the coat. She looked at the material and the ashy pieces that peppered the inside of it.

Kaya made a face of disgust and dropped the coat, looking at Sano. His body was badly burned and scarred. It made the Witch slightly sick to see the once handsome face torn around the eyes, chips of bone visible around the socket and high cheek bones. She winced a bit and sat on the edge of the bed. Sano was a sleep, or least she figured him to be. His chest was motionless with the lack of breath and his eyes were closed. She watched as the charred mesh of skin barely veiling the skeletal features refused to heal. The detrimental effects of the ultraviolet light were inhibiting the Vampire's natural ability to regenerate and replenish.

The blonde bit her bottom lip and finally looked away. Had she hesitated a little longer the wounded creature on the bed would have died, turned into a pile of ashes at the front of the apartment building. She had saved her enemy and was taunted by the unknown reasons for her actions. Kaya peered over her shoulder at the Vampire before turning back at his form. She reached out hesitantly, sliding her palm over the sheets to rest her hand over his. The sun burnt tissue was warm, a startling contrast to its usual stony temperature. She squeezed his hand gently, trying to keep the added pressure from causing additional discomfort.

“More trouble than you're worth,” She repeated quietly, unaware of the pair of confused brown eyes that watched them. Lyrial stood in the doorway of the guest bedroom and held onto the tiny silver crucifix around her neck. She was quiet as not to disturb the odd moment between Kaya and Sano, though the latter was deep in a sleeping state because of the new day. She would have to go soon and attempt to live normally for the day until she had to return to the apartment and encounter her unorthodox houseguests. As she turned away and walked towards her bedroom to prepare for the day ahead of her, Lyrial could not rid her mind of the horrible image of Sano's face. She would ask Kaya later, perhaps, about what had transpired that night, but she feared the stories she would be told.

Reality had sunken in—Lyrial's life, as well as the lives of her new companions, were going to become much more dangerous than ever imagined.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Metamorphosis: Genesis