Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Metamorphosis: Genesis ❯ Chapter XVI ( Chapter 16 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Lyrial's hands shook as she stared down at her bloody palms. It stank. Her nose wrinkled and she gagged. Reactively, she covered her mouth with the back of her wrist to discourage any retching. The brunette had never fancied herself to be squeamish about blood but she had never fancied herself to be doused in a drying, putrid variation of the stuff either. She resembled something from out of a horror film; that ragged sole survivor at the end that somehow manages to stumble to safety in the last ten minutes. Her life had become such a film and she had been unwittingly casted the day she found Sano in the alley.

A sudden realization struck her when a knock came at her door. Lyrial panicked and made no sound. There was a pause before the knocking ensued once more.

“Are you alright in there? I heard screaming. Is everything okay?” The voice of an unknown neighbor muffled through the wood of the door. Lyrial grabbed fistfuls of her hair and stammered for some kind of reply. No, she wanted to say. Everything was certainly not alright. There was a bonified monster in her bed, she was covered in the blood of unknown persons, and she was quite sure that her life could not possibly become any worse. It was at that moment of sheer desperation and despair that a tiny spark ignited within the brunette's chest. She would become the director of this unexpected horror reel.

“Y-Yes,” she managed and let go of her blood caked hair. “Just a spider. Sorry.” There was silence and then the soft padding of the neighbor's departure followed. When she was certain that the eavesdropper was absent from her stoop, Lyrial hurried back to her bedroom where the Vampire lay. She swallowed the lump lodged in her throat and tried to breathe through her mouth to avoid the rancid odor of blood. She grabbed Sano's ankles and pulled on the leather boots. With some effort, his sleeping form started to slide along the mattress. Lyrial braced a foot against the bed and pulled with all her might. Suddenly, the inertia was great enough to send both her and Sano's limp body to the carpeted floor.

The brunette scooted away from the odor and stain but had not avoided a new gift of crimson on her night clothes and skin.

“C'mon!” she grunted as she stood up, bent over, grasping the boots once more. If they had had laces, she thought, this would have been much easier. As she dragged Sano across the carpet, the effort became less and less. He seemed to glide across the synthetic fibers and although he was quite tall and lean, he was unnaturally light. Soon, Lyrial no longer felt the need to even bend over. She stood straight with the Vampire's ankles tucked at her elbows. She dragged Sano into the guest room and pulled him feet first onto the bed.

The evidence of what had transpired that morning was soon either tightly hidden away in an alley dumpster or currently being scrubbed away. Lyrial's knees gave voice to their disapproval as she stood up from her handiwork. The blood was all but gone from her carpet and mattress with only the large water mark left behind by her cleaning. The room smelt of vinegar; the brunette had used the powerful cleaning solution to dissipate the odorous stench Sano had dragged in with him the previous night. It had not been an easy or brief task. The sun outside was now shining brightly, attesting to the hours that had passed by.

Her nightclothes that had been ruined by the macabre morning scene had joined the bed sheets and pillows in the dumpster. She had now only a mattress stripped clean of its trimmings, doused in water and vinegar. Lyrial moved to open her bedroom window and vent the apartment. Vinegar was not nearly as suspicious as an odor as bleach and the young woman figured that if any of her neighbors complained about the smell, she would retort with a heated remark on how their televisions were always too loud. That would settle it; she thought and wiped some sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

The cold draft coming in from the bedroom window seemed less vicious than it had been over the past few weeks. Lyrial took a moment to really look outside. She saw the snow covered city but now furious flurries battered the people walking around. The sun was out for what seemed like the first time in a very long time. She could actually feel the warmth of the golden globe tingling against her tired hands as she rested them on the sill. She pushed the snow off her perch and closed her eyes. She gripped the sill and allowed the warm rays to wash over her face and arms. It felt so good. Lyrial had missed the sun; she always missed the sun in the depths of the city's rainy winters. This burst of sunshine was the start of the change of seasons. Spring was struggling to get free from the death grip of snow and ice; it would be a battle for the next two weeks, but this tiny victory was a start.

Lyrial felt like she shared the sun's victory. She opened her eyes and took in a deep breath. The morning was going by without her and the brunette needed to catch up. She looked down at the sweaty tank top and cloth shorts she had soiled during her cleaning spree. Classes started up again this week at the University and Lyrial would need to be in attendance in just a few short hours. She wondered for a moment if she as in the best mental state to attend collegiate courses that would impact whether or not she graduated and thus the outcome of her entire life...the brunette shook her head. If she could put that long-jump conclusion together in just a few seconds, she could manage sitting through a half day's worth of classes.

After making herself presentable, Lyrial left for the University. The next two classes went on without her attention. She had scribbled down notes at the beginning but then her mind felt the weight of what had happened. At one point she had to excuse herself to weep in the hallway lavatories. The sound of the professor droned out into a distant humming. It was a good thing this winter intercession was brief and contained the necessary humanities credits. As Lyrial zoned out and her eyes became sightless, the brunette mulled over the events of the early morning. The images of blood and gore returned to her fully and she felt sick to her stomach. Whose blood was that? Sano had been doused in the vile red stuff but did not appear to be badly injured himself. Therefore it made perfect since that the blood belonged to someone else—or a few someone else's as the case may have been.

Had Sano killed those people? He must have. Blood stains like that did not come from a mere paper cut. If Sano had slain those people, that made him a killer. Lyrial's heart began to beat faster. That mean she was harboring a killer in her home! What if not only did Sano kill those people, but he ate them as well? So she was harboring a cannibalistic killer in her home! Panic started rising up in her chest and clouding her mind in a white blur. Hundreds of awful scenarios involving police arrests, dead bodies, and a stern judge pounding a gavel after condemning her as an accessory to murder raced behind Lyrial's eyes. Finally, the sensory overload was too much. Lyrial felt herself falling sideways out of the little desk. She heard the metal of the chair frame next to her clang loudly as it made contact with her skull. Students jumped up when the brunette finally made it to the floor in a crumbled little pile and she could only dimly hear them shouting and calling for help.

After waking up the University's clinic, Lyrial rubbed the goose egg that had formed on the upper side of her head.

“Be careful on your way home,” the nursing student had advised as Lyrial wobbled out of the clinic, clutching the throbbing bump. Her unorthodox flat mates were the ones that needed to be careful. Armed with a splitting headache and a belly full of fury, Lyrial all but marched back to apartment complex. It was late afternoon and the sun had not once been obscured by snow or cloud. The brunette unbuttoned her coat as she walked; little did she know that another girl strode with equal purpose towards the apartment complex.

Kaya had been given a ride back into the city by Jordyn, the older Witch who had been hiding out on the outskirts of town selling Christmas trees. The rickety old pickup truck had put up a great amount of fuss during the journey and Kaya had wondered the entire time of her upset stomach was worth the free lift. Jordyn stopped the truck in front of a grocer and Kaya climbed out.

“Now you look after yourself, y`here? When your friend is suited for walkin', I'll bring him to this spot,” Jordyn said, leaning out the window of the driver's side. Kaya looked around and shook her head. She knew this street. It was close to Lyrial's apartment but the watchful eyes of the old grocer made her uncomfortable for some reason. He seemed harmless enough, just looking out his window at the passersby, but appearances were deceiving.

“Actually, when you do, bring him further down the street. There's an alleyway behind that apartment complex,” she said and pointed at the large concrete building. “It's safer that way.” Jordyn shrugged but nodded his head, agreeing to the new location. He rolled up his truck's window and puttered off down the road and back to his tree farm. When the vehicle was out of sight, Kaya turned and limped towards Lyrial's apartment building. The blonde was still in a great amount of pain and she felt extremely dehydrated. She would curl up in the bed Lyrial had provided her and then drink the city dry of its tap.

She did not expect, after crawling up the stairs of the building, to find the kind young woman's apartment door unlocked. All the pain and frustration that was fogging her mind cleared in an instant as if a great wind of adrenaline had blow it clear off. Lyrial's door was never unlocked. Usually Kaya had to break her way in or paw pathetically at the wood until she was granted access. As her hand grasped the knob tighter and turned slowly, she was prepared to meet whatever was waiting head on; prepared to meet anything, except Lyrial. The smaller framed brunette was sitting in the overstuffed arm chair near the television. The tube was off so the daylight from outside filtered in through the window and filled the apartment with a natural pale light that had been dearly missed in the deeper winter weather.

What was she holding? Kaya closed the door behind her and instinctively turned the deadbolt lock. Lyrial looked a little more than upset. Livid, Kaya thought, that was a good way to describe the usually timid and passive girl.

“I know there are going to be things about you and him that I will never fully understand,”she began while staring down at the white cloth in her hands. It looked like it used to be a pillow case. “But then are some things that I am entitled to know!” Lyrial twisted the fabric in her hands and that is when Kaya noticed that the smudges were coming off against the other girl's skin.

“Why is there blood on that pillow case?” Kaya asked, trying to redirect Lyrial's pinning gaze from her; little did she know, it was the pillow case that was at the zenith of the brunette's up and coming rampage.

“I was going to ask you the same question,” she responded and stood up from the chair. She stopped wringing the material and threw it to Kaya's feet. The blonde was drawn between keeping her eyes on Lyrial and the angry offering on the floor. Slowly she bent down and collected it, examining it. The brunette was clearly not injured and since there was no sign of a corpse in the apartment, a distinct and finite solution bubbled up in Kaya's brain.

“Sano?” she asked as if already knowing the answer. Lyrial nodded her head with her small fists curled up at her sides.

“Do you want to tell me why he was covered in blood—not his own, mind you—and curled up next to me this morning!?” At the inquiry, Kaya's mood shifted to a similar level of fury.

“What?” she asked pointedly, insisting that she had heard Lyrial incorrectly.

“This morning, I woke up with Sano in bed next to me. He was completely doused in blood. He wasn't even scratched so it couldn't have been his. What the hell happened to you guys? You disappear for a week or more and this is the homecoming I get?” No, she had heard correctly the first time around. Kaya processed the story from her human hostess. What she said indicated that the Vampire had somehow survived and escaped from the catacombs. It was an incredible feat to think about; they had been deep in the Hunter's subterranean fortress beneath the Cathedral during their dodgy rescue mission. She recalled all too vividly the sight Sano break free from his chains and slaughtering the Hunters who came to subdue them in the torture chamber. The blood sprayed across the pillow case made Kaya remember the blood that had been sprayed in a similar fashion but in greater quantity during that massacre.

For a moment, Kaya was no longer in the living room of the dreary apartment and Lyrial was far from thought. For a moment, Kaya was back in the catacombs struggling to escape with Alex. The mortified screams of the Hunters as they were torn into pieces by a deranged Vampire echoed in her brain and it took Lyrial pulling the pillow case from her fingers to bring Kaya back to reality.

“What happened to you two?” the brunette pressed. The fire in her eyes was dimming and was rapidly being replaced by an overflow of water. She had been terrified, traumatized, and befuddled all in the span of a morning. She hated being so hysterical but her world had been turned upside down, shaken around, and then thrown into blender on puree. Kaya seemed to understand this and never rebuked her for her constant emotional turmoil.

“We were attacked,” the athletic blonde revealed quietly in attempts to quell the brewing storm. “We were held captive for….I'm not really sure how long.” Kaya watched as Lyrial covered her mouth silently with her left hand. It was a shocked gesture that followed the news, one that reached her eyes in a less subtle manner. There was also realization there, deeper in those chocolate orbs. The revelation reminded Lyrial that Kay and Sano were not like her—they were abnormal and lived very different and obviously very dangerous lives. It was something she could never fully be a part of, just like they could never fully have the normalcy she once delighted in. It was with a heavy heart that Lyrial then spoke:

“I know I may never understand everything about you and Sano, and I know it may overwhelm me completely should you try to enlighten me. But I also think that I have a right to be told at least on the surface about what is going on.” She swallowed hard and locked her eyes onto Kaya's. “It concerns me too.” The Witch rubbed the back of her neck slowly, as if easing some great pain. She knew Lyrial had the right to know. The she and the Vampire had brought trouble into the kind young girl's home and subsequently put her at risk. There was reluctance in Kaya's conscious; she wanted to shelter Lyrial from the dark knowledge of her world but hiding information that could potentially protect her was the greater sin.

“I'll tell you,” she began and Lyrial tensed up as if preparing for the crashing of some mighty wave upon her form. It had all been leading up to this moment. The days of suspense and concern had been building up, towering over her like poorly stacked children's blocks waiting merely for an excuse to tumble. “But not now,” crushed, indeed. The air left Lyrial's lunges in one great whoosh. “Right now I'm going to clean up and then have a little chat with our friend snoozing in the guestroom there. Meanwhile, you are going to go out for an early dinner with a friend and possibly spend the night when them.” Lyrial listened to the instructions, blinking dumbly like a child who just could not grasp a scolding from parents.

“A-And then?” she asked uncertainly, knowing secretly that it was not the end of the list.

“And then tomorrow, everything will be better. We'll have a nice brunch at the little café down the street and with a refreshed mind; I will tell you what I can.” Lyrial was surprised to find herself nodding along in agreement slowly. Perhaps that course of action really was for the best; as much as the need to understand was tugging at her underbelly, the brunette conceded to recouping from her traumatic wake-up call with Sano before trying to swallow even more brutal news.

“What about you?” Lyrial asked timidly.

“After you're packed and on your way, I'll have a little chat with our resident blood sucker and see if I can't get to the bottom of this.” She patted the other girl on the shoulder lightly, encouraging her to get on her way. Lyrial obliged and went to her room. Soon she had packed an overnight bag and made a phone call to an old forgotten friend. As she grabbed a snack from the kitchen and put on her coat, she bade Kaya goodbye and good luck, before heading on her way to Alan's new home.

Once the door was shut, Kaya locked it securely before turning to face the closed guest room. Her eyes narrowed and she took a deep breath. She moved towards it grasped the knob, looking down at it in her palms thoughtfully. She knew the Vampire should be in a state of rest, vulnerable, but she wondered just how regular this creature was. So far he had defied a lot of standards her people had set for his, so she hesitated. The knob turned briskly as Kaya all but yanked the door open, she had resolutely decided on letting Sano have a piece of her mind.

There was not long before proper night fall, she noted as she approached the bed where Sano lay. He was above the covers with his eyes closed peacefully. His appearance countered the serenity in his face; he looked like a train wreck victim. Kaya held back a grimace as she moved closer to examine some of the nastier looking wounds. They were ashy and gray looking and retained a repugnant odor that made it hard for the blonde to maintain her composure. As she looked on in abject horror and amazement, she watched the pallid flesh slowly mend itself. Tiny scratches disappeared before her eyes while more gaping wounds had their maws lessened with every passing moment.

The Witch leaned forward and grasped a fistful of Sano's thick silver hair, yanking him off the pillows and jolting him out of his regenerative state. The Vampire's eyes snapped open with deadly intent and narrowed in instantly onto Kaya's. They burned a hellish red color and he hissed violently in response to her grip on his person. With an invariable speed of her own, Kaya produced a sharp silver object that resembled more of an enlarged needle than a knife, and pressed it soundly against Sano's throat.

“We need to have a conversation, monster,” she said and watched as the reddening in Sano's eyes began to ebb away. “And let's keep this as pleasant as possible.” He shamelessly bared his fangs at the blonde who was not only tugging painfully on his scalp but pressing a sensitive metal against his jugular.

“That would be easier without your measures of encouragement. I usually find my tongue loose enough to mingle even with the most disagreeable of persons, you included, but I find it also quite difficult to speak when threatened,” he explained, never taking his eyes from the blonde's. “What's with the weapon?”

“I'll ask the questions, if it's all the same to you,” Kaya responded sharply, never lessening the pressure exerted on the Vampire's throat.

“Savvy,” he agreed and lifted his eye brows in mocking surrender. Kaya relaxed only a fraction before beginning her interrogation.

“Why were you in Lyrial's bed? You scared her half to death—how dare you place yourself beside her without invitation, especially in such a massacred state?” she demanded. The Vampire looked, for a moment, genuinely confused before the haze seemed to lift from his conscious.

“I don't know,” he deadpanned and Kaya yanked up harshly on Sano's hair. He growled in return and gritted out a further response. “I don't know because I don't remember getting there.”

“What do you remember?” she questioned darkly, trying to decide whether to believe what he uttered. There was silence as the hazy look returned to Sano's eyes. He combed through the tatted memories of the past few days. Kaya became uncomfortable in the deep thoughtfulness that followed her question.

“The catacombs,” he said finally. “I remember a lot of pain, anger and…hunger…” Kaya too remembered those sensations; she also remembered the horrific happenings that followed Sano's exposure to those sensations. She vividly recalled the screams of the Hunters as they were torn apart in an animalist furry once Sano broke free from his chains.

“That can't be all,” she interrupted, bringing both herself and Sano back to the now and present. “I saw you go ballistic. You slaughtered countless Hunters in some kind of rage while Alex and I escaped through the tunnel systems,” she paused. “How can you not remember all of that?” Sano reached a hand up to place it over Kaya's, silently asking her to release his hair. She pressed the silver needle more firmly against his throat, but slowly obliged.

“It must have been a Bloodlust,” he announced in a matter of fact way. There was little reverence in his tone as he rubbed the top of his head slowly, easing the throb that grew from Kaya's harsh treatment.

“A what?” she asked, entreating some kind of clarification.

“A Bloodlust. It's…well, for someone of your mental capacity, it will be difficult to understand, but I'll try to explain simply.” Kaya had half a mind to jab the silver needle she clutched deep into the ivory column of Sano's throat, but her curiosity and need to know was stronger presently than her anger. She would, however, find any other opportunity to retaliate for his comments at a later date.

“Please, enlighten me,” she replied, annunciating each syllable with death.

“A Bloodlust is a state which Vampires reach after being starved. It is when our hunger drives us to satisfy our need and sends us into a fever pitch,” Sano said calmly and brought his hand to grasp Kaya's wrist, slowly pulling the needle from his throat. He exerted a tiny fraction of his superhuman strength against her to force the weapon away; it was a small act to remind Kaya just exactly who was the more powerful predator.

“During a Bloodlust, we often blackout and remember little to nothing in the aftermath.”

“Like a hangover?” Kaya asked suspiciously and Sano managed a throaty laugh.

“I suppose, yes, a lot like a hangover,” he replied. “I remember falling asleep, bound in that cold and dreary chamber…and waking up, warm and comforted next to the living body of a young girl.” Kaya's hand reflexively tightened around the silver needle she grasped, although Sano kept it in place so that she could not use it against him.

“So in other words, you blundered around those catacombs in a drunken rage only to miraculously wander back here unscathed and into Lyrial's bed? That's very convenient for you, don't you think?” she hissed. Sano applied more force to the blonde's hand and pushed it to be level at her waist.

“Exceedingly.” He replied with equal ice lining his tongue. “But that's how it goes. You asked and I answered. So unless you came here to further bask in my luminous glory, I suggest you take your pretty knitting needle and leave.” In the brief fraction of time it took Kaya to blink, Sano was gone before her. She quickly took a few steps back and brought her little weapon up in a defensive pose.

“Don't get your panties in a wad, Witch,” she heard his voice slink into her ears from across the room. “I'm not interested in making a meal out of you. I have had my fill of throats for quite some time,” he added and slid open the dresser door. He looked inside it for a bit before peering over his shoulder at Kaya. “For Lyrial's sake, I'm willing to play with you—at least until the rise in all this Hunter activity subsides.” Was he honestly suggesting that they get over their differences and become loose allies for the sole purpose of fending off the Brotherhood? Now that she thought about it, that was a legitimate strategy.

“Sano, I—My God! Can you not wait until I'm gone!?” the blonde screeched while turning her face and waving her arms about wildly. Sano had rid himself of the tattered and blood stained clothes, standing in what he was born with before her, his hands lightly clutching the remains of his leather pants.

“Oh come on. A girl your age has to get used to seeing a little cock once in a while. What are you now, 16? 17?” Sano asked casually. Kaya's face burned red with both the weight of embarrassment and anger.

“I'm 23, you ass!” Sano looked genuinely surprised.

“Must be a particularly late bloomer then,” he added with a shrug. Kaya screamed in frustration and stormed out of the guest bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. One final chuckle bubbled in Sano's throat before he felt completely alone in the dark once more. As the sounds of Kaya's enraged squawking faded, the Vampires thoughts surrounded him much like the shroud of darkness within the room. He touched a wound on his side and grimaced as his fingertips dug into the rotted looking flesh, pushing past the ashy growth that heralded the healing process. Wounds like these should be remembered, even in a Bloodlust.

Broken images of metal and fire trigged somewhere deep in his memory bank and he flinched, swiftly pulling his fingers from the festering wound. He rubbed the dark ashen slime between his index, middle finger, and thumb thoughtfully. There was an uneasy haziness surrounding this particular episode and it made even the Vampire's skin crawl. He closed his eyes and tilted his head from side to side, allowing the bones in his neck to crack. The vertebrae ached and voiced their displeasure, loudly sounding against the quiet of his room.

Searching the back of his eyelids, Sano tried to identify at least one solid memory from recent events. Had days really gone by? He had never suffered a Bloodlust that extreme before. The Vampire then felt a distinct heaviness in the pit of his stomach. It lingered before traveling up his spine and embedding itself disrespectfully in the back of his mind. The heaviness seemed to twitter in his brain, dancing and trampling on the suppressed memories of times past. Soon the heaviness began to transform; it felt no more like a stone bouncing around in his subconscious, formless and annoying, but like a pair of hands, boney and long, wrapping around his very essence.

He felt choked in such a fierce masquerade of reality that his hands moved to his throat as if to force the invisible hands away. His face contorted as he struggled against the internal assailant; he bared his fangs at the emptiness of the room and opened his eyes quickly. The Vampire glanced around the room in a panicked manner, still fighting for mental balance. The choking sensation intensified and Sano coughed, bending over at the waist and clutching the base of his neck. Another brutal gasp; Sano clawed savagely at his own neck, leaving red welts in wake of the gesture. Saliva started to gather on his tongue and drip from his open mouth as the unmistakable asphyxiation continued, his knees bent to keep his body from collapsing, and a stifled barking echoed in his lungs.

The sudden need to escape his empty room overtook the Vampire, and he ran, still hunched over and scratching wildly at his throat, from his bedroom. He barreled through the door, almost rendering it from its hinges, and about the main living room. He collided with an end table, sending it flying, before his mad dash carried him out the front door of the apartment. Down the concrete stairs he sprinted, skipping the last few, and out into elements. As soon as the cold air hit his equally cold flesh, Sano felt the invisible hands vanish, slinking back into a dark corner of his mind where they could no longer do him harm.

The silver haired young man gasped and allowed more of the icy atmosphere into his system, filling his useless lungs, and banishing the foreboding presence completely. Sano looked up to the sky and shivered a little bit. Relief washed over him just as the cold did and penetrated deep into his skeleton; it settled in deep and banished all sensations of dread. He straightened up and rested his hands on his hips.

“Well that was fucking bizarre,” he mumbled before managing a weak rendition of a laugh. He shuffled a few steps away from the complex, turning the corner of the building down the alley which had, in recent times, become quite infamous. He rubbed his hands together, gripping his palms in an attempt to massage some kind of life-like sensation into them. It never really worked, but on the odd occasion a mild tingle of warmth would permeate and allow him to fancy living flesh. The dragging sounds of his steps were eclipsed by the sudden clanging of a trashcan lid against the asphalt. It rolled like the tragic hubcap in a motor accident before spiraling off on a pile of dirty snow.

Sano's defenses skyrocketed and the recent brain-numbing experience cleared as his system was flooded with adrenaline. He pressed his back against the cold concrete side of Lyrial's apartment building, blending into the shadow of the edifice. Narrowed silver eyes scanned the alleyway, reading through the dumpsters and garbage for the tale-tell sound of heartbeat.

“Show yourself!” he hissed out, picking up on the tiny but rapid heart rate just behind the topless trash can. Sano seized forward suddenly, flinging the metal tin to the side and cornering the creature that had been creeping behind it. Large, frightened yellow eyes looked up at him from the tiny, shivering body of the brown kitten crouching there. Boney and frail in appearance, the feline's back arched to try and seem braver. The Vampire relaxed instantly and his sudden panic seemed very silly in retrospect.

“Now, now, there's no need for that,” he scolded gently and extended his hand towards the kitten. Threatened, it lashed out hissing bravely and swatting heavy set claws at the Vampire's hand. Sano was faster and snatched up the little fighter by the scruff of its neck. Instinctively, the kitten pulled in its legs and looked at Sano. His brown scraggy ears were flatted against his skull and his dark dipped tail was curled between his hind legs. That was when the crookedness of the left leg caught Sano's attention.

“You certainly are a feisty one, and for good reason too,” he added and reached forward to gently inspect the shattered paw. “That's definitely broken, my furry friend.” He added and looked up and down the alleyway. From the kitten's starved exterior, it was easy to deduce that the wretched little thing was a stray. The Vampire pulled it to his chest and walked back towards the mouth of the alley. The kitten resisted the proximity and tried to jump free of Sano's arms at first, but then the unaccustomed gentleness entreated the animal to still. It braced against the cold wind, hiding its face towards the equally cold chest until the wind suddenly vanished. The kitten looked around, tilting its brown striped head back and forth as it took in the surroundings.

The magical journey from the frigid cold to warmth it had never known kept the kitten in amazement. The journey with the big animal that held it ended in another place with strange looking perches. Sano placed the kitten on the carpet of Lyrial's apartment and watched as it limped a few steps away before decided that this was a good place for it. The Vampire moved to the kitchen and grabbed two bowls from the cabinets. One he filled with milk from Lyrial's fridge and the other some chicken.

“I know that it is cold,” he mentioned and set the bowls before the kitten. It scrambled to the smell of meat and began stuffing its face. Happy for the meal and no longer hesitant of Sano's intentions, the kitten finished all that was before it and then dragged itself towards the Vampire. It rubbed its side awkwardly against Sano's calf and emitted a broken sounding meow. He pitied the puny creature and scooped him up, minding the now full and stretched belly it supported. A loud rumbling purr vibrated through the kitten's whole body as it found comfort in Sano's arms. The Vampire moved to the couch and laid down, wrapping himself and the fur ball in the blanket from his bed. The pair snuggled as the blanket started to generate heat and warm them both thoroughly. Sano closed his eyes to relax with the kitten, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if Lyrial was allergic to cats…