Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Into the Dark Night ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )
Into the Dark Night
Nagia
Chapter Two: A Night for Hunger
Part One: Fulfillment
"Boy: On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?
Girl: Will he offer me his mouth?
Boy: Yes.
…
Girl: Will he offer me his hunger?
Boy: Yes.
Girl: Again, will he offer me his hunger?
Boy: Yes.
Girl: And will he starve without me?
Boy: Yes.
Girl: And does he love me?
Boy: Yes.
Girl: Yes.
Boy: On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?
Girl: Yes." From Hot Summer Nights by Meat Loaf
* * *
7:30 PM September 7, 1993 [Seiji's House]
Intro
Seiji stood on his sidewalk and stared at the falling sun. He seemed to glow in the failing light. His thoughts raced, his blood pounded.
What is wrong with me? He wondered. This had never happened before.
His senses strengthened. His mind expanded to understand the neighborhood. There was one person in particular he wanted to feed on but she wasn't here.
One half-victim tonight. He reminded himself. Even one more death near him would make the police suspicious of foul play. He waited for his prey to near him.
The sun sank in a blaze of red, gold and pink. Still, he waited. He could feel her heart quicken as she sensed some unknown danger. He stared at where she would near him, vigilant and aroused. Her pace grew faster.
Running to near-death, human? He thought.
His mind suddenly expanded to know her. Her name was Saotome Akane, she was content with her midnight black hair and brown eyes. She was a martial artist and confident in her abilities. Her family would miss her if she was late.
Damn! Another night for hunger!
He quietly walked back into his yeshu.
7:30 PM September 7, 1993 [Nasuti's House]
1
Nasuti was glanced at the screen of her computer. She was comparing some case files for Officer Tora, a friend of hers. The case had stumped Officer Tora, so he had asked Nasuti for help. The program Touma had created for her flashed the message: [96 cases found. Date from 1980-1988 View files?]
Wow. Ninety-six people killed in eight years. If they killed them on a regular basis, that amounts to what, one a month?
She clicked 'compare' and began to thumb through a diary her grandfather had left. A small beeping sound announced that the search was finished. She looked up.
[Similarities: all victims were female and in between the ages of 7-13. All victims found in the vicinity of Sendai.]
Wow. Wonder if Seiji ever sensed foul play?
She exited the program and inserted the disk Officer Tora had given her. Nasuti shuddered at the thought of a psycho killer on the loose. The file was a profile of the killer.
Huh. They think the killer is male, a native of Sendai and persuasive? They also think he has something against little girls. Gee…what gave them that idea?
"Nasuti?" a voice asked.
Nasuti turned around. Seiji stood in the doorway. His face looked tired.
"What are you researching?" he asked.
Sighing, she said, "Some very strange murder cases."
"Oh? Tell me about them."
Tell me what you know, She wanted to say. She said instead, "Go get me some coffee and then I'll tell you."
"Yes, dear," he smiled and left. He returned bearing coffee.
She accepted a cup, then said, "Thank you. Have a seat."
She sipped her coffee before continuing, "This stuff isn't just weird: it's scary. There were ninety-six deaths in eight years. The victims were in or near Sendai. They were all girls seven to thirteen years old. The deaths stopped just before Arago attacked. They didn't start again."
"Sounds scary. What can I do?"
"I'm wondering what you felt during that time. Surely you would have sensed Demon activity?" Let's see how he answers this.
"I sensed Arago, yes. I sensed no one else. To be honest, I sensed nothing wrong in those years. I think I was too young."
"So you're saying they were human?" Seiji's leaving something out.
"I didn't say the killer was human. There are a few non-human creatures that escape my detection and control."
Huh. Should I give him some gruesome details? Maybe… "The victims were in the open when they were found. All of them had two identical puncture marks on their necks."
"Sounds like a vampire's your problem. Vampires always have and always will escape my detection. The only person a vampire listens to is himself."
"Perhaps, but their blood was almost all inside their bodies. In fact, the twin wounds weren't deep enough to draw blood. There were no other wounds. And if it was a vampire, wouldn't the victims be vampires?"
"Actually, no. It takes a huge exchange of blood to create another vampire from one."
Wonderful. Damned stinking wonderful! "Energy vampire? Some weird mutation?"
"They're dead. As far as I know, dead things don't mutate."
"What about Zombies?" It has to be something up his alley! " After all, don't zombies mutate?" she asked.
"Remember what I said about dead things mutating? All zombies do is decompose. They don't even kill people. "
Alright. Maybe another Demon. "Was it another Demon?"
"I am a Daemon. Dah-eh-mohn. I am NOT a Demon. However, it may have been a Demon of my breed."
"Your breed?"
Seiji stood. He walked to the window and pulled open the curtains.
"I am an Incubus of the Daemon kingdom. Your killer may be an Incubus of the Demon kingdom. However, Incubi often feed on those of their own physical age. We never feed on those younger than we are. Meaning that the Demon you're looking for is around twenty."
"Define Incubus. My mythology training does not give me any ideas about how to keep one alive. Actually, it only describes how to kill one."
Seiji shrugged. "I'm not surprised. We feed on human energy. We prefer sexual energy but will take life energy if we are too young to survive on our own. A normal Incubus does not feed on sexual energy until he is fourteen. His parents feed him until he is seven and then he feeds on humans outside his home."
"Wow. How often do you have to feed?"
"I'm hungry right now but I only have to feed once a month or so. Demons feed every three weeks, simply because their bodies use human energy much faster than Daemon bodies do."
"Just out of curiosity…when do you need to feed this month?"
"Tonight was my scheduled night but I missed it."
"Seiji…what happens if you miss tonight?"
"By tomorrow night I won't be able to feed. I will be willing to feed on anything…I just won't be able to go get it."
He walked back to his seat. He slumped down and she thought she saw his eyelids droop.
"How much energy do you need?" Please don't let it be enough to kill me!
"Nasuti… I... I killed those children. I was their age when I needed life energy to balance my power."
Seiji, I know you didn't mean to kill them. Believe me, I'm on your side! She thought. She said instead, "How much energy do you need?"
"I never learned to measure it. I need as much as I need. That's all I can say."
Incubi kill only when they're young or extremely hungry. "Seiji, I can't marry a dead man."
He sat up. "You aren't offering to feed me, are you?"
She stood. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." She pushed the 'eject' button on the computer. The disk ejected.
"No. I can't feed off you, Nasuti. I might kill you."
Nasuti took a deep breath, careful not to let him see it, and walked closer.
When she could have kissed him, she said, "A chance I'm willing to take."
"Nasuti," his voice was breathless. She could see his breath catch in his throat as she touched his lips. He bent his head to hers. She closed her eyes. She could feel him weave from fatigue.
"I'm too hungry to think. Don't make me think." He seemed drunk.
She pushed him into the chair. "Can you think of a way out?"
He shook his head weakly.
"I don't see what your problem is, then. Once you've started feeding, can you stop?"
"Yes. No. Maybe. I don't know."
She pulled him up. His weight nearly made her fall.
"Where do you want to feed?"
"Bedroom, but don't know if I can make it."
She led him upstairs.
7:45PM September 7, 1993
2
Seiji had drawn the curtains and closed the door when he smelled it. 'It' was desire; hot, fresh desire. He breathed the scent in, savored it. This would be his last free meal, he knew. Nasuti pressed her hand against where his heart was.
"Why do you delay?" She asked.
Seiji whimpered. "I…Nasuti…I…can't! I can't do this!'
"Do you want to live?" Passion had lowered her voice's pitch.
He nodded weakly.
She put her arms around his neck, buried her head in his shoulder.
He inhaled the scent of her. Arousal, passion, desire…so many words for one thing: lust. And it scared him. It scared him that she would bring him to this hunger so quickly without actually trying. She slowly unbuttoned the top button on his shirt. He licked his lips and stared at her hands.
Such sexy hands. He thought.
She trailed a finger down his newly exposed chest (she had somehow managed to unbutton all the buttons without touching them). He trembled.
"Feed." She whispered fiercely.
His hands stroked her neck. He was preparing to take her, to sport before he ate, when he realized that she was leading him towards the bed and pushing her neck into his mouth.
"Don't let me fall," she whispered.
He kissed her and realized that this transcended feeding. This even transcended human sex (a pleasure he'd partaken of many times and remained a virgin). He pushed her into the center of the bed.
"Don't let my fangs touch you," he warned in a breathless whisper.
She nodded and allowed him to move her energy center from her neck to her wrist.
"Stroke my neck when you think my fangs are too close. It will be harder for me to feed but you might live through this."
She nodded again. He pressed his lips to her energy center. His fangs pierced the invisible sack of energy and he began to drink deeply. She moaned.
Don't let her die! He pleaded with a god he wasn't sure he loved. Don't let her die!
He drank his fill and fell asleep.
__________
Well, this chapter be done! Interesting, how well the quote at the beginning fits this chapter. I do not own Hot Summer Nights, Meat Loaf does. I used the vocal excerpt at the beginning of the track. It's track 2 on their CD Bat Out of Hell. It's also known as You Took The Words Right Out of my Mouth.