Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ To Remember ❯ And You Would Be Sasaki Kujuurou ( Chapter 5 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Cousin D 
Anubisu meets Bion.
Anime/Manga: Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Romance / Fantasy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.04.2005 | Pages: 6 | Words: 9.5K | Visits: 349 | Status: Completed
Anubisu meets Bion.
Anime/Manga: Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Romance / Fantasy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.04.2005 | Pages: 6 | Words: 9.5K | Visits: 349 | Status: Completed
Chapter 5: And You Would be Sasaki Kujuurou
Ningen Sekai-
Anubisu-
Anubisu had gone straight from the Youja Kai to the forest just outside where Ryou lived with the other Troopers. He’d been there for hours, just lurking around and watching the dark house and somehow managed not to feel like a pervert. Of course he WAS a pervert. Would any normal man be lusting after the blood of a boy not old enough to shave?
‘Coward,’ He called himself. ‘A spineless voyeur. What do you think is going to happen? He’s not going to magically remember and come running out here.’
Of course he wanted to go to Ryou, but what right did he have? He was the one who had taken Ryou’s memory. It was his decision and he hadn’t even asked Ryou. Surely, Ryou wouldn’t want to be around someone who would play with his mind so casually.
‘It’s not as if I can give him the memories back. Even if I could, they weren’t very nice memories.’ That made the dream they’d shared all the more puzzling. Ryou was happy to be with in, in that dream. ‘But he didn’t know it was me and he didn’t know what I’d done to him.’ Still…in the dream, Ryou wasn’t afraid of him and it certainly didn’t seem like he hated Anubisu. ‘All I did was take advantage of him. I took his blood. Barely spoke more than a few words to him.’
Anubisu didn’t even have a plausible excuse to go to the boy or he would have. If he could have thought of a decent excuse, he’d have already been in the house and at Ryou’s side. It was where he really wanted to be.
Anubisu wasn’t sure if it was love he felt or not. Whatever Anubisu felt, it was overpowering. He’d never been in love before, so maybe he was wrong about the whole thing. His chest hurt and he couldn’t seem to breathe quite right. He couldn’t focus on anything but the image of Ryou’s face. He felt colder than usual when he thought of Ryou being so close, but so unattainable. He found himself wishing, stupidly, that he’d never taken Ryou’s memories.
‘Fragments remain. We shared a dream. There’s something left. Abraham said I always forgot the details.’
But it wasn’t enough. Not really. The slight connection he had with Ryou was tentative, at best. Ryou’s dreams were proof that there was a connection, but all Ryou had was vague feelings and he didn’t think they were anything more than just dreams. He probably didn’t even think of them after he woke.
During the war, Anubisu had know there was something, but there hadn’t seemed to be time to follow the thread that would have led him to Ryou. In retrospect, it was probably Rajura’s doing. The elder Ma-Sho would have easily noticed if Anubisu was getting too close to discovering his hidden memories and been able to distract him with another marathon day of training or mission.
‘That old man.’ Anubisu couldn’t bring himself to be angry. After all, he was the one who’d asked Rajura to take his memories in the first place. He should be grateful. The reasoning behind separating him and Ryou was sound, even if Anubisu did regret it now that it was no longer necessary. Who knew? If he told Ryou everything, maybe Ryou would hate him even more.
The night came and went and Anubisu kept to his place amongst the trees, watching Ryou and the other Troopers packing a car. They all seemed pleasantly unaware that they were being watched or that they were sharing a house with two vampires.
He could feel his mother inside the mansion and he saw Abraham sitting on the front steps of the house, but he didn’t reveal himself. It was one of the benefits of being dhampire that he could control whether others of his bloodline could sense him. With vampires, their sires could sense them whether they willed it or not. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see them, exactly. It was more to the point that he was worried about them. It was too much of a coincidence that they’d allied themselves with the Troopers.
‘Mother and Abraham saw me many times. Why did they never say anything?
That was just another detail to worry about. He knew, without a doubt that his mother and Abraham were with the Troopers, but he didn’t know why. Vampires and demons didn’t generally have much to do with each other, so how did they even know about the war that was to start. Why else would they be with the Troopers if not to protect them? It was enough to make Anubisu laugh. To think that his dear, vicious, sweet mother was playing the part of a such a common woman as he’d seen during the war. That she’d let herself be taken captive just to play her part properly was amazing. That Abraham had so convincingly masqueraded as an ordinary little boy was even more incredible.
There was Ryou, laughing with that great ox, Kongo. Just looking at him made Anubisu thirst for his blood, again. The spicy fire Anubisu remembered was temptingly close. Ryou was so close, but Anubisu couldn’t touch him. Oh, it was entirely possible to just walk over there and say good morning, but only if he wanted to find himself at the end of Korin’s blade. Korin, Anubisu remembered, had no sense of humor. Their first meeting had not been a pleasant one.
It had been the second time Anubisu had tasted Ryou’s blood. He hadn’t been able to stay away, not after that first taste. Ryou had been cornered by thugs and one had dared to lay hands on him. It must have been his mother’s territorial streak showing through, but Anubisu found it extremely offensive that some half-wit brat was hurting Ryou. No. It was more than just offense. It was a desecration. If Ryou had been willing, perhaps it would have been different. As it was, Anubisu had chased off the brats with nothing more than a broken hand. Quite merciful, in Anubisu’s opinion.
Korin had appeared in the middle of Anubisu feeding from Ryou and caused enough damage that Anubisu had to retreat for fear of damaging Ryou permanently. The mind was such a delicate thing and to have another person in it was traumatic. To have two people in one’s mind could destroy it. Anubisu was to blame. He should have realized that a bond was forming between them. It was quite unlike the bond Ansubisu enjoyed with his brothers or the one Ryou shared with the Troopers. This bond wasn’t formed by the yoroi, but by Anubisu’s nature and the blood he’d taken from Ryou.
Why hadn’t Anubisu formed a bond with anyone else in the past hundreds of years he’d been feeding? Who knew? Maybe it was just one of those unexplained cosmic events, like Jell-o.
‘Maybe it was love, like Rajura said. No. It’s gotta be something else.’
They finished packing the car and everyone drove away. Everyone but Anubisu’s mother and Abraham along with that tiger Ryou liked to associate with. They all went back into the mansion and Anubisu turned to leave. It would have been the perfect time to reveal himself to his mother and grandsire, but for the life of him, Anubisu couldn’t think what he should say to them. He hadn’t spoken to them in such a long time that he feared they were angry with him. It wasn’t really his mother that Anubisu worried about, it was Abraham. Anubisu had always been uncomfortable with Abraham and as he’d gotten older and Abraham’s affection had grown, Anubisu became more uncomfortable. If that affection turned to anger, Anubisu wasn’t sure he wanted to face Abraham.
‘Enough thinking. This isn’t like me.’ He looked up disapprovingly at the bright blue sky and sun. ‘I hate hunting in the day. There’s no privacy. Maybe Naaza will let me feed.’ His mind flashed to Sh’ten’s eager begging for it. How Sh’ten would sneak into his room before Anubisu had awoken just so he could experience Anubisu’s first waking hunger. He missed his little brother.
“And you will be Sasaki Kujuurou, unless I’m much mistaken, which I doubt.”
Anubisu heard his true name spoken so casually that, at first, he wasn’t sure he’d heard it at all. It was enough to make him stop walking, but he didn’t turn around right away. Maybe it was only his mind playing tricks on him again. No one but Rajura and Naaza knew his true name, he hadn’t even told little Kayura, yet. Whoever stood behind him couldn’t know, not unless they were more than several hundred years old and that wasn’t likely.
Anubisu turned and found that there was someone standing just behind him, looking up at him with very large, bulbous eyes. It certainly wasn’t human, but other than that Anubisu had no clue. He ruled out demon almost at once. The...well...person, for lack of a better word, was very small, almost like a child. Wild brown hair darted in all directions and, though he was dressed as a human, it was obvious that he wasn’t one. His eyes were just...wrong. Far too large for a human and they shone in the moonlight, like an animal’s eyes.
“Yes.” The little man nodded sharply. “You are Kujuurou. You’re a hard person to find. Still, there aren’t many dhampires. That narrows it down a lot. I’ve been looking for you.”
There was almost no one who could catch Anubisu unaware, with the exception of Rajura and, on rare occasions, Naaza. Now, this could either mean that the little creature was a formidable new enemy or that Anubisu was vast need of retraining. Anubisu took a deep breath in through his nose and began to cipher through all the scents. Amongst the familiar scents, like earth and water, Anubisu caught something completely alien. He’d never smelled anything so vastly unearthly.
“Aren’t you even going to talk to me? How terribly rude.” The little creature smiled broadly, showing off rows of tiny, needle-like teeth. “And I came all this way to find you.”
“I don’t think we’ve been introduced.” Anubisu commented while he examined the person. In all honesty, he couldn’t even properly decide if it was male or female and only decided on male because the chest was very flat.
“No, we haven’t.” The small man stepped closer until he reached Anubisu and stared up at him, all the time never breaking eye contact. He was very small, the top of his head reaching only Anubisu’s waist. His feet were bare and his toenails were strangely long and pointed, almost like talons. “I’m here to ask a favor, Kujuurou. A very small thing. Just a little information You can make out quite profitably.”
“What are you?” As if he needed anything in his position. “You’ve made a mistake, you know. My name’s Anubisu. I don’t know any Kujuurou.” He wasn’t about to even mention the word: dhampire. His training at Abraham’s court had instilled one very important lesson. One never spoke of vampires to outsiders. It was too dangerous. If anyone were to start believing again, the vampires would be in grave danger. No pun intended.
Bion rolled his eyes. “Suit yourself. Whatever your name is, the Lady-Queen has need of you and requests your assistance.”
“You didn’t answer. What are you?”
“I forget how rarely my people venture to this place, anymore. Of course you wouldn’t recognize me, not even you who have lived for hundreds of years. I’m an imp and you may call me Bion, if it’s a name you’re looking for. Not that it makes any difference, one way or the other.” His eyes took on a cunning gleam and he looked more threatening than any demon Anubisu had ever seen. “Be of good cheer, dhampire. You have a grand opportunity. Such a small thing the Lady-Queen wants and only you can give it to her.”
“And what might that be?” Anubisu was rapidly loosing patience with this conversation.
“A man I’ve been hunting for many years. Ari.” When Anubisu just looked at him blankly, he said, “You would know him better as Kuroda Jirougorou. I believe he goes by that name. Or maybe he’s changed it. A small human with white hair and a missing eye. He’s a powerful prophet.”
Anubisu’s eyes turned away from Bion and he laughed. Now what could Rajura have gotten himself into? “Have you finished? I’m done with this. If he’s done something to upset you or this Lady-Queen of yours, take it up with him. I’m too busy to play go-between.”
“You don’t seem to understand the finer points of this offer. My Lady can offer you so much. Wealth.”
“I live in a palace, have unlimited servants, food, and clothing. I have no need of money.”
“Power.”
“There are few creatures on this planet who could match my power.”
“Women.”
Anubisu just rolled his eyes at that absurd suggestion.
“Men, then. If you prefer.”
“My playmates get jealous very easily. I have more than I can contend with at the moment, anyway.”
“Or, perhaps, you’d like freedom from your insatiable hunger.”
“What?”
“The Lady-Queen can forever erase your hunger that forces you to feed off the living. Surely, that must appeal to you.” The way he spoke made Anubisu think that this was Bion’s trump card. How long had this Bion creature been watching him? Long enough to see that he hunted. So what else had he seen? “Freedom from the insatiable hunger for blood. Isn‘t that worth something to you?”
“You haven’t got anything that interests me. Don’t worry, I’ll tell Ari you’re looking for him. If he’s interested, I’m sure he’ll find a way to contact you.” Anubisu was smiling when he turned away from the little creature, but the smile vanished as soon as his back was turned. There were so many things to worry about, lately. Why did Rajura’s problems suddenly have to jump right up and kick him in the face?
Bion-
It was interesting, Bion thought as he watched the dhampire leisurely stroll away into the depths of the forest. That one who was Kujuurou but called himself Anubisu. ‘He knows Ari. The way he spoke shows that he knows Ari, not that he once knew him. That means that Ari still lives. Strange.’
Ari was either a remarkable human to have lived for so many centuries or he wasn’t human at all. Bion was rather leaning towards the latter. With a dhampire as a companion, it was entirely possible that Ari had been made into something like a vampire himself. True, it was said that dhampires lacked the ability to reproduce either as humans or as vampires, but Kujuurou could easily have brought Ari to his master and had the master vampire change him into a vampire. That was likely.
‘But if is vampire, he must have been one for many centuries. The fae would have learned of him long before now. The Lady-Queen wouldn’t have sent me a fools mission if she knew where her Ari was. My fees are too high for that kind of waste, even for her. So, I can reasonably judge that Ari has not been turned into a vampire, but that he does still live. Kujuurou knows where Ari is, but won’t tell. Won’t willingly tell.’ There was a difference. ‘I need what Kujuurou wants.’
Bion turned to face the large house he knew Kujuurou had been watching all night and most of the morning. He knew because he’d been watching Kujuurou even since he’d appeared from wherever it was he’d been hiding. Another interesting fact. Bion knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he could find anything. That was how he’d earned his reputation. HE could find anything, anyone, anywhere on the planet. Yet he could not find Ari, who was apparently still alive, and he couldn’t find the dhampire, who had mysteriously appeared.
‘Ari must be alive. I can find no bones and those surely would have been left if he’d died. He must be alive. Kujuurou knows where he is. I need bait. Something to encourage Kujuurou to tell me what he knows.” Biyon knew that two vampires and one of the dreaded wyrms lived in the large house, yonder. He also knew that they were not the reason why Kujuurou had been lurking around the house. His eyes had ever been fixated on a dark-skinned boy with dark hair. Kujuurou had watched that boy very carefully.
A smile slid across Bion’s lips as he considered the implications. ‘Human. Relatively defenseless. Small. Somehow important to Kujuurou. Yes. Sanada Ryou will do quite nicely. Now all I have to do is get my bait.’
In the Youja Kai-
Anubisu-
Anubisu chuckled when he arrived home, his appetite, if not his curiosity, sated. All through the long hunt he‘d thought about Bion and how could he possibly know Rajura’s true name? What was a Lady-Queen? Though it would have been easier to do as he‘d planned and just gone home and asked one of his brothers for a feed, Anubisu had stayed in the Ningen Sekai to think. His time hunting did him no good. He could find no answers and no blood he found was a match for Ryou’s fire. He couldn’t imaging any creature besides demons that could live long enough to know Rajura’s true name and Bion certainly hadn’t been a demon. The only solution was to ask Rajura.
Before he even entered the palace, Anubisu stopped walking. He hadn’t expected to find Kayura in the courtyard looking like a lost waif, staring down at her reflection in the water of the fountain. The fountain was old, but sturdy. A short stone wall with enough water for just a few feet of water and a couple of fish. There wasn’t much point in the fountain, but it was pretty and Rajura did like pretty things.
Kayura shouldn’t have looked like a waif. Her hair was perfectly styled and shining from brushing, her clothes were immaculate. She moved with practiced elegance and grace. Something about her pale, little face as she walked around the water fountain just looked lost. She looked very small and frail. She didn’t seem to notice Anubisu when she sat on the raised stone wall of the fountain.
Anubisu considered, for a moment, passing her by. Something in the way she sat, so still and hunched over, made him pause. He wasn’t entirely heartless, after all. And he knew, from the slight touch of her mind that he’d allowed, that she was having a hard time of it. Rajura wasn’t exactly helping matters, strangely enough. Naaza wouldn’t be bothered unless she went to him and deliberately asked for help. Naaza was like that.
“You look bored.” Anubisu plopped himself down on the edge of the stone fountain next to Kayura.
“I’m just…thinking.” Kayura didn’t even look up at him.
“Better not. That only leads to trouble.”
“Rajura-san would disagree.”
“Yeah. He would.” They would get nowhere like that. TELL ME YOUR PROBLEMS, GIRL. He let his mind slide open and got the full force of Kayura’s untrained mind reaching out for contact. It made his stomach turn for a moment before he got used to it. She’d been living in the Youja Kai for all these years and Arago had never encouraged any of them to teach her use her mind properly. It was a shame. Now her mind had been reaching out for two days, trying to find something when she didn’t fully understand what it was she was looking for. Now that Anubisu had let her in, he felt her invasive touch like the proverbial bull in a china shop. EASY. EASY. I’M NOT USED TO THIS, JUST TAKE IT EASY. He tried to soothe her mind, but he’d never had to do this before. This was Rjaura’s responsibility.
“I’m sorry.” It surprised Anubisu that she spoke verbally. Given her first chance at a mental connection, he would have thought that she’d jump at the chance. “I’m not used to it.” Almost at once, her touched pulled away. Anubisu didn’t try to stop her. At last, though, she looked up at him. “Anubisu-san, what was Sh’ten-san like?”
Now there was a surprise question. “Well, for one thing, he’d probably fly into a tizzy if he heard you calling him ‘san’. He didn’t have much respect for respect, if you know what I mean.”
Kayura looked back down at her reflection, a troubled look on her face. “There must be more than that. You all love him so much.”
It wasn’t hard to see where this was heading. Kayura wasn’t proficient at shielding. It was like trying to block out sunlight with tissue paper. Her loneliness and feelings of unworthiness were suffocating. It was bad for him, who was only experiencing it second-hand. How bad was it for Kayura?
‘JURA! Anubisu called out, securing his thoughts from Kayura for just a moment. YOU OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED. DIDN’T YOU TELL HER ANYTHING ABOUT ‘TEN-CHAN?
SHE DIDN’T ASK ME.
I CAN’T IMAGINE WHY. Anubisu crossly pulled his mind away from Rajura. They were all grieving. That was no reason to neglect Kayura, no matter how awkward it made them all feel. “Sh’ten was a brat. I know you don’t remember anything, but…”
“But I DO remember.” Kayura interrupted, desperately. “I remember everything.”
Anubisu felt the blood drain from his head. “You do?”
“I killed him. I liked it. I LIKED killing him!” Her voice, which had been calm, was verging on hysteria. “I was so happy to kill. Those other boys, the Troopers, I wanted to kill them very badly. I tried so hard. Every time I made them bleed, every time they screamed in pain, I liked it! I wanted more.” Her eyes were very wide and she leaned in closer to Anubisu and whispered, “I still want to.”
“Just like Sh’ten.” Anubisu commented almost without thinking.
Kayura looked at him sharply. Anubisu saw it, then. She was troubled and sad. Such vast despair that it threatened to devour her, but she wasn’t giving in. Her eyes were strong, though there were unshed tears in them. “So what? You can‘t tell me that I felt that way because I inherited his yoroi. That was all before he…died.” Her defiant voice failed her at that last word. She was afraid of Anubisu’s reaction and well she should be. His temper was terrible. This once, though, he bit his tongue and waited for a moment.
“Sh’ten’s tastes were part of his personality. He had those kind of hobbies long before the Oni yoroi claimed him. Rajura had watched him for a long while before that day when he realized who it was that the yoroi would claim He knew about Ten-chan’s pain fixation. I don’t think something like that can transfer. But I don’t think it was you who liked doing all that hurting. You were possessed. I expect it was Badamon.” Then he shrugged. “I’m probably wrong. Never did understand all the ins and outs of this stuff. Sh’ten wouldn’t have blamed you, if that’s what’s worrying you.” He smiled, nostalgically. “If anything, I expect he enjoyed his death.”
“That’s an awful thing to say!”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a lie. He never really wanted death, I‘ll admit to that. He was too enamored with life. What I mean to say is that I expect he enjoyed the pain of death.” Anubisu frowned at her stricken expression. “I’m not helping, am I?”
“Not much, no.”
“You wanted to know about Sh’ten? I’ll tell you he was a good boy, sometimes, and very smart. He was more intelligent than even Rajura. He was always either writing or reading. He sent me out to the Ningen Sekai to get books. Anything he could read was fair game. He’d shut himself up for days in his chambers scribbling away at his desk, making rolls of parchments and filling empty books with one thing or another. He was vain as a peacock, too. Always brushing that long red hair of his.” Anubisu missed that red hair. “He’d sit in front of his mirror for hours and he’d get so angry if it got tangled.” Sometimes, Sh’ten would let Anubisu brush his hair for him and what a wonderfully sensual experience that had been.
Naaza-
“Anubisu has a big mouth.” Naaza commented. It was the first time he’d spoken to Rajura since the truth came to light. It had been his idea to have Rajura hide his memory to protect Anubisu. He had no right to feel bitter, yet he did.
Rajura didn’t move from his place by the fire. He didn’t so much as look up at Naaza.
“Why didn’t you reach out to Kayura? It’s because of Sh’ten, I know, but it wasn’t her fault.”
Still, Rajura stared into the fire. It was odd to see Rajura so still, but not unheard of. His one eye was unfocused and had a sort of distant look, as if Rajura were thinking very heavily abut something.
Naaza sighed and strolled into the room. “Another vision, huh?” Rajura sometimes went like this. Visions of what was to come flashed into his mind and he wouldn’t be able to function until they were over. More like a curse than a gift, if one were to ask Naaza. It was why Rajura had never pressed to be general of the Ma-Sho. As eldest it wouldn’t have been unthinkable for Rajura to want the position. He was a superb fighter and a master strategist, but if a vision were to strike in the middle of a battle, he would be doomed. “Stupid old man.” Naaza slid down to sit next to Rajura and watched his face, carefully for signs that he was waking from the vision. “You took on the position of teacher. Weren’t you even a bit proud that we called you our mother? You won’t get that from Kayura if you don’t stop mopping.” Naaza reached out and stroked a finger across Rajura’s cheek, just under his black eye patch. “You think too much. What’s it going to get you except a headache?”
Rajura didn’t so much as blink. Naaza knew from experience that if he were to hit Rajura, Rajura wouldn’t even remember it when the vision ended. What a sad state they were. So much for the glorious Ma-Sho, the lords of the Youja Kai. One dead. One child. One love-sick. One slave to visions. “And me. We’re a joke, you know that, don’t you? Maybe Anubisu has the right idea. I wouldn’t mind going back to the Ningen Sekai just for a full day of laying in the sun. It’s never sunny here. Of course if I do, you know what’ll happen.” It was something Naaza didn’t like thinking about. “Besides, there’ll be humans everywhere. It’s gotten worse since I left the Ningen Sekai. They’re like a plague. I don’t think I could deal with the smell and all that noise would drive me mad.”
There was a split second change in Rajura that Naaza almost missed. Rajura blinked and took a single deep breath. “Forgive me.” Rajura said, turning to Naaza. “I didn’t notice you come in.”
“Obviously. So, what did you see?”
“Nothing you’d be interested in.” He paused and Naaza felt Rajura’s mind reach out. “How’s Anubisu holding up?”
“All things considered, pretty well. He was peeping on that boy and now he’s taking over your job. How’s it feel to be an incompetent?”
“Be silent.”
“No,” Naaza moved a bit closer and hooked his long fingernails into the fabric of Rajura’s robe and gave it a little tug. “I don’t think I will. You’ll have to deal with her sooner or later. Better sooner, I say.”
“Since when have you started giving out advice on human relationships?”
“What’s this got to do with humans?” Naaza didn’t say anything else and lowered himself so his head was resting on Rajura’s lap. Rajura always had the softest of laps. They both felt Anubisu coming at the same time. “He took his sweet time with Kayura. Good thing someone is.”
Rajura tugged at Naaza’s green hair. “Don’t try to guilt me into anything. I haven’t got a conscience.”
“More lies.” Naaza rolled slightly to look at Anubisu when he came in, looking unhappy. Naaza extended his arm and snagged Anubisu’s hand when he moved to pass.
Anubisu-
When he’d left Kayura, Anubisu thought that she was a little cheered, but he couldn’t be certain. Her free flowing emotions were so confused it was hard to tell what was going on in her head. Now that she’d been taken care of, Anubisu supposed that he should talk with Rajura before he retired for the evening.
A tentative reach outwards with his mind found that both Naaza and Rajura were together in the common room. The common room they shared was a comfortably neat place with sitting areas and pillows all over the place. It also let Anubisu brush against Ryou’s mind. There was no deep contact, like he had with Naaza and Rajura, but the warmth was pleasant.
“You have an admirer. Actually had someone following me and asked me to hand you over to them. They offered some real good incentives. You’re lucky they didn’t have anything interesting enough, I’d have sold you in a minute.” Anubisu smirked when he walked in to find Naaza nearly laying on Rajura’s lap.
Rajura rubbed his one good eye and reached for his eye patch with the other hand while he listened. “Admirer? What are you talking about?”
“He just approached me while I was hunting and offered me money, women and men, and power, if I’d give you up to him. Funny looking little guy. Had the strangest eyes you’ve ever seen.”
“Strange eyes?” Rajura went still and took on a thoughtful expression. “Did he say anything in particular?”
“Only that his Lady-Queen was eager to see you, again. Have you been fooling around in the Ningen Sekai, again? Breaking hearts and wrecking homes?”
“Jealous?”
“Maybe.”
Rajura’s mind was miles away from the conversations, though, and Anubisu couldn’t coax another word out of him for hours.
Ningen Sekai-
Ryou-
“Look! Look!”
Seiji’s hands tightened on the steering wheel and he heaved a sigh that everyone could hear, even with the windows open. “Touma, sit down.”
“But…but…look!”
“Yes. I see it. Now sit down. If you get killed with me behind the wheel, I’ll never live it down.”
The object of Touma’s attention, that which made him clutch the back of Seiji’s headrest and bounce up and down like a child on an extreme sugar-rush, was a lovely sight. The only rest stop they’d encountered since they’d left Nasutei’s mansion. Touma wasn’t the only one excited to see it. Xiu’s eyes were bulging at the sight Ryou himself felt like he had never seen anything so welcomed.
“Stop!” Touma shouted. He couldn’t stop bouncing around and Ryou wondered if he should let Touma have the first turn at the restroom instead of racing for it. The rest stop was tiny, just two gas pumps and a small building. If they had more than one bathroom Ryou would be shocked. “Come on, hurry!”
Seiji’s mood wasn’t improving. “Xiu, hit him.”
“Only if you speed up.” Xiu’s eyes were glued on the rest stop. He was shifting restlessly in his seat and biting down on his bottom lip. “I KNOW you can drive faster than this. Don’t hit any potholes or you‘ll regret it.”
“Keep nagging and I’ll slow down.” Seiji threatened. It was enough to make Touma let go of the headrest, but not quite enough to stop Shin’s low whine of frustration. “Oh, for the love of…” Seiji looked ready to explode. “Not you, too! Shin, you’re supposed to be the sensible one of this zoo!”
“Sense goes out the window when nature calls.” Shin replied quietly. Since they’d all met, Shin’s English accent had all but vanished until he spoke fluent Japanese. “Step on the gas unless you want to face the consequences.”
Seiji frowned in the rearview mirror. “Consequences?”
“You have four people in your very expensive car who haven’t been to the bathroom for five hours. Do the math.”
“You’re getting snippy in your old age.” Seiji did, however, put his foot down a little harder.
Snippy or not, Ryou knew exactly what the others were thinking. Five hours without a bathroom break was just too much torture. He felt like jumping up and down himself and could only control himself by the thought that Seiji had already asked Ryou to spare with him at the dojo. If he was to irritate Seiji anymore, Ryou worried that Seiji might take it out on him at the dojo. Not that he really thought Seiji would try to hurt him. He just didn’t want to take the chance.
Whether or not Ryou would race Touma for the bathroom didn’t turn out to be an issue. Touma, who had been sitting in the middle of the backseat, between Ryou and Shin, jumped right over Ryou to get out of the car and charged for the bathroom. He found the door locked, though, and Xiu had already gone to the attendant to get the key. They fought for a moment before Xiu pushed Touma and dashed into the bathroom with a triumphant laugh. Touma wailed in misery. Shin, ever resourceful and not too bogged down with social expectations, whispered something to the attendant, who gave him a funny look, and handed him another key. Shin quickly slipped into the women’s restroom.
“Well? Aren’t you gong to join the mad dash?” Seiji asked. “Touma could use some company crying, I suppose.”
Ryou looked around. They were in the middle on nowhere. The highway was deserted and there was a nice, thick forest. “Nope.” Ryou gave Seiji a grin. “I’m going for a walk. Don’t leave without me.”
“If you take more than twenty minutes, you’re walking to Sendai.”
The forest was wonderfully quiet with nothing more than the little sounds of small animals creeping around in the fallen leaves. The thought of returning home wasn’t as exciting for Ryou as it was to the others, even though he was happy to visit grandfather Date. ‘My granpa.’ Ryou had to keep reminding himself of that. He had to keep telling himself that he wasn’t alone. He had a brother and a granpa. Still, Sendai wasn’t really home. Seiji could still think of his grandfather’s dojo as home, but Ryou barely knew grandfather Date. He couldn’t even think of the cabin in the mountains as home, anymore. The only memories he seemed to have of that were of leaving. Of watching his mom die and being forced to walk away with his hand tightly held in his granma’s. Home was, at the moment, Nasutei’s house. It was the closest Ryou had. Nothing in Sendai could compare to the safety of Nasutei’s home.
What did Sendai have? Hana high school where Akira had threatened Ryou? The shelter he and his granma had lived in for a few weeks before it had been closed down? The street corner where Ryou had prostituted himself for money to take his granma to the hospital? No. The only reason Ryou was going back was that Sendai that held at least one precious memory. It was where granma was buried.
Ryou walked until he was out of sight of the car and then relieved himself.
Life had settled down to being more comfortable than Ryou had ever remembered it. For the first time in a long time, he had a safe, happy home surrounded by people who loved him. There wasn't any fear anymore, except for the fear that Ryou now knew for certain there was a demon world out there and even that was tempered by the fact that Ryou knew the worst of all the demons was vanquished.
There were other, smaller, fears. School, being one of them. The war had only ended a few days ago, so no one had really mentioned it, but Ryou knew the time was coming that they would all have to go back to school. They’d be a year behind, except Touma who could probably move onto the next grade if he pleased. A full year behind and Ryou had already had enough trouble the first time around. He still couldn’t read.
‘And what happens after school?’ Ryou asked himself. ‘Everyone else has plans.’
Seiji was going to inherit his family's dojo, that had been decided already. Seiji had spent most of his life training to take over the Date dojo. His skills in fighting were unmatched and, after the war against Arago, he was bound to be unstoppable unless Anubisu happened to drop by.
‘That would be a sight.’ Ryou smiled at the thought, but something about it didn’t seem as funny as he thought it should be. ‘Something’s nagging at my mind. Oh, well. Not important.’ It wasn’t just fighting, Seiji had told Ryou. Seiji had to learn more practical things, such as balancing a checkbook and how to advertise to attract prospective students. He had to learn how to take care of a household, especially as it was unlikely that Xiu would have time to do it. Xiu had his own plans.
Though he was still on uneasy speaking terms with his father, Xiu was going to inherit his family restaurant. He hadn’t seen his family since the war had begun, but he had called whenever he had the chance. Now that papa Faun was trying to accept Xiu and Seiji’s relationship, Xiu would spend more time at home so he could learn the business. Besides that, Xiu, like Seiji, had to work on his business skills. Papa Faun was trying to tempt him to go to a business college for at least two years while mama Faun was tempting Xiu with culinary school.
Touma would be accepted into university, without question, and was planning to study physics. Imagine…physics. Ryou wasn’t even sure what physics was. Touma had tried to explain that it was the way things moved, but Ryou didn’t understand why that was a science. Things moved. Why study it? Even with all the news and publicity centering around his nearly fatal attack on his father, three colleges and one university had eagerly jumped at the chance to have someone with Touma’s outstanding academic record enrolled with them. His invitations to colleges had begun to arrive even before the war had begun.
Shin, as strange as it might have sounded, was planning to study for a degree in psychology. He had been going to therapy for a long while to get off the pills he'd been taking to drown out the sound of the infamous 'voice' that had been talking to him since he was a small child. It wasn’t just Shin, they’d all heard the ‘voice’ at one time or another. The voice of the yoroi, as the time for the war had drawn near, had spoken to them and encouraged them. For whatever reason, Shin’s yoroi, Suiko, had started speaking to him when he had been a child and the result of that was years of therapy and drugs. To rid himself of the drugs in his system, Shin had checked into a rehab center. That had been right before the war and almost too late.
That had been more traumatic than Ryou wanted to remember. He'd gone with the others to visit Shin at the rehab center and it hadn't been pretty. It seemed that when the doctors had put Shin on those little pills when everyone had thought he was crazy were fiercely addictive. Before Ryou had met him, Shin had managed to get himself off them, but when Suiko had spoken to Shin again, Shin had desperately taken more of the pills and gotten himself addicted again. Now he’d straightened himself out and wanted to find ways to help people other than drugs.
And for Ryou, college was definitely out of reach. He’d be lucky to get his high school diploma and he knew that any kind of decent job was beyond his abilities. He’d probably get some kind of job as manual labor.
‘No point in worrying.’ Ryou told himself as he zipped up his pants and got ready to go back to Seiji. ‘If nothing else works out, I’ll go back to the mountains. Yaku-chan would like that.’ Besides, the day was warm and the sky was blue. It wasn’t the kind of day to be worrying either about the future or the past.
"Hello."
Ryou jumped, he was so surprised by the voice that spoke behind him. He was even more surprised by what he saw sitting on the low hanging branch of a tree.
"Um...hello." Ryou backed away from the person slightly, not entirely convinced that Rajura wasn't hiding somewhere playing a trick. The Ma-Sho might not be enemies anymore, but they weren’t friends, either, and the person looking at him couldn’t possibly be human. It was small, like a child, but there wasn’t something very adult about its eyes. Ryou had the impression that it was a boy, but he couldn’t be certain.
"No need to be afraid." The boy smiled, showing off shining white teeth. They looked a little too white. "I'm not here to hurt you." He never stopped smiling, even when he leapt off the branch he'd been sitting on and landed easily just a few steps in front of Ryou. "I just want to talk."
To Ryou, it looked like a faery was talking to him. Of course, that was stupid. There were no such things as faeries. 'That's what we thought about demons before the Ma-Sho appeared. Turned out demons were real, though, didn't it?'
The boy wasn’t as tall as Ryou, which meant he was pretty short, and had curling red hair that tumbled aimlessly over his shoulders. He was dressed as if he'd just gone shopping at the charity shop, but hadn't known what to buy. Now, in the middle of February, he had on striped orange and purple shorts with a blue tank top shirt. He had a rainbow of bracelets on both wrists; dozens of multi-colored plastic bracelets. His ears were pierced as was his bottom lip and his nose. There was something about him that just didn't seem quite real.
"What do you want?" Ryou asked wearily. He was getting a funny feeling that made no sense. This boy didn't look like he was more than thirteen; Ryou shouldn't feel like there was any danger from him. But…its skin was green. Even Naaza hadn’t had green skin.
"Just checking up on a lead and I think I've found what I'm looking for. You'd be Ryou, right?" He spoke with a strange accent and Ryou couldn't really tell where he came from. “Sanada Ryou?”
"Yeah. Who are you?" Ryou was sure he'd never seen this boy before.
"No one really important. Tell me, do you know a dhampire called Kujuurou?"
Ryou didn’t even know what a dhampire was. "I don't think so."
"Hmmm...that might be a problem."
"Sorry."
The boy frowned and rolled his up towards the sky as he thought for a moment. “Ah. I understand.” He smiled brightly and looked back at Ryou. “How about someone named Anubisu? Dark hair and pale skin? Big cross-shaped scar just under one eye?”
Ryou’s mouth tightened into a flat line. Anubisu, he knew.
Though Ryou’s reaction wasn’t a big one, and though Ryou still had questions to ask, the small creature brightened. “So, you do know him. That’s good. That’s very good. You’ve been most helpful. Thank you. I'll see you soon." With that, the boy started to walk away, swinging his arms at his side as he hummed a lively little tune to himself. He stepped around a small bush and was gone. Just like that.
A hand landed on Ryou’s shoulder and he jumped, again. “Xiu! What are you doing?”
“Looking for you.” Xiu frowned at him. “What’s wrong? We all felt something wrong. Are you okay?”
“Did you see that guy?”
“Huh?” Obviously, Xiu hadn’t.
“Never mind. Maybe my mind’s playing tricks on me.” But Ryou was sure that it wasn’t. He looked around, hoping to see the little green person just to prove he hadn’t imagined the whole conversation. “I could swear I saw him. He had green skin. Like the slime on a stagnant pond.”
Xiu pu an arm around Ryou’s shoulders and lowered his voice. “How much sleep did you get last night?”
“I’m not THAT tired.”
“Yeah. Sure.” Xiu pulled at Ryou. “You’re done, right? Right. Let’s get back. Sei-chan bought some snacks ‘n stuff. You can take a nice nap until we get to the city.”
“But…”
“Come on. Let’s go. Sei-chan said something about leaving in five minutes and he’s not in the best mood today.”
Ryou let himself be led out of the forest to where everyone was waiting for him. Everyone agreed with Xiu that Ryou must have just been tired from his restless night’s sleep and imagined whatever it was that he’d seen. Their attention did perk up when Ryou told than that whatever he’d seen was looking for Anubisu, but even Ryou had to admit that he might have imagined that part from the stress of the war. However, as Seiji said,
“We’ll all be together every night and during the day I think we’ll be safe enough. Just don’t leave your orb behind. If something is up, then we’ll have to be ready for it.”
At Nasutei’s mansion-
Jun-
Yamato Jun was actually quite happy with his life, even if it was one massive lie. For starters, he wasn’t Yamato Jun. He was Abraham.
"Onesan," he smiled as he said this, watching Yagiyu Nasutei stare at Seiji’s green car as it sped down the dusty road. They sat together on the stone stairs that led up to the front door of the mansion she’d bought when they’d begun this deception. It was ostentatious, but not too outrageous. “You look sad. Do you miss them already?”
She looked down and smiled. “Just a little.”
How odd to call his daughter ‘big sister’. She played her role in all this perfectly, acting as if she didn’t know the enemy. “You act so human, sometimes. I worry for you.” She had the most remarkable eyes, Abraham thought as he watched her. He’d always admired her. From the first moment when he’d seen her, he loved her.
To anyone who didn't know him, Abraham looked like a ten-year-old boy. His hair was a little too shaggy and his eyes were large and innocent. All in all, he looked like a normal little boy and that was all anyone was ever meant to see. They'd been playing the part of this grand lie for so long that Abraham was actually getting used to acting the part of a child. He’d always felt as easy wearing children’s clothes even though, to his mind, he wasn’t a child. After all, no matter how old he looked, he was many centuries old.
They hadn’t been alone in a long time and Abraham cuddled into his daughter’s side. “Miko, my dove, do you enjoy this life?”
“Very much.”
“We can’t stay here. Not forever.” Another year, maybe two. After that, people would start noticing that Abraham wasn’t growing up. They would have to leave.
“I know.” She was sad when she said it, though. “You can’t tell me you don’t enjoy, them.” She laughed softly and kissed the top of his head. “I saw you sitting on Touma’s lap the other day. They’re spoiling you.”
“And I’m enjoying every moment of it.”
She was quiet for a moment and they both looked up just in time to see Seiji’s green car vanish into the distance and the dust start to settle. "Master," Miko’s voice was hesitant. "Is he going to come?" Her hand drifted up to touch Abraham’s throat, tenderly. “I’ve been very patient. I didn’t even try to talk to him when we saw him.”
"He'd better. Rajura should have told him, by now." Abraham replied, his tone darkening at Miko’s question. "We have an appointment and Rajura should know not to anger me." How strange it would have sounded to anyone listening to hear a child speak thus. "Kuj safe, though. I don't believe Rajura would let him be harmed."
Miko didn't seem to be comforted. "The war's been over long enough, hasn't it? Three days is plenty of time. When's Rajura going to do it? He promised to give Kujuurou back his memories."
"Actually, he didn't." Abraham reached up to stroke Miko’s long brown hair, petting her as he would a favored dog. "Rajura never said any such thing. We took their memories for their own benefit, we never thought of giving them back. It was necessary. If they knew about their connection when the time for war came to us, they never would have survived."
Tears, tinted red, appeared in Miko’s eyes. "I just want my son back. I want my dear Kujuurou."
Miko was a vampire and Abraham was her master, her creator. If anyone were to ask how they could be perfectly comfortable in broad daylight, Abraham would have laughed and told them that age had it’s benefits. They were both so old that the restrictions placed on so many of their kind just didn’t apply to them. The fact that they were vampires was a carefully hidden secret, especially hidden from the boys they were watching over. Abraham, had become a vampire centuries ago when his master had taken a fancy to him and decided to keep him.
That hadn't lasted long as Abraham's master had become bored with him quickly and abandoned him only to lose his life at the hands of hunters. Abraham grew older, but not physically, and he began to desire a family. He'd created vampires many times, but none he actually considered his family. Nastuei had caught his eye when He’d turned Miko into a vampire when she smiled at him on her way home from the brothel where she used to work. She was beautiful and had a lovely smile. He knew at once that he wanted her for his daughter.
Strangely, it was Nastuei who had brought to life one of the rarest of all creatures, the dhampire. She had somehow managed to fall in love with a mortal man and become pregnant. That was supposedly impossible, yet it had happened. For months, Abraham had guarded her and kept her locked within the deep rooms of his manor house. The blue haired boy had been born in the manor Abraham owned, but had been taken away and raised by his father in far off Egypt.
“And you’ll have him, my dove. Rajura will return his memories and he’ll return to us. If not, then Rajura will regret it.”
“We can’t reach him in the Youja Kai.”
“We can’t.” Abraham’s eyes drifted to the black and white tiger stretched out on the porch near them. “But the wyrm can.”
Byakuen, the name Ryou had given to the wrym disguised as a tiger, lifted his large head and opened his mouth in a cat sort of grin. “Shall we be subtle or bold?” The not-quite-natural voice that the wyrm spoke with was just barely clear enough for Abraham to understand. “I grow weary of this tender stepping caution.”
Abraham nodded in agreement. “Why don’t you go pay Rajura a little visit?”
The wyrm let out a soft, hissing laugh and stood. “A little visit? How sweet to see little brother, again.” It took only a step before it vanished.
To be continued…
Ningen Sekai-
Anubisu-
Anubisu had gone straight from the Youja Kai to the forest just outside where Ryou lived with the other Troopers. He’d been there for hours, just lurking around and watching the dark house and somehow managed not to feel like a pervert. Of course he WAS a pervert. Would any normal man be lusting after the blood of a boy not old enough to shave?
‘Coward,’ He called himself. ‘A spineless voyeur. What do you think is going to happen? He’s not going to magically remember and come running out here.’
Of course he wanted to go to Ryou, but what right did he have? He was the one who had taken Ryou’s memory. It was his decision and he hadn’t even asked Ryou. Surely, Ryou wouldn’t want to be around someone who would play with his mind so casually.
‘It’s not as if I can give him the memories back. Even if I could, they weren’t very nice memories.’ That made the dream they’d shared all the more puzzling. Ryou was happy to be with in, in that dream. ‘But he didn’t know it was me and he didn’t know what I’d done to him.’ Still…in the dream, Ryou wasn’t afraid of him and it certainly didn’t seem like he hated Anubisu. ‘All I did was take advantage of him. I took his blood. Barely spoke more than a few words to him.’
Anubisu didn’t even have a plausible excuse to go to the boy or he would have. If he could have thought of a decent excuse, he’d have already been in the house and at Ryou’s side. It was where he really wanted to be.
Anubisu wasn’t sure if it was love he felt or not. Whatever Anubisu felt, it was overpowering. He’d never been in love before, so maybe he was wrong about the whole thing. His chest hurt and he couldn’t seem to breathe quite right. He couldn’t focus on anything but the image of Ryou’s face. He felt colder than usual when he thought of Ryou being so close, but so unattainable. He found himself wishing, stupidly, that he’d never taken Ryou’s memories.
‘Fragments remain. We shared a dream. There’s something left. Abraham said I always forgot the details.’
But it wasn’t enough. Not really. The slight connection he had with Ryou was tentative, at best. Ryou’s dreams were proof that there was a connection, but all Ryou had was vague feelings and he didn’t think they were anything more than just dreams. He probably didn’t even think of them after he woke.
During the war, Anubisu had know there was something, but there hadn’t seemed to be time to follow the thread that would have led him to Ryou. In retrospect, it was probably Rajura’s doing. The elder Ma-Sho would have easily noticed if Anubisu was getting too close to discovering his hidden memories and been able to distract him with another marathon day of training or mission.
‘That old man.’ Anubisu couldn’t bring himself to be angry. After all, he was the one who’d asked Rajura to take his memories in the first place. He should be grateful. The reasoning behind separating him and Ryou was sound, even if Anubisu did regret it now that it was no longer necessary. Who knew? If he told Ryou everything, maybe Ryou would hate him even more.
The night came and went and Anubisu kept to his place amongst the trees, watching Ryou and the other Troopers packing a car. They all seemed pleasantly unaware that they were being watched or that they were sharing a house with two vampires.
He could feel his mother inside the mansion and he saw Abraham sitting on the front steps of the house, but he didn’t reveal himself. It was one of the benefits of being dhampire that he could control whether others of his bloodline could sense him. With vampires, their sires could sense them whether they willed it or not. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see them, exactly. It was more to the point that he was worried about them. It was too much of a coincidence that they’d allied themselves with the Troopers.
‘Mother and Abraham saw me many times. Why did they never say anything?
That was just another detail to worry about. He knew, without a doubt that his mother and Abraham were with the Troopers, but he didn’t know why. Vampires and demons didn’t generally have much to do with each other, so how did they even know about the war that was to start. Why else would they be with the Troopers if not to protect them? It was enough to make Anubisu laugh. To think that his dear, vicious, sweet mother was playing the part of a such a common woman as he’d seen during the war. That she’d let herself be taken captive just to play her part properly was amazing. That Abraham had so convincingly masqueraded as an ordinary little boy was even more incredible.
There was Ryou, laughing with that great ox, Kongo. Just looking at him made Anubisu thirst for his blood, again. The spicy fire Anubisu remembered was temptingly close. Ryou was so close, but Anubisu couldn’t touch him. Oh, it was entirely possible to just walk over there and say good morning, but only if he wanted to find himself at the end of Korin’s blade. Korin, Anubisu remembered, had no sense of humor. Their first meeting had not been a pleasant one.
It had been the second time Anubisu had tasted Ryou’s blood. He hadn’t been able to stay away, not after that first taste. Ryou had been cornered by thugs and one had dared to lay hands on him. It must have been his mother’s territorial streak showing through, but Anubisu found it extremely offensive that some half-wit brat was hurting Ryou. No. It was more than just offense. It was a desecration. If Ryou had been willing, perhaps it would have been different. As it was, Anubisu had chased off the brats with nothing more than a broken hand. Quite merciful, in Anubisu’s opinion.
Korin had appeared in the middle of Anubisu feeding from Ryou and caused enough damage that Anubisu had to retreat for fear of damaging Ryou permanently. The mind was such a delicate thing and to have another person in it was traumatic. To have two people in one’s mind could destroy it. Anubisu was to blame. He should have realized that a bond was forming between them. It was quite unlike the bond Ansubisu enjoyed with his brothers or the one Ryou shared with the Troopers. This bond wasn’t formed by the yoroi, but by Anubisu’s nature and the blood he’d taken from Ryou.
Why hadn’t Anubisu formed a bond with anyone else in the past hundreds of years he’d been feeding? Who knew? Maybe it was just one of those unexplained cosmic events, like Jell-o.
‘Maybe it was love, like Rajura said. No. It’s gotta be something else.’
They finished packing the car and everyone drove away. Everyone but Anubisu’s mother and Abraham along with that tiger Ryou liked to associate with. They all went back into the mansion and Anubisu turned to leave. It would have been the perfect time to reveal himself to his mother and grandsire, but for the life of him, Anubisu couldn’t think what he should say to them. He hadn’t spoken to them in such a long time that he feared they were angry with him. It wasn’t really his mother that Anubisu worried about, it was Abraham. Anubisu had always been uncomfortable with Abraham and as he’d gotten older and Abraham’s affection had grown, Anubisu became more uncomfortable. If that affection turned to anger, Anubisu wasn’t sure he wanted to face Abraham.
‘Enough thinking. This isn’t like me.’ He looked up disapprovingly at the bright blue sky and sun. ‘I hate hunting in the day. There’s no privacy. Maybe Naaza will let me feed.’ His mind flashed to Sh’ten’s eager begging for it. How Sh’ten would sneak into his room before Anubisu had awoken just so he could experience Anubisu’s first waking hunger. He missed his little brother.
“And you will be Sasaki Kujuurou, unless I’m much mistaken, which I doubt.”
Anubisu heard his true name spoken so casually that, at first, he wasn’t sure he’d heard it at all. It was enough to make him stop walking, but he didn’t turn around right away. Maybe it was only his mind playing tricks on him again. No one but Rajura and Naaza knew his true name, he hadn’t even told little Kayura, yet. Whoever stood behind him couldn’t know, not unless they were more than several hundred years old and that wasn’t likely.
Anubisu turned and found that there was someone standing just behind him, looking up at him with very large, bulbous eyes. It certainly wasn’t human, but other than that Anubisu had no clue. He ruled out demon almost at once. The...well...person, for lack of a better word, was very small, almost like a child. Wild brown hair darted in all directions and, though he was dressed as a human, it was obvious that he wasn’t one. His eyes were just...wrong. Far too large for a human and they shone in the moonlight, like an animal’s eyes.
“Yes.” The little man nodded sharply. “You are Kujuurou. You’re a hard person to find. Still, there aren’t many dhampires. That narrows it down a lot. I’ve been looking for you.”
There was almost no one who could catch Anubisu unaware, with the exception of Rajura and, on rare occasions, Naaza. Now, this could either mean that the little creature was a formidable new enemy or that Anubisu was vast need of retraining. Anubisu took a deep breath in through his nose and began to cipher through all the scents. Amongst the familiar scents, like earth and water, Anubisu caught something completely alien. He’d never smelled anything so vastly unearthly.
“Aren’t you even going to talk to me? How terribly rude.” The little creature smiled broadly, showing off rows of tiny, needle-like teeth. “And I came all this way to find you.”
“I don’t think we’ve been introduced.” Anubisu commented while he examined the person. In all honesty, he couldn’t even properly decide if it was male or female and only decided on male because the chest was very flat.
“No, we haven’t.” The small man stepped closer until he reached Anubisu and stared up at him, all the time never breaking eye contact. He was very small, the top of his head reaching only Anubisu’s waist. His feet were bare and his toenails were strangely long and pointed, almost like talons. “I’m here to ask a favor, Kujuurou. A very small thing. Just a little information You can make out quite profitably.”
“What are you?” As if he needed anything in his position. “You’ve made a mistake, you know. My name’s Anubisu. I don’t know any Kujuurou.” He wasn’t about to even mention the word: dhampire. His training at Abraham’s court had instilled one very important lesson. One never spoke of vampires to outsiders. It was too dangerous. If anyone were to start believing again, the vampires would be in grave danger. No pun intended.
Bion rolled his eyes. “Suit yourself. Whatever your name is, the Lady-Queen has need of you and requests your assistance.”
“You didn’t answer. What are you?”
“I forget how rarely my people venture to this place, anymore. Of course you wouldn’t recognize me, not even you who have lived for hundreds of years. I’m an imp and you may call me Bion, if it’s a name you’re looking for. Not that it makes any difference, one way or the other.” His eyes took on a cunning gleam and he looked more threatening than any demon Anubisu had ever seen. “Be of good cheer, dhampire. You have a grand opportunity. Such a small thing the Lady-Queen wants and only you can give it to her.”
“And what might that be?” Anubisu was rapidly loosing patience with this conversation.
“A man I’ve been hunting for many years. Ari.” When Anubisu just looked at him blankly, he said, “You would know him better as Kuroda Jirougorou. I believe he goes by that name. Or maybe he’s changed it. A small human with white hair and a missing eye. He’s a powerful prophet.”
Anubisu’s eyes turned away from Bion and he laughed. Now what could Rajura have gotten himself into? “Have you finished? I’m done with this. If he’s done something to upset you or this Lady-Queen of yours, take it up with him. I’m too busy to play go-between.”
“You don’t seem to understand the finer points of this offer. My Lady can offer you so much. Wealth.”
“I live in a palace, have unlimited servants, food, and clothing. I have no need of money.”
“Power.”
“There are few creatures on this planet who could match my power.”
“Women.”
Anubisu just rolled his eyes at that absurd suggestion.
“Men, then. If you prefer.”
“My playmates get jealous very easily. I have more than I can contend with at the moment, anyway.”
“Or, perhaps, you’d like freedom from your insatiable hunger.”
“What?”
“The Lady-Queen can forever erase your hunger that forces you to feed off the living. Surely, that must appeal to you.” The way he spoke made Anubisu think that this was Bion’s trump card. How long had this Bion creature been watching him? Long enough to see that he hunted. So what else had he seen? “Freedom from the insatiable hunger for blood. Isn‘t that worth something to you?”
“You haven’t got anything that interests me. Don’t worry, I’ll tell Ari you’re looking for him. If he’s interested, I’m sure he’ll find a way to contact you.” Anubisu was smiling when he turned away from the little creature, but the smile vanished as soon as his back was turned. There were so many things to worry about, lately. Why did Rajura’s problems suddenly have to jump right up and kick him in the face?
Bion-
It was interesting, Bion thought as he watched the dhampire leisurely stroll away into the depths of the forest. That one who was Kujuurou but called himself Anubisu. ‘He knows Ari. The way he spoke shows that he knows Ari, not that he once knew him. That means that Ari still lives. Strange.’
Ari was either a remarkable human to have lived for so many centuries or he wasn’t human at all. Bion was rather leaning towards the latter. With a dhampire as a companion, it was entirely possible that Ari had been made into something like a vampire himself. True, it was said that dhampires lacked the ability to reproduce either as humans or as vampires, but Kujuurou could easily have brought Ari to his master and had the master vampire change him into a vampire. That was likely.
‘But if is vampire, he must have been one for many centuries. The fae would have learned of him long before now. The Lady-Queen wouldn’t have sent me a fools mission if she knew where her Ari was. My fees are too high for that kind of waste, even for her. So, I can reasonably judge that Ari has not been turned into a vampire, but that he does still live. Kujuurou knows where Ari is, but won’t tell. Won’t willingly tell.’ There was a difference. ‘I need what Kujuurou wants.’
Bion turned to face the large house he knew Kujuurou had been watching all night and most of the morning. He knew because he’d been watching Kujuurou even since he’d appeared from wherever it was he’d been hiding. Another interesting fact. Bion knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he could find anything. That was how he’d earned his reputation. HE could find anything, anyone, anywhere on the planet. Yet he could not find Ari, who was apparently still alive, and he couldn’t find the dhampire, who had mysteriously appeared.
‘Ari must be alive. I can find no bones and those surely would have been left if he’d died. He must be alive. Kujuurou knows where he is. I need bait. Something to encourage Kujuurou to tell me what he knows.” Biyon knew that two vampires and one of the dreaded wyrms lived in the large house, yonder. He also knew that they were not the reason why Kujuurou had been lurking around the house. His eyes had ever been fixated on a dark-skinned boy with dark hair. Kujuurou had watched that boy very carefully.
A smile slid across Bion’s lips as he considered the implications. ‘Human. Relatively defenseless. Small. Somehow important to Kujuurou. Yes. Sanada Ryou will do quite nicely. Now all I have to do is get my bait.’
In the Youja Kai-
Anubisu-
Anubisu chuckled when he arrived home, his appetite, if not his curiosity, sated. All through the long hunt he‘d thought about Bion and how could he possibly know Rajura’s true name? What was a Lady-Queen? Though it would have been easier to do as he‘d planned and just gone home and asked one of his brothers for a feed, Anubisu had stayed in the Ningen Sekai to think. His time hunting did him no good. He could find no answers and no blood he found was a match for Ryou’s fire. He couldn’t imaging any creature besides demons that could live long enough to know Rajura’s true name and Bion certainly hadn’t been a demon. The only solution was to ask Rajura.
Before he even entered the palace, Anubisu stopped walking. He hadn’t expected to find Kayura in the courtyard looking like a lost waif, staring down at her reflection in the water of the fountain. The fountain was old, but sturdy. A short stone wall with enough water for just a few feet of water and a couple of fish. There wasn’t much point in the fountain, but it was pretty and Rajura did like pretty things.
Kayura shouldn’t have looked like a waif. Her hair was perfectly styled and shining from brushing, her clothes were immaculate. She moved with practiced elegance and grace. Something about her pale, little face as she walked around the water fountain just looked lost. She looked very small and frail. She didn’t seem to notice Anubisu when she sat on the raised stone wall of the fountain.
Anubisu considered, for a moment, passing her by. Something in the way she sat, so still and hunched over, made him pause. He wasn’t entirely heartless, after all. And he knew, from the slight touch of her mind that he’d allowed, that she was having a hard time of it. Rajura wasn’t exactly helping matters, strangely enough. Naaza wouldn’t be bothered unless she went to him and deliberately asked for help. Naaza was like that.
“You look bored.” Anubisu plopped himself down on the edge of the stone fountain next to Kayura.
“I’m just…thinking.” Kayura didn’t even look up at him.
“Better not. That only leads to trouble.”
“Rajura-san would disagree.”
“Yeah. He would.” They would get nowhere like that. TELL ME YOUR PROBLEMS, GIRL. He let his mind slide open and got the full force of Kayura’s untrained mind reaching out for contact. It made his stomach turn for a moment before he got used to it. She’d been living in the Youja Kai for all these years and Arago had never encouraged any of them to teach her use her mind properly. It was a shame. Now her mind had been reaching out for two days, trying to find something when she didn’t fully understand what it was she was looking for. Now that Anubisu had let her in, he felt her invasive touch like the proverbial bull in a china shop. EASY. EASY. I’M NOT USED TO THIS, JUST TAKE IT EASY. He tried to soothe her mind, but he’d never had to do this before. This was Rjaura’s responsibility.
“I’m sorry.” It surprised Anubisu that she spoke verbally. Given her first chance at a mental connection, he would have thought that she’d jump at the chance. “I’m not used to it.” Almost at once, her touched pulled away. Anubisu didn’t try to stop her. At last, though, she looked up at him. “Anubisu-san, what was Sh’ten-san like?”
Now there was a surprise question. “Well, for one thing, he’d probably fly into a tizzy if he heard you calling him ‘san’. He didn’t have much respect for respect, if you know what I mean.”
Kayura looked back down at her reflection, a troubled look on her face. “There must be more than that. You all love him so much.”
It wasn’t hard to see where this was heading. Kayura wasn’t proficient at shielding. It was like trying to block out sunlight with tissue paper. Her loneliness and feelings of unworthiness were suffocating. It was bad for him, who was only experiencing it second-hand. How bad was it for Kayura?
‘JURA! Anubisu called out, securing his thoughts from Kayura for just a moment. YOU OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED. DIDN’T YOU TELL HER ANYTHING ABOUT ‘TEN-CHAN?
SHE DIDN’T ASK ME.
I CAN’T IMAGINE WHY. Anubisu crossly pulled his mind away from Rajura. They were all grieving. That was no reason to neglect Kayura, no matter how awkward it made them all feel. “Sh’ten was a brat. I know you don’t remember anything, but…”
“But I DO remember.” Kayura interrupted, desperately. “I remember everything.”
Anubisu felt the blood drain from his head. “You do?”
“I killed him. I liked it. I LIKED killing him!” Her voice, which had been calm, was verging on hysteria. “I was so happy to kill. Those other boys, the Troopers, I wanted to kill them very badly. I tried so hard. Every time I made them bleed, every time they screamed in pain, I liked it! I wanted more.” Her eyes were very wide and she leaned in closer to Anubisu and whispered, “I still want to.”
“Just like Sh’ten.” Anubisu commented almost without thinking.
Kayura looked at him sharply. Anubisu saw it, then. She was troubled and sad. Such vast despair that it threatened to devour her, but she wasn’t giving in. Her eyes were strong, though there were unshed tears in them. “So what? You can‘t tell me that I felt that way because I inherited his yoroi. That was all before he…died.” Her defiant voice failed her at that last word. She was afraid of Anubisu’s reaction and well she should be. His temper was terrible. This once, though, he bit his tongue and waited for a moment.
“Sh’ten’s tastes were part of his personality. He had those kind of hobbies long before the Oni yoroi claimed him. Rajura had watched him for a long while before that day when he realized who it was that the yoroi would claim He knew about Ten-chan’s pain fixation. I don’t think something like that can transfer. But I don’t think it was you who liked doing all that hurting. You were possessed. I expect it was Badamon.” Then he shrugged. “I’m probably wrong. Never did understand all the ins and outs of this stuff. Sh’ten wouldn’t have blamed you, if that’s what’s worrying you.” He smiled, nostalgically. “If anything, I expect he enjoyed his death.”
“That’s an awful thing to say!”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a lie. He never really wanted death, I‘ll admit to that. He was too enamored with life. What I mean to say is that I expect he enjoyed the pain of death.” Anubisu frowned at her stricken expression. “I’m not helping, am I?”
“Not much, no.”
“You wanted to know about Sh’ten? I’ll tell you he was a good boy, sometimes, and very smart. He was more intelligent than even Rajura. He was always either writing or reading. He sent me out to the Ningen Sekai to get books. Anything he could read was fair game. He’d shut himself up for days in his chambers scribbling away at his desk, making rolls of parchments and filling empty books with one thing or another. He was vain as a peacock, too. Always brushing that long red hair of his.” Anubisu missed that red hair. “He’d sit in front of his mirror for hours and he’d get so angry if it got tangled.” Sometimes, Sh’ten would let Anubisu brush his hair for him and what a wonderfully sensual experience that had been.
Naaza-
“Anubisu has a big mouth.” Naaza commented. It was the first time he’d spoken to Rajura since the truth came to light. It had been his idea to have Rajura hide his memory to protect Anubisu. He had no right to feel bitter, yet he did.
Rajura didn’t move from his place by the fire. He didn’t so much as look up at Naaza.
“Why didn’t you reach out to Kayura? It’s because of Sh’ten, I know, but it wasn’t her fault.”
Still, Rajura stared into the fire. It was odd to see Rajura so still, but not unheard of. His one eye was unfocused and had a sort of distant look, as if Rajura were thinking very heavily abut something.
Naaza sighed and strolled into the room. “Another vision, huh?” Rajura sometimes went like this. Visions of what was to come flashed into his mind and he wouldn’t be able to function until they were over. More like a curse than a gift, if one were to ask Naaza. It was why Rajura had never pressed to be general of the Ma-Sho. As eldest it wouldn’t have been unthinkable for Rajura to want the position. He was a superb fighter and a master strategist, but if a vision were to strike in the middle of a battle, he would be doomed. “Stupid old man.” Naaza slid down to sit next to Rajura and watched his face, carefully for signs that he was waking from the vision. “You took on the position of teacher. Weren’t you even a bit proud that we called you our mother? You won’t get that from Kayura if you don’t stop mopping.” Naaza reached out and stroked a finger across Rajura’s cheek, just under his black eye patch. “You think too much. What’s it going to get you except a headache?”
Rajura didn’t so much as blink. Naaza knew from experience that if he were to hit Rajura, Rajura wouldn’t even remember it when the vision ended. What a sad state they were. So much for the glorious Ma-Sho, the lords of the Youja Kai. One dead. One child. One love-sick. One slave to visions. “And me. We’re a joke, you know that, don’t you? Maybe Anubisu has the right idea. I wouldn’t mind going back to the Ningen Sekai just for a full day of laying in the sun. It’s never sunny here. Of course if I do, you know what’ll happen.” It was something Naaza didn’t like thinking about. “Besides, there’ll be humans everywhere. It’s gotten worse since I left the Ningen Sekai. They’re like a plague. I don’t think I could deal with the smell and all that noise would drive me mad.”
There was a split second change in Rajura that Naaza almost missed. Rajura blinked and took a single deep breath. “Forgive me.” Rajura said, turning to Naaza. “I didn’t notice you come in.”
“Obviously. So, what did you see?”
“Nothing you’d be interested in.” He paused and Naaza felt Rajura’s mind reach out. “How’s Anubisu holding up?”
“All things considered, pretty well. He was peeping on that boy and now he’s taking over your job. How’s it feel to be an incompetent?”
“Be silent.”
“No,” Naaza moved a bit closer and hooked his long fingernails into the fabric of Rajura’s robe and gave it a little tug. “I don’t think I will. You’ll have to deal with her sooner or later. Better sooner, I say.”
“Since when have you started giving out advice on human relationships?”
“What’s this got to do with humans?” Naaza didn’t say anything else and lowered himself so his head was resting on Rajura’s lap. Rajura always had the softest of laps. They both felt Anubisu coming at the same time. “He took his sweet time with Kayura. Good thing someone is.”
Rajura tugged at Naaza’s green hair. “Don’t try to guilt me into anything. I haven’t got a conscience.”
“More lies.” Naaza rolled slightly to look at Anubisu when he came in, looking unhappy. Naaza extended his arm and snagged Anubisu’s hand when he moved to pass.
Anubisu-
When he’d left Kayura, Anubisu thought that she was a little cheered, but he couldn’t be certain. Her free flowing emotions were so confused it was hard to tell what was going on in her head. Now that she’d been taken care of, Anubisu supposed that he should talk with Rajura before he retired for the evening.
A tentative reach outwards with his mind found that both Naaza and Rajura were together in the common room. The common room they shared was a comfortably neat place with sitting areas and pillows all over the place. It also let Anubisu brush against Ryou’s mind. There was no deep contact, like he had with Naaza and Rajura, but the warmth was pleasant.
“You have an admirer. Actually had someone following me and asked me to hand you over to them. They offered some real good incentives. You’re lucky they didn’t have anything interesting enough, I’d have sold you in a minute.” Anubisu smirked when he walked in to find Naaza nearly laying on Rajura’s lap.
Rajura rubbed his one good eye and reached for his eye patch with the other hand while he listened. “Admirer? What are you talking about?”
“He just approached me while I was hunting and offered me money, women and men, and power, if I’d give you up to him. Funny looking little guy. Had the strangest eyes you’ve ever seen.”
“Strange eyes?” Rajura went still and took on a thoughtful expression. “Did he say anything in particular?”
“Only that his Lady-Queen was eager to see you, again. Have you been fooling around in the Ningen Sekai, again? Breaking hearts and wrecking homes?”
“Jealous?”
“Maybe.”
Rajura’s mind was miles away from the conversations, though, and Anubisu couldn’t coax another word out of him for hours.
Ningen Sekai-
Ryou-
“Look! Look!”
Seiji’s hands tightened on the steering wheel and he heaved a sigh that everyone could hear, even with the windows open. “Touma, sit down.”
“But…but…look!”
“Yes. I see it. Now sit down. If you get killed with me behind the wheel, I’ll never live it down.”
The object of Touma’s attention, that which made him clutch the back of Seiji’s headrest and bounce up and down like a child on an extreme sugar-rush, was a lovely sight. The only rest stop they’d encountered since they’d left Nasutei’s mansion. Touma wasn’t the only one excited to see it. Xiu’s eyes were bulging at the sight Ryou himself felt like he had never seen anything so welcomed.
“Stop!” Touma shouted. He couldn’t stop bouncing around and Ryou wondered if he should let Touma have the first turn at the restroom instead of racing for it. The rest stop was tiny, just two gas pumps and a small building. If they had more than one bathroom Ryou would be shocked. “Come on, hurry!”
Seiji’s mood wasn’t improving. “Xiu, hit him.”
“Only if you speed up.” Xiu’s eyes were glued on the rest stop. He was shifting restlessly in his seat and biting down on his bottom lip. “I KNOW you can drive faster than this. Don’t hit any potholes or you‘ll regret it.”
“Keep nagging and I’ll slow down.” Seiji threatened. It was enough to make Touma let go of the headrest, but not quite enough to stop Shin’s low whine of frustration. “Oh, for the love of…” Seiji looked ready to explode. “Not you, too! Shin, you’re supposed to be the sensible one of this zoo!”
“Sense goes out the window when nature calls.” Shin replied quietly. Since they’d all met, Shin’s English accent had all but vanished until he spoke fluent Japanese. “Step on the gas unless you want to face the consequences.”
Seiji frowned in the rearview mirror. “Consequences?”
“You have four people in your very expensive car who haven’t been to the bathroom for five hours. Do the math.”
“You’re getting snippy in your old age.” Seiji did, however, put his foot down a little harder.
Snippy or not, Ryou knew exactly what the others were thinking. Five hours without a bathroom break was just too much torture. He felt like jumping up and down himself and could only control himself by the thought that Seiji had already asked Ryou to spare with him at the dojo. If he was to irritate Seiji anymore, Ryou worried that Seiji might take it out on him at the dojo. Not that he really thought Seiji would try to hurt him. He just didn’t want to take the chance.
Whether or not Ryou would race Touma for the bathroom didn’t turn out to be an issue. Touma, who had been sitting in the middle of the backseat, between Ryou and Shin, jumped right over Ryou to get out of the car and charged for the bathroom. He found the door locked, though, and Xiu had already gone to the attendant to get the key. They fought for a moment before Xiu pushed Touma and dashed into the bathroom with a triumphant laugh. Touma wailed in misery. Shin, ever resourceful and not too bogged down with social expectations, whispered something to the attendant, who gave him a funny look, and handed him another key. Shin quickly slipped into the women’s restroom.
“Well? Aren’t you gong to join the mad dash?” Seiji asked. “Touma could use some company crying, I suppose.”
Ryou looked around. They were in the middle on nowhere. The highway was deserted and there was a nice, thick forest. “Nope.” Ryou gave Seiji a grin. “I’m going for a walk. Don’t leave without me.”
“If you take more than twenty minutes, you’re walking to Sendai.”
The forest was wonderfully quiet with nothing more than the little sounds of small animals creeping around in the fallen leaves. The thought of returning home wasn’t as exciting for Ryou as it was to the others, even though he was happy to visit grandfather Date. ‘My granpa.’ Ryou had to keep reminding himself of that. He had to keep telling himself that he wasn’t alone. He had a brother and a granpa. Still, Sendai wasn’t really home. Seiji could still think of his grandfather’s dojo as home, but Ryou barely knew grandfather Date. He couldn’t even think of the cabin in the mountains as home, anymore. The only memories he seemed to have of that were of leaving. Of watching his mom die and being forced to walk away with his hand tightly held in his granma’s. Home was, at the moment, Nasutei’s house. It was the closest Ryou had. Nothing in Sendai could compare to the safety of Nasutei’s home.
What did Sendai have? Hana high school where Akira had threatened Ryou? The shelter he and his granma had lived in for a few weeks before it had been closed down? The street corner where Ryou had prostituted himself for money to take his granma to the hospital? No. The only reason Ryou was going back was that Sendai that held at least one precious memory. It was where granma was buried.
Ryou walked until he was out of sight of the car and then relieved himself.
Life had settled down to being more comfortable than Ryou had ever remembered it. For the first time in a long time, he had a safe, happy home surrounded by people who loved him. There wasn't any fear anymore, except for the fear that Ryou now knew for certain there was a demon world out there and even that was tempered by the fact that Ryou knew the worst of all the demons was vanquished.
There were other, smaller, fears. School, being one of them. The war had only ended a few days ago, so no one had really mentioned it, but Ryou knew the time was coming that they would all have to go back to school. They’d be a year behind, except Touma who could probably move onto the next grade if he pleased. A full year behind and Ryou had already had enough trouble the first time around. He still couldn’t read.
‘And what happens after school?’ Ryou asked himself. ‘Everyone else has plans.’
Seiji was going to inherit his family's dojo, that had been decided already. Seiji had spent most of his life training to take over the Date dojo. His skills in fighting were unmatched and, after the war against Arago, he was bound to be unstoppable unless Anubisu happened to drop by.
‘That would be a sight.’ Ryou smiled at the thought, but something about it didn’t seem as funny as he thought it should be. ‘Something’s nagging at my mind. Oh, well. Not important.’ It wasn’t just fighting, Seiji had told Ryou. Seiji had to learn more practical things, such as balancing a checkbook and how to advertise to attract prospective students. He had to learn how to take care of a household, especially as it was unlikely that Xiu would have time to do it. Xiu had his own plans.
Though he was still on uneasy speaking terms with his father, Xiu was going to inherit his family restaurant. He hadn’t seen his family since the war had begun, but he had called whenever he had the chance. Now that papa Faun was trying to accept Xiu and Seiji’s relationship, Xiu would spend more time at home so he could learn the business. Besides that, Xiu, like Seiji, had to work on his business skills. Papa Faun was trying to tempt him to go to a business college for at least two years while mama Faun was tempting Xiu with culinary school.
Touma would be accepted into university, without question, and was planning to study physics. Imagine…physics. Ryou wasn’t even sure what physics was. Touma had tried to explain that it was the way things moved, but Ryou didn’t understand why that was a science. Things moved. Why study it? Even with all the news and publicity centering around his nearly fatal attack on his father, three colleges and one university had eagerly jumped at the chance to have someone with Touma’s outstanding academic record enrolled with them. His invitations to colleges had begun to arrive even before the war had begun.
Shin, as strange as it might have sounded, was planning to study for a degree in psychology. He had been going to therapy for a long while to get off the pills he'd been taking to drown out the sound of the infamous 'voice' that had been talking to him since he was a small child. It wasn’t just Shin, they’d all heard the ‘voice’ at one time or another. The voice of the yoroi, as the time for the war had drawn near, had spoken to them and encouraged them. For whatever reason, Shin’s yoroi, Suiko, had started speaking to him when he had been a child and the result of that was years of therapy and drugs. To rid himself of the drugs in his system, Shin had checked into a rehab center. That had been right before the war and almost too late.
That had been more traumatic than Ryou wanted to remember. He'd gone with the others to visit Shin at the rehab center and it hadn't been pretty. It seemed that when the doctors had put Shin on those little pills when everyone had thought he was crazy were fiercely addictive. Before Ryou had met him, Shin had managed to get himself off them, but when Suiko had spoken to Shin again, Shin had desperately taken more of the pills and gotten himself addicted again. Now he’d straightened himself out and wanted to find ways to help people other than drugs.
And for Ryou, college was definitely out of reach. He’d be lucky to get his high school diploma and he knew that any kind of decent job was beyond his abilities. He’d probably get some kind of job as manual labor.
‘No point in worrying.’ Ryou told himself as he zipped up his pants and got ready to go back to Seiji. ‘If nothing else works out, I’ll go back to the mountains. Yaku-chan would like that.’ Besides, the day was warm and the sky was blue. It wasn’t the kind of day to be worrying either about the future or the past.
"Hello."
Ryou jumped, he was so surprised by the voice that spoke behind him. He was even more surprised by what he saw sitting on the low hanging branch of a tree.
"Um...hello." Ryou backed away from the person slightly, not entirely convinced that Rajura wasn't hiding somewhere playing a trick. The Ma-Sho might not be enemies anymore, but they weren’t friends, either, and the person looking at him couldn’t possibly be human. It was small, like a child, but there wasn’t something very adult about its eyes. Ryou had the impression that it was a boy, but he couldn’t be certain.
"No need to be afraid." The boy smiled, showing off shining white teeth. They looked a little too white. "I'm not here to hurt you." He never stopped smiling, even when he leapt off the branch he'd been sitting on and landed easily just a few steps in front of Ryou. "I just want to talk."
To Ryou, it looked like a faery was talking to him. Of course, that was stupid. There were no such things as faeries. 'That's what we thought about demons before the Ma-Sho appeared. Turned out demons were real, though, didn't it?'
The boy wasn’t as tall as Ryou, which meant he was pretty short, and had curling red hair that tumbled aimlessly over his shoulders. He was dressed as if he'd just gone shopping at the charity shop, but hadn't known what to buy. Now, in the middle of February, he had on striped orange and purple shorts with a blue tank top shirt. He had a rainbow of bracelets on both wrists; dozens of multi-colored plastic bracelets. His ears were pierced as was his bottom lip and his nose. There was something about him that just didn't seem quite real.
"What do you want?" Ryou asked wearily. He was getting a funny feeling that made no sense. This boy didn't look like he was more than thirteen; Ryou shouldn't feel like there was any danger from him. But…its skin was green. Even Naaza hadn’t had green skin.
"Just checking up on a lead and I think I've found what I'm looking for. You'd be Ryou, right?" He spoke with a strange accent and Ryou couldn't really tell where he came from. “Sanada Ryou?”
"Yeah. Who are you?" Ryou was sure he'd never seen this boy before.
"No one really important. Tell me, do you know a dhampire called Kujuurou?"
Ryou didn’t even know what a dhampire was. "I don't think so."
"Hmmm...that might be a problem."
"Sorry."
The boy frowned and rolled his up towards the sky as he thought for a moment. “Ah. I understand.” He smiled brightly and looked back at Ryou. “How about someone named Anubisu? Dark hair and pale skin? Big cross-shaped scar just under one eye?”
Ryou’s mouth tightened into a flat line. Anubisu, he knew.
Though Ryou’s reaction wasn’t a big one, and though Ryou still had questions to ask, the small creature brightened. “So, you do know him. That’s good. That’s very good. You’ve been most helpful. Thank you. I'll see you soon." With that, the boy started to walk away, swinging his arms at his side as he hummed a lively little tune to himself. He stepped around a small bush and was gone. Just like that.
A hand landed on Ryou’s shoulder and he jumped, again. “Xiu! What are you doing?”
“Looking for you.” Xiu frowned at him. “What’s wrong? We all felt something wrong. Are you okay?”
“Did you see that guy?”
“Huh?” Obviously, Xiu hadn’t.
“Never mind. Maybe my mind’s playing tricks on me.” But Ryou was sure that it wasn’t. He looked around, hoping to see the little green person just to prove he hadn’t imagined the whole conversation. “I could swear I saw him. He had green skin. Like the slime on a stagnant pond.”
Xiu pu an arm around Ryou’s shoulders and lowered his voice. “How much sleep did you get last night?”
“I’m not THAT tired.”
“Yeah. Sure.” Xiu pulled at Ryou. “You’re done, right? Right. Let’s get back. Sei-chan bought some snacks ‘n stuff. You can take a nice nap until we get to the city.”
“But…”
“Come on. Let’s go. Sei-chan said something about leaving in five minutes and he’s not in the best mood today.”
Ryou let himself be led out of the forest to where everyone was waiting for him. Everyone agreed with Xiu that Ryou must have just been tired from his restless night’s sleep and imagined whatever it was that he’d seen. Their attention did perk up when Ryou told than that whatever he’d seen was looking for Anubisu, but even Ryou had to admit that he might have imagined that part from the stress of the war. However, as Seiji said,
“We’ll all be together every night and during the day I think we’ll be safe enough. Just don’t leave your orb behind. If something is up, then we’ll have to be ready for it.”
At Nasutei’s mansion-
Jun-
Yamato Jun was actually quite happy with his life, even if it was one massive lie. For starters, he wasn’t Yamato Jun. He was Abraham.
"Onesan," he smiled as he said this, watching Yagiyu Nasutei stare at Seiji’s green car as it sped down the dusty road. They sat together on the stone stairs that led up to the front door of the mansion she’d bought when they’d begun this deception. It was ostentatious, but not too outrageous. “You look sad. Do you miss them already?”
She looked down and smiled. “Just a little.”
How odd to call his daughter ‘big sister’. She played her role in all this perfectly, acting as if she didn’t know the enemy. “You act so human, sometimes. I worry for you.” She had the most remarkable eyes, Abraham thought as he watched her. He’d always admired her. From the first moment when he’d seen her, he loved her.
To anyone who didn't know him, Abraham looked like a ten-year-old boy. His hair was a little too shaggy and his eyes were large and innocent. All in all, he looked like a normal little boy and that was all anyone was ever meant to see. They'd been playing the part of this grand lie for so long that Abraham was actually getting used to acting the part of a child. He’d always felt as easy wearing children’s clothes even though, to his mind, he wasn’t a child. After all, no matter how old he looked, he was many centuries old.
They hadn’t been alone in a long time and Abraham cuddled into his daughter’s side. “Miko, my dove, do you enjoy this life?”
“Very much.”
“We can’t stay here. Not forever.” Another year, maybe two. After that, people would start noticing that Abraham wasn’t growing up. They would have to leave.
“I know.” She was sad when she said it, though. “You can’t tell me you don’t enjoy, them.” She laughed softly and kissed the top of his head. “I saw you sitting on Touma’s lap the other day. They’re spoiling you.”
“And I’m enjoying every moment of it.”
She was quiet for a moment and they both looked up just in time to see Seiji’s green car vanish into the distance and the dust start to settle. "Master," Miko’s voice was hesitant. "Is he going to come?" Her hand drifted up to touch Abraham’s throat, tenderly. “I’ve been very patient. I didn’t even try to talk to him when we saw him.”
"He'd better. Rajura should have told him, by now." Abraham replied, his tone darkening at Miko’s question. "We have an appointment and Rajura should know not to anger me." How strange it would have sounded to anyone listening to hear a child speak thus. "Kuj safe, though. I don't believe Rajura would let him be harmed."
Miko didn't seem to be comforted. "The war's been over long enough, hasn't it? Three days is plenty of time. When's Rajura going to do it? He promised to give Kujuurou back his memories."
"Actually, he didn't." Abraham reached up to stroke Miko’s long brown hair, petting her as he would a favored dog. "Rajura never said any such thing. We took their memories for their own benefit, we never thought of giving them back. It was necessary. If they knew about their connection when the time for war came to us, they never would have survived."
Tears, tinted red, appeared in Miko’s eyes. "I just want my son back. I want my dear Kujuurou."
Miko was a vampire and Abraham was her master, her creator. If anyone were to ask how they could be perfectly comfortable in broad daylight, Abraham would have laughed and told them that age had it’s benefits. They were both so old that the restrictions placed on so many of their kind just didn’t apply to them. The fact that they were vampires was a carefully hidden secret, especially hidden from the boys they were watching over. Abraham, had become a vampire centuries ago when his master had taken a fancy to him and decided to keep him.
That hadn't lasted long as Abraham's master had become bored with him quickly and abandoned him only to lose his life at the hands of hunters. Abraham grew older, but not physically, and he began to desire a family. He'd created vampires many times, but none he actually considered his family. Nastuei had caught his eye when He’d turned Miko into a vampire when she smiled at him on her way home from the brothel where she used to work. She was beautiful and had a lovely smile. He knew at once that he wanted her for his daughter.
Strangely, it was Nastuei who had brought to life one of the rarest of all creatures, the dhampire. She had somehow managed to fall in love with a mortal man and become pregnant. That was supposedly impossible, yet it had happened. For months, Abraham had guarded her and kept her locked within the deep rooms of his manor house. The blue haired boy had been born in the manor Abraham owned, but had been taken away and raised by his father in far off Egypt.
“And you’ll have him, my dove. Rajura will return his memories and he’ll return to us. If not, then Rajura will regret it.”
“We can’t reach him in the Youja Kai.”
“We can’t.” Abraham’s eyes drifted to the black and white tiger stretched out on the porch near them. “But the wyrm can.”
Byakuen, the name Ryou had given to the wrym disguised as a tiger, lifted his large head and opened his mouth in a cat sort of grin. “Shall we be subtle or bold?” The not-quite-natural voice that the wyrm spoke with was just barely clear enough for Abraham to understand. “I grow weary of this tender stepping caution.”
Abraham nodded in agreement. “Why don’t you go pay Rajura a little visit?”
The wyrm let out a soft, hissing laugh and stood. “A little visit? How sweet to see little brother, again.” It took only a step before it vanished.
To be continued…