Second Chapter.
Sorry the first one was so short, but I wanted to separate the character Tatsuya from the original story by Darren Shan.
Again I own nothing except Tatsuya and the story here.
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When she awoke she felt numb and disorientated, she lay perfectly still, allowing the weight from her clumsy limbs to settle. She attempted to extend her senses to survey movement in the area. She could smell blood strongly in the air; blood she recognised as her own. She sensed the very unique scent of travel. The accumulated collection of scents from years of different places and cultures. In the distance she could smell the smoke of a fire, tainted with burning animal fat. She could feel warmth in the room, indicating she was not alone. But she could not hear a heartbeat or breathing, just a humming sound.
She took a slow even breath and opened her eyes very slightly, peaking though the forest of eyelashes. The ceiling above her was an elaborately designed tapestry. Distressed from weather and sunlight and hand repaired numerous times. The object she laid on was a bunk, smelling of wood and dust; she could hear it creak quietly beneath her chest as she breathed steadily. She tested her limbs; lifting up her arms she smelt pungent leather as she moved, she had straps of thick leather holding her wrists down. Her eyes opened wide and her pupils dilated in panic. She heard quick movement next to her, and saw a man with orange hair, his back turned to her. He was holding a vial of dark thick liquid which Tatsuya could tell from the smell and the way it clung to the glass that it was her own blood.
An involuntary snarl ripped through her chest at the realisation of her situation. The mans head snapped up in surprise, prying his mind away from concentrating on the bottle of her blood, seemingly taking him by surprise. He turned towards her with controlled slowness.
"Release me!" she growled through clenched teeth.
"My name is Larten Crepsley. Don't be afraid, we do not aim to harm you." He spoke with forced softness as he slowly approached her, hands raised away from his waist, inadvertently causing the vial to come into her direct eye line, the motion of walking making sickening bubbles form in the viscous blood.
Her pupils dilated in the gloom as she focused upon his features. He had flame red hair which glowed as a shocking contrast against his pale smooth skin and his purple scared eye. Her mind momentarily considered whether or not she was alone with him, because of the mention of a "we".
He took a few more tentative steps towards her, in his pale thin hand he held the vile, the pungent smell of her blood wafted towards her forcing bile to burn her throat. He saw her eyes on the small bottle, and continued to speak ignoring the anger shown in her face.
"You have very interesting blood, very pure." He paused to judge her reaction, she did not seem surprised, but listening with anger etched on her face and curiosity behind her eyes. "Thick, its not human blood. You are not a normal human being. Were you aware of this?"
She answered him aggressively "yes I knew. Where am I?" Tatsuya heard her voice wobble with emotion when she asked this.
She saw him smile as he finished his slow journey towards where she laid, the movement making a scar running down his forehead and over his eye crease shut.
"You are safe." He simply said, and Tatsuya found herself believing him, although adrenaline still coursed through her veins.
He took a breath before he asked a question, "What are you?" he sounded as though he already knew the answer.
"Untie me," Tatsuya demanded quietly. His forehead furrowed, and he was in thought for sometime.
"You must promise me you won't try to escape, you are safe here"
She narrowed her eyes.
"Where is 'here'?" she asked slowly
He smiled again, accentuating his scar.
"The Cirque de Freak, there are many special talented people here. None quite the same as you, but a few that are quite similar"
Tatsuya felt her muscles relax slightly. "I promise not to run away"
Larten nodded.
"It is not that you are a prisoner here, it is just not safe for a young lady to be running around in the forest by herself."
Tatsuya smirked and allowed herself a quiet chuckle. "Little do you know."
He smiled and shook his head. "We shall speak of this later, come you must be hungry."
He closed the gap between himself and her and unbuckled the thick leather ties. He then held up the bag of meat and herbs she was holding before, when she was on her way home.
She smiled slightly and took the bag from him. They walked through the tents doors, large folds of red silk towards the smell of a fire and the sound of laughter.