[A/N] Seventh chapter! Enjoy!
I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling above. I dreamt about her again. I smiled. I decided to get up when I saw Eisuke sitting in the corner of the room reading a magazine. He saw me getting up and smiled.
"How're you doing?" he asked.
"Better. I just need to eat something" I muttered. I slid out of bed and stretched. I noticed that he was giving the magazine his undivided attention. I frowned.
"Please tell me that's not a porno magazine" I said as I reached for a towel.
"Dude, you should seriously check out this month' issue! The girls are hot!" he said excitedly as he flipped through the pages. I just gave out a snort of disgust. I took a shower and put on some fresh clothes. I noticed that I was feeling a bit more sensitive to my environment. I could hear footsteps all the way to the cafeteria. Hmmm, this is interesting.
"So what's the agenda for the day?" I asked as I put on my socks and boots.
"You gotta see Ken for your check up, just to be sure that you're alright. Then we can grab some food" he said as he tossed the magazine aside and stood up.
"You better get rid of that" I growled as I stood up and made sure my boots fit perfectly.
"Hey man, I understand that you wanna be loyal to your girl and all, but you gotta loosen up at least once in awhile right? It's not good to hold it all in" he said with a wink. I looked at him with horror and disgust before rearranging my expression.
"Let's see what Yuko have to say about this" I said as I got out from my room, with Eisuke following beside me. I had the satisfaction of watching his face go pale for a moment.
"Come on man, I'm sure we can keep this between us" he whispered desperately. I just chuckled. I arrived at Ken's lab and saw him sitting behind his desk. He looked up and smiled when he saw us. To be honest, Ken is one of the very few guys that have my respect. He's not an ass and he doesn't show off at all.
"Hey Tsukune. How are you doing? Have a seat" he said as he stood up and took out a stethoscope and some medical things.
"I'm good" I said as I took a seat.
"Alright. I'm just gonna run a check up on you to see if your body has adapted to the blood" I nodded and let the man do his work.
When he was done, I stood up and stretched, waiting for Ken to tell me the results.
"Well, from the results, I can safely say that you're 100% good. And I also have some good news for you" he said happily, as he set his clip board down.
"Since your body has adapted completely with the dragon's blood, you don't have to feed often. Instead of feeding every 2 weeks like you usually do, you can now feed about every 3 months or so. However" Ken said before me or Eisuke could say anything.
"Let's say you were to use all your energy during combat, you have to feed a lot more in order to regain your energy back. At this point, you don't really need normal food to survive anymore. You can eat if you like, since it also helps with your regeneration rate. But it would be better for you take blood. Remember, blood is your primary meal, so don't be reckless." he said. I nodded. But there was something about the way he said don't be reckless. I glanced at Eisuke. His maroon eyes looked back.
He knows. And he's following.
I decided not to bring the matter up, remembering that there are security camera's everywhere. Me and Eisuke excused ourselves and we head to the cafeteria. I took whatever they had to offer and sat where Eisuke sat. For some reason, this particular spot is secluded and there are no security devices or bugs. We put it to the test by saying a lot of things that we shouldn't know, and the authorities here didn't act on us. It's just plain weird.
I set the food in front of me and dug in. Eisuke just shook his head and watched me eat.
"What?" I asked with my mouth full.
"Dude, don't talk with your mouth full. Talk about having no table manners" he muttered. I just rolled my eyes and continued eating.
"So Eisuke, care to tell me how does Ken know?" I asked quietly. He just leaned back and looked at me.
"Hatsumi and Ken are following us" he said quietly. I nearly choked on my food.
"What?" I sputtered out. Ken, its understandable. But Hatsumi? No way.
"Why Hatsumi?" I asked, trying to keep my voice low.
"Tsuki, even though Ken said that you are fine now, I still don't want to take the chance. We both are still unstable you know" he said quietly. I couldn't argue with that logic.
"So what did you ask from Ken in return?" I asked taking another bite of my food. I knew Eisuke very well. He wouldn't bring Ken along unless there was something he want in return.
"Today, they managed to find a cure for the vampire's weakness. Meaning to say, if they were to take it, they will be immune to water and sun" Eisuke said. It took a lot of effort for me to not choke on my food again. If there was cure…then I could give it to Moka. And he could give it to Yuko. And they wouldn't be hurt by the simplest things. They could just live like a normal person.
Like a human.
"When?" I asked. Eisuke's eyes made a sweep around the cafeteria, making sure that no one is eaves dropping.
"After when you're done eating, go back to your room, and pack your clothes. I've packed mine so no worries. I'll pass you some sacks later, and I want you to fill them up with as many blood packs as you can. Make sure no one sees you. Bring your bag and the sacks to my room. I'll get Ken and Hatsumi" he said softly and casually, so that other people think we're just having a normal conversation. I nodded. I quickly finished up. We parted ways and I went back to my room, and started packing my clothes.
The good thing about this place is that, whenever we want to take a shower or change, the security camera would automatically turn off, giving us some privacy. But, it would only turn off for 5 minutes, so I have to be quick. I took off my shirt, and as I expected, the security camera turned off. I took this opportunity and quickly pulled a bag out from my cupboard, which I've kept hidden.
Using my natural abilities to move fast, I stuffed in all my clothes and quickly hid the bag under my bed. I glanced at my watch. 2 minutes. Not bad. Just then Eisuke came in with 4 sacks. I passed him my bag and went out of my room, making sure that nobody else would notice the sack. I went behind the cafeteria, to the fridge where all the blood packs are stored. It doesn't matter if I have to feed every 3 months or so. I'm not taking the risk of taking just a few. Who knows? Maybe we'll have to fight our way through. So might as well be prepared for it. I filled up all 4 sacks to the fullest. I looked around, and saw the guards were gossiping about something. Their backs were turned. I took this opportunity to dash past them. They wouldn't even notice.
Eisuke was in his room, and so was Hatsumi and Ken. I passed him 2 sacks, keeping the other 2 for myself. Ken passed Eisuke a small pouch.
"Here. There are 10 tubes in it" Ken said as Eisuke took it. He nodded and put it in his bag.
"Alright, let's go before the security camera turns on again" he said, picking up his bag. We all nodded and followed him.
Thankfully, its past lunch time. And everyone would be busy working. The cafeteria was empty, and no one was there, not even the chef. What many people know is that there is an emergency escape route, that leads underground. It's in the kitchen, where the chefs would be at. Luckily, there were only 2 of them. I gave Eisuke a look.
Should we take them out?
He shook his head and pointed to the camera in the corner. We were hiding behind a shelf, so I don't think it would notice us. Shit, this is going to be hard. The camera was the moving type, where it would move left to right. The camera was turning to our direction and we quickly hid our heads.
"Alright, we'll do it this way; I'll go first, followed by Hatsumi, Ken and Tsuki. Got it?" Eisuke whispered. We all nodded. We waited for the camera to turn away. The moment it did, Eisuke dashed to the other side quietly. To a human, they don't see anything, since our movements is too fast for their weak eyes. Ken and Hatsumi just stared in awe.
When the camera turned away, Hatsumi went, followed by Ken. Thankfully they were quiet enough to not attract the chef's attention. Finally, it was my turn. The moment the camera looked away, I dashed to their side in an instant. Eisuke breathed out a sigh of relief. We walked quietly, until we stood in front of a door which was labeled 'Emergency Exit. Staffs Only'. Me and Eisuke just rolled our eyes. We checked for any security cameras, traps or anything that can set off the alarm. There wasn't any, but we still opened the door carefully.
There was a corridor that leads up to a ladder. Eisuke went in first, just to check. He signaled that it was all clear and I motioned for Hatsumi and Ken to go in. I silently closed the door behind me and walked to them.
"It seems that the ladder only leads down. But I'm pretty sure it leads to some emergency room" Eisuke said with a frown. Hatsumi shook her head.
"No. There's a tunnel above the emergency room. The door can't be opened with all the rust and everything. But I'm pretty sure you both can". Eisuke nodded and opened the trap door below us. He peered down.
"It's pretty deep, so make sure you watch your step" he said. We all nodded.
One by one went down and I went in last, climbing down. I shut the trap door above and continued descending.
"I see a platform below us" Eisuke announced.I heard him land. Since both Hatsumi and Ken are humans, they can't see well in the darkness. But since Eisuke's down there, I'm pretty sure they will be fine.
I landed with the rest of them and looked around. I saw a huge door in front of me. I walked towards it and inspected it.
"Is this the door you were talking about?" I asked Hatsumi. She peered at the door. I just rolled my eyes as Ken brought out a torchlight from his back pocket in his back pocket, and handed it to Hatsumi. She turned it on and shined it towards the door so that she could get a better look.
"Yeah, this is the one. Be careful not to make too much noise" she said, biting her lower lip. Strapping my bag and my sack securely on my shoulders, I forced the door open, slowly. It made some noise, but not enough to attract attention. I opened it big enough so that we can all fit through it. It was another tunnel, going up ahead. And though it was pitch back (to normal human eyes) I could see just fine. I saw another ladder up ahead. I walked in first, making sure there was no trap or anything. When it was clear, I gave them the signal to follow. I noticed that there were ladders on the sides as well. Must be leading to different parts of this place.
"Better be careful. Try not to trip on anything" Eisuke muttered.
We were halfway through the tunnel when I suddenly heard a voice.
Release me…
I stopped dead in my tracks. I felt Hatsumi collided in me but I stood perfectly still.
"Ow. What gives?" she muttered.
"Shh" I told her, holding my hand up.
"What's up Tsuki?" Eisuke asked, taking up a combat stance.
"Eisuke, did you hear that?" I asked him.
"Hear what?" he asked with a frown. Maybe it was my imagination.
Free me…from this prison…
Please…
No I wasn't imagining it. I didn't move. I think I know that voice, even though I've never heard it before in my life.
It was the dragon's voice.
"Tsuki? Are you alright?" Eisuke asked, worried.
"Yeah. I need Ken to follow me. You and Hatsumi stay here until we get back" I said softly. Eisuke was startled.
"What? Why?" he asked.
"Just trust me. Ken?" I asked. He nodded. He strapped his bag tighter and motioned me to lead the way.
"Where do you need to go?" he asked.
"Do you know where the dragon is kept?" I asked. Ken was surprised, but he merely nodded.
"Bring me there" I said. I climbed on one of the ladders at the side with Ken following me. I didn't know where was this place, but my instincts were guiding me now. The climb was a bit far up than I thought but it didn't really matter. I carefully opened the trapdoor above me and peered through it.
It turns out we ended up directly at where the dragon is kept. Making sure that no one is there, I pushed the trapdoor open completely and hopped out. Ken followed later, his face covering in sweat. I decided to not say anything.
"Do you have access to this place?" I asked. He nodded. I walked over to this huge cage, where there was this massive red dragon lying down.
"Open the door for me" I told him. He looked at me with wide eyes.
"Are you crazy? That thing could eat you!" he hissed. Right, so it called me here so that I could be its meal. Nice.
"Just open it" I said annoyed. We don't have much time. He muttered something unintelligible and typed out the password in the computer. At the same time, he hacked into the security system and turned off the cameras.
"You have exactly 8 minutes. Hurry it up" I nodded and opened the door.
I stepped inside and walked slowly to the dragon. It's eyes opened and stared into me. They were golden, and I could see rage in it.
"You, um, called me?" I said in a small voice. This thing is huge.
"Are you one of the two that has my blood?" it asked in its deep voice. I nodded, not daring to say anything.
"Don't worry, I won't do anything to harm you. It's just, I need you to release me from here" he said, getting up and shaking its wings.
"The door's right open" I said, motioning towards the door. But with his size…
"I know. But the thing is, I don't have enough energy to shift back to my human form. And since you have my blood, could you give me some of your energy?" it asked, its golden eyes piercing straight into my silver ones. I searched in its eyes, to see if its lying. But there was something about it that makes me trust him.
Yeah right. The last time you did, it turned out pretty bad, a voice in my head chided. I pushed out the bad memory from my head.
"What do you need me to do?" I asked.
"Just put your hand on my forehead, and I'll do the rest" he said, lowering his head. I took a couple of hesitant steps forward and place my hand slowly, right between his eyes. He closed his eyes and the next thing I knew, I could feel almost all my energy drained right out of me. I almost fell onto to my knees by the time he was done.
"Thank you, now if you would please step back" he said. I nodded, and stumbled back carefully, trying not to fall on my butt. Suddenly, there was a golden aura emitting from him and he began to shrink. He shifted into a human form. Luckily, he had his pants and a shirt on. He was about Eisuke's height, with slightly long flame red hair and piercing golden eyes. He was quite well built as well. He looked about twentyish but I couldn't be sure.
"Do you mind if I accompany you in your escape? I really do not want to stay here" I nodded. He was a dragon, and from the looks of it, a flame dragon.
"Tsukune, better hurry it up. We have one minute left" Ken called out I nodded and looked at him.
"You do realize that its plain obvious for a massive dragon to not be in his cage" I pointed out.
"Point conceded. Give me one moment" he said. I nodded. He mumbled something and suddenly, there was a dragon, which looked exactly like him, appeared behind him.
"This is an illusion of me in my dragon form. I don't think they'll mind" he said. I nodded and stepped out of the cage, with him following behind me. Ken quickly locked the cage and we scrambled down the trapdoor. I shut it and climbed down the ladder, and made my way to an anxious looking Eisuke and a panic looking Hatsumi.
"Tsuki! Ken! We were worried sick about you guys! And who's this?" he asked, eyeing the dragon critically.
"My name is Takahiro Akira. I'm a dragon. I believe you're the other one who has my blood" he said, looking at Eisuke. Eisuke just stared back at him with his mouth wide open. Yeap, that confirms it, he's a flame dragon.
"My name is Aono Tsukune. This fool who has his mouth hanging open here is Gengo Eisuke. The girl is Chuugo Hatsumi and this guy here is Togohara Ken. Now that we're done with the introduction, can we go?" I asked in a desperate tone. They all nodded and we continued walking through the tunnel until we reached the end of it.
"Well here's the ladder. Now, all we have to do is to climb all the way up, and we'll be exposed to the real world" Ken said, strapping his bag tighter. We all did the same, except Akira who doesn't have a luggage, and began climbing the ladder. I was the last one to go, making sure that no one sees us the whole time.
The climb up was slower than I expected, but I can't say anything since we have 2 humans with is, a very tired dragon and me, who feels like passing out any second now. But we never gave up. When we reached the top, all of us were excited, but we didn't show it. We held our breath as Eisuke opened the trap door above him, slowly opening it, making sure there's no one there. He climbed up, and helped the rest of us up. I closed the trap door and looked around. It was another bloody corridor. But I saw Ken smirking. I stopped dead. Did he betray us?
"Alright, now, I need Tsukune and Eisuke to open that door there, or rather, break it open. That door has been sealed off, making sure that no one can escape" Ken said, while pointing towards the door at the end. I looked at Eisuke, who was looking back uneasily. We slowly walked towards the door, our eyes on Ken the whole time, studying his body language.
We tried opening the door but it wouldn't budge. Ken was right, we had to break it open.
"Move, I'm gonna kick it open" Eisuke said. I took a step back, letting him do the honors. He kicked it with full force, and the next thing we knew, we felt wind. Wind. I peered out. The metal door fell all the way down, into the deep abyss. Then I realized. We're in a canyon. Who would've thought. I scanned the area, looking for any possible landing to jump to, since both me and Eisuke have amazing jumping ability.
I looked across and saw a nice landing spot. I pointed it out to Eisuke and he nodded in agreement. We turned back to the three anxious figures behind us.
"Alright, Hatsumi, climb on Tsukune's back and Ken, you'll be climbing my back. We'll be jumping across that landing out there. Once we're done, I'll jump back here and carry Akira there" Eisuke said. Akira just snorted.
"You don't have to trouble yourself. I can jump over there easily. Don't underestimate a dragon's physical ability" Akira said, stretching. Eisuke just shrugged and motioned Ken to climb on. Ken, with a hesitant expression, climbed on.
"This is…awkward" he mumbled, tightening his grip on Eisuke's neck.
"You have no idea" Eisuke mumbled back. I snickered and got a glare in response. I just looked away innocently. I motioned Hatsumi to climb on my back and she did happily. I could feel her heart racing but I decided not to mention anything. Maybe its because we're jumping to the other side of the canyon.
"Alright, I'll go first. Followed by Akira and Eisuke" I said. They nodded. I took a few steps back, and ran forward, full speed, and jumped. I pushed myself out. To my satisfaction, I landed right in the middle of the landing. I heard Akira and Eisuke landing beside me.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to freedom"Ken said happily, as he climbed down. We stared at each other, smiling like fools. After so long, I could finally feel the breeze on my skin, feel the heat of the sun, smell the earth.
I could enjoy my freedom.
"At this point, we should start running, just in case" Eisuke said.
"And that means, Ken have to climb on Eisuke again" Hatsumi smirked. I still hadn't put her down. Ken blushed slightly, and with a grumble, climbed on to Eisuke again. Me, Hatsumi and Akira just laughed at that them.
"Awww. Eisuke and Ken make such a cute couple" Hatsumi teased. Eisuke growled and Ken showed her his middle finger. We laughed, and took off, not looking back at all. Suprisingly, Akira could keep up easily, without much effort. He was right, don't underestimate a dragon's physical ability.
"Where should we head too?" I yelled as we ran.
"Until we reach a road" Eisuke yelled back. I nodded and we ran faster.
This is going to be fun.