Important:
"English dialogue."
"Japanese dialogue."
"Past dialogue in either language."
And now, to chapter 7!
The girl's – Kyali – fever broke not long after dawn. Not that Mika could see it; he could only tell by the time on the bedroom clock, taking into account the time of year for his calculated guess.
He sat in his usual spot by her bedside, having moved the chair again next to the bed. Every now and then Kyali's breathing would hitch, her brows creased.
(She's probably having another nightmare.) Mika thought. It seemed she was having them a lot lately, if her whimpers – rare, but still occurring – and agitated movements were anything to go by.
But at least she wasn't ill anymore. That fever had been a stubborn one. It had taken nearly three days, along with two bottles of medicine, two baths, and several wet washcloths on her forehead – not at the same time, of course – to finally bring the human's temperature down.
That night, Mika had stood – well, sat – watch over her. Kyali's temperature had risen again, from a mild fever to bordering on high. When it had, Mika had dampened a washcloth in the bathroom sink, ringing out the excess water, and laid it across the girl's forehead. Every once in a while, like he had before, he would wipe the rag gently over her forehead and cheeks, hoping to cool the heated skin and wipe off some of the sweat.
He had also gotten her a new blanket, exchanging the old one. It was also red – vampires couldn't get enough of the color, apparently.
Using the thermometer that he kept on the nightstand, Mika would check Kyali's temperature every half an hour or so. Just a few moments ago, he'd picked up the device and pressed it against the human girl's ear.
It was normal.
Mika sighed in relief.
He hoped whatever her body was fighting off was gone, and would not return.
She didn't need that washcloth anymore. Mika tossed it into the hamper in the bathroom. When he came back, Kyali had calmed, and her sleep looked peaceful.
He sat back down in the armchair. Krul would want to know how the human was doing, he Mika was sure, now that her condition had greatly improved.
Kyali would probably be hungry, too, once she woke up. The girl hadn't eaten in days. He knew that fevers tended to kill one's appetite, and now that hers was gone, it should come back with full force.
He would have to get her something to eat. Mika remembered that for one who had gone a while without eating, thin broth was best, as to not upset their stomach. Though he would have to ask if she was hungry, first, once she woke up. She should be, but that was no guarantee. Either way, he would have food ready for her.
And rats. He had patrol duty today.
Mika glanced up at the clock. He still had time to go talk to Krul.
The door shut behind the sound of the girl's soft breathing, punctuated by the click of a lock.
Kyali startled awake with a sharp gasp.
(That dream again….) There were some variations each time, but it always had the same horrid scenario – her friends screaming as they died, human-shaped vampires morphing into animal-shaped monsters, and so much blood.
Her breathing was panicked and erratic, and salty water droplets built up in her eyes. She hurriedly rolled over and buried her face in the soft, white pillow, and cried. She clutched it tightly with a fist, and let the pillow soak up her tears.
The pillow muffled the noise as she sobbed into it brokenly. While she'd had that dream before, and quite recently, this was the first time she'd woken up afterwards. All of the other times she'd dreamed it, she drifted off into another dream, or into the void of dreamless sleep – enough for the vividness of it to fade and just be a barely-there impression of a memory by the time she woke up.
This time, Kyali was not so lucky, and the events of the nightmare remained clear and vivid, replaying in full-colored detail over and over again at the forefront of her mind.
(No…. I couldn't save them…. Why?)
For a while, she'd been able not to think about it. To distract herself from their deaths by focusing on the present, of what was going on around her. But now, the reality of it hit her with full force, barging its way into her brain with twisted, gory nightmares, crashing grief down on her like a deluge.
Her friends were gone.
Her friends, who stayed by her side, were there for her and supported her, who tried the best they could to include her, even with the language barrier.
Sabé, who was studying English so she could communicate with her.
Akimamoru, who was the big brother of them all.
Chiori, who was tougher than her frame would let on, and always ready with a smile.
Junya, who was overzealous in practically everything he did, which made him all the more endearing.
And she would never see them again.
A deep sob racked her body. She had tried to help them, she had tried. But still they had been slain – slaughtered, like animals, by creatures who viewed them as nothing but cattle, as livestock – who behaved no better than animals themselves. She hadn't been able to save them.
The image from her dream flashed through her mind – a bloodied, fanged monster looming down at her, grinning and mocking, "Did you really think you could do something?" Kyali's grip on the pillow tightened, her knuckles turning white.
(I tried! I tried! I tried….)
(Chiori…Sabé…Akimamoru…Junya…. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry!)
Her sobbing grew louder, even muffled by the pillow. When she had pushed Sabé out of the path of a vampire that day, Kyali never thought it would be the last time she would ever touch her.
The white fabric was soaked now, her face uncomfortably wet from being pressed against the pillow. But she didn't bother to move, only pressed her forehead deeper into it.
Kyali continued to cry, harder than she had when she had been captured, or even when she was in the prison cell. Now she released all her grief, mourning for the people she had lost, until she had exhausted all her tears.
This time, there were no dreams.
Mika walked down the hallway and made his way to Kyali's room to check on the human. Patrol duty had been both dull and grating, as always, with Ferid and his antics, and the children always bringing back memories. Being back in his living quarters was a relief, and he felt he could now relax.
Mika paused with his hand on the doorknob. His vampire hearing picked up muffled sounds from inside the room, and he recognized them instantly. Sobbing.
The girl was crying.
He didn't know about what, but it wasn't hard for Mika to make a guess. There were many things for her to cry for.
He stood there for a moment, just listening to Kyali sob. Then, he took his hand off the doorknob, and turned away.
Let her have her privacy. He would check on her again in a little while. For now, Mika had some work he could do in his room.
She wasn't asleep for long, the minute hand on the clock only completing its path twice as she slumbered.
Kyali blinked awake, feeling surprisingly rested. She was still weak, and her body still felt heavy, but it was like a sense of peace hovered over her, and the haze that had tenaciously lingered over her mind and vision was completely gone.
But now she was hungry. Her stomach muscles cramped painfully, and it felt like her stomach was trying to eat itself. It occurred to Kyali that she couldn't remember how long it had been since she had last eaten. A few days, most likely. And her stomach was rudely reminding her that it was empty, and that it needed something in it immediately, thank you very much.
Just as if he had read her mind, the door to her room opened, and Mika stepped in. He was still in the same clothes he was in when she had seen him last. It probably was a uniform.
The vampire boy made eye contact with her, and, seeing that she was awake, gave her a small smile. Kyali thought it looked like a smile of one who wasn't quite accustomed to the action. She returned it with a small smile of her own.
He came to the chair that she now noticed was beside the bed – a quick glance confirmed that one of the corners that had previously been the chair's residence was vacant – and placed his hand, which was now clothed with a white glove, on the edge of the bedspread.
"Feeling better?" He asked her.
Kyali nodded. "Yeah. Thanks." Her voice was still soft and tired.
"Are you hungry?"
Straight to the point. Kyali was grateful for that. "Yes. Very."
Mika nodded, and seemed a little relieved. "Okay, then. I'll go get you something. I'll be right back." He got up from the chair and left the room, closing the door behind him with a soft thump.
True to his word, it was less than a minute later when Mika returned, a thermos in his hand. He sat back down in the armchair and placed the thermos on the nightstand.
"Here," Mika offered. "Something that will be light on your stomach, since you haven't eaten in a while. Can you sit up?"
Kyali hummed an affirmative. "How long have I been here?" She asked. It took some effort; her body still felt heavy, and her arms felt like half-cooked spaghetti, much to her chagrin. Mika helped out with a hand on her back, using his other hand to put some pillows behind her for support. Once she was settled, he took the thermos from the nightstand. Kyali lifted her hands in preparation as Mika unscrewed the lid.
"About three days," the blue-eyed teenager – or at least he looked like a teenager, but of course Kyali could not be sure – answered. (Three days, huh?) No wonder she was so hungry.
Mika went to hand the open thermos to Kyali and placed in her outstretched hands. But her hands were shaky and also like the half-cooked spaghetti of her arms, the thermos nearly slipped from her fingers. Mika quickly caught it, wrapping his hands around her own to reinforce her grip.
The raven-haired girl was too embarrassed to say anything. She slowly lifted the thermos to her mouth, Mika's hands keeping their hold and following the thermos's travel as she took a sip. "Is it good?" He questioned.
It was some kind of thin chicken soup, is what it tasted like, and that small sip, along with the flavor now on her tongue, made her stomach even more eager. Sure it was somewhat bland by the standards of what one would have on their dining room table, but a lot of spices would not be good for her stomach, and hungry as she was, the plain chicken-y taste was certainly nothing to complain about. Kyali had to make a conscious effort not to chug down the entire contents of thermos all at once.
"Yes," she replied, nodding. "Thanks."
"You're welcome."
With him showing her such gentle kindness, his hands wrapped around her own and helping her eat, it was easy to forget that Mika was a vampire. He didn't seem like the type of person to act like a monster, to think of humans as if they were nothing but animals, to be cruel and toy with them, like the ones who had murdered her squad.
And he had said that the two of them were not enemies. Kyali hoped he would give her an explanation for that soon.
"How are your ankles?" The momentary silence had fallen over them as she drank the warm broth was broken by Mika. Kyali swallowed what was in her mouth and paused, lowering the thermos slightly to look at her feet, which were not covered by the blanket.
Her ankles were still wrapped in strips of white cloth, which were evidently tight enough to not have slipped around when she moved. Even so, it wasn't uncomfortable – the cool, soft fabric had felt good, soothing, against her rashes when they were fevered and sore, and, Kyali had to admit, still felt nice now. The stinging was long gone, and it didn't itch at the moment. Not that she could do anything about if it did, courtesy of Mika.
"They're fine." She wiggled her feet a little as she spoke. "They aren't itching or stinging anymore."
"Good."
Kyali nodded and hummed in affirmation, continuing to drink her soup, savoring the taste. The stray thought entered her mind that Mika's hands were cool against her skin; any human's hands would have been sweaty by now, especially with those gloves he was wearing.
Several minutes passed with neither of one of them saying anything, the room being filled with the ticking of the clock and Kyali's swallowing as she ate the first meal she'd had in days.
In those minutes, she was done eating and had drained the thermos of its contents. She pushed the thermos back towards the vampire boy, humming a "yes" when he asked if she was finished. She then leaned back against the pillows, watching Mika as he screwed the top back on the container and placed it on the nightstand. Her stomach now filled to satisfaction, Kyali began to feel sleepy again. Which annoyed her; all she had done since she got here was sleep. But it couldn't be helped, she supposed. Her body needed time to recover from being sick.
Her eyes blink lethargically against her will, and Mika seemed to take the hint. "Get some rest," he instructed. "I'll come check on you again in a little while."
"Okay," the raven-haired girl replied, her voice just above a whisper. Her eyes fluttered closed.
She didn't hear Mika shut the door.
When Mika went to check on Kyali again an hour later, the girl was still asleep. He had spoken to Krul earlier that day, before his patrol shift. The vampire queen of Japan had been pleased when he told her the news that the human was no longer ill, and was on her way to recovery.
Of course, Krul had pretended to brush off the matter, saying nothing beyond an "oh, good, good," but Mika knew what she was thinking. He could tell just by the look in her eyes that she was satisfied that another one of "her seraphs" – which he was certain was how she thought of Kyali – was doing well. Mika couldn't imagine what exactly her obsession over them was, but he supposed he would find out sooner or later, if the details turned out to be important.
The pink-haired vampire had ended the conversation saying that she would have a meeting that day, and given Mika some extra vials for his blood supply, which the teen had stuck in his pouch.
(The meeting should be starting right about now.) He wondered what it was about. Surely not about the war; Mika didn't know much – didn't care to know, really; it didn't particularly concern him – about all the in-and-outs of the vampire leadership's politics, but one thing he did know was that Krul wouldn't want others of the progenitor council to know that a great part of Japan's human population had gotten out of hand on her watch. Such an occurrence being made wide-spread knowledge to the vampire world would not bode well for her position of power.
Speaking of the war. On his way back to his living quarters to check on the human this time, René and Lacus had run into him on the street. "Oi, Mika! Haven't seen you in a while. Been in the city this whole time? We could use you out on the field, you know. Those humans are getting more and more troublesome."
They had wanted to tell him in fuller detail about their adventures on the surface, insisting it wouldn't take long when Mika had told them that he was in a bit of a hurry. Both of them had followed him until he neared the street-side door that led to his chambers. Now they were waiting for him outside.
Mika wondered if they were that eager to talk to him, or if they just had nothing else to do now that they were on leave.
In any case, it wasn't like Mika had anything to do, either. Except sit with Kyali while she slept, which wasn't really necessary now, and the research he had tried to do in his room by reading the books he'd brought, hoping to learn more about the history of this whole "Seraph of the End" fiasco, had come up fruitless.
Shutting the door quietly as to not disturb the sleeping girl inside, Mika contemplated on locking the bedroom door. He usually always did when he went long distances, or if he would be gone a while. But he wasn't going far – less than a block, with the door to his quarters well within plain sight – and he wouldn't be gone very long. It would be safe to leave it unlocked this time.
Kyali awoke to her body's urgent call. She needed to go. Right now.
She didn't know where the bathroom was, but there was a door on the other side of the room, to the right of her bed. She would try that. Hopefully, it was a bathroom. If it wasn't, well…
(If that turns out to be a closet or something, I am so screwed.)
Pushing the blanket off to the side, she struggled upright, pressing on through the fervent protests of her still-shaky muscles. She could not take no for an answer.
She finally got her legs over the edge of the bed and underneath her, and rose up into a standing position, using a hand against the bed for support. Her legs were wobbly and quaked as she walked, but they held her weight. She made her way to the door, clinging to the edge of the bed and then to the wall. Reaching the door, she turned the knob and opened it, sighing in relief when she was that it indeed was a bathroom.
She rushed inside and to the toilet as quickly as she could.
Once she was finished, Kyali stepped back into the bedroom, gripping the bathroom's doorframe for balance. Her legs were still wobbly, the muscles still weak, but they seemed to hold her weight better than when she had gotten out of bed just a few minutes ago, and were a little less shaky.
Maybe laying down for days had something to do with it; her legs were out of practice, and the short walk to and inside the bathroom, which was not much longer than four and a half meters, might have done good to remind them of their function.
She plopped herself down on the bed, her backside seated on the edge, supporting her back with her hands braced on the mattress. She wasn't tired at the moment; the food and nap had given her energy. Now that she was moving, some of her strength had returned, and she didn't feel like going back to bed, at least not for the time being.
Ten minutes later, the ceiling had four hundred and twenty-five tiles, the bedspread had one hundred changes of green-to-blue, and the armchairs' intricate and flourishing patters had been thoroughly traced.
Boredom settled over the raven-haired girl as she sat, listening to the clock tick and watching its hands jump along their circular path. She turned her head toward the door. She wondered what was outside this bedroom; if she had been taken to a house or something. It seemed logical.
Maybe she could take a look around; her legs would hold her up for a least a little ways, she was sure. Satisfy her curiosity.
The reasonable part of Kyali's brain knew that she probably shouldn't wander about. There was no guarantee that she was in an actual, closed-off house like regular human homes. This was a strange place, full of vampires, and on top of that, she was still a prisoner here, and her captors probably wouldn't take kindly to finding her roaming. Not to mention that she had just been sick, and should be resting.
(Nah. It'll be fine.)
She wouldn't go out for long, or too far. She just wanted to take a short look at her surroundings, and then come back. It wasn't as if she was traipsing around a dungeon full of guards, or trying to escape. Nothing bad should happen. And she could use the exercise.
Brushing her better judgement aside, she got up from the bed and balanced herself on the floor. Once she was certain she wasn't going to fall over, Kyali made her way towards the bedroom door, still keeping her hand on the edge of the bed to help support herself. She braced herself against the wall when she reached the door. The doorknob turned under her grasp.
Unlocked.
Opening the door a crack, Kyali poked her head out and took a peek, glancing from side to side. There was no one. The coast was clear. She stepped out into the empty hallway, leaning with her hand against the wall to keep herself from falling over as she slowly made her way forward.
It certainly did look like a house, with regular wooden door that presumably led to other bedrooms lining the hall. The place wasn't very decorated, though. Or at all, really. Everything – the walls, the ceiling, the floor – was pure white, with no break in the color.
All was silent as Kyali continued to wander around, the quiet sounds of her footsteps and breathing the only thing she could hear as she inched along the wall and took in her surroundings with passive curiosity.
(Make that a mansion.) This place was huge. Turning a couple of corners – making sure to note the route she took so she would be able to find her way back – the hallway widened out. The ceiling here was high above Kyali's head, and smooth, white pillars lined the pathway.
She traded the wall for the pillars, and let her eyes drift around the space. Nothing special here, besides the sheer size of the place. It was pretty, however, despite its simplicity; the architecture was extravagant, like that belonging to a palace.
Three minutes into her venturing, and Kyali was getting tired. She would go back to the room in a moment. She wanted to allow herself to stretch her legs, and to have some freedom and fresher air, just a little longer before returning to that small space.
Just seconds after she was thought that, a voice stopped her in her tracks, making her wandering eyes snap in to focus in its direction.
"Well, well. What do we have here?"
Kyali froze. She hadn't heard the slow clicking of footsteps, which now reached her ears quite clearly, so absorbed was she in her exploration. They belonged to a vampire. A strange vampire, coming straight towards her.
The vampire was male, and stood a good two heads taller than she did. His ashen-colored hair was pulled back with a ribbon into a long ponytail, and his fancy clothes looked like those an aristocrat would wear.
But most notable to Kyali was the vampire man's gleaming red eyes and small, fanged smile that bordered on a menacing smirk, causing the hair on the back of her neck to rise and sending shivers down her spine.
He walked slowly toward the raven-haired girl, who remain stalk-still. She knew it would be useless to try to run. Her legs were barely holding her up as it was; the muscles were already beginning to burn with the strain. Even if her legs could have managed running, it would do no good; the vampire would catch her in an instant.
The vampire in question kept walking in a slow, leisurely pace towards the frozen girl. As he did, he looked her up and down, noting that she was clothed in a nice pair of pajamas instead of a livestock uniform. "So this is the little livestock Mika took in as a pet." He mused aloud.
Kyali, of course, couldn't understand, but she did pick out words, such as "livestock" and Mika's name.
It did nothing to comfort her.
"Looks like he hasn't drunk from you," he noted, remembering how the boy's eyes were still their original sapphire. He was now almost right up to the girl. Red eyes met bark brown, and she took an involuntary step back, fingers curling into the pillar. "Surely he wouldn't mind if I took a sip first."
With one swift movement, quick fingers, ice cold even through the gloves that covered them, grabbed Kyali by the shoulders, pulling down one side of her collar.
"Ah-ah!" Searing pain pierced through her as sharp fangs bit into her shoulder, sending a bolt of agony from that spot down to her feet, and she cried out. Her body went rigid. Gulping and sucking sounds filled the girl's ears.
The vampire was sucking her blood.
Hot panic filled her veins, telling her to run, run, no this can't happen! but she couldn't move, and the vampire's grip was as strong as iron.
The vampire pulled back for a moment, both startled and amused. "Oh? Now, what's this?" He murmured. The taste of the girl's blood was unmistakable. (Don't tell me….) He licked at the blood leaking from the twin wounds, causing the girl beneath him to shudder. (Hah. Well, how about that.) He then replaced his fangs back in the girl's shoulder, and continued his drinking.
Kyali yelped as she was bit into again, then let out a breathy gasp. A strange, pleasant feeling mingled with and almost drowned out the pain of the fangs embedded in her shoulder. The sensation was overwhelming, taking over her entire consciousness, and whimpers escaped from Kyali's lips, unbidden. "Nngh…ah…hnn…."
Strength gradually left her limbs, becoming weaker and weaker. Her knees gave out, and her legs curled underneath her. The only thing that kept Kyali upright as she hung there was the vampire's hold.
The vampire kept drinking her blood, swallow after swallow. Kyali's vision began to darken.
"Ferid!"
A familiar voice shouted through her haze. The grip on her shoulders let go, and she felt herself fall. There was a whoosh of movement, and arms caught her before she hit the floor. They lifted her bridal style and all but cradled her against their owner's chest, her head listlessly resting against his shoulder.
(Mika…?) Her vision was still black around the edges, and blurry, but Kyali could still make out white clothing and blond hair. And the voice was certainly his.
"What do you think you're doing?" Mika practically growled at Ferid. The younger vampire held the girl close to himself protectively.
"Aww, don't be that way, Miii-kaaa-kun. I was just having a little taste of the livestock you've decided to keep. Although, I suppose I must admit I may have taken a bit too much…." Even as he said so, there was no remorse or hint of regret in Ferid's words.
"You almost killed her!" Mika seethed. The girl was barely conscious, her breathing labored.
"But it is so hard to control myself when I taste blood such as that one's. Her blood is so tasty. You really should try it. Ah, speaking of which….," Ferid's voice changed. Though still keeping its teasing tone, there was now an edge to it. "She carries the same flavor that you had. Did you know she's a seraph like you are?"
Mika's eyes said it all.
"Ah, so you do." A short chuckle. "That wouldn't happen to the be the reason you are keeping her, would it? And dressing her in such nice clothes, no less."
"Leave her alone, Ferid." Mika started to turn, indicating that the conversation was over.
The elder vampire ignored him. "Helping the poor, livestock seraph. You've finally found someone else like you, besides your precious Yuu-chan, eh? Hyakuya Mikaela." With those parting words and Mika glaring at him, Ferid turned on his heel and went back the way he came.
"Tch. That Ferid." Mika hissed under his breath. He began the trek back to the girl's bedroom. He wondered if Krul was done with her meeting yet; he would have to talk to her again today, as soon as he could. The older vampire now out of his hair, the teen redirected his attention to the human in his arms.
While most of the vampires' conversation went over Kyali's head, a few words stuck out.
Livestock.
Seraph.
Hyakuya.
("Hyakuya"?!) That name sent alarm bells ringing in Kyali's mind. What was more, it had been used as part of Mika's name. She knew that word, knew where it was from, what it represented. It wasn't a word, or name, just casually said or belonging to a family. So, then, why…?
No…. No way….
Her racing thoughts were interrupted by a voice above her. "Idiot." Kyali inwardly flinched at the insult, though she knew she did deserve it – it wasn't exactly uncalled for. "You shouldn't wander around," Mika scolded. "It's dangerous for you here. The vampires think of humans as nothing but livestock. And you were in no condition to be walking so much!"
"S-sorry…." She apologized, her voice weak and breathless from blood loss. Hunger gnawed at her, she felt cold, the fabric of her pajamas and Mika's clothes against her doing little to add warmth, and the world was fuzzy and gray. It was probably only thanks to her demon that she hadn't completely passed out yet.
A sigh, Mika's chest rising and falling beneath her. "Alright. Just don't do it again."
Kyali nodded against his shoulder. She mustered the strength to ask, "Livestock…do you think of me – of humans – that way…?" She was fairly sure she knew the answer. And there was the fact that he had said "the vampires." As if he wasn't part of them. (Huh. Strange.)
"No," the young man answered, confirming the raven-haired girl's thoughts. "I don't."
He was silent the remainder of the way as he carried Kyali back to the bedroom. As Kyali lay there, all but limp in his arms, her head resting against his shoulder and her body held against his chest, she couldn't help a nagging feeling, that there something disconcerting. It took her a moment to figure out what it was. Something she was used to hearing from others when they were this close, but was absent from Mika.
There was no heartbeat.
-Author's note-
Hi all! Sorry for the delay. Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long.
As always, comments and questions are welcome. And I don't own Seraph of the End.
Thanks to everyone who favorited/followed and reviewed!
'Til next time
-Sky
