Chapter 9
Takuma didn't stop running until he had reached the outer suburbs of Tokyo. Surprisingly Kohana had remained asleep the whole trip. He placed the back of his hand to her forehead to check her temperature. It felt warm. Curses. All human skin would feel warmer to him than usual because of his own cooler temp. Takuma scanned the surrounding area with his green eyes for the train station. Locating it a few miles away, he sprinted towards it. He didn't want to miss the mid-morning departure. Arriving just as the last call for boarding was sounding out, Takuma slipped into an empty compartment in the back of the train. He laid Kohana down on the seat beside him and titled his blonde head back to rest.
2 hours, four stops, and a long sleep later, the train arrived at the farthest outskirts that the train could go. Takuma saw that Kohana was still unconscious so he quietly exited the train with her in his arms. He seemed to be the only passenger leaving the train and there was not a single soul that was being picked up by it. He paused for a moment trying to remember how to get to where he was going. It was not an easy place to locate especially if you were looking for it. The blonde headed in the direction he thought was the right way.
As he approached two smaller mountain peaks, Takuma stopped in front of some bushes scattered in an odd matter. The calm vampire didn't give the bushes a second look and headed straight for a lone one off closer to the base of the first mountain. Facing the solid rock, he balanced Kohana's resting form in one arm as he placed his now free hand on the rock. Takuma willed a rounded door of steel to appear from the rock. It was a secret tunnel through the mountain to his destination that the green-eyed vampire had constructed to be a simpler path than trekking around the peaks, across streams, and over small canyons and trenches which were put there unnaturally. When the door was complete and open, Takuma began breathing heavily from the effort it took to bring that door into existence from the rocky matter. He wasn't used to exerting so much energy just to use his vampiric ability. Dang, I'm out of fuel. At that thought, Takuma's fangs dropped from his upper jaw unwillingly. The now frustrated vampire could barely keep his eyes green but his will could do nothing about his canine extension. He had used up the energy he gained from Billy's blood, he was out of blood tablets, and he was about to run through miles of suffocating small tunnels with a small human. To make it worse once they entered the tunnels there would be only one way out and it wasn't the way they came from. What a dilemma I have. I'll have to hold my breath. Takuma could hold his breath for exactly 10 minutes straight. The struggling vampire sucked in a deep breath of cold mountain air, swiftly picked up Kohana, and took off at top speed down his hidden tunnel willing the door closed and gone behind him. It didn't take as much energy to will something away as it does to will something here but that last effort was enough to dissipate Takuma's weak hold on his human appearance. His once soft emerald eyes were now striking red orbs. He noticed that even his hands had started to morph into the claws of a monster. Takuma panicked at the sight thinking he was going to lose complete control over himself and pushed his unwilling body to move faster along the dark tunnels.
After what seemed like an eternity, Takuma heard and felt the slight breeze coming at him from the exit. With one last burst of extraordinary speed, the exhausted and frantic vampire exploded from the confining tunnels and landed with a soft thud on a dirt-covered wooden floor. With zero time to spare, Takuma set Kohana down and rushed to escape the room which he had arrived in. I need tablets and fast. When he reached the kitchen area of the shelter, he gasped as he let out the held breath. Takuma regained his breath as he searched the cupboards and drawers frantically for blood tablets. Finally! At last, in a small locked drawer were bags filled with hundreds of tiny white tablets. Takuma practically ripped the drawer apart with his slowly growing claws trying to get at the contents of the drawer. He quickly filled a glass with water from the sink and threw in five of the white tablets. Without waiting for them to dissolve, the desperate vampire downed the contents of the glass in a single gulp.
Two minutes passed before Takuma felt the tablets taking affect on his body. He calmed his senses down and concentrated on reverting back to his human form. The first to go were the scary, animal-like claws. Next, his glowing red eyes slowly dimmed and swirled back into a soft green. Lastly and also with most difficulty, Takuma's oversized canines retracted to look more like a human's.
The ability to shrink or retract one's fangs was more of an acquired trait. Just as humans and animals evolved to fit their surroundings and ever-changing world, vampires evolved to be able to conceal their more obvious vampiric features to better blend in with the emerging society of intelligent and aware humans.
Once again in control of himself, Takuma headed back down to the cellar of the shelter to gather Kohana. He prayed that she was still asleep because he knew it would be an unpleasant experience to wake up in a dank, dark room alone. When he reached the bottom step in the cellar, the blonde noticed that his prayers had not been heard. There in a far corner was Kohana, conscious again, curled in to a ball and shivering. The small girl had not heard Takuma enter so she kept her head buried in her folded arms trying to stay warm. Noticing this, Takuma slowly approached the child while making his footfalls slightly audible as to alert her of his presence.
"Kohana," Takuma called softly, "Are you alright?" The girl in question jerked her brown head up with surprise and fear in her tear-filled blue eyes.
When Kohana had awoke to find herself in a small, dirty and most of all cold room, her spirits crashed and hot tears spilled from her dulled blue eyes. I've finally been captured and left to rot. She thought miserably as she cried. Then shock mixed with slight recognition when she heard a quiet, soft voice address her. She shot her head up to meet the cool green eyes of the boy that she seems to always wake up to, Takuma. Unbelievable; how does he keep showing up? Who is he? Kohana aqua orbs followed the teen's cautious, unthreatening movements as he crept closer. When Takuma reached her position, he stopped and slowly sank into a crouch to bring their eye level closer. Kohana silently scanned her options. I'm done running. If this guy wanted to harm me, he would have done it by now. I couldn't get away even if I tried with him this near me. I guess I'll have to play it by ear.
"Hello…Takuma…," Kohana spoke out quietly while watching his eyes and expression. Takuma started as the girl's timid voice sounded out. He wasn't expecting a response. Overcoming his initial shock, he beamed back at her and began talking.
"You remembered my name! Hello to you as well, Kohana. May I say that you have a lovely name? It truly is. I believe it means 'little flower', right?"
Kohana nodded. Wow, he's enthusiastic. So far, so good I guess. It seems like he really doesn't mean me any harm. I suppose I can trust him somewhat then. Takuma spoke again but this time with concern.
"Oh, I almost forgot; how are your wounds? You fainted before. Are you hungry? What would you like to eat?"
Kohana hesitated before responded with an inquiry of her own, "Um, are you going to hurt me?" Better make extra sure by seeing how he responds to a blunt question.
Takuma looked offended but he completely understood her worries. I should have expected her to ask something along the lines of that. She's barely known me for an hour. By her tone, she is looking for an honest answer. No problem; I can give one.
"Of course not. I'm glad that you asked what you wanted to know. I saw that you were hurt and in need of help, so I gave it. I merely wish to aid in your recovery. So, I hope that you will allow me to help you."
Kohana processed the sincerity in his words. Deciding it was sufficient and he was to be trusted, she answered with a simple 'okay'. Takuma smiled kindly and held out his hand as he stood up.
"Well, since that's settled; would you like something to eat?"
Kohana's stomach grumbled. She raised her head shyly. For the first time in over two years, she felt safe. Lifting her head higher, Kohana let a true smile slip onto her dirt-covered face and placed her small hand in Takuma's larger one.