Chapter 2
Shido sighed heavily as he tried to focus on the case that Yayoi was detailing for him. Try as he might, however, his mind kept going back to the disturbing dream that he had had several nights before. The dream had been a recreation from his past. Another torturous reminder of one of his and Cain's murdering sprees. The most disturbing visual though from the dream, the one that still haunted him, was of looking down at his shaking, blood-stained hands. From there the dream took a turn into unreality, as he then placed those same blood-splattered hands upon Riho's bare body and smeared the magenta liquid upon her forehead and lips as a form of benediction. Cain laughed sinisterly in the background. When he had awoken, he couldn't even face Riho while images of the dream still lingered in his mind, for fear that she would be repulsed by his actions and thoughts.
"Shido!" Yayoi cut in, directing his attention back to her.
"Are you listening at all? This is an important case and we need to get moving on it!" she demanded.
"Yeah, Shido," Guni chimed in. "What's with you lately? Your sex life okay?" she taunted.
"Everything is fine! I'm fine!" Shido insisted. "Let's get going Yayoi, or should we wait for Riho?"
"I'm here!" Riho called from the open doorway. "Do we have a case?" she inquired as she strolled over to Shido and placed a kiss upon his cheek. Guni groaned at the act of affection between the two vampires.
"Yes," Yayoi replied. "We're leaving now."
The trio made their way downstairs with Guni settling in upon Shido's shoulder. Just as they began to walk towards Yayoi's car, they heard an ear-piercing scream cut through the night.
Shido took off down the street with Riho and Yayoi following close behind. The vampire detective darted down one street and then into a dimly lit alley. At the far end, he saw a young woman huddled against a fence, crying with a fierce lizard-like creature moving menacingly in her direction. As Shido moved forward to battle the demon, he put a finger to his mouth and bit down hard. Glowing blood emerged from the wound to form a gleaming sword. Yayoi and Riho moved up behind the vampire for back-up as Shido shouted out, "Leave her alone!"
The demon turned toward Shido with a look of evil delight. But just as Shido was about to vanquish the nightbreed, the unholy gleam in its eyes turned to one of surprise as a blood-red sword emerged from his chest. He fell down to the ground with a loud smack and behind him was revealed a tall figure of a man in the shadows. The man bit his finger and flung several drops of glowing blood onto the breed as it hissed and disintegrated into a mound of smoldering decay.
Shido, Riho, Yayoi, and Guni all stared at the stranger in shock and surprise, as he emerged from the shadows into the light of the alley. None of them had ever come into contact with another demon-battling person before.
The stranger was a tall, young man with long dark hair tied back at his neck. His golden eyes retained a warm, amber hue to them. He was solidly built with extremely handsome features.
"You're a vampire?" Shido inquired, although it sounded more like a statement than a question.
"Yes," the stranger affirmed calmly as he watched the young girl who had been the breed's victim run off into the night. He took a few steps toward the crime fighters.
"Who are you and why did you kill that nightbreed?" Shido demanded, instinctively distrusting any other vampire aside from himself and Riho. In his experience, they were all self-serving egomaniacs who viewed the human race as inferior to themselves.
"Hunter," the handsome man replied.
"Is that your name or your profession?" Yayoi asked, puzzled by the young man's behavior as much as Shido.
"Both," he again simply stated.
Riho stepped forward at that moment, dismayed at both Shido and Yayoi's cool attitudes towards the good-looking hero of the night.
"Well, you did a good thing by killing that breed and saving that girl. This is Shido," she said while gesturing towards her lavender-haired boyfriend, "...and Yayoi," she continued.
"I'm Guni," Guni interjected before Riho could introduce her, as she fluttered out from beneath Shido's long hair.
"And you are?" Hunter prompted while keeping his eyes firmly upon Riho during the introductions. His eyes hinted at amusement and one corner of his mouth lifted up in a smirk.
"Oh," she cried. "I'm Riho," she exclaimed, thrusting her hand forward to shake the young man's hand.
"Riho," he repeated, saying her name slowly as if savoring the feel of it upon his tongue. At the same time, he took her hand and enclosed it in both of his own, sending warmth up her arm. Riho blushed and pulled her hand away quickly.
Shido immediately stepped up and placed his arm possessively around his young lover's shoulders, disliking the other vampire even more intensely based on his actions towards Riho.
"I'll be seeing you soon...Riho," Hunter said as he suddenly walked off into the night and disappeared into the shadows.
The onlookers were left to stare after him in the dimly lit alley. Shido looked down at Riho in some alarm as he caught an expression of amusement and interest on her beautiful, young face. He felt his heart constrict painfully in his chest as he turned her to begin to walk back to the office and discuss the new stranger in town and what his intentions were.
Shido sighed heavily as he tried to focus on the case that Yayoi was detailing for him. Try as he might, however, his mind kept going back to the disturbing dream that he had had several nights before. The dream had been a recreation from his past. Another torturous reminder of one of his and Cain's murdering sprees. The most disturbing visual though from the dream, the one that still haunted him, was of looking down at his shaking, blood-stained hands. From there the dream took a turn into unreality, as he then placed those same blood-splattered hands upon Riho's bare body and smeared the magenta liquid upon her forehead and lips as a form of benediction. Cain laughed sinisterly in the background. When he had awoken, he couldn't even face Riho while images of the dream still lingered in his mind, for fear that she would be repulsed by his actions and thoughts.
"Shido!" Yayoi cut in, directing his attention back to her.
"Are you listening at all? This is an important case and we need to get moving on it!" she demanded.
"Yeah, Shido," Guni chimed in. "What's with you lately? Your sex life okay?" she taunted.
"Everything is fine! I'm fine!" Shido insisted. "Let's get going Yayoi, or should we wait for Riho?"
"I'm here!" Riho called from the open doorway. "Do we have a case?" she inquired as she strolled over to Shido and placed a kiss upon his cheek. Guni groaned at the act of affection between the two vampires.
"Yes," Yayoi replied. "We're leaving now."
The trio made their way downstairs with Guni settling in upon Shido's shoulder. Just as they began to walk towards Yayoi's car, they heard an ear-piercing scream cut through the night.
Shido took off down the street with Riho and Yayoi following close behind. The vampire detective darted down one street and then into a dimly lit alley. At the far end, he saw a young woman huddled against a fence, crying with a fierce lizard-like creature moving menacingly in her direction. As Shido moved forward to battle the demon, he put a finger to his mouth and bit down hard. Glowing blood emerged from the wound to form a gleaming sword. Yayoi and Riho moved up behind the vampire for back-up as Shido shouted out, "Leave her alone!"
The demon turned toward Shido with a look of evil delight. But just as Shido was about to vanquish the nightbreed, the unholy gleam in its eyes turned to one of surprise as a blood-red sword emerged from his chest. He fell down to the ground with a loud smack and behind him was revealed a tall figure of a man in the shadows. The man bit his finger and flung several drops of glowing blood onto the breed as it hissed and disintegrated into a mound of smoldering decay.
Shido, Riho, Yayoi, and Guni all stared at the stranger in shock and surprise, as he emerged from the shadows into the light of the alley. None of them had ever come into contact with another demon-battling person before.
The stranger was a tall, young man with long dark hair tied back at his neck. His golden eyes retained a warm, amber hue to them. He was solidly built with extremely handsome features.
"You're a vampire?" Shido inquired, although it sounded more like a statement than a question.
"Yes," the stranger affirmed calmly as he watched the young girl who had been the breed's victim run off into the night. He took a few steps toward the crime fighters.
"Who are you and why did you kill that nightbreed?" Shido demanded, instinctively distrusting any other vampire aside from himself and Riho. In his experience, they were all self-serving egomaniacs who viewed the human race as inferior to themselves.
"Hunter," the handsome man replied.
"Is that your name or your profession?" Yayoi asked, puzzled by the young man's behavior as much as Shido.
"Both," he again simply stated.
Riho stepped forward at that moment, dismayed at both Shido and Yayoi's cool attitudes towards the good-looking hero of the night.
"Well, you did a good thing by killing that breed and saving that girl. This is Shido," she said while gesturing towards her lavender-haired boyfriend, "...and Yayoi," she continued.
"I'm Guni," Guni interjected before Riho could introduce her, as she fluttered out from beneath Shido's long hair.
"And you are?" Hunter prompted while keeping his eyes firmly upon Riho during the introductions. His eyes hinted at amusement and one corner of his mouth lifted up in a smirk.
"Oh," she cried. "I'm Riho," she exclaimed, thrusting her hand forward to shake the young man's hand.
"Riho," he repeated, saying her name slowly as if savoring the feel of it upon his tongue. At the same time, he took her hand and enclosed it in both of his own, sending warmth up her arm. Riho blushed and pulled her hand away quickly.
Shido immediately stepped up and placed his arm possessively around his young lover's shoulders, disliking the other vampire even more intensely based on his actions towards Riho.
"I'll be seeing you soon...Riho," Hunter said as he suddenly walked off into the night and disappeared into the shadows.
The onlookers were left to stare after him in the dimly lit alley. Shido looked down at Riho in some alarm as he caught an expression of amusement and interest on her beautiful, young face. He felt his heart constrict painfully in his chest as he turned her to begin to walk back to the office and discuss the new stranger in town and what his intentions were.