Now that Cirucci was in on the plan to slaughter the cult she delivered three large, dusty leather folios the next night. They contained all the research and logs kept from when the cult was still actively breeding dhampir.
"It's a lot to comb through, a lot of it is unpleasant. The one thing you should know sooner than later though is that there is another way to produce vitae suitable for dhampir, you may not like it though."
I took the sheet of parchment she handled me and began to read the instructions.
Oh.
That might prove a problem.
Suddenly the sounds of screams came tearing down the cavern corridor. I nodded at Cirucci and we hurried to get her safe up into the false ceiling inside the closet.
"Okay Gin. We're playing hide and seek, alright?"
Gin giggled as I "covered" my eyes and counted and he crawled under the bed, the only hiding spot he could ever come up with.
I had already packed away the rest of my parent's blood vials and most of the books I wanted to take. Now all I could do was use my illusions to become invisible. I stood still and waited to be sure that whoever was causing the blood curdling chaos in the hall was Unohana and not that Kuchiki bastard.
There was some rattling at the door and when it opened I nearly sighed in relief, it was the woman my mother called Retsu. She was a rather tall woman with black braided hair, wearing a blood-spattered white cloak over her hunter's armor. There was no malice in her eyes, just an eerie calm as she scanned the library. She left and I followed after her.
Once I entered the corridor the smell of blood hit my senses like a wall. At least five of the cultists were collapsed in a heap, their blood soaking their cloaks an even darker crimson. Had they been trying to block off my room? I shook my head to fight off the dizzying scent and hurried after her. She moved incredibly fast, as she passed two more she sliced off the hoods to check their faces before cutting their throats before they could even lift a finger. She reached the war room and smashed the door knob with the heel of her boot, forcing rotten wood to splinter as it swung open.
"So it really is you. I should have known they had set you free as soon as you left my sight." The count was there, gripping the edge of the pool, still weakened from offering his blood to me a few nights prior.
"I had forgotten about that absurd Curse of yours." Retsu glared at the pool. "So you saw everything? Then hurry up and tell me where Sousuke is and I might leave without taking your head."
"You'll never be anything but a meddling slave, no matter what cloak the hunters gave you. You have no right to take him. You're just a tool of the humans now."
Retsu responded by leaping forward and slicing off both of his arms before pinning him to the cavern wall with her blade in his chest.
"Apologies, I've wanted to do that since you brought me to this awful place. Now where's Sousuke?" She spoke softly, dragging her blade up towards his throat
The count laughed as the blood began to seep from his mouth.
"Do your worst. You couldn't even save your precious masters. What makes you think you can protect their son?"
She sighed and flicked her blade up and to the side with one wide, elegant stroke. What was once the count collapsed as his head rolled into the shadows. She started to turn and froze, looking directly at me. In my shock of the gruesome display I must have dropped my illusion. The expression of calm cruelty faded as tears filled her dark gray eyes.
"Sousuke, you've grown so much. I-" Against my better judgement I dashed forward and hugged her around the waist, burying my face into her leather armor and sobbing. I didn't understand how, but seeing the hurt in Retsu's eyes resonated with the pain I had been trying to comprehend the last few weeks. She knelt down to my level and joined me in a proper hug. Somehow the embrace of this stranger allowed me to finally release the anguish I had been burying deep down. It was a long while before I was able to collect myself again and she patiently held me as long as I needed.
When I finally pulled back Retsu dried my tears with a clean patch of her cloak.
"I've killed eight. Tell me how many more I need to kill and soon we'll both be free of this place."
At that point in my young life those were the most beautiful words I'd ever heard.
-:-:-:-
I gathered my bag and travel clothes, trying to grasp that I was finally going outside. My head spun as I tried to think of any small books I could squeeze into my already full bag. I heard a few more screams echo through the caverns, sooner than I expected. She returned and set aside her bloodied sword.
"So...the library is your bedroom?"
"There's not much to do down here except read so it just kind of happened eventually."
Retsu checked through the bag of books and pulled out a few, setting them aside. "You won't need these titles, I have newer editions. Hold onto these vampire texts though, you're not going to find a lot of those in Seireitei."
"Newer like...updated information?"
"Well yes, better information and…" She looked at me quizzically and picked up one book by the corner as it began to crumble and pages came pouring out, sending a shock through my system. "Not rotting?"
At the time it hadn't even occurred to me there was such a thing as fresh, clean, sturdy, newly printed books. The whole library was filled with tomes rotted from moist air and vermin, I had just assumed that was the default condition of all books. I was shaken out of my confusion by the pat of a tiny hand and a giggle from under the bed.
"Oh, and if I'm going with you someone else has to come too." Now it seemed she could be trusted I ducked under the bed. "Gin, come on out of there, it's fine."
Gin toddled out clutching his picture book. He took one look at Unohana and dashed to hide inside my cloak.
"And who is he?"
"A failed experiment, I was able to save so I kept him hidden here. I call him Gin because he only ever wants me to read him that book."
"The count forced me to kill so many babes like him when I was trapped here. My Gift allows me to close wounds. The cultists would even have me cut babes from their mother's bellies then close them up. It brings me some small comfort that even one survived," she said reaching out and patting his silver hair. Gin reached up and grabbed the book back. He grinned and slapped the illustration of the titular silver fox.
"Oh, now who's that?" She asked.
He beamed up at her and kept slapping as he chanted "Gin Gin Gin!"
"Oh, then who's this?" She asked, poking his chest.
"Gin Gin Gin!" He laughed and clapped his hands.
"Sousuke, you're luckily I'm a captain. I don't think any other hunters could return from Hueco Mundo with two mysterious children and keep them away from prying eyes."
"So, is that the plan then?" Now that my head was clear again I realized I was so focused on leaving, I hadn't even considered where the future would lead.
"All Order captains have private quarters in their division's manor. I have too many rooms and no family to speak of. I wouldn't be who I am today if your mother and father hadn't been there for me. I'll pull whatever strings I can to ensure you and Gin are left alone for as much time as you need."
I glanced at my satchel and the old leather folios of research. I wanted to feel elated but there was that gnawing problem of how I would feed once my stores ran out. Would Retsu feel the same about taking us in if she knew how dhampir vitae could be replicated? Then again where would I turn? It wasn't as if I had anywhere else to go.
"Before we go...there's the matter of how I'm going to feed." Reluctantly, I took out the folio and handed her the page Cirucci noted earlier.
Retsu read through thoughtfully and a pregnant pause hung in the air.
"Well..." She started, causing a wave of cold fear that I had made a terrible mistake wash over me. Before tonight I had the childish notion I would just kill her and move on if she refused to protect us, but now I had met her I knew it wouldn't be that easy.
"It's also a good thing I'm the captain of the medical division," Retsu finished before handing back the paper with a cold smile. "And I know someone who could help."
Could this night have gone any better?
-:-:-:-
As we left the room the corridor still littered with cultist corpses and pools of vitae and filled with the scent of blood. Gin giggled and clapped his tiny hands when he saw the scene and started waddling to a puddle. Retsu grabbed him and lifted him to rest on her hip. She sheathed her sword, wiping a little vitae off on her finger from the blade and held it up for him. Gin looked at it for a second, then suckled on her fingertip. She pulled her hand back quickly before he could bite her.
"Here, he's just going to be a nuisance," I took an ornate dagger off one of them and cut my thumb, smearing a little vitae on Gin's lip. Gin smacked up the vitae and a few moments later made a little yawn and fell asleep against her breast. As I followed her out of the catacombs I checked every corpse, none of them seemed to be Cirucci so I hoped she could manage on her own from here on out. All I could hope now is that with the Count dead that she was free to do as she pleased.
As soon as we stepped outside and had to stop dead in my tracks. The sky was enormous and clear, allowing every single bright star, planet and galaxy to glimmer for me in their full glory. I had read of the skies, read poetry that praised its beauty, seen little sketches and paintings that tried to capture its splendor, but nothing had prepared me for seeing how truly magnificent it was to behold. I felt tears begin to slide down my cheeks again, shaking me from my awe. I saw Unohana waiting and I murmured.
"I'm sorry. I just…have never seen the sky before."