To those that have read at what I put in the prologue and seem a bit confused at what I put...yes...the girl that is mentioned happens to be Nanoha. My first OC, Kaname, happens to stumble across this girl later.
As for the creature that he saw in chapter one...he eventually finds out that it's not a lycan at all...but a Familiar...one that should be recognizable to Nanoha fans.
First off...before I go any further...I want to take the time to say kudos and give credit to Satashi whose fanfics have served as a catalyst for this one...particularly Vampire Fate, which I'm starting to really like as I read. Keep up the great work Satashi.
Disclaimer: Same as I mentioned in the prologue. I only own the characters that I've created...nothing more.
With that said...enjoy.
Chapter 2: Clue Searching & New Friends
The atmosphere of the bar was pretty mellow and quiet. There were quite a lot of vacant chairs and tables and only several customers. A man who appeared to be in his mid 40s was playing at the piano.
Philip looked at his surroundings and was…least to say, surprised. The place also appeared to be a bit…cramped.
"There are hardly many customers here," said Philip. "And it's pretty small."
"If you're not used to it and are feeling claustrophobic, you can wait outside with our bikes," said Kaname, smirking.
"Ha, ha…very funny," retorted Philip.
"Well, well…if it isn't Mr. Silencer himself," said a scruffy voice.
The two of them turned to see a man who appeared to be in his 50s, with a grey beard, and wearing a faded blue vest.
"Good to see you Davis," said Kaname, taking his usual seat at the front bar.
"What can I get you boys?" asked Davis.
"Just my usual drink Davis," he said.
"What about for your partner?" asked Davis.
"I'll have whatever he's having," said Philip.
Kaname then leaned closer to Davis and was pretty close to his face when he also added, "I'll also need that information."
"Ah…that one I see…how bad is it?" inquired Davis.
"Last mission gave us quite a number of causalities. They knew we were coming for that artifact. One of the vampire elites probably sent one of their leaders and several skirmishes to follow us. However, they lycans were after it as well and we ended up fighting both sides," explained Kaname, barely even a whisper.
"Yet you managed to prevent that I presume," guessed Davis.
"Aye," replied Kaname.
"I'll go get your drinks and that information you requested," said Davis, as he left to get their orders.
After he left, Philip then grabbed Kaname by his cloak and slightly glared at him, aggravated.
"Did you seriously have to fill him in on all that has recently happened?" asked Philip.
"He's one of those few people that I'm able to trust," answered Kaname.
"How can you be so sure we can actually trust this guy?" he inquired.
"He actually gathers information the old fashioned way," said Kaname.
"And that would be…how?" asked Philip.
"From the streets…of course," answered Kaname.
Several minutes had passed since Kaname placed their orders. Philip looked around and saw that the place seemed pretty vibrant for a place that was small and mellow with the walls painted a bright red, several photos of people that have been to this bar were hung on the wall opposite of the bar. He then spotted a person that was wearing a pair of wool brown pants and a gray wool vest over a darkly colored flannel shirt. He also wore a gray, tweed Irish cap and was sitting over in a corner of the bar and he was staring in their direction.
"That fellow over there has done nothing but stare at you since we arrived(1)," said Philip, pointing to the individual in the corner.
Kaname looked carefully at the individual observing him from head to toe with a hint of curiosity before his ears heard incoming footsteps and turned to see his old friend coming back with their orders.
"Here's your drinks gentlemen," said Davis, placing it in front of them. However, Kaname then noticed the small piece of paper that was under his cup and placed it in the inner left pocket of his black vest.
"This is…" inquired Philip.
"Tomato juice, with black pepper, and a dash of vodka," he replied.
"His simplistic version of a bloody mary," clarified Kaname.
"You don't even know it," said Philip.
"He just makes what he has with what he's got at times. First time I tried it...I liked it," answered Kaname. "Just give it a try...you might learn to like it."
"If you insist," said Philip, taking a sip. After a few seconds, he licked his lips for a bit and said "It's not bad."
"See...I told you," said Kaname.
"Is this what you usually drink?" he asked.
"Hey…I like my vegetables," answered Kaname.
"I didn't mean to offend but…I was just…surprised, is all," said Philip.
Taking a sip from his cup, Kaname gave a satisfied sigh.
"Davis…you never cease to amaze me. You still maintain that small greenhouse at your place?" asked Kaname.
"Of course…I only get some of my own ingredients from there to help save money in case I need to go gather more from somewhere else," he answered.
"Fresh as usual…just how I like it," said Kaname, taking another sip. "You've really outdone yourself on this one."
"I appreciate the praise sir," said Davis, slightly bowing his head.
"I'm just curious though…that man over in the corner…who is he?" asked Philip, pointing.
"I'm not really sure though. Word is that this man used to be in league with a certain paladin branch till he had an argument with them somehow about something that he…well…cherished but that they saw different. Their prejudice is what caused him to leave that branch. Now he and his…friend, are not only on the run, but also targets that have been notified by all the branches in the world," explained Davis.
Kaname looked around the bar a bit and spotted a small carry-on box over at the corner and spotted faintly with the dimness of the lights the Japanese word "Midori".
"What's in there?" asked Kaname, pointing to the box.
"Oh...that? Just some pastries and bread," replied Davis.
"There's a bakery around here?" asked Kaname, looking interested.
"Yeah...just a few miles down," he replied. "I can give you the directions if you'd like."
"I'd appreciate it," said Kaname, as he took another sip of his drink.
As Davis went to write down the name of the cafe and put down the directions...Kaname then noticed the right hand of his partner was gloved and something appeared to be protruding from the finger between the middle finger and the pinky. His partner noticed and asked, "What is it?"
"It's nothing," said Kaname.
"Are you sure?" he pressed on.
"I'm sure."
"Sorry to keep you waiting...here's the directions and the name of the cafe," said Davis, handing Kaname a small slip of paper.
He unfolded it and was able to read out the Japanese characters. "Midori-ya cafe...interesting name," said Kaname.
"They have some good pastries there...you should give it a try," he suggested.
"We'll look into it, thanks," said Philip.
"You said that guy over there was being followed. What particular branches are looking for him?" asked Kaname.
"So far…the European Silver Gauntlet branch has sent a couple of their agents to track them down," said Davis. "There have been rumors that the American Iron Eagle branch is also on the lookout."
"Even if it's a rumor, it's something that should be overlooked," said Philip.
"Do they capture those leaking information about this…situation?" asked Kaname.
"So far…I've heard very little about that happening. However, I'll let you know if something comes up," said Davis.
"How does he usually do that?" asked Philip.
"By messenger bird," answered Kaname.
"You really ARE old fashioned," commented Philip.
"Hey…it's me," replied Kaname, chuckling.
"Excuse me gentlemen…" called out a voice.
The two of them turned to see that it was the person who was watching them that addressed them.
"He's been here longer before you two even showed up," said Davis.
"I see," said Philip.
"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation about your confrontation with vampires and lycans from earlier," said the stranger.
"Judging from the way you're dressed, I'd say you're either taking a break or are in disguise and in hiding from something or someone," assessed Kaname. "I'd say it's the latter."
"You're not wrong," he said.
"Do you happen to know any archivists around here?" asked Kaname.
"Maybe…" he replied.
"Is that a 'maybe I don't know any' or 'maybe there are some I do know'?" asked Philip.
"Depends on how you look at it," said the stranger.
"Look…whoever you are…me and my partner don't have time to play "20 questions". If you don't know any we'll just take our leave," said Philip.
"Someone is sure in a rush today," said the stranger.
"Calm down Philip…I'm sure the young man has his reasons for secrecy," said Kaname, placing a hand to stop his companion.
"Thank you," replied the stranger. "My name is Nicholas Reo. As you have no doubt have guessed…I am on the run…as well as searching for someone."
"A companion of sorts?" guessed Kaname.
"Well…sort of…yes and no; you see…she's… well…" began Reo.
"Oh…I'm sorry if I'm intruding on something private," said Kaname.
"I also happen to know an archivist around these parts…at least from what I hear on the street," said Reo.
"Ah…the old classic way of gaining information," said Kaname, sipping his tomato juice drink.
"You seem to know your way around here," said Philip. "I apologize for my rudeness from earlier."
"Apology accepted," said Reo.
"Reo…was it?" inquired Kaname. "I'm Kaname Zenryuu and this is my companion Philip."
"Pleasure to meet you both," he said, extending out a hand to which Kaname accepted.
"You said you knew an archivist around here…where exactly?" asked Kaname.
"He's actually…the only archivist around here. Apparently, he lives in some sort of library that has an underground entrance that is near some church," said Reo.
"I see. Do you happen to know any underground tunnels around here?" asked Philip.
"I'm afraid I only know one. Unfortunately, I don't remember where it is," said Reo. "However…I do remember his name."
"And that would be…" began Philip.
"Yunno Scrya," answered Reo.
Kaname then turned to Davis and took out some money and placed it on the table when they had finished their drinks.
"Thanks for the information," said Philip.
"Do you happen to have a place to stay Reo?" asked Kaname.
"Kaname…if I may ask…" began Philip.
"Look Philip…the guy gave us some information that would be very useful. It only seems fair that we let him stay the night," he answered.
"To answer your earlier question…I don't, but I appreciate the offer," said Reo.
"Then hop on. Our place isn't exactly too far. Philip…let him ride with you. I'll keep a lookout for anything out of the ordinary," ordered Kaname.
"Alright…get on," said Philip.
Reo sat behind Philip as Kaname went ahead first before he and Philip followed. Kaname then kept looking left & right for a few brief seconds while keeping an eye on the front to make sure there were no surprises as they went to their living quarters.
"So…how far is it?" yelled Reo over the roar of the motorcycle engine.
"It's pretty close to the Shibuya district," answered Philip.
Everything seemed to be going OK until Kaname heard a faint, but clear swoosh sound and gave a quick glance up and saw a blonde girl wearing a cape with red showing on one side that was flying ahead of them.
'A blonde vampire...or not? Wonder what she's in a hurry for?' pondered Kaname, as he rode on.
However…what really surprised him was that upon flying over them something dropped into his lap. Putting the item in his pocket, Kaname increased the throttle as they were about to approach an intersection and made a hard right turn upon reaching it. The individual that flew past them had already left the scene which really bewildered Kaname.
Fate Testarossa was just heading back to the coven that her mother Precia was in charge of. Despite being what she was...Fate was considered one of the best in the coven. However...some of the other members began to notice the way that Precia was acting towards her and even Fate's mentor, Vercossa was slowly harboring some doubts about her ability to lead. As she passed another alleyway...she noticed someone grab a young girl off the sidewalk with blinding speed.
"How typical...another one of my kind...and a fledgling no doubt," she said, sighing with annoyance, as she landed on a nearby rooftop of an old apartment. Slinking ever so slowly like a cat about to pounce, Fate watched as the newly turned vampire was already halfway into what he was doing. This one was obviously going to try and force this girl. Just as his fangs protruded out, within a fraction of a second, Fate made her move.
As she leapt from the rooftop and landed near the fledgling vampire, he stopped and looked at Fate who was slowly approaching her. Looking pissed that his fun was just ruined, he left the victim and began to try and attack Fate. However, just as quickly she appeared, the new vampire blinked a few times trying to look for her, until she struck from behind with her weapon and then fangs out, sank her teeth into him. To a possible passerby, it would have appeared Fate was strangling someone. She spit out the blood from the newborn, utterly disgusted, and looked at the victim lying on the floor.
Fate wasn't one that showed any interest in the victims she chose...however, the encounter with the girl she came across that night would change everything. Blue eyes looking upon red ones, her slender figure quivering either from fear or the cold. Fate knelt down and looked at Nanoha with a sense of curiosity as she held out a hand and touched her cheek, causing Nanoha to cringe slightly.
Just as Fate leaned closer to Nanoha's neck and inhaled her scent, she felt herself suddenly being pushed back by an unknown force. However, Fate's eyes being open spotted a hint of a pink aura as she was forced back. Slightly dazed, she shook it off and looked at the young girl who seemed to have fainted. Fate was a vampire that also rarely showed any signs of pity but...despite what she did earlier, she decided to make her an exception.
Carrying her gently, Fate then found herself near a bakery and made the presumption that this was where the girl was heading to. She spotted a nearby tree and leapt to the branch with an almost cat-like grace, and placed Nanoha in her bed and gave her one more long look before she left.
Once near the Shibuya district, they made a quick right into an alleyway. Kaname and Philip then slowed down their bikes till they reached a trash disposal.
"You're kidding me right…it's here?" asked Reo.
"Not here…but under it," corrected Philip.
"Under this area…seriously?" inquired Reo.
"Yes Reo…seriously," answered Kaname, as he faced the brick wall in front of him and tapped several blocks in a sequenced order with the hilt of his sword. Seconds later, the trash disposal bin beside them moved to the side revealing a hidden staircase.
"Impressive," said Reo.
Kaname and Philip then guided their bikes down the staircase as Reo followed from behind as the trash disposal bin then moved back into its original spot.
Several light bulbs lit the hallways every 4 to 5 feet. The walls were mostly solid ground that had hardened and looked like clay. Even though it felt slightly damp, the atmosphere for the most part was quite cold. The garage was on the left side as they passed a two way junction that branched off in the middle.
"Quite a complex base you have here," said Reo.
"We do what we can," said Kaname, as Philip went to put away their bikes.
Eventually they reached the area to the main living quarters, which had a door that had a strange combination lock. It resembled a few thin circle knobs that had strange writings on it and what appeared to be a picture of the sun. Kaname slowly turned the circle knobs while Reo waited behind him.
"Can you understand the writings on there?" asked Reo.
"For the most part…they resemble Roman numerals," he answered.
By the time Kaname finished putting the combination in, Philip then came back with a small thick robe and gave it to Reo.
"Thanks," said Reo, taking the robe.
"No problem…it can get cold here sometimes," said Philip.
"I'm used to it," he said.
Kaname then turned over the center circle which then had a picture of the moon and pressed it down. There was a slight rumble as the door opened to reveal what appeared to be a gigantic round room that had a large circumference. It was roughly 80 feet in width and 100 in height. The room had two floors which were connected by a series of stairs. There was a monitor that resembled that of a television on the left, a round table in the center with a long red couch behind it. Two black leather chairs were set in between the couch. A sparring room was on the right side of the room and a series of computer screens and a large keyboard was in the back of the room. On the second floor was a small smithery and in the middle of the room was the armory. On the top left in the second floor was a shelter and on the top right was a spiral staircase.
"Very impressive," said Reo, slightly taken at the large room.
"This is what we would use whenever we're not called upon by the Fire Phoenix branch," explained Philip.
They don't think they're being monitored however…we keep track of some things that go on there without them noticing," said Kaname.
"Isn't that pretty much spying on them?" inquired Reo.
"Recently, Kaname's been having a suspicion that someone might have tipped off one of the two sides about the artifact. Apparently, there has also been word going on about a mysterious group that has been monitoring the movements and activities of both lycans and vampires," explained Philip.
"Aren't paladins supposed to be dealing with them?" asked Reo.
"That may be true however…" began Kaname before stopping abruptly.
"What is it?" asked Philip.
"Something was…entirely different during the assault in the chamber room," said Kaname.
"How so? They seem to act as they normally do," said Philip.
"Not from how I saw them. Their…auras were…completely different. Red refers to anger, white for calm, blue for hesitation / fear…but, this time…I saw gray," said Kaname.
"Gray? What do you suppose that refers to?" wondered Reo.
"Something was totally off about their actions. They were like…newborns…barely out of their starting stages," said Kaname.
"How exactly can you be sure?" asked Reo.
"His eyes, Reo. They're unlike a regular human being's. He's definitely not human. Now…as to how to ascertain as to what he is…well…it's going to take quite some time," answered Philip.
"You said there was something off about them…perhaps they were assessing something," guessed Reo.
"If they were…it was in a really odd manner," said Philip.
"There was something else as well," said Kaname.
"What else?" asked Philip.
"I saw something...glinting...as though there was something on its head," said Kaname. "Like a jewel of some sort."
"Perhaps the archivist can help you with that," said Reo. "Or perhaps your magus can."
"A what?" wondered Kaname.
"Oh...you didn't know?" inquired Reo. "That would explain the glove on your partner's right hand."
"You saw it?" asked Philip.
"Philip...what's going on?" inquired Kaname.
"Remember the time we first met each other and you saw a projection of knights with swords?"
"How could I not forget? I thought they were just projections," answered Kaname.
"Actually...it was real magic," said Reo. "You're partner is one of those individuals of a small group that were used by paladins back then."
"If that's true...then how do you explain about the vampire that was using yellow projectiles at us?" asked Kaname.
"She is one as well," said Reo. "I'm sure that the archivist Yunno can explain what a magus is better than I can."
Kaname then took out of his vest pocket the piece of paper that Davis had placed under his cup when they were over at the bar earlier and unfolded it to reveal a picture. The picture resembled that of a cross and a rose design drawn within the other. What he also spotted was that only one half of the picture had its background colored, while the other remained as it was. Kaname was taken by surprise for a few seconds before slowly pulling back the black glove on his right hand, which revealed the same picture.
'It can't be…someone has the same picture as I do?' thought Kaname.
"How do I find this church that you speak of?" asked Kaname.
"Look for a grave with a double-shaded flower," answered Reo.
"That sounds like a riddle," said Philip.
"More like a grave mark indicator of sorts," said Kaname. "The actual living quarters are actually above here. Philip…would you mind giving our friend a tour while I go gather some information?"
"Sure thing," said Philip. "If you'll please follow me, I'll show you where you'll be spending the night."
As Reo followed Philip, Kaname then went over to the armory room to go switch his weapons from an MP7 to two Beretta 93Rs and placed them in his arsenal belt which sat right next to an SA80. Wrapping the arsenal belt around his waist, there were several pockets that held either additional magazines depending on the gun or guns he brought with him to flash and incendiary grenades. There was also a small knife in the back of the belt that Kaname always carried with him. After prepping up, he then opened up a drawer on the table where the SA80 was set down and picked up a couple of magazines that had different bullets on them.
'It would suck if I killed a vampire or lycan when my intention is to injure but not kill,' thought Kaname, as he heaved a deep sigh and placed the magazines into one of the many pockets on his arsenal belt and left the armory and went to the garage to his motorcycle. Placing on his helmet, he then hit a button on the side of his helmet which activated a visual screen that displayed a targeting system, a small map on the top right corner, a small radar, and speedometer on the middle bottom.
"Welcome back sir. How may I be of assistance?" said a computerized voice.
"Good to hear from you again DATS; begin search for a church that has a possible gravestone with a double-shaded flower insignia," ordered Kaname.
He then opened the throttle on his bike and went out of a tunnel that stretched for miles till he came out of another alleyway that was gated by a brick wall. It took several minutes for his computer to process the data until it quickly narrowed down the results and showed Kaname the highlighted pathway on his visor. Following the directions while passing oncoming cars and trucks, Kaname kept his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary.
'Looks like the night life has begun,' he thought as he passed by places that were lit by neon lights. The beeping sound coming from his helmet indicated that he was getting close to his destination. Upon arriving on the next stoplight, Kaname, made a hard left on his bike and then came across what appeared to be a distinctively old looking church from the outside but had beautiful glass art in the center of it. There were several small arches below it which had small glass paintings in them as well as several statues that appeared to resemble that of angels.
Dismounting from the bike, Kaname then used a flashlight when he came across a plated sign at the gate and found that according to his computerized visor that he arrived at his destination.
"St. Andrews Church huh…interesting for an archivist to be living around here, unless he's into ancient history which could be the case," said Kaname, as he read the sign.
Parking his bike near the gate and placing his helmet on the right handle, Kaname then placed one of his Beretta 93Rs in his left vest pocket while placing his thick cloak over his head. Upon arrival, he spotted a hooded monk waiting at the front door of the church.
"You're right on time sir. The archivist has been expecting you," he said, in a slight deep voice.
"Has he now? Well I better not keep him waiting then. Can you please show me the way, friar?" asked Kaname.
The monk then slowly opened the doors as Kaname slowly walked inside the church. The interior of the church appeared to be well maintained, as Kaname could see the marble floors were quite polished that he could see the lights from the lanterns hanging above the pews. There were several spots where there were statues of saints and other religious figures.
"The pathway is to your right," said the monk.
Kaname looked to his right which resembled that of a confessional booth, yet upon opening the doors he then spotted what appeared to be several bricks that had a sequence of numbers like his underground base of operations. He spotted the monk next to him and saw him input the code and the hidden door next to the combination lock opened revealing a spiral staircase. Kaname then slowly walked down as the monk lit nearby torches with a match to help guide his way down. The atmosphere itself felt similar to his underground base until he reached the end of the stairs and found what appeared to be a wooden door close to where the stone spiral staircase was.
"He's through there," replied the monk.
Kaname gave a quick sigh as he slowly approached the door and was about to thank the monk for guiding him down when he turned back but saw that he was nowhere to be found.
"Hmm…odd," said Kaname, as he reached the door and gave a couple of knocks. He could hear the sound of falling papers and someone who appeared to be scrambling to pick them up.
"Be right there," said a voice, faintly.
'For an archivist he sure seems to have a lot of information that he's having trouble keeping together,' thought Kaname.
After waiting for approximately five minutes, the door opened to reveal a young man that had long blonde hair, light green eyes, was wearing glasses, a green vest with faded gold lining at the edges, and a light brown cloak.
"You must be Kaname Zenryuu," said Yunno.
"You're not wrong. You must be the archivist I've been hearing about," said Kaname.
"That's right. I'm Yunno Scrya by the way," he said. "What kind of information are you looking for?"
"What do you know of vampires and werewolves besides the fact that they exist?" asked Kaname.
"Why would you want to know about them?" asked Yunno.
Kaname then took out the small piece of paper that he was given at the bar and showed it to Yunno.
"Do you recognize that symbol?" asked Kaname.
Yunno looked long and hard at it for a brief moment before shaking his head. "I don't recognize it and I know very little about it."
"What do you know about it?" asked Kaname.
"Only that it's a symbol that belonged to a royal family and that usually if there was another that had the mirror of that image that they're actually siblings," answered Yunno.
Kaname was taken by surprise at the sudden revelation and then removed his right glove, surprising Yunno completely. Yunno's "workplace" looked pretty old and medieval. There were a few bookshelves with books which were caked with dust. Several cobwebs were hanging at the corners of the room and a couple of lanterns were lit which gave the room enough light to read. A couple of study desks were near the lanterns and the chairs seemed sturdy enough to sit on. There were a couple of stacks of other books next to the bookshelves that were also caked with dust.
"I wasn't sure about the connection but…I also had this as well," said Kaname, removing the amulet that is around his neck. It's design seemed very intricate, with symbols and what appeared to be the body of a dragon which seemed to be wrapped around half of the center of the pendant which had a diamond on it.
"Where did you get that?" asked Yunno, who looked quite surprised.
"I was told from my foster parents that it once belonged to my grandmother," answered Kaname. "Do you recognize it?"
"I had a book here once that had details of this but, there's not much that it said about it," he replied. "I apologize for how my workplace looks."
"There's no need…although I must say…you certainly collect a lot of books," said Kaname.
"I'm an archivist and archaeologist…there's a reason why I need lots of books to do my research," said Yunno.
"Point taken," replied Kaname. "What exactly can you recall that is mentioned about the amulet?"
"Only that what you have in your possession is one of four fragments and that when put together form some sort of key," answered Yunno.
"I see," said Kaname. "Do you mind if I take a look at some of the books?"
"Oh please…help yourself," offered Yunno.
"Oh…by the way…some stranger dropped this into my lap as I was heading over here," said Kaname, taking out the small piece of white cloth with the hidden object. As he unfurled the cloth, his eyes went wide like the wheels on his bike. The object in his hands was a small curved piece that felt like metal that had some strange design resembling eyes and fangs in between a wavy line. "I don't believe it."
"That's one of the fragments I was talking about earlier," said Yunno.
"But who could have possessed it?" wondered Kaname.
Meanwhile, in a dark, damp underground abandoned railway was a pathway that led to a cave. A small figure entered and went down the depths of the cave till it reached a coliseum like room. The figure turned out to be a female vampire who had long blonde hair and red eyes, wore a black cape that had red on the other side and had strapped behind her back a long sword with a yellow crystal in the middle.
Shouting, hissing, and yelps of pain could be heard within the room as the vampire walked closer to the opening and saw her mother rebuking one of the leaders. She had red hair, blue eyes, was wearing black armor, and a black cape. The one running the entire vampire clan had long black hair, and purple eyes, and was wearing a long purple cloak and dark red armor with a red stone gem in the middle of her breastplate.
"I sent you on a simple task to retrieve that artifact and yet you come back with nothing!" she shrieked.
"We didn't realize that many paladins would be trying to secure the artifact with that research team in the way Precia-sama," replied the leader.
"You had superiority in numbers Vercossa and you could have easily disposed of them," shot back Precia.
"Our werewolf enemies had us also occupied. Neither side could get close without being shot at," answered Vercossa.
The entire clan was chatting and hissing amongst themselves upon hearing their eternal enemy before Precia gave a loud hiss that echoed throughout the cave.
"I grow tired of your lame excuses. Just be fortunate that I've decided to not kill you right then and there. Get out of my sight before I change my mind," said Precia, turning her back on Vercossa.
"Surprisingly mother…there was one individual that was not a paladin among them," said a voice.
Some of the vampires looked up and saw the blonde female vampire waiting at the top.
"Fate…where have you been?" asked Vercossa.
"I was just out…and about," she replied simply, as she gracefully leapt off the top and landed at the bottom of the room.
"One that is not a paladin…you say?" asked Precia, curious.
"That's correct mother. It was evident in his…skills, particularly his eyes," answered Fate.
"What about them?" asked Vercossa.
"They were unlike a humans; it was silver…like the moon," explained Fate.
"Perhaps he's a werewolf," suggested Vercossa.
"I doubt that a werewolf would be part of a team of paladins," said Fate. "There was…something, strange about this one."
"What could be stranger than having eyes like that?" inquired Vercossa.
"SILENCE," hissed Precia. "What was it about this individual that caught your curiosity?"
"He only seems to injure while the others kill, although there were a few others by his side that followed his methods," answered Fate.
"What's even more interesting is that he spared me," said another voice.
The entire clan began to chatter amongst themselves before Precia called for silence once more, causing the chatter to die down in an instant. From the shadows, a young wolf-like woman that appeared to have red ears and a tail as well as a gem in the middle of her forehead appeared before them.
"Arf...you're back," said Fate.
"Seems like someone tried to help you," said Vercossa, looking at the Familiar's bandaged leg.
"Interesting news," said Precia. "Vercossa, Fate…I have a new mission for you. Follow this…individual and monitor him. Do NOT harm him…I want to know what he's capable of."
"Of course mother," said Fate, getting down on one knee.
"As you wish m'lady," answered Vercossa.
"As for you...I need you to keep your distance as you accompany Fate," said Precia, looking at Arf.
"Very well," she replied.
The three of them left the cave at once with several other vampires in tow. As Precia went back to lie in her coffin, a sudden thought occurred to her.
'It appears that someone is poking their noses into places where they should not. Yet this individual might prove to be quite useful,' she thought, with an evil smirk on her face before the coffin lid slid closed.
Back over in the archives, Kaname was doing some research of his own alongside Yunno, the archivist. He was currently looking up a book that contained information about a particular group of creatures that he thought wasn't possible.
"This is interesting. I've heard my share of these kinds but never thought they existed," said Kaname.
"What are you looking at?" asked Yunno.
"There appears to be a group of creatures…or something of that sort that have been targeted by paladins before they knew of the existence of vampires and werewolves. Yet they somehow vanished when the vampires and werewolves made their presence known," explained Kaname.
"You mean beastmen," answered Yunno.
"Beastmen?" repeated Kaname.
"There was something about them that I once read about. Some sort of event occurred which caused humans to become part man and part beast. The only thing was…they were more beast than human, yet could stand on two legs," explained Yunno.
"That's strange. I'm guessing there are very few that are left," said Kaname.
"So it would appear."
"I appreciate your help Yunno. Right now, I've got to head back to report my findings," said Kaname.
"I understand," said Yunno.
"By the way…you hardly stay in one place I presume," inquired Kaname.
"You're right about that. As soon as I'm gone…I take all my stuff with me. Who knows…we might cross paths again," said Yunno.
"Perhaps," said Kaname, as he left the room. He heard a slight whoosh of wind and a sudden popping sound before he opened the door again and found it completely empty.
'I guess he wasn't kidding after all,' he thought.
As Kaname mounted his bike and was prepared to leave, he heard someone's scream pierce the night.
"That's not good," he said, as he throttled his motorcycle and activated the visor on his helmet. "DATS…did you confirm that?"
"Affirmative sir; the scream was heard about a mile from where you are currently at, not too far from the Shibuya district," it replied.
"With the city being that busy and loud at times, not many would have heard it. Even worse, it could be something that they wouldn't comprehend," realized Kaname, as he went towards the source of the scream. Unbeknowst to him however, he was being watched by two individuals in the sky.
The path eventually led him to a dark alleyway that was not too far from the busy area. Kaname then took off his helmet and his eyes suddenly glowed silver which enabled him to see in really dark places. The area itself looked like a black and white outline and then he saw two individuals. One emitted a blue aura while another emitted a pink one.
Kaname sighed and shook his head. "Pink…not one of my usual favorites. Obviously someone lusting after a female," he said, as he pulled out his knife from the back of his belt.
He noticed that the girl's clothes were slightly ripped apart as she struggled to get away. Just when the individual was about to go further, Kaname then placed his knife near the guy's throat.
"If you value your life, you will leave this girl alone and get out of here," growled Kaname.
The individual turned and faced him. Kaname, then noticed the aura changed from pink to red in a second but there was something else as well. He looked into the person's eyes and saw they were red as well.
'Shit…one of my own kind of all things; and it doesn't seem too long ago either. This one should be no problem,' thought Kaname.
The vampire then growled at Kaname and said stuff about how he was going to enjoy devouring him. He just smirked and said to him, "You're welcome to try."
The vampire charged at him with a s sword in hand ready to strike, but Kaname was too quick and reacted before the vampire could land a strike and slashed at the vampire's limbs and cut off his right hand with the sword. He yelled in pain and tried to hit Kaname again, but this time Kaname pulled out the Beretta 93R from his left vest pocket and pointed it at the vampire and shot him in the arm where he chopped off the sword. This time, the vampire crumpled and screamed even louder in pain as a sharp, burning sensation ran through his arm as it slowly began to wither away.
Fate observed from a distance with Vercossa and was surprised when she saw the round that was fired from Kaname's gun.
"How could this individual have a round that can gravely injure vampires?" wondered Vercossa.
"This one appears to be a special case, sensei," said Fate.
"Leave now…while I'm still able to show mercy; but know this…you dare to harm another individual or even my friends…and I won't hold back," said Kaname, turning to assist the scared victim.
He then noticed the girl was not human when he spotted the ears pointing from her head and the tail from her back. She was wearing a white dress that was now slightly torn from the vampire's assault attempt. She had blue hair and her eyes were the same color.
'So…this is what he meant,' realized Kaname. 'It's a female no doubt.'
"Um…th-thank you…whoever you are," she said.
"It's alright…I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a friend," said Kaname. "Come on…we should get out of here before you catch a cold." He then placed his cloak around her as she held onto him as Kaname's motorcycle sped off and went back to his place where Reo was already situated and Philip was down in the underground section.
Kaname then turned on his visor and attempted to call his partner.
"Philip, are you there?" asked Kaname.
"Just managed to have Reo situated for the night," answered Philip, looking through on one of the computer monitors.
"I've managed to gather some useful information from the archivist and…I think we got another visitor we need to take care of," said Kaname.
"I can go and make the preparations before you get back here," offered Philip.
"No, get some warm water, a clean wash cloth, a blanket, and some pillows," barked Kaname.
"You got it," said Philip, as he went to get the items.
As Kaname left on his motorcycle with the beastwoman holding onto him, Fate, Vercossa, and her Familiar Arf looked on for a brief moment.
"Do you see him as a threat, Fate?" asked Arf.
"He seems to be annoyed with his own kind...ironically...despite the fact that a majority of the ones that are appearing are more than likely fledglings. We're supposed to be controlling them and yet they easily try to slip by," she replied.
"So what do we do?" asked the Familiar.
"We follow our orders...keep a low profile. We don't want him to suspect anything yet," said Vercossa.
By the time Kaname got back, the beastwoman was already fast asleep on his shoulders. He carefully picked her up and placed her on the couch. Philip came back with the pillows, blanket, and wash cloth.
"Isn't this…a beastwoman?" inquired Philip, as he looked on the catgirl's sleeping form.
"Yes…it is," replied Kaname, as he placed the blanket over her.
"How did you find her?" asked Philip.
"I heard her scream as she was about to be…raped…by a vampire," answered Kaname.
"From a vampire? Great scott…that's unheard of," said Philip.
"I know. However, what's important now is that we try and keep these two under our care for the time being. I think Reo himself and this catgirl are the ones that are being targeted," explained Kaname.
"How are we to explain this to the other branches?" asked Philip.
"Simple…we just tell them that we picked up a couple of victims from attacks on vampires and that they're currently under our supervision until we can contact the proper authorities," answered Kaname.
"Do you really think they'll buy that?" asked Philip.
"We already have enough on our plate as it is. We don't want them to complicate things any further than it already has," said Kaname. "Which reminds me…I managed to speak with the archivist Yunno about some of the findings I came across."
"And…what did he say?" inquired Philip.
"The fragments that I have appear to form some sort of key. He's not sure as to what it unlocks but that there are four of them. We're nearly there," explained Kaname.
"Which means there's only one or two pieces left," guessed Philip. "What do you think it forms?"
"I don't know," said Kaname.
"Did this occur as we were heading back with Reo?" asked Philip.
"So it would appear," answered Kaname.
"Who do you think gave this to you?" asked Philip.
Kaname was silent for a brief moment before shaking his head and stroking his chin. "I'm not sure…Philip. I'm not sure."
(1): That small segment I couldn't help but take reference from LoTR: The Fellowship of the Ring as I was writing that bar sequence. Of course the credit goes to director Peter Jackson for that.
I apologize if this might appear to not be to anyone's liking and I'm looking over my original draft as much as possible and trying to divide the attention. The editing process is going to be a while for the other chapters, until I reach a certain chapter at the halfway point.