krystalkatzficz | When Winter Ends part 18

Sho woke when the first stands of light poured in through dirty windows. An undignified groan pulled its way out of his mouth as he sat up looking around the room he had been given. It wasn’t the largest room he had stayed in and the bed he lay on was lumpy to the point of painful and he was sure that if he were human he would have a knot in his spine so large he would barely be able to walk. As it was he managed to pull himself up and wash his face in the freezing water that had been provided in a jug. It wasn’t the most luxurious he had ever spent a night, but it had been warm and peaceful for all the vagabonds that he had seen the night before. Pulling on a fresh set of clothes he folded his others neatly into his pack. He had travelled light knowing that any clothes he did take would be made wet by the journey and it wasn’t as though it was a pleasure trip.

The need for blood filled him and he made his way down the creaking steps of the inn. Nobody but the innkeeper was awake, and the man gave him a nod as he approached the bar.

“I will take you up on your offer of blood, if that is possible…” Sho hummed in a low voice and the man gave him another nod putting down the tinkered he had been wiping. He leaned across the counter a little and said;

“Aye, sir, it will take me a moment or two to draw it would you care for other food before then?”

“No, thank-you, may I ask…How is it you have a ready supply of blood?” Sho asked suddenly worried that the man had a bunch of people tied up in the back that he would cut to feed the vampire patrons. It wasn’t a pleasant image and he realised that maybe Sa Toshi and Nino were right. He wasn’t as scary as he liked to believe he was. The man behind the bar let out a dry laugh and then rolled up the sleeves of his shirt showing numerous scars all around his wrists.

“I’m human ain’t I? I just don’t fancy having you bite me, so I cut myself into a glass…If you were a young voluptuous woman though…My neck is yours…” The man gave a saucy wink and Sho found himself grinning back glad that he had given the man so much money last night.

“You go far for vampires, sir, not many humans do…”

“Ah well, I wasn’t always. But a few years ago, my boy was sick, beyond all hope of a cure and one of you said they could change him” The inn keeper told him softly taking a sharp knife from under the counter and running it over his wrist without even a flinch. Blood blossomed like a rose from his skin and slowly poured into the glass placed underneath. “It worked, he’s not the same of course, the vampire warned me that he would be funny for a few years after but he’s alive in a manner of speaking…”

“And that changed our opinion on vampires? Who was the vampire that changed your son?”

“Kokubun Taichi…”

“I know Kokubun…He is one of the nicer of the vampires…” Sho hummed with a nod surprised to hear the name after so long. Kokubun, like Jun, was one of the few vampires he had been able to stand in his long life. The older vampire never stayed very long when he came to his territory and then he would be almost lost in the ether for years. It had been so long since Sho had heard anything about him he had imagined him killed. If there was a chance he was still in the area then it was possible that he might be willing to aid him against Nino’s father in the upcoming battle. “Forgive me, I didn’t ask your name last night…”

“Udea Taguchi, sir…Your blood…” The man pushed the glass towards him and then wrapped a clean towel around his arm stemming the blood from flowing anymore. Sho lifted the glass quickly to his lips not wanting it to get cold or start to congeal. It was strange to be sat at a bar talking to an innkeeper and drinking blood from a glass as though it was ale but he was incredibly grateful.

“And your son…”

“Tatsuya, sir” The man, Taguchi, fluffed with pride while talking about his son and Sho smiled glad that Kokubon had helped. He wouldn’t have done the same, for all that he wasn’t scary. He didn’t want the hassle of dealing with a changed vampire. Jun alone gave him pressure headaches when forced to deal with him for too long.

“Did he remain with Kokubun?”

“I believe so sir, Kokubon said that it was best that Tatsuya be around another vampire during the more difficult years of the change”

“Yes, the change is extremely difficult. Do you know where they are? As I say, Kokubun is something of a friend…” Sho asked trying his best not to get his hopes up. It wasn’t planned that he would have another vampire or two when fighting Pestilence, but it would be helpful if they remained unaffected by his illness as he hoped.

“I’m sorry, sir, I can’t be of any help. Kokubun said that it would be best for Tatsuya not to see me for a while…”

“I see, I thought as much. Thank-you, you have been more help than you realise” Sho reached into the outer robe he was wearing and pulled out another money pouch about to hand it to the man whose eyes widened as he shook his head.

“EH! No sir, I couldn’t possibly accept anymore, sir, you gave beyond more than required yesterday…”

“It’s less than you deserve, Udea-san, this will help pay for those you shielded from the storm and to thank-you. It is rare for my kind to feel welcome in a public inn…” Sho dropped the money into the man’s outstretched hand and watched as his tongue moved over his dry lips. He seemed to weigh up his options for a long time before sighing softly and closing his hand around the pouch.

“I can’t say it’s not welcome. The winters are hard, and although I don’t begrudge given a room to those that need it I can’t say it doesn’t cost me…So, thank-you…”

“Thank-you, Udea-san, I should be going…I need to make it to the town before nightfall…I will return this way shortly I would like a room then…” Sho hummed scratching on his neck hoping that the snow wouldn’t be too heavy today.

“There will be one ready for you sir, no matter the time of day…”

“Thank-you…”

TBC

A/N: I hope that this is okay >.<