Vampire Princess Miyu

 

Opals of Sorrow

 

Prologue

 

The streets were illuminated by the streetlamp’s orange glow and even though it was night, it wasn’t necessarily dark. The city was always alive, never sleeping. Humans gambled and played and quarrelled all night without noticing the evil beings the skulked among them… Shinma. Ignorance of the Shinma’s presence was probably best for the humans, for then they would not need to live knowing that all of them were targets and anyone could be next. There was one girl, however who knew and was not troubled by these notions.

 

Further away from the hubbub of the sleepless city the cemetery lay dark and quiet. Few people visited it for the atmosphere was generally uncomfortable. The girl lived here. A single house lay amidst the many graves. The house itself was not in anyway unusual, four brick walls and a roof like so many other houses; it was who was sitting on the roof that gave the place an air of mystery.

 

Miyu watched the graveyard expressionlessly and stretched. She wore her white kimono tied at the back in a red obi and her dark hair woven in ribbons fell round her shoulder. The night was quiet just how she liked it. She had sometimes seen boys break into the cemetery for dares and this irritated her. For those of the boys who had not being overwhelmed by the graveyard’s oppressive atmosphere to slink home she had vanished from her rooftop spot and then appeared suddenly and dramatically before them. She had not even needed to command them to leave before they were tailing it over the walls and away down the dark road. She laughed darkly to herself at her childish play. She did not mind the mourners; they were there for a purpose so she left them at ease.

 

Her gold eyes flickered as she listened for any form of disturbance. The entire graveyard was empty. It seemed the city had a number a disturbances and it was almost always certain that a Shinma was involved. She smiled to herself. She did not fear the Shinma because they targeted humans, and she was not one of that race. Miyu was a vampire princess, tainted with Shinma blood and trapped with the responsibility of sending Shinma back to the darkness. She had encountered and fought so many, now they did not worry her.

 

“The Shinma are quiet tonight,” she said to no one in particular, even though she knew someone was listening.

 

There was a crunch of leaves and Shiina, a pink bunny with a nasty attitude leapt onto her shoulder. Shiina was a Shinma but had wisely decided to assist Miyu to avoid being returned to the darkness. She flicked one of her ears that fallen over her face and her large bulbous eye that always seemed to spoil the ‘cute pet’ exterior pierced the graves.

 

“You’re right,” she said. “It’s been real boring ever since you got rid of that dog Shinma, Cho-Jyn or whatever.”

 

“Yes,” Miyu said without remorse. The fight with the manipulative Cho-Jyn had caused a boy of her same age cursed with telepathic ability to die and his sister who was telekinetic could not take his death so Miyu had given her the eternal dream by taking her blood. “There appear to be no Shinma here, so I think I’ll go to the city. Maybe there is some unusual activity there.”

 

“I’ll follow you,” Shiina piped up. The rabbit Shinma was curious about Miyu’s inner thoughts. Under her dark outer shell that Miyu seemed to possess were many sad desperate thoughts that Shiina had no access to. There was only one other soul Miyu shared her thoughts with, Larva, her dear devoted guardian and Larva and Shiina did not quite see… eye to eye.

 

“Very well, but stay out of sight,” Miyu smiled darkly. “Humans do not take well to Shinma rabbits.”

 

“I’m not that evil,” Shiina complained and vanished alongside the vampire princess.

 

*   *   *

 

On the outskirts of the city there was small house owned by a woman known as Motomu Hasegawa. She was reaching her sixties and had chosen not to live in the city centre for the hustle and bustle hurt her head. But she did not want to live remotely either because she wanted the second half of her life to be as eventful as the first. She had been born on the island of Okinawa but her parents had moved inland due to her father’s job so she didn’t remember it there. She had graduated and become a teacher. She may have retired due to back problems but she still loved children.

 

Motomu sat at her table on the floor and lifted the cup of steaming jasmine tea to her lips. There was a storm coming, she could feel it in her bones. Angry clouds were already rolling across the sky dyed deep purples and blues and the wind had picked up. For once she was thankful to be wrapped up inside and not doing a round of the town. She heard someone knocking on the door and rose with slight difficulty, wondering whom on earth would wish to see her at a time like this. Her parents were dead, she had no brothers or sisters and as she lived such a solitary life Motomu had few friends. She reached the door and slid it back and peered into the darkness.

 

“Hello,” a girl’s voice said. “May I seek shelter here?”

 

Motomu stared at the girl before her. She was short and dressed in a dark travelling robe with the hood pulled over her head. A veil hid her nose and mouth and two striking eyes watched her. She kept trying to decide the eye colour but her brain seemed to go numb and she was left indecisive. Her voice was soft and lulling. She spoke fluent Japanese but Motomu could tell she was not native.

 

“Uh,” Motomu was taken aback by the bluntness of the question. The eyes seemed to watch her, waiting for the expected reply. “Come in.”

 

The girl stepped through the doorway and walked into the tearoom. Motomu hurried in after her and placed down another mug and filled it with tea. The girl knelt on the floor before the table and graciously sipped the drink.

 

“Would you like me to take your travelling cloak?” Motomu asked helpfully.

 

“It is quite alright,” the girl said pulling the cloak tighter round herself. “I prefer to keep it on.”

 

“Why do you wear the veil?” Motomu said casually hoping she did not sound like she was prying. Personally the girl made her feel very uneasy.

 

“Part of my religion,” she replied easily without looking up.

 

“Oh, I understand. I have heard of religions like that,” Motomu nodded. There was another pause then she said, “You must forgive me but I have one more question. You were not born in Japan, am I right?”

 

“Do you always interrogate your guests like this?” she replied but not angrily. Motomu was about to apologise when the girl answered. “No, I come from the West.”

 

There were no more questions after that. The tea was finished and Motomu carried the cups away to be washed as the girl got to her feet. She made her way towards the door.

 

“Leaving so soon?” Motomu asked, surprised. “I thought you were sheltering from the storm.”

 

“There has been a change of plan,” the girl said. She paused and then turned. “I would like to thank you for your generosity by giving you this.” She drew a single silver stone from her cloak and pressed it into Motomu’s palm. Motomu turned it over wondering how much it was worth. The surface was glossy and she pondered whether it was actually made of pure silver. It was too heavy and not shiny enough to be silver, it was a material Motomu did not recognise. “There is something else I ask of you,” the girl added once Motomu had stopped inspecting the stone.

 

“What would that be?” Motomu asked still enraptured by the stone.

 

Under the veil, the girl smiled.

 

*   *   *

 

To be continued…

 

This is my first Miyu fanfic so I hope it was okay. I would also like to add that I am not sure whether Motomu is a man or a woman’s name. I’m pretty sure it’s a woman’s name but correct me if I’m wrong. I’ll be uploading the second chapter soon-ish.