The Night Fort [Closed]

Saitou had just experienced the roughest night in his life. It wasn't more impacting or painful than his Master's death, but it was definitely more rough. A hurricane hit while he was in the lowest areas of the boat. He was keeping away from bright lights and most people. He noticed that he had been getting strange urges around people lately and didn't want to harm anyone. The worst part about it was the inability to go in the sun. It was like he had contracted a disease of some sort and hoped to find answers somewhere. His concentration was finding the woman that killed his master, but if he got answers in the process, that wouldn't be too bad, right? His master would want that for him.

In the middle of the night, as the hurricane hit, the ship was turned over and about a hundred people were thrown into the unstable ocean waters. Saitou did his best to help and got a lot of people back on the boat. One thing he also noticed was his increase in strength; things were much easier for him now. Right as he saved the last fallen child, the ship hit a large rock and was sent crashing into the rocks of some land. Saitou didn't even know if they had made it to Arcadia  yet. Saitou spent the rest of the night gathering as many people as possible. He rescued just about everyone he could, even a few that had died. He laid the living and injured together on the sand and the dead away from them.

When the day came, he figured he rescued just about everyone. The few that were awake saw him take a large piece of the ship onto the sand. He pretty much created his own personal wood and rock fort a few yards from the water. He sat under it, it being just tall enough for him to lay under it, and watched over everyone. People tried to get him to come out, but he refused. A man tried to drag him out, but Saitou had brought a large rock under his fort for a reason. The man couldn't drag him and the rock, so they all gave up, but the women and children tried bringing him food, but he refused since normal food wasn't right for him. Soon, help came for them and Saitou kept himself happily in his fort.

It took longer than he liked for the people to stop bothering him. He was the one that pulled them from the water and saved those who had died in the accident, so why couldn't he keep to himself in his little boat piece fort? When they finally left him alone, he had about an hour of relaxing quiet. He fell asleep until a new scent came from right outside his fort. His eyes snapped open and he rubbed his nose when he heard the voice from outside. It was a woman and not one from the ship from what he could tell. He wasn't able to see anything more than her feet, but he was sure she wasn't on the ship just based off of that. Besides that, her scent was different. His sense of smell was crazy right now.

"I do not wish to bother anyone. I saved them from the drowning, even brought the dead to shore... Why is it so wrong of me to stay away? I like my shelter; it's safe. I'll leave once night has come, but until then I will stay as a giant wooden turtle among the sands of this place." Saitou's voice seep out of the wooden cave in a seductive tone, but not because he wanted it that way. His voice was just that smooth. "So what's going on? Why are you here?" he asked calmly, as if he only wanted a bit of conversation. He had been alone for a while and often enjoyed light conversations with his master, so the absence of that had been bothering him. "My name's Saitou Hajime... From Ezon."

Saitou was laying comfortably in the sand. Since his shelter had been providing shade since the sun came up, it was nice and cool. The added breeze that seeped under the few cracks the shelter could not cover was making it even better. Saitou closed his eyes and listened to her. He missed conversation and was kind of  desperate for it. "That's fine. You will not have to drag me out. I'll keep my word and leave once the sun has fallen and do appreciate the company." Saitou was quite content, his voice soft and with a soothing hint of happiness as the two talked. "That's kind of you. I was able to pull most from the water as they came ashore. I'm sure I collected everyone, even those that died."

"Yes, I am. I am fluent in Arcadian though. My Mother taught me. It is sort of a requirement at the school I went to as well." Saitou glanced over to the small lit opening that her voice was coming from. He was curious  about what she looked like, but new the light from the sun would harm him. Saitou chuckled at the lover comment; he wasn't surprised by it. "It is nice to meet you, Emilia. And none of those, though it could be classified as business." Saitou said. He did not want to reveal his actual reasons for being here. He didn't know whether she'd take kindly to his mission of killing a woman in Arcadia. The image of the white haired woman who slaughtered his master popped into Saitou's head.

Saitou stayed silent for a moment while he tried to suppress the memory. He cleared his throat and then snapped out of his momentary trance. "I'm looking for someone that I need to ask an important question, but I do not wish to say much more about the subject, if you don't mind." he asked nicely. He shifted under the shelter, the movement likely being heard. He turned over on his side to face her and laid his head on a mound of sand he had been using as a pillow. "So we did make it to Arcadia? I wasn't sure if we all washed up on Ezon again." Saitou said with a small chuckle, "Isn't it warm out there? I will keep my word. Even though I do enjoy the company, I wouldn't want to inconvenience you like this. It cannot be comfortable sitting out in the heat like that. Are you sure you want to wait?"

“Saitou is fine. Those of Ezon are taught to respect other cultures, but expect others to respect ours. I am in Arcadia, so I will not ask others to practice customs they are not used to. However, if we were still in Ezon, it would be a different story.” Saitou explained. It is difficult to explain how he talks. He always seems so calm and content, and there is an air of confidence in his voice. He also talks slowly, like he’s never in a rush to get what he wants to say out. He doesn’t drag a sentence on, but speaks with what some may call wisdom. “Actually, I do not know.” he said and sighed, “I was not legally on the ship. I hid in the bottom of it. I would like that to stay secret.” Saitou realized he was being very cryptic, but she had been kind to his preferences so far. He hoped one more would not be a problem. “How long until the sun is down?” he asked. Once he got an answer, he continued trying to keep conversation. “Is there anything you can tell me about living in Arcadia? I have never been here before, so I am unsure what to expect. What are some laws I should know? Any specific customs?”

“Arcadia sounds like a nice place. I have heard mostly positive things about it, though strange rumors do run through Ezon occasionally. Is it true the moon looks purple when you’re in Arcadia? How about the ground, is it truly rich with Arcana? Ezon has some Arcana, but it does not have the abundance Arcadia is said to have.” Saitou was curious and enjoying the conversations the two were having. Emilia was pleasant to talk to. Any time he got the chance, he asked about Arcadia’s traditions and other customs, but later in the conversation, he chose to ask about her. “So do you have a family?” was his first question, but then he went to, “Are you an Arcanist like so many in Arcadia are?”

By the end of her answer, night had fallen and the breeze that came off the ocean was extremely comforting and cool. “The sun is down; I’m coming out of here now.” Saitou pushed the wooden shelter up and off of him. With how many rocks were on it, you’d think that’d be difficult, but it wasn’t for him. He pushed it up and tossed it to the side. He then stood up, dusted the sand off of his clothes and hair, and then looked to Emilia. He nodded and bowed respectfully, his mystic blue eyes meeting her crimson ones. “I’m glad to finally see the woman I’ve been talking to.” he said as the breeze picked up and blew her scent to him, “I know it may be an odd compliment, but your hair smells wonderful.”

“Courtlyn.” Saitou filed that name away for later. It was a sight that’d be nice to see. “That’s a shame. The sound of your voice and kind nature tells me you’d be a wonderful mother, though I doubt the job is for everyone. Helping people is a beautiful goal to replace it.” Saitou didn’t mean to catch her off guard with his question. He could tell only by the hesitance and slight change in her tone as she answered that he might have asked something wrong. Since she answered and her voice went back to normal, he decided not to ask anything more about it. His compliment was honest. Her scent was the first thing he noticed. The second was her red eyes, which caught him off guard, but he held firm. Being from Ezon, red eyes weren’t the most attractive thing, but neither were his blue ones, so it mattered little to him. “I learned a lot from the man who taught me. I get it from him.”

Saitou followed her along like she asked. He had kept his word and come out of the shelter. He looked back toward the ocean and around the beach. Most people had been taken care of; they were likely evacuated to the village she had previously spoken of. When she spoke up again, she was finally able to catch him off guard. He was taken aback and a blush appeared in faint red on his cheeks. He hoped she couldn’t see it because of the dark, but it was likely still possible. “Thank you.” he said, forcing himself to regain his composure. His eyes being complimented was new. The next bit actually pushed him over the edge. “N-No!” he shook his hands in front of him, “N-Nothing like that, I swear! I mean... I’m not hurt, especially somewhere embarrassing!” He looked away and rubbed his head. “Recently, my skin has reacted strangely to the sun; it burns, so I avoid it. That way is safer for me.”

“No, I do not take any medication and usually don’t have to unless I’ve got a cold or the flu.” he replied. Her next question caused him to hesitate on his answer. “I wouldn’t know. I’m adopted.” he said, keeping the information brief on that subject. He didn’t like his parents, so he didn’t give a damn about learning anything about them. “It started about a week ago. I had an incident back home. I was attacked and woke up with things changed for me.” he explained, pain ringing out from his soft voice as he spoke of it, “The one who attacked me... I’ve wondered if she infected me with something. Besides my main goal, I did come to Arcadia hoping to find a doctor that could help. I’m pretty lucky.”

Saitou had no comment on the awkwardness of the conversation. In his mind, she was a doctor. He wasn’t paying attention to the moonlit beach, but since she was a woman, it made sense why she was. He did not mean for anything to come off awkward, so he kept silent on that. “I’ve heard of some creatures that exist here, but not in Ezon. I’m looking forward to seeing some of them. I’ve never seen a dragon, taerick, or one of those little puff ball things that reproduce like crazy. I’d like to pet one.” he explained with a child-like excitement, but was still his calm self. He stopped when she stopped and watched her take off her shoes. The sand was cool, so he couldn’t blame her for that.

Saitou didn’t budge when she fell toward him. She was light and a mere fall wasn’t going to push him down. Instead, he caught her and held her up until she pulled away. “That’s fine; no reason to apologize for an accident.” he said with a small smile. He could just barely see that blush; she was cute, even for an Arcadian. The two continued on and Saitou wasn’t sure what to tell her. “I have a hard time pulling randomness from my personality or past just to tell someone about myself. I’m more adept at answering questions that people ask me, but there is one part of my life I enjoy speaking of.” He reached for the katana at his side, “I’m pretty good with a sword; it’s the only thing I know I love to do. My master, who recently died, taught me from a young age... Oh, how far is the village?”

"Hm..." Saitou tilted his head curiously when he saw that change. Poro's really must be a problem. "Do they provide meat? Or anything else tha would be beneficial for people? If not, keeping around because they're cute is silly. If they're pests, maybe creating a spray or repelent the same way some created for bugs wouldn't be a bad idea. It's either that or figure out a way to make them unable to reproduce. No matter what, I imagine the public will whine about something so cute being altered or destroyed." His idea was sound and logical, but not many would agree. Arcadians are people who respected the land and everything on it. Getting them to back that kind of plan would be hard.

"The beaches all vary and are a big reason we get so many terrorists." Saitou took a moment and realized what he said, "I'm sorry. Tourist is the word I should have said, though I can't say I meant to say it. Zakatians, Arcadians, Illvasarians, and those of Rel Inerium have no problem coming and tossing trash out into the ocean, leaving behind their junk. If we dare ask them to clean up after themselves, they scoff and laugh in our faces. I hope Ezon closes it's border soon. If others refuse to respect something as simple as pick up your own trash, then why should we allow anyone in? I have never heard a complaint about Ezonians going abroad and messing things up, only the opposite."

They reached the village and Saitou followed where he needed to go. He sat on the bed like he was asked and looked around like a curious child with a straight face. "Saitou, Ess Ey Eye Tee Oh You. Hajime, Eich eh jay eye em ee." Saitou thought back to the day of the attack and his face quickly changed. He didn't like thinking about it. "People were panicking. I heard my master scream, so I rushed to him. When I got there, a woman stood over his lifeless body. She was injured, but not bleeding. She turned to me and moved faster than I thought possible. Next thing I knew, I was on my back. She got over me, closer, and I blacked out. I woke up and things were different." Saitou rubbed his nose and shook his head like a dog trying to get water off it. He grabbed onto the hospital bed, clenching it tight as a violent urge crawled over him. He took a deep breath, not liking this feeling.

The tension in the room grew considerably. Saitou could hear his heart beat. No, it wasn't his. He could hear Emilia's heart. He looked to her, watching her lips move, but hearing nothing come out of her mouth. He eyed her neck, unsure of why he felt the need to bite her there. This new instinct was taking over him and he did not like it. His breathing became heavier and he scoot himself back away from her for a moment. When she brought the lantern closer, Saitou's eyes widened and sharp fangs grew from his mouth. She was too close and a scent he craved sent him over the edge, his eyes zoning hungrily in on her neck. Within a blink, Saitou snatched her wrist and pulled her toward him.

Saitou's grip was strong and firm. He pushed her back a few steps, trying to get her to the ground where things would be a bit easier on him. He wanted her pinned, so he fought until he got it. He then grabbed the back of her hair and pulled her head to the side to give himself better access to what he wanted. He opened his mouth and with an inhuman hiss, he bit down into her neck. The blood that seeped out from the wound was like candy to him. It was sweet. Why was the taste of blood something he craved!? If she tried to scream, he'd cover her mouth immediately. If she fought, he'd bite down harder and suck the blood from her neck until he felt satisfied, which he wasn't sure he would be.

Letting go was hard. It took him a while, a lot longer than a sane him would have liked. Half way into it, he felt himself gaining a bit of control again and realized he was hurting her, but couldn't bring himself to let go. Frankly, it could be compared to sex. Once you get to that point right before the end, stopping would be difficult. Finally, he pulled back, letting his elongated fangs slip out of her skin and let her go. He stayed for a moment, standing over her on all fours, a small bit of blood dripping from his mouth. He did not let it go to waste and licked it up. From there, he stood up and stared down at her like a beast that had just had a full meal, but also with fear. "What... just happened?"

"I'm sorry." Saitou said  while she was seemingly tyring to get up. Saitou was a trained warrior and would have never been caught off guard in normal circumstances. When he fell, he repeated his sincere, "I'm sorry." When she pulled out the gun, "I'm sorry." When he stood up on her command, "I'm sorry." And when she told him to go lie down, "I'm sorry." He looked to where she wanted him to go and there was no way he was going to lay down there. He could see the restraints attached to the bed, so he expected what she wanted to do to him. "N-No, I can't." he refused her the first time. Her demand the second time was met with a slightly frightened shake of his head and a few steps back away from her. As he stepped back, he tripped over his own two feet and fell to his ass again. He sat there, staring directly at her with wide eyes. "If you're gonna kill me, do it, but I won't lay down and I won't attack you again. I don't even know why I did the first time. I had no plans to; I lost control of my body. I don't know what happened and I'm sorry." Saitou stood again, regaining his composure.

He moved to the corner without hesitation. When she turned away, so did he. He did not notice the mirrors turned his direction. Instead, he stood there with his hands over his forehead, gritting his teeth. He was angry, but at himself. He was confused and a little frightened on what happened. Has that happened before? Has he hurt people like that? Will it happen again? Was that caused by the attack? He didn't know. Once she gave him permission to move again, he sat down like she asked. Her first question for this interrogation was one he had to think about. Did he remember it? It felt a little odd when he tried to remember. Saitou shook his head and then looked back up at her in confusion.

"I do not know. I feel like I do remember it, but at the same time I don't. It's hard to explain. I know it happened. I know what happened, but it almost feels like I was watching through the eyes of another. I truly was not in control of my own body. It's hard to comprehend that I would ever harm a woman. It is not in my nature." Saitou looked at his hands, his eyes narrowing in shame and anger at himself. As an Ezonian, he is taught to cherish every woman and treat them as if they were treasured. To harm one, especially in a way similar to how he just had, was a horrible crime that would cause others to shun you. She asked her next question and once again he had to really think about how to answer.

"How I felt before the incident?" he stared off, recalling what he was doing. Before he could answer, she pointed out the bend in the metal framing. Saitou looked at it in shock, blinking rapidly like he had to make sure it registered in his own mind right. He ran his fingers along the bent metal and then looked to his hand. He couldn't believe it. "This is going to sound disgusting and I apologize, but I think I felt excited. Not the type of excitement that one gets from doing something they enjoy, but the type one gets when needing something badly and realizing you can get it. I remember this strong urge to eat. I have not been able to enjoy a decent meal for a while now. Any time I eat, it feels like I am eating ash or soot. It's dry and flavorless, so I've been craving something decent to ea-..."

Saitou opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue like a child that had just eaten something gross. "The urge I was feeling is... is gone. I drank your blood like it was a meal and I feel satisfied?! What?!" Saitou stood up and walked over to the mirror. He stared at himself, opened his mouth to see his teeth. The fangs were slightly longer than normal, but he could have sworn they grew when he bit into her neck. His eyes became wide with anger and horror at what he was looking at: himself. He was disgusted. His eyes glanced over to Emilia in the mirror and then he turned around to her.

"What kind of-... Wh-... I don't und-... What is wrong with me? What kind of person feels better after drinking the blood of another. Am I sick? Or cursed? Have you even heard of something like this before?" He was desperate and not giving her any time to answer. In a panic, he grabbed onto her arms a little too tightly. He didn't mean to and really didn't even realize his own strength. "Please, you must help me." Saitou said desperately, looking her directly in the eyes, hoping she'd say yes.