Rin's Time as an Exorcist: Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Shadows

I slapped the controller on the coffee table beside me, not even bothering to sit up.

This is supposed to be an E-rated game? Yeah right, I thought, looking at the clock. Neither the Bottom of the Well nor the Shadow Temple was something any sane person would consider E-rated.

Only took me an hour and a half, eh? I thought, the clock saying it was only 11:05 PM. That's a new record.

I managed to thump my way into my room and under my covers before sinking like the Titanic into a deep, blissful sleep. Sleep is a thing of the gods, I thought in a dreamy state.

****

Kudikara was in my hand, my blue flames blazing. I looked around, though the corridor I was in was dark. 

"Anyone there?" I stuttered, placing my other hand on my blade.

Someone screamed in front of me. I ran forward.

A young woman with chocolate brown hair stood, tied to a crudely made crucifix. Ghouls in the forms of dogs ran around her and a man standing behind her chanted something from a black book.

Oh, damn, I thought, sprinting forward.

"Emany. . . Nevaeh. . . Nitra. . . Oh. . . Whrehtaf. . ."

"Hey, YOU!" I shouted. "The hell?!"  

"Well well!"  a voice I knew all too well responded. "If it isn't my one and only son--come, welcome this old man to the realm of Assiah, your one and only. . ."

My eyes widened. I stopped dead in my tracks.

"NO." I stepped back.

"Papa!" Satan's flames, not my own, shrouded me.

"NODEB. . . TE MOCMOD. . . EMANY. . . NEVAEH NITRA!"

****

A loud rapping on my door woke me up.

Cheesecake? I wondered drowsily, attempting to sit up. I'd apparently rolled to the edge of the bed, though, and my hand did not hit the soft comfort of my pillow.

Nor did I hit my firm mattress, which would have also been good support.

No.

It came in contact with clear air--and I ended up awkwardly shoulder rolling out of bed, getting tangled in my midnight blue duvet.

"You all right in there?" Yukio asked, stepping inside my room.

"Eh, what? Y-yeah, I'm fine. . ." I muttered. But what was that dream?

"Shoulder rolled out of bed again, I see." Yukio smiled wryly.

"Shut up," I groaned, standing up and stretching. "You know how your big-brother is."

"I also know that my big-brother is bigger by two minutes," Yukio said, poking my shoulder accusingly.

"Hey, that's still older than--Whatever." I attempted to smooth out the back of my bedhead hair unsuccessfully, walking to my desk to grab a comb.

"You're lucky it's a Saturday, Rin," Yukio said, scratching his neck. "It's nine forty-five."

"Mmhm," I said, combing out my rebellious dark blue hair and checking my phone. "Because it's not like I have school or anything. Ain't starting for another month, unless I slept through July. Summer vacation, remember?"

"Yeah, but night-class," Yukio said.

"Starts at night," I retorted, walking to the bathroom so I could wet the comb. What was that chanting? It sounded familiar. . .

"And I'm sure that you're not the King of Procrastination and have all your schoolwork done."

He had me at that one. I growled in defeat.

Yukio shook his head in exasperation. "Rin!"

"Emany. . . Nevaeh. . . Nitra. . . Oh. . . Whrehtaf. . ." I muttered, remembering. "Nodeb. . . Te mcmod. . . Emany? Nevaeh nitra. . ." 

Yukio stared at me and began to say something, but was cut off by his phone ringing. He picked it up, walking out of the room. "Yukio Okumura speaking. . ."

He came back a few minutes later.  "Just go take your shower--I gotta go. Duty calls," my twin said.

"See ya," I said.

Twenty minutes later, I was munching on some French toast and eggs while re-watching the first episode of Blood Lad. Kuro jumped into my lap.

"What? Yamada's dying?" Staz yelled from within the screen. "Never heard of him."

I chuckled, then began to cough because my mouth was full of French toast.

My phone rang, though the caller ID was simply "UNKNOWN." Getting calls from either the Knights of the True Cross or people they gave my number to for exorcisms, I didn't think it was odd.

"Ye-'ello. Rin here," I said, answering the phone.

"Hello. . . I'm Izayoi Ryuzaki. I'm assuming you're Rin. . . . Okumura?" the man on the other side asked.

"Yup, I'm an Okumura."

"Ah! I'm calling on a recommendation from a man. . . Meliodas?"

"Mephisto?" I asked, my tone indignant. Never thought I'd get a recommendation from that particular man, I thought.

"Yes! Em. . . Something's wrong with my daughter, you see. . . ."

"And what would you need my help with. . . ." my voice trailed off as the reason dawned on me. "Symptoms?" I asked.

"Oh, no, no symptoms," he said hurriedly. "She's gone."

"Kidnapping? . . ." I asked. What's that got to do with me?

"Well, I found out that my home was built on ancient burial grounds," Izayoi said.

"And your point is. . . ?" I prodded. 

"My brother-in-law, Rentarou, is an Exorcist, you see. I've spoken to him about this, but he can't come check this out--he's out in Germany at the moment."

Recognizing the name of the second highest ranked Exorcist with True Cross, I began to see where this was going. ". . . Yeah, I'll come take a look," I said.