Erik stood on a path overlooking the city. He took a deep breath. Bushes lined its sides as the noise of traffic hummed in the distance. The afternoon sun shined over their heads. Haru and Keiko were in front of him.
“I’m going to need your help,” Erik said. “On Spring break, I want you two to go with me to the beach outside of Okano city.”
“A beach!” a fox jumped out of the bushes and took a human form. “We’re totally going on a beach trip!”
“What? Who the Hel are you?” Erik asked.
Keiko answered, “This is Hisa. She’s a kitsune and a friend of mine.”
“And we’re hella going on a beach vacation. I’ve totally loved beaches since I accidentally boarded a ship that took me to California,” Hisa smiled.
Erik groaned, “This isn’t a vacation, it’s a dangerous mission! I wouldn’t even bring along Keiko if she wasn’t some sort of supernatural creature.”
“Grandmother doesn’t mind where I go,” Haru noted. “So, I’ll be able to help.”
“And my family will be happy for me to be gone for a week,” Keiko stated.
Her boyfriend said, “Keiko-chan, I don’t think you should go. You’ve been in enough danger already.”
“Will this be more dangerous than Baba Yaga?” she asked.
Haru answered, “Almost nothing is more dangerous than grandmother.”
“Then I can handle it. I’m going,” Keiko decided.
“Good,” Erik nodded. “We’re killing a bunch of draugr.”
Hisa said, “Draugr? I’ve never heard of those before.”
“There’s a reason for that. They’re a type of undead from my homeland of Scandinavia. Draugr are only found there since they never leave their cairns, being entities that guard them,” he explained.
Haru asked, “Do you think a necromancer could be controlling them?”
“Possible, but unlikely,” Erik answered. “Draugr are sentient undead. They are compelled by their nature; however, sentient undead can’t be controlled by necromancers. Well, except for ghosts.”
“Why are ghosts an exception?” Keiko wondered.
“It’s because of their material,” Haru explained. “They’re pure souls outside of the afterlife. That makes them weaker than things of flesh in the world of the living. Even grandmother can control them, and she’s not a necromancer.”
Hisa said, “So, we’re going on a beach vacation where we get to beat up some undead? Best. Vacation. Ever.”
Erik smiled, “I have to agree with you on that. It’s been far too long since I’ve had real battle; however, killing them isn’t our biggest priority. We need to figure out what they’re doing in Japan. Yokai have been sighted, so they could be part of an even bigger threat.”
“Will we be staying at any particular place?” Haru asked.
“We’re staying at my beach house,” the vampire answered.
Keiko spoke, “You have a beach house?”
“Not there, so I’m buying one,” he replied.
“You have the money to casually buy a beach house?”
“Of course I do. I’ve had hundreds of years to build up my wealth, and selling some useless book that I raided from a monastery in the 800s and 900s will get me more money now than then.”
Haru said, “If you have so much money, couldn’t you go to a private school or something?”
“It’s all the same to me,” Erik said. “I’m just doing this because I was turned when I was a teenager. I’ve memorized most of what we’re taught long ago.”
He then turned and walked away, “Prepare yourselves. Keiko, Hisa, I’ll bring weapons if you don’t have any. They can be difficult to transport with Japan’s laws, but I have more connections than you do.”
The week ended and Spring break came. Haru waited by a curb with Keiko and Hisa.
“Yes!” the kitsune smiled. “I can’t wait for this hella awesome vacation!”
Keiko replied, “Erik told us this isn’t really a vacation.”
“It’s close enough, right?”
“Well, I have magical ingredients and beach shorts with me,” Haru spoke. “Did you two bring anything?”
Hisa said, “I brought beach clothes too, and…that’s about it.”
“I have my kanabo,” Keiko stated. “Erik’s probably bringing swords, but I wanted to bring a weapon of my own.”
She showed them the box with the kanabo inside of it before continuing to speak, “I figured out that you could store other things in there too, so I put a bunch of sunscreen and other beach supplies there. The box doesn’t have unlimited space, so it’s pretty packed at this point, but it reduces the weight.”
“Let me see,” Hisa grabbed the box, only to fall to the ground.
“It’s…so…heavy.”
Keiko picked it up, “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I am,” the kitsune replied. “Man, I don’t know how you can lift it like that.”
“Can I try to lift it, Keiko?” Haru asked.
She answered, “Sure.”
He took the box and with great effort lifted it.
“This is pretty heavy…I don’t doubt that your training made you stronger than me, but there’s no way it can be easy for you to lift this.”
“It is,” Keiko took the box.
Haru said, “Then this might be your supernatural powers starting to manifest.
“My powers…that sounds good, but will it affect my personality? Will I be able to keep my humanity?”
“You should be. Having these powers won’t change who you are. It isn’t like vampires who get personality changes when they turn.”
Erik arrived and spoke, “Our personalities don’t innately change when we turn. Only those of us who are weak are affected mentally by vampirism, and that can be stopped with proper preparation and mentoring.”
“And half-humans don’t get their personalities changed by their powers?” Keiko asked.
He answered, “Not unless they let it get to their heads and become arrogant. Now, are you all ready to leave?”
“I’m totally ready for this beach vacation,” Hisa smiled.
“The rest of us are too,” Haru added.
“Good,” Erik spoke. “We’re taking a bus there to avoid attracting attention. My subordinates are already on the bus. As far as most people are concerned, they are my parents. So, call me Kenji or Date-kun, the man Date-san, and the woman oba-san. And…be ready for them.”
Keiko said, “What do you mean by that?”
“They’re a pair of idiots,” he told her. “I turned them into vampires when I started to realize that I would have to get two people to pretend to be my parents. I chose them because you’d have to be an easily manipulated idiot to willingly pretend to be your boss’ parents until Ragnarok or forever. It was a necessary decision, but one that I’ve regretted numerous times.”
She sighed, “This is going to be troublesome, isn’t it?”
The vampire nodded, “Yes. I doubt they’ll accept Haru even though I’ve told them about the curse.”
“’Fucking great,” Haru groaned. “As if I wouldn’t have to deal with enough people already.”
“Well, I’ve arranged for weapons to be stored at my beach house if you need them,” Erik focused his attention on Hisa. “I’d recommend a spear or, if not, some sort of club and a shield.”
“What about a gun?” the kitsune asked.
“Too loud and risky for our operation with Japanese law. Besides, guns don’t allow you to take advantage of supernatural strength and you need a big gun to do anything to undead,” he answered.
Haru said, “Is that everything we have to go over?”
Erik replied, “Yes, it is.”
“Then let’s get going!” Hisa spoke. “Show us to the bus! A beach vacation where we get to fight undead sounds hella awesome!”
Ved'ma Story 