The Runaway

The sun glistened weakly over the snow blanketed fields that surrounded Apollo City. It was a dull winter’s day, soon the sun would set at its early time, and night would fall swiftly. And when the sun goes down, the dead come out to play.

There wasn’t a single house for miles, and the nearest thing to civilisation, was a rarely used country road, that led to a small hamlet town on the very edge of the city limits, that boasted but a few elderly inhabitants.

The snow was smooth and several inches deep, naturally cold to the touch. This did not seem to deter the one who had disturbed the fields. Trudging a path through the snow, was a young Pokémon, barely out of his teens.

Darius, the Pokémon leaving the trail of crushed snow, was a Braixen, having recently evolved. At just 19, he was considered a popular fur at his University, not the smartest in his class, but doing well enough to earn passing grades. However, it was this very thing that led him to be out in the middle of nowhere, walking at his steady pace, trying to put as much distance between himself and the city he called home as possible.

Darius had stayed local when it came to choosing where he would continue his education, opting for the Apollo University, meaning he would save money on student accommodation, by staying with his parents, both of whom wanted him to do the best he possibly could, and would often scold him when he didn’t live up to their expectations. It was yesterday when they had started another argument with him, practically frantic over the fact he had only just passed his mock end of year exam, demanding that he spend all of his free time studying, and aiming for a perfect score when the time came to sit the real thing.

Young Darius of course, was a more generally laid back fur, and openly voiced the fact that he was only going to University because his parents wanted him to, whereas he himself would be more than happy to have entered employment straight after finishing high school. But no, his parents were having none of it, and it seemed their word was law.

After the epic one sided argument had ended, with Darius heading to his bedroom and slamming the door so hard the entire house shook, he made up his mind. He would simply up and leave. For several hours he waited in his room, plotting away, quietly packing a rucksack and writing a note for his parents, explaining everything. Being of age, if he wanted to leave, there was nothing they could legally do to stop him. It was then that night when his parents were in bed and asleep, that he slipped downstairs, dressing himself to brave the cold weather, and slipped out of the front door, moving slowly and cautiously, repeatedly checking to see if either one of his parents had stirred from their slumber. On and on and on he walked, clearing the city limits in just over an hour.

When morning broke, Darius kept checking his phone, just to see if his parents had tried to contact him. He at least had the decency to be willing to explain himself to them, but, it seemed, they didn’t really care if he came back or not. One text. That was all he received. Only a few lines, but enough to clearly spell out his parent’s message.

‘So you’ve chosen to just throw everything back in our faces. Suit yourself. You know where we are when you eventually come crying back to us.’

Darius merely raised an eyebrow, and with a sigh, deleted the message. He had hoped this would have made them see sense, but as he had suspected, they really didn’t seem to care either way. He really hoped they would miss him.

Carrying on his movement through the snow, his internal fire keeping him warm and awake, Darius did not stop. The sun moved down and night fell swiftly, the winter moon rising above, the fire type watched in awe at the sheer size of the lunar body, as it hung overhead.

Moving a little farther, Darius came to some woodland, thick non deciduous leaves blocking out the night sky, providing a good shelter, and a suitable place to set up camp. Darius had been walking for almost 14 hours straight, and although his species were known for being to stay awake for long periods of time, the Braixen could not deny that he needed a nap, and to rest his aching feet.

He quickly set up a small tent, placing his sleeping bag inside of it, and then, after grabbing several good pieces of tinder and wood, used his fire abilities to light a campfire, just to at least take the nip out of the air, and provide some light in this dark woodland.

Darius sat down on the cold ground, curling his tail around him, pulling out one of the sandwiches he had purchased on his long trek here, quietly opening the packet and tucking in. As he ate he listened to the sounds of nature, as his father had taught him to do when he was just a Fennekin, back when his father acted like more of a Dad.

The sound of the trees rustling in the light breeze. The occasional splat of snow on the ground after it slipped through the leaves. Small birds chirping away on the high up branches.

And then... another sound hit his ears. A scuffling noise, digging. Soil being moved.

Looking around from where he sat, Darius saw nothing around him, his well focused eyes unable to see what was moving beyond the clearing. He simply put the noise down to moles or a wild animal digging for food, or to make a burrow. He went back to his sandwich, finishing it off, before stopping again.

The burrowing sound was louder, and increasing in volume. He could feel vibrations echoing through the ground where he sat. Now it didn’t sound like someone was digging down... more like something was digging its way up to the surface.

Darius arose, moving to the edge of camp where the sound was loudest.

‘Hello!’ He called out, to no response.

The sound was even louder now, causing Darius to take a step back. As he did, he saw something move, and his eyes widened in fright as he watched the ground close to where he stood begin to move and shake.

Quickly, Darius clenched his fists around the twig embedded in his tail, as was the norm for his species, and inhaled, preparing to launch a fire attack at whatever arose from the ground.

Even though he braced himself for combat, nothing could have stopped him letting out a yelp, as a furred fist broke through the top soil, frantically grabbing around for something to cling onto. Completely surprised and horrified, Darius found himself frozen, not by the cold, but by fear.

After a few seconds, the white, soil caked arm latched itself onto an exposed tree root. Once it held a firm grip, the other arm broke through the soil, shaking itself off, grabbing onto the root.

Darius could only watch as the muscles on the arms flexed, pulling up and out of the soil, as a full person emerged. A white and black furred torso, a neck, and then, a head!

Eye clenched shut, the Husky that had just pulled himself up from six feet under the ground was blissfully unaware that he had a witness. Hauling himself up and out of the ground, the husky flopped at the base of the tree whose root he had nearly ripped off, before arching on all fours and shaking himself off of dirt and mud, spraying it everywhere.

Darius deliberately closed his eyes, occasionally opening them at the strange sight, primarily because this canine was as naked as the day he was born, albeit a bit less dirty as he first was when he arose from, what Darius could only assume, was a grave.

The husky stood upright, bringing his clenched fists to his eyes to rub them free of dirt, and then stretched out, giving a yawn, arching his back once again, and accidentally giving Darius a full on flash of his flaccid penis.

Turning around so that his back was now to the stunned Pokémon, the husky ruffled his hair, causing a cloud of dust to emerge and slowly fall to the ground, before giving one of his buttocks a casual scratch, as if he had just gotten out of bed.

The husky then stopped , and coughed, clearing his throat.

‘Don’t think I didn’t notice you there. Enjoy the show did you?’

Darius jumped, he though the canine hadn’t noticed him.

‘Wasn’t expecting anyone to use this place for camping out. You are far from home kiddo.’ He said in a low tone, still with his back to the Braixen.

‘Who...who are you?’ Darius squeaked, too frightened to contemplate what this Husky was capable of. Darius wondered if he was a fellow Pokémon, a species he hadn’t met before, one possible of sleeping underground.

The Husky turned round, having no shame. Crossing his arms, not bothered at all at the cold air on his naked body.

‘My name is of no importance.’ He said. ‘You could of least have let me get dressed before you wandered over here.’ He raised an eyebrow at Darius.

‘You... aren’t normal!’ Darius shouted. They were so far in the middle of nowhere, nobody would hear him. All the chirping birds stopped, as if they were watching this strange event unfold.

‘You’re right there.’ Niro laughed. ‘I am starving... and I didn’t bury a snack with me! Got any food?’ He asked, in a friendly tone that Darius was not expecting.

‘Food? You want food? You are naked in the middle of nowhere, you just pulled yourself out of the ground, and you want food?’ Darius retorted, sounded more sarcastic that he wanted to.

The Husky’s expression darkened. He obviously didn’t like being spoken to like that. He blinked slowly, and Darius could swear the naked huskies eyes had suddenly gotten several shades brighter.

‘No need for that tone, didn’t your parents ever tell you to respect your elders?’ Niro growled.

‘Leave my parents out of this!’ Darius yelled, and sprung into action. Pulling the twig from his tail, he inhaled deeply, focusing his firepower on the Husky, as he exhaled, a fire ball launched itself from the twig, rocketing at Niro.

‘Hmph.’ Niro smiled, raising his arm.

With a bang, Niro swung his arm forward, colliding with the Flame Burst attack. A flash of light, and a yell from the Husky, as the speeding fireball suddenly shot straight back at Darius, hitting him in the stomach and sending him flying back into the clearing, where he landed in front of his tent.

Darius ached all over. He could only raise his head a little bit, to witness the husky walking towards him, carrying a small messenger bag in his hand, it must have been hanging on a tree, and gotten knocked down by the explosion. Niros arm, was scorched, his flesh was charred, and Darius could clearly see blackened bone jutting out of the wound. At least, for a moment he could, as before his eyes, the wound closed over, flesh knitted back together, and the lost fur re-grew, completely healed, leaving no trace of the damage Darius had caused.

Niro simply grinned a little as he opened up the bag, and pulled out, to the surprise of Darius, a pair of underwear, which he then put on, followed by a pair of black jeans, and then a plain black t shirt.

Niro dropped his bag on the ground, walking over to kneel beside Darius, who was on the verge of passing out.

‘That hurt.’ He said to Darius, with an unsettling grin. ‘Now. Look at me.’ Niro slipped a hand behind Darius’ head, helping him up, so that he was eye to eye with the now dressed husky.

‘It’s all gonna be ok’ Niro said, his voice taking on a, for some reason, soothing, monotone.

Darius instantly felt his body relax as soon as he met Niros gaze. Every fibre of his being was telling him that he was, indeed, going to be fine, just as Niro had said.

‘Just relax, and go to sleep. You’ll wake up in an hour or so feeling right as rain, I promise.’

And with that, Darius simply nodded. Completely unaware he was being Glamoured, or to put it simply, hypnotised, by the Husky.

Completely relaxed, Darius could not stop himself from dozing off. Regardless of the fact that Niro was pulling off the Pokémon’s winter jacket, Darius fell asleep.

‘Why are you out here?’ Niro said to himself, as he brushed the now exposed neck of the Braixen, and opening his maw.

The Husky’s fangs doubled in length as he prepared to feed.

‘You certainly have potential’ He said, before quickly snapping his jaws around Darius’ neck, fangs piercing his veins. Niro drank a few gulps of the Pokémon’s blood, feeling instantly warmer, and stronger, before releasing, licking the puncture wounds and watching as they closed.

Running his tongue around his maw, Niro savoured the taste of his meal, as blood from younger furs generally tasted better than that of an elderly one. Although, as Vampire etiquette dictated, it was generally considered inappropriate to feed from a mortal that was not of at least 18 years of age.

Fangs still bared, Niro looked down at his victim, who was still sleeping soundly, unaware of what had just happened.

Raising a finger to his fangs, Niro pressed down, wincing a little as he now pierced his own flesh, drawing blood.

He gently grabbed Darius’ head, opening his muzzle, dripping the blood from his finger into his open mouth, easing his head back so that he swallowed it.

The enzymes in Niros Vampire blood would cancel out those contained in his saliva, which would have entered Darius’ bloodstream when Niro bit him. The young Pokémon would feel a little odd when he awoke, but he would remain a mortal this time, not becoming a Vampire, like Niro, who really did not want the responsibility of having to raise a progeny, having only been a Vampire for about 40 years himself. To the Vampire community, Niros age was the equivalent of being a toddler.

Placing Darius down inside of his tent to rest, Niro sat down near the campfire, grabbing his leather jacket out of his bag and putting it on, completing his outfit. He then had a peek inside Darius’ rucksack, to see what food he could find. Although blood was all a Vampire needed to survive, they did still require the odd regular snack from time to time, just to stop themselves from getting overly tired.

After a little rummaging, Niro found a half eaten packet of potato chips, and, hoping Darius wouldn’t mind, settled down to eat.

Night would last for at least another 10 hours, so Niro had plenty of time to get somewhere safe before the sun rose. However, something in his gut told him not to leave Darius alone. It was clear from the looks of him that he wasn’t a hiker, or a camper. He had run away from his parents house, that was clear to see, and had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time when Niro awoke.

Once Darius awoke in an hour or so, Niro felt it was his duty to either convince the Braixen to turn back and head home, or failing that, find him somewhere where he could make a fresh start, and use his abilities to the best he could.

And thankfully, Niro had just come from such a place.