Vanilla Smoke (Blue Exorcist)

Chapter 22

~~~~~~Escape. At all Costs.~~~~

Shukura slunk out of the temple doorway. It had been a close call, having to open the door herself to sneak out into the city surrounding the temple she often sat in. A Hunter had almost spotted her on the way out after she had released the incantation keeping her completely hidden to conserve her strength. Luckily, she had made it out unnoticed from the main Hunters HQ and was now in the Temple where she had spent so much time. She prayed for her safety and that she would get out of this place alive, and never come back to it alive either.

Sinking into the shadows, Shukura walked down the path away from the temple, then onto the village streets. The nearly empty streets cast dark shadows that perfectly concealed her as she moved, almost like a ninja. The thought amused her as she ran.

Shukura walked through the village and searched for the train station she knew was in the area, somewhere. She avoided the gazes of the few people that did mill the streets so late. She scanned the streets for any movement that indicated a Hunter pursuing her or any sign of commotion at all.

So far, the coast was clear. With her hands resting on the handles of the kunai knives inside her hoodie pocket, Shukura bee-lined towards the train station across the road, where the tracks lead to the world beyond. She would have to leave town before dawn when the maids noticed her absence. She would leave by train and eventually go to one place she knew she would be welcome once the coast was clear. The first place she would go would be to Shiro Fujimoto's church. There she could see him, then go into hiding in some desolate place, or maybe run away to America, that was always an option. The Hunters main HQ was in Russia, wit a gate that opened up in Japan, so going to America was a safe bet.

At the train station, Shukura looked at the time and found a bench sitting in the corner, slightly hidden by shadows even though the train station lights eliminated most hidding places. She wasn't out of the clear yet, she still had to get on the train. From almost nowhere, a man came up to Shukura and sat down beside her, acting casual. Shukura's grip tightened around her blades, words ready to spit out to escape.

"What's a pretty little thing like you doing out this late at the train station? Not planning on running away are you?" The man inquired softly, and Shukura cursed under her breath.

From under his suit, he pulled out a gun and positioned it on her temple, ready to blow her brains out, but he wouldn't dare. Shukura knew he couldn't kill her, which was her largest advantage. This man was obviously a Hunter.

In a flash of a movement, she grabbed the knives and sliced the man's hand then held the knives against his throat from behind him. She had plenty of training to be faster than a trigger finger if he was actually going to shoot her. The gun fell to the ground, and the man raised his hands as if surrendering. In a quick movement, he dropped them and several other hunters walked out of the shadows of the station, and Shukura cursed. Not only were they all hunters, but she was surrounded. A few had guns, all aimed at her head. This was bad, they couldn't kill her, but she sure as hell they would put her on the brink of death if she wasn't careful.

In a quick, carefully trained movement, the man dropped dead, his throat slit. She wiped the blood off her hands and analyzed her opponents. Four hunters, one in each major direction, two had guns, the other two held swords, and blades. They did nothing when she killed their team member right in front of them, heartless assholes. She had to stall, the train was her getaway and distraction, all she had to do was last 5 minutes against four fully trained hunters. Shukura flipped her hood down to expand her field of vision.

Slicing her finger while whipping around, Shukura drew a line across her right arm and canted the corresponding incantation, "Hear my plea and gather o river o celestial light and rain down from the heavens in a spear of starlight!"