The Veins Of Time ( Ruki X Uruha).

Chapter 1 - Into The Shadows

I step on board my time travelling ship and run over to the controls, entering the destination that I would like to go. The door closes behind me and the engine roars to life.

"Here we go again!" I call out as I feel it rise into the sky. Another adventure has begun.

I lean back in my chair wondering where this marvelous machine will be taking me this time. You see we have this thing; I put in the destination of where I want to go and it takes me where I need to go, which usually ends up being something close to where I wanted to go. Oh and before you even ask, it isn't broken; it's just a very intelligent machine.

We have been on many adventures together, I am never really alone with such a machine and of course all the other people that have joined me on my journeys. I think we are somewhat more than halfway through to our location that I keyed in when the engine starts to stutter.

'That's not good' I think to myself rushing back over and trying to do something that will get her into a working state.

Yes, it's a 'she' you can all wonder over that once I am safe on the ground.

For the next 20 minutes I rush around trying to fix whatever invisible problem has occurred but it's no use. 'Oh well better hold on tight' I think and do exactly that as we start falling from the sky.

2000 feet, 1000 feet....100 feet, 50 feet; yep definitely going down fast.

"You better know what you are doing this time!" I call out to her and then about 10 minutes later...THUD!

We have landed or rather crashed, I gather myself grabbing a few things from the drawers below the main controller and make my way towards the door. Might as well explore this place wherever we crashed, especially since it will take some time for her to repair herself.

I  open the door and step outside looking around, it's like an abandoned waste land. I look up and notice the sky is dark the moment you enter this planet's atmosphere. I get my scanner working as I start walking around and after a few minutes it finally gives me the info I need.

Planet : Shadowland.

Species Living: None

Other Life-Forms: 4

I take in this information although it already makes sense to me; Shadowland is also known as the planet of the dead. An entire place where immortals thrive under the darkness of this sky. They are not living because they died long ago. Now the question would be what are they and where are they? Oh wait, that's two questions.'If the dead needed a place to hide, something to survive on where would that be?' I think to myself as I walk among tall trees and then stop to scan one.

Type: Dead- Wood tree.

Produces: Blood

Well that's a clue for you right there. Vampires surviving on blood filled trees. So now we have three more creatures to figure out.

I continue along the same path when I feel like someone or something is watching me. I turn around on my heels but nothing is there.

That's when a chest cramp happens; it's a pain that spreads through my chest causing breathing to be a bit of a problem. I don't know how or why it exactly began, but now is definitely not a good time for it.

I lean against a tree and take deep breaths, waiting for the pain to pass.

That's when I hear footsteps and a voice, now I know I am definitely not alone.

"You know what to do. " A stern voice says.

"Yes, master. " Another voice replies.

I can hear them but they are nowhere in sight, I am looking around while wishing this God damn illness would vanish already. I see nothing and then there a sharp sting in my neck and then darkness. All I see is darkness and I come to the conclusion that they found me before I could find them.

I wake up in this dark cave, they must have knocked me that probably was what the sharp feeling was. I sit up and look around then suddenly notice they have taken my stuff; my scanner, the signal key to my ship and a few other things I had on me.

There are metal bars at the front of this cave, making it more like a prison than just a cave.

I can see a figure sitting to the right of the entrance, I start to think, I start to pace around as I do so. I know they can hear me pacing, so therefore they know I am awake. Meanwhile I am trying to come up with words to say that will get me out of this prison like cave.

But since I just crash landed into this planet which belongs to them; technically they have the right to be suspicious of me.

I would say that I am just a passerby and that I am mean on harm, but every time I saw that something happens. Which means it would end up just being a lie. I sigh and shaking my head at the thoughts. Come on, think...think!

I am just about to clear my throat and speak when I see the figure move.

"Master, I think the human is awake." I hear the figure speak and chuckle quietly under my breath. So they think I am human, I am a time travel, we may look human but besides that there are many things that would prove I am not a human being.

There are more footsteps and some muttering, I guess the figure and whoever the master is had moved away from this area.

Then I hear more footsteps and the figure returns, its carrying something in a hand. ' This is my chance' I think to myself.

The figure that now I see is a young guy maybe in his early 30's, he is wearing a dark cloak with only part of his face and his hands being visible. He pushes a tray of some meat with a few vegetables under a small gap of the bars. This makes me think of more of a prison.

"Umm..excuse me?" I call out as he takes a step back after pushing the tray.

"What?" He replies seeming annoyed by me suddenly speaking.

"Where am I? And what did you do with my stuff?" The first part of the question I am just buying time, but the second question is what I actually want to know. If you ask what I am buying time for; it's whatever the answer to the second question is.

"You are under the caves of the shadowland. And your stuff is fine...master did not want anyone to touch them for some reason. Anyone but himself." He replies muttering the last part.

I sigh with relief knowing irreplaceable equipment has not been damaged but then a wave of confusion washes over me, why would they not want to destroy something that could potentially hurt them.

"Well do you know when I will be able to get out of here? I mean I am just a passerby after all." I say leaning against the wall. Yep, there I said that one line that I thought I shouldn't say only moments ago.

"Whenever master allows your leave then you can go". He replies.

I stop and think with no more questions to ask, I slide down the side of the wall. Just thinking...thinking of a way out of this all.

"Kai...could you come for a moment." An unfamiliar voice calls out from the shadows beyond my sight.

"Coming." He replies and gets up walking in that general direction, that's when I learnt that the name of my prison guard's name is Kai.

Days past and I am still stuck here, I have seen over figures of others walk past this place but Kai always stays keeping guard of this cell that I am trapped in. 'Look at me a time traveller; one of the most knowledgeable creatures to exist stuck in the prison of the vampires.'

That's what I was thinking to myself then I heard a conversation echo throughout these empty walls.

"Master you have to listen to me...it's important!" that unknown voice from earlier exclaims.

"Just a minute Reita...I am sure whatever it is can be said in plenty of time to come." Another unknown voice replies.

"That's the thing...there isn't much time."

There is a pause of pure silence, it's like you could hear a pin drop at that moment.

"Then what is it?" The master, whoever he is replies.

"The prisoner we have captive...he hasn't got much time left...he is dying."