The Birth of a Ranger

Chapter Seven

Weeks had gone by and Yuki still had not woken up from the sleep that was overtaking her body. She never once lost her form and actually filled out to look much more mature than she should at her age. She had grown a few inches but not enough to come anywhere close to being any of the other Rangers height. Even her skin had taken on a beautiful dark tan.

Her eyes fluttered open for the first time in two weeks and her stomach growled after not having ate in some time and she half expected to be met with Rangers at every turn in her hut but to her amusement there was only one. A Ranger kneeled at her fireplace, tending to the fire who didn't even seem to be aware she had awoken from her sleep.

To make matters more odd and somehow amusing to her, her arm was sitting in the sun. The sunlight coming in from the window was warm and blanketed her skin like a welcomed shroud.

Aside from being hungry she also felt energized. She didn't hear the constant beating of ones heart nor smell blood nearby which considering she was born a vampire was odd. She turned her head still laying down on her back to look around further, her movement surely drawing the attention of the Ranger keeping the fire going.

While she didn't say anything her movements were probably enough to make anyone aware she was up and about. She knew where she was even as she pushed herself into a sitting position and pushed the blanket off her body, the warm sun shining against her bare chest, arms and even face.

It didn't take long for the person tending the fire to turn and glance over at Yuki and rush over to her side, taking a kneel. It was her father. She didn't pause to check her strength and instead lunged to hug her father and for the first time his hug was instant. There was no delay in holding her.

However the hug was short lived as she caught a glimpse of her hair and skin which to her surprise, had turned into a beautiful brown and her skin was sun-kissed as if she spent her life in the sun.

She outstretched her hands and arms to look over herself as best she could. What had happen to her and why? She drew strands of her long hair and glanced at it in confusion and yet still had a smile on her face. She wasn't a Junisho anymore and as far as she knew was an all new person.

Her stomach growled once again and it must have been audible for him because he let out a chuckle and turned to go through his things fishing out a small piece of bread and jerky offering it to her. "It's been awhile since you've eaten, take your time." She took it all too gladly and downed it quickly, not caring for the taste of it but more for the fulfillment it brought her body.

A smile appeared on her face again when she caught another glimpse of her hair. She didn't look like a ghost anymore and actually seemed to be happy and enjoying herself. A quick glance outside once again suggested she wanted to go outside and in fact, did just that.

However once she got outside and now stood near the middle of the fort letting the sun beam down on her body, she took note of the grass. When she had passed out there was no grass on the ground. There was rain and mud and she physically felt her heart drop, turning to glance at her father whose footsteps were right behind her.

"How..." Her voice was scratchy and somehow still the same as it was before she had slept for two weeks. "How long have I..." She felt her eyes tearing up and couldn't bare to finish her sentence. It took one look up at her father's eyes to tell her something had happened in her absence.

"You were in a coma for two weeks while your body changed. Apparently Dunedain blood is a cure for Vampirism, I never would have thought it." He offered her a waterskin to which she took gingerly from him and took a few sips before handing it back to him with a thankful look on her face though it didn't last. His face took on a more serious look and worry filled her eyes. "We lost fifteen Rangers in two days. Five were guarding something important, they hadn't checked in for a while. Ten were sent to find out what happened...Eight of them died, the two that made it back succumbed to their wounds and to some kind of poison. They have been added to the gravesite we have here. We're sending Rangers everywhere in hopes of finding out what did this."