Awakening the Dragon
Chapter 5
It was hard for Harry to decide what had less feeling, his ass from sitting in the small plane seat for over twelve hours, or his hand from Hermione's death grip. He glanced at his companion and he grinned slightly, even asleep she retained her grip on his hand, if it was for the fact it was his hand and she was cutting off the circulation he would have found it amusing.
He couldn't help but laugh softly as he recalled her words when the plane had taken off, they were the exact same words she spoke the night they had freed Buckbeak, but his smiled faded as that line of thought lead him irrevocably towards thoughts of Sirius. He clamped down on the rising swell of anger, he could not afford to lose control, not here on the plane, he would be likely to kill them all.
Taking deep breaths to get his temper under control Harry turned his gaze to the window and he watched as the Islands of Japan grew steadily larger as the plane began it's descent. Gently he shook the sleeping Hermione, amused by the groggy expression on her face making her look incredibly adorable and cute. As she woke her intelligence once more seemed to bring her eyes to life and her cute expression changed her face to one of beauty.
…Wait, hold the phone, where the hell did that thought come from. "Um…yeah…W-we are almost there, I figured I'd better wake you up." Harry blushed a bright red as he tried to stamp on the thought currently running rampant through his head.
She smiled at him and arched her back trying to work the kinks out of her spine from basically sleeping upright and yawned before she glanced down after noticing her hand was clutching something warm and soft. She blushed as she slowly uncurled her fingers from around his hand and she winced as she watched the blood flow back into his fingers turning the pale skin red.
Harry grimaced as the blood began to return to his fingers causing his hand to pins and needle as the feeling slowly returned.
Hermione looked down at her lap. "Sorry about that, but you know I don't like flying, If god had intended us to fly he would never have allowed Air Tours and My Travel."
Harry nodded fully agreeing with her as he tried to work some feeling into his numb lower half. "Yeah the seats are a little small, but don't matter cause the plane is going to land in twenty minutes according to the Pilot." He glanced over and out the window at the rapidly nearing city. "Are you positive these translator charms will work?"
Hermione glared at him and sniffed. "When have I ever been wrong about a spell Harry?"
Harry grinned playfully. "Oh there was one time in second year remember, an incident involving you and Milicent Bulstrodes cat?"
Hermione grimaced and gave a quick nod as she sat back and closed her eyes and waited patiently from the plane to touch down. "Ok maybe that one time, but the charms will work, we'll hear in English and whoever we are speaking to will hear in their native language." She squeezed her eyes shut tight as hse felt the plane shudder. "Let me know when this contraption is finally on the ground."
Thankfully the plane landed without a hitch and with a few annoying questions the customs officials had and within an hour the two teenagers found themselves on the streets of Tokyo trying to hail a cab to take them to their hotel. After several minutes of beeping horns from irate drivers the two began to walk.
The Sun was setting rapidly as they walked Tokyo's streets and Harry felt an itch between his shoulder blades as if someone or something was watching them both. Taking her hand he turned a corner into a darkened alley and started to run, Hermione looking at him like he had gone nuts. "Whats wrong. Harry?" She ran at his side as they rounded one corner then another before finally coming to a complete stop string at a brick wall.
"Harry what is going on?"
Harry spun and his eyes narrowed as he stared at the figure blocking the way out of the alleyway.
"I don't know who you are but just leave us alone, we don't want any trouble." He reached into his back pocket and fingered his wand as he watched the figure warily.
The figure chuckled and reached beneath his coat and in the rapidly dimming light from the setting sun Harry made out the faint out lines of a revolver. "Leave me the girl you little punk and I'll let you go."
Harry without thinking tugged Hermione behind him and drew his wand. "Expelliarumus!" just as Hermione's wand pointed at the man as well and her cry of Stupefy joined his and twin bolts of energy sailed across the alleyway striking the man in the chest. The gun to sailed out of his hand and for he himself to sail backwards at speed and smash bodily into the wall with a resounding crack.
Harry smirked but he heard Hermione gasp. "Oh god I think I killed him!" Harry rounded on her and grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him.
"No don't think that way, he had a gun Hermione and he was gonna hurt you, we had no choice ok, no choice." Harry watched as her eyes widened and Harry spun round as a growl filled the narrow alley.
"That hurt you little punk, guess you're Chi`n Ta huh, good theres good eating on you guys." The Man was on his feet watching them both as Harry faced him feeling sweat bead his forehead as he watched the guy shed his coat.
"Just leave us alone. Please I don't wanna hurt you." Harry could feel the temperature rise and Hermione grasped at his hand tightly.
"Harry stay calm please!" She pleaded with him as the man slowly advanced. Suddenly a mingled shout filled the alley as Harry yelled she screamed and the man roared as his skin seemed to Rupture as he steadily grew in stature and size and his skin was replaced by orange fur and black stripes.
The Hengeyokai* growled as it salivated at the thought of its up coming meal and sprinted leaping high into the air to pounce on its prey only for it's eyes to widen in surprise as crimson fire erupted on the skin of the male. The fire reached out and grabbed a hold of a dumpster that had to weigh a few tons and hauled it into the air and threw it at him.
Hermione gasped as she watched the crimson tendrils once more envelope Harry as his voice harsh and frightening screamed in rage. "You won't hurt her!" The magic wrapped round the trash dumpster beside them and it threw it into the air to meet the Tiger creature head on and with a dong that would have been comical in a movie it slammed the beast solidly into the wall with a crunch.
Harry stood there panting for breath his eyes screwed shut as his magics once more retreated into himself again when the scrape of metal on stone filled the air and the dumpster was roughly shoved aside and snarling in fury the Tiger man stood and leapt at the young teen. Harry roared in ager as the crimson tendrils once more burst forth causing Hermione to back away from the heat as the tendrils wrapped around the creatures outstretched arms and the hiss of burning meat began to fill the Alley.
Harry strained as the Creature forced itself forward one slow step at a time it's claws straining to sink themselves into Harry's flesh. It roared in triumph as it edged closer and closer but that roar turned into a scream as an arrow slammed into its side.
Harry didn't even notice the new arrivals as his face was a rictus of anger as he struggled to force the Tiger man backwards, every rational thought was buried beneath a tide of anger at the thought this creature would harm HIS Hermione.
Hermione spun around in confusion as the arrow thunked Tiger mans side wand raised casting the disarming spell as she saw a young woman probably with ages of herself once more aiming with her bow. The bow and arrow spun out of the girls hands and Hermione gave a sharp yelp of pain as a stick cracked down on her wrist causing her to drop her wand.
"Foolish girl!" The Old man standing before her yelled and he gestured at to other figures behind him, both men armed with several old fashioned weapons. The older of the two armed with a massive hammer and the younger again she would have guessed the same age as Harry and herself armed with a pair of short Samurai swords.
She gawked as she watched the older of the two men as he swung the hammer at the Tiger man, ignoring Harry completely forcing the creature backwards howling in pain while the boy tried to shove Harry to the side in order to get to the monster. Harry roared as he released his hold on the Tiger man and the tendrils of wild magic lashed out at the boy and sent him sailing across the alley to slam into the wall.
"Yoshi!" The man with the Hammer turned his attention to Harry leaving himself open as the Hengeyokai lashed out with the back of his massive fist slamming the paw shaped hand into the mans stomach driving the air out of his lungs. It pounced on Harry whose back was turned and tried to did it's claws through the crimson barrier as he drove the younger boy to his knees.
Harry roared in defiance and struggled rolling with the creature trying to dislodge it as his magic roared like a wild fire around him causing the orange and black fur to smoke and flesh to char before suddenly Harry jammed his fist into the snarling maw of the creature. Harry's eyes glowed a brilliant red in the now dark alley and he unleashed his fury and the magic flared inside the creatures mouth. It howled in agony as it's eyes vanished in a blaze of red light and it's skull began to distend and shift before exploding showering Harry in blood.
Slowly he stood and Hermione watched him carefully wanting to run and gather him into her arms but the old man stopped her his cane pressed against her stomach as he focused on Harry squinting in the darkened alley before his eyes widened in fear. "Akira! Yoshi! The boy is Possessed subdue him!"
Hermione rounded on the old man as the two others piled on top of Harry struggling to wrestle him to the floor. The old man grunted and jabbed a finger into Hermione's stomach and she fell on her ass as her legs stopped working unable to support her as the two younger men where bodily tossed away by the hundred and fifty pound teenager who came to a dead stop as the old man appeared in front of him and slapped a piece of paper onto his forehead. The crimson energy stopped suddenly and Harry blinked as pain flared along his shoulder and he stared down at the arrow embedded in his flesh. He looked at Hermione sitting on the floor staring at him horrified and he laughed briefly, at something only he found funny before he toppled forward and everything went black.
TBC…
AN:
Hengeyokai: Literally translates as those who change
Chi`n Ta: Translates as The Magi
Well I know it's been a long time but a combination of no Internet, two weeks at a rigged competition, massive amounts of writer's block and several dark and dire thoughts of just scrubbing this story totally I give you the next instalment of Awakening the Dragon
Yours truly,
The Evil Known as Kai Lun Mau