It's been ten years since Mother has died. No, not died. Murdered. She was murdered in cold blood. That sight when I came back from collecting game, it will haunt me for the years to come. That beautiful woman, lying in a puddle of blood. Her blood.
She's gone, forever. A part of my family, ripped away from me. I can't let that happen again.
Leila. I promise, on my blade, that I will protect you. No matter what.
"Roselle? Hey, Roselle, wake up."
Roselle groaned, pulling parts of the moss bed towards her head. "Leave me alone," she said groggily. "I need sleep."
"Roselle, I'm not kidding. It's sundown and we need to catch food before they disappear in their dens."
"Go away."
"Fine. I'll go hunting myself."
Never let Leila go hunting alone. That's one of the rules in the Roselle life. Instantly, like she was laying on a bed of hot coals, Roselle jumped up, moss still sticking on her jacket and her white hair. "Wait, Leila—"
She woke up too late. Leila had already darted into the woods, leaving behind hundreds of dirt clouds in her wake. Roselle could still see her Victorian-like dress and her little hairpiece flapping in the wind, and her sword poised at her side, like an elegant swordsman. But of course. Everything about Leila was elegant. Her outfit, her movement, her fighting style. She was a graceful swan with an owl's talons.
Roselle considered going after her; after all, she is only eleven, despite her puny appearance. Oh, well. She's just hunting deer and so. Nothing big like a bear, right?
She glanced at the food pile on a moss cloth lying next to the fireplace. Surely Leila's seen that? She was a really observant child, and a smart one, too. She wouldn't waste energy by hunting more food if they still had some in stock.
It doesn't matter. As long as she stays safe, and comes back in one piece, then I'll be happy. That's all.
"Wow, it's already the heart of the woods. I must have overexerted myself."
Leila looked over her back, watching for her sister to come by and tell her to go back. She was that overprotective over her; she wouldn't let her go on a simple hunting task. That was the only thing about Roselle that she hated. Why couldn't Roselle see that she could take care of herself, just for once? She could handle a mob of skeletons with just a sword and some dark sorcery. Wasn't that proof enough?
Why am I thinking about this? The deer will go to their beds soon; the moon is getting clearer. I'd best start hunting now.
It was getting darker, but that was okay. To the Vergerius sisters, moonlight was just as good as sunlight. Without hesitation, Leila started tracking the deer, walking briskly without bumping into any trees or tripping over vines.
This was something else that Roselle couldn't see in Leila. She was an excellent hunter.
By the time the moon's light was full, seven deer fell by Leila's fancy, short sword. Even though she looked like she could be eight, she could hunt and fight as well as a sixteen-year-old.
Before Leila could start walking back with her deer meat, a sinister pulse echoed in her mind. Leila flinched. She felt pulses like these before, and they signaled the presence of skeletons or some strange monster. But this pulse, it felt, darker, somehow. This pulse seemed give away a powerful evil aura nearby, one stronger than the ones Leila and Roselle fought before.
Normally Roselle would tell her to not get into the mess like a mother lecturing her kids. But Roselle wasn't here. Leila grinned. If she could take down something as powerful as the thing she was feeling, then Roselle will surely give her more freedom. And she was confident that she could do it.
Slowly, she inched her way to the source of the pulse. This was it. The moment of redemption.
Oh, how lovely. A little girl in my gorgeous realm. A real treat, too; she's a vampiress. The most fun.
Let's play a game, shall we, little girl?