The Seven Vampire Lords Of Sin

 ~Helen~

No way...

Am I still alive?

Huh????

My eyes fluttered open, and a haze of fog engulfed me like white smoke.

Pain surged through me, and I winced, struggling to sit up from the hard ground.

"Where am I?" I whispered, adjusting my gaze to take in my surroundings. As I managed to sit up, the scene around me came into clearer view.

I lay on a narrow ledge on the mountain, my feet dangling in mid-air. Despite the pain surging through me, I realized I hadn't lost my footing – I had miraculously survived.

My gaze wandered to the moonlight hiding behind the fog, its shine still radiant. A faint smile curved my lips. "Father," I whispered, "you saved me. You've been with me all along."

Tears streamed down my face as relief washed over me. "I'm alive!" I exclaimed, joy overwhelming me. I hadn't fallen, and the arrows hadn't pierced my body... until I saw it.

Ahh!

I winced, my eyes fixed on the arrow lodged in my right leg, just above the knee.

I yanked the arrow out with shaking hands, and a searing pain shot through my bone, making me gnash my teeth.

Red clouds of blood gushed out from the wound, staining my fair skin. I hastily tore a strip from my trousers to tie around the wound, stopping the flow.

As I examined the arrow, I noticed its shaft was made of black metal, with a red ribbon dancing on its end – a symbol of the human guards. The memory flashed through me, sending a new wave of fear coursing through my veins.

If I don't escape now, the guards would stop at nothing to capture me. They would climb this mountain, no matter the cost, and rest only when they had me in their grasp and the imagery was back in their possession.

The imagery...

I slumped in despair, scanning my surroundings, but there was no sign of the glittering gold. Only empty rocks, growing weeds, and plants met my gaze.

"Huh?"

I pushed myself to stand, the pain from the arrow wound surging through me. But I barely registered it as I scanned my surroundings, desperate to catch a glimpse of the imagery.

What was the point of surviving this night if I'd lost the gold? Everything I had endured would be for nothing, and to make matters worse, I'd been injured.

Each step I took brought a throbbing pain to my head, a painful reminder of not just the wound, but also the fall.

I need to find it. What if the guards took the same risk I did, jumping from the roof to this mountain? They could be closing in, hot on my heels.

Sweat prickled on my face, the stench overwhelming. I ripped the mask off, tearing away the concealing wrap on my head.

The night wind whipped my red hair into a frenzy, the breeze sending it dancing and falling in wild, ocean-like waves. As I inhaled sharply, the cool night air rushed over my face, refreshing me and clearing my mind.

The mountains led me to a small forest, where trees and foliage thrived. It was a breathtaking sight, and if I hadn't been so fixated on finding the imagery, I would have noticed the stunning waterfall cascading down, its waters shimmering with a light blue glow.

But then, I spotted a shining glint amidst the surrounding darkness. As I drew closer, my heart skipped a beat – there, lying on the grass-carpeted ground, was the golden imagery.

Oh, what a relief!

My pace quickened, despite the pain, as excitement fueled my heartbeat. Perhaps the imagery had slipped from my grasp during the fall, which would explain why it lay farther away from me.

As I drew closer, I crouched down to retrieve it, but a white rabbit suddenly appeared out of nowhere and sat on the imagery's head. Its eyes narrowed, glaring at me. The rabbit's fur was pure white, rich and clean like clouds. Its only colorful features were its piercing blue eyes and a small blue stain on its forehead.

I growled, "Shoo!" and waved my hand to chase it away, but the rabbit refused to budge.

This was no time for animals, I thought, biting my lip. I don't have time to play with any creature, not now, not with this precious gold at stake.

"You need to move so I can take that," I said, pointing at the imagery, addressing the rabbit as if it were human. But the rabbit snorted – or so I thought – and mockingly stuck out its tongue.

I chuckled, rumbling my red locks with my hand. "You leave me no choice." I muttered to myself, planning to scare the rabbit away. My hand instinctively went to the dagger sheathed at my waist. I didn't intend to use it, but the rabbit left me no option – not that I'd harm it, just intimidate it.

I drew the dagger and unsheathed it, the silver blade glinting in the moonlight. The tip was razor-sharp, capable of drawing blood with the slightest touch.

"I won't kill you," I warned, inching the dagger forward, using its sharp blade to scare the rabbit. "If you leave, I'll spare you."

This was no joke. If the rabbit didn't move, it would discover the sharpness of my dagger's blade, for I wouldn't bargain my life for a small creature.

However, the rabbit gazed at me with a bored expression, its eyes fixed on the dagger's blade. Then, it let out a sigh – or so I thought – followed by a soft, feminine voice: "Alright, I suppose this isn't a fun night for you, then."

My ears perked up, and I glanced around, wondering where the voice came from. It was too soft, too feminine to belong to the guards, but it could be a trick to catch me off guard.

"Right here, human," the voice spoke again, this time coming directly from in front of me.

I turned my head immediately, and my gaze met the rabbit's. It couldn't be – I had heard a voice!

My heart began to pound. Ever since I'd learned about the night creatures, I'd feared there might be more like them – perhaps not night creatures, but something extraordinary, something humans only saw as mysterious and mythical.

I'd heard of other strange occurrences; maybe this was one of them – a siren's voice in the night, capable of luring anyone in. Maybe the voice was luring me now, and if I didn't escape, I'd be trapped forever.

My gaze fixed on the rabbit, and I gasped as I saw its blue eyes roll. "Heavens," I cursed.

"Of course, it was me," the rabbit spoke, and I jumped back, my eyes growing wide.

"How?" I began to whisper, but before I could find the right words, a blue light enveloped me, blinding my view.

I shielded my eyes with my hands, waiting for the light to fade. When it was safe, I cautiously opened my eyes.

As my eyelids fluttered open, I found myself face to face with a girl about my age. Her white dress clung to her body, accentuating her curves, and stopped just above her knee. The garment seemed to be wrapped tightly around her, showcasing her slender figure. Her pure white hair cascaded down to her waist, and her piercing blue eyes – unmistakably the same as the rabbit's – seemed to bore into my soul.

I glanced down, and my gaze met the empty space where the rabbit would have been. Instead, I saw the golden imagery lying on the ground.

"Heavens!" 

My gaze traveled up immediately, and I caught her smiling, her white teeth flashing before me. The blue mark on her forehead was actually a crystal bead, glinting like magic.

She was beautiful, surreal, unlike anyone I had ever seen before. She looked like a goddess; it felt like a sin to gaze at her without bowing.

"You brought me back," she beamed, her eyes sparkling with gratitude.

It was unmistakably the same voice as the rabbit's.

"Now I will call you master," she said, bowing her head. Her sleek hair cascaded around her, framing her face.

My legs nearly buckled, but I caught myself just in time. At this point, the wound and blood loss should have sent me tumbling to the ground, but I stood steady, oblivious to the pain.

"Who...who...are you?" I stuttered, each word trembling on my lips as I spoke, wondering if I'd been swept into some surreal dream.