My mind was still, as all the doubt and guilt had washed away. The sun had finally warmed up as it streamed against my face. I can't remember the last time I felt warmth or… any type of temperature for that matter. After that night I had never again felt a chill from the evening breeze or the harsh rays of the sun. Is it only now that I am focusing on the feeling that I could feel it or…’

Without warning, something plunged into the water next to my head. All thoughts left my mind, as I sprung up with only my torso raised out of the water in a defensive stance. My eyes did a sweep of my surroundings to find an elderly man with rag clothing and a short gray beard sitting on the bank of the lake, holding a self-made fishing rod.

How long has he been sitting there!?

"Taking a swim I see! It's good to see children being children again." The man exclaimed with a bright smile on his face.

I forcefully relaxed my shoulders. "Sorry, I hope I am not intruding," I said, doing my best to act innocent and fixing my shirt to hide the mark on my chest.

I could feel my anxiousness returning. I have been secluded all this time. Seeing another person felt alien. I knew I had to be careful, as one wrong glance and he might know what I am.

The old man tipped his woven hat and said: "Not at all! It would be lovely to have some company while fishing. Now come dry off. You are scaring away the fish."

I sighed, thinking it was nice while it lasted. I trudged out of the water and onto the bank.

The man broke his gaze from me and focused on the water. "I am Henry, the town's unappointed fisherman. I come here every morning to catch some food for the village."

I took a seat near him. "I can see why you would fish here. There is plenty to catch." I said cheerfully, trying to hide my true emotions.

Henry smiled, and without taking his eyes off the water, asked: "So my boy, who are you? I have never seen you before.''

My heart skipped a beat. What if the news had spread? I can't tell him my real name! I decided to move into a more relaxing position, to give me time to come up with something.

Henry seemed to catch on: "Don't worry about it, my boy, I am merely a curious old man. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.''

"I am Alucard Dumein." I blurted out, realizing too late what Henry had said.

"Ha! What a powerful name! Your father must have been very proud to have given it to you." Henry said in an over-excited manner.

I could feel my guilt pushing itself up my throat. I looked down at the water, remaining silent.

Henry started to pull in his line. "A sensitive subject I see. I know when not to pry. So Alucard, you must be a brave young lad to be in these mountains by yourself."

I looked at the old man with my face portraying confusion. "What do you mean?"

Henry removed the caught fish off the line, placing it safely in a woven basket." Ah! Foolish then. These forests are filled with Abyssal. They would swallow a young boy like you in one gulp!" He made swallowing noises for dramatic effect.

All my time spent in the forest, not once did I see any sign of Abbysal. I straightened my legs in a more comfortable position. "They can't be that bad if you are happily fishing in their territory."

The man gave a slight chuckle. "Desperation, my dear Alucard. Men do crazy things to survive. If I don't sit here happily catching fish, then my village goes hungry." His smile faded as these words parted his lips. "Besides, they are nocturnal. As long as the sun is above me, then I am the lord of these forests." He said, stretching his arm out to add an even more dramatic effect.

The confusion moved back onto my face. "What do you mean nocturnal? Does the sun damage their skin?"

Henry recast his line into the water, making a large splash as it hit the water's surface. "Nothing of the sorts. Their senses are dulled. The Abyssal struggle to see during the day, keeping them from leaving their nests."

These words reminded me of the blinding light I had experienced each morning. My eyes did however adjust each and every time. The thought gave me hope that I might still be normal in some way.

"Why don't heroes from the capital deal with them? They must have received some reports by now?" I asked.

Henry gave a large sigh. "Heroes don't work for free, unfortunately. There is also no glory for saving a tiny village in the middle of nowhere."

My fists clenched at the thought. There have to be some heroes that could help. The stories my mother had told me have to have some truth to them. I sat with Henry on the bank while he caught fish and passed friendly banter until the sun started to go down.

Henry got up. "Alucard, I think it's time we head back to the village. You can stay with us for the night." Henry then squinted, looking at my stained clothes. "When we get to my village, then I'll ask Anna if we have something that will fit. Your clothes seem to have seen better days"

I smiled and got up from the bank. I hope this Anna will accept a favor as payment for these new clothes, or I will be without some for a while.

Henry and I then set off to the village. From the direction we were moving in, I would assume the village to be situated on the top of the mountain. As we climbed the steep paths, I realized Henry was surprisingly fast. He climbed like a man half his age would. I could also determine he was extremely fit as he didn't run out of breath telling me about the elusive, ring-tailed monster fish that hid within that lake. He swore one day it would be served on his plate with a side of lemon and a pinch of ginger. As he explained, he made hand gestures to show how he would sprinkle each seasoning on the fish. He then moved over to stories about his younger days as a traveling singer. He would then proceed to sing a verse, illustrating his travels in song. Not a single moment of silence was present during our journey.

And then. It happened… Henry's tall tales started to be drowned out by his heartbeat. Each thump, I could hear his veins fill with blood. That unearthly hunger started to set in again. I never caught food this morning! A mistake I swore not to make. I bit my lip, forcing the urge back down.

Time felt like it was holding its breath. It felt like an eternity passing as I kept my eyes to the ground. Control! You trained for this! Just keep moving.

The sun was dangling on the edge of the mountain when Henry broke my focus: "We made it my boy! Looks like we get to fish another day.'' he said loudly as we entered the small boundary of the village.

The village itself was very old and worn. Building walls were cracked, roofs missing tiles, and windows shattered. Even with all these faults, they still seemed beautiful in some way.

A door swung open almost like it was waiting for Henry to return. Inside the doorway stood a pretty brown-haired, young woman with worry across her face.

Stolen novel; please report.

"Father! Not Again! You know you should not be returning so late. The sun has already left the sky!” She shouted.

It was obvious she didn't know how to properly act angry.

Henry chuckled." I met a fellow fishing enthusiast and lost track of time. I promise it won't happen again."

It immediately struck me. Has Henry been staying out as late as possible to make sure he would bring back enough food?

My train of thought was interrupted by the woman: "You must be cold with all those holes in those dirty clothes? Come inside so I can see if we can fix that.''

Henry smiled with pride in his eyes and said: "Overbearing as always, Anna."

She pouted and grabbed my hand, dragging me to the building she had just emerged from. Henry slowly followed behind. As we entered the building, I noticed multiple people sitting comfortably around tables. It looked like a mess hall. The wooden floors and tables seemed well kept. There was a crackling warmth emanating from a stone fireplace. It feels like a home. I think…

"Anna, who is the young lad?" A man shouted across the room.

Anna gave a quick glance at the man and with a cheerful demeanor exclaimed: "My father seems to have found a stray.''

The man chuckled at the response. A Stray? I knew I looked bad but c'mon. Anna dragged me down creaking wooden stairs and into a cellar lined with closed doors. She opened the first one on the right to a small room filled with patched clothes.

She released my hand and said: "Let's see. There should be something here you could wear.'' She looked through the cupboards, unfolding the many shirts to determine their sizes. After a few moments, she pulled out a grey shirt. "This looks about the right size! A boy should have something that will handle their many escapades.''

She held the shirt out to me. I slowly took it from her, trying to understand what it would cost me.

She then looked down at my trousers, giving a reassuring grin. "They might not have holes but those stains won't be coming out. Let's see…''

She kept rummaging while I held the soft shirt. As I stared at the fabric, a pair of grey trousers were held out in front of me.

"I found a matching pair." She said with excitement in her voice. I took the pair of trousers even more gently from her.

In a hesitant tone I said: "Sorry miss, I don't have anything to offer you for the clothes.''

Anna pulled her face as if confused. "You don't owe anything. Now I have to go prepare the food upstairs. Get ready and come join us for supper. A growing boy like you must be starving."

Without waiting for my reply, she ruffled my hair with her delicate hands and left the room, closing the door behind me. I stood alone in the room holding the clothes. What is this feeling? There is always a catch but, she seems so earnest.

I changed my clothes with care as the feeling of knives in my stomach was agonizing. She was right, I was starving. I knew deep down that if I didn't eat soon, something bad would happen. I exited the room and climbed the steps back up.

As I entered the mess hall, I could see Henry sitting amongst the men around a table. He had already begun telling the tale of how we met. How could a man make something so insignificant sound so dramatic? If I wasn't so hungry, I would have laughed at the sight. I walked past and sat down at an empty table across from theirs, placing my forehead on its surface.

I bit my lip once again, as I was growing desperate. A voice echoed through my mind: ”Food... Food... Food…” All the noise around me started to fade away as the voice returned in a more sinister manner: “Kill... Kill... Kill…”

"Clink."

The sound of ceramic made contact with the wood surface of my table. I raised my head to find Anna standing next to me. How much time has passed!?

"Here is some fish you and Henry caught so bravely. There wasn't much so I added some vegetables to fill the gap. I hope you finish everything." Anna said in a motherly tone.

I stared at the food on the plate. Without a moment to spare, I grabbed the fish with my bare hands and shoved it into my mouth. It was so good. The lemon and spices, the tender meat. It was as if I was holding my breath and then finally exhaling. I couldn't eat quickly enough. The hunger started to subside with each bite. I then delved into the vegetables. To my astonishment, they tasted rotten. The texture was like ash melting in my mouth.

Disgusting… Were my eyes deceiving me? They looked so fresh and well cooked. Is this another side effect of my condition? I then shoved another piece in my mouth. The taste stayed exactly the same. No! This is all the food I have for tonight. I knew if I didn't eat everything then I wouldn't be able to make it until tomorrow. I have to finish this. I need more time. I grabbed my nose, closing off the airways. I just hoped the people around me think I am a fussy child. I then ate the vegetables as fast as possible to delay the taste.

Henry's voice echoed from afar: "My boy if you eat like that, you'll choke. Is any of it even touching your tongue? I promise you the food is not running away!"

I couldn't care less at this point. It felt like my very soul depended on this moment. Before I knew it, my plate was empty.

Anna walked past and collected my plate: "I know I said you should finish everything but, wow! When was the last time you ate?"

I looked up at her soft face. " Sorry, it has been a while since I have had a cooked meal."

Anna smiled and walked off with my plate. "That blasted beast took our last sheep last night! We even hid her in one of the houses to find it broke through the window and took her. Henry, have you found a hero willing to help us yet?" The man across from Henry exclaimed.

"No, none that would work for the coin we could offer. At this point, I think it would be easier to move to a new location, far from the forests." Henry replied.

My attention was immediately grabbed. What beast!? It's probably an Abyssal if they want a hero to deal with it. My curiosity got the better of me.

"What beast is causing your village such hardship?" I said as I walked closer to Henry’s table.

He turned in his chair to face me: "A Khubaza. An Abyssal so fast it could steal your flok without you seeing it coming. What makes it worse, it has a tail that can sting you, leaving you paralyzed while it eats you alive. No ordinary hero would take on such a foe. You would need a Prior or even a Seneschal to be able to defeat it."

I felt confused. I had never heard of heroes being ranked before. I sat down next to Henry, his gaze following me. "What are these rankings and how do they define a hero?"

Henry gave a small chuckle: "For a young man that seems to travel much, you sure have been living under a rock. All heroes have a ranking, my boy. It is displayed on the right shoulder of their armor. The lowest rank being a prior which can be identified by a white tree encased in a circular seal marking. Once a prior achieves more skill and renown, he is then promoted to Seneschal. The tree marking on his shoulder receives a fruit dangling from the branches. If the Hero shows more promise another fruit is added and they become a Marchal. After that comes a High Marchal and then Grand Marchel. At these ranks they are seen as the right hand of the king himself." Henry explained using his fingers as illustrators.

[https://i.imgur.com/DyQkW6A.jpg]

If the system was correct, then my father was truly the lowest of the low. I remembered him staring at his right shoulder plate every morning before leaving for work. I assumed he was trying to motivate himself to push on. Now I know he was probably loathing his lack of achievement.

Henry turned back, facing the men: "Winter is coming and I will have to catch twice the amount of fish I had caught today just to be able to compensate for the missing sheep. If I can time it right, maybe I can leave just before the sun rises to allow myself more time."

Henry then grabbed my shoulder. ”Lucky for me, I have an apprentice who shall brave the harsh waters with me. Am I right, Alucard? Henry said with an overzealous tone.

I nodded at the thought of more cooked food.

Henry met my gaze. “Great! Now you must be tired. We will be having an early start tomorrow. Let Anna show you to the guest room. I will wake you up once the time has come to face the creatures of the deep!." He said as he made a triumphant fist in the air.

As I looked into his eyes, I could see the exhaustion he was trying to conceal. He was a good man that was continuously dealt a bad hand. I guess we all have our own ways to deal with loss.

Anna walked in behind me. "Don't let old Henry tell you when you should be tired. If you want to stay up until the morning, then do so with pleasure." Anna's smile lit up the room as she exclaimed this.

I got up off the chair and in the most respectful way said: "No, Henry is right. I had a long day. Rest would do me good."

Anna swayed her head to show I should follow. She led me back down the stairs to one of the closed doors at the far back left-hand corner. It was a small room with a window and a single, freshly made bed.

"Hope the bed is soft enough. We don't get many guests, so I made sure to use our best sheets to celebrate the occasion. There is a bucket filled with rainwater for cleaning yourself off. Hope you sleep well" Anna said warmly.

I thanked her as best I could, then closed the door as she left. I took off my new clothes and cleaned myself before climbing into the soft bed. I had never laid in a bed this comfortable before. It felt like things were looking up. I closed my eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.