I can't recall exactly when I gave my life to the Lord. Really, it was all my life. The real question is when my devotion grew from a little girl mimicking and obeying her parents and truly devoting my heart and soul to God. I really can't say. What I can tell you is the day I felt closest to the Lord.

It was a sunny day, you wouldn't think that it would be one of the saddest days of my life. I was only fourteen in the year of our Lord 1968 and my father came home from the dock one day. This was an oddity as my stern father never missed a day of work in his life, not even when me or my siblings were born.

You see, my father was a strict Catholic man. He seldom touched a drop of alcohol. He hated the stuff since his own father drowned in it and killed my grandmother when he barely came of age. On this day, however, he come home drenched in its stench. I was in Catholic school at the time, but what I was told was my father coughed up blood while lifting something heavy and crushed his hand.

This was the tipping point for him. While at the hospital for his injury, he learned two things. First, his hand would have to be removed, the damage was too extensive. Secondly, he was infected with tuberculosis. My siblings and I were pulled from school that day, the day I learned my father was dying.

Each of us handled our grief differently as most do. My older sister dropped out of school to find comfort in the arms of her lover, some man, I think he worked in some diner? Much too old for her seventeen year old self. My little brother, of course took to me and my mother to cope with what he could hardly understand.

Finally, in the depths of despair that I would lose a parent when I was so young, found the Lord's love. I devoted myself to God, knowing this was not a farewell to my dear father, but a temporary separation. We would all be reunited under God's loving embrace in Heaven. Oh, the pride in my father's eyes when I told him this.

It was when my father died that my family fractured and fully devoted my life to the Lord. My sister, in her sinful ignorance, took the day of my father's funeral to come back into our lives and announce the child she had out of wedlock. I knew it was not the child's fault they were bastards, I would love my soon to be nephew with all my heart, but when I saw the heartbreak in my mother's eyes, as if she failed. I knew what I had to do, I gave my everything to God. I began my path to Sisterhood.

-Sister Rosewood

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The Sanguine Lord

We stood before the immense towers that were somehow still classified as trees. I gaped along with everyone else, save for some of the most experienced Veru natives. Though she lacked shock, there was still an appreciative awe in Asha's eyes. These colossal trees ranged from heights that matched skyscrapers from Earth to those of mountain peaks.

It was mind boggling that any flora could survive being choked of sunlight beneath the thick canopy of the trees above. I suppose in a world where an eldritch being could warp reality, anything is possible. I tore my gaze from the amazing sight to Asha and asked, "What did you say this place was?"

Meeting my gaze she replied, "The Forest of Kh'aldi. Though 'forest' is putting it lightly. This place is so immense that it has three unique biomes and several sub-biomes."

"Oh?" I quirked a brow.

Nodding, she continued, "Yep, from bottom to top, there is the Floor, the Heights, and the Canopy."

"Seems simple enough," I replied.

"Deceptively so. The terms are simple, but the reality is less so. The Floor is home to mega-fauna, both predator and prey. The canopy is where the more normal denizens of the forest find their homes. Safe from the enlarged predators from below and far enough to be ignored by the monstrosities in the Canopy. That is an area of powerful creatures, both natural and monsters."

I looked to the dense leaves high above in a new light, "What's up there?"

With a grim look, her only reply was, "Death"

I gave her a flat look, "Melodramatic today aren't we?"

She grinned, "Doesn't mean I'm not wrong. In truth, it's a mystery what's up there. The few explorers to attempt the trek were never made it back. The only beasts that people have managed to record are the weaker ones who are forced to feed upon creatures that live in the Heights that venture too close to the Canopy."

I was deep in thought as our people got to work setting up camp. The current plan was to scout out a relatively safe place within the forest and make a home for ourselves. At first it would be a small team that included myself, Asha, Eliara, and my new Vampiric nobles, the Paladin Liara and April.

April was a bit drawn in and reclusive. As I had feared, her initial wakening happened when her daughter was too close. It occurred a couple weeks into our journey. I happened to be away, intercepting a monster that found our caravan tantalizing prey. It was some type of carnivorous pegasus creature with hawk-like claws instead of hooves.

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It was an annoying fight as it was faster than me at flight. Whilst I was distracted, April woke up and a frightened Ashley took comfort by her unconscious mother. Despite repeated warnings, she still chose to be by April, not that anyone could blame the poor kid. She was normally kept a close eye on during her "visits".

It was unfortunate that everyone's eyes were focused on the battle when April awoke in the blood rage of a fresh and starved Vampire. The new Vampire just happened to have a tasty morsel holding her hand. Whether it was Ashley's beaming face at her awoken mother that triggered motherly instinct, or she was merely disoriented from waking up, there was a hesitation.

That hesitation saved Ashley's life. It allowed Asha to sense the workings of a new Vampire's magic and react. While she was quick enough to save her life, Aprils clawed hands tore into her child's face as she tried to pull the snack to her fangs. Asha tore the child from April's hands and to safety while Asha grappled with the crazed Vampiric Noble.

I finally brought down the monster and rushed back. Instantly realizing what happened, I ripped open the throat of the pegasus monster and fed April it's blood. She apparently couldn't draw in blood as I could, she had to actually drink it. Upon satiating her hunger, sanity returned, albeit hazily.

Ashley's cries broke through the confusion muddling her mind and she rushed unnaturally fast to her daughter's side only to have her heart break when the child flinched away. April looked at her clawed hands that still had her daughter's blood clinging to them. Ashley was already healed by our medics, though scars would remain due to their lower skills.

The flinch was instinctual and Ashley immediately hugged her mother, now crying in relief and joy more than fear and pain. She was a strong willed child, but that didn't matter to the horrified April. Since that day, she tried to avoid her daughter out of fear and shame, worried that she would harm Ashley again.

Every now and then, she would glare at me before looking guilty. Later, she came up to me and revealed, "I'm sorry. I keep blaming you, using you as a scapegoat for..." She gestured at herself, "I don't know how to live with myself. I hurt my daughter."

I smiled gently, "You can't blame yourself for that, you weren't in your right mind and she was healed right up. She doesn't even care, she's just overjoyed that her mother is back."

She shook her head fiercely, "It's more than that Victor and you damn well know it. I thought of my Ashley as fucking food. I was going to drain my baby girl dry and... and I enjoyed it."

I sighed, "I'm sorry, It's okay to blame me you know, I can't say I know what you're going through, not entirely. The thirst didn't affect me as it did you, not exactly. So long as we keep you fed, you'll never have to worry about losing yourself again. Even if you somehow ended up unable to feed, it'd take weeks of starvation for a Noble to go into a blood frenzy. Your daughter is perfectly safe around you."

"Victor, how am I supposed to go about as normal when every time I get close to Ashley, I think she smells delicious. The other day, she tripped while playing and scraped her knee and I fucking drooled. I know I can't blame you, I chose this, but I didn't realize; couldn't realize how strong these instincts and urges would be."

I nodded sagely, "It's like being surrounded by fresh cheeseburgers you aren't allowed to eat." I raised my hands placatingly at her glare, "Sorry, sorry, just trying to break the tension. My bad. It's going to take time to get used to. I had the advantage of being a Vampire Lord and having a fresh apocalypse to distract me from my... cravings. It still shouldn't be too bad for you being a Noble. If you don't trust yourself, trust your daughter."

Puzzlement filled her face, "Ashley?"

I grinned, "That kid is a smart cookie and I know for a fact that if she legitimately thought you would willingly hurt her, she wouldn't go near you. Take comfort in the fact that she treats you like she normally does."

"She's just a kid and can't wrap her mind around how dangerous her mother is now."

I raised a brow, "That kid got between me and the blade of a Pavilion stage paladin, the kid is quite aware of what's dangerous and what isn't and still brave enough to face it head on. Just give it time and you'll see. You need to be there for your kid, just like she's there for you now."

She nodded, a war waging in her mind. I patted her shoulder and left her to ruminate.

Now it was weeks later and she was slowly coming out of the shell she put herself in, mostly due to her daughter's stubborn refusal to avoid her mother.

Then there was my other new noble, Liara the Paladin. Where April was a storm of self recrimination, the Elf turned Vampire was the embodiment of silent cold fury and disgust when she awoke days before April. It was only the duty to her Goddess and her instincts to obey and protect her Lord and Sire that kept her from killing me, Asha, and herself.

The Goddess was silent after her plea for my help. Though Liara confirmed that she was merely resting. When she awoke, I approached her, ready to restrain her blood frenzy. Though she had a wild look in her eyes, she managed to keep calm. She silently followed me to the wilds where she hunted and fed on the first beast we came across, a simple white tailed deer. I was a bit surprised to find a normal animal, but then I spotted a buck in the distance fleeing and saw it had crystalline antlers.

Liara wiped the blood from her mouth and looked repulsed despite the fact she lapped up every drop. "Damn you monster, damn you for what you've turned me into. Where it not for my lady trusting you for some reason, I would rip you asunder."

I scratched my head, swallowing my snarky reply, "Listen, for what its worth, I am sorry. At least April chose this, you were strong armed into the decision. Obviously, as much as you hate it, you're better as a living Vampire than a dead paladin in the eyes of your goddess."

She scoffed but didn't refute me, and I continued, "We're allies, and whether you like it or not, we are bound by more than circumstance now. You feel it right? The connection?"

She sneered, "Indeed beast, go ahead, supplicate your evil desires, my body may obey, but my soul will not bow to you."

"Alright, I know it's gonna take a while to get through your thick headed zeal, but I'm not going to abuse you or the link between us. Any orders I give you will be fair. I will not take advantage of you. I'm not evil, but I know actions speak louder, especially to people like you."

She eyed me suspiciously but stayed silent as we returned to camp. She took my words to heart and constantly kept her eyes on Asha and I. Even to present day she was suspicious that all she saw was a façade meant to trick her. Though I did see she got along famously with the more religious of our group even if their faiths differed, it seems Christians shared similar morals and teaches with the Goddess of Light.

She eventually took it upon herself to act as the guardian of this group, protecting from outside threats, and from us. At first, it was just going to be myself, Eli, and Asha on the scouting trip, but Liara insisted that she couldn't trust us on our own and needed to keep an eye on "the undead". I rolled my eyes at here but welcomed her nonetheless.