Chapter 1 ~ The Thorns of a Red Rose

I awoke to the faint aroma of fruit, a blend of grapes and cherries infused with other flavours that formed a harmonious scent. Upon opening my coffin, the smell engulfed my nostrils with the full fragrance of a sweet nectar I knew well: red wine. Standing in the doorway was Lily with a smile on her face and glass of red wine in her hand. Making her way over to me in the darkness, she held out the wine glass as I sat up in my coffin. It was actually amazing how she was able to sense where I was despite being unable to see anything in front of her.

Grabbing the wine glass from her hand, I sipped the wine slowly after stirring it around. It was truly a refreshing blend of fruit that I needed to start my day – or rather, my night. Standing to my feet, I grabbed Lily by the hand and helped her to her feet. She continued to showcase her cheerful expression knowing that even if she could not see me, I could see her. Regardless, she trusted me and did not resist or jump as I carefully led her over to the wooden chair at my desk. After lighting the candle, I placed my wine glass beside it. On instinct, she grabbed my black notebook and opened it up to the page that showcased the inventory.

“So, how are we looking since this morning?” I asked as I leaned over shoulder.

She grabbed one of the quills from my desk and dipped the nib tip into a bottle of fine black ink. Even in the dim-lit room she managed to write with an elegant lettering that rivalled a master calligrapher. After a few minutes, I looked over how much the shop had in stock and what our rough profit margin gain was for the day. Overall, our profit was a little higher than yesterday which was great to see. As an apothecary, our shop relied on orders taken from the local guild and clinic in Nullus. While it was far from allowing us to live in the lap of luxury, it was a simple life that Lily and I could be happy with. She finished filling out a page in the notebook and looked over to me.

“All in all, we are doing pretty good for now. We do need to gather more herbs and there was a customer that asked for Moonvale.”

Often, Lily would gather the common herbs during our days the shop was closed. Usually, I ensured that we had plenty in stock, gathering many of the ones that grew well in the moonlight hours. She always tried to gather the ones during the daylight hours. The gathering of herbs was something both of us could do without fail; however, this customer that wanted Moonvale was more urgent and stuck out to me.

“Would you mind gathering the herbs tomorrow? We can close up the shop. As for the customer, tell them to return in the evening when you next see them.”

“Don’t worry, I already told her to come tomorrow evening to speak with you. I told her that you are more knowledgeable in alchemy and know about rare plants.”

“All right, that will work.”

Lily could tell I was in deep thought about the woman that wanted the rare plant. She grabbed my hand gently and smiled.

“I know you will take care of it.”

“I always do. Now, let’s go ensure we have the inventory in perfect shape.”

Helping Lily to her feet, I led her through the basement and took note of all the herbs that we had in stock. On one of the tables held a variety of herbs used in antidotes and healing remedies. Lily grabbed a glass bottle and handed it to me. Even though it was as dark as the abyss, she had still managed to hand me exactly what I needed.

“It still amazes me that you can see what you are handing to me.”

Lily smiled.

“My eyes have adjusted to the dark so I can see a little bit. I can’t see the labels though. Sadly, my eyes aren’t like yours. Mostly, I’ve just memorised where you keep things down here.”

Gathering up all the bottled herbs and ingredients that were needed, I placed them in a small wooden box and on an empty desk that I used for mixing the various remedies. While I sorted out what I needed, Lily handed me another small wooden box with empty vials. Once I had everything I needed, I turned to Lily.

“I can take it from here. You mind seeing how the garden is doing?”

“Mhm. I need to check our food garden too. Anything you want me to cook for you?”

“You always ask that and I always tell you I’ll just take the wine.”

“Still, it’s polite to ask, is it not?”

Lily was always so kind. Even though I was a vampire and no longer able to ingest human food, she always asked me what I wanted and prepared a meal on what I asked for. The gesture was sweet but I often felt bad that she would waste her time trying to prepare a single meal that only she could eat. Red wine was the only human thing my body could take without throwing it back up.

Vampires were often treated in this world as evil or demonic. That was untrue. They were as good or bad as any human, elf, faerie or beast-kin. Many though participated in deals with shadow organisations. There was one renown vampire that become known far and wide as an herbalist. She had devoted her life to treating and healing those that could not afford it. However, problem’s arose when she became so big that her treatments were destroying the market for the various religious groups that dealt with healing the sick. Over time, she was forced to flee from the city capital and she had never been heard from again. That is the official story many of the newspapers printed.

I began my work on mixing the herbs to create different varieties of potions and other concoctions. While I worked, I noticed Lily was still standing beside me.

“Hey, Nyizel?”

“Hmm?”

“You still didn’t tell me what you wanted for dinner.”

“Still not going to let that go, are you? Fine, how about the noodles we have?”

Lily nodded and headed up the stairwell. I continued my work for a several hours until I had finished. Carrying the box with me up the stairs, I placed it on one the tables and looked around the shop. There were a few tables that needed restocking which I would do after drinking. Lily entered from the backdoor that led out into the garden we both used for alchemy ingredients and food.

“Would you care to join me for a stroll in the night?”

With a smile, Lily grabbed my arm gently and rested her head against my shoulder.

“We should probably get dressed for that.”

I watched as she Lily made her way up the stairs to the second floor until she was out of sight. Making my way back down into my room, I opened up the wooden dresser I kept my clothes in. The only question now was what should I wear? Grabbing a few clothes from the dresser and laying them on top of my coffin, I thought about what would be the best outfit to wear. A few minutes passed until I decided to go with a white top that revealed my shoulders and a matching short frilly skirt with black lace trim at the hem. Sitting down in the chair, I slowly put on a garter belt that sat comfortably around my left thigh. While it was a cute accessory, it served the purpose of carrying a concealed dagger that I could easily get to in case of emergency.

Staring down at my leg, my mind got sidetracked by the rose tattoo that was burned into my skin. The long twisting thorn spiralled like a snake from my hip, where the rose was, down to the top of my foot. It was always there and could never be removed. A grim reminder of the past.

Grabbing the white stockings, I slowly drew them up over my knees and put on the pair of black leather boots that stopped below my knees. For the final finishing touch I tied up my hair on the left side. After pretending to check myself out in the mirror, I opened up a secret compartment on my desk. Inside was a custom made weapon I used. There was little that made it valuable. It is just a simple dagger with a slight curve to it. The hilt had a finger ring that could be used for gripping and while the blade was more suited to disarming and injuring an opponent, it was still deadly enough to kill. Placing the weapon on my hip as I did before, I headed up the stairs to see Lily standing there with a cheerful expression on her face.

Her appearance was plain but even with just a simple moss green tunic and white short skirt, she was still a beauty. With her long red hair tied in a flowing braid and her legs on full display, accented by the simple straw sandals – she was flawless in anything she wore. For a moment, I forgot I was staring intently at her until she grabbed me by the arm and brought me closer to her.

“You don’t have to stare, you know?”

“Sorry. It’s just… it seems like no matter what you wear you manage to make it work.”

A playful smirk appeared on Lily’s face.

“I know. Now, shall we go?”

After locking up the shop, the two of us made our way down the dirt pathway. The shop sat just outside the small town on a small hill surrounded by a forest to east. It was close enough to be within the central market of town in roughly twenty minutes away. Close to a human settlement but not too close. Continuing our walk down the road, I recalled how Nullus was once so small that it was not even on a map. Now, it was considered a town by the empire.

I looked over the grasslands and how picturesque it was. Small rivers with wooden bridges drew the eyes of any tourists that wondered into Nullus. In general, the place did not get many visitors. Most were eccentrics such as mages who wanted a place to read their books or ex-convicts that were looking to start a new life. The one good thing about Nullus was that most people did not pry into the past of others. Everyone had a dark secret in Nullus and the rule among everyone was not to ask or tell. Of course, people were often curious at times but overall, no one cared about what a person did in their past so long as they did not break any laws.

Occasionally, adventuring parties would stop by the area to take on a quest or two if a previous one brought them near Nullus but in general, none would ever stay. In total, Nullus had two A-rank adventurers who had retired to live a quiet life. Nullus was a place for everyone to start over, even someone as monstrous as me.

“Do you want to stop by Em’s place?” Lily asked as she over to me.

“Sure. I need to ask if she has my book I let her borrow.”

Emily Lenora Valyirmare Veritas was the only doctor in Nullus. She was a close friend of mine and she enjoyed Lily’s company. Her clinic was sat at a small crossroads with one of the roads leading into the market where buildings were dense and compact. Various shops littered the market square and was the place where all sorts of trade happened. As Lily and I reached the top of one of the hills, the clinic came into view. The building was small and contained two floors. Making our way around the side of the building was a staircase leading up to the second floor were Emily lived when she was not running her clinic during the operating hours of the day, which she mostly delegated to her faerie assistant.

Walking up the stairs with Lily’s hand in mine, I helped her to the top of the stairs and knocked on the door. There was a few seconds of silence before I could hear the sound of footsteps from beyond the door approaching. I could hear the sound of the door unlocking followed by Emily standing in the doorway. She yawned as she appeared like she had just gotten out of bed. While she was a flawless beauty with long flowing white hair and golden hazel eyes, there was one area where she stood out when compared to Lily. In truth, she was on par with a model thanks to her appearance.

“Nyizel, Lily! I’m surprised to see you two. Please, come in.”

Before I could speak, I noticed Emily’s chest starting to move as if something was trying to get out. Popping out from between her cleavage was Aine, her faerie assistant.

“Nyizie and Lilie are here? Yay!”

Aine was small in size and able to fit into small cracks. Her long, forest green hair was unique with a cyan coloured highlight and like Emily’s, always appeared messy as if she had just got out of bed. In her case, I could safely say she had just woken up.

“Hey there, Aine. I see you were enjoying a nap before we showed up,” Lily said with a smile.

Stepping into Emily’s place, she was in the middle of studying something with all the books and loose-leaf sheets of paper that were scattered about the floor. I carefully made my way over to one of the wooden chairs she kept by her desk. Lily removed her sandals and made her way over to the bed. She was always polite when entering someone’s home and had a habit of removing her shoes as a sign of respect. Personally, I often wondered if she just enjoyed going without them because it made her feel free. While I could not say the same for Emily and Aine, I think they felt the same.

“So, what brings you two by here? Need a check up?” Emily asked as she grabbed a book from her bookshelf.

“We were just taking a stroll and we figured we would stop by. I also wanted to get my book back if you’re finished with it.”

I watched as Emily nodded and pulled down another book from the shelf. Making her way over to me, she handed me the book I had loaned out to her about fifty years ago. The book was a large volume of notes I had gathered throughout my travels as well as other personal notes that only my sister and I truly understood. Emily was interested in gaining the knowledge and advancing the research of her field.

“It was a highly useful book. Sadly, I’m not any closer to advancing my area of expertise. Still, it was invaluable. Sorry, I took so long to return it.”

“Don’t worry about it. I wish it could have been more useful to you.”

After placing the book in my bag, Emily offered us drinks and we took some time to chat about various topics. According to Aine, a resident was attacked by an owlbear spotted to the north near the mountains. While I knew Lily felt bad judging by her body language, there was no reason for us to get involved. The conversation devolved into various other topics as I continued to sip my glass of red wine.

“Thank you for the drink, Em. I suppose we should be on our way,” I said as I stood to my feet.

“You sure you don’t want to stay for a check up?”

I could see Emily’s sadistic intent behind her charming smile. She was a talented doctor and kind to all her patients; however, she was a sadist and borderline psychopath. While she was able to hide it from most people, I knew the truth about her. Of course I did not bother bringing her past to the light – likewise, she did the same for me and my sister.

“What about you, Lily?”

Lily smiled and shook her. I recalled the last time she had took Emily up on her ‘check up’. While Emily did give a thorough examination, she ensured to exploit Lily’s weakness from head to toe. After that, she made sure not to ask for Emily’s help unless she was truly in a life or death position where she needed medical treatment. I made my way for the door as Lily grabbed into my arm. It was clear that she was ready to leave. While Lily did not hate Emily for how she was, she did not want to be left alone with her. In general, Emily was not going to mess with Lily so long as I or Aine was there; however, Emily was manipulative and would talk Lily into doing something she normally would not do.

“Well, we will see you around,” Lily said as she slipped her shoes on.

As we exited Emily’s home, I could feel Lily’s grip tighten. She did not fear much but the thought of being at the mercy of the sadistic angel was enough to make her skin crawl. I smiled and gently wrapped my arm around her, holding her close to me. Looking at her face, I could see her cheeks were flustered a bright red. It was not often to see the rare sight of her blushing but it was a wondrous treat to behold on the same.

“It’s rather funny that you can stand your ground against something like a beholder but the thought of being at her mercy sends you into a fright.”

“Hey! She’s far worse than any owlbear or beholder. Even if she was a human, I’d still want no part of her.”

I could only laugh at her comment. Many years ago I had a chance to date Emily which did not last long. She was both amazing and terrifying to be with. Being with her taught me much about my own body that I did not even know. Needless to say, I was unable to keep up with her needs. Likewise, my sister had a short fling with her which from what my sister said was pleasurable but also a nightmare.

“I agree. When I dated her it was… an experience.”

“Did she try to tickle you too?”

“Um… no…”

“No fair! What did she do to you?”

I turned away from Lily’s gaze.

“I’d rather not say…”

“Are you embarrassed?” Lily asked with a smirk.

“It…”

My mind tried to think of a way to dodge the question. There was a lot that Emily had done but none of it was something I wanted to share with anyone, ever. My sister was the only one who knew what I had been through and that is the only person who would ever know until the day I died.

“It’s fine. You don’t have to say,” Lily said with a smile.

“Thank you. Maybe one day I’ll tell you but for now, I think we can both agree it’s best to focus on our shop.”

“Right!”

After reaching the shop, I unlocked the front door and helped her navigate the dark and over to the second floor stairwell. I watched as she removed her shoes before stepping onto the hardwood flooring of the kitchen. Her habit was in part similar to how vampires were, or rather the legends humans believed of us. It was often thought by humans that vampires needed to be invited into a place before we could enter. This was simply not true and I could not help but laugh at the human superstition and tradition behind the idea. Vampires were allowed to enter building of their own free will. While I personally did ask a person if I can enter their home, this was out of politeness and not because it was required. There were many times I entered into a home without the owner ever knowing.

Even though most myths of what humans created about the vampire were untrue, there were some that held merit such as not being able to see our own reflection, sunlight, the need for blood – to an extent – as well as garlic. Some things were pure nonsense such as crosses or holy water. The wooden stake through the heart was not exactly true either. While a large wooden stake through the heart would kill most, it did not kill us. Now, this is not to say it would not cause great pain. In general, a vampire was only able to be killed in only a few ways: prolonged exposure to sunlight, beheading or burned to death. Garlic did not kill us; however, it did have a smell to it that was unpleasant to our noses. Likewise, going without human blood could lead to our death if not properly handled. While it was possible to live off nothing but animal blood or red wine, at some point our bodies did need and crave human blood.

The problem was ensuring that we did not drain our victims dry. Vampires often had a hard time with relationships of other races due to the fact that if they started to drink, there was a chance they would not stop until their significant other was dead. It was a scary thought and a real reality that could happen if I was not careful around Lily. So far, I have been careful and indulged only on red wine, as well as various alternatives of blood. Still, it was a something that always weighed in the back of my mind.

“Nyizel? Hey, Nyizel?”

“Hmm?”

“Weren’t you listening? I asked what you wanted for dinner?”

“You know I—”

“What do you want for dinner?”

There was no fighting her about this. She was always going to ask that even if she already knew I could not eat anything.

“Rice with some red wine sounds good to me.”

I watched as Lily prepared the meal and drinks, she enjoyed cooking meals and serving people. If she ever decided to open a restaurant it would be popular with just her ability alone. She was always cheerful and smiled at everyone she greeted. Everyone saw her as a kind and wonderful person. Yet, my sister and I was the only ones that knew her deep seeded struggle with her past. Nullus was the new starting point for her, a place where no one knew who she used to be, or rather, it is was better to say no one cared who she used to be.

After finishing the wine she had poured for me, she headed off to bed while I returned to my room. Sitting down in the chair at my desk, I opened up the book I got back from Emily. It had been a long time since I opened what I could call my diary. Back then, I documented every step of my journey. All the monster’s I killed, plants I studied and everything about who I used to be. Emily knew as much about me and my sister as we did about her. It was a past that connected the three of us.

Closing up the book, I thought about tomorrow’s events. I needed to speak to a woman about a rare plant that she wanted. There were only two uses for the plant, one of which I knew extremely well. Tomorrow evening, my chat with our customer would determine exactly where things would go.