You wake up to the sound of birds chirping far too loudly for this time of day; you make a mental note to get rid of those damn things. [[Look around.]]

You are in a wooden hut, where you've resided for the past, what, maybe eight years? There aren't exactly clocks here. Right now you're in the bedroom. There's not much to look at here--just a bed, a nightstand, and an exit leading to the kitchen. [[Enter kitchen.]]

You hesitate to call it a kitchen. While there's a table--or what would pass as one here in the forest--and chairs alongside it, there isn't really anything else that resembles one here. To make up for it, there are assorted little baubles and knickknacks strewn about to serve as decorations. They range from trinkets that travelers gave to you to the occasional animal bone lying around. You'll clean those up eventually. [[Step outside.]] [[Have some breakfast.]]

The light blinds you for a moment, but you get used to it soon enough. Interestingly, you neither sparkle nor burn; the most you get is a light tingling sensation, and even that could be caused by anything else. [[Take your favorite path.]]

Your stomach ''rumbles'', reminding you that you haven't eaten since yesterday's afternoon. You're going to [[fix that.]]

You don't have much to eat right now, but you were going to go hunting today anyway, so you guess it doesn't matter. Currently, you have what used to be a [[bird]] or some [[deer.]]

You take out the body of the fowl--dead since yesterday. [[Cut it up.]] [[Chow down.]]

This was a large hunt--and your most successful. You're not sure that even you, with your bottomless appetite, could eat this thing in one sitting. You haul the corpse up to the table, plopping it down with a thud, before licking your lips and deciding that the neck should be your first meal from this one. [[Lean down.]]

You grab your rusty dagger from its resting place on your hip and slice it into smaller bits. [[Eat it piece by piece.]]

You grab the foul fowl by the neck and sink your teeth into it, tearing it apart with your fangs. Some blood splashes onto your face, but you're too busy devouring your meal to care. You move on to the wings next, ripping them off the creature with your own two hands and shoveling them into your mouth. The bird doesn't object. Your dessert is the blood currently spouting from your prey, which you eagerly drink up. You come to your senses afterwards and, remembering your manners, wipe the blood off of yourself. Nothing remains of the bird but the feathers. [[Step outside.]]

You stab one piece with the dagger, bringing the food to your mouth and chewing it thoughtfully. You swallow and spear another piece. This goes on for a while. When you're finished, you [[Step outside.]]

You bend down and open your mouth, tearing into the creature's throat with a savage cry, before ripping a piece of muscle free and devouring it. You can't get enough. Again and again, you mutilate the venison until you've had your fill. By the time you're done you're pretty sure the table is stained red with blood; meat and chunks of flesh litter the kitchen. [[Step outside, covered in blood.]]

You walk for a while, observing the wild life--and making note of which look the tastiest--before reaching a clearing. All sounds cease as a near unbearable heat fills the area. [[Step forward.]]

You have to squint to see it, but it almost seems someone else is there with you! You wonder about their intentions, before a voice, loud and clear, booms through the area. "And who are you?", the voice inquires. You hesitate. [["Step forward.-> "I am but a hermit."]]

You walk for a while, observing the wild life--and making note of which look the tastiest--before reaching a clearing. All sounds cease as a near unbearable heat fills the area. After shielding your eyes from a [[brilliant light]], that is. What in the world-?

You blink once, twice, three times, forcing yourself to withstand the heat, before a shimmering, armorclad figure comes into view. You can't help but [[step back.]] This could be dangerous.

The light dies down, the heat remaining as the figure reveals itself to be an armorclad woman. You stand there, awestruck, as the figure booms, "Fuckin' vampyres. Disgustin'." [[Consider an attack.]]

Okay, the jig is up. No sense denying it. You survey your weapon--the very same rusty dagger you just devoured a deer with. It's never let you down. But, then again, all your other prey has been unarmed, or at the very least unwary. [[Take the plunge.]]

You lunge for the woman, close enough to reach out and touch her face-- But she's not there. You fall flat on your face, scrambling to your feet, and look behind you. How in the- Before you can even finish your thought, she draws her sword and swings, bringing it down on your left arm. It cleaves straight through, leaving you minus one arm. Your eyes widen; you stumble backwards and fall on your rear, bringing your remaining hand up to futilely shield yourself from the blow. She takes another swing, slicing straight through that hand and halfway [[through your neck.]]

You feel nothing but pain and fear as she swings once, twice, three times, each one carving a bit more out of your neck. You're hanging on by a thread now, just barely there, before she stops. [[Look up at her.]]

She glares down at you. You realize that, as her sword glints in the sunlight, that it's made of silver. In your rapidly fading vision, you see a twinge of [[pity]] in her eyes.

You and her stay there for a few seconds in silence, save for your labored breathing, before she plants a foot squarely on your stomach and raises her sword again. Without another hint of hesitation, she thrusts it downwards and forces the silver blade straight through your weakly-beating heart. Your last vision is of this luminous woman [[decapitating]] you.

Some time later, the radiant woman stomps into the nearest guild hall; everyone inside turns and watches as she reaches into her bag and pulls out your head, still dripping with blood. As she makes her way through the ogling crowd to the bounty board, she wordlessly dumps the head onto the nearby desk, then grabs the pouch of money that lay beside it. [[Restart?->Start]]

The woman steps closer to you, extending a silver blade and pointing it directly at your throat. You gulp audibly, stepping back. [[This isn't good.]]

"Open your mouth," the woman commands, "Unless you desire death." She stands there, blade just barely poking your throat; you feel a burning sensation at the point of contact but are too nervous to look down. [[Comply.]]

You open your mouth, gleaming white fangs in full view. She doesn't speak, not even to threaten you, so you take the opportunity to speak. [["I-I can't help it-"]]

''"Silence!"'' She roars as firey wings erupted from her back. You move to cover your eyes again, but before you can even try you're stuck in the spot by her petrifying gaze. ''"Kneel,''" she orders, and you do so without any input on the matter. She raises her sword to strike. You close your eyes, bracing yourself, and-- [["Wait!"]]

A shadowy-looking figure, about the size and shape of a child, flickers into view in front of you and extends a shaking hand. "Please don't do this! I know her actions can't be excused, but maybe they can explain them!" The woman's glare softened; she knelt down, looking straight through the child and into your eyes. [["Did you create this shade, vampyre?"]]

You nod, having been struck dumb by fear, but she accepts your answer nonetheless. The shade-child pipes up, motioning to an area beside you, and beckons for the shining knight to watch. Through your careful ministrations in regards to the shade, you begin to explain your [[tale.]]

It happened when you were a teenager, you see. You were a blossoming young woman at the age of sixteen, and you loved your life. You had a healthy circle of friends, two loving parents with no financial problems to speak of, and even school wasn't a problem. In short, your life was, well, [[nice.]]

Indeed, your only flaw--if you could call it that--was your curious streak. You loved to explore, no matter the danger, and that made you something of the neighborhood daredevil. You never backed down from a stunt or dare. Your parents were different, however. Like any caring parents they worried about their only child's well-being, especially when they lived so [[close to the woods.]]

At this point, the presentation stopped, and the ghost-child looked intently at the bright lady. The woman's eyes widened, opening her mouth to speak, but before she could the child continued [[your tale.]]

Now, //everyone// in town feared the woods, and with good reason. Stories were always passed around about odd sightings, tales of missing persons showing up at the forest's edge with all blood drained from them and their belongings gone. You look down at your [[rusty dagger.]]

The child frantically continues your story before the woman gets violent again. Once, in the dead of night, you crept out of your house with utmost care and nothing but the clothes on your back, determined to end the rumors once and for all. You didn't come back [[that night.]]

Here, in this very same clearing, was where you met your doom. The creature, tall and thin, eyed you like a hunter would their prey, and lunged for you. You ran like the beasts of Hell themselves were at your heels, but it was faster. With one bite, its razor-sharp fangs penetrated your skin and, from then on, you were one of his children. The rumors weren't just rumors [[anymore.]]

The gray, translucent child sat down next to you, placing a hand on your shoulder as best it could as the luminous woman extended a hand. [["You have known nothing but slaughter, dear."]]

You hesitate, but the look in her eye tells you her intentions and you take her hand. She hauls you up to your feet. When you both look back to where the child sat, you see and hear nothing. It had served its [[purpose.]]

The first words out of your mouth were quiet, reverent ones. "Let me accompany you." The not-quite-goddess's glowing wings faded;you stood there, stock still, as she mulled over the [[idea.]]

"I will redeem you, child," the warrior says. She points in a direction--a route you have never seen, nor considered taking--and sets out without another word. [[Follow.]]

And so there you are, eyes full of hope--though you'd never show it--and adoration for this woman that has pulled you from your darkest days into her charge. And that, dear, is the day you fell in love. [[End.]]

Thank you for playing! This is based off of a roleplay I did with a friend of mine and I've been itching to make stories based off of them for a long time. There's not a lot of options because, quite honestly, I'm lazy, but I'm still super proud of this piece! I know it doesn't measure up to all the others out there but I think it's pretty solid for what it is.