Armaros wanted to play with his siblings so he made a small doll for his sister and took it to her. She was playing with her friends. Seeing him approach all the girls who were two years older than him snickered their noses.

"What do you want bloodsucker?" a twelve years old girl sneered at him. He hid the doll behind his quivering body.

"I...I wanted to play too," his voice trembled to see the loathsome glances girls threw at him.

"You can’t. Go away," the voice of his beautiful sister was dismissive as she turned her attention back to her friends and they began to play. Leaving him standing there in an awkward pose.

He saw the princess multiple times as well and she always seemed to have turned even more beautiful than before. Her eyes were so green it reminded him of emeralds and her smile melted his heart.

He was fourteen now, and the clothes he wore were always hand-downs from his older brother. He was kicking pebbles alongside the dusty road near the fruit market.

A woman who had recently bought fruits accidentally dropped her basket and all the fruits spilt all around her. Armaros rushed to her aid and began to collect them for her.

"Keep your filthy hands away from my fruits," the woman sternly scolded and he lifted his head to see her angrily watching him. He recoiled from her and shifted back. She quickly grabbed her fruits and scurried away, leaving him to helplessly watch her.

"Don’t mind. They fear what they don’t understand," a voice sounded from the roof of a shop opposite him. Armaros lifted his head to see a boy a few years older than him, sitting on the roof munching on an apple.

The boy had a grin on his face, light brown jostled hair and the same eyes as the princess had. The boy jumped and swiftly landed near him and tossed him an apple, which Armaros caught.

"I am Amonidus, you can call me Amoi," he extended his hand which Armaros reluctantly shook. He was flabbergasted as he asked:

"Why are you being nice to me?"

"Because I am like you, so I understand," he answered. That day Armaros found a friend.

Armaros turned 16 but his circumstances never changed. By then children born with him and around him had been labelled as bloodsuckers. While the term ’vampire’ had been associated with them too.

His father passed away, and although the man was hardly ever affectionate to him, he didn’t treat him like dirt either. Sometimes he would bring him small things and answer him without having hatred in his eyes. Armaros was deeply saddened at this loss.

The warmth and light Armaros held in his eyes for others began to dim and they slowly began to turn cold. Society had not been kind to them and they were shunned seeking solace with each other.

He kept hearing about the witch that lived on the edge of their kingdom. The witch who had cursed the elven race and resulted in the birth of beings like him. He decided to visit her and find the truth behind this.

Hildara was 35 years old now but her appearance made her seem much older. People avoided her, while kids would occasionally throw stones at her small cottage and run away.

She usually visited the forest which was located at the edge of their kingdom to collect fruits and herbs to keep herself busy. Alchemy had always fascinated her and being shunned by others, she found solace in books and learnt to make different medicines.

She started visiting villages away from her kingdom where people didn’t know her and started selling her medicines and herbal concoctions in fairs and shops.

One time while she was returning home, through the forest, she heard the small whimpers of an animal as if it was wounded. Carefully she stepped forward and found a golden hound lying wounded on the forest floor.

Its eyes were closed and breathing was shallow. There was a gut wound from where blood was seeping and spilling out. Hildara felt sorry for the creature. Taking careful steps she drew closer to the creature kneeling beside it held out her hand to touch its wound.

Her hand instantly glowed green, startling her. She tried to retract her hand but the creature’s wound began to heal from the green aura she emitted. Soon the wound had completely healed as if it hadn’t existed to begin with and the creature slowly opened its eyes.

Its big golden orbs were fixated on Hildara and then it transformed into a handsome man and sat up. Hildara blushed crimson seeing him naked in front of her as he did not attempt to hide his nudity from her. She averted her gaze as he softly spoke:

"My lady, thank you for healing me," she nodded and taking off her cape shawl she handed it to him. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"How did you do that?" the surprise in his tone was apparent as he took the shawl from her and wrapped it around himself.

"I am not sure, I have never done that before. Then they call me a witch so maybe I really am one," she expected him to cower away in fear or at least feel repulsed by her but his face remained composed and almost serene.

"They are fools to assume that for me you are nothing less than a messiah. I offer my services and gratitude to you and will always be in your debt," he took her hand and gently kissed its back making Hildara experience a fluttering feeling in her stomach. No man has ever kissed her hand.

"You don’t owe me anything, I just did what anyone would do seeing someone injured," Hildara didn’t want him to feel that he owed her.

"My lady, not everyone does what you did. Please, let me serve you. I will keep myself discreet. Besides I need a place to stay and lay low. Humans are hunting me," the helplessness in his voice was genuine and Hildara understood what it felt like to fear for one’s life. She had nothing to lose and it was the first time someone had shown her respect.

"Come then, kind Sir. I will take you to my home," Hildara got up and he followed behind.

"Rilias Azuirs, that’s the name I was given, my lady," he murmured to her with a smile.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you Rilias and I am Hildara," she stated and smiled back at him.