Chapter 1 ( The Infant )

The moon shines above and the wind blows cold. The dead leaves from the trees litter the forest floor. The howls of the wolves can be heard all over and the sound of the ocean waves travel miles to reach this place. Sea and forest placed side by side are connected by the sapphire river. Under the cold silver moon with a blue halo the sounds of a knife slashing through the wind could be heard.

On this cold winter night a lady in black can be seen. Bright red eyes that hide madness and excitement. Hair as silver and cold as the moon. Skin whiter than jade and as soft as clouds without a tint of red. Nails made of silver and filled with poison are an inch long. Blood drips from her nails and the silver dagger that she holds.

With dragger in her hand and speed that is faster than the wind she slashes the necks and hearts of the leeches and mutts that she kills. With a cold glint in her eyes she kills all that stands on her land, sparing only the infant. A feline cub.

One by one the bodies of the dead fall on the ground with faces that are frozen in the last moments before their deaths, not knowing what was coming their way. Soon the smell of blood floods the forest winds as it flows by and it brings back the growls of the hungry forest beasts.

Nails and dragger soaked in blood but not a drop on her clothes or other exposed organs the lady in black walks towards the infant feline cub. Gone was the madness, coldness and excitement in her eyes as she gazed at the newborn. A newborn who was never going to see his mother. Her mother whom the lady in black called her friend and indeed she was.

The lady in black retreated her nails and put her dragger away without moving her eyes away from the infant feline cub. She bent down and slowly but carefully picked up the infant in her arms. The infant stirred in his sleep but didn't wake up.

Unfortunate child didn't even open its eyes. There was a gentle look in the eyes of the lady in black with a glint of sadness. " From now on you are my responsibility. I vow to your mother that I will never leave you alone and will watch you grow. I will fulfill my promise and will stay with you until the day you die. So my sweet Alex you don't have to be sad about your mother. I will always be there."

The lady in black had a faint but gentle smile on her face as she repeated the vow she made to the infant's mother. The mother who died in the hands of those leeches and mutts.The lady in black's eyes darkened when she thought about the ones who killed her friend. She glanced at the now completely cold bodies of the dead men whom she had killed.

In the forest she could see the glowing eyes looking at the bodies of the dead with a hungry glint, ready to chew them down to the last bone.

The lady in black smirked with ruthlessness in her still blood red eyes as she looked at all the beasts that were hungry for the fresh blood and flesh that now lay on the forest floor. She gave the dead bodies one glance with indifference and flew away with the infant in her hands.

Not more than a mire second after she had felt the beasts hiding in the forest jumped on the bodies and started chewing and tearing them up. Arms, legs, organs and blood all were consumed before morning arrived. The fresh smell of the forest flora covers up the scent of blood in the air leaving no trace of what happened there the night before.

The lady in black kept going even when the sun started to rise but she reached her destination not long after. A village is where she was staying. The sun hadn't risen for long so the roads of this village were still empty. She took the infant to a small but modest cottage in this village.

This village was fairly large and could be compared to a small scale town but had zero or very little contact with the world outside. It was deprived from the other towns and villages of the Liana Kingdom as it was in the middle of the woods were no one dared to come.

This village made its own foods and clothes and it has been like this for a very long time. Everyone who gives birth in this village dies in this village. The villagers never wondered about what was outside of their small little world and even if they did they never dared to go too deep as no village who had gone too deep came back.

In this small isolated village everyone knew each other. The most distinguished person of this village is Madam Rose, the village doctor. She has been in this village for over time unknown as the elders would like to say though no one truly knows how old she is.

She is a woman who is always in her youth and there have been times where many thought that she was a witch but they never dared to do anything as she was the only doctor in the village and no one ever died in her hands. In fact very few people die of diseases in his village thanks to her so the villagers turned a blind eye to the fact that she stays forever young.

The lady in black aka Madam Rose took the infant inside the cottage and laid him down on a soft blanket made out of fur. After she made sure that the infant was okay and not uncomfortable in any way she walked towards a small pond that was built inside her cottage to take a bath and get all the blood off her nails.

She walked into the pond and looked at her reflection in the water. Her blood red eyes were now slowly starting to change into a beautiful sapphire oceanic colour that when looked into one felt like they were diving into a bottomless ocean scenery. Her silver hair turned into a sun kissed sunshine golden blond. Her once bloodless jade like skin now had a hint of rosiness in it that made her look more human than before.

She sighed as she closed her eyes to just forget everything that is happening around her and just relax for a moment in the pond. With her eyes finally closed after a long night and a mind that is finally clear Rose could now think things through. Her friend had died but she killed the ones who were responsible for her death and now she has an infant to take care of.

Thoughts kept running through her mind and memories started flashing one by one as she remembered the times that she has spent living. For a normal person all of this would end before they even knew it but for someone like her it was a life and pain that she would have to bear for eternity.

With all these negative thoughts running through her mind now Rose got up and wore her clothes. She tried to not make much noise as the infant was still sleeping. After she was done she couldn't help but lay down on her bed for just a while. The warmth made her feel comfortable and safe and she just wanted to stay like that for a while. Without her knowledge she soon fell asleep.

The sun rises higher now making it midday. The infant cub Alex slowly opened his eyes for the first time after being born and embraced the world that welcomed it with the warmth of light and open arms and the first thing it saw was a sleeping figure on the bed.

With a cat's curiosity he slowly walked towards the bed and softly made a sound that almost sounded like a purr. Rose without a second's delay opened her eyes and looked at the sweet little infant that was now infront of her. She could help but smile gently.

Alex looked up at Rose with eyes full of curiosity and innocence. He then made that purring sound once again. Now a little giggle could be heard from Rose's pink and soft lips. Her voice was like the ringing of silver bells coated with honey water. Soft to both the ears and heart.

Alex, still with those innocent eyes, tilted his head sideways and purred once again. Rose now being overloaded with cuteness couldn't help but pick up the little furballs. She placed him on her lap and Alex stretched just like a little cat even though he was a panther feline cub.

Rose slowly and gently brushed his soft fur that was so black that it looked like the deepest blue. Alex under the massage of her beautiful long slim jade like fingers fell asleep once again. Rose kept brushing him even after he was asleep. She softly said, almost like a whisper "Welcome to the world Alex. I hope you have a great and fulfilling life."

Rose rubbed Alex's ears and then hugged him tightly but not too tight so that the little guy would not get hurt.The infant felt soft in Rose's hand and almost felt like that if she put a little more force his bones would be misplaced.

There was nothing Rose could do but hold the infant carefully and gently since after all even if he is a feline he is still a newborn cub.

His bones and muscles are still too soft and easy to penetrate and draw blood. He could easily get hurt so handling him with care is the wisest choice if one wants to hold him.

Alex's small furry head rested on Rose's chest as he breathed softly and slept in peace. His face holds happiness and innocence that one could see in all newborns. Just like an angel.

Alex's breathing matched Rose's as her chest and Alex's small body rose up and down in rhythm. Rose smiled gently as she looked at the infant who was sleeping in her arms.

She sighed softly and closed her eyes wanting to go back to sleep once again. Soon the only sound that could be heard in the entire cottage was the sound of breathing of the two.

By now the villagers were all awake and now the village was filled with the sounds of the daily lifestyle of the villagers. Venders called from their stalls while the farmers went to their fields. The fishermen went to the lakes near the village to catch fish. The children played on the village streets while the wives and mother's did their daily cleaning and cooking, sometimes coming out to chat with the neighbors. The bells of the school rang as the child old enough to attend school started leaving for their houses. Everything was peaceful in this village. Everyone was happy and satisfied with their current life.

The liveliness of the village didn't end until the evening when the sun was about to set. The farmers, fishers and hunters who went out of the village grounds finally returned after a hard day's work. The children and wives of the people who went out ran towards them and welcomed them home. The people exhausted but still happy to see their family couldn't help but smile and laugh. After they are done with the welcomes the villagers go home to eat and bathe. When night comes the village square is filled with laughter and the sound of children playing around a bond fire. When the wolves start howling is when the villagers finally go back to their home to have a good night of sleep.

.......

By evening Rose woke up to the infant moving in his sleep. She could help but yarn and look at the still sleeping infant. She sighed softly and slowly shook the infant. Alex purred in a small voice and slowly opened his ocean blue eyes still filled with sleep.

Rose giggled at the infant with amusement and softly below in the infant's ears to wake him up fully. Being blown in the ear Alex woke up, vigilant and alert, on his instincts. After he realized that there was no danger, he looked around and finally landed his eyes on Rose.

" Hello there little one. Did you have a good sleep? " Rose said with a smile. Alex being a newborn could understand what his mom was saying.

( Yes mom. You didn't read it wrong. It's a newborn's animal instinct or at least some animals' instinct to take the first person they see as their parent. Poor Alex doesn't know that Rose isn't his mother. )

He quietly tilted his head sideways and stared at Rose with eyes filled with confusion. Rose giggled once again and picked up the small infant in her arms and walked towards the kitchen. Once they reached the place she put Alex on the dining table and looked through the pantry for something for Alex to eat.

Soon she found some milk there. She took a bowl, poured some milk into it and then placed it in front of Alex. She took a seat in front of him and sat down with her hands on the table and the head on her right hand.

Alex, being the new born that he is, didn't know what to do so he looked at Rose and then at the bowl a couple of times being unable to understand what she should do next. Rose kept looking at him with a smile on her face as she waited for Alex to start eating.

Alex at last not knowing what to do decided to follow his natural instincts and took a sniff of the constants of the bowl. He liked the smell so he took a lick and tasted it to see if he liked the taste as well or if there was anything harmful in it or not. The milk tasted fine in his mouth and his stomach couldn't help but growl at the taste and possibility of finally being full for the first time so he started drinking the milk little by little with as much as his little tongue could carry at once.

Rose smiled when she saw the infant drinking the milk. She used her fingers to slowly brush the infant's fur as he ate his fill. Alex soon finished the amount of milk in the bowl and couldn't help his urge to lay down on his back with his bloated tummy. He looked quite funny at the moment.

Rose couldn't help but laugh when she saw the infant like this. He still truly was a child. Rose carefully picked up the infant in her arms and picked up the bowl to drop it into a bucket full of water to wash it later. For now she had an infant to put to sleep.

She walked towards her room again to put the now completely filled infant to sleep. Her steps were soft and almost done without movement of her upper body. One could see that she was trying her best to make sure that the infant was comfortable.

When she reached her room she walked towards her bed and later the infant on a basket full of cotton beside the bed. Once she laid the infant down she covered him with a blanket to make sure that the infant didn't catch a cold accidentally. She sat beside the basket and brushed his fur with her fingers until he fell asleep.

After making sure that the infant was indeed now asleep she slowly walked out of the room. As she stepped outside of her room she closed the door behind her.

She walked forward and towards her basement. It was not very spacious but there were many things inside of the basement.

From knives to daggers and swords. Bows and crossbows loaded with arrows filled with poison. There was also forging items for making the weapons and the ingredients were the bones and fangs, jars filled with blood and poison on the shelves gathered from all her kills.

Rose gave all of them a glance and picked up a dagger and a pair of knives. Her bike eyes now with a shadow of blood red had a glow filled with bloodlust and amusement.

" Let's see how many survive tonight. The hunt has just begun and I can't wait for the scent of blood. "