Scarlet Lily Bond - Volume 1 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Promise 

Rosa could sense light on the other side of her eyelids. This sensation of being pulled out from the world of darkness by the sun's light was one she was very familiar with from her days of sleeping on the streets. Feeling worse than she had felt in years, she rubbed her eyes and grumbled. 

"Mmh... Hnnh..." 

After a few moments spent shivering from cold, she realised something. 

—I thought for sure I was going to drown. How am I still alive? 

Her body was drenched all over, and she felt like she was freezing. She took a deep breath, yet no water entered her mouth. The reason for that? She was currently on land. 

"What does this mean?" 

Rosa had a look around her to see where the stream had carried her, only to find herself a whole lot more confused than before. She seemed to be lying in the middle of what resembled a large garden. There was no wind, and no sound. The sky was quite dark, leading her to believe that it was currently night time or something close to it. The area immediately around her was paved with some sort of white stone, which then was surrounded by a lush field of green grass. Even further beyond, she could see standing a small arbour. While certainly strange, what was even more so was the pillar of light before her. She lifted her head, only to find that the light was coming from a gap in the clouds far above her. It was as if she was being illuminated by a massive stage light. Everything about she was seeing felt completely out of this world. Just where was she? 

"Hey!" Rosa yelled out. What she wanted most right now was for someone to come help her. Lying around all drenched was definitely not going to end well for her. Her voice echoed throughout the empty garden, and as she waited for a reply, Rosa ended up sneezing. 

"Someone! Anyone! Is there anyone around!?" 

Refusing to give up, Rosa went ahead and tried again. This time, she was successful; she could hear the sound of grass being stepped on behind her. A sigh of relief left the woman's mouth as she turned around to face her saviour. 

"She's really a human! An alive human!" 

"Ah! Wonderful! I've always wanted to meet one!" 

—How beautiful... 

That was Rosa's initial impression. 

The voices belonged to a pair of young girls. One of them had a very mature aura about her, whereas the other kinda came across like a brat. Both of them were staring down at Rosa. Not only this, they were also holding hands, indicating that they were at least somewhat close. Despite their differing hair colours, they were both stunningly beautiful. 

The more mature-looking of the girls had bright, golden hair, and turquoise eyes which glimmered as if filled with curiosity. Her dress was full of frills, and the limbs that poked out from either side were slim and pale. It was to the point where you could clearly make out a large portion of her bones. While this alone might have led one to think that the girl was malnourished, nothing else about her appearance suggested such. 

As for the other girl, she seemed a fair bit younger. Her hair was black like the night, and had a certain lustre to it. It was also relatively short for a girl, reaching only just above her shoulders. To Rosa, she came across like a massive brat. Why did she think that? Well, the reason for it was in all likelihood found in the way the girl stared at her; she had a very stern look in her eyes. Combined with her short stature, her agile figure, as well as her lack of any breasts to speak of, Rosa could very easily see someone mistaking her for a boy. While her skin was quite pale as well, she at least didn't come across looking sickly like the girl next to her. 

The daughter of a respected family as well as her servant, perhaps? They didn't seem like thieves at least, but even so, Rosa had to wonder, would they be willing to offer aid to a woman who looked like she did? Whatever the case, she knew she had to at least try. Rosa lifted her hand at the two. 

"Hey, umm... Girls. Do you know what this place is? You see, I kinda... how to put it... got lost? Or something? Anyway, I'm kinda in big trouble, so I'd really appreciate the help. Thanks." 

Even Rosa knew she was talking like a complete fool. Unfortunately, it was the best she could do given her current condition. Shivering, she stood there waiting for a reply, only for the older of the girls to grin and loudly state the following: 

"We're on the surface of the moon!" 

"Come again?" 

Rosa could not comprehend what on earth the girl was saying. As it turned out, it might have been a mistake trying to ask a kid for help. 

"Oh, well... Anyway. Could you go get an adult? I'm seriously freezing here, and I'd greatly appreciate a place to rest and dry my clothes. Oh, and before I forget, the name's Rosa. Help a woman out, would you?" 

That was the most pressing matter at the moment. As for her other questions, Rosa decided to save those for later. The servant girl was the first of the two to react. As if protecting her master, she took a step forward. 

"Know your place, human! Lady Calen is not some little kid!" 

There was that word again—"human". Rosa wasn't sure why, but she really didn't appreciate being called that. A stern frown formed on her face. The girl she'd deemed to be the other's servant spoke with a slight accent, leading her to wonder if she was perhaps from somewhere else originally. That could also have explained the strange insult she insisted on using. 

"Right, right... Lady Calen. Would you please help me? It won't be long till I freeze to death. And I mean it." 

"Hmph! That is nowhere near respectful enough!" 

"Please, Trill. This child is clearly still very much confused", Calen stated to rein in her doubtful servant—apparently called "Trill". She then took a step towards Rosa before softly wrapping her hands around hers. 

"Fret not. I will offer you my aid. However... There will be no need to call an adult." 

"Well, umm... Thanks a bunch." 

The refined smile on Calen's face caused Rosa to wince. She came close to bowing her head on reflex. Despite her young age, the girl seemed to very much have awakened to her high social standing. 

Calen quickly made her way behind the woman. There, she wrapped her arms around her stomach and pulled her body close to hers. This was about the last thing she'd expected a little lady of her calibre to do, even more so given how drenched her body was. 

"I appreciate the sentiment greatly, but I'm not sure what a kid is going to—" Rosa begun to say, confused as to what the girl was planning on doing next. Calen did not reply, however, and simply continued strengthening her grip. 

In the next instant, a strong gust of wind shot against Rosa's face and cheeks. 

She'd yet to comprehend what was going on when Calen had lifted her up into the air. By reflex, Rosa attempted to wrestle herself free, but the girl's gangly arms would not give an inch. 

"There is no need for you to carry her, Mistress! I can do it just fine myself!" 

Rosa was speechless. Completely speechless. There was nothing she could do. She did not understand at all what was going on. Something was growing out from the back of the Trill girl standing in front of her. Rosa focused her eyes, and a moment later, what had initially looked like a ball of black mist took on the form of a pair of bat wings. Trill flapped them as if there was nothing odd about what was going on, causing her body to float upwards and her feet to leave the ground. Even without looking, she could tell that the girl behind her had also grown wings. It was there that it all began making sense to Rosa: the reason why the two had called her a human was because they themselves were something else entirely. 

"I wish to show her the town while we're at it. Now, let us fly, Trill!" 

"Whoa!" 

And just like that, Rosa was flying. Never before in her life had she experienced anything even remotely similar. 

The speed at which they were going far exceeded any and all of her expectations. Not even a horse would've been able to keep up with them. Soon, the garden where she'd awoken had faded from sight, and a tall fence had appeared in its place. They crossed over it, and in the next instant, Rosa's field of vision was overtaken by the grim sky. 

"Look below you." 

Rosa did as she was told, only to find herself overlooking a city filled with old-fashioned buildings. It was quite the new experience for her to view a city from this high up. The place was considerably smaller than the city where she'd lived previously, and from the looks of it, appeared to have been built in a valley surrounded by ashen mountains from all sides. To add to the strangeness of the situation, the mountains were so tall and so steep that even while flying, you could not see what lay beyond them. 

"Look, look! It's quite incredible, is it not? That is what we call the moon!" 

"What on earth...?" 

It was there that it all began to dawn upon Rosa. 

The garden from earlier did not exist on the same ground plane as the city did, but was instead built upon a giant disk floating in the air through some principle she could not comprehend. The closest metaphor Rosa could think of was a serving tray with tableware stacked on it. Giant gas lamps poked out from the disk's underbelly, painting the city below in bright light. Sure enough, "moon" was a pretty apt name for the thing. Thanks to it, the streets were nearly as bright as they had been during noon at Rosa's former home. The sky alone remained dark, likely because the light could not reach it. 

"So, what do you think of our city? Its name is Noctumila." 

"Hehe! Go ahead and scream, human. I'm sure that you're shocked." 

Rosa had never heard of any such place. It was unthinkable that the river could've carried her so far away. Things just kept getting more and more ridiculous by the second. Among all this insanity, Calen and Trill were the only two people she felt like she could rely on. Before she knew it, Rosa found herself tightly grasping the arm of the former. 

"Hmm? What is the matter? Are you perhaps embarrassed by my embrace?" 

"First of all, who are you two? Secondly, what on earth has happened to me? Why am I even here?" 

"Right. I suppose it makes sense that a human wouldn't know... We two are vampires, a type of being who lives forever." 

—Wait... Vampire? What's a vampire? 

Another one for the list of things that made no sense to her. At this point, Rosa had decided to stop even trying to make sense of the situation she found herself in. All she knew for sure was that she should stay as still as humanly possible; thrashing about was sure to result in her falling to her death. 

"I will take my time teaching you all there is to know about us. Ah, look! Our manor is over there!" 

Calen's finger was pointed at a mansion noticeably larger than the others around it. 

Was that where the girls lived? Though Rosa didn't know for sure, it was where she was taken. 

Rosa observed her body in the mirror. Her curly brown hair, her faintly sharp face, her excessively large breasts, her muscular limbs. They all looked exactly like she remembered them. There were no signs of injury to be seen anywhere. The person staring back at her was without a doubt herself. 

"I'm still alive, huh?" 

This question was aimed at herself. For what it was worth, she definitely did feel alive. The world where she found herself in, on the other hand however, that felt like something straight from a dream. 

Rosa went ahead and recalled how she'd ended up here. Her former lover had betrayed her, the police had chased her, she'd jumped off a bridge, and then... And then this. She'd awakened in a place she did not recognize before coming across two young girls and flying through the air with them. 

The best way to describe Calen's mansion was to say that it felt old. Everything from the furniture to the building itself seemed like it had tons of history attached to it. Even the mirror Rosa was currently using looked very expensive, what with the complex pattern that had been engraved across its border and all. She couldn't help but feel anxious; there was no way that the two little girls could be the only ones living here, but at the same time, the lack of any sound throughout the entire manor did seem to indicate that no one else was around. 

She'd asked for a place to change out of her drenched clothes, and so, Trill had guided her to a guestroom with a bath attached. Where did they get their water from? That was something Rosa had decided she could think about after she'd cleaned herself. A hot bath was the kind of luxury she'd be hard pressed to pass up. There, she once again found herself wondering about the situation at hand. The series of events she'd gone through went beyond anything the woman had ever even dreamed of. It really did feel to her as if she'd been sucked into the world of fairy tales. 

Unable to wrap her head around what was happening, a deep sigh ended up leaving Rosa's mouth. She picked up the set of night time clothing that had been placed on the bed and put it on. Never in her life had she thought she'd one day be wearing such a pretty gown. Rosa could now feel herself understanding why rich people dressed the way they did; once you'd experienced this, there was simply no going back to cheap cotton. As for her old, dirty clothes, those had been taken by Trill as she left the room. 

"So... Vampires, huh?" 

Calen had told her what that meant while they were flying here. Unfortunately, let's just say that her explanation left something to be desired. 

—We're vampires. That means that... we're really old! Yeah! Amazing, right? 

—Lady Calen's the most amazing of them all! 

All the two had done was boast about how cool they were. To Rosa, this seemed to suggest that even they were a little fuzzy on the details. Normally, this sort of behaviour wouldn't have flown with her at all, yet for some reason, the way the girls did it only caused her to laugh. 

There was only one thing she'd managed to learn so far, and that had to do with the girls' diet. 

"Are you ready, human?" 

"Ready whenever, vampire." 

Trill entered the room without as much as bothering to knock. In her hand, she was holding a thick book. With heavy steps, the girl marched over to Rosa, paying no mind to her obvious sarcasm. It was there that the woman's heart nearly skipped a beat. Not because of Trill's rude behaviour, mind you, but because of something she soon noticed: The girl's image was not reflected by the mirror. Only the book she was holding was, leaving it to float in the air. 

"Huh? What... What does this mean?" 

"It means that vampires don't show up in mirrors! Gosh, are you seriously telling me that you don't even know that?" 

"Well, excuse me..." 

This turned out to be quite the important discovery; it confirmed that the two girls did not come from the same world as Rosa did. 

"Actually, I was wondering... What about Calen? She's not coming too?" 

"Lady Calen is waiting in her room for me to first, err, prepare your blood." 

Rosa couldn't help but gulp. She'd had her doubts earlier, but it seemed that this was really going to happen after all. 

As she had been told, the two girls feasted on human blood. 

Bugs and fleas were one thing, but could the likes of Trill and Calen really sate their hunger simply by drinking blood? To Rosa, that seemed completely unimaginable. That being said, it was true that the whole time they'd been flying here, the two had gone on and on about how excited they were to drink hers. 

To further support this theory, she'd been offered the following conditions after their arrival at the manor: 

—In return for granting you a bed to sleep in, we ask you to let us drink your blood. 

Nothing about the two's behaviour suggested that they were joking around. 

"Are you sure you're fine with this? With us drinking your blood, I mean." 

"Of course! Don't even worry about it." 

While a strange thing to ask for sure, at no point had it crossed Rosa's mind to turn down the offer. 

Blood was a cheap price to pay for help, she felt. She'd be willing to do way worse if it meant not having to sleep outside. 

The memories of her days spent in the slums were still fresh in Rosa's mind, and let's just say, that sort of life was not something she wished to ever return to. 

She lay down on the bed with her arms and legs spread wide. 

"Come along now. Do your thing." 

"Heh. I like your attitude." 

Trill got on the bed as well. She followed this by placing the book she'd been carrying next to her. It was clear that she was planning on using what was written on its pages as a guide to get through the coming steps. 

In silence, Rosa watched as the girl got ready. She had wondered earlier what sort of a tool would be used to take her blood, but much to her surprise, Trill didn't seem to have brought any with her. She didn't even have a knife. 

—Just how is she planning on doing this? 

"Umm... Right. Let us get started." 

Her eyes jumping around the page, Trill awkwardly grabbed Rosa's gown before rolling it all the way up. 

"W-Wait! Hold it right there!" 

The nightdress had not come with any underwear, and before Rosa knew it, the most private part of her body had been exposed in full. She felt embarrassed, and even more than that, confused. Sure, blood would occasionally come out from down there, but this was no such time. As if having never seen a naked grown-up before, Trill dropped on her knees and began carefully observing the woman's crotch. 

"Hey! Move your hands! I can't see!" 

"E-Explain what's going on first!" 

"Just shut up and let me see your crotch!" 

"What's wrong with the people around here!?" 

"This is all part of the ceremony!" 

"Dammit! Well, alright then..." 

Figuring that the girl was not going to stop no matter what she said to her, Rosa slowly spread her legs open. Under no circumstances could she afford risking angering the two and being thrown out. 

"Is it really necessary to draw blood from down there? I just feel like—" 

"Have you not been paying any attention? I'm not going to be extracting any blood. No, the point of this is to get you ready first." 

"Wait, so that means—" 

The answer came to her before she could finish the question. 

Without any hesitation, Trill extended her hand and pressed her fingers against the woman's privates. 

"No! Stop it! Stop it at once!" 

The girl did not stop, and instead, kept on pushing her fingers deeper. Soon, she'd made her way past Rosa's lips and reached the small opening that they guarded. This was nothing at all like what the woman had experienced with her previous lover. It could hardly even be called making love. Trill seemed to be under the impression that the more force she used, the better. Sure, she hadn't expected her to be particularly talented, but this somehow managed to be even worse. Rosa couldn't help but leap up. This in turn prompted the girl to puff her cheeks. 

"Just lie down, human. That is all that is required of you." 

"If I may ask... Are you sure you know what you're doing here?" 

"Of course! I will stimulate your sexual organs using my finger and cause you to experience pleasure." 

The way the girl spoke made it sound like she'd read that straight from a textbook. To Rosa, this was definitive proof of her ignorance. That said, she did not seem to hold any ulterior motives, which led the woman to adjust her approach slightly. 

"And why exactly would you want to do that?" 

The tone of her voice was similar to that of an adult scolding a child who'd done something naughty. 

Trill puffed her chest before replying: 

"It's simple, really. The book says that sexual arousal is the key to delicious blood. Now then, let us continue." 

"By the book you mean, that book over there?" 

Rosa nodded her head towards the book lying on the bed next to the girl. 

"Exactly!" 

Judging by its cover, the book in question appeared to be a medical journal of some sort. Its pages were full of difficult-to-read text and complex graphs, none of which Rosa could even begin wrapping her head around. No way would a book of this sort contain instructions regarding how to bring pleasure to a woman. Even if it did, Rosa seriously doubted that the girl understood it any better than she did. 

"That hurts! Stop it! How is anyone supposed to enjoy this!?" 

The two had been glaring at each other for a while when all of a sudden, Trill wrapped her claws around Rosa's breasts through the gown. Needless to say, this caused the woman to let out a sharp scream. 

"Liar! The book clearly says that stimulating one's breasts will cause them to experience arousal!" 

"Well, it's not working on me! Now, I said, stop it!" 

Trill's grip on her breasts grew tighter, and so did Rosa's howls get louder. It was there that she recalled how easy it had been for Calen to pick her up earlier. If this kept up, there was a serious risk that she might end up being torn to pieces. 

"I'm not aroused in the slightest! Let me go!" 

"Hmph... How odd." 

With her desperate pleas having now reached her, Trill at last let the woman go. Rosa was left gasping for air as she rubbed her sore chest. 

She'd been ready to give up some of her blood, but this? This was not something she had expected in the slightest. Despite the girl's act, it was difficult to imagine how anyone could be more terrible at this. 

"Err, if your goal really is to make me feel aroused... then you're going to have to try something else." 

"Why!?" 

"Because, frankly speaking, you suck. You have no idea how to bring pleasure to a woman. It's simply not the kind of skill you can learn reading a book." 

"B-But!" 

Large tears could be seen welling up in the corners of the girl's eyes. It seemed that Rosa's bluntness might have been too much for her to bear. "What am I going to do now", she mumbled to herself while sobbing uncontrollably. In this moment, she really did look like a child. Rosa once again found herself perplexed. The girl had forced herself on her and had ravaged her privates, yet now, it almost felt like she was the bad guy here. 

"At this rate, Lady Calen is going to..." 

"H-Hey." 

Having started to feel somewhat bad, Rosa attempted to say something to the girl, only for her to wipe her tears away before she could do so. Though she'd yet to stop crying, her eyes did appear full of determination. 

"You! Human! You know the proper way of obtaining sexual arousal, do you not?" 

"Umm, I suppose that's one way to put it..." 

"In that case, please! Teach it to me!" 

"Wait... Seriously?" 

Rosa found herself at a complete loss for words. This was definitely not something you were meant to say to another person, much less someone you'd just met. 

"I have removed my clothes like you told me to. Now then, let us proceed to the next step", Trill stated to Rosa. She was currently sitting on the woman's lap without as much as a single piece of clothing on. It said a lot about how innocent of a child she was to be able to do so without shame. 

"Right..." 

Rosa's reply on the other hand sounded far more reserved. Despite all of her protesting, the girl had insisted that they do this. Rosa was left with little choice but to go along with her. If nothing else, it was at least preferable to having to spend the night out on the street. 

—I'm prepared to do anything for Lady Calen's sake! 

The expression on Trill's face when she made this comment had been one of single-minded passion. Thinking back to it, Rosa couldn't help but find herself growing slightly envious of the girl. There'd been a time in her life when she too had felt the same way. Would she one day get back to that point, or was it something she'd never get to experience again? It pained Rosa so much that she didn't know the answer. 

"Say, how old are you again?" 

Seeing the girl without her clothes on, it shocked Rosa just how young she looked. Her body was clearly still developing, and she had no curves to speak of. Moreover, the only hair she had was located on her head; other than that, her skin was perfectly smooth. Her breasts were similarly tiny, and at the tips of them were located a pair of light pink nipples—so unnoticeable that they almost resembled mosquito bites. Was it even possible for this body of hers to experience pleasure? Rosa would've been lying if she said she didn't have her doubts. Besides that, there was also something else that caught her attention: Unlike when touching a human, she could not feel any warmth coming from the girl's skin. She felt soft, yes, but in terms of temperature, the sensation was similar to rubbing your hands against a statue made of porcelain. 

"Err... Around three hundred years, I believe." 

"Oh, wow. Now I wish I hadn't asked..." 

Rosa was left shaking her head. It didn't really make sense to assume that the girl was lying here. That said, knowing that she was actually much older than she was did little to help the woman feel any less hesitant regarding what she was about to do next. 

"Now, let us hurry!" 

"It's good that you're so enthusiastic about it, I suppose..." 

This all felt wrong. So wrong. Sure, Rosa had been a pretty early bloomer herself, but by no means had her first time been at an age when she looked like what Trill did. There were no two ways about it; all that was happening here was her taking advantage of the girl's ignorance. At the same time, it was too late to turn back now. Preparing herself for what was about to come, Rosa stated the following to the girl: 

"Listen up. The key here is to be as gentle as possible. I'll start by first touching your body." 

With that, she placed her hands on the girls back, stomach, and thighs, and gently stroked them in a way she figured she would herself enjoy. Her goal had been to surprise Trill by starting from the most sensitive parts of her body, and sure enough, that was exactly what ended up happening. 

"Mh! Aah! That... That tickles! Ahahaha!" 

Her body twitched every time Rosa moved her fingers. She was even more sensitive than what the woman had expected. Her back seemed especially weak to the touch, and that was exactly were Rosa wound up focusing the full force of her attack. This only caused the girl to laugh more. 

"Hahaha! Hehe! Are you sure that you're doing this correctly...? Ahaha!" 

"Yes, I am. Just give it a second." 

If she could feel ticklish, then she should also be able to feel pleasure, right? Trying her best to convince herself of this, Rosa continued touching the girl's body all over. 

"Mh, mhh... Aah..." 

No longer was Trill laughing out loud. It seemed that at last, she was starting to grow used to the woman's touch. 

With that out of the way, it became time to turn this tickling session into something more sexual. To do so, Rosa leaned forward in an attempt to press her mouth on Trill's neck. She'd first thought about kissing her, but had quickly decided against it. There was something about the act that felt like it was crossing a line. 

What happened next was not at all what she'd expected; Rosa's breath came in contact with the girl's soft skin, and in the next instant, her body had been pushed back by a pair of tiny elbows. 

"What do you think you're doing!? Are you trying to bite my neck? I was not under the impression that humans drank blood too." 

"Oh, you're against it? Well, sorry. It's just something you do as part of this, so I figured..." 

"Know your place, human. One's neck is reserved for their master alone. I will not allow anyone but Lady Calen to touch me there." 

"Sheesh. I already said I was sorry..." 

Trill's fierce glare was met my Rosa meekly bowing her head. It seemed that for the residents of this city, kisses on the neck meant a whole lot more than they had back at home. Now, was that a common custom, or just something between the girls? She could not yet say for sure. Once the situation calmed down a little, perhaps Rosa should have a walk around town and see if she could find someone to give her a more detailed explanation? 

"If it hurts, make sure you tell me right away, okay?" 

"Pain bothers me not. I'd do anything for Lady Calen!" 

Rosa asked for confirmation one last time. After this, there would be no going back. Her fingers would be touching the girl in increasingly sensitive spots. She had to be ready for what was coming. Sure, she could just stop, but that'd mean Trill not learning the proper way of doing this. And without that knowledge, the chances were that Rosa would once more end up being ravaged. 

She took a deep breath before placing her fingers on top of the girl's chest. 

"Once you start touching this spot, you'll need to be even more gentle than before, understood?" 

Rosa used her fingers to draw circles around Trill's tiny nipples. Little by little, the nubs of flesh began growing stiff in response to the stimulation. This in turn prompted the woman to start playing with them, only for them to get even harder than before. 

"Mh, aah, mmh... What is happening? Haa, aah..." 

While the girl didn't necessarily understand what was being done to her, she had noticed that there was something odd about the way her body was reacting. The sensation she was experiencing was distinctively different from being tickled. 

Rosa decided to give some love to Trill's chest region as well. As if drawing them near her, she slid her hands from the bottom to the top. While not large enough to massage properly, the girl's breasts did more than make up for it by being extremely soft. It seemed that she could go a bit harder if she wanted to without having to worry about hurting her. 

"This is... Mhh... I don't understand..." 

Again and again, the girl kept glancing at Rosa over her shoulder. Her face was both desperate and seductive all at the same time, and before she knew it, Rosa too had found herself starting to feel a little strange. Her body felt hot, and by instinct, she leaned forward to tighter wrap the girl in her embrace. Doing so, her nose was buried in her hair. Rosa breathed in her scent, and what she smelled was not a scary vampire, but an inexperienced little girl. 

"It... It hurts a little... I think..." 

Despite Trill's best attempts at fighting back, the woman's hands showed her little mercy. She moved back and forth between her breasts and her nipples, and squeezed them both plenty. The girl was left squirming on her lap as her toes curled up. It was clear that she really did not understand either what was happening to her, or why she felt the way she did. And yet, even now, her body felt just as cold as it had when the two had started. More than that, Rosa could not sense a heartbeat. 

? 

"I-Is this it? Is this... arousal?" 

"Indeed. That thing you're feeling, it's called pleasure." 

"Aah! No! Not there! Ah! Noo!" 

Rosa using her fingernails to tickle Trill's nipples was met by the girl pushing her feet as far as they would go. Her entire body tensed up as she tried desperately to fight against the unknown sensations flowing through her. As for Rosa, she in turn experienced something close to a feeling of kinship; it appeared that both she and the girl shared the same weak spots. The woman's breasts were quite large and really stood out, and it was likely because of this that her former lover had always focused her torment on her nipples. As a result, they'd ended up growing extremely sensitive over time. Already, her own breasts had begun throbbing with a sweet ache. The bodies of the two women were pressed tightly together, and each time Trill moved hers, her back would rub against Rosa's chest. Moreover, she'd been breathing in the girl's scent for a while now, and it was really starting to make her heart flutter. It was becoming harder and harder for her to control herself. 

"I think we're ready to move on now." 

"Huh...?" 

Done playing with the girl's breasts for time being, Rosa then slowly slid her hands downwards. This abrupt change of pace prompted Trill to let out a confused moan. A sense of irritation could be heard in her voice; it did not seem that she enjoyed the woman stopping right as she'd been starting to get used to her touch. As if to pacify her, Rosa shifted one of her hands to the girl's slender thigh and rubbed it, all the while using the other one to slowly creep towards the innocent crevice that lay between her legs. 

"Spread your legs, would you?" 

"Mhh..." 

Trill did as told. Even with her legs open, her lower lips still remained tightly shut, further emphasising her childish youth. It was clear that no one had ever laid their hands on this part of her body. Rosa closed her eyes before gently spreading the tiny flower petals aside using the tips of her fingers. Doing so sent a wave of tension running through Trill's body. 

"Now then..." 

The girl might have been a vampire, but the way to do it was still the same, right? Figuring that to be the case, Rosa proceeded to lick the fingers of her right hand to get them wet while her left one remained in place. This was followed by her softly pressing her fingers against the girl's entrance. Already, the tiny hole was starting to show signs of growing wet itself. Rosa did not push her fingers in, but instead, used them to gently stroke the area around her target. This caused Trill to pull her legs together, leaving the woman's arm pinched between her thighs. And yet, her resistance lacked any sort of real bite; without as much as reacting to it, Rosa continued moving her fingers in silence. 

"Mh, mhh... Aah!" 

"Look at this. You're starting to get wet..." 

With every second that went by, it became more and more obvious just how excited the girl felt. Her breaths were short, and her body twitched around like a fish that had been pulled on land. It'd been there that Rosa had noticed that her fingers had become wet. The liquid that covered them was neither sweat, nor was it saliva. 

"Ah, aah... Aah! I... I don't know what's happening...!" 

There, it finally happened; the girl placed her hand on top of Rosa's. It was as if she felt like she no longer had any other choice left. Did she want her to stop? Of course she did. She must have been so scared. Her poor heart must have been beating like crazy. Rosa could sense her fear, and yet, she kept on going regardless. By this point, all semblance of reason had left her mind; the sensation was similar to being drunk, but ten times more intense. Trill was shown no mercy as the woman continued having her way with her. 

"Hyah, Ah! Aah!? Aaah!" 

Rosa's fingers pulled back the hood of the girl's clitoris and poked at it. This appeared to be far too much for her to bear, and for the first time since they'd begun, Trill looked like she was genuinely trying to escape the woman's grasp. Be it a human or a vampire, it seemed that all women were equally sensitive when it came to this spot. Enjoying her youthful reactions to the fullest, Rosa continued rubbing the tiny bean with delicate motions. The centres of her fingers pulled back her hood, and once it was out of the way, their tips would gently push down on her clitoris. Though simple, applying this movement repeatedly was enough to make the girl's toes curl. 

"What is... happening to me? Aah! Why do I feel this way...?" 

Her moans somehow managed to sound even more seductive now than they had earlier. The overwhelming torrent of pleasure was clearly starting to take hold of her. Similarly, with each whiff of the girl's scent she took in, Rosa could feel herself growing more and more drunk. There was something about it that was driving her insane. Her fingers only moved faster as she continued teaching Trill's young body what it meant to feel good. 

"You're about to cum. That's what it means." 

Her whispering this into the girl's ear was met by her fiercely shaking her head from side to side. 

"I... I don't understand... Aah! Ah! I'm scared... I'm so scared!" 

She knew she was meant to feel sorry for the poor girl scared for her life, yet for some reason, seeing her in such a sorry state only caused Rosa's insides to throb harder. It'd been too soon for the girl, hadn't it? Almost certainly. Even so, it wasn't like Rosa could simply stop anymore. She might have been scared, but once she reached climax, she would understand. Surely she would. Using this as her justification, the woman proceeded to press her fingers hard against Trill's privates as if to land the finishing blow. 

"Hyaah, aah, aaaah, aaahh!" 

A moan unlike anything that had come before left the girl's mouth, and her body curled up into a tiny ball. She spent the next few moments shivering as the initial wave of shock ran through every last part of her. As for Rosa, she had now wrapped Trill tight in her embrace, and did not let go until the shivers had stopped. The girl had clearly been experiencing great pleasure, yet mysteriously, had not sweat a single drop. Similarly, her skin still resembled white porcelain in being both cold and smooth. Rosa on the other hand could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and her nether region—which thankfully remained hidden by the gown—was all but drenched. Trill's body, her soft moans, her irregular breathing, they'd all come together to form a whole which she could not resist. Never in her life had she thought she could find herself this excited over someone as young-looking as the girl. She pulled her arm out from between her thighs, only to find her middle finger drenched in the girl's nectar. 

"Mmh, mhh..." 

—This is not something I'd ever do. 

Without a second thought, she took the finger and placed it in her mouth. The nectar did not have a specific smell associated with it, nor did it really taste like anything either. And yet, just one lick of it was enough to drive her wild. Her head felt hot, almost as if her brain had been set on fire. She wanted more. She needed more. More of Trill. 

"Haa, haa, haa... What was that? Tell me... Explain!" 

Apparently done bathing in the afterglow of her climax, the girl turned around to face Rosa. Her arms were wrapped around her body, showing that she still felt herself to be in danger. More than that, it was clear she'd not understood what had just happened. Rosa tried to explain to the best of her ability: 

"You came. It felt good when I touched your body, didn't it? Well, once enough of that pleasure builds up, you cum. It's just how it works." 

"I see now. When my head goes blank, that's called... cumming. So, that's what I need to do. I need to make you cum, and then, Lady Calen will surely—" 

It'd been mere moments since the girl's orgasm, and already she was busy attempting to realise her goals. She had a certain glimmer in her eyes, to which Rosa shook her head from side to side. 

"I don't think that you... quite understand yet..." 

No longer was Rosa's mind functioning properly. The nectar she'd licked off her fingers had driven her beyond all reason. 

"Y-You wish to keep teaching me? No! Absolutely not! I've had enough!" 

Rosa didn't say anything this time. Instead, she simply wrapped her arms around the girl's fragile body. 

"I wouldn't be so certain of that if I were you..." 

She turned her all the way around and spread her legs open. Ignoring the anxious look in Trill's eyes, Rosa then grabbed her thighs and lifted them into the air. The girl was left lying on her back with the bottom half of her body pointed upwards. 

"Hyah! Stop it right there! This is enough!" 

This position put quite the strain on the girl's body, and to lessen it, Rosa decided to grab a pillow and place it under her. Having done so, she next pushed down on her chest and locked her in place. This left the girl with her privates exposed and at the perfect height for Rosa to do with them as she pleased. 

"..." 

There, embracing the lower half of Trill's body, she placed her hands on the back of her thighs before having a look at her prey. Rosa couldn't help but gasp at the sight she now found herself witnessing; both of the girl's holes were in full view, and through the gap between her legs, she could see her teary eyes staring back at her. It seemed that just like Rosa, Trill too knew exactly what was about to happen next. All the woman could do was put on a clumsy smile. 

Her gaze then shifted over to the girl's crotch. When Rosa had been touching her earlier, she'd not had an opportunity to take a good look at these parts. It was time to make up for that. She spread Trill's tiny, undeveloped lips open, exposing something very pale, almost purplish behind them. Small remnants of wetness could be seen around her hole left from her orgasm mere moments ago. The woman attempted to sniff her scent, but to no avail; no smell whatsoever entered her nose. Honestly, that was almost a good thing. Rosa would've been lying if she said she was a fan of the fish-like smell women's lady parts commonly had to them. Knowing that the girl did not sweat, was it fair to assume that she lacked certain other bodily functions as well? That was definitely what her lack of smell would've seemed to imply. 

"Aah..." 

"I knew it! You're just playing with me!" 

Trill's entrance contracted as she raised her voice. Seeing it twitch and squirm all around, you would never have guessed that this was an organ that belonged to a girl so adorable, so innocent. 

"This position is all weird... Lady Calen would laugh for sure if she saw me like this..." 

There it was, the shyness she'd been looking for. Rosa could feel her entire body shudder in anticipation. 

"I'm starting now. Lick, lick." 

"Hnnh!" 

Rosa gave a kiss to the purplish flower spread open before her. She then pushed out her tongue which she used to lick the girl's crevice up and down. Trill attempted to move her legs to free herself, but the woman would not let go. Her only accomplishment was making drops of Rosa's saliva as well as those of her own juices land on her face. 

"Hyaah, aah! That's not food! Please, stop! Don't eat me!" 

"Mh, mhh! Slurp, slurp!" 

Sounds of wetness echoed across the room as Rosa greedily lapped up all the nectar that gushed out. She drank and drank, but it was not enough to sate her thirst. Not even close. Just by moving her tongue, she could feel her own climax approaching. Her hips shivered, and yet, she did not stop. There was nothing in the entire world she wanted to do more. She ran her tongue across the girl's hole, tickling it all over. Occasionally, she would touch her lips as well. They felt so good, so soft against her tongue. Her nectar just kept gushing out. There was such an amount that a pool of it had now begun forming near Trill's navel. 

"Mmh, mmhn... Shulp, shulp..." 

"Haaa, aah, aahh! Another one... Another one's coming!" 

The stimulation brought on by Rosa's tongue turned out to be too much for her to bear, and before long, Trill had started approaching her second orgasm for the night. That seemed very understandable; it was simply too much to expect someone who'd just learned what sex was to be able to endure having another woman lick her privates to such an extent. Rosa did not stop, however. All she did was pat the girl's bottom as if that was somehow supposed to help her calm down while she continued moving her tongue around. She was doing it so relentlessly she did not even have time to breathe using her mouth and had to do it through her nose instead. Speaking of her mouth, it had now grown completely drenched with the girl's juices. 

? 

"That's fine. Go ahead. Go ahead and cum!" 

Rosa buried her tongue inside Trill in an attempt to once more push her over the edge. Getting her wet seemed to have really paid off, and much to her surprise, the girl's body accepted the foreign intruder without any real resistance. Rosa could feel her tongue being squeezed from all sides by her warm, sticky walls. Reassured that Trill was enjoying the experience, she went ahead and increased the speed of her movements. This prompted the girl's sweet moans to echo throughout the room. 

"Ah, aah, haa! Something... is coming! Something's coming! Lady Calen, help me! Help me! Aah, ah! Help meee!!" 

Calling out her master's name, she reached her second climax. 

It was clear to Rosa just how much pleasure the girl was experiencing based on the way her insides clamped around her tongue. There was a part of her that felt reluctant to let go, but pushing those feelings aside, the woman pulled out her tongue and wiped her mouth. She then placed Trill's body back on the bed, but not before waiting for her chest to stop heaving. It still didn't feel real to her what had just happened. Her ears were buzzing, and there was a strange tingling sensation inside her head. The goal had been to teach Trill about sexual arousal, yet in the end, the woman had simply had her way with her. Sure, she could say that seeing the girl in such a defenceless state had been too much for her to bear, and while that was partly true, it hardly excused what she'd done. Normally, Rosa was always able to keep her cool. What had made this situation so much different? That was a question she could not answer. 

"Haa, haa..." 

"Hey, Trill. You okay?" 

She had yet to get up, and her breathing was still out of control. A number of lines left behind by tears could be seen running down her face. It seemed that Rosa had indeed overdone it. 

"I... I'm..." 

The girl had been about to mumble out something when all of a sudden... 

"Please tell me the blood is ready. I can wait no longer!" 

...Calen marched in without as much as bothering to knock. 

"Ah! Lady Calen!" 

The sight of her master instantly caused Trill to leap up. Still naked, she got out from the bed and kneeled before the other girl. Rosa was left watching in silence as Calen softly patted her servant's head with a smile on her face. 

"And what might be going on here?" 

"Please forgive me, Lady Calen. I have yet to arouse the human..." 

"My! Is that so?" 

Calen shifted her gaze towards Rosa, leaving the woman to awkwardly cross her arms. Could it be that the other girl was just as ignorant as the first one when it came to the topic of sex? Rosa had wondered about that earlier, and this seemed to confirm it. With that, the question then became, how on earth was she meant to explain the situation to her? 

"I hardly think that's the case. To me, she looks perfectly ready. That sweet, sweet smell of blood that's emanating from her... Aah! I cannot contain myself!" 

A look of mania could be seen in the girl's eyes as she stated that. She might have been a child too, but for a brief moment, Rosa truly did feel like she was staring down a beast about to eat her. 

Fear. What she experienced was true fear. 

"Really? That is quite odd. I haven't done anything to her yet..." 

It was right about there that Rosa finally figured out what was going on. 

Sexual arousal was a necessary component for delicious blood. That was what the girls had told her. Well, as it turned out, Rosa was actually very much aroused right now. Touching Trill's young body and showering her petals in kisses had been more than enough to get her going. Whether you were the one giving or the one receiving, that did not matter one bit. 

"I see that you've worked very hard for me, Trill. You have my gratitude." 

"Of course! It is my duty as your knight to do everything I can to serve you!" 

Calen gave Trill a kiss on the forehead before getting up on the bed next to Rosa. There, she once again smiled, this time in a way that exposed her teeth. 

The girl had a pair of fangs on either side of her mouth that were long and sharp like those of a beast. Rosa had been under the impression that her blood would be drawn by first cutting her skin with a blade of some sort, yet looking at the girl now, it was clear she'd been wrong; her fangs were without a doubt meant for sucking out the blood of her prey. The woman could feel herself shuddering at the thought. All colour had left her face. 

"Now, Rosa. Give me your blood!" 

It was instantly clear to Rosa that all resistance was futile. She could not say "no" to the girl. Her only choice was to go along with her. 

"Hehe. That's the way. Good girl." 

As if comforting a baby, Calen softly wrapped her arms around the woman. 

She then brushed her hair to the side, exposing her neck. 

Rosa already knew what was going to happen next. Her skin grew warm in anticipation. 

? 

"Here I come." 

With that soft whisper, the girl's fangs sank into Rosa's neck. 

"Hnhh..." 

A wave of sharp pain shot through her body. That pain only lasted for a moment, however, and was soon replaced by a sensation of something irreplaceable being stolen from her. It seemed that Calen possessed the ability to absorb blood directly through her fangs. Rosa could feel herself growing chilled to the bone. While certainly preferable to having her head bitten off, she couldn't really say that she enjoyed it. 

"Aah..." 

It was there that tears began flowing down Rosa's cheeks. For some reason she could not understand, Calen sucking her blood caused her to experience happiness unlike anything she'd felt before. She had been so against it mere moments earlier, yet now, it felt almost like a blessing. The voice in the back of her mind warning her of danger had all but faded away. The last remaining bits of strength left her body, and her eyelids started growing heavy. What Rosa experienced was true ecstasy. It was comparable in amount to an orgasm, yet not a burst, but a soft, relaxing wave. Every fibre of her body was telling her to forget about what was going on around her and simply fall asleep. 

"Aahh... How delicious..." 

Using what was left of her fading consciousness, Rosa could tell that she still remained in Calen's embrace. The girl had ecstasy written all over her face, and from the corners of her mouth dripped out a line of red blood. Similarly, her eyes—which Rosa could swear had been blue when they'd first met—were now glowing with scarlet light. The girl somehow managed to feel less like a human now compared to when she'd grown a pair of wings from her back. 

"Trill, come. Feast on her blood with me." 

"Right away, Lady Calen!" 

The words had barely left Trill's mouth by the time she'd hopped onto the bed next to Rosa. Her eyes, filled with anticipation, truly did bring to mind the image of a child about to dig into their meal. The two weren't about to suck her dry and leave her to die, were they? Were they...? 

"Fear not. Everything is going to be all right." 

As if able to sense Rosa's worries, Calen whispered that into her ear. 

This was followed by the other girl opening her mouth wide. In doing so, her fangs grew long and sharp, just like those of her master's. 

Rosa could feel her neck growing warm in anticipation just like the last time, and not long after, her mind was plunged into darkness. 

"Ah, you're alive!" 

"We were so worried!" 

Rosa opened her eyes only to find Calen and Trill both staring at her. She was still in the same room she had been in yesterday. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she'd held onto the hope that everything that happened leading up to this point might have been just a bad dream, but that no longer seemed like a real possibility. Her body felt weak and she could barely move her arms, likely due to the amount of blood she had lost. Somehow, the woman managed to force herself up. Trill was now wearing clothes, and similarly, her own had also been tidied up after being dishevelled the previous night. It appeared that the girls had taken good care of her while she'd been blacked out. 

"So, that's how you two eat..." 

Rosa nervously brought her hand to her neck, only to find that the wounds left behind by the girls' fangs had already closed. Was that another power they had? It was the only conclusion she could come to. Whatever the case, those thoughts were quickly interrupted as Calen took the woman's hand. A faint blush could be seen on her cheeks. 

"You have our gratitude, Rosa. Your blood was delicious." 

"Glad to hear that. Anyway, does this mean I've paid for my stay?" 

That was the one thing she wanted to confirm right away. 

"Please, do not concern yourself with such matters. This manor is now your home just as much as it is ours." 

"There are so many empty rooms that we can easily let you use one of them." 

In other words, she could stay here? Any and all negative thoughts were instantly wiped from Rosa's mind. She buried her head into the pillow once more, earning herself a stern look from Calen. 

"My! I see that you get exhausted quite easily. But, do not fall asleep just yet, for I have something to say. I want you to become my retainer!" 

"Say what again?" 

Now that was a word Rosa wasn't used to hearing. What on earth was a retainer? 

"I want you to become my retainer, and help me and Trill accomplish our dream." 

"And what exactly might your dream be?" 

A bright smile appeared on Calen's face. She was clearly glad that the woman had asked. She took Trill's hand, and the two climbed up on the bed next to Rosa. There, they pointed their index fingers towards the sky, striking quite the dramatic pose. 

"We will use your blood to restore our former strength, and with that, realise the greatest and oldest desire of all vampires... Returning to the world above!" 

"At last, the time has come for our dreams to become reality!" 

The words of the girls were filled with hope—a belief that they'd be successful so innocent that it bordered on naivety. 

They'd mentioned "the world above". Was that to say this city was located beneath the ground? It felt like for every mystery Rosa was able to solve, two more popped up. She thought back to her time before coming here. Iris and she had been so happy together, and yet, those pleasant days had ended in the woman's betrayal. And then there was the smog. And the filth. In no way was the world she knew such a fantastic place as the two made it out to be. 

"...Well, good luck. I hope you manage to do it." 

Despite her feelings, the woman found herself unable to speak the truth. The fact that offending the girls ran the risk of being thrown out was of course a factor, but more importantly, she did not have the heart to kill the sparkle in their eyes. Would she be the one to pollute their innocent efforts at realising their dreams? Absolutely not. 

"You should join us when the time comes. I have to assume that you wish to return to your home." 

She didn't really. There was nothing up there that she missed. And yet, Rosa simply nodded her head. 

"Good! Now, take my blood." 

"I will assist you, Lady Calen!" 

With that, the girls pressed their hands together before cutting a small scratch into each other's palm using their long nails. This left their fingertips covered in a tiny amount of blood, which they then pointed into Rosa's direction. 

"Do not spill it, alright?" 

Their blood smelled not like iron, but like wine. Did they want her to drink it? That certainly seemed to be what was going on here. Rosa's defensive instincts kicked in, and she ended up falling on her backside. 

"Do I have to? Was it not enough that you drank my blood?" 

"Silence! Lady Calen is courteously sharing her strength with you! Now, drink!" 

What did that even mean? Would she become as physically capable as they were? Would she too be able to grow wings? Hesitating, Rosa slowly brought her face up to the girl's hand before pressing her lips against her finger. 

"Mhh... Shlup..." 

A freezing sensation spread through her tongue into her throat, and then across the whole rest of her body. It was as if her body was changing from inside out. The girl's blood flowed into her veins, becoming her own. 

"Yes, that's the way. Drink it all..." 

"Keep licking till Lady Calen's finger is clean!" 

Rosa did not stop till the blood she was being offered had stopped flowing. 

And just like that, she'd become the vampire's retainer.