Ruby: Bloodbound

C1: Everfall I - Ruby

Ruby

Unlike popular belief, Everfall, one of the last human sanctuaries around, wasn't a place where darkness and gloom reigned supreme. Nor were the forests around it menacing or filled with twisted and gnarled trees. No, the picturesque town of Everfall was nestled amidst rolling hills and babbling brooks. Verdant meadows framed its outskirts, and the zephyrs often bore the gentle fragrances of wildflowers and dew-kissed grass, infusing the air with a delicate sweetness. As dawn kissed the horizon, its golden embrace would grace the cobbled streets, painting them in a warm luminescence.

Within the enchanting canvas of Everfall's beauty, there was an air filled with the tinkling notes of laughter and harmonious choruses of joy. The townspeople's interactions carried the warmth of genuine camaraderie, with smiles and heartfelt greetings exchanged like cherished tokens. However, perceptive gazes could discern a subtle undercurrent, a certain unfulfilled yearning lingering behind those smiles, and eyes that never really shone.

Ruby, with her vibrant red tresses rustling in the gentle breeze, trod the dusty yellowed path leading to the town's heart, each step infused with her quiet yet determined resolve. Welcoming nods and warm gestures from her fellow townsfolk met her, and she reciprocated with a genuine smile that seemed to brighten the world around her.

The bakery's door swung open as Ruby entered, greeted by the tired but amiable smile of Mr. Thomas. "Good day, Ruby. The usual, I presume?"

"Yes, please," she replied, extracting several bronze coins from her purse. "How has business been recently?"

A fresh loaf found its way into a paper bag, accompanied by a resigned sigh from Mr. Thomas. "Terrible, honestly, with the upcoming Lunar Festival, most people are staying indoors, and even the merchants and mercenaries have moved on to bigger towns." Here, he paused, observing Ruby's concern-laden expression. "But don't worry too much lil' Red. Everything will return to normal soon. You needn't worry your pretty lil' mind 'bout it, alright?"

"Mhmm. Hopefully." With a grip much tighter than normal on her purse, Ruby took the loaf into her hands, bid farewell, and left the bakery.

For as long as she had remembered, Ruby had grown up within the walls of Everfall. Here, she had woven a strong net of love and kinship with the townspeople who had opened their hearts to her. Their kindness and acceptance had filled the void left by the absence of her birth family, allowing her to feel a sense of home within the embrace of Everfall's loving community.

Yet with all its beauty, Everfall had its own darkness too, hidden beneath its splendour and normalcy. Laughter held a hint of weight, children's gazes were yearning, and all of it centred around "The Others," creatures that once belonged to myths and legends.

Everfall existed within the confines of Serios, a werewolf-dominated kingdom. Although in Serios, humans were at constant threat of being killed, toyed with, or humiliated, they were still much luckier than those in other territories. The werewolves were kind and benevolent rulers compared to the other monstrous entities – and wasn't that ironic? The vampires treated humans as walking blood banks, the sea folk enjoyed feasting on their souls, and the Rouges? They took the pleasure of cannibalism to the extreme.

In contrast, as human citizens of Serios, they still were afforded certain rights no matter how minimal they were. In comparison, where they were nothing but livestock to be bred as food in other kingdoms. All they had to remember was to never disobey a werewolf, to never disrespect them, and if they ever asked for anything, to never ever reject them, no matter how much it went against their wishes.

The Others' origins were shrouded in mystery, their sudden presence a testament to time's impermanence. No one knows where they came from. Perhaps they had always existed beside them or were foreign invaders from a different world. But one day, they weren't there; the next, they were. Maybe there were once records of their origins, but if there were, they have long been lost to the passage of time.