'You don't have to be king. You can renounce the crown and thereby renounce me. If that is what you wish I will not stop you. But please find a purpose in life other than languishing about the place with a smug look on your face.'<br/><br/>Valor had never forgotten those words. The words of his father. Callous though they were on the surface there was a hidden wisdom in there that the hotheaded might not see. Valor had no intention of languishing about the Valic Dominion walls.<br/><br/>The crickets were loud as the moon reached its apex in the sky. He could see only a few fragments of the heavens above through the thick canopy overhead. He looked ahead again. His violet colored eyes glowed faintly in the dark allowing him to see perfectly. A wolf howled in the distance but he worried himself not with such a thing. A wolf posed no significant threat to a vampire.<br/><br/>Lost in thought he came into a small clearing. There was a massive lake. A gentle breeze disturbed the otherwise perfect reflection of the sky above him.<br/><br/>The vampire walked over to the edge of the lake and peered down at the surface. A human might see a reflection, but he saw nothing but the night sky. It was as if he were some kind of figment of the world's imagination. If only it were truly that simple.<br/><br/>Valoragus Ballentine was his full name, but he preferred Valor. He was dressed in black breeches and a long sleeved purple shirt with a black vest to complete the ensemble. Upon his back was a wooden lute hung in place with a string. He pulled the lute around so he could sit in front of the lake.<br/><br/>He was an exceptional pianist but pianos weren't exactly easy to carry from place to place, so he had picked up the hobby of playing the lute. While he was pretty good there was no doubt his father was far better than he was.<br/><br/>He sang:<br/><br/>"If I were a cloud, would the stars be proud?<br/>If I were a villain, would I have a lair?<br/>I could be a sight to behold if I may be bold,<br/>but I'd hold on to myself if truth be told..."<br/><br/>He trailed off as he strummed along and sang his song before he abruptly stopped. Due to his distraction he hadn't noticed but a human was approaching. He considered disappearing into the trees but decided there was no need for him to run and hide.