"What?" Soojung gasped out loud dumbfounded behind me.

I rose to my feet and dusted my clothing in the process. I turned, smiling at the princess, "Yes, Song Qian is my mother. That is why I stared at her so intently, Soojung. I told you I had a legitimate reason. I haven't seen her in years since I left to join the army."

"Five years." Song Qian corrected besides me.

Soojung ping-ponged between my mother, Song Qian and I with a look of confusion still, and downright flabbergasted look.

"She's...she's...she's your mother?" Soojung stumbled over her words in shock at the revelation.

Both Song Qian and I chuckled lightly at Soojung's expression of disbelief.

"Yes," Song Qian answered. "I am Yiyun's mother."

I turned to give Song Qian, my mother, a meaningful look only the two of us would understand. She returned the same look with affection and patted my cheek in the process.

"It has been a while since I've seen him so this is quite the surprise to find him here at the palace. I can only imagine the complete shock on his face."

I leaned into her touch and nodded. "Completely shocked."

It is true; it has been quite a while since I had seen my mother. I considered Song Qian to be my real mother than I do my birth mother. Song Qian is the only one who showed me love and affection correlated to an actual mother. Whereas my birth mother used me for her own gain and disregarded my decisions and wished, Song Qian took my wishes into consideration and always looked out for my best interests. She showed me how to live life properly, especially since a normal one would be hard to do as a demon amongst humans in society. But she made it work. I am here presently because of her and the time spent disciplining me for the time that I could incorporate myself in to society as normally as I could while still being the monster that I am.

9 year ago:

"Feeling better now?" Song Qin asked after I finished my bowl of soup.

"Hm," I responded. "Much better. Can't say I enjoyed the taste though."

She laughed lightly at my contoured expression regarding the taste of the soup.

"I know. But at least your craving for blood has subsided, has it not?"

That was when I realized she was right. I noticed that I did not have that hunger craving anymore my appetite for fresh blood disappeared like smoke and I felt full.

"It is not a cure for blood cravings, but it curbs it to the point you don't constantly want it." She explained.

"Then can't I have that soup every day, every time, to subdue my thirst?" I asked curiously.

Song Qian shook her head sadly, "I wish it would but it does not. To brew such a remedy requires time in days. It spoils easily too, not to mention you would need to be extremely skilled in the arts of shamanism to make such a thing. I can teach you, but even so, to gather ingredients is not easy. They are not found in regular places."

"Then what is the point of the soup and giving it to me if it will only last for a short amount of time. I'll still be itching to sink my fangs into something, or someone with blood. It could easily be you next." I grumbled.

Song Qian gave me a challenging smile. "Really? Me? Remind me again who is the one able to suspend you mid-air and brew you a remedial soup to help with your drinking problem?"

"Tsch... fair enough." I said with defeat.

She let out a small laugh at my pathetic gloomy expression.

"Don't be so bummed. I told you I can help you. I can teach you how to cope with your new powers and acquired new taste. I told you I have known and helped other like yourself."

I gave her a wearily look in apprehension, "So you've told me. I am still stumped as to why you would help someone like me - something like me. I really should be dead."

She smacked my head abruptly, hard.

"Ouch!" I rubbed my head in a sore manner. I thought I couldn't be hurt! Hell, I tried to kill myself repeatedly and nothing, couldn't even feel a thing. Yet here this shamaness smacked me on the head and it hurt like it would if I was still mortal. What the hell.

She gave me a stern look. "You just told me you would live, and now you second guess your conviction. We need to work on your perspective and attitude."

"Okay, okay." I said in surrender.

"Good. Now go lie down and rest your body. You will not be able to sleep anymore; consequence of being what you have been turned into. But, it does not mean you cannot rest and recover and let your body adjust." Song Qian made sure I was comfortable in the layers of blankets on the floor. "We will take more in the morning and tomorrow, we start your training."

I cocked an eyebrow at her. "Training? Training for what?"

There was a mischievous glint in her eyes reflected from the firelight. "Training to control your powers, and so much more."

I gulped. Oh this can't be good.

I was right, it was not good. I was starting to wish that I could re-do my training with my older brother because that would have been 10 times easier and less torturous than this type of training with Song Qian.

"Come now, Yiyun. Concentrate." Song Qian said lazily on the side as she observed my training. She was fanning herself as she watched my struggle.

"Trying here!" I yelled back irritated.

The morning after she had "rescued" me, I told her my story - well to an extent of my story. I omitted the bit about my brother and my scheming parents, I was still bitter about my controlling parents and that lead to my protective, loving brother who lost his life trying to save me. I was not ready to touch on that sensitive subject; I don't think I ever will. I only told Song Qian that I ran away from home and on my way I encountered the monster/demon, whatever, and that was the last thing I remembered before being reborn, this time as the same thing that killed me.

"You told me you went through training before as a martial artist, is that a lie?" Song Qian prompted, criticizing me. "Where is that discipline now?"

I gritted my teeth in anger. Yes, I am trained in the disciplines of martial arts, but this was ridiculous. She had me bound with some type of sorcery that kept me anchored in my place while freshly harvest pigs blood was dangled in the air right in front of me.

You can guess my instinctive actions.

I was struggling like a rabid dog yanking at the invisible restraints holding me firm from my fresh dose of pig's blood. It felt like chains were wrapped around my abdomen, my arms, my legs and my neck. The more I struggled the more the enchanted restraints pulled tighter around my body like a noose.

Basically her method of training was to torture me into submission while I struggled like a crying puppy.

Cough.

I mean, training me to control that rearing appetite for blood with bait.

"Damn it!!" I screamed. "Let me go!"

"Control that hunger, Yiyun. Suppress it! It is mind over matter."

"Well you try to fight instincts!" I snarled. "This is most definitely a mind thing, not a matter thing! Give me my damn BLOOD!"

I could feel the restraints tighten more and more until it felt like I would be bent like metal, but I did not care. I wanted blood. My mind and body craved it and there was nothing that would get in my way of it; not even a damn sorceress. She said it was a mind over matter thing, well so be it. I wanted blood and I was going to get blood, regardless.

I put all my strength in to my next struggle; thrashing and yanking with all my might at last I snapped the invisible restraints placed on me. I charged like an enraged tiger at its prey and leapt to sink my teeth in to the pig' blood, but I did not have the luxury of that outcome. In a flash the force of Song Qian's magic slammed me down to the floor and the last thing I saw before I out was Song Qian standing over me wi