Venatores Noctis: Fading Virtue: Chapter 1 – Using a Spark for an Inferno

Chapter 1 – Using a Spark for an Inferno

Ivy sneaks behind a vampire god and wraps her family’s whip around his neck. Despite the metal-like spikes that come from the vampire’s neck, go through its face, and come out the top of its head like a crown, Ivy’s whip crushes it as if it were paper and makes the god bleed and suffocate.

“It’s time for you to die, monster,” Ivy says.

“Curses! To think it would end this way,” the god says as it struggles to free itself.

“You sealed your fate with your sins!”

“…still…to die at the hands of an Aurora is an honor. Let it be known that I was bested by a hunter from a legendary family-”

The two chuckle before beginning to laugh.

“What? Can’t keep up the act anymore?”

“It’s one of my favorites, but it does make me laugh. I appreciate the gift of your pleasing pain, Ivy.” The vampire god taps out but Ivy doesn’t stop strangling him. “Ivy?”

“What is it? I thought you enjoyed the pain.”

“Yes, its way of putting my life in danger is enticing since I rarely ever feel it, but it’s sad to say that our good time must end sooner or later. We can continue this again later once I recover.”

“Aww, but I’m just getting started.”

“Wha-what??

Seeing that Ivy seriously won’t release him, the god tries to break the whip around his neck, however, since it is a holy weapon, he only burns his hands as a result. He then uses his vampire god ability to activate the tattoos on Ivy’s eye, heart, and the one slightly below her waist. This causes her ecstasy which almost stops her, but she manages to narrowly persevere and behead the god. She then obsessively touches her tattoos as if wanting her curse to continuously feed her pleasure. Her sensations are quieted by another vampire god who enters the room and uses his abilities on her tattoos to calm her down.

“You’ll have the chance to experience an even greater pleasure now that you’re mine,” the god says.

“Don’t keep me waiting for long. You know what’ll happen if you do,” Ivy says before holding the god’s arm as if she is his wife.

To show his take over of the city, the serfs of the vampire god hang the decaying body of the god that Ivy killed from the balcony before the new vampire god gives a speech about his take over with Ivy at his side. Those who hear this gather gifts for their new ruler, especially supporters of the old ruler. On the other hand, those who are fearful of this sudden change of rule attempt to leave the city only to be ambushed and killed by supporters of the new rule. Ivy and her master indulge in the pleasures of their take over before going their separate ways to enjoy even more of their spoils given to them by their beastmen serfs.

“Congratulations on another successful takeover, Ivy. How long will you let this new ruler live?” a human woman serf asks.

“Depends how long he can entertain me,” Ivy answers.

“What about your other loyalties?”

“Those other gods can wait. The world is already theirs. It’s not like there’s any rush to replace one ruler with another.”

“I mean the Church.”

“Rome has long been overthrown and been driven underground so they’re no concern of mine. My family hasn’t been dedicated to the Church for a few generations now that you mention it. Why do you ask?”

“I heard about the history of your family and thought that part of you would still care for it.”

“As far as I know, the God that my family fought for has abandoned us to the darkness in a good way. We can be whoever we want and indulge in every pleasure imaginable until the day we die.”

“I wouldn’t say that God has abandoned us.”

“Have you looked outside at all? The sun never shines. Instead, a warm moon shines during the day and a cold moon shines during the night. This was a blessing given to us by the vampire gods who brought out our true nature through the spell that they call the Eternal Night. You should be enjoying this life rather than worrying about some dying Church and its long lost God. Are you a worshipper of this God? Are you from the Church?”

“Um…I’ve been in contact with people associated with it. It’s how I know what I know.”

“Everyone. Leave the room. Except you.” Every serf in the room leaves except for the one Ivy is talking to. “You don’t belong here, little lamb. Your loyalties are too easy to spot because of the way you talk. I’m sure that even the serfs could tell that you serve the Church. What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see if it was true that a descendent of the legendary vampire hunting family was under their spell rather than a willing slave, so I snuck my way here to get to you.”

“And you would break the curse that’s making me a slave to my sin?”

“I was going to try and risk my life so that something would be done about the vampires. Your family has saved the world from them before.”

“You’re in over your head and out of your mind. I don’t need saving, but you do. Leave now before the serfs tell the new ruler of this city that you’re here.”

“Why would he care that a nobody like me is here?”

“Because you’re a native but pure soul. At best, he’ll beat you to death with your own limbs and laugh as you scream and cry in agony. At worst, he’ll slowly corrupt you and turn you into a mindless serf or a plaything for his desires.”

“But your family and you-”

“Have been fighting for the vampire gods ever since the Eternal Night began. I’ve even been told that my family took part in making it happen.”

“I see that there’s still light in you since you want to save me. Why won’t you fight against the evils of the vampires?”

“What evil? I’m enjoying my life the way it is. Now, no more talking. Get out of here while I distract the god and tell your Church that if they’re going to get rid of any evil then they ought to stop giving up priests that baptize the babies the vampires use in their ritual to become the beings that they are.”

In a rush, Ivy pushes the woman to a secret exit and throws her out of it. She then runs to find the vampire god who is headed her way.

“I heard there was a servant of God with you. Where is she?” the vampire god says.

“Gone. Why do you have to concern yourself with her when you have me?” Ivy answers.

“Did you get rid of her?”

“I did because I know you’ll be giving her all your attention.” She kisses and embraces the god. “Give me all you would’ve given her and more. I crave it. You can even let the serfs watch. Make it a spectacle.”

Encouraged by his insatiable lust, the god agrees, tells the serfs that they can be involved, and takes Ivy to the public bedchamber where sex is a show and the serfs involved with it are nothing but playthings whose lives are expendable for the sake of pleasure. There, Ivy tries her best to play around and tease the god for as long as she can while fighting her own desire to give in. This happens for a time until he gets tired of the teasing and uses his abilities on her tattoos to weaken her resistance to the point where she gives in, however, at this same moment, the woman of the Church is brought in by serfs.

“We found her, your majesty!” the serf says as they drag in the woman who is bruised and in chains with her clothes torn.

“Wa-wait! You still haven’t satisfied me yet!” Ivy says desperately trying to save the woman.

“Two is better than one since I know you don’t like watching.”

“Stop it!”

“Oh, but I thought you liked this. Where’s your taste for all forms of exquisite pleasure?”

As the god says this, he intensifies Ivy’s curse, but she resists it. Flashes of infants dying in blasphemous baptisms and other women and men like her being cruelly killed and degraded fill her mind and ignites a dead part of her that wishes for justice.

For the first time in her life, she prays in her mind, “If you’re out there, God who this woman worships, save her. Save her by any means necessary. Pull out a miracle as you are said to do. You can even use me if you wish. Just don’t make any more of the innocent die. I beg of you.”

At her word, Ivy’s hands slowly begin to ignite in flames as she continues to scream while fighting her curse. Everyone in the room watches her in awe before the flames from her hands leap from her hands and spread to everyone and everything until the entire castle they are in catches fire. The god quickly turns to ash whereas the serfs burn to death at various speeds depending on the person’s soul. This flame quenches Ivy’s lust and wakes her up enough to grab the woman and take her out of the room. Looking out the window, she sees that her flames have enveloped the entire city.

Eventually, the damage done to the castle by her flames is enough to make it collapse, however, a mysterious light envelops them and cuts the falling debris to save them. When the dust settles, Ivy and the woman see that the castle has fallen to the ground around them. Every house and building in the city has also fallen and its citizens are all ash. The light that saved Ivy and the woman then manifests as an angel with four wings, four burned arms that hold fire, and a singular eye as a face.

“What kind of god are you?” Ivy asks it.

“I am no god. I am your guardian angel,” it says.

“Guardian angel?”

“You can see what the light is manifested as and what it says, and it’s your guardian angel?” the woman asks.

“That’s what it says.”

“Amazing. Every member of the Aurora family was said to be able to see and communicate with their guardian angel. It must be here to lead you to your God-given destiny.”

“My what? I don’t care for that. I only wanted to save you.”

“You wanted more,” the angel says, “Your heart yearned for justice and the small piece of your soul that was still pure was allowed to manifest itself as that small flame that burned this entire city and its sinful inhabitants to the ground. Follow the woman’s advice and you will be led to the true freedom and justice that you desire.”

“I don’t desire that. I just want my pleasures-”

“Don’t lie and regress back to your old self as you sit on the precipice of change because it will result in your damnation. Follow the woman and burn the world and moon of sin.”

With its final word, the angel disappears in a flash of light.

“What did your angel tell you to do?”

“It told me to follow you and burn the world and moon of sin.”

“Follow me? It’s an honor to be thought of as your guide. I can help you with that, but how are you going to burn the world and moon of sin?”

“No clue. I really don’t even know how I used that fire that manifested from my soul.”

“I see. We’ll figure it out. You still have your family’s whip with you, right?”

“I still got it.”

“Then we’ll be good for now. Follow me.”

“As if I have a better choice.”

Ivy follows the injured woman unsure of the future ahead of her but somehow feeling freer than ever before.