Venatores Noctis: Defilement of Falsehood: Chapter 4 – A Christ People Wanted

Chapter 4 – A Christ People Wanted

From a distance, Maryam sees that the city of London is packed with people from all around the world coming by boat and carriage. For some reason, the Eternal Sun shines brighter in this city than in any other place Maryam has been to. Their so-called bread is already being handed out and consumed by everyone who enters the city and walks through it as if the wolves are anxious to bring the second coming of their Christ.

“There doesn’t seem to be an easy way into the city. They’re shoving their accursed bread into the mouths of everyone who enters, so sneaking through the crowd isn’t a good option either. Claudius?” Maryam says.

“Yes?” Claudius asks.

“What do you suggest?”

“You’ll need help and if there is any, they’ll be underground.”

“Will their help be enough against these many people?”

“If not, your guardian angel and your family will be there for you.”

“Okay. Let’s go then.”

Going into the underground, Maryam finds a dark series of tunnels that seem like they’re rarely used save for the holy incense in them that grow in number the deeper she goes. These holy incense give Maryam the hope to find help here though they hardly help her find her way around as some trails of holy incense lead only to dead ends. After a bit of searching, she finds a small settlement with many holy objects acting as dampeners to lessen the effects of the Eternal Sun just like in her own home. The people in this settlement approach Maryam as if she didn’t walk in unexpectedly.

“Welcome! Are you here to spoil the wolves’ plans as well?” a stranger asks.

“Yes, I am,” Maryam says.

“Then you’ve arrived just in time. You don’t happen to be someone who can create a grand strategy, do you? We’re trying to finalize our plan of attack before we go out and do it.”

“Who are you people and why haven’t the wolves found you?”

“We’re part of the Church that worships the true Christ. A Church that was once called the Catholic Church. The reason why the wolves haven’t found us is because they’re too busy having the time of their lives up there most of the time. In the event they do chase us, we’ve blessed these tunnels to confuse their senses and blessed the doors so that any wolf who touches them will lose a hand.”

“I didn’t know that other parts of the Church were still alive and loyal to the true God.”

“We’re glad to have proven you wrong then. It might not seem like it, but this entire continent was once a grand kingdom subservient to the Church with London being the capital of that kingdom.”

“I’ve heard all the kingdoms in the world were, but that was a long time ago. How are your efforts in retaking the city?”

“Besides the underground, we have nothing. As you probably already know, retaking the surface is nearly impossible with that cursed sun outside so we just go out to stall the production of their accursed bread and put an end to their other sinful plans when we can. It’s been a back and forth battle for a while, however, we’re pulling out all the stops this time, especially because they’re trying to bring about the coming of their false Christ.”

“I’ll help you finalize your plans then.”

“Thank you. What’s your name?”

“Maryam Aurora Meridies.”

“Meridies? That’s a last name I’ve heard in legends. It’s an honor to meet one such as you.”

“The pleasure is all mine.”

Maryam is briefed about the information the underground London Church has before formulating a plan with them. Together, they plan to ambush the leading wolves along with their guards at the primary gathering point to stop the ritual they have going then quickly retreat back into the underground. After the London Church arms themselves and says their prayers, they head out. The group that Maryam is with emerges in a ruined cathedral. Here, the Eternal Sun’s influence isn’t felt as harshly.

“I can’t help but feel the nostalgia of this place even though I wasn’t born when it was used. It’s a shame that blessed buildings can’t be used as shelter the same way the underground can. At least the wolves can’t use it,” a soldier of the Church says to Maryam.

“It’ll be brought back to its original glory when we retake the earth and we’ll make that day come sooner rather than later,” Maryam says.

Climbing up to the roof of the cathedral, Maryam and her group take their positions in the shade of the building and wait for the people below to gather in one place and the wolves to be where they’re expecting. To their surprise, no one shows up where the wolves are supposed to be and the day’s events go on as usual with no ritual being set up.

“What do you think is happening? Was your information faulty or did they change their plans?” Maryam asks a soldier.

“They couldn’t have…unless…”

“Unless we were betrayed.”

Before they can react, some members of their group attack them and two are killed. Maryam and the loyal soldiers defend themselves against the traitors and leave a few alive to interrogate.

“Why did you betray us?” a loyal soldier asks a traitor.

“Why wouldn’t I? You would disturb this long peace, stop the second coming of Christ, and, worst of all, stop most people from going to Heaven.”

“And how do the wolves allow a majority of people to get to Heaven when they make them live in ignorance and sin?”

“You partially answered your own question. The people are blind to their actions, which means they’ll be judged innocent and most people will go to Heaven as a result. The only people that get sent to Hell are the few that keep up this wonderful lie, but isn’t it worth it that a few be damned so that many more be saved?”

“No, it isn’t,” Maryam says.

“Why’s that?”

“Because Christ died so we wouldn’t live in ignorance. The truth will set you free, not ignorance.”

“We’ll see who’s living in ignorance once the ritual is complete and Christ comes to bring Heaven on earth.”

“Where is that ritual happening?”

“Nowhere in public that you can easily find. The ritual started in the morning so you wouldn’t be able to stop it. Ah, speak of it. Look at the sun.”

Looking outside, Maryam and others see that the crowds are also being directed to look at the sun, which is now shining brighter and exerting its cursed influence even more now. A figure is then seen descending from the sun’s light that appears to be Christ as it gets closer and closer. The masses in London bow before this figure in worship and offer their souls to it. Even the loyal members of the Church near Maryam begin to fall to its influence since its otherworldly presence seems so irresistible. Maryam also finds herself struggling to resist the influence of this Christ, so she builds up the darkness within her arm and unleashes it into the sky.

With Maryam’s blessed darkness in the sky, the false Christ’s true appearance is revealed, which has many heads. One head is that of a wolf with no eyes and a caged mouth, another head is nothing but an eye with spikes like a crown and horns around it, two snake heads comprise another head connected to the being’s snake body and one wing, and, finally, the last head takes up the bottom half of the creature and has the horns of a demon. Most in the crowd are confused about what they’re seeing and are unsure of what to do. Some continue to worship the false Christ thinking that their eyes are deceiving them while others leave the area in fear of what they’re seeing.

“Fall, worship me, and I shall make this happiness and prosperity on earth eternal for you all,” the false Christ says.

The words of the false Christ draw in more worshippers as it exerts its overwhelming presence over everyone in London. To combat this, Maryam steels herself, asks for God's help, and makes her way down from the cathedral to where it is.

“Protect me from that woman and her followers and your reward will be Heaven on earth,” the false Christ says.

Its followers, both wolf, partially wolf, and human, go after Maryam, however, her guardian angel and Claudius back her up in this fight.

Looking at them and then looking at her enemy, Maryam says, “I thought the rest of my family from Heaven would be here.”

“I didn’t say that part of the family would be. Look behind us,” Claudius says.

In the distance, Maryam can see her penitential family and additional soldiers from the underground Church pushing their way past the retreating crowds.

They soon catch up to her with a sister of hers saying, “It’s good to see you again sister! Our guardian angels brought a message from God saying that you needed our help in this fight.”

“I do. Are you ready to bring God’s justice to this false god and its followers?” Maryam says.

“We’ll do it together as a family,” the Meridies family says.

With that, the Meridies family charges forward with their guardian angels and the Church’s soldiers against the false Christ’s followers. While fighting, the false Christ tries to use its influence and the Eternal Sun’s curse to tempt the soldiers of the Church and the Meridies family in each their own way.

As they fight a wolf says to Maryam, “Our god only wants to bring peace and light to the world while you bring darkness and death. Is it God that you serve or a devil?”

Knowing that the wolf is being used by the false Christ, Maryam doesn’t respond to it and just cuts it in half along with the other enemies in her way until another wolf gives her trouble in how agile it is.

“Why make man know good and evil when it has brought only suffering to the world and souls to Hell?” the agile wolf questions.

Cutting apart this wolf as well to shut it up, Maryam keeps going until she reaches the false Christ who she sees is levitating from the ground.

It speaks from all mouths, “You seek perfection and I can make you it when all good and evil is equal. Under me, nothing is good. Nothing is evil. All is perfect as it is and will go to Heaven as a result. Isn’t that what a true and loving God would do?”

Unable to keep herself from responding any longer, Maryam says, “No. A true and loving God would call good and evil what they are and punish and reward people accordingly even if some go to Hell.”

More wolves controlled by the false Christ jump in front of Maryam. They say, “The spell of ignorance we’ve placed on the world has saved souls.”

“It’s better to be freed by the truth than to be a slave of ignorance and sin! We are given the freedom to make our own choices and suffer the consequences of them and that freedom is what makes us human and what allows us to truly love and be who we’re meant to be!”

Claudius and Maryam’s guardian angel get rid of the wolves in front of her before helping her face the false Christ. It tries to fly away, but Maryam uses all the darkness in her arm to blast a sphere of darkness into it that launches the false Christ into the Eternal Sun, which destroys both. The effects of the Eternal Sun disappear and the moon shines again for the first time in generations. This makes the Meridies family and the Church’s soldier cheer while the remaining wolves die from the moon’s blessed light. A year’s long night then falls on the earth that results in the rest of the wolves on the earth being killed by the blessed moonlight and hunters of the Church, and though the night lasts a year, this night is brighter than any artificial day that shone as a result of the Eternal Sun, especially because mankind is finally free to live on the surface again and be able to choose between good and evil, and love and sin.

The End