A Beast's Humanification: Chapter 2 – Curse of the Self-Righteous

Chapter 2 – Curse of the Self-Righteous

While continuing to wander the forest, I come across a small town. Its walls are marked with crosses and markings on them and large crosses and images of the face of Christ hang high from every building.

“This is a settlement of the few remaining faithful who haven’t come under Priscilla’s influence. It is safe to enter it,” the Lord says.

Going up to the gates, I attract the attention of one of the guards who aims his bow at me.

“Who are you and why are you here?” the guard asks.

“My name is Leif and I’m just passing through,” I say.

The guard squints his eyes at me and then lowers his bow.

“He’s good to let in.”

“How do you know for sure?” another guard asks.

“His eyes aren’t glowing like the rest of the people under the control of Priscilla’s dream.”

“Yeah, but how do you know without a shadow without a doubt? Look at the guy. He looks pretty shady to me.”

“What did I tell you about being paranoid? It weakens our mind to Priscilla, so knock it off.”

“I’m no friend of Priscilla,” I say while holding up the monstrance. “I am here to bring an end to her dark magic by the power of the Lord.”

The guards look at each other and one of them says, “That for me is enough proof that he’s not under her control. Let him in.”

After thanking the guards, I walk into the town to see that all its inhabitants look concerned and on edge. I go up to one of them who is dressed in rags, has rosaries around his arms, and multiple cross necklaces around his neck after he finishes leading those around him in prayer and ask him why everyone is so concerned and how they’re able to keep their minds free from Priscilla’s spell.

“I’d say it’s through prayer and faith, but it doesn’t always help us. God decides who is affected and who isn’t, more or less. Are you new to the area?” the man asks.

“Not exactly. I left on a quest from the Lord to get help from the Vatican and I’m back to break Priscilla’s spell over the Americas.”

“Where’s the help from the Vatican? Let me guess. Priscilla separated you from the rest before you even managed to do anything.”

“That’s…unfortunately correct.”

“Don’t be ashamed about it. The Church here did as much as we could to stop her influence, but nothing worked. Now, all we can do is hope and pray that we don’t fall under her spell.”

“Most of the people here look as if they’re in a constant state of worry.”

“I can’t blame them. Like I said, God decides who is affected with prayer and faith only being able to do so much. Because of that, many become paranoid, not wanting to do anything with some choosing to run away or resort to violence or suicide because they don’t think they can trust their senses. There were times when the people here were under Priscilla’s spell and only managed to break free by some miracle. Other times, our prayer leaders have disappeared or chosen to walk off into the wilderness never to come back.”

“They won’t have to fear for much longer. The Lord and I will defeat Priscilla and break her spell over these lands.”

“I sure hope so. What’s your name?”

“Leif.”

“Leif?” the man says while looking up and down at me. “I heard there was a chief of one of the largest beastmen kingdoms named Leif who fell to Priscilla’s spell and who has the same name.”

“I am him.”

“You are?” the man says unsure while looking at me all over again. “You don’t look the least bit as terrifying as I heard he was and the man was a monster who hated the Church and God.”

“It’s true, but the Lord changed me into his faithful servant.”

“Huh. If you say so. We can use all the help we can get, and if you really are Leif and changed by God, then maybe there is a chance we can be saved from Priscilla.”

A horn blares out and the guards warn of an impending force of men approaching the town all of whom are under the spell of Priscilla. Everyone gathers around the prayer leaders to beg the Lord for help. The man I was talking to asks me to join in, but I chose to aid the guards at the gates. I fly up into the air and lead the guards to meet the enemy forces who stop their advance not too far from us. They eerily stand still and stare at us with their glowing golden eyes as if trying to put us under the spell they are under.

One of them finally says, “Surrender yourselves to the blessed dream reality of Priscilla where you will be happy for the rest of your lives.”

“We refuse!” I say as I speak for the guards without thinking. “We’d rather die than live in your false paradise.”

“We only want peace for the world and don’t want this to end in violence.”

“Oh, but I do.”

Charging ahead, I start carving my way through Priscilla’s troops. I bludgeon their heads in, spear them through the chest, and stab them in their throats. Being in this battle feels real and gives me a feeling of exhilaration that I always used to feel in them. My mind is so focused on killing that I hardly hear what the enemy says to me until few remain. That is when I hear them begging for their lives and saying that they’re awake now and Priscilla was forcing them to fight, however, I uncontrollably kill them anyway, their pleading being music to my ears and adding to the excitement that I feel while killing.

When it’s all over, the guards look at me in fear, and their shields and weapons raised in defense. Knowing what they’re thinking, I apologize and run away out of shame. Despite all the time I spent in prayer, attending daily masses, and being in adoration, I’m still the bloodthirsty man I was before with a lust for bloodshed and carnage. I guess it’s true that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

“Father,” Harald says as he appears to me. “Do not despair over your sin. No man ever becomes truly perfect in this life. Only those who pick themselves up after sinning are the ones who are virtuous.”

I hear Priscilla’s laugh echo throughout my head.

“I knew you haven’t changed in the slightest. You’re still the same worthless scum as you were before,” Priscilla says.

“That’s not true because I’m here to make up for my mistakes,” I say. “Priscilla. I’m sorry for what I did to you. Please, let me help you and make this right. Return to the Lord with me. It’s not too late.”

A few seconds of silence pass before Priscilla laughs at me again.

“Oh but is too late. Too late for you to escape me again because this time I will do everything in my power to trap you in a never-ending nightmare.”

“Mother, please, believe father, and put an end to this spell you have everyone under,” Harald says.

“Why should I when it’s brought peace and happiness to so many?”

“Because you force it upon people and torture those who you deem unredeemable with it. Those people in the town back there are in a constant state of fear and paranoia because of you.”

“Those people are the way they are because they chose not to accept the peace that I offer, but I’ll make sure they do. As we speak, I continue to grow in power and soon my power will reach the other side of the world and more will know the peace and happiness of the dream reality. If you are truly my son, let me see you. God mustn’t have enlightened you about how much good is being done through me, so please, let me convince you of it. I’m truly sorry that I had to kill you in the way I did, but it was all for the greater good.”

Harald turns to me and says, “I will go to mother to convince her to see the truth.”

“But Harald…”

“Do not worry for my safety. She can’t do anything to me and the Lord is with me just as much He’s with you.”

Harald disappears in the blink of an eye leaving me all alone in my shame dripping with the blood of the past battle. Immediately, I start kissing the monstrance and then kiss the ground multiple times while begging the Lord for forgiveness. I then pick myself up and continue to walk on while trying to ignore my despair and shame and remind myself that I’m still alive and have the chance to redeem myself.