A Romance Between Serpents: Chapter 3 – Civilian Enemies

Chapter 3 – Civilian Enemies

The streets of Meridian are asleep. Everyone is either sleeping on the floor, in their cars, or at their jobs, all unconscious and unable to wake up. With no clear direction as to what to do or where to go, I decide that Idelle and I should go to the locations The Family showed us that they’re connected to. Even though I don’t know where the locations are, we’re somehow able to make it to the first while wandering the city, as if the city is conforming to fit our will, meaning we must still be under their spell. At their house, we find a simple setup in this lower-middle-class area of the city. All the pictures are blacked out with silhouettes of people with no distinctive faces.

I see these same silhouettes on the walls of the house, shadows that seem to be moving as if they’re alive. Were they always here watching us, or did they just appear?

“You have more spiritual power than we thought,” The Family says.

“It’s my God who did all the work. Not me,” I say.

“Maybe so. This is our house. We are simple people who live together to get by. We only use our extraordinary abilities given to us by a higher being when we feel it necessary.”

Feeling that there’s nothing else here, I feel compelled to leave. Doing so, I see a church across the street that definitely wasn’t there before. Idelle and I go into it to see a church similar to a Protestant one, except it’s filled with pagan gods and Christ at the center, similar to what I’ve heard being worshipped in Nexum.

“This is our church and gods,” The Family says.

At the altar, a book catches my attention. Looking at its cover, some of its contents, and the symbols in it, I recognize it as text and symbols from the demonic sixth family that plagued Meridian with their evil magic, and I explain this to The Family in as few words as possible.

“So what? This is what we believe to be true and good,” they say.

“You believe in a false deity,” I say.

“We haven’t hurt anyone through our beliefs who didn’t deserve it. Where have you heard that before?”

“It’s more than hurting people. You damn yourselves and those you love by believing wrong, and look where that is getting you. You live wrongly and want to force us to act against the people we love and the truth we know to be true. Can’t you see that you’re the ones forcing yourselves on us? Not the other way around? Idelle and I uphold the law that allows all beliefs to coexist, while punishing those who seek to destroy it.”

“What is the law? What is being a good person? What’s the difference between a person who does charity for others and those who do so to affirm their pride in their character? What’s the difference between the cop who protects citizens and the cop who protects the tyrants of a country? What’s the difference between the family that goes to church on Sunday and those that give themselves to the opposing gods commonly worshipped?”

“The truth of the belief and intention behind them. That’s the difference between murder and law enforcement and self-defense, and instituting just laws and ones meant to take away just freedoms. If you don’t like where our country, the Columbian Union, is heading, then you should leave.”

“And go where? The Dominion is an international hero association bringing its version of law and order to it. You’re allied with men like Giovanni Cornamento, who wants countries to have values that align with his Catholic beliefs. Once they do, how long will it be until other beliefs are made illegal, looked down upon, and those who worship opposing beliefs are separated from others and oppressed?”

“It won’t happen. Take it from my history. A heartfelt conversion happens willingly, not through constant force, oppression, or killing,” Idelle says.

“We don’t care for your conversion stories. Even if you won’t force your beliefs upon others, there will be those who will.”

“We’ll make sure you’re dealt with fairly,” Idelle argues. “The point of our faith is salvation, and you can’t be saved if you’re dead or not converting with all your heart.”

“These words come from your brother, Idelle, not you. Speaking of him, we can access his memories and those of your other loved ones, and show them to you. If you won’t see your own faults, then how about we have others show you them?”

People like Timeo, John, Polina, and Raziel appear around us, along with others we know.

“Idelle needs to relax more. If she keeps letting herself fall to temptation, she might do something I can’t save her from,” the voice of John says.

“Stop it! That’s not the full truth of what John thinks,” I say.

“It is part of it,” Idelle admits. “He’s said something similar to that to me before.”

“Kane is unfortunately not changing at all,” the voice of Timeo says. “His methods are as chaotic and brutal as always, and he is making people fear the Dominion more than respect it.”

Polina says, “Kane never learns. He doesn’t see the criminals he inspires, nor the bad example he gives to other aspiring heroes, vigilantes, and Idelle.”

“I have to make Kane see reason or else he’ll cause as much damage or more than I did when I was as zealous as he was,” Raziel says.

“You don’t think I’ve heard them criticize me before? Psh. I hear it all the time. They’re not afraid to let their harshest thoughts known to me because they care about me,” I say.

“But you constantly ignore their advice anyway. Do you really care about them in return if that’s the case?” The Family points out.

“Is Idelle okay to be around my children?” John’s wife asks. “I’ve seen her do brutal and scary things to our enemies, and she always has a blank expression on her face.”

“Kane is a nice man who reminds me a lot of Timeo, but I shouldn’t leave him in the care of my children. He has more targets on his back than my husband, and that list grows after every major fight,” Timeo’s wife says.

“Can they even raise children?”

“It may be better if they trusted, however many children they have, with me or my parents.”

I can’t say either mother is wrong, and Idelle looks embarrassed by what is being said.

“We’ll prove them wrong,” I say to Idelle.

“How? I haven’t thought much about our children and what to do with them once we have them. They’ll be in danger because of who we are,” Idelle says.

“We’ll protect them, just like how we protect others in our daily work. If John and Timeo can juggle hero work and family life, then we can.”

“We’re not like them. We can’t be both gentle and inspiring, and terrifying and world-changing.”

“We don’t have to be like them to be good parents. We’re our own people, and if God made us to be parents, then we’ll be that when we have children. It’s in the future and will be handled then.”

“It’ll have to be a radical change. I’m the furthest thing from what I would consider a mother.”

“You’re a caring person who can be both gentle and passionate at the same time, and if that isn’t what makes a good mother, I don’t know what is.”

A scene of one of the memories I have of Idelle tears itself into the spell we’re in. In it, we see Idelle being gentle with both Timeo’s and John’s children and the children of others that we’ve seen or saved in public and other people we’ve saved or met on the streets, and another tear opens, showing me doing the same.

“Just because you can be gentle and kind sometimes, doesn’t mean it’s who you are,” The Family says.

Versions of our loved ones and others we know appear, giving their criticisms of us. Idelle and put our heads together and hold each other's hands as we put the complete picture together and remember everything that they’ve said about us.

“My sister is my inspiration, and I want nothing more than to be happy and faith-filled her entire life, so if she needs anything from me, I’ll be there for her!”

“Kane is like a son to me, and I need to be the man he looks up to and be there for him at every opportunity and go out of my way for him.”

“He’s my brother-in-arms. I only criticize him to help save his life and make him see the good in people, including himself.”

“Kane is more than a killer. He’s my brother and fellow zealot in Christ.”

“Idelle is my sister-in-law. I didn’t think I’d be a good mother or wife, but I was proven wrong after it happened. I’m sure she feels the same, so I have to support her when it happens.”

“Kane is my adoptive son. What kind of mother would I be if I left him to face his troubles on his own?”

“How are you both continuing to affect our powers over you?!” The Family asks.

“We know the truth,” I say. “We don’t rely on our own power, and instead rely on God, and that only His view of us matters. All of us are sinners, no matter how great or small our faults and evil deeds are, and knowing God’s love, we know we’ll be better than what we are. As for you, you’ll only get worse. May God have mercy on your souls.”

The false versions of our loved ones disappear along with the church we’re in. This false city we’re in is beginning to break apart. From the streets and buildings to the skies, cracks are forming and letting in a bright light. I can feel The Family’s spell over me losing its grip. It's time to end this fight.