*the
crest for Evan and his serfs
Chapter
4 – Victory at Noon
With a Church controlled city in
the distance, Loretta grips Evan’s arms more tightly. The city itself contains
gothic buildings typical of cities controlled by the Church though a notable difference is that the holy statues,
images, and buildings themselves are damaged by recent attacks and are being
repaired. Many people come out of their homes as the morning sun rises just in
time to be in shock at the small army of serfs approaching them, which makes
some retreat back into their homes. There are even some that are scared or
start praying to God for help when they see Loretta in one of the carriages.
Curiosity gets some of them to follow the carriages to their destination.
Rufus leads Loretta, Evan, and Evan’s
serfs to a courthouse where he explains what happened and the infants are
transferred to an orphanage for safe keeping. The leaders of the Church decide
to hold the decision for Loretta at the courthouse and have it done immediately
since her and the presence of the serfs are causing a commotion in the public.
Guards and soldiers keep the public outside of the courthouse and the serfs who
cannot fit in the courthouse are put under the supervision of soldiers and temporarily
kept in a jail, which the serfs begrudgingly comply with. Loretta, Evan, and
the serfs stand in the center of the court while the guards surround them and
the Church leaders and Rufus sit outside of the circle of guards. The many
statues of saints, the Blessed Mother, and angels staring down the center of
the room in a judging manner and the deafening silence doesn’t help Loretta’s feelings
of anxiety, but Evan holds her hand and then nods at her to communicate his
understanding of her feelings.
“Let us commence with the trial,”
one of the judges says, “First, we must state what Sir Rufus had told us while
somewhat condemning it at the same time. You attacked a Church held city that
was actually held by traitors and killed everyone in it. What we didn’t know
was that a majority of the city was controlled by vampire wolves and their
traitors and that Sir Rufus had agents in the city that were slowly trying to
remove them from power. Now, no one knows why they attacked you. Maybe
they wanted to keep up their cover, take you alive, and rescue you later or
they genuinely think that you’re a threat to the Church.”
“Or maybe they were compromised and
only pretended to be on our side,” another judge interjects, “It would make
sense since we’ve suffered many surprise attacks from the vampires.”
Rufus holds back his retort especially
since the first judge who spoke says, “That’s enough. We don’t know why what they
did and we’ll have to deal with Sir Rufus and his band of vampire hunters at a
different date. Regardless of their reasoning, there was some merit in it that
would’ve possibly saved the lives of the innocents you killed. Since your
family does have special privileges in Church, I’ll allow you to make your
case.”
Loretta stands up and says, “I’m
guilty of taking the lives of the innocent. This I confess without excuse. The
only thing I ask is that you let these serfs and I serve together in the Church’s
army to take it back from the vampires.”
“So, you want to pay blood with
blood?” a judge asks.
“Those who live by the sword die by
it and my family has died by it for the sake of God and His Holy Church. Please
allow us to lend us your aid.”
“They have proven to be an
effective fighting force for such a small size,” a judge says to another.
“They are led by Evan Meridies. Do
you know what that beast horrors that beast has done when he served the
vampires?” another judge counters.
“These beasts think they can serve
us as their penance? They’re trying to lessen it by offering us baptized
infants. How disgusting,” yet another judge comments.
Evan and the other serfs bite their
tongues so that a fight doesn’t ensue. Loretta also feels this way and is about
to stand up and start a fight, but she stops herself in the act and pretends
that she’s adjusting herself in her seat.
“The infants aren’t an offering to
lessen our penance. Instead, we rescued them because it was the right thing to
do. If you lessen our penance because of it, fine, but if you don’t, that’s
also fine,” Loretta says to the surprise of the judges, “We aren’t asking to be
rewarded. We are only asking to be in your service. Evan and his serfs have
invaluable experience in fighting against and resisting the vampire gods. Evan
is also the reason why I’m here. He’s a good man and someone that I trust my
life with.”
The judges are unsure what to say
about this until Rufus says, “I’m convinced of Loretta’s willingness to do
what’s right. I say that we have her and Evan’s serfs join the army.”
“You’ll so easily forgive them for
killing your friends?” a judge asks.
“Forgiveness is an important part
of being a servant of God. Besides, they did take back a small city for us.”
“Tch, giving them the honor of
joining the army and so easily forgiving them. It makes sense you’d like them
since you seem to both like acting outside of the Church’s authority.”
“I was well within my authority to
do what I did.”
“Then why didn’t you share what you
know with the council leaders?”
“Because we had our suspicions that
there were more wolves among the sheep, so I kept this information to my trusted
inner circle. There are wolves out there in a less literal sense among us that
have traded their integrity for power and wealth, which I’m sure goes without
saying.”
“Are you implying that these wolves
are among even this council?”
“I can’t say for certain, but I’m
sure we’ll know soon. Now, enough with being off topic. What are your
decisions?”
Five out of seven judges accept
Loretta’s terms while one denies it and another stays neutral resulting in her
winning this case. After going to confession and waiting a long time for each of
Evan’s serfs to complete their penance, Loretta, Evan, and his serfs go out to
celebrate for the day. During the next day, they show off their combat skills
to the army and knowledge of vampire tactics and what certain vampires are able
to do such as the gods, devils, wolves, and ones that were once serfs. Some days
later after proving themselves in combat and cleaning the small city they
killed the innocent and the traitorous wolves in, they are allowed to be in the operation to take the city
where Evan and Loretta met. Outside of the city, Loretta looks upon it eagerly
awaiting the battle.
Evan joins her and says, “I know
that look in your eyes. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
“I won’t. I’ve learned from my
mistakes,” Loretta confidently says.
“Then why are you out here ahead of
time with your whip already drawn when you should be resting with everyone else?”
“Oh, shut up. The anticipation was
killing me. Besides, as an Aurora, I have to be at the front of the battle lines
anyway. Don’t you have some grand strategy to plan?”
“I already have. We’re just waiting
for the serfs to come back from planting the makeshift bombs in the city, some
of which are filled with blessed salts and holy water. They should be giving us
the signal to attack soon.”
“Good because I can’t wait for the
battle.”
“Don’t get too ahead of yourself. I
trust that your guardian angel will lend its assistance?”
“Yes, but I wish that it would
actually give me some advice rather than just protect me, silently point in
directions, and appear more often.”
“If you need advice, you can always
ask me for it.”
“Heh, this is something secret and
I need someone else’s advice.”
“Can’t you give me a hint?”
“Okay, okay. Here’s one.”
Loretta holds onto Evan’s arm and
rests her head on it, which gives him a significant enough hint.
“You’re not exactly subtle.”
“Hey, I can’t make elaborate plans
like you can. I just go in and hit things.”
“I’m glad you said it and not me.”
“What that’s supposed to mean?!” Before
Loretta can argue further, an explosion goes off in the city. “Finally!”
She then gets on her horse and
begins to join the front lines.
“Remember to follow the plan and
that I won’t be far behind!”
“Try to keep up then and there may
be scraps of the enemy for to fight!”
When she joins up with her squad,
they lead the Church’s army into the already burning city. Because of the
explosives, many of the guard towers, barracks, and other important buildings
are heavily damaged. Holes in the walls made by other explosives allow the
Church’s army to pour in and overtake the surprised vampires and willing serfs
who don’t have a chance to react. Some of the lesser vampires seek the guidance
of their superiors only to find their throats slit by Evan’s serfs who take them
out from the darkness as well. Meanwhile, other cowardly vampires and serfs flee
the city in the hopes of getting reinforcements, but these cowards are taken
out by Rufus’ forces who make sure that none escape.
Further in the city, Loretta has
cut her way all the way to the capital castle where the vampire gods reside, however, she finds her head
hurting as a squad of vampire devils are sent after her and her squad. Thanks
to their recent mass, prayers, confessions, and blessings from the bishops and
pope, the temptations of the devils hardly affect Loretta and her squad. Still,
the erratic and suicidal demons are a handful to deal with to the point where
Loretta’s horse is killed in the fight. The devil is about to get the better of
her until her guardian angel intervenes and saves her and her group.
“Thank you!” she says to her angel
before heading into the castle.
This was the same castle where Evan
and Loretta first met, but the nostalgia of it quickly fades away as she fights
her way through it. More serfs and vampires lie within the capital and Loretta
seems outnumbered until Evan’s serfs come in from behind them to even the odds.
Eventually, the fight gets so hectic that people lose track of one another and
Loretta finds herself up against many vampires and serfs by herself.
“The one who takes her head will
take a seat among the gods!” a vampire says before charging at her.
It is then that Loretta’s guardian
angel aids her in this fight. The entire fight so far has been a non-stop rush
of excitement as her thirst for justice is being quenched. She offers up every
kill to God hoping also that her father is proud of her. Her one woman rampage
ends in a room where she is surrounded by both vampire gods and devils who have
hostages with them. These hostages are held by the devils with their jagged
bones on the necks and chests of the hostages. At this moment, Loretta’s rush
comes to a halt as she silently prays that someone comes to help her.
Before she moves, a vampire god
says, “One move, and the hostages die. Allow us to leave and they will live.”
The smirks and looks on the faces
of the vampires make it evident that they’re lying or at least have plans that they’re confident will work. It also doesn’t help that the gods
and devils are using their powers to tempt Loretta to act so they have an
excuse to kill those hostages and cause significant psychological damage to her
since they know this bothers her, especially because of what happened in the
past. She is tempted to think that God has abandoned her since her guardian
angel disappeared before she entered the room, but despite all the temptations,
she stands strong and continues to wait for a solution to enter her head and
one eventually does. Loretta remembers what Evan said and soon after, Evan does
enter the room with his serfs to save the hostages before they can be killed.
“Evan!” Loretta says before hugging
him.
“I told you that I wouldn’t be far
behind, but you still should’ve slowed down,” Evan says.
The two don’t have time to
celebrate as the corpses begin moving on their own as something is pulling them
towards it as if they were puppets on a string. Following this leads everyone
in the Church’s army to the huge courtyard in the middle of the capital where
all the bodies are forming into a singular vampire with many heads, limbs, and wings.
“Despair and bow before us for we
are the Legion of the Damned,” the monstrosity says before tearing about the
Church’s army, its own, and the city itself with its larger limbs that are the
size of a house.
In response, the Church’s army
charges forward and tears through Legion’s body, but they don’t get anywhere since
the bodies go back into the massive one as it regenerates.
Taking cover from the battle, Evan
asks one of his serfs, “Do we have any info on this?”
“The only thing we know is that it’s
a result of their experimentation on vampire gods and devils to create
something similar to the vampires that combined themselves with the still living
bodies of others before their blasphemous baptism. For what particular purpose
and how they were able to gravitate the bodies of their dead together, we don’t
know. It’s mostly the result of demonic magic and rituals.”
“They probably planned to use it
against us,” Loretta points out.
“That’s doubtful since they’ve been
more annoyed with each other than us,” the serf says.
“Do we know if it has any weaknesses?”
Evan asks.
“The center of it should have a
singular vampire god that’s controlling it all. Kill it and the rest of the corpses
should fall from the body.”
“How are we going to get to the
center of that massive thing?”
“I think it’s unintentionally
giving us a way. Look at all the destruction is causing. We’ll use the destruction
around it to get to the center of the body and cut our way through. Looks like
my serfs already share the same idea.”
“Then let’s help them out.”
Evan and Loretta leap into battle
along with the rest of the serfs and attack the center of Legion. It tries to
swipe them away from it; however, they keep leaping back as if they aren’t hurt
because of the experiments done on them. In comparison, the normal human soldiers
of the Church struggle to even get Legion and are nearly crippled after
enduring one of its attacks. Loretta’s guardian angel comes out to shred through
Legion’s body as if it were nothing to create an opening. Evan leaps into the
opening, but Legion quickly heals itself in desperation and violently shakes
and juts out every bone in its body to force everyone off its body. This comes
at the cost of Legion falling down to rest for a second while its many bones
act as a shield.
With her hands together in prayer,
Loretta prays and hopes that Evan will be fine and end the battle. Meanwhile,
Evan finds himself in a maze of flesh and corpses with no clear way to the
center. He prays also for help and a blinding light manifests in front of him,
which turns into an angel. This angel has an empty cloak for a body with proverbs
from scripture written within it while psalms are written on its paper-like
wings. Four of its arms hold books containing the philosophies of war. In
contrast to the books, its two arms in the center of its body hold a dagger in
one hand and a crossbow in the other.
“What kind of angel are you?” Evan
asks.
“I am your guardian angel. Here, to
protect you and lead the way,” it says.
“My guardian angel? Why do you now
manifest yourself to me?”
“Do you see the situation you are in?
Did you not ask for help?”
“I do see the situation and I did
ask for help.”
“Then let’s be on our way.”
As Evan’s guardian angel leads the
way, it cuts apart Legion’s body with its knife and keeps away the still living bodies with its crossbow. Evan helps out his angel cut through the
body and keep away the corpses until they reach the core of Legion where a
single vampire god resides. This vampire god’s face and body don’t stand out from
the other corpses around it and writhe in place as it struggles to control the
whole body. To defend itself, the bones on the outside of the body go back in an
attempt to cut Evan to pieces while the corpses within leap at him to try to
hold him in place so this happens. Countering this, Evan’s guardian angel cuts
into Legion stopping the bones and bodies in place. On closer inspection, it
appears that the angel has cut a major nerve in Legion and the light from the
attack is spreading throughout the body like a poison except to the center
body.
Knowing that its end is at hand,
the vampire god says, “No, I am Legion! I am a god! A true god that will bring
all vampires together!”
“No, you’re just scum like the rest”,
Evan says before punching the center body which completely destroys it.
With the destruction of the body, it
begins to collapse on itself. Evan’s guardian angel and Evan destroy the bodies
around them while his serfs and Loretta try to free him as well. Despite its
core being destroyed, the corpses that comprise the outside of the body try
dragging others in so those who are trying to free Evan have to deal with this
as well. In the process of trying to free Evan, Loretta’s whip is caught by the
corpses and tries to drag her with it. She begrudgingly lets it go and gets
another blessed weapon to cut apart the corpses until the body is a large pile
of mush on the ground. Everyone begins to fear the worse until Evan leaps out
of Legion with his guardian angel at his side and Loretta’s broken whip in his
hands, which can only be seen by Loretta. Legion’s body then completely collapses
on itself until nothing is left by blood and shrinking pieces of flesh. The
Church’s army cheers in victory as Loretta runs to hug Evan but then backs off
since they’re both covered in blood. The noon sun rises as time shifts forward since
the spell that was extending the night has been broken with the death of
Legion.
“Sorry, I couldn’t save your whip.
It was crushed before I could save it,” Evan says.
“There’s no need to worry about
that. It broke long ago and has been in pieces ever since. I was more worried
about you,” Loretta says.
“You shouldn’t have. Everything
went according to plan.”
“That thing and you killing it from
within was part of your plan.”
“It was part of my spontaneous
plan.”
Loretta rolls her eyes at this
before the two go to clean up with the rest of the army.
One of Evan’s serfs runs to him and
says, “The threat from within has been dealt with, sir.”
“What threat?” Loretta asks.
“Another thing you didn’t have to
worry about. I had my serfs give small cuts from a blessed knife to the leaders
and some of the soldiers back at the temporary base just in case we had any
wolves in our camp and it looks like I was right.”
“You’ll have to let me in on your secret
plans one day.”
“If I did that, then you might just
charge in and ruin it.”
“Tch, you’re probably right.”
After they get cleaned up, care for
the dead, and Loretta, Evan, and the serfs who fought in the battle are honored
by the Church. They then celebrate their accomplishments back in the Church’s
territory while the new city is reconstructed and watched over by the army.
During the party, Evan and Loretta look out at the noon sun together.
Evan looks at Loretta and says, “I
think we should-”
“I do,” Loretta says before kissing
him on the lips.
“I…I was going to ask you if-”
“If I was going to marry you? I
said yes! Where’s the ring?”
“That’s the thing. I was just going
to ask if we could be together. Marriage was going to come soon after.”
“Well, marriage is now so get a
ring and get the ceremony ready. I’ll get my dress and you’ll have to clean
yourself up though not too much. I find your beast-like appearance somewhat
appealing.”
“I knew you rushed into battle, but
I didn’t think you would rush into marriage.”
“Deal with it. There’s no taking it
back or else I’ll cry until you marry me.” Evan gives Loretta a look of
disbelief while she smugly grins. “There’s no strategy that you can use around
this.”
“I’m at a loss then. I’ll start getting
everything together then.”
“Yes!”
Some days later, Evan and Loretta
are married to the joy of many. The last Aurora is now a Meridies as she takes Evan’s last name to be her own. Even though the view of serfs by those in the
Church isn’t improved much and the vampires still control much of the world, Loretta,
Evan, and their serf army have shaken the world by proving how faithful they
are, which inspires other serfs to be like them and join them. This marks the
beginning of a brighter future despite the darkness the world is still cursed
by, the sinful people that rule it, and the noon sun marking it rather than the
morning.
The End
