Book 3: Chapter 39
Zayde
I had to fight my instincts now… I wondered did they burn the sage incense to purify the air, or was it more for a warning. Regardless, it did make it hard to breathe. Casey was already out in the daylight, but waiting in the car would be too dangerous. She’d be out here alone, or with her green husband… He can’t take them on without any experience.
I hadn’t had the time to properly start shifted, and unshifted combat…
“I think I’ll stay in the car.” She said coughing.
I took off my shirt and ripped it into a rag. I let her breathe through it… “Sorry for the smell.” I mumbled.
“I’d rather smell behimoth than purity. Wait is that what it is?” She asked.
“Your instincts are correct. The area is heavily blessed. Exit the car with care. Don’t touch ANYTHING, not even an offered shaken hand unless you’re ready to lose it.” I warned.
She nodded, and I used the rest of the shirt to cover her head. In the trunk I had another. I always carry at least one spare set of garments… for reasons… I needed to make a mental note to put some replacement in here later.
“Wow…” She mumbled looking up at the tall ring topped spire.
Wow indeed….The church here… was elevated.
It was about 3,000 years old if I remember right. It wasn’t the oldest church, that was in Rome, but these old stones were blessed so much that they weren’t gray anymore. The building was bleached a radiant, shimmering white. The yellow and white stained glass told the story of the love of Arviel, and how his brother Mercy pardons.
I always liked the architecture, though as a witch I could never enter, not without permission. Even now, we stood in the parking lot, and father got out his van. Micael also had a rag around his nose, tied up like a mask.
“Steel yourselves.” Said father. “From this moment Lord Yellow, I, Lord Black am here only for support.” He put his hand on my shoulder, and squeezed it.
“Then I say we wait for them. I don’t want to risk Casey being purged.” I growled.
I didn’t mean it, nor my fangs to come out, but this place… it was holy ground… The saying ‘the darkness comes to light’ is literal. Those who are supernatural have a hard time hiding around places like this… it reveals us.
The human who stepped out was as tall as a shifter… We looked each other in the eyes. The way he walked and carried a silver sword told me that he’d killed many of my people before. That sword was unicorn horn… I could tell it was extremely old, but still clear, crystalline trouble….
Even the art of how to make that was purposefully lost. The Hellsongs, specifically Asphestus VanHellsong smithed those weapons… How oily his blood was…
I care not to remember that battle, and the army he killed alone… One stab in the heart… One slash of the neck. The bleeding will not stop from a weapon like this… We died like flies that night…
Why no…. How did they revive the Hellsong line?
He looked like Hecter Hellsong, the patriarch 400 years ago… They must have kept him alive and bred him… I knew I should have kept trying to shoot him with arrows…. He was out of range but together, we forged a curse of infertility and impotence. Gulteer thought it was enough…. It wasn’t.
The guide they sent was at least 6’7, about 230 pounds. His black hair was in a buzz cut, but there was no gray. This priest was a Hellsong in his prime… only about 25….
I stood in front of my charges.
“I am Zayde Yoltier, the Darkened One.” I said letting my shadows be seen. “I am Lord of Yellow Diamond Coven.”
“I know you, Stanley Baker. You fool no one.” He hissed. “I only come to greet you filthy lot through the door.” He sneered at Casey, which made Micael lose his temper.
“You-” I cut my apprentice off.
“You will do well to show more respect mortal.” I said charging in front. I stopped my charge from giving into his nature…. Though separating us by having father watch them was a bad idea. It’s best we stay together.
“You deserve none.” The guide hissed.
“Then take me to your meeting room, and begone.” I said angrily. He didn’t give me his name, but whatever. Let the little man have his little power trip.
We silently entered, with the permission of the priest. This place… the air burned every breath… I could feel… I felt dread from the countless souls of 3,000 years worth of burning my people. We weren’t innocent… but no one should die, and not be allowed to pass on. That was just overkill. Even we released souls we don’t immediately use for the most part.
But I could get it… supernatural creatures whose spirits linger tend to haunt their killers. Inside here, in all the glorious splendor, one could get lost in the intricate, almost elvish workings of the glass. The entire story of the fall of his daughter, the love of the Light, and the mercy of his brother… It was he who aided the Fire Bringer, in secret, yet his punishment was not as harsh…
The screams of the liver eaten man can still be heard in hell. Prometheas suffers for all time
Casey silently cried, though here it fell on deaf ears and blind eyes. For her, this was the realization that she could never be part of her former people ever again. That hurt, but I would say some encouragement.
“Fledgling in my care, shed no tears. You may have lost this, but you gain the master’s love.” I said passing some of my energy through her. It was only just enough to hopefully aid in how taxing this place was, but this was good for her.
She was a monster to them now. They think it a favor to cull us…. That we should not exist. Well… *I* shouldn’t, nor my entire family… not for what we’d done. Should we ever be tried, we’d lose. May as well plead guilty.
We went down winding… black stairs… They’d killed so many here over the years, that they could not scrub the incriminating color of dried blood out their cobbled steps. At the bottom were cages… about 3 large ones that could fit even a minotaur… impressive, but this place was stifling. I envied Casey and Micael. They were green… no one would judge them for needing rags. Father stood proudly, stoically, though his eyes were his beast.
He would be no help. He already was pissed this morning about humans disrespecting him.
“Order.” A gavel was struck. “Have a seat.”
This place down here… it looked like a courtroom… except the solid silver ring… It glowed white, making its own light from so many blessings. They did not bother to clean the ashes. By the skulls I believe that those were vampires. They smelled fairly fresh… though there were no embers.
In the jury were priests, though none had as elaborate garb as the one who sat the highest. The Judge was the only foreign visiting Priest, Father Parez. He’d flown to this small country *Just* to see me… I really had gotten the attention of the church.
He smelled of Hellsong too…Though it was clear he was the older brother. There was a little gray in his hair, but other than that he looked like the guide…. What was the Church up to while our eyes were cast in a different direction?
I didn’t think he would be a high priest either… just a regular one in charge of a city or something. He held a XIII on his neck… but after that was a small sun above the last ‘I’… He was a proper warrior. Only the highly skilled get those.
You must kill a supernatural leader, like me, or an Alpha…
“I am Mario Parez-Hellsong, son of Hecter Hellsong the Ninth… you see my half-brother, Arlen Hellsong.” He said firmly.
“…. What magic is this?” I asked. My father sat in the witness area... only a few makeshift seats for any visitors were placed to the side. He said nothing, letting me handle this.
“Good old-fashioned humanity.” Said Arlen. “You thought infertility, or rather the inability to perform would stop Hector … It did not. He was given permission to wed… and had one son. That one son had one son and so on until us, where my father, the IX managed to break your curse. You witches are haughtily proud.” He said as the doors closed behind us.
“So multiple generations of unsatisfied women produced *you*. Congratulations.” My father held his laugh, but Micael didn’t. Casey was dizzy, holding her head and mouth… I’m sure she’ll vomit soon.
“We are not here to discuss my bloodline. We are here because you trespass. That coven cannot stand. The Holy Seat does not wish there be another Dark Witch Coven.” Said Father Parez. “I understand that I withheld my other surname, but I know you hide yours too, Stanley Baker the Butcher.”
I chuckled… That takes me back. “Even with your people, I am in a new body. You cannot punish me for a past life.” I said firmly. “What’s worse is your attempt to police another people entirely. I believe your church isn’t even in the same Country as mine.”
“I cannot let you leave unless you vow in blood.” He murmured.
“And I *already* said I would. I want no ill between your people and mine… though I find it suspicious that you withheld you were a Hellsong, and lock us in here with a charged ring.” I said extending my claws. “I vow to forge a treaty with the mortals, that so long as you do not harm us, we will not harm you. I deem this fair. That none in my care touch a hair on the head of the free men, or they will suffer either the Ring or the Claw.” I said firmly.
They murmured.
“What happened to killing them anyway?” Whispered Arlen.
“I said if he didn’t vow.” Hissed Father Parez. “Plus, there are three behimoths here. They would level the church with us in it little brother.”
“Your whispers are heard clearly, but one thing is revealed. That without the word of our kind, your kind would be in ruin, oath breakers.” I scoffed.
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