Trinity Blood: The Power to Fight
By: BDS
Book 1 of 5
Pages 131 - 187
Rated: PG-13
Chapter 6: A New Mission of Hope
It had been three days since Noelle's funeral, and now standing in Caterina's office, Abel, Esther and Elma awaited for the instructions to their latest mission.
Abel was now in a better mood, his view on life having completely changed; he wanted to live life to the fullest, because he didn't know when it would be his time to die. He wanted to make friends, and he wanted to keep them close.
But he didn't have time to think about these things, for the mission placed before him, and the two young nuns, was an extremely important, and possible future changing mission.
"Father Abel Nightroad, Sister Elma Duval and Sister Esther Blanchett, I am sending you to the Ocean City. In other words, the three of you are being sent to Venice. Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am." Abel said, and showing that he was back to his goofy self, he raised his hand to his forehead, and saluted to the Cardinal. "But might I ask you, when do we leave?"
"Tonight."
"Tonight? But Caterina, it's close to dusk! And I need my sleep!" Abel protested, lowering his hand from his head and his face showing extreme dissatisfaction.
"Abel..." Caterina whispered dangerously, her tolerance running low.
"Yes...Your Eminence..."
"You can sleep on the plane!"
"On the plane?" He felt the color leaving his face. "Do you know what it's like to sleep on a plane? It's nearly impossible! With all of the turbulence, and..."
"Abel..."
"Yes...?"
"Shut up! And let me continue!"
"Yes, ma'am..."
"Thank you, now, when you arrive in Venice you are all to meet up with an Astaroshe Asran, and you better not screw this one up, Abel!" Caterina paused, taking a deep breath, and whispered, "For she is a secret envoy sent here from the Empire."
Elma and Abel both stood open-mouthed, but it was Elma who spoke first, "The Empire? But then...that means..."
The Cardinal smiled, and nodded her head, "The Empress, Augusta Vradica, is wanting to open up an alliance with the Vatican. And might I say, as a sight note," She looked around at the three agents standing before her, her smile turning into a small frown. "If the meeting with this envoy is to be successful, then this world's fate may just turn around for the better. So I'm really counting on you, all of you."
Esther bravely smiled, and standing straight and tall she whispered, "No fears, Your Eminence, you can count on us!"
"I know that I can."
The atmosphere in the room was determined, for everyone knew that just one slip up, could mean a non-mendable shattered bond with the Empire. This meant, also, that the entire world could fall.
Stepping forward, Abel placed a hand on Caterina's desk, "Caterina, I was wondering, how long will this mission last?"
Straining to remain calm, Caterina muttered through gritted teeth, "Abel, you should be back by tomorrow! Now good-bye, and be safe..."
"Right!" Abel squeaked as he cautiously moved away from the desk, he could see the flames in the Cardinal's eyes grow larger. And quietly, so as not to further patronize Caterina, he whispered to the two young girls, both of which were in silent fits of giggling. "Come now, we mustn't keep our envoy waiting! We must hasten ourselves to Venice!"
Both girls agreed, their shoulders shaking with restrained laughter. "Right..." Elma choked out, but her laughter had gotten the better of her speaking abilities, and caused her to cover her mouth with her hand as the laughter increased.
Befuddled at what was happening, Abel looked back at Caterina, and the expression on his face yelled out, "What's going on? And what should I do?"
Snickering at his stupidity, she stated, "They're tired."
"Well that would explain a lot." He fondly looked at the giggling girls and whispered, "You know, Caterina, I like it when you girls laugh. I don't know why, but it's a sort of comfort to me."
Placing a hand on either girls' shoulders he looked at Caterina and whispered with a kind, fatherly facial expression, "Good night, Lady Caterina, and don't worry, we won't let you down." Then guiding the girls out of the office, he closed the door, and led the way down the long hallway.
Halfway down the hall, a beeping noise sounded in his left ear, and pressing a finger to his communicator it was Kate's voice who spoke, "Good evening, Father Nightroad. Her Eminence has just informed me that you, Sister Esther and Sister Elma are just about prepared to leave, correct?"
"Correct. Though it might take a little longer than was first thought. Sister Elma and Esther have both decided that they were going to have a laughing fit." He lowered his eyes to his left and saw Esther, walking along-side him with her hands held up to her mouth, and as he looked to his right, he saw that Elma was in the same condition as Esther. "Lord, help me."
"Well Abel, no matter what the situation is; I'm leaving with or without you in five minutes." Kate's voice sounded, it was stern, and non-compassionate, but Abel knew that she was just doing her job, and her job wasn't to be nice.
Quickening his pace, he pushed Esther and Elma on further, "Come on, you two. You can laugh all you want once we're on the Iron Maiden!" He whispered to them, but to no avail, they kept on laughing as if he wasn't even there. "Girls! Come on! Cut me some slack here! Please!"
As they were nearing the air ship, Abel was in a mood that he didn't like to be in, he was crossed. "Damn it! Esther! Elma! Snap out of it!" He shook their shoulders a little, but nothing he did seemed to help. "Forget it! I'm going to take you two to your rooms, and you are both going straight to sleep!"
Now stepping inside of the Iron Maiden, Abel headed up a brightly lit hallway, "Kate, go on ahead! We're now boarded!"
In less than two seconds, he felt the motor roar to life. The Iron Maiden was the fastest air ship in the known world, making it the prized jewel of the Vatican.
"I am placing you two into the first rooms that I find! And I hope that by the time we've arrived in Venice, you'll have came back to your senses and be back to normal..." He came to a closed door, and opened it quickly, and led Esther inside of it. Leaving Elma standing alone in the hall.
He continued to lead Esther to the empty bed and whispered quietly, "I honestly don't know nor do I understand what's gotten into you, Esther, but it's not professional. Tell me, what's up?"
Gasping for breath, Esther sat up on the bed, and weakly she whispered, "Fath...Father Abel, forgive me, I can't help it...I don't know..." She placed her quivering hand to her head and whimpered, "Father..."
"Esther, just go to sleep, and you'll feel better when you wake up in a few hours." He bent down and gently kissed the top of Esther's head. "Sweet dreams, Esther."
Lying back on the bed, Esther yawned, having overcome her laughter, "Sweet dreams, Father."
Leaving the room, Abel found Elma sitting on the floor, leaned against the wall, asleep. "She wore herself out too..."
He knelt down and scooped her up in his arms and carefully he carried her to the next room, where he set her on the bed. "Good night, Elma. And like I told Esther, I don't know what's gotten into you, but it'll be better when you wake up in a few hours." He started to walk away but he felt a force holding him back.
"Father..." Elma muttered weakly from deep within her sleep.
"Elma?" He looked back at her and frowned.
"It's her..."
"What?"
Abel expected for Elma to respond, but sleep had finally come and had finally overtaken her body. Her chest rising and falling in a steady motion.
He silently placed a hand on the top of Elma's head, and left to go to his own room.
Abel entered the room with the number three above the door, and with his bed in sight, he hurried over to it, and absent-mindedly flopped down onto it.
Once on the bed, sleep came fast; it had been nearly a week since he'd had a decent night's sleep. But as a priest, sleep wasn't always a guaranteed thing; there had been times that he'd had to go on missions with absolutely no rest at all. So he took every opportunity given to him as a gift.
In the Iron Maiden's helm, Kate, as well as Tres sat in a still silence, the only noises heard were the control panels' buttons, the humming of the air ships motor, and the wind pressing against the shield.
Tres was looking the way that he always did, his face non-emotional, his body language unreadable, and his presence not even noticeable.
Kate, who was at the steering wheel, was quite the opposite. Her face showed worry, her body language read uneasiness about her, and her presence was absolutely known.
Unable to contain herself any further, Kate silently conversed, "Tell me, Gunslinger, do you feel the malice in the air?"
Without looking at her, Tres answered, "Positive, Sister Kate Scott."
She looked ahead of her, the Iron Maiden was thousands of miles above the Earth's surface, but if Tres was able to pick up the sinister feeling this high up, then the cause had to be an extremely evil person.
"Father Tres, we're nearing Venice now, I want you to accompany Father Abel, Sister Elma, and Sister Esther when we land." She leaned to her left and looked down, her sight restricted because of the clouds and fog. "I fear this looming feeling of evil intent. Do you understand?"
Remaining silent for a moment, Tres stood up, and looking at Kate he inquired, "What does fear feel like? I am only a machine, so I feel nothing."
Kate was crestfallen; she knew that he was an android, and that he didn't feel the same feelings that she or the remaining AX agents felt, so thinking it through, Kate tried her best to explain. "Well there are more feelings than fear. There's happiness, anger, sadness, love, confusion and regret."
"But what does it feel like when you experience each feeling?"
"Oh, well, with fear your body is overcome with an unpleasant feeling that can be aroused by the threat of danger, an evil or the feeling of pain. Happiness is a feeling of pleasure. Anger is the opposite; it's the feeling of displeasure. Sadness is the feeling of loss. Love is a feeling of tender, passionate affection. Confusion is a feeling of not knowing. And regret is a feeling of loss, or sorrow, or maybe even failure." Kate finished, her mind now concentrating on landing the giant air ship.
The landing space was small, and so she had to be completely accurate. Lowering the air craft smoothly into the small clearing. "Okay and there. You are now ready to leave." Kate whispered, as she cut off the Iron Maiden's engine. "Be safe, Father Tres."
"Positive. I know that I do not understand the meanings of all these feelings, but I do understand the meaning of safety." Without any further conversation, Tres walked stiffly out of the helm, leaving Kate to contact Abel.
"Father Nightroad, the Iron Maiden has landed, and your departure is immediate."
It was a minute before she finally heard Abel's groggy response, "Awright….I'm awake….Just give me a minute to freshen up, and I'll be down ASAP. Okay, Kate?"
"Well just hurry, Abel. Remember, you still have to ready Elma and Esther."
"Right, I'll hurry."
In his room, Abel hurried around; he was gathering together his pistol and hip holster. He wanted to be prepared for anything that would occur. And as he was leaving his room, he somberly whispered, "Now, for Esther and Elma…..I really do hope that they normal again…."
Leaving his room, he turned right and entered the room that Elma had been placed in. "Elma? It's time to wake up."
Abel switched the light to her room on, and Elma moaned and stirred slightly, moving her unclenched fists to shield her eyes from the light.
"Elma, wake up, it's time to go." Striding to her bedside he gently patted her outer thigh. "Come on, and open your eyes."
"Father Abel?" Elma whispered, slowly opening her eyes.
"Get up, Elma, it's time to leave." He offered her is hand, and when she took hold of it, he helped her to her feet. "Come on!"
Elma didn't want to go, but the mission she knew was an important one. And following Abel as he took off, she quietly uncovered her eyes.
In the hall, they saw Esther standing and waiting. "Hello Father, I'm ready to go!" Her face was bright and beaming, her appearance was radiant.
"Well then let's go!" Abel exclaimed, smiling back at her.
Stepping off of the Iron Maiden, Abel was now fully awake, and standing on either side of him was Esther and Elma.
They were about to enter the forest that they had landed next to, when Abel heard a buzz in his left ear. "Acknowledged, Sister Kate. Go ahead."
"Father Abel, I asked Father Tres to go with you."
Abel nodded and said, "Fine, but where is he?"
As soon as the words left his lips, he heard a mechanical voice, "Present, Father Abel Nightroad. Awaiting to leave…."
"Never mind, Kate. Tres is here."
"Affirmed. Please be careful!"
The distance that the group traveled was short, but rugged. The terrain being so harsh, that Abel had to help Elma up once or twice due to her tripping.
And in a matter of less than ten minutes, the city of Venice was in sight. Venice was an ancient city that was long under the Vatican's control. Below sea level, the city's streets were filled with water, making them only able to be navigated by small boats. And even the poorest of houses had a porch that led to a canal to board or disembark on watercrafts.
In the eyes of those who came to Venice, the city was a truly wonderful sight to behold.
"Wow! This is….This is beautiful! Father Abel, this is Venice?" Esther screamed in admiration, as she, Abel, Elma and finally Tres descended down a wooded hill side.
In the light of the two moons, Abel smirked, his expression soft and caring. "Yes, this is Venice. Elma?"
"Yes?"
Standing still, with his eyes glued to the mystical vampires' moon, Abel bluntly asked, "Have you ever been to Venice….."
"Well, I…." She began, but another voice cut her words short.
The new voice was cold and evil, and when the group first heard the voice, they felt chills run up and down their spines.
"She hasn't! Trust me!" The voice belonged to a woman. The woman jumped out of a tree, and when she looked up, revealing deep black eyes, the eyes of the devil. And standing up, long black hair fell smoothly behind her back. Her hair, braided neatly, and held tightly with a black string.
Over her body she wore a long black trench coat made of sleek leather, and a pair of black jeans with one leg cut off, revealing milky white skin, and a strapless black halter that one was big enough to conceal her breasts. Her lips were painted a dark shade of crimson.
Her appearance; was that of a true demon.
Elma pointed a shaking finger at the new comer, and through clenched teeth she screamed with pure rage. "YOU! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"
"Elma, who is this woman?" Abel inquired, placing a calm hand on her shoulder. "Tell me."
The woman laughed cynically, and playfully batted her dark eyes, her body movement sensual. "How adorable, Elma. You met one. And you managed to bring him to us. You truly are my baby sister."
Abel looked at the sinister being, and then back at Elma, and whispering directly into her left ear, "What does she mean, you found one? And is that your sister?"
She quickly nodded her head. "Yes, this is Terina! My cursed older sister!"
"Cursed? Is that how you treat your elders?" Terina screamed out, her hair flying up behind her body, her eyes flashing dangerously. "I'll teach you how to treat others!" She closed her eyes and smiling, with an extreme look of satisfaction, she recited, "Nano-machine….Kresnik 05…..Power out-put….80%...Activated!"
Her black hair flew up and away from her body, the black string disappearing, her hair becoming unbraided. And from her back, grew four spiked, black wings. Three glowing black marks appeared on her forehead, and her teeth once normal, grew into four inch long fangs. And her fingernails grew to five inches in length.
Abel fell backward, onto his butt, this time it was his shaking finger pointing at Terina. "What the hell?" His face was pale, and his heart was racing, he was terrified beyond belief. "What are you?"
"My dear, dimwitted dumbass! It seems to me, that Elma hasn't told you what type of creatures bred from the darkness we are. We are two of a kind. We are truly unique." Terina drifted over to Abel, and in a swift fluid motion, she raised her clawed hand and touched his face.
He looked around, and when he saw that Elma, Esther and to his biggest shock, Tres had vanished, he glared back at her and yelled, "Where are they? Where are my friends?"
Terina chuckled, and moving her face closer to Abel's, she licked the side of his panic-stricken face. Leaving a trail of crimson lipstick on his cheek. "Your friends are fine. No harm will come to them, I promise. You just have to agree to cooperate, and you have to agree to giving up a bit of who you are. Tell me, do I have your consent?"
Abel cringed as she ran her hands up and down his cheek. He knew that she was toying with him. She was trying to weaken his defense, but he wouldn't give up, no matter what. "You're absolutely crazy! You have nothing! I don't make pacts with demons!" He tried to lift his fist; he was prepared to strike the overly confident vixen.
But instead of a look of pain overtaking her face, she burst out in a cynical laughter. "Wonderful thing isn't it? A simple art that can be learned by just about anyone! The art of necromancy is truly superb! Wouldn't you agree, Father?" She made to move closer to him, her claws directed at his forearm.
Outraged, and incapable of holding back his anger, Abel screamed out at the top of his voice, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?"
"I'm a Kresnik, Father Nightroad. A human, transformed into a vampire, only vampires can quench their blood lust with the Methuselan Life Water. I, on the other hand, simply cannot." She stuck one of her sharpened claws deep into Abel's skin, and placing her mouth over the bleeding wound; she took one swallow of his blood and smiled. "Yes, you truly are his brother. Which is why, I couldn't harm that suave face of yours. Not with it being almost the exact image of his."
From inside her trench coat, Terina pulled out a vial, and placing the lip of it to the wound, she allowed it to fill half-way. And stopping the vial with a cork screw, she muttered, her voice was now lustful, "Oh you are definitely not worthy of his blood. But yet…." She glared down at Abel, a secret fire blazing in her eyes. "But yet you have it! Tell me, why is that?"
Confused, Abel tried his best at thinking, and with his mind set, he sneered. "How the hell should I know? I don't even know who this mystery man of yours is!"
Terina told hold of Abel's vestments and shook him vigorously. "b*****d! YOU DARE DENY YOUR KNOWING OF THE REKNOWNED CONTRA MUNDI?"
Two words out of the whole sentence ran through Abel's mind, "Contra Mundi?"
He gasped and yelled out in fury, "CAIN'S HERE?" He glared deeply into Terina's cold eyes, and penetrating into them he asked softly, "You work for him? Don't you?"
Terina smiled, her appearance softening to its previous beautiful form, her face now looked as it had before she'd sold her soul to the damned. Before she agreed to allowing her body to be used as a vessel, before it became a harbor for demons.
"So you do know him? I'm thrilled to hear that! But my job here is finished, Father. I got what I came for. A draught of your Crusnik's blood." She slowly moved the vial in her left hand from side to side, which Abel knew was his blood, to slosh around in the vial. "And though it pains me, I must bid you adieu, Father. But don't worry, I won't hold you prisoner, I was formally instructed to release you, once I left."
Abel felt the invisible bonds around his hands and feet begin to dissipate, and knowing that his time must be running short, he called out, "Where are my friends though?"
Smiling still, she answered promptly, "You will find the two girls on the Rialto Bridge, and there you will also find the envoy from my land. I wish you well, Father, I guarantee you, that the two of us, shall meet again…."
With Terina completely gone, the bonds had gone completely too. And taking the only chance that Abel saw, he got up and ran as quickly as he could towards the Rialto Bridge.
He had to see for himself, that Esther and Elma were indeed okay. He had to see that Terina had spoke the truth. And he had to see that Cain was defeated before anyone else got hurt.
He didn't want things to end like they had before.
And as Abel was running he remembered that Terina had only mentioned "two girls" not "two girls and an automated killing machine," and he began to wonder in the back of his mind, "Where's Tres? He didn't just abandon me, did he?"
Reaching the Rialto Bridge, Abel looked up and saw three chairs with three people, and not waiting a second longer he screamed out, "ESTHER! ELMA!"
And looking around at things on eye level, he noticed a ladder that rose up to where Esther, Elma and the envoy were. "HOLD ON GIRLS! I'M COMING!"
Climbing the ladder, he soon found himself within reach of the two girls. But all three girls were sitting on chairs, and each girl slumped over.
The envoy, Abel noticed, had long ivory colored hair, but a small portion of it had been dyed red. He also noticed that her hair was long enough to hit the bridge's walkway.
And taking his eyes off of the envoy, Abel looked at Esther and Elma. At first they seemed to be all right, but then he saw to his horror that both girls had a number of small abrasions on their arms, legs and face.
He hurried over to them and first went to Esther, and he quickly began to evaluate the seriousness of her condition. And seeing that she only had a small cut on her right cheek, one above her left eye brow, the bottom of both of her palms, and one on her right knee, he concluded that she would be fine.
Switching to Elma, Abel noticed that the situation was the exact same. With a few scratches on her face, shoulders and ankles, he knew that they were only petty wounds.
Abel sighed in a nervous type of relief, and whispered, "Thank God they're okay!" He then bent down and kindly said, "Come on, girls. Wake up. We've got to get out of here, it's not safe."
But when neither of them stirred from their slumber, Abel became frantic. "Girls? Girls, wake up, please!" He rapidly shook their shoulders, his heart pounding. "WAKE UP!"
A boyish laughter came from above Abel's head, and the laughter was followed by a voice that he had hoped he would never have had to hear again. "They can't wake from the eternal sleep that they're in, Abel. My dear friend, Kresnik, has a firm grip on all three girls."
Abel looked upward and gritted his teeth when he saw Cain standing on a support beam, some fifteen feet above his head. "Why the hell are you here? And what do you want with my friends? Your friend got what she wanted from me! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT?"
Cain smiled madly, his white and red robe moving slowly with a sudden breeze. It took him a moment to pick out the words that he wished to use in the explanation of exactly what he wanted from his brother. "What do you think I want?"
He was just able to glare angrily up at Cain; he couldn't seem to find his voice. And expecting to hear Cain's rhetorical response, he was surprised when the only thing he heard, was a sickening, wet thud.
"What the….What the hell?"
Abel stood in disbelief, had he really just witnessed what he thought he saw? Or was it just another illusion? Had Cain's left arm truly just fallen from his body, and was it really now lying just inches from his brother's feet?
Staring fixedly at his decomposed arm, Cain whispered with much disdain, "Poor quality, Von Kampfer. This isn't the workmanship that I'd expected from you. I must say, I'm highly disappointed! Oh well, I'll grant him one final shot at redemption." Sighing, he slowly called his arm back into place.
Redirecting his gaze, Cain smiled maliciously, his eyes on his brother's petrified face. "You see now, Abel, the thing that I require from you is your body. Seeing as mine is broken beyond repair."
Abel's body shuddered as he heard Cain's bones reconnect. "What's happened to you?"
"Funny you should ask that, Abel! For you did this to me!"
Abel stared, dumb struck, as he stuttered, "I….I did this?"
Rubbing his shoulder, Cain began to explain his words. "Yes, my body broke the very day that you and that sister of ours threw me from the Arc!" He slowly flexed his fingers as he continued, "I must say though; it's quite remarkable that my body was able to be repaired this far. Pity that it took me over one hundred years to get even to this point! So you see, Abel, I'll be needing your body now!"
Looking at his friends, Abel took a crack at one thing, "And if I don't comply? What happens then?"
"Your friends will die."
Abel felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach, and sighing he took another stab at another topic, "Cain, tell me one more thing, why did you murder, Lilith?"
"Abel, Lilith had sided with those damned humans! Even after they had nearly annihilated our entire race! She said that we could find a way for our two species to work together! She expected for us not to be angry with those humans! She had to die! She had to die, so that we could go on living!" Cain stood, grinning while he was reminiscing about the past. And looking down at Abel, he whispered, "Now that you know my reasoning, do you agree with my actions?"
"No! No, I don't! But you've already killed two people that were dear to me! I can't let you kill any more!" He pointed at Esther, Elma and at the envoy. "So please, release my friends and the messenger. They've done nothing to harm you. Just….just take me, Cain!" He held his hands out at ninety degree angles, and he closed his eyes. "Just let them go!"
"Dear brother, you're so predictable! Terina, release the one girl along with the envoy, but keep a tight hold on that sister of yours. I want to make certain that Abel does not go back on his word." Cain whispered; a look of having finally won overcoming his face.
Next to Cain, appearing out of the darkness, Terina held her right hand in a tight fist, and flexing out her index and middle finger, Abel saw Esther, and the Empress' messenger fall limply to the bridges' concrete walkway.
"Esther! Mrs. Envoy! What?" Abel stood in shock as the envoy's eyes shot open, and she stood up with great strength and speed.
With her golden-yellow eyes opened wide, the envoy growled just seconds before she started to curse and scream at all who were around. "TELL ME! WHO'S THE b*****d THAT IMPRISONED ME HERE? TELL ME NOW OR ALL HELL WILL BREAK LOOSE!" Her voice was shrill, and when she spotted Abel, her rage was thrusted upon him. "IT WAS YOU! I KNOW IT!"
Bearing her fangs, the envoy advanced closer to him, but he held up his hands in a quick defense. "N…No, it was….wasn't me….It was him…." He pointed up at Cain, and fishing through his mind, Abel finally found the name that he'd been searching for, "Asta?"
Asta became further enraged as she took hold of the front of Abel's cassock. "SHUT UP YOU TERRAN FOOL! TO BEGIN WITH IT'S NOT ASTA! I'M NOT A CHILD, SO DON'T ADDRESS ME AS ONE! I AM ASTAROSHE ASRAN, THE DUCHESS OF ODESSA AS WELL AS THE DUCHESS OF KIEV! I AM AN IMPERIAL ARISTACRAT, A NOBEL OF THE HIGHEST BLOOD! I NEVER GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO SPEAK TO ME IN SUCH A FAMILIAR MANNER!"
"So it is you, Asta? I am Father Abel Nightroad. My superior, Cardinal Caterina Sforza sent me here to see that you arrive to the Vatican safely." He offered his hand to Asta but quickly pulled it back when she threatened him.
"If you wish to keep your hand then remove it from my reach, but if you wish to lose it, then keep it right there."
Abel nervously laughed and then he sighed when he saw Cain coming closer, and closing his eyes he whispered, "Asta, please take care of my friends."
Asta coldly glared at the priest, and clenching her fists, she yelled out, "Who are you talking to priest?"
Looking back at her, Abel kindly whispered, "Please, Asta! Take care of Esther, and try to free Elma!"
"Tell me, why should I?"
"Because you are now my only comrade. And I'm putting every ounce of faith that I've ever had all into you! Now take care of them, please!" Abel whispered, as he removed his glasses and placed them into his pocket. Without them, his face became grave and gaunt.
"Even after your extreme tardiness?"
"PLEASE ASTA! I WILL PAY YOU BACK TEN FOLD! NOW GO!" He couldn't take it anymore; his heart rate was becoming escalated past its normal beat. He would be eternally damned, he knew, if he allowed things to end like they had with Noelle. The promise that he made to Caterina nearly ten years prior.
And in the back of his mind, he heard Caterina's small voice, she had been only eleven at the time, so she still sounded so young, and with the voice of a little girl she asked him. "Who are you?"
And in a rough voice, Abel yelled, looking his brother in the eyes, his stance was completely sturdy, his legs becoming unwavered by fear. "I AM SOMEONE THAT HAS SWORE TO PROTECT THE HUMANS! I WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE LIKES OF YOU, CAIN!"
Amused by his brother's heroics, Cain simply smiled, his blue eyes twinkling with sheer pleasure, "Really, Abel, what has happened to that black heart of yours? Don't you remember? You used to be the enemy of the world as well! Or have you forgotten?"
"NO! I JUST GREW UP!" Abel sprinted at Cain, his heart set on destroying him and with all the might that he could muster, he yelled, "NANO-MACHINE…."
Tired of Abel's ruthlessness, Cain yelled back, "I THINK NOT ABEL! YOU PROMISED ME YOUR BODY!" He then transformed into the Crusnik that rested uneasily within his broken outer and inner spirit. "You won't escape me this time, brother!"
Cain then extended his palm, directing it at a frozen Abel, and in an instant, Abel witnessed his entire life flash through his mind, and noticing that it didn't last nearly as long as he'd thought it would, he desperately whispered, "Nine hundred years of memories, and three-fourths of them aren't even worth remembering…." He softly chuckled as Cain swooped down closer to him, "My life is a total train wreck. I've done nothing useful with it that I can remember….I'm sorry, Esther, Elma and Caterina….I made promises to the three of you….and now….I can't even owe up to them….Forgive me….."
He closed his eyes and prepared for death, but was brought back to life when he heard a deep, mechanical voice booming from behind him. "Father Abel Nightroad, cease standing in three….two….."
Abel looked behind him and saw Tres along with the remaining AX operatives standing, but his eyes darted directly to the two M-13 hand guns in Tres' hands, and his face losing all color, he yelled out in sheer shock, "HOLY s**t, TRES! DON'T YOU DARE SHOOT ME!"
"One…."
"TRES WAIT!" Abel flattened his body as much as he could on the concrete walkway. And in seconds, one of the support beams that helped hold up the Rialto Bridge was riddled with bullet holes, making it incapable of holding up any weight, and causing it to crumble onto the now dusty walkway.
Turning his head, Abel stared at the rubble, his stomach twisted into tight knots. And nervously, Abel pressed his hands tightly together and folded them up in front of his face and he quickly began to pray. "Thank you God! That that wasn't me just now that got turned into instant Swiss cheese! Thank-you! Amen!"
He unfolded his hands and pushed himself off of the walkway, and running to Tres, he broke down, "YOU NEARLY KILLED ME!"
Tres stood where he was, his expression completely pointblank, and in a monotone voice he stated nonchalantly, "Negative, Father Abel Nightroad, the percentage of your survival were sixty, while the percentage of your death was only a chance of forty. You would not have died in this situation."
Changing his facial expression, Abel began to mock Tres, and making his voice as deep as he could, he muttered, "Negative, Father Tres Iques," and changing his voice back to his own, he pointed at the broken support beam, and then at himself, and then back again, "That? No one could survive that, Tres! I would have DIED! Sixty percent of survival, my a**! Even you would have been destroyed in that fire storm of yours!"
"Negative, Father Abel Nightroad."
Abel scoffed at Tres' remark, and muttered, "You can say negative all you want, but I'm just stating the obvious!"
Looking up from his disagreement with Tres, Abel saw around ten people, each person staring and laughing at them. He recognized at least half of the people, only because he'd worked with them at the Vatican's Headquarters.
But tearing his mind away from the people, he looked up at the sky and sought out Cain, and the seductive Terina. But when he didn't find them at first, he believed it to be safe to lower his guards. "So Tres, I take it that you went and contacted Caterina, and she yet again, sent me back up, only for them to arrive when it's too late. I have got to admit, Tres, you need to adjust your timing meter. Another second and I surely would've been dead. But you nearly succeeded with my death by almost turning me into Swiss cheese. Thanks." He gave Tres a shaky thumbs up, and reaching his shaking hands deep into his pocket, he grabbed his glasses and shoved them onto his face. And sighing with a great amount of relief, he whispered, "Thanks a lot! Truly! You saved my life back there! I owe you one!"
Turning his back, stiffly on Abel, Tres rumbled, "Negative, Father Abel Nightroad. The enemy is still here. The threat is still vastly eminent. Percentage of magnetic pulsations has reached dangerous levels of eighty-five, and is still increasing rapidly."
Staring with an immensely confused expression, Abel stumbled dumbly through his words, "Wh….What in heaven's name are you talking about? Magnetic pulsations? Tres, Cain and Terina have vanished from the area!"
"Negative. Enemy targets in question are merely masking their presences with a tool built by programmers specialized in the Lost Technologies of this world." He quickly shifted his guns so that they aimed at an object that was far above everybody's heads. He fired around three rounds, and as each bullet cartridge emptied, an automatic reloader activated, replacing the empty old cartridge, with a fresh, full one.
As the dust was settling, everyone heard an insane cackling. And to Abel's dismay, he saw that it was Cain who stood weightlessly, suspended high up in the air. His body seemed to be uninjured, none of Tres' genocide shots came close to hitting him.
With his eyes shining brightly, Cain yelled out for all to hear, "Igne natura renovatur integra! Igne natura renovatur integra!" He began to repeat himself, over and over again, always crying out the same cursed saying that the Devil, himself, once uttered.
The members of the Vatican's clergy all knew that the phrase "Igne natura renovatur integra" meant "with these flames we shall renew the world."
No longer capable of handling his brother's provoking comments, Abel wheeled about on his heel and asked as an order, "Did you all bring your weapons?"
"Correct, Father Four-Eyes! To tell you the truth, I've desperately longed for a second crack at killing that damned b*****d! I didn't get the chance to repay him properly for trying to kill you, nor for him killing Sister Noelle! I hope you don't mind!" It was Leon who had spoken, and stepping out of the group, Abel saw that in his arms he was carrying a military based bazooka. And seeing Abel's stare, he shook his bazooka gently and muttered, "I got an upgrade. Her grace, felt that it was necessary for me to use much heavier artillery on this mission, she felt that my usual chakrams wouldn't work in a fight as big as this. And you know what? It's about damn time! I've been itchin' to put this baby to good use!"
Motivated by Leon's enthusiasm, Abel clapped him on the shoulder and turning around yelled, "All right! Now is our only chance to destroy him! I want two rows of eleven men…."
He was cut short when an abrupt static sound filled his left ear, and pressing a finger to his communicator, he heard Kate's voice, "Abel! Don't you dare forget me!"
Shuddering, Abel muttered, "Right! I want two rows with eleven men, and I want the Iron Maiden overhead prepared to launch an attack, using its main cannon, at the most effective moment! But I also want the Iron Maiden to attack as soon as we've all had at least three minutes to fall back! Am I understood?"
The Professor walked up to him, and whispering, in a low but calm voice he stated, "I will remain in the back row, I have an invention on me that I've designed for a moment, such as this, so…"
"Well, Professor, if it's an invention of yours, then I believe that what you're doing is for everyone's best interest."
The elderly priest winked one of his wrinkled old eyes at Abel, and proceeded to the rear of the small army's front.
Waiting for everyone to line up, Abel saw to see who had joined the front line of defense. Many of the men were priests that he worked with, and among the line was Leon, Tres, Havel, Hugue, and himself. And as everyone fell into place, he quickly removed his gun from his hip holster, and raising an arm he quickly screamed, "FIRST LINE! READY! FIRE!" He dropped his arm and held onto his pistol with both hands.
As Abel was firing rounds with his pistol, Leon was firing ear blasting shots with the bazooka that he'd received. But to Abel's astonishment, neither Havel nor Hugue partook in the warfare against Cain.
"Don't worry…..Four-Eyes…..they'll…..join…the festivities…..soon enough!" Leon stated, his words only came between the bazooka's blasts.
"I see…ALL RIGHT! SWITCH LINES! I WANT THE SECOND LINE TO BE IN FRONT NOW! OKAY! READY! FIRE!" Abel ordered as the front line of men retreated to the back of the group and the second line of men advanced towards Cain.
As it turned out, the rear defense had no matter of air born weaponry, but rather, personal weapons that could only be used in close ranged combat.
With his hand grasped around a small electronic controller, the Professor looked at Hugue and whispered, "Now's your chance, Hugue, take your revenge on the group that took your sister away from you!"
An angry glare crossed Hugue's young, gaunt face, as he removed from a hidden strap tied around his shoulder, a long, thin black staff, At first glance, one would never notice anything special about the staff, but with a quick twist of both of his wrists, he revealed that the staff broke into two parts.
The first part was a long sword, while the second was a small dagger, and with the sword in his right hand, Hugue rushed forward, and with a quick motion, he swung violently at Cain.
Laughing at the operatives attempts, Cain looked dangerously down at them, "Well, one thing that Von Kampfer succeeded in constructing was this Aegis Shield! Any attack that you fools throw at me, will automatically be negated! It's useless!"
The Professor, at these words, pressed a small red button on the electronic controller in his hand. "NOW!"
With the button pressed down, the AX operatives heard a crash, sound from only meters behind them, and startled by the boom, Abel turned around and searched for the cause behind him, and seeing a giant military goliath tank approaching him, Abel decided to scream out in terror.
During his scream, a voice yelled out in a fury, "SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU AX b*****d!" A man wearing a long, red tunic with a cross, made out of a slick golden cloth, sewn on the front of the tunic, a helmet rested snuggly on his head, and a spear with a spinning top was held in his right hand. He stiffly stepped down from the tank and walked up beside Abel.
The man's height nearly matched Abel's, but his build was more muscular.
Standing with his knees shaking, Abel whispered, "Who are you?"
The man removed his helmet, and revealed long, light blue hair. His face was young, but taut, and his eyes showed no love for anything, dead nor alive. But the color of them, were the same color as the blue and white skies that were home to the Heavenly God. But with his attention directed at Cain, he muttered, "I am Chief of the Inquisition, Brother Petros Orisini, and the Knight of Annihilation. I was sent here at the order of Cardinal Sforza and Cardinal Medici."
Abel shyly smiled and thought in his mind, "So much for me to remember, but I'll do my best." And once again he offered his hand to Petros, but once again, was forced to pull it back close to his body, which caused him to laugh nervously. "Well, Brother Petros, I am Father Abel Nightroad. I work for the Ministry of Holy Affairs, in the Special Duties Division for Cardinal Caterina's AX team. I am very pleased to me…"
Petros turned his head away from Cain and then looking back at the goliath tank he screamed out, "MEN, MARCH FORTH!" and glaring at Abel he ordered, "And you! I want you and the remaining AX agents to leave this area at once! You will only be of a hinder to us…."
"Ri…Right…" Looking at Leon, Tres, Havel, Hugue, the Professor as well as the remaining agents, Abel yelled out, "Agents, fall back! I repeat, fall back now!"
As the operatives began to pull out of the battle against Cain, they all heard as the Inquisition marched forward, preparing to attack. And they all knew that the attack would, just as Cain had said, be absolutely useless.
And as they were running, the Professor pressed his hand to the communicator in his right ear, "Kate, fire the Iron Maiden's main cannons in thirty seconds! Allow enough time for the Inquisition team to fall back once they attack!"
"I understand, William. I'm now charging the main cannons."
Everyone in the area heard a loud electric charge activate, as a bright pink light illuminated the surrounding vicinity.
And with his hand back to his ear, William said, "Petros! Get your men out of there now!"
"DAMN IT ALL!"
With some distance behind them, Abel stopped and then leaning against an indented tree, he breathlessly pleaded, "Fath….Father Words…..Wordsworth, tell me that you guys saw Mrs. Asta along with Esther and Elma!"
Smiling kindly, William stated, "Yes, Abel, the Empire's envoy is fine, and Sister Esther and Sister Elma are back at the clearing, resting."
Placing a shaking hand over his heart, Abel sighed and whispered, "That's good." Standing up straight, and fixing his glasses, he pointed at himself and said, "And I wasn't the one who screwed up the mission!" Crossing his arms in front of his chest he continued, "It was my brother…."
Leon, who was now standing next to Abel, began to scratch his head and in a rough voice he concluded the matter, "That may, or may not be true, Abel, but Caterina will still place the blame all on you. That b*****d is your brother after all!"
"I know…" He began but just as he was about to speak again, an ear blasting boom rang all throughout Venice.
The boom had been caused by the Iron Maiden's main cannon, the blast sent by the cannon was so powerful that every square inch of the land that was within a thirty mile radius, shook violently. And seconds after the blast erupted, the Inquisition's team entered the area in which the AX operatives stood.
"Well, Petros?" The Professor inquired as Petros neared him. "Did you manage to get him?"
Looking at the Professor with a furious expression, he yelled out in a voice that matched perfectly with his mood. "TELL ME, DO YOU SEE THAT DAMNED b*****d SLUNG DEAD OVER MY SHOULDERS WITH MY SCREAMER SHOVED UP HIS a**? DO YOU SEE ME AND MY SQUAD CELEBRATING TO A WELL DESERVED VICTORY?"
"So you mean to say that he got away?"
"OF COURSE HE GOT AWAY!" Petros yelled, plopping down on an upraised tree root, and ran his hands through his sweaty hair.
Absent-mindedly, without thinking about the current situation, Abel blindly said in a falsetto tone of voice, "Well at least you didn't die in the battle."
"THAT WAS NO BATTLE YOU IMBECILE! THAT LITTLE THING THAT YOU CALL A BATTLE, WAS LITTLE MORE THAN A SETTO TO ME!" Petros bellowed, his face turning a dangerous shade of red. He obviously had had enough of the AX teams inquiry, and in Abel's case, he had had enough of their stupidity.
Frightened by Petros' burst of outrage, Abel simply decided to cower at the back of the group, and apologetically whispered, "Forgive me."
Chortling at Abel's severe discomfort, Leon asked in a mock amazed whisper, "So how did you Inquisition fools get here so quickly?"
Growling at the insult, Petros began to answer, but a stern female voice stepped in.
"We wouldn't even be here now if not for the request made by your superior, Cardinal Sforza! You will remember to do well in showing your gratitude towards her once we land at Vatican Headquarters! And you would also do well in showing your gratitude towards us, the Inquisitorial Department, and our superior, Cardinal Medici!" The woman stepped closer to Leon, and removing her own helmet she revealed short, light pink hair, and a long, black headband that had been secured around her forehead, obscuring her right eye from view, and her lips were painted to match the color of the tight fitting, red tunic that she wore.
"Oh and who are you to talk? It just so happens that I was talking to, Mr. Sunshine over there! There is no reason for you, Mrs. Attitude, to join in!" Leon roared as he threw his hands up into the air, his long black hair moving over his left shoulder as he turned swiftly.
But as Leon was about to continue on his rant, an angry voice, that was slightly familiar to Abel, screamed out, "BACK WHERE I COME FROM, SUNSHINE, IN ANY SENTENCE IS MEANT TO BE A THREAT! AND I ADVISE YOU NOW NOT TO USE IT AGAIN! JUST THE VERY WORD SENDS CHILLS UP AND DOWN A METHUSELAHS BACK!"
Turning around once more, Abel saw Asta, her long ivory hair, now at its full length, reached all the way down to her heels, her golden-yellow eyes missed well with the dyed portion of her hair. And seeing her for the first real time, Abel saw that she was wearing all black. A black leather, sleeveless halter, long black leather pants, and a long-sleeved leather trench coat.
In his mind, she didn't look all that bad, but he had seen firsthand, the sort of temper that Asta had. But none-the-less, he looked at her and whispered thoughtfully, "I'm glad to see that you made it back here safely. As well as I'm elated to see that you avoided all of the tribulations! You truly are an amazing being, Asta!"
Rolling her eyes at his emotion filled confession, she declared her innermost desires, "Whatever, you Terran! I just want to get this meeting at the Vatican over and done with! So that I may be able to return to my home within the Empire! I can't stand this place, and I dislike all of you!"
"Whatever you say, Asta, but first, there's one matter that needs to be cleared up." Abel whispered, placing his hand beneath his chin, and resting his chin on his knuckles. "Since Cain managed to escape, where will he go next?"
Finishing his thought, the Iron Maiden flew overhead, and they all made their way back to the clearing. And as they trudged back up the hill side, Leon suggested with much thought, "Most likely, any place that's considered to be powerful."
"Exactly! Like, Albion, or…." Abel whispered as his eyes fell onto Asta.
"What is it, priest?"
"Or the Empire….."
To Be Continued in Chapter 7: A Channel is Formed
DoctorChurchie Community Member 
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