Julius bowed his head. “As I assumed. What happened?”
I retold the story. Julius followed along as I recounted the battle and the subsequent conversation thereafter. I finished with the knowledge the vampyre gifted me with. “He claimed to be Radu Dracul, brother to Vlad, The Impaler.”
“Radu, a name I thought I’d never hear again.” Julius got up and went up to the altar once more. From under the Bible, he opened a small hidden drawer. When he came back over, he showed me the black book. “Inside these pages is what the previous leader of this church gathered on the Dracul family. Radu is mentioned just once. I assumed it was because he died.”
The vampyre had told me the truth. “Radu, or Gabriel as he goes by now, wishes to recruit me against Vlad, as he did my father.”
“He was with Ivan when he went after Vlad?”
“That he was, old friend,” I confirmed for him. “Radu also knew my grandfather. It seems he has taken a vested interest in my family.”
Julius flipped to the second to last page. “I oftentimes wondered what Elder Darius meant with this passage, but maybe it has more to do with you.”
He laid the book down in front of me. The handwriting was a bit hard to read, but I was able to make it out: “From the lineage of hunters, with the help of a false angel and a blind seer, will the light shine.”
“Are you saying Radu is a false angel?”
Julius pushed his glasses up his nose. “He took the name Gabriel, after one of the Lord’s most trusted Archangels. With your family’s lineage, I would say Darius was on to something.”
Maybe that was true, but what in Heaven’s name was a blind seer? “That second part, the blind seer, that seems to be a bit of a complexity.”
A harsh wind blew through the windows of the church, taking out the candlelight that we had. It was a cold, evil wind. Something foul was afoot. I unsheathed my blade, ready for anything at a moment’s notice. That’s when the panicked screams started outside. It was going to be a very long night.
I hustled outside the church with Julius right behind me. The villagers were scattering as a gargoyle had gotten ahold of one of the farmers, tearing him apart. It was much too late for the older man. However, the creature made a mistake coming here. He would never hurt another soul, as long as I drew breath. When he saw me walk towards him with my sword drawn, he cast aside the pieces of the farmer.
He dropped to all fours, like a dog. Its cold grey eyes showed much intelligence. It was no surprise when it spoke. “You are not the one I want.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, monster.”
The gargoyle rose up and tried to crush me with its front legs. The claws missed as I rolled away and dug into the ground. The trenches left behind showed just how dangerous this creature was. Giving up on that strategy, it used its wings to heft itself into the air, hovering about three heads above me. It swooped towards me, only to be met with my sword.
The damn thing was made of stone!
My sword bounced out of my hands and flew back towards the church. Thinking I was weaponless, the gargoyle flew at me one more time, murder its only intent. Unfortunately for it, I was always prepared. I pulled a large hunting dagger out of my boot and aimed it at the soft underbelly of the creature. The blade spun in the air and hit true. The gargoyle’s guts spilled out from the wound and it crashed into an unfortunate homestead not too far from the church.
Julius had my sword in hand as I walked over to get it. “It seems Vlad has found his brother.”
“You want me to join Radu, don’t you?”
“What I want is not what matters, Max.” It was clear that my God-fearing friend was going to tell me what he thought anyway. “I would be remiss not to tell you that these attacks have gotten worse lately. Vlad knows you’re here and will stop at nothing to kill you.”
These creatures were my fault. Before, the rogue daemon that wandered in was to be expected. The situation was beginning to escalate. “I couldn’t bear the deaths of anyone I cared about, and especially if it were due to my own hubris. Staying in Stefania when I could do more good in the world? That seems selfish, doesn’t it?”
“Those are your words, not mine,” he smiled.
“It seems like the debate is settled. I go with Radu in the hopes to end this. I just pray that this is the path the Lord wishes me to take.”
He handed me the Bible I’d been reading while he was praying. “The Lord will watch over you, always.”
I took the old tome from him and placed it inside my coat. “Very well, I’ll seek the vampyre and join him on his quest. Not just for us, but for the chance to avenge my father.”
“I finally see the anger you tried so hard to keep buried.” Julius placed his hand over my heart. “Anger is not a sin, Max. You must learn to embrace it, accept it.”
Maybe that was true. I’d think about that as I ventured forward. With a plan made, I sought out the high chairman of the village. Julius offered to tag along, but I told him he’d be needed at the church. As soon as I left, villagers flooded inside to hear the word of the Lord and get reassurances. In this time of great need, the verses in the Bible would be their greatest source of comfort.
High Councilman Roman was out front of his home on the southern side of Stefania. Roman was an older man, one whose life was pretty close to the end. He raised a gnarled hand in the air as a way of signaling me to come forth. When I got there, he finished his ale, discarding the mug behind a bush.
“Me wife don’t like it when I drink,” Roman hiccupped.
I could see why. The man reeked of ale. He always reeked of ale. “I have to leave Stefania, Roman.”
He pushed himself off the stone wall of his dwelling. “Going after the daemon himself?”
“Yes.” There was no point not to be God’s honest. “I have found an ally that will help me avenge my father.”
Roman nodded a few times. “Your dad, he’d be a good man, that he was.”
The old man had been around Stefania for so long he actually knew my grandfather, too. Roman was well trusted by the villagers and when time caught up to him, it’d be hard to see who would replace him. I knew it wouldn’t be me and Julius was too dedicated to the church to ever leave. I pushed that thought from my mind; I had to worry about what was in front of me.
“If all goes well, you’ll be alive to see the end of his reign, Roman.”
He clasped my shoulder. “Good luck to ya, laddie.”
With that last declaration, Roman fell back against his house, passing out from the amount of ale he’d consumed. I patted him on the head and left to go to my home. If I was to follow Radu on this journey, it was time to gather up my most precious belongings. It didn’t take long; I gathered my knives, a small axe, and bottle of holy water. These were the tools of a vampyre hunter.
By the time I reached the place where I’d first met Radu, snow began to fall yet again. The moon was still bright in the sky, illuminating the white flakes as they floated to the ground. He hadn’t moved, snow lying on his black coat.
When he saw me, he shook the snow off. “It’s about time,” he griped.
“Sorry, I had to take care of a gargoyle that wandered into the village. It was looking for you.”
“So Vlad’s minions have tracked me.” He twirled his coat around himself, supernaturally fast. When he was no longer blurry, “I can send phantoms of myself to act as decoys,” Radu explained.
“Speaking of that, how do we ensure the safety of Stefania while I’m with you?” I asked.
He laughed, a cold and miserable laugh to match the weather. “Just like your father, I see.”
“I’m proud to be a good man like my father.”
“Your family makes everything so hard,” he sighed. Taking a small dagger out of his jacket, he sliced his hand open. “My blood will mark this area to minor daemons and they will leave. As for Vlad’s forces, the best thing we can do is leave and defeat him.”
Julius had said that
it was me the vampyre thought of as a threat. Maybe if I did leave, the worst of the monsters would follow me and leave Stefania alone. “Very well, your words have merit.”
This time Radu’s red eyes showed a bit of leniency. That was certainly something. “Where do we go from here?” I asked.
“My brother takes over castles in places he’s conquered. Most of northern and western Europe is under his control.” Radu pulled out an ancient looking map. Many of the names didn’t mean anything to me, just the one in the circle. “Vlad’s gained enough power where he might finally go after the Vatican.”
That was insanity! “No daemon could breach the walls of the Vatican.”
“I know my brother better than anyone.” Radu kicked snow over the fire, putting it out. “We head south, to Italia. There, we will seek out those who can get us into the Vatican and we will meet Vlad head-on.”
If it weren’t for the words Julius read to me about the lineage of the hunters joining a false angel, I’d return to Stefania and keep the village safe. “I’m trusting you, Radu.”
“As you should.” He began to walk off, leaving me to follow him. “And never call me Radu, my name is Gabriel, understand?” he said quietly. There was something dangerous to his voice.
“I understand,” I replied.
“Good. If you ever use that name again, I will kill you and find another.”
Chapter Three
**Hungaria; 1775 the year of our Lord**
W inter had given way to springtime as we left the very northern tip of Wallachia and entered the Kingdom of Hungaria. What hadn’t given way was the evil that gripped Europe. No sooner did we cross the border than we ran across a pack of werewolves. Not just any werewolves mind you, ones left behind by Vlad himself, led by a vicious creature named The Jackal.
The five werewolves had been left as a welcoming party for Radu (a name we will use between ourselves) and attacked with a viciousness I’d never seen from daemons. Even the gargoyles, eaters of men’s flesh, were more civilized than these heathens. With my sword held high, I gutted the beast that had leapt at me from on top of the tree I was standing beside. His viscera oozed out of the wound.
One more quick movement from my longsword cleanly removed the beast’s head. To my right, Radu was in full vampyre mode. Even as the sun began to rise, its power had little control over the Dracul I traveled with. His fangs ripped the throat clean away from one of the werewolves that chose to attack him. As the creature fell to the ground, he stabbed him in the heart with his impressive longsword. I was thankful to God that Radu was on my side. Seeing him in full action let me know just how little he’d tried when he fought me.
There were three wolves left. Not wanting to wait for another to attack me, I released the axe I carried on my back. Its blade had also been tempered in the same steel/salt forge as my sword. I aimed my throw perfectly and the axe rotated in the air before finding its mark, burying itself into the wolf’s forehead. He dropped to the ground, blood gushing over what snow was still left on the forest floor.
The last two wolves were Radu’s to slay. He jump-kicked the first one to create space. With a full arm’s length to work with, he thrust his sword forward into the first wolf. When he whipped his arm backwards, the tip of the blade pierced the second’s eye. As both wolves dropped to the ground, he made quick work of them. Soon, two decapitated wolves twitched their final movements. Radu cleaned their blood off his blade in the snow before sheathing it.
“It appears the further east we venture, the more our enemies will come out of the shadows,” he told me.
“Let them come,” I said. “I’d rather deal with enemies in front of me then those who choose to hide.”
Radu stepped over the dead bodies of the wolves and sniffed the air. “A village is close. I can hold off the effects of the sun for a bit, but we need to take refuge soon.”
In our travels, I’d become accustomed to sleeping during the day and traveling at night. Radu, as he said, could hold off the effects of the sun, something most normal vampyres couldn’t do. However, it took much out of him and was preferable if we could avoid it. That was one of the few things I learned about him. He once slipped and said he was married before his turn, but didn’t elaborate. I knew not to press, but my curiosity was certainly piqued.
As he said, there was a village just around the bend. To keep a low profile, we found an abandoned farm on the outskirts and set up our camp in one of the barns that was still standing. With the sun as our guardian, we rested as best we could.
I woke up a bit earlier than I’d hoped. I soon realized it was due to the scent of cooking meat finding its way into our hiding spot. Radu was fast asleep up in the loft, so I figured it was fine for me to venture out and get a real meal for once. He may’ve been fine supporting himself on animal blood, but I was tired of hunting and eating game meat. I wanted something cooked well and expertly seasoned. And a mug of ale would be nice, too.
It was midafternoon and the taverns were just opening. As a stranger to a small outpost in a very dangerous area, no one made eye contact with me. These people feared the nights, that much was clear. Everyone was armed in some way, be it a dagger, sword, or bow. That didn’t change as I entered the first tavern I came across.
Behind the bar was a beautiful blonde woman. Sitting on the bar was a rare weapon, a crossbow. As I entered, the woman didn’t look up. She looked like she may have once been in the army of the Vatican, as the crest of her overcoat was easily identified. If a woman was in that army, she must’ve been tough.
I casually walked up and sat down. “Is it too early for a mug of ale?”
“Depends on what coin you got in your pockets.” She looked up, her blue eyes were touched with defection. The bartender was blind! “Gold coins and it’s never too early. Silver coins, come back at sunset.”
Quickly, I tossed two gold coins on the wooden counter top. It was just the two of us and it couldn’t be a coincidence that I ran across a blind woman. Not after the prophecy Julius informed me of. The bartender scooped up the coins and bit them. Satisfied they were true gold, she filled a mug up and slid it over to me.
The ale in some of these low key settlements was truly divine. “I haven’t had ale this good since I left my own home.”
“And where might home be?” she asked.
“Stefania; I’ve traveled from Moldavia and am headed towards the Vatican on a spiritual pilgrimage.”
She snorted in her own cup of ale. “Bullshit. You may be a man of God but you’re a warrior, not a religious scholar.”
“How can you tell such things?” There was no hiding the disbelief in my voice.
She reached out with her hand and ran it over mine. “Just as I thought. I might be blind, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see.”
The blind seer… yes, this was the Lord at work! He brought me to the third companion. “As a bartender,” I started cautiously, “I’m sure you hear all sorts of tales, don’t you?”
She sipped her ale. “Before those flea bitten creatures showed up, I heard a lot of stories.” She slammed the mug on the counter. “These days, we get the scared farmer that comes in who claims the pack ate five of his sheep. The only sheep around here are the ones unwilling to fight back.”
“And you’re willing to fight?”
“Before this happened to me,” she gestured to her eyes, “I was a member of the deadliest archer company the Vatican ever produced. With this condition, I can barely defend this hell hole that I was left in.”
There was quite the story to be told. “Your company left you in this little outpost? They didn’t even take you home?”
“My commander, a stern man, said he couldn’t care for the weak. In exchange for blessings and continued prayers, I was left with the people here. Instinct and skill haven’t left me, but without my sight, what good is an archer?”
“Your handicap isn’t a handicap. It is a gift from God,” I declared. Before she could voice her opinions
about my proclamation, I continued on. “My name is Maximus Brinza, guardian of Stefania and slayer of unholy creatures. A great prophecy was written in regards to me… and you.”
She picked up my mug and sniffed it. “Nope, just standard ale. You just must be a special kind of insane.”
“No, I’m far from insane. I’m traveling with a man named Gabriel and we’re headed towards the Vatican to end the threat of Vlad Dracul.” I’m not sure where this confidence was coming from, but it was there. “The great prophecy speaks of a false angel, the heritage of hunters, and a blind seer being the ones to bring back the light.”
“Leave,” she said. She picked up the crossbow. “Leave now before I put a bolt through you and let you bleed out on my clean floor.”
I got up and backed out slowly. “Is it crazy to think that we were chosen by God to put an end to this creature?”
“Don’t talk to me about God! I gave my life, devoted everything to Him and the teachings of the Bible! If God wanted me to be a part of something, He wouldn’t have taken away my eyes.” Tears were coming from the useless organs. “You’ve had your ale—leave.”
There was no forcing someone to accept their destiny. “Very well, miss, I’m leaving.”
I backed out of the bar and into the lonely street. With nothing left to do, I made my way back to the barn. Seeing where the sun was, it was only a matter of time before Radu woke up. The few people who lingered on the street watched me walk back towards the outside of the village.
Upon arrival, Radu was awake and sitting in a shady spot. “Where were you?” he asked quietly.
“I went for some ale and meat. All I got was ale.”
He opened those red eyes of his. “Ale wasn’t the only thing you discovered, Brinza. I take it she reacted poorly when you told her of our task.” Then he adopted a sarcastic tone. “You uneducated fools, always using the Bible as a means to an end. Lord above, would it kill any of you to read another book?”
How in the name of God did he know the extent of my conversation? “Eavesdropping on me now?”
Malice of the Cross Page 2
