User blog:Ikoter/Leave it all up to Chance

LEAVE IT ALL UP TO CHANCE

 Chapter 1: 

 “I should have known it was you. You were always a weak minded individual.”

 “I have nothing to say to you.”

 They charged. Swords clashed in the mansion, the noise being accompanied by screams. Death guided the assailants, as there seemed to be no stopping them.

 A woman on the ground, wounded. The stench of blood was in the air. Another was pushing her blade against that of an incubus.

 Order against Chaos.

 The screams went on as fire burned the whole night.



 Chapter 2: 

 John woke up. He was still dizzy after last night’s hangover. The continuous successes on the front lines had brought a great quantity of coin in his purse. And the purse of his brother knights.

 They all had visited the tavern as celebration for managing the impossible. They had pushed deep into demon realm and drove off the corruption, purifying the land.

 The filth was driven off. Human settlements would once again be able to be established there.

 What was the land purified with? Blood. Much, much blood. The victims were those who succumbed to the shifting natures of demonic energy.

 John was no great drinker. But if it allowed him to forget about yesterday, he would accept it.

 Many had wept. Many asked for mercy under the threat of his blade. But the eyes of his brothers were upon him. Cruelty was his only option.

 Yesterday too, was when he had become a sergeant in the ranks of Order knights. The captain, Elspeth Tirel, commended him personally. At the age of 26, he is now her second in command.

<p class="MsoNormal"> After remembering all those horrid events, John slammed himself against his pillow. Maybe they would be dumped out in the process.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Phmf. Like hell.” He got up.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Looking at the other side of his bed, John wondered if there will ever come a day when a woman would be found sleeping near him early in the morning.

<p class="MsoNormal"> With the war and the corruption, there weren’t many chances that he would get married and have a normal human life. He wants to stay human. John would not accept becoming a demon.

<p class="MsoNormal"> If he ever became a demon, his head would fly clean off the shoulders by his captain’s blade.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He had seen her do it to a traitorous knight who refused to kill a downed wyvern. Fear is a powerful tool. One which captain Tirel uses in order to keep her soldiers in check.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The poor bastard had been decapitated faster than he could open his mouth to say a thing.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Right or wrong, she was the law for them. But… could she be more than that?

<p class="MsoNormal"> Living a peaceful life seems like a long lost dream. But… what if… what if the captain would accept becoming his bride?

<p class="MsoNormal"> Things would remain pretty much the same, except that Tirel would be his…

<p class="MsoNormal"> Elspeth Tirel was by no means a savage woman. She was a beautiful woman by human standards, even if she scarcely compared to the wicked “monsters” the Order deems so unholy.

<p class="MsoNormal"> This all seemed like a distant dream, of which he was awoken from by knocks on the door to his chamber.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Sergeant. The captain’s waiting for you down in the basement.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> John’s chamber was located in the barracks of the human city known as “Last Hope”. Mighty strong this city stands. Walls of stone wrapped in walls of spirit protected it and all its inhabitants.

<p class="MsoNormal"> This city was second only to Lescatie, which had fallen to the corruption. Build after the fall of Lescatie, and made to replace the fallen kingdom, Last Hope was humanity’s striving weapon.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Here, Heroes and Order Knights were made every day. But this city still paled in comparison to what Lescatie once was.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 3: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I’m here captain.” John said standing in the door.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Elspeth Tirel turned only half face to look at him, before returning it to her main attraction point.

<p class="MsoNormal"> A beaten up, chained, blooded incubus. A small fruit from yesterday’s harvest. John took in his surroundings quickly.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The basement. A dark part of the city, an evil. But a necessary one.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Few candles lit every here and there, to keep the secrets of this place hidden away.

<p class="MsoNormal"> If you listened closely, you could hear feint noises of water falling down on cold stone floor. John identified it not as being water, but blood, pouring down from the captain’s gauntlet.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I will ask one last time. WHERE DID THEY FLEE?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Her voice was so damningly harsh. She could not forgive traitors. It was what she hated most in this world.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I...I… dun… dhuns, shknow…” The incubus was struggling to speak straight. <span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;">With his blood soaked mouth and shattered teeth, John couldn’t blame him of not speaking straight.

<p class="MsoNormal"> There was a whole lot of blood on him and where he stood. John deducted the cause of the small blood pond beneath the prisoner and gulped.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He had been castrated.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Tirel hit him again, his cries, too unpleasant to John’s ears.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Sergeant! I’ll leave you in charge here. You can do as you wish.” John had thanked the Creator for stopping his captain from doing more atrocities.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;">She had left, as John was deciding how to handle the situation. Standing still for around half a minute, all sounds had stopped.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Or most of them, as he recognized what were the silent cries of the prisoner. He wished for no more pain, he wanted it to stop. He wanted to die. A wish John mercifully granted.

<p class="MsoNormal"> A painless death…

<p class="MsoNormal"> After it was done, the body had been freed from the chains and allowed to fall on the stone floor.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The sound of the impact lasted for a single moment, before silence settled in. A deathly silence. The chains no longer rattled.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John brought his hands together at chest level, and lowered his head. He offered a prayer.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “God. I have freed this soul from existence. Please, grant him a chance at Redemption.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Redemption… It seemed like such a hollow wish. Like sprinting after a horse which was running away from you…

<p class="MsoNormal"> Just like life. Pointless. Until you find a reason for it to exist.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 4: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> John had slammed his fist against the wall, forgetting that his gauntlet is on. He had felt pain spike through his right hand, but didn’t bother to investigate. Rather, he was thinking of going up to the training grounds.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Many soldiers, both male and female, practiced swordsmanship. The sergeant looked at them and remembered his own experience.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Six years ago he was one of them, just a trainee, a recruit. A nobody.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Now he could stand and watch these recruits just as the captain could back then.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;">A trainee stumbled and her sword flew out of hand, rolling away on the ground. Some other recruits jumped scared at the sound of this, thinking that a soulless sword was aiming to impale them.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “YOU THERE!” The instructor had shouted at her, just as he had shouted at John six years ago for the same, pathetic, mistake.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Luckily he was saved by his current captain, Elspeth Tirel, who took him away from the instructors pressuring screams and taught him swordsmanship. A pressure this new recruit was under right now.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “WHATS YOU’RE EXCUSE FOR BEING SO INCOMPETENT?” John came and placed his hand on the instructors shoulder, drawing his attention.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Let me handle this.” The instructor didn’t comment any further.

<p class="MsoNormal"> That moment, he had seen in John the image of captain Tirel, of the Order Knights. That was the only thing which led him to accept releasing this recruit.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Pick up your sword and follow me.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Y-Yes!” She hastily responded. With slight fear and embarrassment behind her voice.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John was glad. He had saved her two weeks of managing the horse stables. A thing he had to repeat at least twice, before the captain intervened.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He had taken her to another part of the training grounds. One that wasn’t so populated. A higher platform. Usually Angels gather around here to impart teaching and findings among themselves.

<p class="MsoNormal"> They then heed the word of the Creator and carry on to their duties.

<p class="MsoNormal"> That’s what they mostly do. And people refuse to tread upon this platform, for they think it’s sacred. He wondered how many years has it been since one such convention was last sighted.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John took a deep breath, remembering the exact same routing he and the captain were doing. She stood in the middle of the platform while he straddled along behind.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Much like the new recruit was doing now.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Raise your sword.” He told her while taking a fighting stance.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 5: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> The recruit charged, pointing the weapon at John. He easily pushed it aside with his own blade, taking a step back. She swung at him, every hit being met by John’s own blade and stopped.

<p class="MsoNormal"> For a moment, they pressed sword against sword. John was playing it defensively.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He broke contact, swooping to the side while she pressed forward. The force she put behind her previous encounter with his weapon was still propelling her.

<p class="MsoNormal"> And if that wasn’t enough, John gave the recruit a light tap to the back, to make her go down even more uncontrollably.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She stumbled forward, and was down on all four limbs now, coughing. Her sword flew ahead several steps, as she now stood ass pointed at the sergeant.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John wondered why she would want to take to the fields of killing. Sometimes, it is the enemy who is victorious. And if she was to be captured alive, she would be turned by the corruption into an enemy herself.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You’re not doing very well yet. You’ll learn.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> John unwillingly looked up ahead. His captain was there in the distance.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Tirel looked a moment at what he was doing, holding his blade on the shoulder proudly. She understood his act. The same thing Tirel did to him, when he was still a trainee.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The sound of the coughing stopped as the recruit grabbed her sword and stood up. Her legs were shaking from the experience she had just been through.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Oh? You managed to get up. I don’t recall being able to do that after the captain beat it in to me.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “T-Thank you sir!” She was taking deep breaths, control over her breathing hadn’t returned yet.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Can you still continue?” John was polite there. The captain hadn’t given him the option to continue or not, she forced him up back in the day, saying that ‘John is a man’ and he should act more like it.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Yes sir.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Good.” They charged once more.

<p class="MsoNormal"> For what seemed like an hour, they had sparred, both of them stumbling either here or there. The thing that stopped them was when blood, was in the air.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John’s hand began bleeding through the gauntlet, and his head fell forward. <span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;">Upon noticing this, she rushed at him stopping his fall.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She removed the gauntlet to see blood spraying from his hand. Her right hand rushed at her chest, grabbing and tightening up around the shirt. Her heart rate increased.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I. Must. Resist.” She had muttered onto herself, before regaining control over the hunger which threatened to take over her mind. The recruit had dragged him to a stone bench nearby.

<p class="MsoNormal"> It was a very good thing she had kept a roll of bandages with her at all times. The bleeding could have killed him.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Waking up, John felt comfortable. His head was resting upon her soft legs and he was able to tell they lacked toughness.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> “How are you feeling?” She was looking down at him. It seemed like all the mannerism from before vanished, obviously replaced with worry.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Arrghh.” He rose up from that comforting position despite her suggestions of: ‘Not moving too suddenly.’

<p class="MsoNormal"> John looked at his hand and noticed the bandages.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You treated my wound. I was careless. Thank you.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “A-Uh-I-It was nothing, sir.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Church bells rang far in the distance.

<p class="MsoNormal"> It seemed like something major was about to happen. John knew what it was. He spotted his gauntlet a few feet away, still lingering in a blood pool. She had neglected to do something about it.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He went to pick it up.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Now that that’s over, let’s head over to the church.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “E-Eh?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “A priest is going to hold a ceremony that we as knights should attend.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “A-A-A just remembered, I have something I need to do back home.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “What? Then get it over with quickly and attend the church. It won’t go lightly on you should you miss it.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> She apologized and took her leave.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Recruit!” She stopped to look back at him. “Your name?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Cassandra.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Come back here tomorrow Cassandra. The training will continue.”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 6: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> She damped herself in bed. Having refused to reside in the barracks, she was now alone back at her home. And a very lonely home it was.

<p class="MsoNormal"> No one there to greet her and no one there to bother her. She couldn’t stay in this city for too long, for her duty would soon be over. Just a few weeks…

<p class="MsoNormal"> He rose up from his kneeling position, as all his brother knights did, and walked out of the church. He didn’t see her nowhere during the ceremony. Had she attended?

<p class="MsoNormal"> She coiled herself in bed, grasping at her chest. She closed her eyes, knowing they would turn red if they were opened. The hunger… it gnaws.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He had gone to bed, in the barracks as usual. Until he fell asleep, he thought of her. How will the recruit fare tomorrow? Had he pushed a little too hard at the training? Or was everything fine?

<p class="MsoNormal"> Her mind was crimson with the color of blood. She was so close to tasting it. But she could not. It would destroy her if she did.

<p class="MsoNormal"> And why had she cared for him like that? To her, he was just an anybody. A simple life among the countless others in this universe.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The urge was quelled. She no longer felt the need to feed. It had been suppressed once more. Countless times it told her to kill, to feed. Once more it was shoved into the back of her mind.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Morning hit. John stood in the middle of the platform, waiting for what seemed like half an hour since he woke up. Still no signs of her. The sun hit into view.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John had the privilege to watch as it rose up on the sky, bringing light to this majestic city. He heard foot steps behind and turned.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She had come. This time without her protective headgear. Her hair flew in the wind, revealing its color to be that of the sun ray’s. A bright yellow towards orange. Its length covered her entire back.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He stood dumbfounded for a minute, as what he looked at seemed divine.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She too could not say a thing after yesterday’s events.

<p class="MsoNormal"> What he was staring at, was beautiful.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 7: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Sergeant! Take the rest of the company and head into the village!”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Understood!” John said as he turned to his Templar brothers. “Follow me my brothers!”

<p class="MsoNormal"> A group of roughly fifteen Templars followed John, among which was the recruit, Cassandra. For two weeks they had trained every day, both improving tremendously from their initial state.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Now it was time to put all that hard work to use. A large group of Order knights and Temple Knights assaulted demon realms.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The one leading all this was a Hero. Second in command being the captain, Elspeth Tirel.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Fire burned in the dark sky, steel clashing with flesh and bones. Numerous screams of both sorrow and hatred erupted all around them.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Soldiers fighting with swords and shields, and manomo’s striking back with magic.

<p class="MsoNormal"> It was all out war.

<p class="MsoNormal"> This was the third village they assaulted that day. All those unfortunate enough to stay despite the warnings, were killed.

<p class="MsoNormal"> So far, there were no sightings of Succubus’s or Lilim’s, which meant they were safe.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Each soldier there had heard of what a Lilim is capable of. It only took one to bring Lescatie to its knees.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The knights held a small dagger with them at all times. They had the option of either taking their life on the spot, or facing against the threat of a Lilim.

<p class="MsoNormal"> If they were loyal, they would not succumb to the temptation and instead end their lives willingly.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John ordered a small squad through the village, which at this point was already set on fire.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Before assaulting any demon realms head on, the hero had hurled fireballs from afar and, with his magic, redirected the flames to encircle the villages. If you weren’t fire resistant, or if you couldn’t fly, you couldn’t get out.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Archers then fired flaming arrows at each building. After that, the assault began.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Search through every house in this village and do your duty.” His words were heavy, his mind, strained with pity for what he could not avoid. Blood had to be shed.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Luckily for them, the manomo with fighting capabilities were taken care of by the Hero and the captain a safe distance away from them.

<p class="MsoNormal"> As they broke through the doors and killed the defenseless inhabitants, John closed his eyes. Flames burned all around him, on the houses which were once full of warmth. Now they are only filled with death.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He tried meditating, but silently, and unnoticeably, he offered a prayer to the souls liberated that day. In each village he had done it.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The thing he did not want to end up most as, was something inhuman.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He wants to stay human. In order to do so, he offers a prayer. Just killing endlessly makes one a monster.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John feels like he retained his humanity by asking for the deliverance of these souls.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Gyyaarh!” This sound could be heard among the chaos. Its source was a lamia holding her wounded partner, trying to flee.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Order archers spotted her and aimed up high. The sound of her death was heard above the sounds of her cries, until it came to a stop.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Two more souls, fade into the night…

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 8: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I told you he could do it!” Order knights slammed tankards of beer against one another, in celebrations to their continuous successes.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “There ain’t no man like Taark I tell you!”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Who’d have thought you could do it? I lost that bet.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “There isn’t a man stronger than me.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> ‘Or more brainless.’ John thought to himself while looking at the drunken bunch of knights he calls brothers.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Today, the knight Taark pulled off an incredible feat. He walked up to an ogre bare handedly and grabbed her. Took her from the neck and from one of the legs and held her above himself. Then slammed her violently back down.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The sound of creaking bones could be heard at that momentous feat.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Night settled in. He thought it was time. The tavern was full of laughs and joy, but it was time John did something which required his whole demeanor and pride as a man to pull off.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He placed down his tankard, of which he had no sip yet, and walked forward. His could feel his heart wanting to burst out of his chest as he stood in front of the captain.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She was holding a tankard as well, looking at him.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Sergeant? What is it?” He felt hesitation coming onto him as Tirel said those words.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Captain. Would, you… would you be…” The captain had bent her head slightly to the left, trying to make out what he was saying. She was thinking he might have drunk too much or something.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Hmm? Out with it.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Would you… care to share a toast?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Aahh. That. Well, yes. Everyone! Drink to your heart’s content!” They all rose up their tankards and cheered, getting to know the taste of victory.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Much to John’s disappointment, he could not bring himself to say: “Be my bride.” He left the tavern. The night’s cool air drained him of the heat and emotion he had built previously.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The moon was shining, no clouds for it to hide behind. The regiment was back at Last Hope.

<p class="MsoNormal"> As John was leaning against the door, contemplating his failure, he looked up.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 9: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Hi there.” She turned head to look at the source of the voice, her Sergeant approached.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Sir?” She was surprised to see him there, the wall on which she took a stroll.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You can’t feel at peace in the tavern either?” She crossed her arms together and looked down. Something definitely upset her.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Today, all the killing… it changed something in me… I don’t know what it is, but…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “It feels wrong?” Cassandra immediately looked at him. He had stolen the words out of her mouth.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Yes…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I know that feeling too. The first enemy I killed, still haunts me.” He stood near her, looking down at the stone floor.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Sergeant-”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Feel free to call me John.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “-John, sir. What is it you are fighting for?” This was a question which took him by surprise. Of course he knew the answer.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I, guess, I’m fighting to defend those who cannot.”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> “From who?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Demons. I’m fighting to preserve humans.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “What for? This wave of chaos sweeping across the continent… there seems no stopping it.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I hold a belief. Live as you are and die as you were born.” She looked at him amazed. She did not think him capable of saying such words.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Please explain it to me.” John raised his hand and held it into a fist as he looked up at the moon.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I was born into this world as a human. My Creator made me so. It is only fitting I remain human until the moment I die.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> She was fascinated, as what the sergeant said seemed utmost divine. Cassandra now looked upon him like a light at the far end of a dark tunnel.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “It is intriguing me.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Hmm?”  <span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;">He returned gaze.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Your words are so true. But what would you do if you were born as something other than human?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Well… I should be thankful that I’m human. Nothing more, nothing less.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I see.” She looked back down at the stone floor.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Cassandra’s answer was not yet found. She wanted to know, she needed to know.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I will take my leave, sergeant.”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 10: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> Morning hit, but John didn’t feel like getting out of bed yet. He had failed yesterday, in claiming his one true ally in this world. A soul partner.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He couldn’t bring himself to say it to Tirel, nor could he accomplish something with his subordinate, Cassandra.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Still, he got up. John searched through his wardrobe and drawers for… something he had forgotten.

<p class="MsoNormal"> After an hour of looking idiotically through the same spots, he remembered he placed it under his bed.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Lying safe in a box, and ready to be open at any time, John remembered the captain giving him this present as completion of his training.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I’m sure at some point you’ll find yourself a lady to share this with.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> But it was still morning. It was too early. He placed the box back under his bed and walked out of the barracks, fully dressed in Order Knight Armor.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The training grounds were empty, as all the trainees were now full-fledged knights, with duties and responsibilities. How many of them were neglecting their duties though?

<p class="MsoNormal"> Was Cassandra doing her job? She was on his mind since last night’s conversation. He had forgotten to ask her what she fights for. Every soldier and warrior needs a reason for fighting.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Whether it is for money, for a loved one, or just for the blood. It must be there. A warrior without a reason is like a leaf in the dessert.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Every soldier must pay the price of reveling in death and suffering. It is what defines them as warriors.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John knows this. His captain beat these words into him like one beats a sword into shape. Still…

<p class="MsoNormal"> That morning felt empty.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 11: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> Several days had passed since the last battle with the corruption. The life’s taken in those raids still weighted on John’s mind, as he was now outside Last Hope once again, on his way to take more lives.

<p class="MsoNormal"> News had been brought to the Order Knights residing in the barracks that a caravan of merchants is under attack by a group of manomo’s.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The captain sent John and a group of seven highly trained knights to solve the problem. Luckily, this caravan had stopped close to the city. Merely a few hundred meters away.

<p class="MsoNormal"> A distance John and his men could easily bypass on foot, without alerting the enemy of their presence.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Keep your eyes peeled. They may also be atop trees.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> They were entering a forest. The city Last Hope was very well hidden between forests and long lands of dense trees. With a few well-placed crosses, the city could be invisible.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Marching through the forest so as not to make much noise, and hiding among trees and leaves, they approached the caravan.

<p class="MsoNormal"> They now had sight over the hostages, and over their kidnappers. John could see a mixed group of Minotaur’s and Ogres. They stood surrounding the hostages and spoke among themselves.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Thankfully enough, there were only old men among the merchants, and any youth there present was so young, that they think their middle leg is used only to pee.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John explained his plan. The Ogres and Minotaur’s had iron clubs and axes. The kind that humans couldn’t even lift.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Three Order Knights exited the bushes and walked in plain sight. The manomo’s and the hostages turned head to look.

<p class="MsoNormal"> One of the knights held his drawn sword in one hand, and with the other, motioned to the manomo’s to attack. Both groups smirked.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Two Minotaur’s gladly accepted the challenge and charged with their weapons, ready to swing.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Do it.” Two iron chains flew from the bushes at the manomo’s, coiling around them and making them stumble. The axes falling out of their possession.

<p class="MsoNormal"> They had thrown iron bolas.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The three knights rushed at the downed Minotaur’s. The ones on the sides, they leaped with sword and dagger to stab their helpless foes while the one in the middle held two shields and protected his brothers.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Two more order Knights exited the bushes and positioned themselves near their brothers.

<p class="MsoNormal"> An Ogre threw a rock at the shield bearer, but was blocked. The ten remaining monsters took a fighting stance as they realized how much of a threat the humans before them represented.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 12: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> John stood among a group of brutalized and lifeless corpses. The Knights had outsmarted the brutes that swinged so vividly to try and “maintain” them at a point where they could not oppose the monsters, but still be vigorously alive for what followed afterwards.

<p class="MsoNormal"> If you do not dispose of the enemy swiftly, you will end up dead. A lesson the twelve manomo’s now tasted upon their own flesh.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Pff. I respect them for the strength they possess, but if they had a brain-” The Knight motioned at the corpses and every other soldier there understood.

<p class="MsoNormal"> If these monsters had a brain, it would have been the men that now tasted death and defeat. Death, because they would not accept that which followed after defeat.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Is every merchant freed?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Yes sir!”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Sergeant John, is it?” John turned to the source of the noise, and saw an old merchant. “Thank you for freeing us from… them.” He motioned to the monsters.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You should already know that it is our duty.” John turned to the caravan and couldn’t help but notice that it was really hard to tell what their merchandise was.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Each coach of the caravan was enclosed in wood. It was really impossible to tell from the outside what was in.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “What kind of shipments are you merchants bringing into the city?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Well, cloth works, wood works, not daily necessities if that’s what you mean.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Is that all?” The merchant took a bag and placed it in John’s hand. Its contents, obviously obvious.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “This is for saving us. But I don’t believe you have the authority to question our belongings.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> John looked at the merchant with a different face. It was a face of doubt and slight anger. Anger of being bribed. The merchants face took a shape of concern and slight fear at the fact that money wasn’t stopping the soldier.

<p class="MsoNormal"> But John decided to let it rest.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Very well. We only came here to dispose of the monsters anyway.” He bent a little lower, making the merchant bend back in concern for his safety. Sweat poured a little on him.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John smiled and pulled back, rising up his empty hand and revealing that it was in fact holding a bigger bag of gold than in his other hand.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “This will be the fee for city entrance.” He said as he walked away. The merchant started searching himself, noticing his lack of coin. He was most likely broke now.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John smirked at the thought that the gate keepers will ask for an entrance fee as well. He walked to his brother knights and tossed the bigger gold bag at one of his brothers.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Share it with the rest. We’re heading back to Last Hope.”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 13: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> They were moving through the forest, taking a slow, relaxing walk and chatting amongst themselves about this victory they accomplished. Some were even joking about getting a promotion.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Forget about it.” John started. “I’ve been a knight for six years, and only recently have I become a sergeant.” They expressed a confused look.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “But Sergeant! Back there! That plan you made was genius! Like you’ve had years of experience in these things.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Those years of proficiency were all thanks to his captain, Elspeth Tirel. Each time she planned, John was there to absorb knowledge and experience from her.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John heard a multitude of noises, metallic by nature, and turned around. His brother Knights fell forward with a dagger in their backs. They were unconscious.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John couldn’t help but feel someone’s presence behind himself. A giggle was heard. But its volume was so low, that only the deathly silence of the situation revealed it. This also said that the assailant was going to have fun fighting John.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John ducked out of reflex, not that there was an actual blade threatening his life, and threw one of his legs behind. The hit connected cleanly, as the adversary showed it was not expecting the hit to come.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John swiftly turned around. He discovered that the assailant was made of wood. That, or the fact that what he kicked was actually a wooden substitute.

<p class="MsoNormal"> A dagger appeared beneath John’s chin, threatening. He hadn’t moved. That moment his life could be ended.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The oppressor leaned against him, massive soft bumps pressed on his back, and a voice revealing it to be a woman.

<p class="MsoNormal"> What else would you have expected…

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I’m claiming you.” She said before giggling a second time.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John was really screwed now. Deeply screwed, if the opponent proved to be who he feared it to be.

<p class="MsoNormal"> As he gulped, he tried to restrain his panic. He succeeded. John knows how deadly this foe him and his squad stumbled upon is.

<p class="MsoNormal"> It is the sort of foe who you can’t catch no matter how desperately you attempt it. Well… John couldn’t catch her. The captain, she might be able to even wound her.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John felt the dagger draw blood and he fell forward as his power was sucked away. Paralysis poison…

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 14: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> John jolted his head up. His eyes wide open, taking into account the surroundings. He was still in the forest. Looking around, the bodies of his brother knights were gone.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Are you alright?” The voice was awfully familiar.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John identified it as being his subordinate, Cassandra. She stood on a tree trunk, looking at the Sergeant. He stared at her a moment, then looked around without being capable of making out what happened.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Where is the Kunoichi?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “The… what?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “The foe which attacked me and my comrades.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Ah, that one.” It would seem Cassandra did not know what kind of foe felled John and his squad. “I arrived with a few more Knights and managed to chase it away.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> John got up. “It will probably be back. Assassins don’t easily give up on their targets.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> But who would have thought John himself would be targeted?

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Were you wounded?” He asked her.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I am fine, sir.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Any casualties?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “No. The monster left at the sight of our approach.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “And where are the rest of our brother Knights?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “After chasing her, she began out distancing us, before vanishing completely. So we returned to where we found you. The others took the knights that were unconscious and headed back to Last Hope. But you were paralyzed. So I preferred waiting here for you to wake up.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> John looked up at the sky. It was beginning to darken. It would seem several hours had passed. She waited there for him all this time?

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Let’s return to the city.”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 15: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> They had returned to the city. Last Hope was as busy as ever. A little bit of dark won’t stop the patrols or the citizens from their activities.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “It’s as bustling as ever I see.” The two walked together through the streets. “Say Cassandra, do you reside in the barracks?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “No sir, the barracks is not to my liking.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Oh yes, I do believe you’ve mentioned your home some time ago.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “It’s not much but it’s a home.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> They were now standing in front of the barracks.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Wait for me a moment.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> She waited out while he went in to grab that special box his captain gave him.

<p class="MsoNormal"> In the barracks, John stumbled upon all the other knights which accompanied him earlier that day.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Asking about Tirel’s whereabouts, he was told that the Captain is ‘interrogating’ the man who brought them news about the caravan.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She opened a door and came into view.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I smelled that traitorous scum the moment he walked into the barracks. I trust you took care of the problems at the caravan Sergeant.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Yes captain. The problem’s been dealt with.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Good. Have orders sent to the gatekeepers not to let the merchants into the city before a full inspection.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Yes captain.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Returning to Cassandra, with little effort he managed to convince her of the worth of the contents within the box. She agreed to open it at her so called home.

<p class="MsoNormal"> So there they were, at her home. Its insides were dark, only one candle being lit.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The insides didn’t hold much. There was hardly anything to behold. It was a dwelling more fit for a child of dark, rather than a human.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “This box, consider it a gift for rescuing me today.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> He placed it on a table. Luckily there was one, having two wooden chairs nonetheless. She gave him a knife, and he opened the box.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Cassandra took out its contents, and discovered it to be a bottle.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Wine of the finest quality!” John exclaimed.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She brought two glasses for John to pour the wine as he was opening the bottle. He held a toast to her.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “To you, for helping me a second time.” She was hesitant at first, noticing the color of the wine to be akin to blood.

<p class="MsoNormal"> But alas, it was only wine. She took a sip...

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 16: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> “C-Cassandra?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> She stood atop him, after having pushed him down with strength he never knew she had. Her hands were holding his arms, he was at her mercy.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She breathed a moment slower, no longer capable of controlling the urge.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Earlier she had coughed and dropped the glass, and he was concerned for her, but now…

<p class="MsoNormal"> Her eyes were red. Long sharp teeth came into view. It wasn’t long before she sunk them into his neck.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He was shocked at this turn of event. Cassandra. A vampire, of anything. All this time. All. This. Time.

<p class="MsoNormal"> After the near endless moment had ended, she slowly raised her head. She looked down at his shocked expression, and he stared at her.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Red lines poured like a river from the corners of her mouth, and… tears, streaming down her cheeks. Her once blue eyes were now crimson red.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Sorry.” She had muttered for him to hear. It was all she could muster in that moment. Her words were heavy with sorrow and guilt.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He was unsure of what to do in that situation. A vampire, feeling sorry? For a human nonetheless.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Cassandra rose up from atop him and rushed at a window, jumping out.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 17: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> Amongst many opponents, another fell down after he had been smacked into a midair flip, hitting the ground hard afterwards.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Another leaped at John, sword in hand. It took him little time to notice a foot on a collision course with his face, sending him flying backwards.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Great work!” The captain commended him, as she saw him downing fifteen opponents seemingly ruthless in the short span of seventy one seconds.

<p class="MsoNormal"> It had been four days since that incident. John was furious. He was blaming himself constantly for not being able to tell the difference. A human does not drink blood. A vampire does.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Tirel commanded the knights spectating to pick up their unconscious brothers and take them to the barracks to be healed.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Many of the gawking spectators were stunned at the sergeant’s ruthless display of force. This earned John respect.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He raised his head, his topless body was overrun by sweat. He only looked at the captain with the corner of an eye. The look on his face: dead serious.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John hadn’t responded to her previous commendation, and started walking past her. She turned head to observe his current state.

<p class="MsoNormal"> To some it might have seemed like a professional and refined fighter. But to her, he looked like a mess. Something was straining his mind.

<p class="MsoNormal"> But if it weren’t for that certain something, John would most likely not have downed fifteen opponents in such a short span.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 18: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> He walked to a more empty part of the training square. Taking in hand a bucket, he filled it with cold water and let it fall all over his face and body.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John sighed before doing the same thing twice more. Until he was drenched in cold water.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Sitting down on a wooden bench, he allowed the water to pour off of him onto the ground.

<p class="MsoNormal"> And even as footsteps could be heard, he didn’t bother to raise eye and look, for the culprit was obvious.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “What is it that strains your mind?” There was no better person to be counseling him at this moment, than the captain.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John hadn’t replied. He stood with eyes closed; his face pointed at the ground below his feet as if something invisible was weighing him down.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Even as Tirel leaned against the stone wall of the barracks, it seemed like John was ignoring her.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Staying silent won’t help you fix your problems… Has something happened to your recruit?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> John’s face slightly twitched, and the captain caught wind of that silent action. Now the cause of his depression was crystal clear.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “We all lose those dear to us at some point. Don’t think that you are my first trainee.” He now opened his eyes to look up at the captain.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Tirel had a serious look on her face, the kind that spilled no lies. “We can’t let burdens of the past cloud our judgment and impede our actions.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I know.” He muttered.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Tell me what happened to your recruit.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> John took a moment to think before speaking with words of guilt. “She died.”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 19: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> The barracks was empty, as John noticed. Earlier it was bustling with Order Knights, but now it was shallow. Clearly the captain ordered everyone to go out into the training grounds and work some more in their swordsmanship.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She told them that it was shameful how just one man took down an entire squad so easily.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John wasted not one moment more and wiped off his wet body, equipping a dry set of armor. He could not stop the feeling, even if he was alone in the barracks, that he wasn’t.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Something definitely lurked among the shadows. But if he were to turn face and look, the fact that he knows someone is there will be revealed, and even if he did look, he would probably not see anyone.

<p class="MsoNormal"> So John acted normally, continuing his current actions, and marching out of the barracks like he originally planned to.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He stood a second in the door way, brooding to himself. Looking ahead, there was no one.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John closed the door behind himself and walked into the courtyard, stopping in the middle of it, searching…

<p class="MsoNormal"> Something was off. Then he caught a glimpse of a moving shadow. He grasped at the hilt of his sword, and tightened his hand before gathering his demeanor and moving to the shadow.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Behind a wall, there was a runner. Leaving small clues for him to follow. Most likely a trap.

<p class="MsoNormal"> ‘Nothing changes if I don’t take steps forward.’

<p class="MsoNormal"> He moved, for this foe will not defeat himself. Arriving at a narrow corridor, one with a roof above it, leading into a balcony which observed the surroundings outside of the walls, a figure could be seen.

<p class="MsoNormal"> An augur of darkness…

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 20: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> As he looked at the all too known figure in the distance, John’s gut was telling him not to approach. His every muscle fiber was tingling, and shaking. Everything he had in that moment was shouting at him: danger!

<p class="MsoNormal"> …No. He would confront this foe. He needed to.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Even as the pathway seemed to be possessed by darkness, that which lied at the end of the passage made it worth the trip.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He came. His hand tightly gripped his weapon, which seemed to want to burst out of its sheath. He now stood a few feet away from the assailant.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John was still in the shadow of the corridor, putting up the expression of an enemy. He was surrounded by a dark aura, and his face made it clear, that any close interaction between them was not possible.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She understood all of that, even as she looked with crimson red eyes. It seemed like ‘he’ was the monster there.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She was calm and collected, secretly hiding fear beneath her skin.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “What do you want?” His words cold, accompanied by small amounts of fury. It pained the girl to think he resented her for what happened, even if he had not yet-

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Why did you not reveal my identity? Why have you instead reported me as dead?” Her words were soft and caring.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She held hope, in what little amounts, that he would accept her as she is.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Because the recruit I know is dead.” These words were cold and like a hammer falls onto a sword when it is beaten into shape, so did his words fall upon her.

<p class="MsoNormal"> To think that he considers her dead…

<p class="MsoNormal"> Her eyes were blank, as her heart was filled with pain.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I am not dead.” Still she replied, trying to maintain her composure as much as possible. His gaze did not deter, and was as threatening as ever.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You are a monster. An enemy of my kind.” She looked him in the eyes, hers, filled with sorrow.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “This city will soon fall. Please… come with me.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Do you realize what you are asking for?” This was by no means a simple request. It was more than that.

<p class="MsoNormal"> If he followed her, it would result in the loss of all which he held most important in this world. It would mean that he would lose his humanity.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I refuse.” She slowly averted her gaze, facing down at the stone floor, filled with more grief and sorrow at what she must do.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Then you leave me no choice.” John had not noticed it until it was too late.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He was hit. The blow came from behind him, as what was clearly a woman catapulted herself at him and hit the back of his head.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 21: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> John’s eyes slowly slid open as light came into view, and what more, walls he hadn’t seen before.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Are you awake?” The voice painfully reminded John of the last thing he saw before he was knocked out.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He had not bothered to turn head and look, for the owner of the voice was more than familiar. Up to this point, ‘she’ has proven to be his worst enemy.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She pretended to be one of his own, deceived him into thinking he could trust her, saved his life, then reaped the sow of her plantation.

<p class="MsoNormal"> And to top it all, it was him who approached her.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Are you unhurt?” Now John’s face had a couple of extra lines on it. Her voice, concerned for his well fare, angered him.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I don’t need your pity.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “But I need yours.” Too damn damming this voice of hers was. Expressing feelings with every word spoken.

<p class="MsoNormal"> This scenario was wrong in every way possible.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You are a vampire. I’m a human.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “No…” Now she voiced confusion. “I’m not a vampire.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> John hadn’t bothered. He just laid where he was. On a comfortable bed, staring at a wall. He didn’t need to look, but he could tell that he only wore his trousers.

<p class="MsoNormal"> His armor was stripped away, along with his weapons. These temptresses would not want him spilling someone’s blood, or his own. That much was clear.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Cassandra, who sat on a chair beside his bed, was still burdened by sorrow. Even she resented herself for what she had to do to get him away from danger.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I’m not… a vampire.” She restarted the conversation despite John’s display of un-interest. “I’m a dhampir.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I don’t care.” He stated. “Still an enemy.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> She was saddened to discover the gap between them is still so far apart.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I’m not your enemy, I want to be your friend… But more than that, I want you to be my friend…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> John hadn’t replied. These monsters turn their ‘friends’ into their pleasure things. A thing he did not wish to end up as.

<p class="MsoNormal"> How much time had passed since he was taken from Last Hope and brought to…. somewhere… was irrelevant. By now, captain Tirel was sure to lead a search party for him.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “John…” He turned face to look at her, and when his gaze was upon her, she froze.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The anger in his face was visible. How dared she call him by his name?

<p class="MsoNormal"> His fists were clinched. John wanted to attack, she was certain of it.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 22: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> “What do you want?” He arrogantly spouted. He could not, would not forgive her for dragging him in the middle of nowhere, away from his kin, just so that she can toy with him.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John could see her better now, as well as the room they were in. She was dressed in, ugh… v-vampire clothes, yeah!

<p class="MsoNormal"> Something akin to the war garbs of a mage. On her head was a diadem, of sorts. Her chest had a shirt with shoulder pads, but with a gap at the front of it all, leaving most of the unthinkable exposed. There was a red medallion below her neck.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Her belly was uncovered, and her waists had long cloth pieces of darkness ornamented with gold surrounding her lower half. Long sleeves protected her legs, gloves on her hands. All of which colored in black.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The problem with her garments was that they shouted a silly and innocent: ‘Come take me’ at him.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John noticed that the gold of her hair hadn’t changed, it being even brighter now, as if it was shining. And her hair’s length increased. What once reached till her waists, now went past her butt and down till the knees.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Right now it was touching the ground, as she was sitting on a wooden chair.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The room was spacious. The bed was in a corner, as the doorway was on the other side of the chamber. A wardrobe could be spotted to the left, with a mirror for managing morning wake ups, and a closet to the right.

<p class="MsoNormal"> There was a wooden table with two chairs in the opposite side of the room. Several fruits were placed on a dish and what seemed to be a pot of water waited for someone thirsty enough to pick it up.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John wouldn’t even consider taking any of them, for, they may have been altered to induce sensations into his mind.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Their eyes locked. Considering the affection in her gaze, John deduced that she might not pounce him after all. But the possibility of it all being just a masquerade was still there.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Will you answer my one question?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “What?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Why have you bothered to help a random nobody like myself? On the training grounds… and all this time.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I couldn’t stand your clumsiness. That, and the fact that I didn’t know you are a vampire.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> She hadn’t bothered correcting him, about being a dhampir, not a vampire. She was more concerned about something else.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Is that all?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Hmm?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Have you really not seen anything else in me?” Her gaze turned to face the floor. “Were your eyes not filled with… lust, at the sight of me? As a superior in rank-”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Who do you think I am?” She raised her gaze. “Lasciviousness is no virtue.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I thought you were after my body.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Life is not so you can screw it over. Much like you did to me.” She already felt sorrow, there was no need for him to also remind the dhampir of her mistakes. “Why have you bought me here? If you’re planning to take my humanity I will-”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You don’t lose it.” He stopped a second, just to see what sort of lies she will spout at him next. “I have consulted with my fa-” She interrupted mid-sentence, thinking if she should or should not mention it. “-my father on the matter. A man remains human even after being turned into an incubus.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> "That is a lie." She slowly shaked her head as denial of his words.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John didn't make a dispute out of it. Even if he explained it to her, she would not understand. She was born of another race and another gender.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She would only understand if she was in his position. In this world, many men are at women's mercy. Defying such a rule would be one thing to do in order to establish men's natural superiority.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 23: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> "Tell me who you really are."

<p class="MsoNormal"> "Cassandra. A dhampir in the Malmortius vampire household. I’m… a tool, of my fathers."

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Now it’s just starting to get disgusting if you’re telling me-”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “No! No! N-Nothing of the sort! I’m… a spy. I’ve scouted Last Hope in preparations for an attack-”

<p class="MsoNormal"> He smacked his hands on her shoulders, and was staring her dead in the eyes. The sudden landing of his arms left her dumbfounded.

<p class="MsoNormal"> As they looked at one another, she could feel John’s every emotion in that moment. He did not need words to describe how he was feeling as he heard of an attack on Last Hope.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He was completely destroyed…

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I am sorry.” It’s not like an apology would make a difference. The anger in his face was completely washed away, replaced with concern in knowledge that his city will fall.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Last Hope… The place in which John was born, grew up, believed in and protected his entire life, was about to be reduced to nothing more than a feasting ground for the wicked.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Cassandra knows. She knows how John feels in this moment, why he is so destroyed. Spending weeks with him allowed her to understand him better.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He is a soldier, a warrior, a tool. One willing to give everything it has to protect that which is most important to it. If there ever was need of cannon fodder, John would be a volunteer.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He let his hands slide out of position and fall besides him. His face too went to the ground, his short hair coming over his forehead, partly covering his eyes too.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “The caravan you freed… it was filled with monsters. And… a lilim…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Drop. A rain drop. Or perhaps something more.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John was crying… not because he was powerless to try and stop the invasion, but because he was unsure if he would be capable of ending his life should he fall prey.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She was surprised at this turn of events. By no means did she expect his connection to Last Hope to be this deep. That he would shed tears at the loss of a proud and boastful city…

<p class="MsoNormal"> Ones devotion to his homeland can run deeper than anything, it seems.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “That Kunoichi… she worked with me into tricking you. I wanted us two to spend the night together, before it all went down…” She averted her gaze, realizing how guilty and selfish she was, when she had been so easily convinced of the contents within that wooden box. And still is… “She also helped me capture and bring you here.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> John brought his right hand below his eyes, wiping them clean. “I don’t care anymore...”

<p class="MsoNormal"> This frightened her for a second. Had John, a man so strong and sturdy, been shaken so violently at the news of his city’s fall? Does he really not try to accuse her of lying? Will he not even try to deceive himself into believing it’s all an illusion?

<p class="MsoNormal"> Has he… given up?

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 24: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Do you realize now? There are things in this world that just cannot be stopped.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I don’t care. I’ll manage the impossible.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I got you out of there! Will you throw away my efforts of bringing you to safety?” No matter how she tried to say it, it sounded too selfish to be an act of kindness.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “So that then you could personally destroy my humanity?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Please don’t say that anymore. I wish you no ill.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I cannot see if what you are saying is truth or lie. So go ahead, lie to me.” He raised his head to look at her.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I-” She surrounded herself with her arms, and felt threatened. “I am dhampir, an abomination, unwanted by others of my kind.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> John’s gaze did not falter. What she just said could very well be manufactured into making him sympathize for her. She said she needs his pity, after all.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Like my mother, and her mother, us dhampir’s are shunned for existing. We are a stain upon our gracious race, the vampires.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Tell me of your plight.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “My mother… she was a servant at the house of Malmortius. The mistress was incredibly harsh with her servants. With my mother especially. The smallest mistake would get her into serious trouble.” It seemed as though Cassandra was not lying. She was emotionally hurt. “My mother would be whipped nightly, even if she was flawless as a servant, just because she existed. Like her mother before her…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Cruel monsters.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Things only started changing when father showed up at the mansion, all by mistake. He was dominated and turned into a servant. After seeing mother whipped for his first time, he was overrun by pity. That night, he sneaked through the house to help mother. He brought food to her cell and wiped her blood off. For several night cycles he had done so.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “A human’s kindness can be the distant light in the darkness.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “And then it came to it. Mother chose father as a mate. Despite the consequences of such an act, mother wanted to at least throw some dirt in the vampire’s face. But they were found. She would have been killed were it not for father. He begged that the cruel vampire show mercy, and not kill mother.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Hmpf. Mercy…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “A dhampir is rarely ever born. Especially if the father is a human who has not yet turned into an incubus. That was the last time the two would speak face to face. Mother was kept in her cell for the rest of her days, but she would remain unfed. And father had no access to her. She resisted as such while carrying me.” As small a chance as it was for her to be born, it happened.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John was now slightly stunned at this seemingly impossible turn of events.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “With her last breath, mother birthed me. And then father came into the cell, to see her for the first time in a long while. My father says that mother loved me, even as she was holding me with near fleshless hands, dying. Then came the vampire, mistress of the household. She was completely against the idea of keeping me alive.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “No one has any right to deny a child’s birth into this world.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Father turned to the vampire and looked upon her inflated belly as well. She too would soon bear young. He was affectionate, until he was close enough to put a blade through her stomach. The vampire’s cries went past father’s ears as he striked her down. Becoming master of the household…”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I can’t tell if he did it for the joy of claiming the house, or to put out a bitch.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Father told me that everything he did was so that he can protect me. One of the older servants, informed me that in the moment of the vampire’s death, father’s face was like never before. He was besieged by sorrow and tears at the loss of my mother, and blistered by joy and happiness as the vampire was finally dead.”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 25: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> Cassandra wiped her eyes with her gloves, as this was the first time she ever expressed herself so freely. John had become to her a beacon of light, a guide in this world. Someone to look up to and be open about her problems and her burdens.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He had to admit, even he was surprised. This entire story did not seem like a lie. Her tears did not look at all fake, and just how her voice dulled and became heavy with guilt near the end, so had the stone on his heart fall apart.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She wiped her tears off, until she noticed the unexpected. He coiled his arms around her, as he came in closer and hugged her. This was all so sudden, that she only turned her head around slightly, before hearing him speak.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You poor, poor soul.” She had earned his pity.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Even as she was being embraced, she dared not raise her arms and hug him back. If such a thing were to happen, it would lead to the scenario where John would consider it all a lie to try and earn his favor.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She only rested her forehead on his shoulder and thanked him with a lowly voice. They stood as such for the length of several minutes, before breaking contact as John stood up.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Take me to see your father.” The look on his face changed into dead serious as he proceeded to the door. “If he’s fucking right now I swear I’ll rip his dick off and feed it to him.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Cassandra got up from her chair. She couldn’t contain the small laughter in her voice upon hearing John talk about her father.

<p class="MsoNormal"> They were now in a hall way outside of the room in which he woke up. Chandeliers lighted the place as it looked like they were in a marbled corridor. This mansion was surprisingly well lid up for a dwelling of vampires.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “This way.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> As they were moving, a manomo passed them by. It was a house maid.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John looked at the passing servant. When his gaze was back upon Cassandra, he realized that her mother’s rank was the same as the one of that maid’s.

<p class="MsoNormal"> But there again, back then, her father’s rank was no different.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Around the corner was seen the shape of another, more different being. Two other beings followed behind the first, now, on intercept trajectory with them.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Cassandra stopped in place, and John came beside her to look at those in front of them.

<p class="MsoNormal"> A hu- no, an incubus. Behind him was a succubus and what was most likely a vampire. The master of this household…

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 26: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> The five stood, giving John enough time to ponder. Those in front of him were most likely the ones in charge of this house.

<p class="MsoNormal"> On the left was a succubus, bearing beauty just like the rest of her kin. John thought her clothes would be skimpy, uncovering most of her body. But he was contradicted.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Her red long hair represented a major part of her good looks. She wore a white dress, completely covering her body, with the exception of her arms, neck, and head. Though her wings could still be seen as she resided upon high heels.

<p class="MsoNormal"> This only meant one of two things. Either Cassandra’s father wanted the succubus to look presentable, as courtesy goes, or he wanted to encase her beauty so that only he himself will feast upon it. That’s probably why he hadn’t just left her in a room or somewhere.

<p class="MsoNormal"> On the other side of the father, was a presentable vampire. With hair as golden as Cassandra’s. The most noticeable part of her clothing was the cape. It’s length covered her back, and it allowed her to pull it ahead, to encircle herself as protection from sunlight.

<p class="MsoNormal"> A white shirt adorned her chest, with a knurl below the neck. Her waists and belly were covered with darkness, extending into long cloth pieces that protected her legs as well.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Strangely enough, it had a form similar to that of a flower. Several golden chains surrounded the waists. As for her legs, stockings, ending in a nicely sorted pair of shoes.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The vampire too had most of her body covered. The reason, courtesy or greed, only the father knew.

<p class="MsoNormal"> So the five stood, gazing at each other. The silence lasted a little while, before it was broken.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “What is this? Little Cassi found a play thing?” The vampire spouted.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John felt Cassandra get ahold of his arm and embrace it, though she was mostly taking cover behind it, wanting his protection.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Is that not cute? It seems you’ve found a man to cuddle all you’ll like.” The other manomo said, with a kind and forgiving tone.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John deduced that these two beings beside the incubus were like the judges, one looking forward to punishing Cassandra for her terrible choices and one praising out the good actions of the young dhampir.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Fitting, it would seem. The vampire hated the dhampir’s success in grabbing a man and the succubus acknowledged her progress.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Enough!” The one in the middle grabbed everyone’s attention.

<p class="MsoNormal"> This incubus silenced what would have been a power dispute of a dhampir and a vampire, with the succubus watching as a spectator.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He was dressed in a majestic suit, to appeal his status. The master of the household wore a white top, with a red flower at his chest. His bottom half was blackened, but his shoes were encased in a golden glow.

<p class="MsoNormal"> His hands were protected by leather gloves, as his right grasped unto a golden chalice filled with liquor.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The most noticeable element he had was his red lines. Surrounding his eyes, they went to the sides of his face and flowed down his body like a river. These lines pulsated with energy, as if being alive.

<p class="MsoNormal"> This was no mere art that rested on his face, this was a sign of allegiance with the enemy. It represented a being filled with demonic energy. The Order portrayed whomever wears these living lines as a traitor, for he has fallen to the corruption and became an incubus.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I would have you tell me your name.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Only if you give yours first.” John was not so reluctant to just let a damned incubus order him around.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He stood tall and mighty in the face of these three, only to show how much he looked down upon them in that moment.

<p class="MsoNormal"> There was a ‘look’ on the incubus’s face, John had noticed it. The kind of face which was slightly pissed off at the insubordinate ‘guest’.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Gallus Malmortius.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “… John.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> There was a baaaaaad aura about these two. Cassandra could feel it. She shanked John’s arm a little, to try and force him back to his senses. He wouldn’t just start attacking her father, would he?

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 27: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Cassandra dear, are you positive regarding your choice?” His eyes went to his daughter, as he was not shown much potential from the one in front of him.

<p class="MsoNormal"> What he was shown however, and what spooked Cassandra, was a fist, which jolted beneath his chin in what seemed like an instant.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">There was no blow however, because it’s role was more of delivering a message: ‘You will focus on me!’.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The look on this guest’s face deemed it necessary that the incubus change his concentration point. John drew his arm back.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You drink blood?” The incubus looked at his chalice.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Ah, don’t worry, this is just wine.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Some host you are.” He was the only one drinking wine…

<p class="MsoNormal"> “A host that, despite the suggestions of skinning an Order soldier, has chosen to keep you alive.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Give me a dagger, and I’ll spare you of the trouble.” And who would he cut, exactly?

<p class="MsoNormal"> There were clear sparks flying between the eyes of these two.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Why do you resent us, inhabitants of the demon realm?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Because your God does not coincide with mine. From what I’ve heard about you, you are not sinless.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Has my daughter spoken ill of me? Everything I ever did was so she can enjoy the life her mother never could.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Have you?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You do not know for certain what has happened. I advise a more careful approach on this matter.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You’re going to tell me everything I want to know.” The incubus laughed, as the aggressiveness in John’s words was too hilarious.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “This is all a chat for another time.” The incubus shifted focus to his daughter. “Cassandra, good choice!”

<p class="MsoNormal"> He turned back and left with a smirk on his face due to the fact that John has proven daring with a dash of audacity, at the thought of Cassandra having a difficult childhood.

<p class="MsoNormal"> This showed he cares for her.

<p class="MsoNormal">   

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 28: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> They were back in their chamber. After the meeting with the father, John was still ever so slightly pissed off. He couldn’t do anything after all.

<p class="MsoNormal"> On the other hand, Cassandra was relieved. She was thankful that John hadn’t started a fight. But she also noticed, how he wanted to protect her.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John went to sit down on the bed, while Cassandra stood near the door, thinking.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “What’s the matter?” He asked her, as she raised head to look back at him.

<p class="MsoNormal"> There were raindrops at the edge of her eyes. Her nose, with her cheeks, colored in pink.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She approached John, who right about now, was clueless. Raising her arms around him, and encasing him in them, Cassandra buried her face in his chest.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Thank you.” That was all there needed to be said.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John understood why she is grateful. Because he was considerate enough to blame her father of not doing a proper job in raising the child. He cared for her, she noticed.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Even more so when John covered her in his arms, making himself into a little sanctuary.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Like this, the height difference was best shown. She is one head smaller than him. They stood as such until…

<p class="MsoNormal"> She…

<p class="MsoNormal"> She…

<p class="MsoNormal"> She kissed him!

<p class="MsoNormal"> Not on the cheeks, and it was no quick nab either. A very compassionate and delicate kiss.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The kind that made John stumble back at the realization of what’s going on. He laid back on the bed, looking up.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Cassandra followed him down, placing herself atop him, as he was left speechless.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I will grant you my very first.”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 29: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> It all passed. The dream like events of last night had gone by like a wind breeze. In fact, John wasn’t sure if it was even a reverie when he woke up. It could have been just a weird fantasy.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Right now was probably morning, as John hadn’t had actual visual of the mansion’s surroundings, or the sky. But as he stood up, he felt weight pulling on his arm. The beauty of a sleeping diamond dragged his attention.

<p class="MsoNormal"> It would seem the day when he would wake to find a woman on the other side of his bed has finally come. She was reluctant to sleeping some more, he could tell.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John carefully removed his arm from the prison of flesh, and placed himself at the edge of the bed, sitting.

<p class="MsoNormal"> His gaze pointed at the ground, he was brooding. For what had transcended there that night was certainly something that needed much consideration to it.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Even if he hadn’t eaten in the last hours of his memory, he still-

<p class="MsoNormal"> John turned head to look at Cassandra, still asleep like a cute and cuddly bear. Was she supposed to be his food?

<p class="MsoNormal"> This was bad. John realized one thing he probably should not have. In no manner had he ever considered Cassandra as being cute.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Beautiful, he vouched, but not cute. His personality was changing without his accord.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John stood up, walking to the wardrobe in front of him. The glass for managing morning wake up’s was against him this time, for his face was besieged by an augur of darkness.

<p class="MsoNormal"> What he stared at was a figured he never wished to see. Slim red lines poured from below his eyes and down unto his cheeks, its presence, much to John’s dislike.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The symbol of the curse…

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 30: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> If a simple human looked at an incubus, they would not be capable of making the difference. It was the trained eye of the Order Knight which could separate incubus from human.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John washed his face by plunging it in the cauldron of water underneath the mirror, hoping the corruption would stop staining it.

<p class="MsoNormal"> ‘Phmf. Like hell.’ John unearthed his head from within the basin and held it above the cauldron, letting the water pour off his face.

<p class="MsoNormal"> His mind took him back to Last Hope, to the earliest of memories he holds, to view the city in its still shining state.

<p class="MsoNormal"> By now it was likely under assault from the heinous. Why won’t they leave his city alone? Why? Why must they have their way?

<p class="MsoNormal"> John stood as such, thinking for more time than he cared to count, until he felt the touch of graceless hands surrounding him once more.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She knew. She knew very well of the storm that transcended in John’s mind right now. He was fighting a losing battle…

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Stay by my side.” She tried to be as charismatic as possible, and as forgiving as a mother, whilst embracing the man.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John was in a very delicate state right now, where one suitable sentence can lead to either happiness or tragedy.

<p class="MsoNormal"> ‘We don’t change? We keep our humanity? Hmpf. You don’t understand. You can’t. You were not born human.’

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Do you remember… when we were at Last Hope, I asked you about being born as something else rather than human.” Perhaps this would ail his mind. “I was trying to find out if you would still care for me even if I exposed you to my problems and past.” She had tightened her grip on John, almost as if she was terrified of losing him. “I'm afraid in this world. But I'm frightened to death if you’re not by my side.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> John raised his head. Having heard all this, he could no longer simply wait. He coiled around, causing her to loosen her grip.

<p class="MsoNormal"> He then closed in on Cassandra and embraced her. He had done so out of pity, not love.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She took it as an act of love, as she thanked him and hugged back.

<p class="MsoNormal"> There were loud knocks on the door. “Miss Cassandra are you there? We have a situation!”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 31: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> “What do you mean by situation?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">“Many armored men are assaulting the mansion!”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Both John’s and Cassandra’s mind drifted towards the most obvious of assailants: The Order.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “How many of them?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Too many to count. Our Dullahan’s are holding, but the master fears they may soon falter. Please, run to safety!”

<p class="MsoNormal"> They definitely couldn’t stay there any longer.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “We need to leave.” Cassandra had turned to face John, who in return, replied with a question.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Where is my weapon?!” She had hesitated in answering him, for… what would he do once he is given a sword? “Give me my weapon!”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Cassandra pointed at the wardrobe in the room, as John disengaged from holding her and proceeded to look inside.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The dhampir felt remorse in her choice to release him from her shackles, but she knew that if John is to ever trust her, he must be free.

<p class="MsoNormal"> What she did not know however, is what John would do once he would take up his sword. She just has to trust him…

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 32: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> John was slightly stirred. His weapon, armor, boots, gloves, everything was there. Even his cross…

<p class="MsoNormal"> He first took his sword, holding it up with both hands to measure it. Its blade seemed sharper than ever.

<p class="MsoNormal"> This weapon was made to kill the corrupted. Just by holding it, John’s life was at risk. But it was even more at risk should he leave it there.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Here.” Cassandra had approached John, bringing his trousers. “You will need these.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> You could say she tested the water’s with that attempt. There was a moment of awkwardness between them, you could tell it.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Nonetheless John lowered his blade and took hold of his pants. “Thanks.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> His reply was shallow and quiet. Only the deathly silence of the situation revealed it.

<p class="MsoNormal"> They both proceeded to equip their clothing.

<p class="MsoNormal"> There were only two things John had left untouched. His tabard and his cross.

<p class="MsoNormal"> His tabard, because it had the Order’s symbol on it, as John is now a heretic. He would not dare to stain the fond memories of serving the Order by wearing its symbol on his demon infested figure.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The cross, because it was meant for someone not forsaken by the Creator.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Hiaaa!” The sound came from behind the entrance to their chambers, alerting the two to half a sword piercing through the door, blood pouring from it.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The servant outside… all quiet.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 33: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> “DIE!” A soldier busted through the door and charged at the first target spotted, Cassandra, yet she stood firmly.

<p class="MsoNormal"> As the man swinged overhead, the dhampir managed to catch his blade between her hands. The soldier tried to pull it out of her grasp, but it wouldn’t seem to budge.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Blood erupted. The cause: a sword thrusted in the back of the neck. John was the perpetrator.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The body fell, as John stood looking. Cassandra did not approve of his actions though. She would much rather have immobilized the soldier, to let another of her kind ‘pacify’ him.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Suddenly, a bloodied sword fell onto the floor. The former sergeant took two steps back and raised his hands to look at their shaking state.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Not once did John think he would kill a brother knight for a… a…

<p class="MsoNormal"> “John…” She had noticed his weak and weary state, and offered comfort. This comfort came in the form of a hug.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Cassandra had to solidify his foundation once more. She had to convince him that all of this is worth fighting for. Even against the world.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Thank you.” His shaking had stopped at the sound of her voice.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The tainted energy within John had made its way to his senses, and ultimately, into his mind.

<p class="MsoNormal"> ‘Protect her!’ It’s what it told him. ‘This life is what you wanted all along!’

<p class="MsoNormal"> ‘What I… want…’

<p class="MsoNormal"> ‘Yes! This is what you are meant for!’

<p class="MsoNormal"> ‘This is…’

<p class="MsoNormal"> The sergeant had grabbed her shoulders and distanced her from him.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Cassandra thought her attempt at swaying him would work. But what she managed there… she could not anticipate.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 34: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> John had taken his cross and placed it on the soldier’s body, bringing his hands together in the form of a prayer.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The dhampir stood looking. She was surprised by this turn of events. Even so, she still needed to sooth his soul.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I am sorry for what you’ve had to do.” John did not respond, nor interrupt his prayer.

<p class="MsoNormal"> For, it felt like she was forcing him to defend her. Like he had absolutely no choice in this matter.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “I envy you young soldier, for you managed to defy that which I could not.” John had answered later than he should have.

<p class="MsoNormal"> But that response! It left Cassandra dumbfounded.

<p class="MsoNormal"> What did he mean by, ‘managed to defy that which he could not’? And why does he envy the poor soldier for it?

<p class="MsoNormal"> Had John declared his utmost love for her over everything else? Or… or…

<p class="MsoNormal"> Her mind had finally managed to comprehend it. She was besieged by sorrow, and had bent head at the realization:

<p class="MsoNormal"> “You don’t love me… do you?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Chapter 35: 

<p class="MsoNormal"> His silence gave its own answer.

<p class="MsoNormal"> There gathered rain drops at the corners of her eyes, finally aware that John is not a lover, but merely a victim.

<p class="MsoNormal"> She had started loathing herself and the world she was born in. Anger nearly took ahold of her, nearly, as she silently cursed the ill will of being born an inhuman bastard.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Were she human, she would now be loved by him.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John had risen from his kneeling stance, waking Cassandra from her illusion.

<p class="MsoNormal"> The first thing he did was reach for his sword. He held it at eye level, gazing at the blood which poured off of it.

<p class="MsoNormal"> A sword made to protect the innocent from fifth and vile corruption. A tool of justice, now reduced to a mere killer’s instrument…

<p class="MsoNormal"> To John, the blade radiated with a dark aura. The red staining the sword made the blade look like it enjoyed being bathed in blood.

<p class="MsoNormal"> A thing Cassandra perceived as John turned his back at her, walking towards the door.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Yes… I will help them all escape my fate!”

<p class="MsoNormal"> She rushed at him, encasing him in her arms and stopping John in his tracks. The most gruesome and tragic of scenarios has occurred.

<p class="MsoNormal"> John was overcome by the urge to spill sacred blood, like the monster he is.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> The least she could do is help him preserve his humanity…