Chapter 1
Abel pushed his glasses up his nose. The Vatican had issued him a long mission and he was just getting back from it. His hair was sticking up in odd ways. He had bags under his eyes. The guard escorted him down the hall to the cardinal's chamber. More guards stood at the doors.
"Enter Abel!" The cardinal's voice called. Abel entered the room and sighed.
"Oh man! That was such a long mission! Do you realize how long the days are in Rotenberg? Oh man! I could barely get any sleep…" He said. She handed Abel a thin file.
"Another mission for you Abel."
"Oh… it doesn't look too bad…" He opened it. There was a picture of a girl and some information.
"Uh… Rina. Is that it? No last name? Says I have to just take care of her. What's so important about this mission?" Abel asked, examining the document. The cardinal smiled slightly.
"Rina is just a name the old nurses gave her before they vanished one day after they left her care home. She is kept in solitude but is aloud to walk freely around the Vatican yards whenever she wants. She stopped doing so when a couple teams of vampires and thugs attacked the people who were caring for her after they left to go home; either that or they just disappeared. It was never those who guarded her room, it was just those who talked to her. She feared the worst for others so she placed herself in solitude and refused talking to others years ago. I'm giving this mission to you because I need you to get her to talk. I need you to get her to go back to normal. We took her in because she had some powers. Then when we tried to figure out what she could do, she began to do almost everything that others here could do. We then put her under normal human supervision and then she had almost no powers at all. She still had that supernatural radiation around her. Rina is… getting a little sick. She's talking, but not in normal language. We deduced that it's an ancient form of Latin. Few people here can understand it and translate it properly. I think you can handle how she is," The cardinal explained. Abel bowed.
"I'll go to her home tomorrow, after a night of sleep Lady Catherina," He said. Abel turned to the door and kept examining the file. She nodded.
"You'd better keep yourself out of more trouble… your missions lately have been disastrous. I hope you can keep this one in line," Catherina called. Abel waved a hand a laughed a little. The guards shut the door after Abel had exited. Catherina walked to the window next to her desk and looked out over Vatican City.
"Abel… I chose you because I know you'll be able to talk to her…" She whispered to herself.
Abel walked silently through the garden that led to the monastery of the Vatican. It was heavily guarded and had many restrictions on its occupants. The patients were those who were either convicted to die from their condition, too dangerous with unknowing knowledge of their power, or, the ever rare, ones whom the Vatican couldn't figure what was wrong with them. Abel's mission was to make 'Rina' talk to him in the language she first spoke when the Vatican first took her in. Abel entered the doors of the monastery. A nun dressed in white lead him into a hidden door.
"This way, Father," She said softly. The hallways were white; doors were heavily sealed with special locks, monitors and razor beams. She took him into a large oak door that stuck out from the rest, Abel entered.
"Sister will take you to your destination," She said. She closed the door. Abel walked forward; a nun joined him.
"Father, I understand you'll be coming here everyday for your assignment. If you wish, I can arrange a room for you that houses the ones who work here to help those in need," She explained.
"That would be nice, thank you," Abel said politely. The nun nodded and stopped at the last door at the end of the hallway. She took out a key ring and stuck three of them in a lock; them scanned her finger and eye. She typed in a few quick words and numbers, and then stood back. The door steamed and opened slowly. Inside was a girl with hanging grey hair and a white cotton robe. He lips were moving rapidly with the words she read from the book in her lap. Under her arm was a teddy bear.
"Thank you, I can handle it now," Abel whispered. The nun nodded and closed the door. He surveyed the room. There was one large window that had a lovely view of the Vatican gardens surrounding the monastery. Books lined the walls and those that didn't fit were piled neatly on the floor in stacks. The wall that had the door had shelves of stuffed animals, drawing books, records and discs with no titles. Abel's attention was drawn back to Rita when she briskly turned a page.
"Rina? Hello, I'm Abel Nightroad. I'm here to talk to you. Nothing too serious! At least I think not, but my job is to try and get you to speak the language we understand, English," He said. Rina stopped reading she was still. Abel kneeled down in front of her and looked at her face.
"Rina, have you been getting proper sleep?" He asked.
"Moto istuc istud?" She whispered. Abel blinked.
Crap! Latin! Ok think, think… Latin…
"I'm Abel Nightroad." He pointed to himself.
"Abel Nightraod," She repeated. Able nodded.
"Cur istuc istud huc?" Abel took a moment.
"To help you speak English," He said. Rina blinked.
"Facessitus," She said bluntly, looking at her book again. Abel was taken back.
"No. I can't go away, Rita, it's my job I want to be your benivolens," He said. Rita suddenly jerked her head up.
"I necessitas not benivolens," She said. Abel smiled gently.
"Yes you do, I'm going to be your friend. Quomodo istuc istud?" He said. Rina frowned.
"Infirmis," She said. Abel frowned and made a worried look.
"Motor ecce injuria? What is wrong?" He asked.
"Vita," She said darkly. Abel was silent.
"Voster vita voluntas verseri beatus com benivolens. You life will be happy with friends," He said.
"I necessitas not benivolens!" She hissed.
"Cur factus qu dico iste? Why do you say that?" He asked. Rina bit her lip.
"Omneuns moto ecce cludo ad mea biothanatus." Abel took in a sudden breath.
She she once was happy... but she doesn't want friends because they somehow always die?
"I dejuro I volo non pereo. I swear I will not die," He said. Abel crossed his heart with his finger. Rina looked in his eyes.
"Qu mentior," She said, a supicious look in her eyes.
"Non! Non mentior! I volo arguo id! No! No lies! I will prove it!" He said. Rina raised her head a little.
"Si qu venio tergi cras, I volo credo qu," She lowered her head and went back to her book. Abel smiled.
At least she's setting a goal for me. Tomorrow, I'll get her trust by not dying! That's a great goal!
He stood up and walked towards the door. Able stopped and turned around. He hugged Rina gently. He felt her tense up into a statue under his arms.
"Tueor qu cras! See you tomorrow!" He whispered. He let her go and walked to the door silently. Rina was frozen. Her eyes were wide.
"Maneo!" She yelled. Abel stopped.
"Motor ecce id qu desiderabilis meum ad facesso?" She asked.
"Loquor Angl. Speak English," He said.
"Convenit voluntas tueor..." She muttered. Abel smiled.
"Thank you!" He said cheerfully. He exited the room and jumped for joy.
"YES!! This mission may be easier than I thought! YES!" He yelled in joy.
"'We will see...' Oh that's a definant maybe!" He said happily. Abel skipped down the hallway.
