Trinity Blood: The Second Coming

Chapter 4: With All the Might of God

Section 1: Holy Wrath

Note: While writing this, I think I've found the core meaning of embarrassed. Think about it. En-Bare-Assed. Pretty humiliating. "How does that fit into the chapter at all?", you may ask. Read and find out! TY all faithful readers, you're about to get your reward. The final battle is coming in the next few chapters.

(On the road in Germanicus)

The people in the small army were surprised when Astaroshe announced that she would be leading them in Abel's absence, but they did not make any great uproar, or decide to elect another leader. Being led by an ex-priest who transforms into a demon must not have been much different.

"There are many more than before." Ion had whispered when the meeting was just beginning. He was right. The followers had swelled by at least another five-hundred men during the day. As a warrior and a noble of the Methuselah, Astaroshe had been trained to approximate troop strengths. They number two-thousand at least.

She was about to order that they march south after the Contra Mundi army, when she saw that many of the rag-tag bunch had already started prepping themselves for the march. They barely need me. "Let's go!" She shouted.

"About time." One of them muttered to his companion. They chuckled together. Astaroshe was angered at this open show of disobedience, but she knew better not to discipline them now. Not unless I want them to get rowdy. The small army sluggishly prepared their equipment, and set out, going south.

They had been marching for a few hours, passing burnt out and abandoned villages, when Ion spoke up. "I hate it when you treat me like a child." He said simply, staring ahead.

"Then perhaps you shouldn't always be acting like one." Astaroshe snapped back.

"The ant accuses the beetle of being small." Ion responded.

"What the hell do you mean!?" Astaroshe questioned, stopping. The army shuffled past them, not halting.

"Perhaps you should watch your own actions before punishing me for mine! You yelled at me for mourning the death of my Grandmother, yet I saw your eyes when you learned of Abel's death, and then you went to wash up in the other room, you didn't..."

"No, I did not cry." Astaroshe lied.

"Even so! You mock my feelings for Esther, and then you freak out when Abel leaves for Albion. I will not march another step until you apologize." Having said this, he rooted his feet to the ground, and narrowed his eyes decisively.

Astaroshe's temper flared. Insolent child. Yet, Ion was correct. "You're right. I'm sorry, Ion. I shouldn't have hit you. Lately, I have had little control of my emotions. It's just..." She trailed off, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"I know. I've felt the same way." Ion said wistfully. He paused for a few moments, and then glanced to Astaroshe knowingly, deciding to elaborate. "I feel a longing... a perpetual ache in my chest that never lessens. Every moment I close my eyes, I think of her hair, her eyes, her..."

"His smile." Astaroshe added. But recently, his mood has been far less cheerful.

"If they ever do get together... we could..."

"In your dreams you little pervert." Astaroshe answered, laughing.

- - - -

(Outside the walls of Rome)

Surveying the construction, Caterina could not believe just how well it had all turned out. She had gotten in contact with architects and military officers soon after the meeting, and conscripted them to draw up a plan on defending the city from the tough, superhuman soldiers they would be soon facing. They had constructed small permeable barriers, which were enough to slow the enemy's advance, but not enough to shield them from direct fire. Each barrier was marked at a certain range, so that the artillery could be adjusted easily and accurately.

A soldier in the town guard, by the name of Brian Oliver invented an ingenious and easily constructed self-activating explosive device, which would trigger a small charge after a line had been tripped, or, even better, when pressure was applied.

Even civilian inventors were pitching in. Aside from designing obstacles and crude weapons, one man invented a new munition, one that would fire a case filled with silver bullets that would break open above the enemy, and spray silver shrapnel upon them. All nearby factories had also retrofitted their machines to produce silver bullets, silver pikes, and other silver weapons. Indeed, the whole weight of this nation is dedicated to the struggle.

"The dry Moat is almost complete, Cardinal." One engineer announced, before quickly scurrying away. Francesco was so furious, he didn't even wish to take part in the construction. Your interference wont be missed, brother, she thought with a smug grin. The dry moat would be a dry ditch which would surround the city. Civilians were given credit for all the wood and other flammable materials they filled it with. And when they attempt an attack on the city, we'll burn them all alive.

She looked up, hearing another set of gunshots. They're at it again. The young pope had raised his own militia from the city, and its ranks had grown into the tens of thousands. They had taken every weapon they could find and were drilling with how to use them. Gunshots being fired in volley were now a common occurrence in the city. Surprising her, Alessandro approached. He's never out on his own!

"Sister..." He said meekly.

"Yes?" Caterina asked gently, not wanting to upset the fragile-minded boy.

"I'm... I am..." He stopped, and thought out what he meant to say. "Will we beat them, sister?"

"Yes, I believe we will." We will give this everything we have. God help us if we fail.

- - - -

(Queen's Palace in Londinium)

"Where is Esther!" Abel thundered, shaking a stout guard in the air.

"She was taken..."

"By WHO?!" Abel demanded.

"By him!" The guard replied stupidly, scared witless by the robed man who was shaking him. "By... the man, in the sky. The one who fought..."

"Cain?" Abel shouted, dropping the man to the ground. You've done it now, brother. He looked menacingly to the sky, and then back to the guard. "How dare you let her go! You've failed your country."

"Yes!" He squeaked, curling himself in a ball on the floor. "Yes, I have. Please, don't hurt me, I know where she is! I know where he's keeping her! I trailed him."

"Where!" The severity of Abel's tone made the guard shiver.

"In the old Davidson mansion! Off of the square!" Abel wasted no time, and ran out of the building, sprinting down the street. When the guard was certain that Abel had left, he got up and cleaned himself off. Walking to the corner of the room, he picked up a small device and pressed down on the side.

"Abel is on his way. Everything is prepared as you willed it, lord Cain."

- - - -

(Davidson Mansion, Londinium)

For some reason, everything had been speeding up for the last couple of hours. They are preparing for something, but for what? Esther wondered. Even though Esther had not spoken up for hours, Cain had gagged her, and then rearranged the room multiple times. He did not even try to recognize her questioning mumbles, muffled by the gag. Then, Cain picked up some device, and listened. Putting it back into his pocket, he smiled, and abruptly left the room, before flipping a switch on a small box across from Esther. What is that? There were wires running out of it, and it was beeping very silently. There was something very ominous about the beep as it continued for minute after minute.

The door opened again. Expecting it to be Cain, Esther closed her eyes and dropped her head against her chest. He's going to kill me, I know it.

"Esther?" That's not Cain's voice... it's. She looked up just in time to see Abel removing her gag.

"Abel!" She cried out happily. "Quick, help me get out of this chair!" She said, looking from one side to another. Abel quickly began to untie her, but then Esther remembered what Cain had done. "Abel..." She whispered urgently. Abel paid no attention, focusing on getting her legs free.

The door behind Abel silently opened, and Cain stepped through. "Abel, it's a trap!" Esther cried.

Abel turned, surprised, as Cain flexed his raised fingers and shot a powerful shockwave from his hands.

- - - -

(In the Alps)

When Paula opened her eyes, she was momentarily blinded by a large bright light directly ahead of her. Disoriented, she gasped, reaching out with her hands. I'm laying on my back. "Please god." She muttered groggily. The piercing light hurt her eyes, but she would not close them. She would not squint as the light approached. Is it approaching? She could not tell. How pure, how clean this glorious light.

"Lord..." Her slow thoughts struggled to find the right words. "... I'm ready lord. End my suffering."

"Not yet." A familiar voice replied. That can't be god, what's going on. Her thoughts started to speed up, her vision began to clear. Where am I? She realized that she was laying on her back on a hard surface. The bright light lost it's intensity as her eyes adjusted.

"Where am I?" She demanded, flailing her arms, but they did not move. Something was covering her. An object moved in front of the light. As her perception grew, she recognized it as a face. "Who are you? What do you want..?" She looked down, seeing that a blanket was covering her. She suddenly realized that the piercing cold that she had felt was gone. Finally, she could see with blurry, but otherwise good vision.

"Don't worry Paula. It's me." The man said.

"Petros?" She whispered weakly, not believing that it was true.

"You're safe, Paula." He said. She could see that he was smiling broadly. But he never smiles. Her vision cleared up, and she straightened herself out, and the blanket fell a few inches. That was when she realized that she was naked. Covering herself frantically, she lost her balance and rolled onto the metal floor. Petros' strong hands guided her back up to where she was lying. "Don't worry. Sit down until you get your bearings. I almost lost you. I had to take your water-logged clothes off immediately or you would have died." Paula did what he said, laying down still.

"Where are we?" She asked, seeing the white walls and devices all around them.

"I borrowed this ship when I heard about what happened. I found Leon next to a rockslide which had clogged up the mountain pass, he told me that the river was the only way south besides the pass, and that was my only chance to find you." So Leon was successful.

"Who gave you the mission?" Paula asked.

"No mission. I'm no longer a servant of the Vatican." Petros answered. He searched for me on his own accord. "In fact, you're officially dead two. Neither of us are Inquisitors anymore." Paula smiled, but grew serious again.

"If you're not on mission, how did you get this ship?" She asked.

"I had to... steal it from the hanger." Petros admitted.

"You did that, just to find me?" Paula asked meekly. She looked down and realized that his arm was still around her back from where he had helped her onto her makeshift bed. Her heart began to beat a little faster, and she could feel her face flush with excitement. However, his hand slipped away, and he withdrew, going to the cockpit. She so yearned to feel his touch again, but he had also ordered her to lay down. I will get my grips first, and then I will get some clothes. Her skin tingled from where his fingers had been.

- - - -

(Londinium, the Davidson Mansion)

Abel had barely had enough time to summon his own energies as the shockwave closed in. But thanks to Esther's warning, he had been able to block himself from a direct hit by generating his own static charge. The force of Cain's attack had still been enough to knock him backwards, sending him crashing through the brick wall of the house, and into the street below. His gun had been dislodged from his holster, and was probably laying somewhere in the room. How dare you, Cain? How dare you, you coward! Feeling his rage intensify, Abel's transformation began on its own. He leapt to his feet.

He completed his transformation in seconds. Cain peered through the hole in the side of the building, maddeningly calm, and with his arms still raised. He shot another shockwave, this time, Abel beat his wings and dodged to the sky as the sound waves destroyed the stone-paved street beneath him, throwing rocks and rubble in every direction. Spreading his wings, Cain flew after him into the air, but did not attack further.

"Enough of this, brother!" Cain shouted, holding up a small device. Abel hesitated. What is that thing? "If you move, I push this button, and your little Esther blows up." Abel froze, torn between his hate for his brother and his love for Esther.

"Don't..." Abel whispered. Cain laughed triumphantly. You'll die for this Cain, I swear it.

- - - -

(In the Ghetto, the underground complex in Albion)

Dmitri hacked away at the keyboard, prepping the launch. He had been broken from the dungeon just as the Queen was kidnaped, and in the whole mess, no one had even noticed his absence. Changing his hair color and setting up a dummy institute was enough to gain him entrance to one of the most secure facilities in the world. They never learn, do they?

Cain had taught Dmitri how to operate the computers, and start the launch of the missile. He even knew all the codes. Looking up, he saw a few extra digits were on screen that he did not type. Looking to the keyboard, he saw the problem. The sticky blood from his fingers had attached a few of the keys together. What a nuisance. He reached down, cleaning his hands on the shirt of the dead vampire guide who had directed him to the terminal.