Trinity Blood: Divergent Path
Chapter 44: Hatred Forged

Everything felt lost. Here in black, darkness which pressed down on Abel, all was lost. Then when the darkness would give way all he saw were Kayson and Tabitha dying over and over again. He remained glued to the spot, watching as if this were a bad movie he'd rather rip up than watch again. Then the bliss of the darkness wrapped around him once more.

It took Abel a long time to realize a low hum in the background of the darkness; then came the soft tapping of water as dripped down and the overpowering scent of cleaners. His body felt warm and heavy. Though, his eyes were what were weighed down the most. He should be dead. The thought surged through him with a wave of regret and grief. All those who'd gone with him were dead. Was he dead as well?

"The pope couldn't have known," a voice was coming from a great distance.

"Bullshit," Barrack spat. "Have you've seen the emperor? Did you see what remained in the meeting area? It was wonder we got Tabitha's body at all! Kayson and Arthur either were killed by the sun or captured. You can't tell me this wasn't planned!

Abel creaked open his eyes to the blurred ceiling of an airship. He blinked slowly until his mind started to make sense of things. The room was dark, showing all the windows were covered or had been tented to keep out the deadly UV light. Abel turned his head and saw a bag with little remaining blood in it. His sleep laden mind knew that it had his people's blood in it and was one of the few bags Kayson had filled before coming with Abel.

The thought stabbed Abel's heart. He closed his eyes, fighting back tears. Kayson would never again be there to help those in need. He and Tabitha would never get to even see Valdemar's first birthday. If the Vatican had only let this be a peace talk like it should've been than this would never have had happened.

Opening his eyes, Abel knew what had to be done in order to avoid more bloodshed. They had to go after Myles' group and get Arthur back before they killed him! If-if it already wasn't too late. Abel shoved that thought aside. It wasn't too late. There was still time.

Abel sat up and gasped as he moved his stiff muscles. His lung seemed to have had completely healed, but he could still feel the pain from the other wounds. Ignoring them, Abel tugged out the IV for both the fluid and the blood. The warnings went off when he removed the sensor from his chest.

The next moment Lilith raced into the room followed closely by Barrack. "What do you think you're doing?" Lilith moved over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to gently push him back down.

"We're going after them," Abel's voice cracked from the sheer exhaustion he still felt. He shoved it back, ignoring the pain and placed his hand on Lilith's arm to stop her. "We're going to get Arthur back before they cross the border."

"Abel," Lilith protested, "you need—" she cut off. "What happened to Arthur?" she breathed and stepped back.

"He was taken by the Vatican, by Myles," Abel stated, trying to hide the resentment in him. "To avoid war, we have to get Arthur back before he's killed too."

"But the pope—"

"It doesn't matter if Gregory knew or not!" Abel shouted. "Don't you see it was all planned? They planned for me to be there, for it be a small group, for us to be unarmed, and for the meeting to happen during the day when the others were at their weakest. It was planned. It was a trap!" Shouting wasn't going to help much here, but the pain and the lose cut deep into Abel, making it harder than usual to control his emotions.

"Abel," – Lilith returned her hand to his shoulder – "calm down. You've only just started to recover."

Abel pushed Lilith's hand off. He stood. "Turn the ship around," he started in a calmer voice, "we're heading on an intercept course for Myles' group. Follow the tracker on Arthur if need be." Since Barrack lost Abel a lot he'd taken to placing trackers on certain members of his team who would normally be around Abel for extended periods of time even when off duty. Arthur was one of them.

"Yes, majesty!" Barrack straightened and placed his hand over his heart before he turned and strode from the room.

"You're going to start a war," Lilith said in a tight voice after several tense moments of silence.

"I'm trying to avoid a war," Abel shot back and moved over to fresh clothes. None of it was the finery he normally wore now days, just a plain, white coat with black pants and a hooded, white cape.

"If Arthur is killed, then what?"

"They pulled the trigger first." Abel started to dress, not caring that Lilith was still in the room. He winced as he pulled on the shirt.

"Is that how you're going to justify starting another war to the people?" Lilith demanded. She caught his arm before Abel could put on the coat. "Abel, you're an excellent leader and good military commander, but acting now when the grief is still raw—"

"Might save Arthur's life!" Abel snapped. "I can avoid a war with only two deaths, but not with three. Arthur is my friend, Lilith. They were all my friends and two of them died while under my charge. I refuse to lose another friend to those…" he trailed off and took a deep breath, "to the Vatican."

"If you start a war, our people will be dying by the hundreds again."

"I know," Abel sighed. "But, I can't lose Arthur as well. What would I say to Athy? That I left him behind to save my own skin!"

"That you did as an emperor should and he did as a guard should."

"No, I fled like a coward. Now I am going to get my friend back and return him to his daughter." He jerked away from Lilith. "That's the least I can do. I can't return Sonya to Athy but there is still a chance I can return Arthur to her." He finished putting on the coat.

"She's not a child!" Lilith shouted and stepped into his path. "She's not a child who needs Arthur or you to protect her, Abel. She's grown and now you're being too blinded by your rage and grief to see that you're just using her to justify your actions."

"And you're just letting your love for the Vatican blind your judgment," Abel retorted. "You've spent nearly every day there for the past year! What do you care anymore?"

Lilith winced as if his words had been a physical blow. "They were my friends too," she whispered. "And one year doesn't undo eighty of them on Mars!"

"Damn straight it doesn't," Abel snapped. "So go back to leaving me the hell alone!" The second he said this he regretted it.

Straightening, Lilith glared at him. "Power's changed you and not for the best. You're no longer the man I knew or the man I loved," with those words she turned on her heel and left him utterly alone in the med-bay.

Loved? Abel stared after her, not certain he'd heard that last bit correctly. But she'd hated him since Cain had fused her with 04 and caused the deaths of their daughters. She blamed him for it and he'd always known it. So what the hell had she meant by loved?!

He shook his head. Whatever she'd meant by it, she had also meant that she still hated him. So dwelling on this wasn't going to get him anywhere fast. Abel followed her out into the hall. Not to his surprise she'd already gone. He sighed before moving off towards the bridge where Alexander would be at the helm, pulling on the cape as he went.

Once at the bridge, Abel wasn't too shocked to see that they'd already changed course. "How far are we from Vatican territory?" he asked Alexander who was seated in the Capitan's chair.

"Not far," he stated. "You woke only a while after we left the meeting place," he informed Abel. "Arthur's tracker wasn't turned off." He pointed to the screen.

They were nearing the point Arthur was at. "Fire several warning shots ahead of the Inquisition soldiers," Abel ordered. "Get them to stop before we land ahead of them."

"On it." Alexander was smiling. The two others on the bridge had grim expressions on their faces as Alexander started to use the controls to set the weapons into position. "Fire!" he ordered.

Several shot flew from the ship towards the night darkened ground below. Abel could just make out horses rearing back as dark shapes, frightened by the weapon fire from the ship.

The airship came into a smooth landing before the inquisition. Abel turned and moved off towards the ramp to the ground below. All his mind was focused on then was getting his friend back in order to avoid war.

"Wait up." Alexander fell into step beside Abel.

Soon the two of them were joined by Barrack as well as several others. The group wasn't large enough to turn off the Vatican, but it would do if a fight a broke out. The night also gave them the advantage there.

Abel was first to disembark from the airship with Alexander and Barrack flanking him. He moved so that he stood several feet from the frightened horses. Most of the Inquisition had dismounted in order to not be thrown from their mounts. They were in a frenzy trying to calm the beasts.

"You have a citizen of the empire!" Abel called over the noise. "You're actions at the peace meeting can still be over looked if you return him to us now!" his voice was strong and unwavering as his heart was. He wanted there to still be peace, war wasn't something he enjoyed and was something he wanted to make certain the new generations of his people would never experience. More than even that, Abel wanted his best friend back. The thought of losing all of them including Arthur was too much for him to bare.

"If a war starts it will be your doing, Nightlord!" Myles snarled. "The way to avoid it is by handing yourself over to the Vatican."

Barrack was before Abel one arm placed in his path. "You'll have to go through me before you lay a hand on my emperor!"

"Barrack, stand down," Abel said, gesturing for the larger man to move aside. "We're tying to avoid more bloodshed, not provoke them into a fight."

Barrack hesitated, looking at Abel for several long moments with a frown. Then he nodded and stepped back.

Turning his attention back on Myles, Abel continued to try to reason with a man he'd sooner see dead, "If war does break out between our people, the people of Earth will be slaughtered. I don't want to see this come to pass. My people know war, they know what it is to fight and die on the field of battle, and the pain which comes from it. Return Arthur to us and the path to a continued peace will remain. If you refuse, if you kill him then you'll leave the emperor with no choice but to go to war."

"Go to—"

Abel interrupted him, "Think of your families, your friends, and loved ones!" His eyes were on the soldiers there before him. No longer was he speaking Myles who seemed dead set on starting a war. "How they fair in a war against us? How would they react to news of your deaths? Think!"

The men looked at one another. Most were pale under their helms. Only one out of them looked angered. "Get the prisoner," one of the higher ups shouted.

"Do nothing!" Myles roared.

The men paused before they continued to the covered wagon. From within they pulled out Arthur. A wave of relief filled Abel, shoving aside the rage that had been simmering in him only moments before. Arthur looked terrible. The wounds he'd gotten were still infected and he looked more than half asleep from the infection.

They escorted Arthur up to the fronts of their lines before undoing his shackles. "You're free to go," one of the men said before moving back as quickly as he could.

Arthur moved towards Abel and the others. "I knew you wouldn't leave me," he said in a soft voice when he was only a few feet from Abel and the others.

"Never," Abel told his best friend.

"No, no, no!" the shout of rage sounded from Myles. A horse whinnied, rearing back.

A flash of white light and the sound of thunder going off filled the air. Arthur stopped mid-step. Blood trickled from his mouth as he fell forward. Abel reached out, taking hold of his friend before he could fall to the ground.

The two of them collapsed to the ground. "Arthur?" Blood coated Abel's arms, staining the white of his coat red.

Arthur let out a choking gasp before his body went in Abel's arms. Light faded from Arthur's eyes. Shaking, Abel placed his fingers on Arthur's neck, hoping against all hope to feel the soft beat of a pulse. There was none. His eyes widened as horror and raw grief filled him. No! It-it couldn't be. Arthur couldn't be – he just couldn't be!

The sound of swords being drawn and Barrack's shout, "Protect his majesty!" helped jar Abel from his shock.

Abel lowered Arthur's still, cooling body to the ground. He hesitated before closing Arthur's eyes. A deep pain was ripping deep into him. His eyes burned against tears that he didn't wish to shed. They were all dead. Tabitha, Kayson, and now… now Arthur was gone as well. The grief sparked something in him. Slowly he looked up to see Myles mounting his now calmed stead. He was barking orders to his men to surround Abel's group and kill all of them.

Rage mixed with the sorrow as Abel stood. "Nano-machine," he was being driven to speak these words by the burning hatred in him, "crusnik-02, release of restriction forty percent, activate." At once power surged through him. His hair swirled up around the crown of his head. Fangs grew over his lips as his nails elongated, hardening until they were harder than diamonds.

"Myles!" Abel shrieked the name to the heavens. The soft whispered of 02 was distant background noise, a hum compared to the roar of his rage, grief, and pain. Abel charged passed his men. The wind whipped around him as he moved faster than he ever had in his life.

Guns flashed to life in the night. The bullets slammed into Abel. He snarled against the pain seconds before the bullets were pushed out and the wounds healed. He skidded, turning as a soft popping noise filled the night. His wrist were splitting. A dark liquid trickled from the splits down into his hands. Within moments he was holding a dark, bloody scythe.

Wind rushed passed the blade. It stuck the first soldier who got into Abel's path. "Myles!" he snarled as his eyes searched the night for the man he wished to tear to pieces.

With every passing second the anger and pain grew in Abel. His ears roared with heat of the emotions. All he cared about was killing the man, making him feel the pain which coursed through Abel.

"Attack!" Barrack shout sounded from somewhere behind Abel. "Help his majesty!"

"Kill him, kill that monster!" Myles' orders also filled the night.

The next instant Abel was surrounded from all side. Swords flashed through the night. Abel leapt into the air, the blades whistling below him. He could just make out Barrack and the others fighting their way through the groups of soldiers. Abel landed, his scythe hummed through air. Blood sprayed, falling back to the earth as a red rain.

They would all pay! His blade swung down into the heart of an injured enemy. Myles would be the one to suffer more than Abel was in this moment! Abel whipped around, twisting the double blades of the scythe over his head. Several bodies fell around him. Blood ran as rivers at his feet.

"Stop this madness!" a cry filled the night. A woman raced through the blood filled night towards Abel. "Abel stop this!" someone took hold of his wrist.

Abel snarled, lashing out at the person who had hold of him. The person didn't release him, her grip was strong on him.

"Run!" she shouted at the Vatican soldiers. "Get out of here before all of you are killed!"

The soldiers scrambled back, racing towards their horses. Some just ran off, not even bothering with the frightened beasts.

Abel growled as he watch Myles leading the group away into pre-dawn light. He turned, wrenching his wrist from the hold the person had on him. His hand closed around her neck, then loosened as he realized who it was. The rage slowly left Abel. The scythe clattered to the ground before dissolving completely. His hair, now dripping with blood, fell around his face.

"Lilith?" he whispered, staring at her.

She returned his shocked look with a look of anger and more than a little disgust. "I hope you're happy," her voice was soft and as cold as ice. "You've just started a war with Vatican!" With those words she turned on her heel and stoked passed Abel's men back into the airship.

Silence had fallen over them as all of them watched her go. A hallow feeling was threatening to overwhelm Abel. He shook his head and shoved it aside. He wasn't the one who started the war. Myles had. The man had wanted all of them dead and had killed… he'd killed three people in cold blood as it was.

"Let's go home," Abel told his men. He moved over to Arthur's body and lifted his friend off the ground. There were now two families he had to give the news to. He didn't look back as he stepped into the airship, the other following him.

In the end, it was the Vatican's doing this war was starting. It was them who'd sown their fate. Their blood would paint more fields red before the end of it, before Abel could get at the man who'd wrought this treachery and sparked the flames of war. He couldn't forgive and he couldn't forget what had happened these past few days.


(Author's Note: For the whole two people who voted, I thank you both. Sadly both of you were wrong with what was to happen to him.

I am sorry that this chapter took so long to be written. I had something happen in my family that made it difficult to write anything sad.

In other news I can now return to updating Emperor's Mask the spoiler is no longer really a spoiler.)