"O Christ Jesus, I acknowledge You King of the Universe. All that has been created has been made for You. Exercise upon me all Your rights. I renew my baptismal promises renouncing Satan and all his works and pomps. Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer You my poor actions in order to obtain that all hearts may acknowledge Your sacred royalty and that thus the reign of Your peace may be established throughout the universe. Amen."
The strong scent of incense filled his nostrils and tickled his nose, and with as much grace as he could muster he rose from his kneeling position and seated himself back onto the pew. For a moment he gazed around him at the arched ceiling high above his head and the beautiful tapestry of angels. Great windows allowed golden light to stream through the ornate colors of stained glass. The aisle in the middle provided a path to the large alter at the front, where priests, monks and the archdeacon proceeded with Sunday mass.
A figure swept down the aisle and sat down next to him in the pew, though he did not look to see whom it was until he felt a sharp jab in his arm.
"Joachim…!"
The youth turned his head, noticing Maurizio's dark chestnut eyes staring at him. The man wore fine white robes lined with gold trim. In accordance with the formal event, he adorned himself in elaborate steel gauntlets.
"What? What do you want? We are in the middle of mass…can't this wait?" Joachim gave him an irritated glare and turned his head to stare at the alter where communion was taking place. The priests began preparing the wine and bread.
"No, this can't! I want to know why you stormed out last night, the whole village is talking about you…" Maurizio's words emitted in a rushing whisper, and when Joachim did not turn to look at him the man jabbed his arm a second time. "Seriously, what is the matter with you? A lord can't just walk out on his own guests, its…completely dishonorable!"
Joachm rolled his eyes. "Now is not the time! If you do not be quiet, Father Genesio is going to hear us and he will make us say a hundred Hail Mary's each!"
"So what? I say what feels like a thousand every week in the name of God. Besides, this gives you an excuse to leave…" Maurizio raised his eyebrows and smiled.
Joachim once again turned to face him - the prospect of leaving early more appealing than he initially thought. "Very well. If this is so important it can't wait…and since you will not leave me alone unless I do, I might as well." They quietly slipped down the aisle to the doors at the end of the cathedral. "Perhaps," the young nobleman mused. "I am fortunate you gave me an excuse to leave, after all. I would be trapped in mass for the next hour and a half. If I hear another monk sing then I swear my ears shall suddenly deafen themselves."
They departed through the massive wooden doors of the cathedral and emerged onto the village's sunlit streets.
"Well, let's hope your ears shall not deafen to what many are saying about you." The knight observed.
Joachim watched Maurizio turn and raise his head to catch the cool fresh air outside. Wisps of clouds streaked across the azure blue sky, and the cobblestone roads were active with peasants walking up and down them, some leading horses and carts while others carried bushels of grain and bread.
"After all, that scene yesterday evening created quite a stir. What is wrong with Lord Walter? I thought he was a very fascinating character, we get so few other lords around here that I thought you and he would get along quite well."
Joachim huffed under his breath and blew a loud whistle song from his lips, before he turned and shook his head dismissively. "It seems you thought wrong. I do not appreciate being shunned at my own party. If anyone else has problems with that they are welcome to come and see me."
"Don't be so defensive! I am merely explaining the situation. This is not a ploy you know, being lord gives you responsibility to those who live under your power."
Not even the bright sunlight could warm Joachim's expression, which firmed into a displeased grimace as his eyes adjusted to the sunlight streaming all around him. His pale ivory hair fell around his face and shoulders when he turned away from Maurizio again at the sound of hooves clopping over the stone.
"I know my responsibilities." He replied dully. "Though this status I have is not by my choice. I am not my father, so people can't expect me to rule using the same traditional methods." His eyes brightened when they fell upon the silver colored stallion trotting toward him, and with a loud whinny the horse's pace increased until its muzzle brushed against his shoulder. "I grow weary of everyone obsessing over tradition and religion. You can burn me at the stake for saying that, but to me there is far more than those two insignificant things." Joachim ran his hands down his stallion's smooth neck and patted it softly with his hands.
"Your not becoming one of those heretic types are you? God is what men like me fight in the name of, and I still would be if it was not for that cursed shoulder wound of mine! If your so concerned about Father Genesio, if he even caught a whiff of what you said he would make you say five thousand Hail Mary's! I bet after that you would never say a word of this again."
When Joachim turned and looked at him in irritation, Maurizio returned it with a slow smirk. "Oh…" the man continued sheepishly. "I know what else your eyes are caught on like a fish in a net. Perhaps it is that young gypsy girl whom you know all too well with the raven hair and emerald eyes, and who wears purple more often than our queen-"
"You cad, that is none of your concern!" Joachim snapped at him and moved along the side of his horse to hop upon its back, but Maurizio merely shrugged and strode away to attend to his horse in turn.
"You always say that whenever I bring this up." He remarked. "Yet, you know as well as I that she is not from the same…background. Perhaps you best change your focus, Joachim? What about that lovely Rose Hawthorn, I heard your father had been preparing to make a match between you two-"
Joachim huffed again and mounted his horse, nearly tempted to chase him down until Maurizio mounted his and rode up to meet him again. When their two horses were side by side, Joachim steered Cojiro down the street to take the path returning to his manor. His eyes darted away from his friend and to all the people walking about around them.
"Are you ignoring me?" Maurizio inquired. His tone sharpened slightly when he received no response. "I was merely speculating when I saw that crystal around your neck. Catherine gave that to you did she not?"
"Yes, she did. It was a birthday gift." He glanced down at the jewel. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of it.
Maurizio gave him a quick wink. "I can scarcely believe she gave you that, what a lovely object it is. May I hold it for a moment?" he outstretched his gauntlet-covered hand. Joachim stared at it and then at the crystal he wore, his eyes indecisive until listening to his friend's persisting curiosity. "Don't you trust me? I am a knight, I would not steal it from you, I just want to take a closer look."
The young lord lifted his gaze from the jewel to Maurizio's eyes, but his hands mechanically reached for the jeweled chain supporting the crystal and lifted it away from his body. In a moment he saw his friend's hand enclose around it tightly and withdraw it toward him, his finger skimming the glittering surface that reflected prisms from the sun's radiating light.
"Be careful with it." Joachim warned darkly and his eyes did not leave the man for a moment as Maurizio remarked.
"It is quite lovely, surely worth quite a lot of money as well. You're a lucky man to have gotten this from her!"
Joachim wordlessly took it back and placed it around his neck again, relieved the object was within his grasp once again. "Valuable, maybe. That matters little to me, it is the thought behind this gift that is important."
"How noble." Maurizio chuckled loudly as their horses drew up the path toward the manor. With a brief gaze at the fields on either side of the fences lining the road, he leaned back on his horse and placed his hands behind his head. "I wonder what she was thinking when she gave you that. Huh, I know what I would be thinking if I got something so pretty from a pretty lady…"
Joachim furrowed his brow, and before he even thought about it he steered Cojiro closer and shoved the knight firmly with his hands. In a second his friend became so astounded he cried out before losing his balance and sliding off his horse's back and onto the firm ground beneath him. A loud clatter echoed into the early morning air, and Joachim held back a laugh when he halted his horse and watched Maurizio look up at him and rasped in spite. "What was that for? I was just joking, you take things too seriously!"
"Let that be lesson for you to simply shut that mouth of yours. To think a knight would be more suitable on the ground instead of on his horse." Joachim smirked and waited for Maurizio to get up, brush the dirt off his robe and remount with a newly present glare. The man did so reluctantly, and did not hide his displeasure.
"Now look who's the cad milord." The knight replied in pronunciation of every word with a firm articulate tone. "I cannot see the humor in what you did! Someday I shall take vengeance upon you, and when you least expect it I will ride by and shove you off that steed of yours in return just when she is there to watch! Ha! Then everyone will laugh at you and I will join in it."
Maurizio's lighthearted laugh soon filled the air - its contagiousness at last making the sullen youth chuckle. "You're so childish. I will have to watch my back I suppose, but I doubt you would get that satisfaction anytime soon-"
"Wait a moment! Is that your vassal coming up the road here?" Maurizio raised his head and looked before them up the cobblestone, where Joachim saw a man running in their direction donned in a red tunic.
"Why, yes that is he. I wonder what his hurry is on this fair afternoon?" Joachim could not contain the hint of concern within his voice when the vassal did not cease running as if frightened considerably.
"Milord! Milord!" Kyran's voice carried in the air, which in turn made both men halt their horses again and stare in disbelief.
"What is going on here? Kyran, I thought you were attending to my studies for when I returned?" he stared at the older vassal hurrying along and panting profusely, though despite his age he arrived quicker than either men anticipated.
"Lord Joachim! You best hurry back from whence you came!"
"Why?" Joachim cocked his head, while Maurizio raised his eyebrows and shifted on his horse. Kyran abstractedly pointed down the road they had just traveled. "A murderer is afoot! I just received word of a discovery of a body south of here…apparently the victim of a demon vampire!"
Maurizio's jaw dropped, but Joachim merely waved his hand and rolled his eyes. "You can't be serious? From what I just saw, no one seems to be all that worried. Are you sure it was not some drunkard passed out on the road?" his eyes hardened.
Kyran shook his head again. "Yes, I am certain. I heard the news just moments ago from one of the villagers. You best go immediately if you wish to see for yourself." For a moment Joachim remained still on his horse, his eyes staring down at his vassal until he felt a sharp tap on his arm.
"We should see to this matter. I told you vampires are around, but of course you wouldn't believe me…" Maurizio's words sounded almost sarcastic.
Joachim sighed, nudging his hose with his heel as he guided it back around. "Very well. I will see to this incident. The murderer will be found and brought to justice, but if this is in any way some sort of joke…"
"I assure you it is not!" Kyran backed away slowly, nearly trembling while the lord turned his horse around. Joachim kicked gently with his heels and his horse began to gallop down the cobblestone, its hooves pounding like drums against the ground. "Is this even possible?" Joachim called while the wind blew against his face and ruffled his ivory hair. "Creightel never gets murders…we are too small a village for that. If it's true, it's unheard of…"
"There is always a first." Maurizio replied, his dark eyes uneasily glued to the path in front of them. "To think a vampire might have been here. I have never seen the victim of a vampire before-"
"If there is a murderer about, I must protect this village and find the culprit responsible." Joachim narrowed his icy blue eyes and turned his head to stare directly before him.
Word had gotten around more quickly than expected. People milled about like lost sheep on the roads, staring at him when he passed or whispering among each other in bewilderment. The duo tore through the town and emerged on the other side. After traveling about a quarter of a mile, a small group of peasants became visible ahead.
"That must be it." Joachim brushed away a strand of hair that flew against his face when he turned his head, his pale face glistening in the sunlight like snow. "What are those people doing there milling about like vultures? How much interest can a dead body be?"
From the corner of his eye, he saw Maurizio shrug. The young lord's eyes widened when the group wordlessly stepped aside to form a path for his horse. Joachim slowed Cojiro to a halt and hopped off, catching his balance when a dizzy spell attempted to consume him again. The young man's serious face gave no indication of it, however, and he approached the scene without hesitation.
"What is going on here? Which one of you made the discovery?" He stopped a few paces in front of them and waited.
A short, husky man stepped forward. "It was I milord." He said, lowering his eyes whilst making an awkward bow. "I was on my way delivering some freshly butchered meat to Dalwood, when I suddenly came across this horrid sight…" The man's voice trailed away. Joachim stared from him to Maurizio when the knight appeared at his side, his voice carrying over the crowd of murmuring people.
"So, you found that body there?" The knight asked, a rather obvious question. "Fear not! We are here to assist you in this matter. It seems a vampire's work is at hand-"
"You must have a brain made of tin to match your armor, if you assume the people will feel better hearing about 'vampires' again." Joachim muttered while approaching the body. A dead young man, perhaps in his mid twenties, was sprawled out on the ground.
There were no flesh wounds on his head or face and no visible signs that he had been beaten or stabbed. The dead man's mouth was partially agape, the locks of his black hair tossed about his face and caked with dried blood. He wore simple clothing: a pair of white britches covered mostly by a plain brown tunic and well-worn boots.
"That man does not look like he died quickly. It almost seems as if the murderer had fun killing him. Why would they not just stab him and get it over with?" Maurizio observed, since a look of horror seemed to be plastered across the dead man's face – frozen there the moment death took his soul.
Joachim ignored Maurizio's comment and crouched on the ground near the body, almost intimated to touch it until he saw a swollen bite mark on the neck. "What is that?" he whispered and leaned forward to touch it, quickly pulling away when an icy cold shudder swept through his body. "Those marks…they look familiar…" Joachim gazed at the swollen flesh, which was still red but showed no signs of blood around it – two clean puncture marks were the only indication of the man's death.
"See, I told you it was a vampire." Maurizio grinned.
Another onlooker stepped forward. "Milord, there is no blood pooling from that man. He was a mere serf trying to grow wheat in his small field. There was no reason for anyone to kill him. He was a kind fellow, actually."
Joachim looked up at the voice matching the words, where he saw a middle aged man staring at him with eyes as wide as an owl's and an awkward beak-like nose to match. A loud huff parted from his lips and he moved to stand up, but listened to Maurizio again.
"No blood? Well, we shall need proof. Joachim – cut his flesh with your dagger. Then we can see if what they say is true."
"Don't be foolish!" Joachim nearly jumped when a dagger was thrust next to his cheek without warning.
Maurizio gave him an expectant look. "Use mine. I want to get to the bottom of this as much as you do."
Joachim sighed and grabbed the dagger, looking at how the small blade gleamed in the light as he slowly eased it toward the man's body. The man's muscles had since hardened, giving the sign death occurred at least a few hours earlier, and due to the rigid effects he had difficulty holding it long enough to push up the sleeve.
"Utterly foolish. This makes no sense! He could have been strangled or died of natural causes, and all of you resort to a vampire because he has two little bites on his neck. It could have been a bat or some sort of other animal, or poison or self inflicted wounds…" His voice trailed away when he pressed the edge of the dagger against the dead man's wrist. A gasp sounded from his lips when he withdrew the weapon and looked at the blade – its metallic surface perfectly clean.
"What?" The young lord exclaimed in surprise. "I must not have cut deeply enough…" Again, he slid the blade over the skin, pressing harder. Joachim examined the man's wrist, before pulling away when the skin looked as dry and shriveled as a prune.
"There is not a drop of blood in him! Now are you convinced it was a vampire?" Maurizio peered over his shoulder and examined the dagger. Joachim abruptly handed it back to him and rose to his feet.
"What should we do?" One of the onlookers asked.
"Nothing can be done right now." Joachim replied calmly, trying to rid his mind of the bloodless dagger. "Return to Creightel and avoid traveling down this path unless it is absolutely necessary. I intend to look into this matter further but with no information, witnesses, or a motive, it will take some time."
The group of peasants stared at him wordlessly, though when his eyes diverted to the knight, Maurizio sheathed his dagger. "Do not worry, everything will be in order." The man soothed, taking notice of his lord's uneasy glance. "Perhaps we should burn the body. They say when a vampire attacks its victim the body will turn into an undead zombie-"
"Don't get into those kinds of myths! If we burn the corpse we will have nothing to use as evidence!" Joachim fell silent when he realized he was the only one objecting among the small crowd.
He felt Maurizio nudge him when the owl-eyed man spoke up. "None of us want to take that risk milord! There is a bite mark on his neck. It would ease our fears if the body was promptly disposed of."
Joachim rolled his eyes in exasperation, but when no one spoke to defend his whim he waved a hand away at them. "Fine. Get a cart over here and take it to the fields where it can be set afire. If all of you want to become slaves to superstitions, be my guest."
"This not superstition, milord." The man replied, his voice taking on a slightly impatient tone. "There is a vampire at work. Our village has been peaceful and free of evil. If a vampire is wandering about, it must be stopped!"
Joachim held up a hand. "Enough of this foolishness." He waved the man away, his eyes narrowing. "I think the murderer is among us and not the 'undead' as you so wish to believe." He huffed loudly, turned to his horse, and mounted it as Maurizio swiftly followed suit. "I shall hear no more about vampires. You are merely scaring people with that nonsense and I will not tolerate it. Now then, all of you go about your businesses. This is my concern and I will see to it as soon as I can."
A low murmur was all that met his words when he turned his horse and galloped off to return to the town. Maurizio followed and kept pace at his side, though it was evident a wave of concern reflected in the knight's eyes. "Joachim, try not over-simply the matter." He began, his voice hesitant. "I would not rule out vampires…especially since you and I both saw that bite mark on the man's neck. How can you dismiss that?"
"Easily." Joachim sneered, exasperated by the topic. "The murderer could have inflicted them with a knife or some sort of weapon, so people like you would think it was a vampire. My mind is open to other possibilities, but not ones that are based on rumors and legends." Joachim stared ahead down the road and sighed when he felt the sun's warm rays shine over him as if reassuring the day was not completely ruined. The sun still radiated its golden light and the sky continued to expose its cerulean blue color between the wisps of white clouds.
"My, you are in quite a mood this morning!" Maurizio smiled. "Perhaps you should stop by the tavern this evening and join me for a drink. By then you would have cooled off and the day's troubles would melt away…"
"I don't drink ale. I prefer the taste of wine, and I also have some documents to sign and my father's old parchments to study. If I take any more evenings off to go drinking with you, I am not honoring my title." Joachim rolled his eyes.
"Oh come now! After that little scene at your party, people are going to think you have become a recluse! At least socialize, it's the least you can do to right yourself in their eyes."
Joachim pursed his lips in thought but when he felt his friend's impatience begin to rise he at last gave an answer. "Very well. I will join you this evening at the tavern. Don't expect me to stay long, though."
Maurizio beamed at him and leaned over on his horse to give him a hearty pat on the back. "There's the Joachim Armster I have always known! I will patrol the streets and see if I can find more information about this incident. It would be best if it were solved as quickly as possible."
Joachim allowed a sigh to part from his dying lips, and with a last gaze up at the beautiful azure sky he guided his horse back to the manor. The obviousness of his desire to solve the murder as well made words to say it less enticing, for he expected Maurizio to already know his reply.