Disclaimer: see Verse 1.
The Everblack Bible
Verse 4
Southeast by Moonlight
By Random1377
Alice covered her mouth, yawning as discretely as she could as she glanced around at the others. Though it was late morning, everyone else looked as tired as she felt – not a huge surprise, she decided, since they had all been up for most of the night, planning their next move.
"So Bistritz, huh?" Yuri asked, not bothering to hide his own jaw-cracking yawn. "I thought the bat guy was going to take it easy for a while."
"Well we're not really going there for Keith," Margarete pointed out, swinging her feet back and forth over the edge the small waterway on Old Church Street. "It's the quack we're after, remember? Koudles seems to think he might know something about the Everbark thing."
"Everblack," Alice corrected tiredly. "Really, this is importa-"
"Oh, don't get your panties in a bunch," Margarete cut in sullenly, her voice rising an octave as she mimicked the English woman. "'The Everblack Bible is a dangerous artifact that must be destroyed before someone with less than honorable…' blah blah blah – I get it." She shook her head ruefully. "I swear, you goodie-goodie types are all alike."
Yuri put a hand on Alice's shoulder as she bristled. "The new car looks good," he said lightly, shaking his head as Alice sighed and forced herself to relax.
Margarete kept her back to them to hide the stupid grin that appeared on her face. "It's legit, too," she said proudly, "this guy I know owed me a favor, so I leaned on him a bit and he gave me his own ca-"
"You call that legit?" Alice cut in dubiously, taking another look at the grey Ford sitting outside the Rats' house.
Oh great, Yuri thought with an internal groan, piss her off more. What is with these two today!?
He took a hasty step back as Margarete turned around and rose to her feet, staring at Alice with barely-concealed anger. She opened her mouth to say something, but as she caught sight of Yuri's disapproving frown, she seemed to reconsider.
"Sorry," she muttered, more to Yuri than Alice, "didn't sleep much last night."
"I think we're all a little edgy," Koudelka said calmly, following Halley out of the hideout and blinking in the bright sun. "Let's try to remember that we're all friends… and not let petty arguments stand in our way."
"Always the peacemaker," Yuri said thankfully, nodding to Halley as the young man offered him a pair of suitcases – found somewhere in the Rats' warren of stolen merchandise.
"I wasn't always this nice, you know," Koudelka pointed out, putting her hand on Halley's shoulder and giving him an affectionate squeeze as she gazed thoughtfully into a leftover puddle of rainwater, "having a child… changes a person – hopefully for the better, in my case."
"Were you that bad?" Alice asked skeptically, eying the woman closely as Yuri began loading their few possessions into the car.
"If you ever meet a man named Edward Plunkett, ask him about me," Koudelka said dryly, "though I doubt he'll feel inclined to talking on the subject for very long – I think he's still mad that I saved his life more than he saved mine."
"We'll keep that in mind," Margarete grinned, "hopefully we get to meet him so I can ask him."
Koudelka laughed. "You're a live one," she said approvingly, "yes, definitely keep it in mind – I think it would be-"
"We made it!"
Alice glanced up the street, smiling happily as the rest of the Rats came skidding to a halt in front of their small group. "Did you guys run all this way just to say goodbye?" she asked warmly.
"Uh… uh-huh," Chris gasped, holding her side and thrusting a small paper bag towards the exorcist. "H-here…"
Alice took the bag and peered curiously into it. "Candy?" she asked uncertainly.
"It's our newest," Sharon said boldly, her eyes shining with pride, "try one!"
Yuri slammed the car's trunk as Alice reached into the bad and pulled out a small, foil-wrapped candy. "What are they?" he asked curiously.
"Well," Joshua piped in, not to be left out, "there was a man who came into the shop from a candy company in America, and he wanted to know if we wanted to sell his candy along with ours, and-"
"And we said yes," Chris cut in, taking one last deep breath to get her heartbeat under control, "and he gave us some of these little candies to try, but then-"
"But then I said why don't we try making something like his, only different," Sharon concluded, practically beaming, "so here they are."
Alice unwrapped one of the candies, examining it closely. "Is it chocolate?" she wondered, popping it in her mouth. "It looks like a – wow!!"
Sharon giggled. "Aren't they good?"
Alice could only nod. Those are great! she thought, feeling a slight tingle at the base of her spine as the candy in her mouth finished dissolving. "What do you call them?"
"We're not sure yet," Chris admitted, "we just barely finished the first batch – that's why we were late. The man from America said his were called Kisses, so we'll have to have our name be different."
"What's so special about them?" Yuri asked, holding one of the candies between his thumb and forefinger and squinting at it suspiciously. "Just looks like chocolate to me."
"Eat it," Alice urged, "it's so good!" She smiled radiant at the children. "You guys," she said firmly, "are geniuses."
The children all grinned at each other as Yuri shrugged and popped the candy into his mouth, his face taking on a look of disbelief as it simply disintegrated, instantly blanketing his tongue with warm, rich chocolate. His eyes widened as the children began laughing.
"How… how do you do that?" he asked, amazed as he realized the candy inside his mouth was entirely gone.
"It's a secret," Sharon whispered conspiratorially.
Margarete took one of the candies and popped it in her mouth, making a great show of oooing and ahhing for the delighted children. "Thanks for the snack, kids," she said, ruffling Joshua's hair – then checking to make sure her wallet was still there. "We've gotta get going, though… it's already two o clock, and we've got a long way to go."
Koudelka nodded sadly. "Margarete is right I'm afraid," she said reluctantly, "you kids head back to the shop before Carl yells at another customer."
Slightly disappointed that there would be no more praise, the three younger children started back towards the candy shop, striking up a lively conversation along the way on how they could apply their process to greenbeans – so as to make the consumption of that vile product a quicker affair.
"Wish I was young again," Margarete sighed, ruffling Halley's hair (much to his chagrin) and giving Koudelka a final nod. "Well, we'll be going now."
"Drive safely," Koudelka said amicably, "and send word as soon as you get to Bistritz so I know you made it ok." As the tall blonde nodded and ducked into the car, Koudelka pulled Alice to the side. "Do something for me," she whispered, quickly pressing something into the exorcist's hand, "If your travels happen to bring you back to Nemeton, give this to Roger for me, alright?"
Alice started to open her palm, but the older woman shook her head. "Alright," the exorcist nodded, trying to control her curiosity as she slid the paper-wrapped item into her backpack.
"And if you really need me," Koudelka whispered, holding the girl's eyes with her own, "call out for me. I will be there."
As the three adventures pulled away and started for the edge of town, Halley finally spoke up. "Why didn't you tell Alice about Margarete's necklace?" he asked quietly.
Koudelka sighed and shook her head. "It is not my place," she said tiredly, "if she wants Alice to know about it, she'll tell her."
"But I thought you said it was affecting her aura."
"It is," Koudelka nodded, "but I think it's affecting it in a positive way." She shrugged. "And besides, Alice is a Demon Eyes… so I suspect she already knows something is different." She sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly, muttering, "Love is blind, I guess. That's why I gave her the channeling stone – just in case."
"Sounds kinda risky to me," Halley said doubtfully.
"It is," Koudelka said once more, putting her hands on her son's shoulders and looking into his eyes, "and I would go with them if I could, but I have to be here for you children right now, and we couldn't all go."
Halley averted his eyes. "I could have gone," he said sullenly, stuffing his hands deep into his pockets.
Koudelka smiled… but said nothing. I will not lose you again, she thought with a trace of guilt, call it selfish if you have to, but I will not let you go again.
After a moment of quiet, the two took a final glance in the direction the car had driven off in and went back into the house.
**
Alice woke from the light daze she had fallen into and blinked in confusions, rubbing her tied eyes as she tried to get her bearings. Moving… she thought, oh, right… the car.
She sat up and stretched, glancing up to the front of the car. "We are we?" she asked, keeping her voice low as she noticed the loose way Yuri's head bobbed from side to side.
"Europe," Margarete snorted. "Sleep well?"
"Actually, yes," Alice said thoughtfully, glancing out at the moonlit terrain, "it looks like we're getting close… do you want me to try driving again? It doesn't look like there are many people around this time."
Margarete glanced in the rearview mirror and made a face. "I'll pass," she muttered, "maybe Yuri will give you some lessons in avoiding trees – once he figures it out."
Alice reddened. "We said we were sorry," she whispered, shifting in her seat.
She truly did feel bad for the spy. The drive to London had been uneventful and quiet, so Margarete had been content to drive the whole way without a single word about switching drivers, but with the road heading to Bistritz being so rough and taxing on both car and driver, she had been forced to ask for relief after twelve hours behind the wheel.
It was then that she had discovered that Alice could not drive, and Yuri was very bad at it.
"Yeah," Margarete mumbled, "and I said I'd drive. I think we both meant what we said."
"There's no need to be defensive," Alice pointed out quietly.
"I'm not being defensive," Margarete shot back, "I just don't understand how two people your age can get by without knowing how to drive. I mean, I've been driving since cars first-"
As if to spite the older woman, a loud bang erupted from the front of the car. "What was that?!" Yuri demanded, snapping awake and looking around with sharp, suspicious eyes.
Margarete and Alice exchanged a look in the rearview, feeling a bit closer as they realized how silly their argument was. "Just a flat," Alice said soothingly, almost touching him on the shoulder before noticing how closely Margarete was watching.
As the car slowed, Margarete sighed. "Don't suppose either of you know how to change a t-"
"Look out!!"
It happened so fast that Alice's head was left spinning. She had the barest of seconds to register a huge, winged form rushing towards the front of the car before another, much louder bang shook her brain in her skull and knocked the breath from her lungs. Groggily, she shook her head and struggled to get her bearings.
"Y-Yuri?"
The world had a tilted, uneven slant to it – unsurprising, as the car had been rocked halfway onto its side – and from where she sat, Alice could just make out the shape of Yuri's Death Emperor, snarling and snapping at Margarete through the shattered windshield.
Only… it was not Yuri's Death Emperor – no, he was still in the front, grasping desperately at the creature's black hands. Attack, Alice thought dizzily, trying to remember where she had put her Holy book of Martyrs – her preferred bible for spellcasting.
"Damn it," Yuri roared, barely holding on to the thrashing monster's forearms, "Open the door – get out!!"
"R-right!" Margarete gasped, pushing herself further back against the car's bench seat and barely avoiding the Emperor's razor-sharp jaws.
Alice took Yuri's advice and threw her own door open, spilling out onto the rough dirt road a moment before the car filled with a cloud of noxious gas. Dark Messenger! she thought, coughing as a whiff of the poisonous vapor caressed her face. Oh no – Yuri!! Margarete!!
She scrambled to her feet, casting about for anything she could use as a weapon, but before she could find anything, the telltale report of a gun sounded less than three feet away.
"Margarete!"
The older woman was on her knees on the driver's side, coughing almost uncontrollably, yet somehow managing to keep her favorite pistol – Draze – pointed towards the front of the car, pulling the trigger over and over as the Death Emperor thrashed and growled, seemingly intent on finishing what it had started in the car's cab before turning its attention to the annoyance kneeling in the road.
Yuri, Alice thought desperately, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the smaller, less powerful Shooting Star Tome.
As she opened it, fully intent on drawing on the power of Advent, the roof of the Ford exploded… and the huge form of Amon rose up into the night, born on tattered wings the shade of old bruised tissue and rotten, dead teeth.
"Yuri," she breathed, watching in wonder as the harmonixer rose higher, drawing the Death Emperor away from the decimated vehicle. Shaking her head, the exorcist dashed to where Margarete had finally collapsed, opening her bible and flipping first to her Resurrection spell… then slowly turning to and chanting the simple Cure spell instead.
She doesn't look too bad, she thought as she completed the chant, nodding to herself as the green, healing light washed over Margarete's body and the woman's ragged breathing eased; in fact… she didn't look hurt at all! I wonder-
A furious roar drew her attention to the sky, and she cried out, instinctively covering her head as she found the Death Emperor diving straight towards her, its misshapen head spit in a huge, triumphant grin. The roar sounded again, and in spite of her resolve not to look, Alice found herself drawn to the anger of that cry.
I'm looking at my own death, she thought deliriously, her eyes meeting with the monster's.
A third cry split the night air, and a moment before the Death Emperor reached her, another creature dropped out of the sky, crushing it into the dirt with an anticlimactic crunch.
All was still.
Alice looked up into Amon's hellish yellow eyes, swallowing as she whispered, "Y-Yuri… are you ok?"
Amon roared one last time, its gargantuan form fading from view as Yuri banished it back to the dark corner of his soul that was its home. "Yeah," he coughed, reaching into his jacket and pulling out his Nightbird claws, "just… keep your eyes open – it might not have been alone." He wet his lips as he glanced around the quiet plain. "Is she ok?"
That was rough, he thought as he waited for Alice to check Margarete, gotta let him out more often… he REALLY didn't want to go back.
"Well," Alice said reluctantly, "I thought she was about to die, so I started to Resurrect her… but… but she was still breathing, and her… aura looked strong, so I just Cured her – and she's fine."
Yuri's nostrils flared, as if he was sniffing the air. "She took it full in the face," he said after a moment, "she must have been holding her breath – otherwise, she'd be dead."
Alice paled.
There were many spells of health and wellbeing that she could call into effect with the aid of a bible… but even the deceptively titled Resurrection chant could not only restore life within a few seconds of death – for once a soul truly left the body, there was no coming back. Dead, she thought dazedly, Margarete could have died tonight – Yuri could have died tonight…
She looked up as Yuri knelt down and lifted Margarete into his arms, a brief, irrational pang of jealousy coming over her at the tenderness in his movements. "I'll… get the bags," she said awkwardly, trying not to see how he rested the other woman's head on his shoulder.
"Hey," Yuri said suddenly, reaching out with the hand under Margarete's shoulders and grabbing Alice by the wrist, "stay close to me, ok? We're gonna walk through the night – I don't want to be here when whoever sent that thing after us come to check on it."
"You think someone sent it?" Alice asked nervously as they headed back towards the car… but paying very close attention to the way his hand felt on her skin.
"Probably that Jones moron," Yuri growled, "Koudelka said he was after the Bible, right? Well, he probably had spies watching her, and since we came right after, he figured we'd be out to get there first." He shrugged. "Military tactics, baby – wipe out the competition, and you automatically win the race, no matter how slow you run."
Alice had a sudden vision of a sinister man in a black top hat, strolling leisurely behind a happy, unsuspecting Sharon. In her mind's eye, she could see the man smiling wickedly as he drew a small dagger and approached the child, his intent all too clear.
Shaking her head to rid herself of the disturbing vision, Alice replied, "Then let's make sure we run faster – if he's willing to do this if he just thinks we're after the Bible, I want to make sure we get to it first… because who knows what he'll do if he actually gets it!"
Yuri glanced from the slack face of the woman in his arms to the ruin of the car they had been traveling in less than ten minutes prior. "Amen," he whispered, shaking his head grimly. "Amen."
Continued…
Author's notes: I guess Zhuzhen will have to wait until next chapter – sorry Zhu fans! :( I wanted to have them at least get to him, but I just couldn't fit it in, what with all the other stuff going on. Next time… next time. Kisses, by the way, have been around since 1907. ^_^ I was going to have it so that Sharon invented them, but it turns out she was a few years too late, so I had to settle for her making her own candies based on Kisses. *Shrug* I'd rather have Sharon's, wouldn't you? :D Oh, and for those sharp-eyed, horror game fans – yes, the channeling stone is the same channeling stone from the scariest of scary games Silent Hill. Well, ok, it's not the actual stone, since it won't summon UFOs, but it looks like it. -_-
A note on WW1, which should (by all reckoning) be taking place at the same time as this story: I'm afraid I'm not much of a war buff, and since this is fanfiction, I'm having it so the locations our heroes visit are not yet involved in the conflict. I know this may come across as a copout (and pretty darn historically inaccurate), but if you think about it, WW1 should have already broken out by the time Yuri first tried to merge with Seraphic Radiance – he was out of it for six months after all – so if anyone's at fault, it's Midway! …ahh watch as I shift the blame. ^_~
Pre-read on this chapter was by Aegis – who just sighed and rolled her eyes when I tried to explain why I wasn't sticking to history. :(
Feedback is always welcome on this site or by e-mailing random1377@yahoo.com