As Joachim walked about the castle grounds, he noted how little had actually changed in a year's time; it was hard to believe that twelve months had come and gone since his last 'encounter' with Lord Bernhard. But here he was yet again, called back from battle as expected. The same time every year he would receive the summons, the parchment bloodied by the hands of a different officer each time, as every year the man holding this particular post lost his life. He remembered once witnessing the death of one such officer, just after he delivered the summons. The man turned to leave, and upon treading but ten feet back into the field, was struck down by a stray arrow. He sighed. Such morbid thoughts for springtime.
As he walked, the sky grew darker and the sweet winds blew lightly, ruffling his ashen hair. I should be happy that I was able to see my family. And my, has everyone grown. Little Anna will be a bride soon. He smiled to himself. He loved them all so dearly, it pained him to leave them each and every time he was made to return to war. In fact, it was the strength imbued in him from seeing his loved ones that prepared him to pay his lord the necessary visit. He knew that going without such a visit would only earn him an earful of reproach later on, but was thankful for attaining the patience to give the man audience.
He noticed the lack of people out and about this evening; not so much as four of five did he see scurrying about the premises, whereas usually many entertainers and strollers would frequent the estate well into the nighttime hours. Perhaps the clouds and cool haze made them wary of rain. He shrugged, and continued his walk toward the castle, where no doubt he would be waiting. But, the knight would make time for one other before Walter. Indeed, he would stop by the chapel first, to ask for forgiveness prior to committing his inevitable sin...
The sturdy wooden doors groaned as he pushed them open, and struggled to shut again behind him. At the head of the room, the six tall candles at the altar were lit; their soft light cast flickering shadows on the alabaster figures adoring either side. The priest was not in sight, nor was anyone else at all, and Joachim took both comfort and distress from this observation. He approached a bench and sat, leaning his clasped hands on the seat in front of him. His eyes closed, and he began to appeal to God. He spoke with a sullenness that he himself found disheartening, and was sure God would not appreciate, but he could do little to hide it. Far too much weighed on his mind.
"Lord, I thank you for your protection of my body and soul. I pray to you that I might receive your spirit to aid my mind, to renew my heart, to clear my conscience."
"You wish Him to do all that, eh?" That voicehearing it there, while his eyes were closed and he was alonemade him twitch in his seat. He turned to Walter, and attempted to force a very weak smile.
"I'm sorry, my lord. I was on my way"
"Hush...I am not angry with you. I myself was here, anyway."
"But, I did not see you when I came in. Where were you?"
"I was praying, like you. I suppose with my head down, you might not have noticed me."
"That's true." Walter took a seat next to him, to ensure that he was close enough to run a hand through his silver hair, and caress his peachy flesh. Joachim was becoming increasingly more uncomfortable with this, feeling that God was watching and in turn becoming increasingly more agitated.
"Please, not here..." He pulled away from the red-headed man's grasp as he said this; though the young knight's own face was stern and wracked with worry, Walter suddenly erupted into cacophonous laughter, exposing what appeared to Joachim as a pair of strangely-shaped, almost fang-like teeth.
"What? Are you still worried about Him knowing? You must understand that God already knows about you and your sins, as He does mine. No amount of hiding one's behavior will keep it from God." Joachim could not argue with this; Walter knew how to exploit his weaknesses, and the issue of morality was no exception. But as he spoke, he could not keep his eyes off of the odd teeth in Walter's mouth. Why had he failed to notice them before this?
"I...just would prefer not to offend God while sitting in His house." Walter grinned again.
"You know, I've offended Him, and lived to tell about it."
"What?"
"You recall my venture for immortality? Well, I've found it. And I'd like you to join me." He put a hand on his knight's cheek, but it was quickly slapped away.
"Your teeth! What's happened to you!"
"Ah, yes. When I came into possession of those stones, I became immortal then. These teeth, as well as my new addiction, are God's way of showing His disapproval. But I imagine I'll learn to live with them soon enough."
"What have you done? You've betrayed Him, and me..." An unexpected fondness overcame him, and for a moment, he felt compelled to pity the being before him. He reached out to touch Walter's face, gently stroking his brow and cheek. Walter's own hand flew to his face, holding Joachim's in place on his skin.
"Come with me...time would never touch us. I promise you...please..." As difficult as it was for him to do so, Joachim shook his head, and withdrew from his lord's embrace.
"No. I refuse to join you in this spectacular blasphemy. I will forfeit my title in the morning." Joachim turned his back to leave, but as soon as he left the bench, he was stopped and spun around painfully. Walter had grabbed his right shoulder, and then his arm, pulling him so close that their chests touched and their legs intertwined. He was afforded one last look before his lord descended like a great beast upon his milky throat. God, save me from this evil. Please save me. But divine aid would not arrive. He cried out as the teeth dug into the flesh of his neck, initiating a kind of rolling pain that sent shudders throughout his body. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes, but for some reason, they did not flow out. The blood ran down his neck, down his chest, and pooled on the floor. Hungry and lustful, the lord ripped open his tunic, and voraciously lapped at the straying blood.
"Thou shall not waste..." He snickered in between heavy breaths, and smiled, blood trickling down the side of his mouth; he wiped it away, and leaned over the now broken young knight who had collapsed in the pew.
"There. It is done. You are now as I, and you will learn to live as I do." Still short on breath, he stepped backward, and headed for the great oak doors, trekking into the darkness of the evening.
He left him there on the bench, writhing and bleeding profusely, slipping in and out of consciousness. As he laid there clutching at his neck, blood running through his fingers, he thought once again about his fickleness, his irreverence. His ultimate betrayal, in front of God no less. Is this what he had served for more than seven years of his life? Is this what he had given up nearly everything for? He remembered the last words Walter had said before he disappeared into the night: "You are now as I, and you will learn to live as I do". Never, he gasped, trying to pull himself across the newly slick floor. The great oak doors now seemed so small, so far away. Just out of reach.