Cornelia lay nearby, eyes closed in mimicry of sweet repose. Geppetto frowned, knowing if anything went wrong he would most likely lose her.
Leaving the doll he took his crests, the precious few he had garnered over years of study. One had a healing spell, another a water-based attack, another air-based, and the fourth...he replaced that one and took the first three.
Blanca was still howling, warning all the villagers of the danger. Yuri was probably still trying to find the soldiers, if Blanca had just scented them. If Geppetto could hide himself in the church before Yuri lured the soldiers there...a sudden ambush might work.
It also occured to Geppetto that Yuri might well get himself shot before ever reaching the church.
"Grandpa?"
The soft voice stopped him as he was in the doorway. He turned and saw Jeanne standing in her nightshift, one hand rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Are you going to the church? Mama told me no one's supposed to go."
"Yuri needs help, even if he doesn't want to admit it," Geppetto answered.
"Oh...so you're going to help him? You're both really brave to fight those soldiers," she said. "You'll come back soon, won't you?"
"Yes," Geppetto promised easily. For a second he expected her to tell him 'you always say that', then shook it off. "See you in the morning, Jeanne." He opened the door and left for the church.
As he got closer Blanca's howling grew louder and he sped his pace, determined to get to the church in time.
Suddenly a scream rose above the wolf's howling. Geppetto stopped, his heart hammering--and then he realized it was not Yuri's voice but another's. This must be a part of the 'lure'.
Geppetto snuck into the church and hid himself at the front of the church, behind the statue of Mary and Jesus. Then he examined the crests he had brought with him. The water crest proceeded in a line, so the more distance between him and the soldiers, the better. However, if Yuri was in the middle, he would have to use the air class.
Any more planning was interrupted when something large hit the ground. Geppetto wondered what the Germans had that could make that sound and that shaking.
The church doors swung open, banging against the walls. Startled, the puppeteer could not stop himself from peering around the statue. His mouth went dry when he realized the gargantuan form was not a German weapon, but a demon, a thing of nightmares. In the darkness its eyes gleamed with an unnatural light and it stood twice as tall as a man--and it was holding a soldier in its arms. The man was limp as a doll, seeming lifeless. Carelessly the demon dropped the soldier to the floor where he moaned, proving he was still alive. It did little to dispel Geppetto's fears.
Turning away from the altar, the demon lumbered towards the doors. Geppetto realized then how heavy he was perspiring, sweat and more dampening his clothes. Looking further he could see the monster's distraction: a troop of German soldiers. They now seemed to regret trying to recover their comrade.
"Get...out...of...here..." The demon spoke slowly, the syllables choked out of ill-formed vocal cords. "Get...out...or...die."
One soldier opened fire. Perhaps he hadn't understood, or maybe he was too terrified, but one fired and then a chorus of gunfire followed. Geppetto ducked back down when a poorly-aimed bullet ricocheted off the statue. His heart was pounding fast. What was going on? What was Yuri doing? The soldiers had come to the church, but he had done nothing, unless...unless this monster was his.
There was a cry as a soldier flew through the air the length of the chapel. When he hit the wall there was a tremendous sound of bones snapping. Then he fell to the ground, just within Geppetto's view...he was most assuredly dead.
Screams were quickly shortened into the groans of dying men and the satisfied grunts of the demon. The slaughter did not last long. When the groans stopped Geppetto dared to look again. He saw the demon standing over the dead men as it examined a blade protruding from its arm, which was now slick and shining with blood. With a loud snort the demon dropped its arm and disappeared in a flash of light--and there was Yuri.
He hadn't summoned a monster, he had become one. Geppetto watched with a choked throat as Yuri went back to the one unconscious soldier and kicked him.
"Hey, moron. Wake up," Yuri rasped. When the soldier failed to respond Yuri growled and kicked him in the gut. "Wake up!" The soldier doubled over in pain, gasping. Before he could recover, Yuri grabbed his head by the thick hair and lifted him up, forcing him to see the remains of his troop. "See this?" The soldier was shaking. "Good. Now get the hell out of Domremy."
Once Yuri loosened his grip, the soldier scrambled to his legs and ran, stumbling as his pants were down around his ankles. Yuri watched him for a moment, unaware that he was being watched himself. Then he gave a little cough. "Goddamn, I hate when that happens," he muttered while rubbing his throat. Geppetto ducked down again when Yuri turned to the front, afraid--terrified--that the demon knew he was there. But he heard nothing for a moment, and then Yuri's footsteps, going away.
The doors never swung shut and so it took Geppetto several minutes to finally gather his courage and stand. Yuri was nowhere in sight.
Outside, the sky was just beginning to lighten, still a deep purple. The faintest rays let Geppetto see the soldiers' corpses. Yuri had taken care of the soldiers, certainly. He had taken care of them the way a butcher took care of a carcass. So horrific were the wounds that Geppetto found it hard to tear his eyes away.
A movement caught his attention though and he looked up. Yuri was standing in the doorway, a shovel in hand. Geppetto's heartbeat quickened with the other man's eyes resting on him and he cursed himself for a fool. Of course Yuri would have come back; he could not just leave this bloodbath for the villagers to find.
"How long have you been here?" Yuri asked, his voice still rough.
There was no point in lying. Even if he claimed to have just entered the church it would have meant he was nearby when the fight happened. He would stil be a witness. "The whole time."
Yuri's free hand balled into a fist. "You goddamn idiot. I could've killed you."
"Does that mean you're not going to?"
The question threw Yuri off guard. "I'm not a demon," he answered quietly.
Geppetto would have liked to believe that; he had grown fond of him in the last few weeks. There was blood on the coat he wore, the coat Geppetto had bought for him. All of it came from the dead soldiers lying around them, whom he had killed just moments ago as a monster. Geppetto wished to believe him, but the corpses' testimony was more powerful than words.
"Fuck you, Gep," Yuri told him, apparently aware of the conclusion he'd reached. He threw down the shovel and finally walked into the church. "You think this is sad you should think about the goddamn mess they would've made of this village. What the hell was I supposed to do? I gave them a warning and they shot at me."
"Do you really think they understood you?" Geppetto tossed back. "They were too terrified to think straight."
"Goddamnit, what did you want me to do? Just stand in the church like this, tell them to shove off and have 'em fill me with lead? Oh, yeah, lot a help that does."
Help. Yuri had spoken once of wanting to do good, in return for Alice's sacrifice. Geppetto knew his niece would have been horrified at this sight. "Is this the good you wanted to do?" he demanded, indicating the carnage. "Is this what you think Alice would have done?"
"No, it's not. You want to know what I think Alice would have done? Alice probably would've found a way to keep the villagers safe and let the soldiers get off easy. Cast Advent to put the fear of God in them or...I don't know." He stopped suddenly and sighed, one hand running through his hair. "I have no fucking clue what she would have done. I just know I couldn't do it.
"I'm no exorcist, and I can't do the kind of miracles she did. I don't do miracles at all. People would've died tonight, and I made it as easy and quick as I could."
"Easy?"
"You've been here the whole time, haven't you? I didn't draw it out. I got it over with and killed them."
They had all been terrified, but now that Geppetto tried to recall the course of events he could not remember any of them being in pain for long. With his head bowed in thought he remembered the crests still clutched in hand. They were demons that the ancient king Solomon had captured, now to be used...whether good or evil depended on the user, but he and Morris had once argued fiercely over that point; the other man had believed them demonic no matter who used them, despite Geppetto's protests.
Were Yuri's actions evil, or was he only thinking that because he had changed into a demon? But, how could he not be a demon and yet turn into one?
"Forget it. I don't know why I try getting you to believe me when you wouldn't even listen--"
"No, I...I do believe you," Geppetto said slowly. Though the sight of the dead soldiers was horrifying and terrible, he could see it being necessary. All of Europe was engulfed in a great war, and he could imagine there were worse sights to see. Yuri, despite his strangeness, despite his red eyes, did not seem a demon. "How did you turn into that demon if you're not one?"
Yuri tilted his head, thinking it over and then laughed. "You ask the hard questions, don't you? I know my father could do the same thing, but I really don't know where it comes from." His voice was lighter now, relieved. Then he examined Geppetto and asked: "Do you really believe me, or are you just trying to keep me long enough to find an exorcist?"
"I'll only get an exorcist if you try to steal my soul."
"What are you talking about? The devil wouldn't want your dirty old soul," Yuri tossed back, and despite all the night's terrors--or perhaps because of them--Geppetto laughed as though it were the funniest thing ever.
After he was done, there was a brief pause. "You're not going to tell anyone, right?"
"No, I know. I won't tell anyone, don't worry about that," Geppetto said. "But I should probably go back now; I think Jeanne stayed up to wait for us. I'll tell her the soldiers aren't a problem anymore."
"Problem for me," Yuri corrected him. "I've gotta dig graves for them."
Geppetto nodded. It was an urgent concern, and it would take Yuri a long while to dig a grave for each soldier. "Then, I'll go on ahead."
Yuri nodded in agreement and moved aside for Geppetto to step past him. The older man had just reached the door when he heard: "Hey...hey, Gep." He turned and looked at Yuri, who was rubbing a hand through his hair again. "Thanks."
Author's Note: Morris is Alice's father, for anyone wondering. Sorry this chapter took so long to write; it's been a busy (but good) week.