[[Prologus: NOVENA]]
Kneeling in front of an altar, a young woman bows her head, the veil atop her head shrouding her face.
"Our Savior, lifting us from the depths of Hell, blessed be the sword that meted out divine punishment. Blessed be Your hand that protected the unworthy ones, the weak ones, the helpless ones. Blessed by your holy crusade, the purging of demons and evil. Our Savior, we thank you for keeping us, for protecting us, for blessing us, and forgiving us. Our Dark Knight that saved humanity, and with the blood of his enemies, cleansed us of our impurity and filth. Blessed be Our Savior, amen."
Her thumb moves to the next bead, the pendant swinging with a soft clinging noise.
"Our Savior, blessed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy covenant be done, on this day forth until the end of times. Give us this day, our lives lain down at Your feet, and grant us the strength to take up arms and punish the evil the wrought discord and misery on this earth. Give us this day, our swords held up for Your sake, so that we may do what You've done, that we may protect humanity just as You did. Forgive us our weakness and faithlessness, for we are imperfect and human, and forgive us for our lack of strength. To You, O' Savior, we surrender our swords and body. Blessed be Our Savior, amen."
Another bead, another clinking of the pendant. Around her, the candles flicker softly, illuminating a pure white uniform and casting shadows on the blessed effigy of the Savior, the Dark Knight Sparda.
"In the name of the Knight, of the Dark Blade, of the Glorious Rebellion; Saviour Almighty, grant me strength to hold up the blade that is promised to defend humanity. Grant me the courage to face my fears, and the demons of the depths. Grant me the soul that endures hardships, endures suffering. Guide me, protect me, and empower me. Allow to me to join You in this Holy War. Blessed be Our Savior, amen."
Off to the side, the young woman overhears her brothers in faith, murmuring to each other in quiet tones.
"Sister Novena is praying again." One of them says. His companion makes an affirming noise.
"She's off to a mission in a bit; Sister Novena always prays before and after missions." The companion replies softly. "Leave the Sister be; she needs her prayers."
The two shuffle off, leaving Novena by her lonesome in front of the altar, and she takes a moment to look up at her God, feeling utter peace and safety under its ever present gaze.
"... Our Savior, the Dark Knight Sparda, grant me the strength to wake everyday and take to arms," Novena murmurs, her personal prayer passing softly through her lips. "Bless me, keep me, and protect me, for You alone have the strength to save me from the Hell that awaits me. Bless my brothers and sisters in faith, bless Your Knights that ever so faithfully serve you in mind and body, and bless His Holiness Sanctus so that he may be privy to your wisdom and teachings, so that he in turn may teach Your children in Fortuna about Your power and Your grace. This I pray to You, Our Savior... amen."
Novena sits back on the pew, adjusting her skirts and the shawl over her head, and she keeps her rosary within her grasp, thumbing through each bead with quiet solemnity. She has a few hours yet before she needs to leave on her patrol with Executive Gloria, and so she opts to spend it in prayer and reflection in the chapel near her barracks. It was soothing for her, the prayers and the reverent silence in the chapel, and Novena - due to her own rank and the two-person team she's been assigned to - revels in each moment where she can catch a break and pray to the Savior.
A year ago, she's had plenty of time for her prayers, but recently - ever since she came back from Germany with the Devil Arm Dracula in her care, she's barely had time for a breather. Demons are a common if unwelcome sight in the island of Fortuna; every inch of the isle teeming with the unholy and the vile. Knights have been working hard to quell the infestation, the science bureau has been churning tools to make lives easier and defenses more fortified, but even so, the demons doesn't seem to cease; two of the unholy replacing every one the Knights have cut down. It was a never ending struggle, but it was something every Knight has grown to accept. It was part of their vows, after all; they'll fight demons in this life, and when they pass and join the Dark Knight Sparda in his war down in Hell, they'll fight once more, under the banner of their God.
But even so...
The Festival of the Blade is tomorrow, Novena thinks. And after the celebration... The Knights who have been chose will finally Ascend, and join the ranks of the Angelos.
Novena is one such chosen Knight, and the Devil Arm she's recovered - Devil Arm Dracula - will be grafted onto her soul so she could subjugate it and Ascend.
'A gift from the Savior, dear child,' His Holiness Sanctus had said, seeing the results of the compatibility test between Novena and the Devil Arm. 'Truly, you are a blessed child, favored by our God. Soon, dear child, you'll become Angelo Novena, and you will surely be one of the Savior's strongest followers.' His Holiness had continued.
Novena wasn't one to pray for favors - she's not shameless - but if it's true, if the Savior really looks on her favorably...
A couple of slim arms wrap around Novena, jolting her out of her quiet reverie, and it was only through her fast reflexes that she recognizes her commanding officer's bejeweled gloves - inappropriately gaudy in this place of worship but also appropriately matching the decorated cloth lain upon the altar - and thus refrained from drawing the small dagger she keeps under her skirts. Judging from the low chuckle Executive Gloria utters, she knows what Novena almost did, and so the green-eyed Knight could only purse her lips, quietly embarrassed.
"I figured I would see you here, sweetheart," Executive Gloria croons, at the very least mindful of her volume. "Have you prepared for our patrol in Mitis later?"
Novena thinks for a moment.
Her uniform and weapons are laid out in her barrack rooms, a private suite for her considering she's the only other female Knight in active service at the moment. Her equipment is packed; Vital Stars and glass orbs filled with holy water as well as vials of holy water for her modified Caliburn prepped and checked thrice already. Novena need only to change out of her clerical robes.
"I've prepared." Novena replies as she rises from the pew, dipping down to one knee in front of the altar, before she rises and follows Executive Gloria, who is surprisingly dressed modestly for now. They make their way out of the chapel, the two women in the Order of the Sword leaving to prowl the demon-infested forests of Mitis. "We can go now."
The time for worship is over, Novena thinks.
It's time to hunt.
