a/n
thank you to those who have kept up with my story. I love the story stats function on this site. Very sorry this took a while to get out. A lot of life has happened in the last month. I lost one of my best ponies tragically on June 12, R.I.P. Zena. 2020 has been one of the hardest years of my adult life.
{warponyrider}
Abel sat quietly in the library, his revolver set out as he cleaned the various parts, a small container of gun oil with its sides smudged black from many uses sat on the desk and the cloth, once white now gray was being rubbed back and forth on the last bit of the gun under his bare hands. Tres was obviously fanatical about guns and their maintenance thus after many years of working so closely with him; gun cleaning had become a soothing, repetitive ritual with little thought needed. Beside him was his bag, ready for the next part of their journey. He wore his priest robes and it felt comforting and familiar, letting his mind wander as he went through the motions. Tonight they were to reach Prague and hopefully connect with a church to start their search for this Nordhausen town or Kohnstein.
"Father Nightroad walks again?" Astha commented as she leaned against the doorframe.
Abel smirked slightly, looking up at her over his glasses. "It seems the lord works in mysterious ways… Sister Astharoshe."
She was dressed in the nuns habit, the white full length dress covered her from throat to just above her ankles and was trimmed with a blue line along the edges, a hint of lace petticoat could be seen at the hem, her white boots covering her ankles, for no skin could show. The fit was snug but flattering, his breathing hitched a little, when did being totally covered become so alluring?
"I don't know how this blasted hat thing goes on. Do I have to wear it?"
"It pins in… here give me a moment to finish up." He quickly finished up reassembling his gun and tucked it back in the holster. The cloth and oil went back in his bag, and he wiped off his hands before putting on his white gloves, motioning Astha to come closer.
"Here," he stood up and took the structured cap and veil out of her hands. Standing behind her he set it on her head and pinned in the clips to hold it to her hair. He draped the veil out along her shoulders, her hair just short enough to be hidden. He had helped Esther with her veil many times and had learned the knack to get it to stay. He sighed quietly breathing in her light perfume, this was definitely not Esther…
"Are you done?"
"Yes, you are all proper now."
She stepped forward and turned around.
"Thanks… Father." She smirked a little at the term.
Abel chuckled, "it is a title that invokes feelings of trust and closeness. Don't read so much into it."
"I preferred just calling you priest."
"But you're being a good sport and I do appreciate it."
"I just hope this is all worth it. I've done many things but being a nun is a first."
"You certainly ah… look the part now
A knock at the doorway pulled their attention.
"Your guest has returned again My Lady." Hector announced.
"Thanks Hector, we will be right out."
He nodded and left.
Seth let out a low whistle when they appeared, Abel once more in the black priest robes with the ornate coat and his white gloves that she had first seen him in a few years ago. Astha looked unrecognizable in her nuns' habit… a long dark blue coat draped over the bright white of the dress to mute the near glow of the new cloth.
"Wowzers! What happened while I was gone?"
"We received a bit of... divine help you could say." Abel grinned.
"No kidding! Well… it might be blasphemy considering how the church feels about my children... but if it's what works." She stepped aside and displayed two bags she had brought with her. "Tent, micro sleeping bags and two uv suits in that bag and a small cooking set with collapsible parts to keep it as compact as possible in the other."
"Fantastic! Where were you when I worked for AX?"
"Umm running an Empire." She grinned before sobering up. "You'll come back here when it's all done?"
Abel stepped forward and knelt down before the petite woman. "I will." He wrapped her in his arms for a few moments.
"I lost you once, don't do it again." She whispered before stepping back. Abel smiled at her before reaching out to grab the bags and standing back up.
"Astharoshe, you have a dear place in my heart especially with all you have and are doing for him. Your honor and courage are without bounds… I thank you not as your empress but as a girl worried for her brother and her friend."
Astha blinked a moment and smiled at Seth, curtsying as her dress allowed. "Thank you Seth, I will do my best to bring us both back in one piece."
"Now on your way, I have a small ship waiting that can take you to Prague, you should be there within the next two hours." Seth waved her hands, shooing them towards the car where Hector waited.
Their flight was quick, or so it felt to both of them as they dozed in their seats. They reached the small landing zone in the early morning, the sun not yet risen.
"It is really inconvenient having this allergy to the sun you know." Abel grumbled as he peered at the horizon to gauge how much time they had.
"Says the guy that doesn't have the issue of severe burns and even death caused by the rays." Astha rolled her eyes and adjusted her cloak. The habit didn't allow for as much head coverage as she would prefer but the deep cowl and uv cream would suffice brief exposure.
"I can't believe there hasn't been a way to reverse that aspect of the bacillus. It didn't used to do that initially." He looked at the address to the closest church and nodded at her to follow him. It would only be a half hour walk from where they got off the ship thankfully… just before the sun would be problematic.
"It didn't?" She fell into step beside him.
"When we first discovered it, perhaps it was due to the lower uv light on Mars but it didn't affect the colonists. It wasn't until a little while after we returned here that it started. Whatever adaptation it had was lost after that bit of exposure."
"How long did it take to understand what was going on? Did… did they drink blood too?"
"The increase in deep sunburns until suddenly they reached a limit of exposure and the current reaction we see today started. As for blood… again not until we came back here. It was like the sun was the catalyst with the age of the bacillus. The adults changed within months where the younger ones took a year or more. It unfortunately caught us off guard… and eventually caused the Human Vampire wars."
She glanced at him as he spoke, the concept of him being around so long ago becoming more tactile. He stopped abruptly looking at a street sign.
"Enough of that… I'll get us lost if I don't pay attention." He smiled and led her down the street.
"Do I have to say anything when we get there?" She asked after a while.
"Hmm… you are Sister Agatha since Astha isn't a common name, and you are with me to assist in researching some local lore. You took your vows a few years ago and have been on the road with me since?"
"Sounds plausible… I guess. Agatha?"
"Allison? Abigale? Use a name you can remember."
"Agatha is fine. Are you still using Nightroad?"
"Yes… it would only mean something to Caterina if she looked for it. The rest of the regular circles of the church wouldn't know me."
They took another turn and could see the large stone church ahead of them. It was an immense building, light grey bricks framed with decorative iron reminiscent of lace followed the tall, graceful lines. The main door was sunk in an intricately stone carved archway. A large brick and iron sign displayed the name Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius.
"I didn't expect this to be quite so big of a church… but it's the closest one to us." Abel turned to her. "Just follow my lead, don't make much eye contact and it should at least get you a room for the day."
"Otherwise we run like thieves because they think I'll steal all the blood." Sarcasm dripped from her tone as she adjusted her veil and cloak.
Abel barked out a short laugh. "Yes exactly… and I would rather not run around, it's bad for my health."
Their banter helped her nerves as they walked up to the door. She placed herself just behind his shoulder and tilted her head to look at the ground as they waited. His knocks were loud in the early morning quiet, announcing their arrival rudely.
He looked over his shoulder at her, an encouraging smile on his lips. "Now we wait."
Sister Cecilia briskly walked down the hallway from the kitchen. Whoever was pounding on the main door at the crack of dawn better have a good reason for interrupting her chores. She had been elbows deep in the second batch of bread dough. As she drew closer to the door she hastily brushed off the flour that coated her apron and wiped her face on her sleeve in case she was powdered.
"Welcome to the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius. Are you in need?" She said the greeting the local priest had trained them whenever someone knocked on the door. As she opened the door she saw a very tall silver haired man in Vatican priest robes, a kind youthful face smiled at her as she came more into view. She noticed he had a bag slung over his shoulder as well as one set by his feet. A movement caught her eye and she spotted the white of a nuns habit just past his shoulder.
"Ah Good Morning sister, I deeply apologize for our early attendance and yes we are in need." Abel smiled warmly. "We have traveled far and are looking for shelter for a day or two as we do some research."
"Oh, ah yes, yes of course! I admit your appearance has taken me by surprise, forgive me. I am Sister Cecilia."
Abel bowed his head briefly and looked back up at the nun with a caring smile. "I am Father Nightroad and my assistant is Sister Agatha, it's a pleasure to meet you Sister Cecilia.
"Please come in, I can give you a bit of freshly baked bread as you rest yourselves. I believe I have rooms in the dormitory that will just take a moment or two to prepare." The nun stepped back to allow them inside. The morning sun was just breaking over the horizon as they entered the building.
The church was very ornate with gothic influences of elegant buttresses and dainty stone carvings. The stained glass windows illuminated the hallways in a multitude of patchwork colors.
"This is a very beautiful church Sister Cecilia. It looks more original than most, was it rebuilt at all?" Abel commented as they followed the nun.
"Thank you Father, much of it is painstakingly replicated given it was built originally in the 18th century. We take great pride in keeping this building in the best shape to allow future generations to enjoy."
"That's an amazing endeavour, your congregation is doing a great job for sure."
Sister Cecilia beamed with his praise. She was an older woman, stoutly built with curly grey hair bouncing just under her veil. She had a kind face that was easy to return her smiles.
They entered the kitchens, a young novitiate in a slate blue dress was washing up dishes when they walked in. She turned to look at them curiously. A nervous smile appeared as she took in the tall priest and nun that walked in with Sister Cecilia.
"Novice Mary, we have some unexpected guests and need a room for them right away. Could you please prepare two rooms?"
Mary bowed quickly. "It will be done Sister." She quickly left the room.
"Thank you again for your hospitality, it was rotten luck that we didn't arrive at a more amenable hour." Abel smiled again at the nun, before turning back to glance at Astha to see how she was doing. Their eyes met for but a moment before she looked back down at the tables and counters about the room.
"Father Nightroad it's not a problem to help you, it's always a boon for us to see new faces. Here, take a few buns and some water for now." She had placed two small plates with fresh bread buns and a small scoop of butter on the table not being used as work space. She pulled out two stools and gestured for them to sit.
"It's been a while since I've had fresh baked buns!" Abel gushed, the fool persona making a full appearance. They set their bags down by the door and took the offered stools.
"Thank you Sister Cecilia." Astha quietly said as she sat down and carefully pulled the cowl off her head.
"Sister Agatha, right?"
Astha nodded.
"Please don't be shy around here, we are a friendly bunch." Cecilia smiled reassuringly.
"Thank you, I am just quite tired from our travels. Please don't take any offence. Father Nightroad keeps us on a gruelling pace."
Abel nodded as he finished his mouthful of food.
"It's true, we have a lot of towns to visit and things to look at before we return. Perhaps this stop I will have you rest up while I do all the running around?"
"Have you been traveling long?" Sister Cecilia asked. They were a striking pair, both tall and pleasing to the eye. They didn't look like researchers, the nun had a more military bearing that was at odds with her shyness. Him, she sighed inwardly, was instantly likeable in the lack of ego that was so common with the priests.
"Quite a while, this particular excursion has been a few months." Abel answered.
"May I ask what you're looking for specifically?"
"Local lore, pre Armageddon locations that we can't find on any maps."
Cecilia blinked and hummed as she mulled over his answer."Our own archives might be of some help."
"I had hoped I could start here while Sister Agatha rests?"
"Of course! After Lauds anyway, I'm sure Father Paulo would love to meet you both."
Mary knocked respectfully from the door.
"Excuse me, the rooms are ready if you will follow me." She said softly, keeping her eyes downcast.
"Fantastic, thank you very much!" Abel smiled at the novice and got up, grabbing his bags. Astha followed his example, flashing a quick smile of thanks to Sister Cecilia.
Their rooms were at the end of the hallway in the dormitory, Mary led the way quietly. They could hear some noise as the others within the church were waking and preparing for the day. Abel was reminiscing about the dorms in the Vatican that was his home for the last decade. It struck him how he had gotten so used to the humble regularity of the church routine.
"F-Father Nightroad, if I may… where are you from? You look so different than the priests around here." Mary shyly asked as they walked.
"I'm from Londinium originally but I have lived in Rome for the last ten years." He answered cheerfully.
"I dream to one day see the Vatican. I hear the Pope is a young man, almost my age."
"Yes, that is correct. I have seen him a few times and he is youthful in all aspects… quite the change from previous popes."
Mary stopped and turned to him, excited.
"You've seen him?!"
"He does lead us in some of our prayers from time to time. He is truly a wholesome and innocent man that inspires even the hardest hearted warriors that grace our orders." Abel smiled at the near swoon the girl had hearing about Alessandro.
"I do pray after my vows I will get the chance to attend his sermons then! Thank you Father Nightroad for telling me about that." She gushed and turned around to keep leading the way.
Astha's eyebrow quirked at Abel for a moment as they walked. It was interesting to observe the exchange, similar to a young methuselah wanting to meet the Empress or work at the court. While Astha had never been unkind to her Terran staff, she also had never considered what life was like for them out of the empire, these few trips to the Outer had been eye opening to say the least… once Abel had pointed out that these were indeed people too. A flash of guilt hit her as she remembered her carelessness in Venice several years ago now.
"Here are your rooms. Extra blankets in the closet, and a washroom is back up the hallway and to the left. After Lauds most of us will be scattered around the church doing our assigned tasks. If you need me, I am in the kitchens today." Mary nodded to them both and left.
"She seems like a nice girl, a bit shy but warms up fast." Abel commented after a few moments. He shuffled around his bags. "Let's hope one of the rooms has no windows."
"Yes… let's pray." Astha smirked as she spoke.
"Ha, you're catching on." He grinned back, then opened his room. Only a small window that would be easy to block was visible to him. A single bed, he could smell the freshly laundered linens as he walked in.
"A small window here." He walked back to Astha who had opened her door.
"She gave you the luxury room, I am blessed with a windowless one."
"Small miracles do happen once and awhile." His eyes twinkled with mirth, obviously he enjoyed her attempt to blend in with what wording she thought was of a religious tone.
"I am going to rest a little bit longer since you'll likely go do the priest stuff. If you can, bring me whatever books you find so that you're free to wander."
"Ok, I'll see what I can do. I hope that we can find something quickly as William is likely a prisoner by now…" he sobered. "I'll knock three times so you know it's me."
Astha nodded, and reached out to squeeze his hand briefly. "Can't be that hard to find something to push us in the right direction."
He rested his other hand on top of hers for a moment. "Yes, we have to find something. I might sneak a call to Sister Kate to get an update. Now, get your rest."
Abel returned to the main area of the church, slipping into a back pew as the priest droned on with his sermons. He sat with his head bowed, his hands resting between his thighs as he absently traced the black crosses that were embroidered on the backs. He had removed the heavy coat and was in the high collared black robes that all the priests wore. Lilith's cross and rosary hung from his neck, pooling above his left thigh.
Father Paulo had picked the topic of restraint from temptations apparently. Abel shook his head sadly as he listened in. He was drowning in temptation whenever he was around Astha, from the blood pumping in her veins to the golden depths of her eyes she tempted him. Their 'entanglement' in his bed had been a glimpse of what was brewing between them now. Her approach was of equal attraction and no apologies, it left him yearning for more...His mind wandered then to the nightmare or vision 02 forced on him… The real possibility of Cain using her against him still sent chills down his spine. That Astha would listen to reason and stay away once they found him was another matter.
His thoughts drifted away from Astha. Lilith had been fairly quiet since Krakow, seeming to be unable to communicate. The security he had felt having her with him had been weakened with 02 taking over at Krakow. The cooling trickles he felt were welcome but he knew now that he needed to rely more on himself to control the beast within. He needed to stop being the victim of his circumstances now, somehow so that he could stop Cain, whether or not he ended up destroying himself in the process.
"Ahem… Father Nightroad?" A male voice startled Abel from his thoughts. He sat back quickly, hitting his knees soundly on the pew in front of him. He winced as he turned to look at the person. Father Paulo looked at him with concern. He was a middle aged man, in good physical shape with short cropped brown beard and hair.
"Sorry! Ah, yes that's me." Abel stammered, the fool persona cloaking his serious thoughts once more.
"It's me who should apologize! I didn't mean to scare you."
"I'm somewhat easy to startle, I'm ashamed to admit." Abel rubbed his knees for a moment before getting up to join the priest in the aisle.
"It seems being a traveling priest does that to some… welcome to my humble parish." He smiled warmly and extended his hand to Abel.
"Thank you Father Paulo, it's a beautiful church here. Remarkable architecture and rich in history." Abel gripped his hand in a friendly handshake before standing back to gesture at the room. "It's part of why I'm here actually… I'm hoping to delve into some forgotten places."
"Oh? Sister Cecilia mentioned that you were looking into old maps." He looked around briefly. "I was told you had a companion… Sister Agatha?"
"Yes, she is resting after our flight here, air travel doesn't agree with her."
"Ah yes, I have similar trouble with flying. Now that Lauds is done, let's have some food and I'll see what we can do to help in your research."
Novice Mary smiled warmly when she saw the silver haired priest with Paulo, and quickly set about getting tea and toast ready for the men.
"I am looking for maps regarding an area to the west of here. It's an area once used for gypsum mining as well as there was once a museum or something there at one time." Abel stopped to fix his tea with a conservative five spoons of sugar. "Nordhausen is a name tied to the place if that triggers anything for you."
Paulo watched the young priest destroy his tea with excessive sugar curiously as he listened. "I know of the gypsum mine but no museum comes to mind. How far back in history are you going from?"
"A thousand years give or take."
"Well given our church is older than that… we should have something for you." Paulo smiled and ate some of his food for a while.
Abel nibbled his food slowly since the nuns did give him bread not all that ago. He studied the people around him, seeing the large variance of ages in the nuns. All looked to be sensible friendly women, not a fighter to be seen… he shook his head slightly at how being in AX had really altered his idea of the clergy staple.
"So, Father Nightroad in your travels did you hear about the recent desecration of the church in Krakow? It was only two days ago. The vampires covered up the attack on the church by coordinating the explosion of their own consulate. How low can they go, harming their own to mask their nefarious agenda." Paulo spoke with conviction, giving Abel the news.
Abel looked over the rim of his glasses at the man. "The vampires did it?"
"Of course! Who else would have a hatred of the church than the empire? Our inquisition is what keeps them from rampaging through the streets intent on removing us or keeping us like cattle."
Though it had been a while since Abel had heard the very common sentiment, after being around Astha and seeing the empire it felt so uneducated of an opinion.
"I didn't hear anything yet, likely just due to being on the road. Has there been any response from the church?"
"Inquisition has sent in troops to patrol while the city cleans up the mess. The Empire trade has been ceased and some arrests of the few resident vampires has happened."
"Lord willing things will quiet down without more bloodshed." Abel commented, keeping his gaze on his cup.
"I heard the church was charred and in ruins. The priest had a bad concussion and doesn't know or remember who attacked him is what the reports are saying currently but there was blood everywhere." He looked over Abel's silver hair. "But there was mention of the police looking for a tall man with long silver hair… as a heads up if you are walking around the city and seem to be getting extra attention."
"Oh wow, thank you for letting me know! Not many have my hair colour."
"Where did you fly in from?"
"Milan."
"Ahh… one of the Cardinals has estates there correct? It's been a while since I kept up with the happenings within the Vatican."
"Um, yes Cardinal Sfonza has land there."
Abel was beginning to be a bit concerned with how knowledgeable Father Paulo seemed to be… so much for finding an out of touch backwater church.
"Hmm, well I should get you to the library so you and your companion can continue your research. Follow me."
Abel let out a relieved breath he hadn't realized he was holding as the priest got up to take him to the library.
"Hopefully we see you at the next service, please bring along Sister Agatha if she is able." Father Paulo waved as he left Abel at the library.
The room was surprisingly large, eight large double sided bookcases filled the room along with the walls stuffed with tomes. The air was stale from lack of ventilation, the smell of old paper and leather filling his nose. Daylight filtered in from the stained glass to the west of the room, a geometric design of blue, red and green surrounded a golden cross in the center of the window.
"Well… we need maps so let's try this side." Abel commented aloud, heading to the far right of the library.
Astha woke up restless, pacing back and forth she wondered how Abel was doing, where was he and why hadn't he shown up yet. It had been a few hours now for sure… carefully applying cream to her face, pulling on her gloves and readjusting her veil she stepped out into the hallway.
As she wandered she could pick up tidbits of conversations from the various rooms. Apparently Abel had caused quite a stir in the nunnery. A sly grin worked its way on her face as she heard his name uttered several times. Eventually she made her way back to the kitchens, scanning the room she picked out Mary at the far side, wiping down tables. There were several other novices in the room who looked at Astha curiously before returning to their chores.
"Excuse me, Mary?" Astha tentatively asked, trying to sound meek. The woman jumped anyway, absorbed in her work.
"Ah! Oh my goodness, sorry about that Sister Agatha, appears I was lost in thought." The young woman blushed furiously as she righted her veil and looked up at the nun.
"My apologies. Do you know where Father Nightroad is?"
"He left with Father Paulo, towards the library I believe."
"How do I get there?"
"I can take you, let me finish this last table." Mary smiled and quickly went back to work. Astha waited patiently, but could feel the other girls studying her the longer she waited.
"Alright, again sorry for the wait Sister." Mary led her back to the hallway.
They were a little ways from the kitchen when an older man stepped out of a room towards them. He looked around middle aged, in good shape with short brown hair and a cropped beard. He smiled warmly towards Mary and looked at Astha pointedly.
"Good morning Mary, I see you have a guest today… I can only assume that this is Sister Agatha who is traveling with Father Nightroad?"
Mary bobbed her head in acknowledgment, she backed away from Astha to allow the priest to see her fully.
"My word you both are quite tall!" He looked her up and down openly. "I am Father Paulo, and this is my church." He stepped closer to Astha and extended his hand.
Astha, not entirely sure what proper greeting was needed reached out to shake his hand as she had seen others do. "Pleased to meet you, Father. I am looking for my companion, Father Nightroad."
"You have the most interesting eyes, can't say I've seen golden ones before… ahem sorry where are my manners!" He let go of her hand and deftly moved to the side, inviting her to walk on. "It has been a few hours since he went in. I'm sure your assistance would be appreciated, I allow me to take you there."
Mary looked at Paulo for a moment before she quickly left them, returning to the kitchens Astha assumed. An uneasy feeling crept up Astha's spine the longer she was with Paulo. He focused on her with an intensity that was uncomfortable.
"It's my duty to help Abe-Father Nightroad so please if you don't mind." Astha pressed.
"Of course, it's a bit of a walk. Come with me, Sister Agatha." He gestured for her to walk ahead, putting his hand lightly on the small of her back for a brief moment.
They walked to the end of one hallway and turned down another one.
"This church is a lot bigger than it looks." Astha commented.
"It's part of its charm. So many nooks and crannies that hold secrets of past occupants. I love uncovering the secrets here." He looked sideways at her. "Your accent… I can't place it. I travelled a lot in my youth and your inflections are intriguing."
Astha blinked a moment, faltering for a second as he caught her off guard.
"I am from Skopje." It was a city close to the Empire, the closest full human one to Byzantium that she could remember off the top of her head.
"Ahh ok, I never made it that close to the vampire's country. It's no wonder you went to the Vatican as the best way to stop the infection of those blood suckers is with the Church. I was a trainee within the Inquisition but a bad training accident made me unfit for duty, thus I went to a more academic path."
Astha did her best to blank her face, her teeth grinding at the man's racist comments before realizing he was looking for her reply.
"Yes… what better way to help in the church's crusade to keep the vampires at bay." She made sure to look down and away in case he saw her teeth as she spoke. "Sorry to hear you were unable to stay with the Inquisition."
"Thanks, it took me years to recover full use of my leg but now you wouldn't know it had been smashed. You don't act like most nuns I've seen… I can always spot someone who is used to fighting. Tell me, Sister Agatha, is protecting Father Nightroad what you thought you would use your inquisition training for?"
"Ha ha, you caught me there...I was a bit of an outcast and started in the more combative part of the church but uh… fell into the more regular channels after a while. It's made me an unorthodox companion."
"Indeed, it's refreshing to know I still have the knack to see beyond a person's face."
"It must be a handy skill to have, being a man of the church."
They walked to the end of the hallway and to a closed door.
"I imagine you are quite a force to reckon with… it is a pity your stay is so short. You are enchanting Sister Agatha, I do hope that we can sup together at the end of the day. I would love to hear more of what has been going on at my old training grounds. Father Nightroad is in this room." He reached out again to shake her hand, this time wrapping the other over hers with a light squeeze.
"It will be up to Father Nightroad… Thank you for showing me the way."
"I am but a shepherd to the flock under my roof." He smiled, trying to catch her gaze for a moment before withdrawing his hands and walking away.
Astha let out a pensive breath before opening the door.
"Nightroad?" She called putting as she closed the door behind her.
"Ast—-Sister Agatha?" Abel called back from somewhere to the back of the room.
"Yes, where are you?"
She could hear him quickly walking towards her.
"Is everything alright? I'm sorry I haven't made it back… there's a lot of stuff to go through here."
"Uh… yes everything is ok. I got bored in my room and felt I could avoid enough windows to get to a library."
"How did you find it?"
"I had the pleasure of meeting Paulo." Her aggravation was easily seen now that she was with Abel.
"Ah… he seemed charming initially. Quite focused on the Empire though."
"Uh huh, I don't think we can stay here long. He noticed my accent and eyes quickly… and he was a recruit of the Inquisition. Why are all the males in your blasted organization so awful?"
Abel raised an eyebrow. "I'm not surprised by his training… what else did he say?"
"He's lucky I didn't feed him his teeth for calling us an infection."
Abel smirked. "I'm glad you reined in your temper for the sake of your cover." He looked up at the windows. "Doing ok in the light?"
"Yes, have to say the nun suit covers so much it's easy to stay protected from the sun."
He nodded and led her to the back where he had been going through huge rolls of geological maps. He had one very yellowed roll singled out with a few books set aside to be used as paper weights.
"I think I've found something here on this map… it's all written in German and seems to be from the Second World War. I'm glad you're here as it's very very brittle paper."
"I can't read German, can you?"
"No. But I could call Sister Kate."
They set about flattening the map carefully. A few creased ripped apart but in general it survived their manhandling.
"So we are here in Prague. I can read that well enough... West of that by the coordinates we guessed our crash was… has us here." He pointed a long gloved finger at a hilly area north of old Berlin.
"These marks look like train tracks." Astha leaned in beside him, peering at the faint lines.
"They do! Annnnnnndddd…Mittelwerk and Kohnstein is up from there, it's just off from Nordhausen. We should be able to find an entrance now that we know what direction we need to go."
"We need a newer map to see what town we are going to." Astha walked over to find a more modern atlas. After a few minutes she set down a book and flipped it to current Germanicus.
"So….Mansfeld?" Abel pointed to the large town.
"And from there we will have to go on foot or something?"
"Most likely so we don't miss an entrance following the train tracks."
"Ok. We got something to work on." She found a pen and paper he had set aside for notes and started writing out the coordinates, names and general directions.
"I'll call Sister Kate to let her know the direction we are headed and see if they've heard anything about William."
Astha nodded, her veil obscuring her face from him.
"Iron Maiden, come in please."
"Iron Maiden here, state your request."
"Sister Kate, I have an update… is it a good time to talk?"
"Ab—- just a minute let me switch lines."
"Abel?" Sister Kate's youthful voice was replaced with Caterina's tired voice.
"Miss Caterina."
"Have you found him?"
"No… but I think I have a location. We are traveling tonight to a nearby town."
"We caught a blip from his tracker before it vanished. He was at the life pod, poking around there for who knows what… but we found a security tape that has a man who looks a lot like you doing a tour of the catacombs the same day who doesn't show as leaving the museum. Esther confirmed him as Cain."
"Bad timing on the Professors part… we will get him out Caterina, if he's still alive."
"I will send you help."
"No, keep Tres with you at all times, I fear you could be a target."
"...Fine."
"The Krakow incident, that was Dietrich's doing. We saved Petros but I don't know what the repercussions are going to be. Try to keep Francesco from letting the Inquisition do more damage to that city."
"I'm all that's stopping him as it is. I don't know how much longer I can keep him from going in to eradicate the vampires."
"You can do this, I know you can."
"Stop Cain, take the head off the Orden so we can stop this nonsense. And bring back Wordsworth."
"I will."
"Thank yo—-."
The line clicked and the transmission ended abruptly.
Astha looked up when he approached, worryingly looking at his communicator.
"Problem?"
"Impending war, Cain has William and Caterina hung up on me before I could send the coordinates."
"Oh joy." She deadpanned.
"Indeed… we need to leave as soon as you can travel. There should be a train station or something that we can use to get to Mansfeld quickly."
"Another few hours and I should be ok with my cloak and such." She walked up to him, looking at his face intently. "You need rest, and food that isn't all carbohydrates and sugar. I'll draw some when we get back to the rooms."
"Asth-" She poked him hard in the chest.
"My duty is to keep you alive and fed, stop fighting it."
They made their way back to their rooms after a few redirections from passing nuns. Astha was amused again by Abel's obliviousness to the glances and breathy comments from the nuns.
Astha gave him two vials to consume in his room while she gathered her bags in hers. She waited a few minutes to give him his privacy before knocking on the door.
"Come in."
The window was in the shade as the sun was slowly setting. She looked over his features to see he wasn't quite so pale and tired looking. Now that she was more aware of the drain it took on him, she could see the nuances in his face. She gave him a teasing grin and she leaned against the door.
"Do you normally fluster all the girls at church?"
"I what?"
"Come now, haven't you noticed the swaths of swooning nuns as you walk by?"
"They did not swoon, and besides they are all women of the cloth."
"Hmm… right, no earthly desires?"
"Vows are serious things Astha. People are quite dedicated to not breaking those." She could see she had ruffled his feathers a bit.
"I think a few of those women have no such convictions. Why does the church hold such disdain for sex?"
Abel, who was repacking some of his clothes, froze and looked at her incredulously.
"The church is against lust, as it leads people to do evil things. Sex is a just biological necessity."
"Interesting. With us, sex is an expression, given our long lives and low fertility rate we like to enjoy eachother as the relationships wax and wane." She sat down on the chair in his room. "So did you make a vow? Against lust?"
"I did not take a vow of celibacy."
"Why not?"
"Well… um, well because I wasn't worried about temptation."
"And now?" She asked, leaning forward provocatively.
He cleared his throat in discomfort. "I Ah...can't break a vow I never made. Besides, I'm not a priest anymore." He looked at her more directly. "You know damned well of my attraction to you, I've fallen victim to your charms a few times now."
A half grin lifted the corner of her lip, the tip of her fang visible.
"Just making sure."
His eyes dropped to her mouth, and she could see him hesitate.
"I'm all ears if you need to confess impure thoughts, Father." She teased. "Or all mouth if that's your preference."
"You are going to be the death of me." He rolled his eyes dramatically. "Only you would tease me about sexual matters when we are trying to save the world."
Astha chuckled. "I like to keep you on your toes."
There was a polite knock on the door. They looked at each other before Abel moved to open the door.
Sister Cecilia waited patiently in the hallway.
"Excuse me Father… but Father Paulo has asked that you and Sister Agatha join him in his sanctuary for a brief meeting."
"Oh? Ah, ok. Right now?"
"Yes."
Abel glanced back at Astha nervously before turning back to the nun.
"Give us a moment please. We are not staying the night so just have to gather our bags."
"Oh, of course."
"Abel… I have a bad feeling about this." Astha whispered when he turned back to her to grab the bags.
He nodded. "Me too. Stick close, you said he was in the inquisition… this could go sideways."
Taking a deep breath they walked out of the room to follow the nun.
"I hope the library was able to be of some use for you?" Sister Cecilia asked as they walked.
"It was exactly what I was needing, thank you. I have our next location found, I'm excited to say. We will likely leave tonight to catch the late night train."
"But you just got here, surely you will need to rest with us until tomorrow morning."
"We can sleep on the train as I am very close to finding the last parts to my research. Surely you know how hard it is to wait when the end is near."
"Oh you young folk. Always in such a hurry! Why can't you wait for the dough to rise?" She chastised.
Abel and Astha shared a glance as they followed the 'older' nun.
They stood before an ornately carved door, depictions of a battle between angels and demons scrolled into the hardwood. Sister Cecilia knocked on the door lightly before opening it.
"Ah, thank you very much Sister Cecilia. You can return to your duties." Father Paulo said as he got up from behind a large wooden desk. There were three large armchairs set in front of the desk. The walls were lined with books and various religious paintings. Interestingly also several military medals were displayed.
Father Paulo's eyes flickered from Abel to Astha and stayed on her for a few more moments. Abel could feel Astha tense and did a well practiced stumble of a toe caught on a rug.
"Do be careful Father Nightroad!" Paulo stepped around his desk in alarm of Abel falling.
"Sorry, sorry my apologies! Being tall has its disadvantages some days." He chuckled as he moved in front of Astha, and smoothed out his robes. "You wanted to see us?"
"Yes, please have a seat, both of you."
They set their bags discreetly beside the chairs and sat down.
"So, I take it your search was successful? You're all set to leave already."
"Yes, I am very close to finishing my research and any delay puts me that much longer in returning to the Vatican." Abel replied.
"It's not often anyone is looking for thousand year old maps… which leads me to ask why?"
Astha looked around the room, a large window was to his back, heavy drapes covering it. Along the top was a few slivers of daylight peeking through.
"Like I said earlier the now extinct town of Nordhausen was what we were looking for."
"And why would you be looking for long dead towns?"
"Piecing together old stories from the regions."
"Is that so dangerous to need a bodyguard?"
"A what?"
Father Paulo stood up and walked by the windowsill and toyed with the pulls for the curtains.
"Sister Agatha, she is more than just a mere nun, am I right?"
"I already said I had combat training… why is this an issue?" Astha answered.
"I looked you up… I can find a Father Abel Nightroad, as indeed a Vatican priest ordained ten years ago. But there is no recent record of a Sister Agatha in the inquisition recruitment boards or in the graduating classes of the seminary."
"How dare you question our authenticity."
"Krakow police were looking for two people of interest, a man and a woman. Tall with unique features of silver hair on him and golden eyes on her. It's far too coincidental." He turned to look at them sternly. "I will not allow you to destroy my church if you were indeed involved in the destruction at Krakow."
Abel peered at the man for a moment, before standing up, all traces of his clumsy persona gone, replaced by an aura of seriousness.
"If you doubt my intentions, I have a person you can ask to verify myself and Agatha's mission."
Paulo stiffened at the sudden change in Abel. He licked his lips before speaking. "Who?"
"Cardinal Caterina Sfonza."
"Francesco's half sister?!"
"Yes."
"You have a direct line to her?"
"Indeed."
Abel saw Paulo waiver now, dropping Caterina's name had surprised him.
"It seems perhaps I've underestimated you. Cardinal Caterina has a known unit of specialized priests and nuns who are like a detective group. It was whispered when I was in training as few of my colleagues were disgruntled with the fact there was opposition to our fighting force."
"It is in your best interest to let us leave here without trouble."
Paulo looked past Abel and studied Astha for a moment. "Were you two involved in Krakow?"
"We rescued Chief Inquisitor Petros Orsini while undercover. He does not know it was us especially in the state he was in. Last we heard he was recovering in hospital."
"Orsini was there? The vampires must have gotten the drop on him."
Astha looked down as she could feel her blood rise at the man's unfounded accusations.
"It was not done by the Empire. Another terrorist organization is responsible… it's best you don't know more."
"Who else would want to attack the church?"
"Humans with hatred in their hearts… not all monsters have fangs Father Paulo." Abel said sadly. "I have seen a lot of horrible things done by humans, sick and twisted. It's not a vampire only problem."
Father Paulo moved away from the curtains and stepped towards them.
"Forgive me for my suspicions. You are free to leave."
"Thank you, we must hurry to catch a train." Abel gathered his bags and nudged Astha to do the same. They nodded farewell and left the room.
Once out of the church they both took a deep breath as they stepped out in the cool evening air. Abel pulled out his map, looked at the street sign and set off to the east.
"That was tense." Astha commented, having to walk quickly to keep up with his long strides.
"I know, I was certain he was going to whip the curtains open and blast you with sunlight."
"You thought that too?"
"As soon as he stood up and went to the window I almost jumped him."
"If it wasn't for the intense pain sunlight gives, that would have been entertaining to watch."
"Entertaining?" He slowed to look at her face.
"I didn't like that guy from the start, seeing him get beat would have been satisfying. Besides I'd hate to get blood on this obnoxiously white suit."
"Oh, yes he was quite irritating." He smirked a little and returned to his quick pace.
"Do you know where we are going?"
"Mostly. It should be another block or so."