Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to someone else, likely Kiyo Kyujyo or Sunao Yoshida. I've also started incorporating ideas from other mangas; see the author's note for their names and a fuller explanation.
Chapter 13 – The Rock
"I am Petros. Brother Petros, head of the Department of the Inquisition. Some also call me 'Il Ruinante'." The crashing of the waves below against the cliff face took on an ominous tone as the heavily armored figure introduced himself to Abel, who stood on the balcony of the vampire safe house. Unusually serious, Abel afforded Petros the same courtesy and introduced himself. Then again, perhaps his seriousness was not so unusual. He was facing Il Ruinante, said to be the strongest, most violent knight at the Vatican. Single-handedly, he had annihilated two companies of the enemy and one company of the Vatican army in the Bohemian Wars four years ago. Abel's usual feather-headed manner would be no help against such a man, so he had tossed it aside. Petros would murder any man who crossed him without second thought, no matter how scatter-brained they were.
Considering the number of unfriendly encounters between the departments of the half-sibling cardinals, Abel half expected Petros to charge him immediately. It seemed, though, that when there was a vampire to be had, the department head put aside inter-Vatican squabbles. He said, "My current mission is to promote peace by eliminating the suspect of the most recent attack. If you are also of the Vatican then you will not hesitate in cooperating with us in the holy battle. Now step aside and allow us to pass."
"No, I'm afraid not." Abel's voice was completely unrepentant. He even had a sly smile on his face. This was clearly not the answer Petros was expecting, as he exclaimed "Whaaaat?" Whether this was because so few stood against him or he couldn't believe another member of the Vatican would oppose him, Abel was unsure. Either way, he looked ready to demand an explanation, so Abel gave him one. "I, too, am conducting an investigation into that suspect, sir. And my superior is quite terrifying. Any deviation in my orders would result in such torture, such maiming from her, that I would be in no fit state to marry, should I ever survive my current career." His voice rose dramatically in a poor imitation of Caterina's as he said, "You PIG!!" and dropped back down to normal levels for, "When she says stuff like that I take it seriously. Also, I asked my coworker to trust me on this, and if I make a fool of her she'll be a demon. So. Could you and your entourage kindly take your leave?"
There were angry mutterings from said entourage. Petros silenced his soldiers with a wave of his hand, saying, "It is alright. So then…Nightroad, did you say?" The smile was gone from Abel's face. "If your problem lies not in misunderstanding but in mishearing then the Vatican employs an excellent otologist. You should see him immediately."
"Oh?" said Petros with smirk. His eyes gleamed with excitement and he quoted, " ' The Lord is my shepherd. The sword is my companion. By the hand of the Lord, I will be victorious'!" Petros voice had risen to a yell and swinging around his spear-like weapon he screamed, "I shall do God's will! We shall ride over your corpse, enforcement officer!" With that he swung his weapon hitting the ground with a crash as loud as thunder. Abel was forced to jump out of the way and watched as chunks of stone fell into the sea far below. Wait. Chunks of stone? How had Petros' blow shattered stone? Looking at the weapon he found his answer. Its top was a high-frequency rotating wheel. A hit from it could kill a person. It was lucky then that Abel wasn't your average guy. He sent thanks to God that Lilith wasn't with him. What could she have done against such a fearsome foe?
Grinning like a madman, Petros lauded Abel's skill. "Magnificent. You evaded an attack from my 'Screamer' quite well." Preparing for another swing he said, "Thank you Nightroad, or whoever you are. I have longed for a chance to cross swords with an enforcement officer!" and the aptly named 'Screamer' came crashing down. This time, not only did it slice through a cable from overhead, it caused a rockslide, which sent roughly half of Petros' men into the sea. Abel, who had barely avoided death a second time, could see how this man had destroyed a company of the Vatican army in the Bohemian Wars. In a battle-frenzy the Director of the Inquisition took no notice of his surroundings. When the screams of his men finally drew his attention, Petros turned to Abel with a fearsome look on his face. "You! What have you done to my soldiers?!" Abel protested feebly, but Petros said, "Don't bother to make excuses!"
"You asked for it. I guess I'm stuck now, aren't I?" mumbled Abel, thinking Why an action type? He and Tres would get along, though…Clearing thoughts of that disastrous would-be meeting from his mind, Abel began to pray aloud as he drew his gun. "O Lord, shield me from the enemy…Amen!" He fired repeatedly. With bullets flying towards him, Petros made no move to dodge and smiled. He laughed, thought Abel, bewildered. The reason for Petros' uncaring smile soon became clear. Like Abel's own wings in his Crusnik form, shields extended from Petros' armor, blocking the entire round of bullets.
"Humph!" said the knight, "I applaud your skill. But! I am shielded from all attacks by my holy vestments. No! Mere guns cannot harm me! Even your best efforts are meaningless. Abel decided he'd met the worst trash-talker ever, and resumed praying. "O Lord, what shall I do with such an unstoppable, hateful foe?" Looking to the heavens for guidance, Abel noticed the hanging cable that Petros had cut in his earlier attack. He began to formulate a plan, heedless of the other man's cries.
By the time Petros stopped quoting, Abel was in position at the top of the stairs. With a mighty "Amen!" Petros swung his Screamer up into the air. Abel, moving quickly, shouted, " 'Heaven helps those who help themselves'!" Petros nearly laughed aloud at that. How could this puny enforcement officer hope to escape alive? He grinned. "It is futile to resist! You cannot possibly hope to hold your ground!"
"Then what's this?" asked Abel with a grin, and for the first time Petros noticed the cable the enforcement officer was holding. The cable that wrapped around his Screamer and continued to the ceiling, holding it in place! "No!" exclaimed Petros, then "Crap!" as he was forced off balance. When the knight let go of his weapon to unwrap it and regain his balance, Abel took the chance presented. There was a small opening in Petros' armor at his right shoulder and with an "Amen!" Abel fired off two shots. Petros let out a cry of pain as the bullets struck spot on.
That elicited shouts of outrage from Petros' men, but once again he silenced them, this time saying, "Wait, you! This is a battle man to man. I need no assistance!" To Abel he said, "It seems I underestimated you. This humiliation is atonement for my sin of hubris!"
"Yeah, y'know…Your sense of justice is admirable, even if it is too broad, but…" Action type, action type… "Won't you give up already? Please?" Abel's voice was a mixture of bored and pleading. "You wouldn't want to lose your other arm, would you?"
"It seems that now you underestimate me!" said Petros as he produced an ampoule out of nowhere. He continued, "I have informed you that from this moment forth I face you all out!" Abel was confused. "Is that a painkiller? Might I suggest a trip to the hospital instead?"
"I shall go to the hospital soon enough! But…" Petros inserted the ampoule into the side of his neck…and vanished. He reappeared disturbingly close to Abel, shouting, "But! I insist on taking you with me!" Then he struck. Only Abel's crusnik reflexes saved him from obliteration. "What?!" he exclaimed. "This is almost like-"
"Almost like a vampire's 'haste' is it?" finished Petros, dealing a strong blow to Abel's abdomen. Abel was sent crashing into the wall. Slumped down at the base of the wall, he left a bloody stain at the point of impact, and more blood dripped from his mouth. Staring at Abel's prone form, Petros explained, "This booster was developed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to counter the vampires' 'haste'. This marks the first time I've had the honor to use it in actual combat. Consider it the highest of praise, Father Nightroad! And now- fare thee well!" Petros' form blurred as he prepared himself for another strike. "Divine!" Abel raised his bloodstained face, "Retribution!" and was sent flying off the cliff in a shower of blood and rock.
The remaining soldiers began to cheer and slander Abel. "Do not speak ill of the dead," said Petros, removing his helmet. His straight blue hair blew in the wind. "As those who serve under the One True God, we must forgive his sins after battle. It is the duty of those who serve God to pray for the happiness of his felled enemies in the next world." Petros closed his eyes to pray. " 'O thou shall love God and thine enemies, too' Amen." His eyes snapped open. "Now, much time has been wasted over this trifling matter. We must begin the full investigation posthaste! We will hunt down the sinful vampire that threatened Cardinal Sforza like the monster he is!"
As Radu walks away from his tovaras and the sisters he can't help but smile. By the time he returns, with the key that could take them away from this place, they will all be dead at the hands of the Inquisition. He holds in his laughter until he is far enough away that no one will here, then it bursts out of him. It is not the laughter of a sane man. Radu discarded his sanity long ago, when he joined the Orden. He had to, to survive the harsh tests Dietrich considered training. His mind was warped and bent, and he learned to live for two things- fire and the death of Terrans. It's lucky for him that the two go together so well.
He always felt disdain for Terrans, and joined the Orden to rebel against the Mother who ordered the Methuselah live in peace with them. There, he came in regular contact with the Terran Puppet Master, and his disdain became hatred. With each Terran he killed he saw Dietrich's mocking, pretty-boy face contorted in pain, begging for mercy. Likewise, he had always been fond of fire, and the Orden turned that fondness to an obsession. Fire was his only strength in a world where one Terran could turn him into a puppet, where another could summon demons…
He was never a normal, whether it was his fire or his personality that set him apart. As a child, he saw the cloud of bliss that Ion lived in and tried to emulate the blond boy so that he too could feel happiness. But it never worked. His eyes remained blank, his smiles hollow, his soul empty. So he went to the other end of the spectrum, to hatred. To the Orden, and to something that caused him to burn on the inside as he did without. He hates the world, and will see it destroyed.
Radu hears soft steps approaching. His face goes carefully blank, and he whirls to face whoever has been following him. It is the brunette sister…Lili? Did she hear him laugh? How can he explain himself? On second thought, why would he want to? He'll kill this sister now and be done with it.
Radu conjures a fireball and prepares to fling it at the sister, but makes one mistake, which may prove fatal. He looks into her eyes.
They are brown, like Dietrich's, perhaps a shade darker, but it is not the color that freezes him. It is the emotion, or lack thereof. If eyes are truly windows to the soul then this sister is soulless. Her eyes are completely blank…so like his own before he discovered the fire that is hatred. Her voice is emotionless as she says, "Ifrit Radu Barvon. Were you behind the attack on the Vatican embassy last night?" He admits it. Why bother with secrecy when the Terran will be dead in a few minutes? "Yes, I killed Borromini. I drank his blood and burned him to death, just as I will you!" He flings the fireball, which she deftly sidesteps. He prepares to make another, but is distracted by her next words.
"That's all I needed." He hadn't noticed the placement of her hands before, but as she withdraws them from behind her back he curses his foolishness. She's holding a device he'd bet his titles is some type of recorder. She slips it into a pouch on her belt, and draws her dagger. Radu is tempted to laugh again. "You think that will save you from your fate?" She doesn't deign to reply. Instead, she vanishes.
As a Methuselah Radu should have no trouble seeing 'haste', but he cannot track the movements of this woman, which means she moves faster than a Methuselah. He doesn't feel the dagger sliding between his ribs, puncturing a lung. He doesn't feel himself falling, hitting the ground. His world goes dark.
Syeira walks away from the fallen Methuselah, cleaning her dagger on the hem of her habit. She pauses, closes her eyes, and breathes deeply. When she opens them, there is life in her brown pools again. Meditation was never Syeira's strong suit, but after she stopped crying over Evrek's death she often found herself slipping into a state where she was without emotion. The healers diagnosed her with depression, but she wasn't sad, she simply didn't feel anything. She has found falling into this state useful during combat, as she feels no guilt or remorse. In Radu she recognized a kindred soul, one who had also experienced such emptiness. Apparently he felt the same, for he paused long enough for her to ask a question and receive an answer.
Now, if the Count of Memphis discovers what she's done, she'll have proof that her actions were for the safety of all involved. It's lucky that her communicator serves as a recorder as well. The only thing left to do is transfer the recording to a standard issue AX tool, and she can submit it to Cardinal Caterina.
Syeira enters the safe house and finds the key. Her mind-dive into Radu's head last night revealed its location to her. It's in his room. After retrieving it, she takes a quick look around for anything suspicious and comes up with a piece of paper with a number written on it. The number is familiar…it's the Inquisition hotline! The bastard called the Inquisition on them! He never intended on offing Ion himself, he's was going to have the Vatican do it. All these thoughts rush through her mind, but predominantly is Esther is in danger!
Ion'a wound is not bad, to Esther's surprise. She thought a shot from Father Tres would hit closer to the heart. When he collapsed, she assumed it was from blood loss, but it appears that it was the result of silver poisoning and exhaustion. However, there is severe bruising around the cut, and Esther murmurs, "I'm sorry," when she realizes what it is from.
"What for this time, Terran?"
"For earlier, when I hit you here. It hurt, didn't it?"
"It could not be helped. We intended to kill thee too. Do not bother to make allowances for us." Esther is surprised by the young count's forgiving attitude, until he says, "But we cannot forgive that brutish Terran! He shot us without provocation!" Esther imagines the Father's reaction to Ion's words, and quickly moves to defend the android's actions. "Father Tres' action can't be helped. Er…'cannot' be helped. After all, right before that a vam- a Methuselah had killed someone in the cathedral. It think anyone would be cautious if there was a Methuselah in Cardinal Sforza's vicinity after that."
"Yes, we recall the Terran with glasses said something to that effect, too. Esther. Please tell us in more detail. Maybe that was a strike by the radical faction." Ion had a thoughtful look on his face as he said this.
"Radical faction? The Baron of Luxor mentioned something like that, too, didn't he? What is it?" Esther was surprised by the fearsome look her question elicited from the count, and more so by the revelation that the leader of the Empire was a woman. Neither of them noticed the presence of the Inquisition until it was too late.
Syeira was sprinting past the body of the downed Baron of Luxor when a fire-filled hand reached out and grabbed her ankle. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air, and she looked down to see her blackened calf disintegrating away to reveal bone. He's still alive? was her last conscious thought.
Radu smiled. It was not a pretty sight. His face contorted into an expression of pure malice. The foolish sister had missed his heart, and it would be the death of her. His eyes ran over her body from head to toe, and he was surprised to see the keys to the ship near her right hand. He picked them up and tucked them into the cloth sash around his waist, then summoned another fireball and contemplated how to kill her. Usually he burns the Terrans he is sent to kill to ash instantly, but a slow death seems more fitting for this woman. After all, as Ion would say, "She has sullied our noble flesh!"
Thinking of his doomed tovaras brings a scowl to Radu's face. Somewhere in time he has actually become fond of the little blond, and if he didn't know better he'd think Dietrich used his strings to manipulate the Empress into choosing the Fortuna scion as the messenger, just to play with Radu's head and heart.
The Baron of Luxor leaves the fallen Terran and walks to within hearing range of Ion, the other sister, and hopefully, the Inquisition. He'll return to torture her when he's sure that Ion is dead. After all, so few know of the existence of this tunnel, it's unlikely anyone will come and help her.
He stops just out of sight of the doomed pair. The Inquisition arrives, and he smiles, until he hears the one who is most likely the man in charge say, "No. We won't kill the girl or the vampire." Radu stifles several curses. He'll have to do the job himself, then. He holds out his palm and fire bursts into being, telling himself that the moisture in his eyes is from the heat, though it has never presented a problem to him before.
Relief is visible in Ion's eyes when the Inquisition men are incinerated. "Radu!"
"Forgive the late arrival. Are you alright, Ion?" Ion does not answer. Instead, upon seeing the blood staining Radu's shirt, he asks, "And thou, dear tovaras? We worried, we feared! And thou returns to us soaked in blood, so our thoughts were correct!"
Esther's mind is working furiously. The rest of the vampire's exchange is lost to her as she comes to a revelation. Ifrit are rare. An Ifrit attacked the cathedral, with the intent to disrupt the Cardinal's meeting. The Inquisition mentioned an informant, before Radu, the Ifrit, burned them to death. Radu knew when Ion would be meeting with the Cardinal. Lilith went to find Radu, and hasn't returned. Radu appears to have been stabbed. Lilith carries a dagger. It all fits.
"Your Excellency. Step away…Please step away from the Baron of Luxor." She draws her gun.
"What!" Ion screeches. Esther ignores him, and assumes her shooting stance, gun aimed directly at the blue-haired Methuselah. "Hurry!" she urges, "I think I know who the informant is. The one they mentioned earlier."
"Terran! What is the meaning of this!" Ion is outraged at the implications.
"So I'll ask you directly, Baron of Luxor. What you said earlier, about the 'radical faction'. That refers to yourself, does it not?"
Radu smiles.
AN: Yes, I believe Isaak is a Terran. There are many facts supporting this belief, but if you want them, you'll have to review. Sorry this took so long! I'll try to get the next chapter out quicker!