Chapter 111[Kenneth Faelora's POV]
The oracle. A blessing from the gods if ever there was one. She had arrived in our greatest hour and warned of the impending attack. It was thanks to her that we were able to mobilise and prepare so quickly.
She sat in solemn contemplation in the back pew, no doubt communing with one of our heavenly lords.
Meanwhile, the other faithful members of my group and I were deep in prayer. We prayed from the bottom of our hearts for the brave men of Farrowgate to come home safely. We prayed for the Empire’s slaughterers to find redemption and repent. We even prayed for the cursed undead, in hopes that their damned souls may be blessed by the light.
“...So says she who loves all. Blessings upon us.”
“Blessings upon us.”
I spoke the closing words of the ceremony, and my congregation affirmed their faith.
“With our souls once more filled with the light, let us prepare for what may be our final vigil.”
I stood and addressed the crowd.
“Final, Father?”
“Yes, my son. Oracle, would you like to enlighten the others?”
“No need, Father.”
She stood with the elegance befitting her status.
“The words belong to my lord. They hold the same weight coming from any of us.”
“Too true.”
I felt my heart shake as her honest faith resonated with my own.
“Please listen then, my friends. Not long ago, our oracle had another revelation.”
The mood began to sour as they whispered and nervously glanced back to the oracle.
“Please, do not panic! This revelation was a good omen!”
They quickly quietened down and expectantly awaited the news.
“I shall relay the words exactly as they were presented to me.”
I cleared my throat, admittedly nervous about presenting the words of a god as nothing but a humble man.
“On the night of the red moon, a saviour will appear. They shall mark the birth of a new god, one who will guide us through our troubles, and deliver retribution to the damned.”
I spoke carefully, ensuring that my feeble mortal mind wouldn't miscommunicate something so crucial.
The room fell silent.
And then, it exploded in uproar.
“A new god? Is this for certain?”
“Everything the oracle predicted has come to pass. Why would this be different?”
“What do we know of this god?”
“Who is the chosen saviour?”
“It could be any of us. Or maybe someone from Lion's Maw will come?”
“Who says it has to be a Solean?”
The discussion grew increasingly intense as theories ran wild. Thankfully, everybody held back from swarming the oracle. After all, we understood there was a limit to how much she could divulge.
“But… a blood moon? Those are usually bad omens.”
One person's voice silenced all others. I stepped forward and nodded in understanding.
“Yes. The blood moon heralds unbiased death. It is a sign that those scorned by the gods have infiltrated Arden… and I do not know when such an event will come to pass.”
“B-but they are meant to save us, right? That must mean…”
“It means this blood moon could come any night now.”
As the tensions began to rise again, I quietly cast a Soothing Light spell across the room.
A gentle blanket of glimmering dust settled over the crowd, and their distress was soon forgotten.
“Please, remain calm. Trials are often presented to us before a reward. We must remain united and hold firm to our belief. Only then may we make it through unharmed.”
They held onto my words, and I felt it was a good enough time to move matters along.
“Now, the soldiers will be busy securing the town and collecting the wounded. I am sure we shall be busy tending to the worst of them, but this does not free us from our other obligations. Get your torches and holy water, we will patrol in groups of three.”
“Yes, Father.”
They began to disperse, leaving me alone with the oracle.
“You handle your flock well, Father.”
She said softly.
“It is my calling, and my honour.”
“Hmm, perhaps our saviour is closer than we think?”
Her words shook me, and I immediately tried to refute her. But she had already walked out.
Me, one of the gods’ chosen? I dared not humour such an idea. There were plenty more worthy than I, after all.
I put those fancies aside and returned to the room I had been assigned. I had in there a simple set of practical clothing and a wooden cudgel.
I was no great warrior heading into battle. Those days were behind me. But these small things could still inspire the weak, and that alone drove me to don them. I was to patrol the outer grounds of the estate, and my rendezvous point was the storage building just down the hill.
There, two of my followers would be waiting and would no doubt be pleased to receive relief.
…But instead of their warm greeting, I was met with a cold corpse.
There was no need to think about the matter too hard. His skin was pale white, with a pair of puncture marks on the neck, and no blood left in the body.
It was a clear vampire attack.
“Father! Are you okay?”
Two men joined me as I prayed above the poor, fallen soul, but their concern soon shifted to fear as they saw their comrade.
“Wh-what happened? What do we do? Those are bite marks!”
"Damned beasts! We need to do something! Burn them! Burn them all!"
“...Hold your rage, my son. It will be your blade in the dark when you need it most.”
I placed a comforting hand on him and cast Bless over each of us.
“This divine light will shield you from profane magic, but you must remain alert. It will not shield your throat from their lust for blood.”
I cautiously pushed open the warehouse door, which had been left slightly ajar.
And I was greeted by the depravity known only to the most vile of souls.
My followers could not help but void their stomachs at the sight of all that blood. Flesh torn from the bone. Chunks of meat and hair were scattered about. The walls were painted in the remains of our former friend.
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I closed the door and quietly swore an oath to put the soul at rest as soon as possible.
“We must warn the others…”
I drew my cudgel and ran as fast as my trembling body would take me. The others were falling behind, owing not to physical ineptitude, but to their shaking souls.
I caught sight of dark shadows fleeing from the front door, and recognised immediately that it was three of the five blood knights.
They must be held accountable, but we would need the combined might of Farrowgate to do so. The priority was not to attack, but to save.
A child, only 14 years old, had been residing on the estate. There was also, of course, the mayor himself, and the noble pillars that supported us all. But the most important of them all was the young oracle. All these victims must be rescued from the fangs of the insidious undead menace.
I ran for the oracle's room first. I flew up the stairs to the second floor and rounded the corner to find yet more blood sprayed across the walls.
At the end of that crimson trail was one of the servants, holding their side and gasping for air.
“Let me help you!”
I fell to my knees, preparing to feed my divine magic into his wounds.
“N-no, don't!”
They tried to warn me, but it was too late. The moment I pulled their hand aside to inspect the wound, their intestines dropped out, and panic overcame them.
They tried to scoop it back in, but they were not even granted that vain hope. The poor man's head suddenly twisted, and their body was forcefully yanked away from me.
They flew from the floor into an open room, carried by a shadow I could barely perceive, and the door slammed shut as I tried to follow.
“Open up! Let me in, damnit! Curse you, curse your foul soul, devil!”
My words were drowned out. Or maybe they were consumed by the evil I was trying to confront. I felt my breath leave me as the crunching of bones and squelching of wet flesh served as my only response.
I stepped back, and the two who had followed me finally caught up. But they too could not say a word in light of the horrors taking place behind the door.
“W-we have to run!”
One follower desperately fled for the stairs, and the other soon followed.
But the first to flee suddenly dropped as a flash of white blurred past, then disappeared just as quickly.
“A-ah…”
The survivor fell to his backside, his knees shaking as he soiled himself.
I was too far to see what he saw. But I could make out two faint lights. Green eyes shining in the dark. Like the flames of the underworld approaching from above.
They loomed over the fallen man, and from the darkness I witnessed a clawed hand of bone grip the man's head.
CrrkkrCRACK.
His head was ripped from his shoulders, his spinal cord dangling below. And then, the head turned and floated towards me.
No. Rather, the unseen monster was holding it as they crept closer. The twisted look of fear on that severed head was no doubt reflected on my own soon-to-be claimed face.
“D-Divine Bolt!”
I mustered what remained of my courage and sent out a blast of radiant light, illuminating the hallway briefly.
The creature dropped the head and recoiled with a hiss before leaping to the ceiling and scurrying away.
In that brief moment, I had witnessed the beast in its true form. Just like the therians, the vampiric menace were known to revert to a bestial state when they succumbed to their darkness. I had never witnessed this process, but I knew it when I saw it.
The features of a bat claimed by death. That was the identity of the cursed slaughterer. That was the base form this vampire had returned to.
Thunk. BANG!
I had almost forgotten the door through which the servant was taken. It suddenly opened, and a disfigured corpse was tossed out before slamming shut again.
I ran. Fear carried my body faster than ever before.
I may have driven back the first beast, but clearly there was more than one. There should only be two blood knights present in the building, along with Alexandru Radu. This meant that, in the worst-case scenario, a third monstrosity was skulking about.
The oracle's room had been left wide open, and so I leapt inside and slammed the door behind me. I was quick to jam a seat beneath the handle, but I knew that wouldn't hold for long.
“F-father? Wh-what's happening?”
I spun in shock.
It was not the oracle, but the young boy, Oliver.
“Boy, what are you doing here?”
“I-I thought she could help—”
“Nevermind that now! Help me move this wardrobe.”
Despite the obvious urgency, he didn't move. On the contrary, he shrank even further back into the corner of the room, pulling a nearby curtain around his body.
Seeing that he would be of no help, I put my shoulder into it and called upon all my strength to tip over the wardrobe.
Skrshhh.
Something scratched on the door from the other side.
“Stay safe, my sweets. There are many delectable treats to choose from. Kehehehe…”
The raspy voice grew distant. I held my breath as silence descended, and I tried to track their footsteps.
BANG!
“LET ME IN! LET ME IN! LET ME IN!”
I fell back, crawling back as far away from the frantic, screeching voice as possible.
The voice continued to scream, then suddenly fell silent. A throaty groan followed soon after.
“No fun… No fun at all... My sweets... I won't be long.”
Again, the haunting voice seemed to leave. But I did not move. Both the young boy and I remained as quiet as mice for fear it was another trick.
Time passed, but it was not the wait that finally had me on my feet again. It was the distant screams of terror. The torturous fate of others was ironically a sign of momentary safety for me. It was a disgusting feeling of relief.
I ran to the nearest window and pushed it open.
“Come with me, child, you can escape down to the town!”
I reached out my hand, but Oliver only rocked back and forth. I could not leave such a vulnerable child on his own, but if I brought him in that state, he likely wouldn't go far.
Especially since I had no intention of escaping with him.
“...You must flee, child. I will return as soon as I am able, but you must protect your soul. We have only one life to live.”
Hoping my words would make it through to him, I began a careful descent along the outside of the building.
As soon as the cold air greeted me, I felt the temptation to save myself. Such cowardice was exactly why I could never be the saviour.
I scolded myself and tried to recall the mansion's layout. Going down one floor and two windows to my right should lead to a leisure room.
It was the usual haunt for the nobility, and the nearest spot likely to hold survivors.
Ting. Ting. Ting.
Something tapped against the glass as I passed one of the windows, and I looked to see the same green-eyed monster staring at me once again.
The shock caused me to lose my grip, and I fell backwards.
Smash!
The glass shattered as the creature reached out and grabbed my chest. Its claws hooked through my shirt and pierced flesh, then they pulled me back into the building.
I rolled across the floor and knocked my head against a wall, causing my vision to blur momentarily.
In a daze, I regained my footing just in time to see my death bearing down on me.
The skeletal monster had been covered in blood. Moreso than the last time I saw it.
“Divine—”
It gripped my mouth tightly before I could call upon my divine magic.
Its tail coiled up over its shoulder and pressed against my chest. It was only a matter of time before it decided to pierce through and destroy my heart.
“Fire Bolt!”
A pinkish flame suddenly struck the monster in the side of the head, and it dropped me in a panic. The creature ran out the same window it pulled me through and unfurled its fleshy wings before soaring into the night.
But a moment later, I heard it crashing through an upstairs room. It had only been driven off momentarily.
“Father, over here!”
I turned to see my saviour.
“Oracle, you're alive! Thank the gods!”
I wasted no time following her into the room she was leaning out of, and she hurriedly closed the door behind us.
“Father!”
“So there are other survivors…”
“Wh-what are those things?”
I was surprised to see many more people gathered in the small guest room. They were mostly noblemen and women, but some of my followers were counted among them as well.
“I have been doing my best to bring the survivors here, but this room lacks space…”
The oracle answered my unasked question.
“You have been moving around the building? Alone? Oracle, you must prioritise your safety!”
I reproached her reckless behaviour.
“Oh? Then, what have you been doing out there, Father? Did you not go to the warehouse? You should have been able to escape.”
“Th-that… My life does not hold the value that yours does! Please, leave such things to your faithful.”
The oracle shook her head.
“My role is to guide. But who will I guide if you all were to perish? Besides…”
She tapped the door, and I finally noticed the spell circle that had been placed there.
“I am not without my resources. This seal will ward off the undead and hide our presence. I cannot make a portable version for the others, but I can hide myself well enough. Those things cannot so much as see me.”
I still felt uneasy, but it was hard to argue any further when she was so confident.
“There is one problem, though… Mayor Varley holed himself up in his panic room. I don't know how to get inside, but it is only a matter of time until the monsters force their way in.”
I recalled the strength shown by the skeletal monster and nodded in agreement.
“If it's the master's saferoom, I know a way inside.”
A serving girl tentatively raised her hand.
“Quiet, girl! You know we are forbidden from sharing such secrets!”
An older maid slapped her across the cheek, and she silently hung her head.
“Don't be ridiculous! We have to save him! You heard the oracle, if he stays there, he will die!”
One of my followers moved between the two to admonish the older servant while protecting the other.
“It is a serious security breach… I would execute my servants if they revealed such information…”
One of the noblemen muttered in agreement with the older servant.
Just like that, the room fell into pointless arguing. Feeling dismayed at the abhorrent behaviour, I let out a flash of Light from my fingertips.
They all covered their eyes in shock, but the effects were minor, and soon they turned to face me, their expressions reflecting their embarrassment.
“This bickering is unsightly. We must stand together in this difficult hour.”
I spoke firmly, making it clear they were all to blame.
“I do not expect anybody here to place themselves at risk. However, I will not sit by while there are still lives at risk. Lives I have the power to save. I swear here and now that should any repercussions fall upon you after we survive this night, I shall bear them all in your stead.”
I faced the young, trembling servant and attempted to put her at ease.
“My child, please. Tell me how I might reach Mayor Varley. Should anyone try to punish you, simply tell them I forced you. I will not dispute the claim.”
“N-no, Father!”
The servant shook her head emphatically.
“I don’t want that! I want you to live…”
I noticed the small copper amulet around her neck.
“You are a follower of Faelora, too, I see.”
She nodded quietly.
“Then you know how she loves her children. Just as I love mine. It is a father’s duty to protect that which they hold dear, and I count everyone here, the mayor included, as my own kin.”
Her wet eyes looked cautiously to the side, and the older servant responded.
“...Do what you will. I will take no part in it… I hear and see nothing.”
Taking her words as approval, the young servant told me everything I needed to know.
“There’s a switch in the chapel, at the base of the pulpit. You’ll need to feel along the bottom to find it. Press that, and you can take a secondary path to the saferoom.”
“Thank you, child.”
I placed my hand on her head and smiled gratefully.
“You don’t plan to stay no matter what I say, do you?”
The oracle sighed.
“Fine. I will accompany you.”
“Oracle, I—”
“This is not a request. I will be safe, I assure you. At least with me nearby, I may be able to save you once more.”
She had a playful tone, not quite befitting the situation. But it did help settle the anxiety we all felt somewhat.
“Haaa… Very well then. We must make haste for the chapel!”
Steeling my resolve, I prepared to face the nightmares once more.
