Chapter 14
Blood Preacher
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Kail stood atop the dais and before the podium as he surveyed the half dozen sleeping homeless people. “We’re doing this to better their lives right?” asked Lunis from beside him.
“Of course,” he said, very much feeling the effects of the whisky Kesler had bought.
“Then their minds may be more susceptible to your influence if I attempt to enter them.”
He gestured at the people sleeping amidst filthy rubbish. “Go ahead.”
Lunis closed her eyes and Kail waited silently. A moment passed, then as one, the six people rose and made their way to the foremost pew where they sat, crusty eyes open as they stared up at Kail. He spread his arms wide, smiling down at them as he spoke. He’d always wanted to give a sermon. God this moment was just about perfect. The effects of the best whisky he’d ever had were coursing through him. He had a beautiful and empathetic girl by his side, he was in a church, and had a captivated audience before him.
“Good people! We are gathered here today in search of clarity, the clarity offered by God. In one of my darkest moments, when almost everyone around me had betrayed me, I found God’s clarity. I would like to bestow upon you that same clarity, so that you may better your lives. You need only accept God’s blessing.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Will you serve The Blood God?”
Of the six homeless people, four were elderly and two middle-aged. The four elderly spoke together. “Yes.”
The two middle-aged skinny men spoke as an echo of their elders. “Yes.”
QUEST UPDATED: A Bloody Crusade - Converted Individuals 6/20.
Kail’s victorious smile disappeared as his expression turned from joyous to horrified. A sudden stream of blood burst forth from the mouths, eyes, ears, and nostrils of the six people who levitated into the air as their blood coalesced in an ever growing orb between them and him. He reached out, frantically trying to stop whatever was happening, but he couldn’t get a grasp of the blood and so watched helplessly in horror as the six drained husks crumbled away.
A sudden shockwave emanated from the spiraling orb of blood, staggering him and Lunis. A stream of blood descended from the orb, coalescing into a red altar as the rest of the blood flew in all directions, impacting the walls, floor, and ceiling and sinking into them. The surfaces turned a dark shade of maroon, as did the podium before him.
CONGRATULATIONS! You have enabled your God to seize control of a fallen church and reshape it in his image. +1 Wisdom.
“No,” whispered Kail.
A shuddering breath from beside him caused him to look at Lunis, her hands were over her mouth, her eyes wide with horror. “What did we do?” she gasped.
As potent as the horror he felt had been, it began rapidly diminishing, suppressed by the clarity granted by his God. “We put the blood coursing through them to better use.”
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Her eyes met his and she lowered her hands, frown lines creasing her face. Something in her eyes caused a sudden pain to lance through his head. His hands flew to his ears, finding them slick with free flowing blood.
YOU HAVE BEEN INFLICTED WITH DREAMER’S CLARITY!
His vision seemed to widen as what he now understood to be a God’s foreign influence was forced from his mind. He took control of his blood flow, and his ears ceased bleeding as he stared into Lunis’s eyes. “Thank you.”
“I can’t get it all the way out of you, but I can keep suppressing its influence.”
He lowered his bloody hands, staring down at them. “My siblings will pay for this.”
Her hand guided his chin up slightly so that their eyes met once more. “You're free from their influence as long as we stay away from them. We have no cause to return.”
“They’ll tear Corvis apart,” said Kail. “Now I understand why he was how he was. It’ll only get harder for him now. Father will pull him in one horrible direction and Vasangra and Valwin will tug him in another until he’s ruined.”
“And we’re not strong enough to stop them.”
“We didn’t know if we were strong enough to stop Granger but we still did because it was the right thing to do.”
She broke eye contact with him, looking away toward the doors. There was a long moment of silence before she spoke. “You're right.”
“Let’s get out of this place,” he said as he descended the dais.
He opened the door, holding it for Lunis as she emerged from the church. He followed after her, closing the door behind him. Lunis stood ahead of him, staring out into the night. She was shaking and he hurried to her side. “What’s wrong?”
“We just killed six Innocent people,” her voice trembled with emotion as she spoke.
“We weren’t ourselves.”
“No, you weren’t yourself, no one was controlling me.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist, turning her so that she faced him as he looked down at her. “We made a mistake, but we couldn’t have ever known that was going to happen, and if we had we never would have done it. We were manipulated like we’ve always been, but this time we have the power to ensure that we’re never used again.”
Her lips trembled but she nodded, wiping the tears from her face. “You're right.”
He took her damp hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “Let’s go see if Kesler will buy us a room.”
Hand in hand they entered the tavern which was now deserted but for Kesler and the bartender. Kesler was playing with a knife, a drunken expression on his face as he twirled it between his fingers. Davis the bartender wore an expression of absolute boredom as he leaned against a shelf laden with bottles and stared at the dying fire in the hearth across from the bar.
Kesler turned to face them, a lopsided smile on his face. “Ya back! Let’s get some more beer Davis.”
“Actually it’s been a long day, would you mind getting us a room?” said Kail.
Kesler’s smile faltered. “Not just one beer?”
Davis sighed as he straightened. “You’ve had enough Kesler, you should head back to your farm while you're still able to walk.” He glanced at Kail, producing a key and tossing it to him in a fluid motion. “Up the steps second room on the left. Tonight’s on the house but I expect you to spend tomorrow figuring out how our village is going to remain safe now that its defender is dead.”
“Thanks,” said Kail as he turned toward the wooden staircase.
The second room on the left had a window, through which streamed starlight, vaguely illuminating a bed, two stools, a small wooden table, and a basin. Kail washed the blood from his hands in the basin, the realization hitting him that come the morrow he’d have no clean replacements for his blood stained clothes. By the time he’d finished scrubbing his hands clean with a wet cloth, he found that Lunis was already asleep and so did his best not to wake her as he removed and began scrubbing his bloodied tunic and pants. Far from satisfied with the job he’d done, he hung the wet clothes on the windowsill before climbing into bed.
The mattress was surprisingly soft and much more comfortable than any he’d slept on since leaving Earth behind. He allowed his tired eyelids to close, a sense of peace overcoming him despite recent horrors.
Something was tickling his nose, and his eyes peaked open to find that the room was still dark. Black strands of hair obscured his left eye’s vision and he found his head resting against the back of hers. His right arm was around her waist and a warm hand held his against her abdomen. He closed his eyes, his body pressed against her’s as he drifted back asleep.