He pointed at behind her. Instinctively she turned around . It was too late, a pair of thinned yet powerful hands was already strangling her neck. A trace of face could be seen right in front of her…. The face of Father Nigel, wild and ravenous. Filled with blood lust.

“Let her go!” Declan quickly grabbed Nigel’s hands and tried to pull them off.

Nigel only roared. His humanity was already gone.

The increasing pressure on Maven’s throat suffocated her breathing. Even the two young people's strength couldn’t match the amok of a madman. Looking at her will-be killer, she could only show a pleading face, her last attempt to reach for his heart, looking for a scrap of humanity she could find.

Her eyes looked straight without blinking at her foe's, at the point which would decide between life and death.

Then suddenly Nigel widened his eyes. His strangling gradually loosened before he mentioned a name, “Lucianna! Lucianna Bouvignon!” Maven began to cough in pain.

Realizing his opportunity, Declan immediately pulled Nigel’s hands away.

Maven kept coughing, inhaling as much air as she could into her lungs. She then heard Nigel screaming in confusion.

“Aaah! No! Nooo!”, Nigel began to pull his own hair. “I don’t mean… No, Lucianna! I really didn’t know! I have sworn to protect her! I swear! Forgive me!” He even pulled out a few hair, making his head look even balder.

Maven approached her former teacher, yet Declan's arm outstretched, preventing her.

“No… please….” Nigel covered his face with both palms.

“It’s all right, Dec. Let me try,” answered the elf while moving Declan’s hand aside. She approached slowly, step by step. Preparing for a rampage that could explode anytime.

Maven tried to make an eye contact with Nigel. She forced a smile, and tried to whisper gently, “Sssh… it’s all right. Don’t be afraid…”

“Forgive me… forgive…”

“I forgive you.” Maven answered.

Silence dawned.

Slowly Nigel lowered his hands, until his wrinkled old face could be seen. Then it became clear that he looked ten years older then his actual age. His expression also changed, it was longer mad. Instead, he looked as if he had found the light within the darkness.

“I-is it true…? Oh… thank goodness…”

His reaction encouraged Maven to get even closer. Suddenly he lifted a hand.

“Hey, wait! Wait… that ear… that face… Lucianna… you have a child… an elf child…”

“Yes, Father Nigel!”

“The name.. Her name… ugh!”

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

He began to slap his own forehead. “What’s the name? The child’s naaaame!”

“It's Maven, father. This is me, Maven."

Nigel was startled. Then his eyes rolled until directly staring at her face.

“Eh... ah? Right, her name is... Maven! Ha, Maven! You’re Maven? Little Maven? Maven!”

Maven nodded. “Yes, I’ve grown up now.”

“Oooh! You’re really Maven!” Nigel moved forward, this time to reach for her arm gently. “Praise Vadis! You have finally come!”

Declan added, “And I am Declan. I have brought Maven here as you wish."

Nigel squinted his eyes to see more clearly. And then he nodded. “Yea Declan, thank you so much. With this, we can move to the next stage of our plan.”

“The next stage ? What do you mean, father?” Maven asked cluelessly.

“It's time for me to lend you the rosary, to be used to set the Viperwolves up.”

Maven’s eyes glistened. “Father!” she said. “You have worked too hard and end up like this… just to help me.”

Indeed, all of this was not merely Nigel’s plan, but also the plan by Vadis himself. He provided Maven as an infiltrator and the Saint Ambrosius' Rosary as her tool. This was the divine’s way to bring about justice upon the criminals.

It was now up to Maven to complete that plan. The girl now fully understood. This was part of her fate, her life story.

“Now, try to take that rosary again,” Nigel suggested. “With the intention of upholding justice, not merely to seek revenge, I’m sure you will be able to neutralize the protective seal now, Maven.”

“Before I do that, father, I want to know… is Lucianna Bouvignon… my mother?”

“Yes, that's correct,” Nigel answered.

“Then, do you know my father’s name?”

“Only his last name that you inherited, Istravel. I… I forgot his first name.”

“It’s okay,” Maven answered. “That’s more than enough. Now that I have all my questions answered, there’s only a duty left to fulfill.”

The elf slowly approached the coffin. She looked at the rosary within the embrace of the skeleton. Maven knelt and prayed by heart. After that, she outstretched her hand.

As Maven reached for the relic, again the shockwave attacked her. Strangely, this time she felt more like she was being tickled. Finally, she pulled the rosary out and the seal dissipated.

Lend me your strength. Together, we shall be the agents of Vadis to bring about justice, Maven declared in her heart, caressing the Saint Ambrosius' Rosary very gently.

Suddenly, she heard roars from a distance.

“The undead!” yelled Nigel, “They must be reacting to the relic being removed! Remember, the holy rosary is here to suppress them! We must get out of here!”

Maven, Declan and Nigel immediately got out of the tomb chamber with weapons in hand.

True enough, they ran into an undead horde.

“Let’s break through them!” Declan charged while swinging his trident, followed by the two others.

The yells and racketry of the battle echoed through the entire catacomb. The three warriors kept advancing, fighting for their lives. Until they finally arrived at the secret entrance leading towards the library.

“We’re already so close to freedom. Come on!” Declan moved aside, letting the woman and the old man go first.

Yet, Father Nigel stayed still. Seeing him, Maven complained, “Come on, father. Why don’t you move? What…?”

Maven gasped. Nigel was seen pressing on his belly. The red liquid covering his hands and clothes was... blood.

“Ugh… It turns out… I can’t… come with you two,” stuttered the old cleric.

“Let me heal you!” Declan stretched his hand to cast a spell, but the teacher prevented him.

“No! Ugh… Look!” Nigel pointed with his trident. Maven and Declan turned around. A massive horde of zombies and skeletons was walking slowly, heading their way. But if Declan insisted to heal Nigel, only Maven would be left to fend off the enemies.

“You two, escape immediately! I will… hold them off here! Don’t let them… find the way… to the monastery!” ordered Nigel with a hoarse voice.

“But you will…!” Maven protested in tears.

“Yes, I know…! Don’t be a crybaby…!” Nigel turned around, walking toward the approaching foes, holding his rusty trident with both hands.

“C'mon, Maven, we must run! Don’t waste our master’s sacrifice!” Declan said while pulling Maven away from danger.

In the last moment, Maven still could see Father Nigel DiMessina looked toward her and shouted, “You look just like your mother, Maven!”

He swung his trident as hard as he could.

Maven kept running until the yells of the battle grew fainter with distance.

Then silence.