Dyo was still shaking as they left the bank.

The same could be said for Agrippa as well, with even Shani and Herysti still rattled. That speech had even changed the atmosphere of the square, turning it from a lively, hospitable plaza into a muted imitation.

Ercoled turned to the group, tying his pouch firmly to the front of his belt.

“Now, you three need to get to the Inn, the owner seems to be a good man, and nobody will trouble you in your room. Me and Shani will go out for the last errands and get back as soon as we can. Wandering around is too much of a risk when Inquisitor is around. The ones in the third inquisition often got picked because they had magical acumen, and I don’t doubt this man isn’t any different.”

“Are you sure?” Dyo asked, “You’re the one with authority!”

“Not enough to stave off a church official though. Being with me will make no difference.” Ercole groaned with a tone that reeked of a man who’d delt with this before first hand.

His shoulders slumped, “I- I see.”

“So, you lot better be quick. Take the side streets if you need to but don’t draw attention. Still got the Messer?”

Dyo nodded, patting his belt, “Still got it.”

“It should be common enough for you not to be questioned when carrying it. At least less than the Gladius you were carrying before. Now go.”

Ercole patted the demigod’s back, pushing him forward with a nod as he and Shani drifted into the crowd.

----------------------------------------

Seven shadowy men looked around the corner, the sound of mail links running across each other muffled by heavy coats.

They saw them. Two cloaked men and a blond-haired peasant, all of them walking together out of the busy square.

Perfect.

Now, all they had to do was wait for them to take a side route…

----------------------------------------

“I can’t fucking believe we walked into this gods- god-forsaken place!” Hreysti spat.

Agrippa shivered. Ercole’s speech had only frightened them even further, any composure gained back while waiting in the bank was wiped out like leaves in the wind.

“They’re gonna get us,” they muttered, “We’re going to be dead.”

“Agrippa, if they try to do that, I’ll tear their throats out. They’re not going to do anything to us without a fight.”

“Hreysti,” Dyo murmured, “We’re not getting out of this city if we become murderers.”

“That won’t matter if we’re in some zealous fuck’s dungeon! I don’t want to be at the mercy of anyone like that, got it? I’m not holding back if we’re cornered, got it!?” Herysti spat, a wolf like snarl spreading across his face.

Dyo and Agrippa nodded.

It may not be pretty, but if it could be done quietly enough if they needed to… It didn’t comfort them at all that they might have to suddenly kill today, but they could do it.

He spotted a small side street to their right. Something that might lead them along some sort of street along the coast of the island to the Inn.

Dyo patted Hreysti and Agrippa, “There’s a side street, let’s go.”

They both moved with him, weaving between the people as they crossed over into it and its depths.

It was quieter than the main street for sure, with only a few people wandering up and down the shaded lane. Both sides of it were blocked in by the hulking figures of the plaster-clad buildings it went between. Only a few doors and shop fronts facing in on it.

They moved down it, slipping down the winding streets till-

“Shit!”

Two black-robed men stood guard by the end of the street. Their shadowy figures blocking off the exit to the harbour side street and their way home.

Dyo’s eyes flicked around, noticing another side street branching off and running parallel to the harbour one.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

They moved down it without a second thought, dodging out of the sight of the suspicious men. Walking faster now to get out of-

Another two were walking down this street, leaving only an archway to who knows where left to go.

They had to move into it. Dashing quickly in-

“I should have fucking known it!” Herysti snarled.

All three of them found a dead end with the three of them cornered in this small courtyard.

Everyone’s eyes started to dart around as they heard footsteps against cobble-

A door into the house and a balcony above it on the other side of the courtyard, a possible escape.

Dyo and Agrippa started to slowly move backwards, facing the archway.

But Hreysti was not going to take it slow. He dashed straight for the door.

Dyo turned his head-

Only to see a crossbowman burst onto the balcony and shoot Hreysti.

The vampire screamed as the bolt punctured his thigh. Sending him to his knees as two more men burst out the door. One grabbed his arm and placed a dagger against his side, with the other holding a one-handed staff with a pike end against his throat.

He couldn’t do anything as the other four black-cloaked men charged in and closed the noose. All of them were armed with axes, maces and swords that were all targeted at them.

Agrippa and Dyo started to pull backwards instinctually. Finding the only way back was towards the wall.

They were trapped. Trapped with Hreysti being hauled up with two weapons pointed at him.

Dyo could see the utterly unbridled rage boiling inside of his friend. The little attempts he made at breaking free without poking either of those two spikes inside of him. The desire to be able to murder everyone there.

Inside himself, he could feel it start to boil too…

The crossbowman on the balcony reloaded, watching over everything.

One of the cloaked men stepped forth and slipped off his hood, revealing a brown-haired, blue-eyed man whose iron gaze slowly gazed over the group.

“You’re all under arrest under the authority of the church by the order of Arch-Inquisitor Marcus Haspel! You are suspected to have infiltrated our fair society with the intention of magically manipulating the souls of our fair people! You will not be harmed if you come with us peacefully! Gorman, take that man’s hood off!”

Another stepped forth, carefully removing Hreysti’s hood with his sword, revealing his pale face and raven black hair.

“A Vampire!?” The lead man scoffed, “The Inquisitor will certainly have a monstrosity like you interrogated! Gorman, the other one!”

Hreysti’s eyes started to grow wet. The red gems welled up as the anger within Dyo continued to grow and grow with every passing moment.

Gorman approached Dyo, carefully knocking his hood off before stumbling backwards, Dyo’s horns and purple eyes now left for all to see clearly.

“Henry!” Gorman called, “I-Is this one of those Satyrs!? Or is it-“

“Either way it’s a pagan animal! Move them to the dungeons where they bel-“

“Take your hands off him and go.”

All of them stared at Dyo as he let out that low snarl.

He wanted them gone. All gone. His anger boiled over like a bubbling vat of pitch as he felt his horns and eyes start to heat.

“H-Henry-!”

“B-Begone daemon!”

Henry started to stumble backwards, watching the demigod’s purple eyes start to literally glow. His hand fumbling around in his cloak for his pendant-

“I am not a gods forsaken daemon!” Dyo roared, “Leave us alone! Or else!”

“Get them-”

Henry stopped as his eyes widened.

A looming ephemeral figure was standing with a hand on Dyo’s shoulder. Similar in build and look but almost naked with a goat-like lower half plus far larger horns. The ghostly man smiled, swirling his glass goblet of wine, unnoticed by the demigod.

In his ear he leaned, whispering, “Your friend is in their vice, they want you maimed, they don’t respect our pantheon’s power! Show him what our name means...”

Then the world started to change.

A purple fog descended on the courtyard, obscuring everything out of it as the patterns of dried plaster on the walls started to swirl. Faces, bugs, wolves, and vines, all forming on them before disappearing.

Henry looked up, seeing the crossbowman on the balcony doubled over, his body convulsing as he vomited uncontrollably.

He started to tremble, stepping backwards as the empowered demigod stepped forwards.

The men holding the vampire tried to present him to the demigod, pressing their weapons against their captive. Trying to hold him hostage.

Dyo’s glowing eyes looked over, flaring as he saw it, meeting Hreysti’s now utterly terrified gaze.

He pointed to the guards, the two of them immediately dropping their weapons and crumpling to the ground.

Briars and vines started to tear out of them, bringing blood and viscera with them. Tearing their throats, their nostrils, their lungs, everything, all as they pushed out and started to ensnare the men with those iron-like barbs. Breaking apart chainmail and piercing fabric as they did.

They barely had the opportunity to scream…

Henry wanted to scream but he couldn’t. It wouldn’t come out and the demigod was staring straight at him. Staring into what felt like his soul with those glowing purple eyes.

Dyo cocked his head at the reaction and smiled.

He tried to pull back. Falling onto the ground and scrambling as he felt things crawling all over him. The whisper flutes in his ears. That gaze-

The crossbowman on the balcony was dead. Bloody bile on his lips. His comrades beside him were in the process too. Violently convulsing as they flopped around on the floor. Some choking on it, others vomiting so hard it started to draw blood from their ravaged throat.

“Do not come after me or my friends. That is all I wanted,” Dyo whispered, drawing close to Henry, “But you didn’t do that.”

And that is when he felt his lungs start to bulge as a searing pain ripped through them. Breathing becoming more and more difficult as he felt something grow inside of them. Something sharp, something growing…

He started to convulse, blood spilling out of his mouth as he felt them rip and tear their way up his throat. The pure unbridled fear filled every ounce of his body as tears spilt from his eyes. His eyes that were transfixed on the manic eyes and smile of the demigod.

Once again, he tried to scream, only to impale it on one of the barbs. Feeling it rip and tear his tongue out of his mouth as it would not let go.

And that was when Henry passed out from the pain, the vines slowly consuming him as the fog and music started to retreat. The world returning to normal as Dyo’s senses returned to him.

But the mirage appeared for one more time, whispering with a laugh, “That was a good show, my son! Don’t forget to try out those tricks you’ve learned whenever anyone else tries to harm you or what you desire...”

And with that, it vanished.

“How- How did you do that? Y- You’re-“

Dyo turned, his eyes meeting with the stammering Hreysti.

“Terrifying?” He asked, as the sadness welled in his throat.