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Prayer (31/10); The church
Topic Started: Apr 6 2013, 12:10 AM (164 Views)
Father Cassius
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It was a couple of hours past midnight, when the howling whirlwind had passed the village by that the two men made their slow, winding way from the crypt to the church. People were up and about, as they usually were not at this hour in the village, but no one was close enough to the church to see them, or wonder what they were doing at this hour.

The church itself was no great building, a simple wooden structure, oiled but not painted, the ceiling at the tallest part the height of three men, roof made of black slate. The most remarkable thing about the building, really, was the glass windows. It was the only house in the county to have such.

The door was not locked; there was no need in so small a village. There was little enough worth stealing inside anyway.

As usual, when they came within close proximity to the church, his skin started itching uncomfortably nausea crept over him. the feeling doubled once they got inside of the actual church, It was almost pitch black, and so his eyes started glowing red, as did those of his companion, as their eyes naturally adjusted to the lack of light. The stark discomfort of being on holy ground was something he was well used to by now, so he was quite capable of concealing the effects it had on him.

Turning his glowing eyes to the other man, looking eerie in his black priest's robe, like a ghost or perhaps some unholy apparition, his face still expressed sympathy.

"It is painful, yes, but it will not kill you although if might feel like it right now, With practice, you can get used to it, if you want to."
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Xandros
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Xandros had never in his life felt more confused than he'd done the last three nights. Something had happened to him, and he couldn't make out what it truly mean. He knew that it was a bad thing, a dark omnious thing that had befallen upon him and it was wrong. He knew it with every fibre of his being. This strange man, Cassius, had ordered him to avoid the daylight, and he'd fed him with the raw carcass of a rabbit. Xandros was highborn, he belonged to a noble family and he was used to feasting upon the finest wines and foods, but he'd preffered rotting flesh and blood to wine and bread.

Something was wrong. Blood. His thoughts, his soul his heart dreamed about bloood, and he felt an odd feeling deep inside his body. Some power he never knew he had, some feeling of having died and been reborn as a predator, but at the same time, his heart and his body was just.. Dead.. It was wrong.

He walked behind the other man, and tried hard not to question him on the way to the church. He was still the proud warrior of Daak, he'd always been meant for Daak, and that had brought a certain feeling of.. Confidence. Of knowing that he was better than his brothers, born for the simple, earth-bound mission of keeping their bloodline alive. It meant nothing to Xandros. He'd always, and would always, happily die in the name of Daak. Only know, he had a queer feeling inside, a feeling that maybe Daak wouldn't approve of whom he was, or what he was now. He couldn't say why, but he knew that something about him was wrong. Unatural. That by rights, he should have died with the others

"Ouuch" he said, and stopped to bend over when he felt a sudden pain hit him. He tried to walk again, but had to stop and looked at the man beside him. Cassius seemed not to bother. Maybe it was his imagination? Xandros hated the thought of looking weak in front of the other man, he'd always prided himself with his strength and determination, so he kept his head high and ignored the blistering pain inside when he approached the church. Soon enough, they entered, and when Cassius looked at him with his red eyes he stepped away from him

"Get away from me.. Your eyes. You look like a wolf" he frowned and had to reach for the wall´to support himself, yet he had to pull his hand away as soon as it touched the surface of the wall "It burns.. Why does it burn?"
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Father Cassius
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The confusion and pain was evident in the templar's eyes and it wrenched his heart to see it, even though he had brought this upon the other man. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, or at least the best option out of those available. This way, a devout man who had doubtlessly come here on an important mission would have the choice of carrying out the intended mission, at the same cost that he himself was paying, or to go back to being dead. If death was what the templar chose, then all he would have done was postpone it briefly. No harm done. Right?

"I am no wolf. There are wolves in Ivywood, to be sure, but I am not one of them." All the same, he did back off a few steps, to give the other man some space, all the while gazing at him intently, looking for signs that he was about to lose it.

"When I found you, you were already dead. What I did to you... I did not kill you. But I brought you back, this way. Daak does not approve. That is why it burns, you and me both. For that, I am sorry. But it was the only way I had to save you. For your friends, it was too late, they were too badly hurt."

He held up his palms in a placating gesture.
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Xandros
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The man.. The creature.. The beast claimed not to be a wolf, yet he prayed upon the innocent? That much was clear to Xandros. He was no longer the innocent boy he'd once been, but everything he did and everything he'd ever done, had been to honour his God, How could that be wrong? By doing what he thought his God wanted from him, Xandros had been hoping to earn his immortal soul to spend his eternity by the feets of his God. Not in a dark crypt, in a God forsaken village, hidden deep in the mountains of Damaria.

"I was dead? And yet here I stand" He looked around, before his usually black eyes narrowed and he looked at the other man. His features tensed and his hands curled into fists, it was obvious that Xandros was a willful, strong man. " How can you, who wears his robe, do what Daak does not approve of? What put you in a position to do what our God does not want from us"

His hand went to the sword by his hip, but he did not unsheath it. Instead, he looked at the other man. To the eye, Cassious looked as young as he was, but who could truly tell when it came to a wicked creature like that?

"You´re sorry?" Xandros turned his back to him, he was in the mercy of him either way. " You brought me back to life by ways of evil and yet you claim to preach the words of our God. May Daak strike upon both of us, this is not how it's supposed to be. I did not ask for this, you should have let me died with my brothers. What Daak doesn''t want, I don't want to be"
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Father Cassius
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He was silent for a few moments, his expression growing somewhat more stern when he was questioned about his own fate. It was one thing to be blamed for his actions; that was to be expected and he had never asked not to be held accountable for them. Quite the opposite in fact. But that did not mean that his past was this stranger's business. He had, after all, left it behind for good reasons.'

"How I came to be in the same position you are in now does not matter. But it is a fact that I faced the same choice you now do and I have no intention of trying to take it away from you. What I did, I did to give you a one. If it is all clear cut and simple to you, then I think you will be of scant use to Daak anyway and then I will gladly tell you how you may take your own life, or take it from you if your pride forbids you from doing the deed yourself. But if I were you, I would ponder for a moment why you came here, to this truly God forsaken place. And whether it truly serves Daak best that you abandon this mission that you've been given a second chance to carry out, so that you can save your soul. Now is the time to decide whether you are truly Daak's truest servant, or if you will serve him only as long as it benefits you."
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Xandros
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He stared at the other man, a bit puzzled of his heated reaction. Xandros couldn't recall asking what it was that had happened to Cassius, truth be told, he was in no mind to think about anyone else than himself. He had to be entitled to that, at least right now? It was slowly dawning on, it came clear to him what Cassius had done and he didn't like it. Not one bit. Nor did he like Cassius' words of Daak either. What did he know? He didn't know anything. Xandros frowned, his handsome face wrinkled when Cassius put that last dagger to his words

"Benefits me? What good did it ever do to me to end up in this hell hole?" His hand clutched his sword, his great sense of security. Yet somehow, someway, he knew he wouldn't draw his sword upon this man. At least not yet " Don't presume to know me, or why I do what I do. You did this to me, YOU did this to me"

Xandros approached him, and reached for Cassius neck before he realized what he was doing. His hands fell down and he embraced himself

"It hurts..It's so painful" He felt his inside twist and turn, and it that moment, it felt as if Daak himself had placed his hand on him to crush him. Xandros grabbed Cassius' cloak and pulled him close "And are you saying you know a way for me to serve him, even though you made me this wicked creature? Tell me how, priest. How do you mean for me to save my soul? How can it even be possible when our existance is an insult against our Lord?"
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Father Cassius
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He did not so much as flinch when the templar suddenly stepped close to him, reaching for his neck. Smothering did little harm to him these days and the anger was to be expected. He had been angry too, at first. For quite a long while, in fact. Yet, he had not had what this young man now had: someone to explain to him what had happened and what he might make of it. He hoped that this would make the difference, for the young man.

Closing his eyes, despite what seemed like a threatening situation, he held out his arms to each side of his body.

"No, I do not know you. I know whom you serve, nothing more. And I do not presume to know what you wish. As I said, if you would have me undo what I did to you, I will, if you ask it of me." He paused briefly, slowly opening his eyes again to thin slits. "Let me, for your benefit, be clear, then. You are a vampire. The longer you go without drinking blood, the more likely it will become that you will lose control and drink from someone innocent, perhaps kill them. Daak did not mean for there to be vampires and yet there are. I do not know why, There are other vampires here, as well as werewolves and witches. But that is not the worst of it. There is an ancient evil that goes beyond such things. If you continue down this path, the salvation of your soul will surely be denied you. It is the price of this second chance you have been offered. You can choose to believe that this is part of Daak's great plan and that you can still do good, although at great personal cost - or you can believe that this is the work of demons and their master and that Daak has no power over this. Or else -" he shrugged "if you are so inclined, you can consider it a mere respite from death that comes with some new skills, to make of what you will. I shall be disappointed, of course, but that too would be your choice."
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Xandros
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"Drinking blood is an affront to God" Xandros said, his eyes going wide. It was hard to believe that he'd been turned into a vampire, but at the same time.. Not. Everything he'd seen, everything he'd felt these last couple of days. And now? He couldn't say why, or how, but he knew deep within that Daak disapproved of his being here in the church. He had no place here any longer. The fact that he felt so misplaced where he'd always been at home, made him feel deeply miserable. The church and always been his home, even more so than the palace where he'd been born. Now all that had been taken from him, he'd been turned into a vampire and as if that wasn't enough, Cassius told him about an even greater evil. Xandros closed his eyes for a minute, and tried to regain his sense of reality.

"Vampires.. Werewolves.. Witches" He murmured into his arm, the one he used to cover his face with. His eyes remained close, he didn't want to see the other man. When his hand fell from his face, he turned to look at the other man again "This is surely a curse.. Or a nightmare, a terrible nightmare that caught me within it's web. I wish I could say you are delusional, but I saw them.. I have to believe you, but I don't want to.. I want to serve Daak. I always wanted to serve the almighty. If I'm here, like this.."

He looked down at himself, before his almond eyes returned to the other man. Narrowed, his misery apparent upon his young face

"I can't go back. I can't see my son again" Xandros cleared his throat, even though it wasn't necessary "Teach me what I need to know, so that I can serve my God. But please, teach me how to endure his wrath. The church is the only home I ever had. I can't lose that as well"
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Father Cassius
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He bowed his head, hands falling limply to his sides.

"I suppose it is some kind of nightmare. Only I've had no success waking from it."

He turned around, and walked over in the direction of the wooden carving of the Lightbringer and the raven, Ignatius, at the head of the church. He paused a few steps away from the carving.

"Cursed, we are. I wish I had the answers to why the world is this way - but I do not. I pray for answers every night." He shook his head slowly. "Perhaps Daak does not hear my prayers any more." His voice, though muted and hoarse, echoed strangely in the all but empty church. He knelt before the carving of the Lightbringer.

"I am sorry about your son, but you are right. It might be better for him to believe that you perished here, than to know the truth. I will try to teach you, unworthy though I am."

He turned his head.

"Come. Pray with me. It behooves us all the more to still pay our respects to God because we have become... unclean. Just because we are doomed, does not mean we cannot still serve Daak. It just won't be in the way either of us imagined."
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Xandros
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"You are not supposed to say that" Xandros growled, his voice thick with despair. He stared at the back of the other man, confused and upset. How could he tell him that Daak didn't hear his prayers any longer? How could they serve the Lord if he paid no attention to their prayers? He gathered himself, and his head hung, his eyes closed. Even though he had no way of being a father to his son, at least he he'd been able to see him from time to time. From there on, his son would have to become a memory. A good memory from his life. From there on, he saw only darkness. If he found a way to serve Daak, despite his condition, Xandros would . If life became too unbearable, at least Cassius had offered to end it.

"What are we going to tell him?" Xandros asked, before he obeyed Cassius beckon, and knelt beside him. Xandros glanced at the creature beside him, his hands in his lap "Tell me truly. Are all of my friends truly dead? Are you..And this existence.. All that I've got left?"
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Father Cassius
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He placed his palms on the cold floor. Cold did little to bother either one of them now; not that it would have made a great difference anyway as the acute discomfort of being on holy ground made his skin crawl anyway. He bent forwards, prostrating himself before the wooden idol.

"Lord and creator of all things. We beg forgiveness for bringing this cursed into your abode. We hereby swear to make penance for our sins, through abstinence, through punishment - but first and foremost, by opposing your eternal enemy. With fire, we will fight fire. I beg of your, Lord, to accept our sacrifice. We remain your faithful servants, cast out from grace though we are. We accept this trial. We will not give in to darkness, even though it is in us. Your light fills us, even from afar.

He grew silent, staying still, forehead pressed to the floor, for several long moments, before he slowly rose, making the gesture of supplication to Daak, touching his left shoulder, his forehead and then his right shoulder.

"Rise, Xandros. This is enough pain for one night, Let us walk, and I will tell you about this forsaken place."
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Xandros
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His eyes narrowed when Cassius offered no response to his question. That, in itself, was an answer enough, and he closed his eyes for the prayer. When he listened to the prayer, Xandros felt like crying, but refused to degrade himself in front of Daak and Cassius. Instead, he remained silent, his eyes closed and a grave look upon his face. He hadn't heard the prayer before, but he had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time.

When Cassius' voice faded, he remained still for a couple of minutes before he rose as well. He stretched his long legs beneath him and nodded. He would have to learn to live with this pain, it was impossible to think of a life without the safety of the church

"Please do" He muttered. There was so much he needed to learn, to know " Tell me what it means to be a vampire. How can we do good while being creatures born from evil?"
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Father Cassius
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He started walking towards the door at a brisk pace, eager to be out of the sacred place now that their task here was done for the evening. It was hard to focus on saying inspiring things when every part of his body was screeching that he shouldn't be here.

The pain abated as they left the immediate area of the church and came to the small cottage that was his simple abode. There was a lantern lit inside, although the shutters were closed against the cold weather outside. The door, however, was not locked.

It was a single room, containing a narrow bunk, surrounded by thick, woolen drapes, a fire place and a working desk, a small table with two chairs, and one cupboard and a wooden chest. That was all. No decorations on the wall; no rugs or pillows, nothing to make the place remotely cozy. He gestures towards one chair.

"Please, sit. There are people up and about and I'd rather they didn't know you're here yet. Whoever killed you and your friends will probably want to finish the job once they hear you're not completely dead yet."

He himself sat down in the other chair, sitting very straight, legs together, hands folded neatly in his lap.

"Right. I'm sure you've already heard the rumors about the Blood Oak family, since you are here. I would wager a lot most of what you've heard is true. I realize that you probably want revenge, but you and me alone couldn't possibly win a war against them - and hurting one of them will mean them coming for us. You may have some new tricks you didn't have before, but all of that, they have too. In spades. They tolerate me, because I do them no harm, and so, I am still here. Watching. Waiting. They have other enemies around. I don't recommend going into Ivywood at night, unless you have an invitation. That domain belongs to the werewolves." He sighed, staring at the closed window next to the table. "I do not know why the werewolves and the Blood Oaks hate each other, but it is an old feud. What I do know, is that aeons ago, there was a large battle just south of here. There is a bog, which is said to be haunted by the dead spirits of things that were never even human. I am inclined to believe it to be true. I also know that just a couple of hours ago, a strong whirlwind passed right outside of the village and wrecked everything in its way. It made a screaming sound like demons from hell itself - it came from the direction of the bog. And it disappeared into the Khazim mountains. I'm telling you, that whirlwind..." His face looked grim, eyes now that they were inside the cabin a dark blue, instead of glowing red. "I could sense that it was something dark and powerful. And I don't think that we've seen the last of it."
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Xandros
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“The people who killed us.. They had red eyes.. Just you did”He said, staring at the other man. He couldn’t remember much of what had happened that dreadful night, but he remembered the eyes that had been glowing in the dark of the night. Red eyes, evil eyes. Xandros sat down on the chair Cassius had meant for him, and found himself wanting to be back home in the temple. If only he hadn’t come, if only.

He nodded slowly. They’d arrived to take care of the Blood Oak family, but it seemed as if the Blood Oaks had made sure to take care of them first. The Templar leaned against the table between them, all while studying the other man as carefully as he possibly could. It was true that he wanted revenge, for Daak and his fallen warriors. However, he wasn’t stupid and he was able to see the sense of what Cassius was telling him. At least for now. Some day, he would make sure to avenge his fallen brothers, one for one.

“Werewolves?” He sat up straight, narrowing his forehead. Was there no end to evil of this place? Xandros turned his black eyes from his maker, and shook his head “This is truly a place forsaken by all the light of Daak.Perhaps we would have done better to let them fight their own battles and hopefully, kill each other.. This whirlwind.. I don’t know what to say about it. It’s too much for me to understand. I struggle with gripping this..Vampire.. Thing. Did you offer me this curse to fight beside you against this evil you’re telling me about?”
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Father Cassius
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"Yes." He nodded once, briskly. "We would be ill equipped beings of the night if we could not see in darkness. When the light grows scarce, your eyes will adjust to the dark. When that happens, they are glowing red. The people who killed you and your friends were most likely vampires. Unless, of course, they were orcs, but I find that to be far less likely. Not that orcs don't stray down from the mountains now and again..." His voice trailed off as he was distracted by some noise outside. His head turned slightly as he strained to pick up the distant conversation. Another gift - or curse - of being a vampire.

"It would appear that some people from the village are missing, since the sudden storm," he commented suddenly, then returned his attention to the young templar in front of him.

"I might have thought as you do; let them fight each other. Yet there are innocent people here. Because of the powerful forces at work here, they are all the more in need of guidance and protection. What little I have to offer, anyway." He shrugged deprecatingly, staring down at the rough, wooden table. It had stains from candle wax and some marks from a knife, but no table cloth.

"I offered you this curse, because I thought you could still do some good in the world." He quieted for a moment. "And, I admit it, also in part to spite the Blood Oaks. Saving you this way is a small defiance, but perhaps, in time, it will lead to something bigger. If you can temper your bloodlust and see things long term. You are, after all, immortal now, so you have an eternity to plot that revenge. In the meantime, you can help me fight whatever greater evil is at hand here, or seek your fate elsewhere, should you so wish. If you desire someone else's tutelage, I will give you the name of a man in Targus who knows quite a bit about dark curses and how to live with them."
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Xandros
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This man knew how to deal with the soldiers of Daak, that much was true. He spoke of innocent people, about doing good. He mentioned fighting the greater evil. All reasons good enough for Xantos to stop feeling sorry for himself for a little while, and to consider it. He leaned back, his hand covered his face for a few moments and he closed his eyes. Xantos thought about his son, and the other sons and daughters out there. He’d sworn to fight the evil of this world, and he was still here. Maybe he was dead, but he was there and he could still do good. After a little while, he shook his head

“Why would I want another teacher? You brought me into this, you better teach me how to handle it as well. What you said is true, I am a warrior of Daak and I sworn to protect the innocent against evil. I might be a creature of evil now, but I still know to tell right from wrong” He tried to sigh, but since his lungs were dead, it turned out an ugly grimace “I’m your man. I’m going to try to fight beside you against this wretched force of living corpses. It’s my duty, and I owe it to my fallen brothers. Teach me, father Cassius”

Xantos seemed to have found strength in his resolution, because he opened his eyes again and looked at the other man. His back a bit straighter, his eyes determined. He wasn’t used to doing something half-heartedly, and since he’d decided that he’d do this, he would.

“I want to learn how to grow strong” His voice almost childish, but he didn’t care “And to use this.. Curse.. Teach me”
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Father Cassius
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He waited patiently while the templar considered his words, no doubt turning the situation inside and out in his head. It set the head to a real spin for sure, no one knew that better than he. Hearing the resolution in the other man's voice, he straightened his back almost imperceptibly, but his eyes, oh his eyes took on a whole new kind of glow: the fervour of a man of faith. Clearly, Xandros' choice touched him deeply on some level, restoring something in him, even.

"Yes. Let us make you strong. It is a good thing that you have already received training in rigid discipline. This challenge will be far worse than anything you've ever encountered before." He shook his head faintly, a quick rustling of raven locks, a strain visible in the small furrow between his eye brows and on the bridge of his nose.

"But I swear in the name of Daak, that if on the way you should fall, if I am able to, I will catch you."

He closed his eyes again, dispelling the raw emotion in his eyes, willing himself to be practical, although that was not necessarily in his nature.

"So. First, how to make you look less as the dead templar and what cover story to use for who you are and from whence you came. I can keep you hidden maybe for another week or two if you prefer, but eventually, someone will see you. Better that we are prepared and introduce you on your terms."

He glanced around the room, snorting in disgust. He had little enough that was of use when it came to disguise, having endeavoured to live an ascetic life, less he had gluttony or greed to his many sins. His own few sets of spare clothes might do in the meantime, but would not be a perfect fit on the other man. He would have to find clothes somehow. And he had no clue how to do that without raising any suspicion.

"The vampires who attacked you and your friends... Did they see your face, do you think?"
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Xandros
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“I am not known for giving up easily” Xandros said proudly. After all, he’d been the youngest of five boys. Growing up with four older brothers taught you how to fight. You had to fight, unless you wanted to live your life in the eternal shadow of your brothers.

He sat in a solemn silence while he pondered Cassius’ question. Trying to think of that night was harder than he’d expected it to. Once again, he got to relieve that feeling of completely uselessness of not being able to help his brothers
“I don’t know” Xandros couldn’t remember what happened anything from when they’d been attacked. Except for the screaming, and the shouting and the bleeding. Everywhere around him, his brothers died and he’d been dying as well. He’d known that he was about to see the sky for the last time. However, he’d been wrong. Here he was again, alive but still not alive “ I honestly don’t remember. . All I remember is the battle horn, and then we started fighting.. And then we started dying”

Xandros rose from his chair and started pacing across the room. He didn’t like that his master wanted him to be someone else than he was. He hadn’t been prepared for putting off his mantle and the sign of Daak. The templar was someone he’d been for all his grown up life. Changing that would be changing who he was

“Who am I supposed to be now, then?” He stopped and turned to look at the other man “I’m a templar. If not a templar, the son of a Duke. I know nothing else, Father Cassius. Don’t ask me to become a liar as well. I have been taught to loath a liar. I’m not sure I would be able to hate myself even more than I already am. This..Creature.,,” he gestured towards himself “It’s what I can handle. Turning me into a liar.. Of course, I should have expected that I can no longer be the templar. But at least let me be a knight, good father”
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Father Cassius
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"Oh." He looked a bit chastised when the other man begged him not to make him a liar as well. He had not stopped to ponder that aspect of it. Likely, the templar was a terrible liar anyway. He knitted his eyebrows in consternation, twisting and turning the options in his head. He had been many things in his life, but spy did not number among them. He did not have experience with these kinds of problems. If only...

"I suppose you could still use your own name and your family background, they are far enough from here that it should put them in no danger. The problem is, that you cannot wear your armour as it would be recognized. Do you have any spare change of clothes in your pack that have no connection to the church? If so, you might wear them. I couldn't find you anything suitable for a nobleman to wear in this backwater county." He paused for another moment, leaning forwards on the table, elbows supported on the edge, rubbing the faint stubble on his cheeks. If he shaved it off, it grew right back and he hadn't bothered tonight. It never got any longer, though. Was it a strange thing, to wish that one had been clean shaven when one had died and come back from the dead? He had been given a few years now to ponder these small details and how they impacted his existence.

"They do not know what part of Jargia I am from. We could say that we know each other from childhood. If you merely say that you've come here to stay with me for a while, they will assume that you did something bad back home and they probably won't ask you any more questions."
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Xandros
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“Do you think it would put them in danger if I used my real name? Like you said, they are far away from here but I wouldn’t want to risk it. I would rather lie to strangers than putting my own blood in danger” He scratched his chin and sighed softly “I don’t need silk and velvets, I have a robe. It will do fine. Maybe I will be able to buy some armour around here, I can’t go without protection, after all. I’m so used to feeling the weight of the armour that I fear even the lightest breeze could sweep me off my feet without it. I’m not used to feeling this.. Light..And heavy at the same time? I’m sure it doesn’t make any sense to you, I’m not sure it makes sense to me either. Either way.. If using my name will put them into danger, I might use go by Xandros. That way I won’t have to risk them. There are many Xandros in Jargia, nobles as well as commoners”

Xandros merely nodded. Who would ever settle in a place as wretched as this? It had to be a sinner, someone who’d have to escape from the civilized world to hide from justice. He hoped they wouldn’t ask him questions. His brown eyes studied the other man and how he scratched his beard, wondering what it felt like to have a beard. It was a stupid thought, but he hadn’t gotten any beard yet. He’d always been late on that part, much to the amusement of his older brothers


“I’m tired of lingering here” He said at least, his hand upon his hip “I need to make sure my brothers are buried and make sure a prayer is read to help them on their way. I owe them, Father”
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Father Cassius
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Seeing the dismay in the young man's face, he desperately wanted to give a different answer to the question than the truth. But he, in turn, felt that he owed the templar at least the truth about the situation he was now in.

"Honestly? I don't know. Like I said, they are far away from here. But in the future, who knows? You might end up making enemies whose reach goes far beyond this wretched valley, who would use whatever weapons they can against you. If I were you, I wouldn't risk it. But I suppose I've grown paranoid over the years and I'm hard put these days to guessing how much of my fears are warranted." He spread his palms in a non committal gesture. "Just Xandros then, no family name. Let them draw their own conclusions. No doubt the stories they will make up in their own minds will be far more convincing than any lie you can think of, and you won't have so many of them to keep track of."

He rose suddenly, walking a few steps over to a large wooden chest than contained his meager personal belongings, shifting it aside easily with one hand as though it weighed nothing, to expose a trap door in the floor. He pulled out a key hanging from a leather cord around his neck, underneath the robe, unlocking the trap door. Underneath was a small earthen cellar.

"Come. I've put your things down here. I'll prepare sleeping accommodations for you there too, it's guaranteed to be proof against sunlight."

He closed his eyes at the request, as though he could keep out a world of pain by doing so, delicate shifts in his expression nonetheless displaying his anguish. When he spoke, however, his voice was carefully controlled.

"Whoever killed them saw to the disposal of their bodies. If I had tried to interfere, they would have known and then they'd have been at my doorstep already. I only pray that they did not notice that there was a body missing. They would have been burned in the old pagan stone circle, however, to avoid their spirits roaming around as haunts, as is done with all the dead in this place. I'll take you there if you wish."
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Xandros
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“Am I supposed to sleep there on my own?” Xandros didn’t want to admit it, but he was afraid. He didn’t want to face his sleep on his own, too afraid of what would happen “What if my enemies find me. Will I be able to wake up? Or will I just lay there like a lifeless corpse`”

He knew from Cassius reaction to his question that his request would be impossible to see happen. He frowned, and tried to gather strength enough to be able to hear the bad news.

“Oh no” He said, and heaved a sigh. It was a cruel death, to be murdered and then burned in a pagan circle. Daak should have intervened and protected his knights, but he didn’t. He hadn’t helped him either. Xandros frowned, before he just nodded “Take me there, please. I need to see it. They were my friends, as well as my sworn brothers. Are we able to go there tonight? I feel like this is something I need to do as soon as possible”

Xandros had already begun to feel nervous. He didn’t want to sleep alone, and he didn’t want to put off his armour. He’d always known that he would be a knight someday, and he’d dreamt about his armour. About how proud his father would be to see him.

“What are you going to do with my armour?” He asked when Cassius opened the door “Am I able to keep it? It means a lot to me”
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Father Cassius
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"I... don't sleep much," he admitted weakly, suddenly flustered at the notion of sharing the dark sleeping place. He had just assumed that the templar would value his privacy and would appreciate getting as much of a room of his own as he was able to offer, in this humble abode. It had been a long time since he had shared a cot with anyone.

Looking away, he struggled inwardly with temptation. So, so easy to justify... No, to earn trust, he must first offer some freely. Lifting one hand, he showed the other man a silver ring with an oval onyx stone ensconced, perhaps the size of half a fingernail.

"This is an old artifact. It allows me to walk around in daylight, as other vampires cannot. Otherwise, I could hardly be a village priest, as I'm expected to hold sermon during the day. I am still tired during the day, as you will be. It is an effort of will every time, to stay awake. Like it is an effort of will to be on hallowed ground. But it is good for me; it reminds me what I am and what I must do to atone, lest I get too comfortable in my role." He tried for cheerful, but it came out more desperate than anything else.

Folding his hands in his lap again, fiddling unconsciously with the ring, he paused for a few moments before he continued:

"Keep the armour, it may come in handy, just don't walk around in the village wearing it. It would look strange. We can go right now, if you wish. Just change it something less... bloody, first." He gave the templar's ragged clothes a pointed look. "If danger finds you during the day, you will wake up. I keep the windows barred during the day, so you should be fine inside the cottage. You can manage a very short while in the sun too. A heavy cloak with the hood down might be enough to go outside, if you are careful."
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