Blood Reign

by Harvey W. McCarthy

  The vampire gave a slow sarcastic clap as he stared directly at Cristof.

  "However, your so-called Council of the Light is a thorn in our side. They constantly interfere in our plans. Your little hideaways are impossible to attack. I decided to be proactive and see if I could change it."

  "By becoming one of us again," Cristof said.

  "Yes," Tetzel said with a smile, "I started by sprinkling holy water on myself. Very nasty stuff. It burned and burned. Eventually, I learned to withstand the pain. I would stare at a cross until I could resist the desire to look away. I continued testing what I could and could not do. Slowly, day by day, I inched closer to the cross until I could grab it with my hand. It burned like the holy water. I continued to grab it until I could withstand the pain. Eventually, I learned to resist the fear and ignore the pain until I could walk amongst you again."

  "And how do you heal yourself from the pain?" Cristof asked. "It must be killing you right now."

  "Yes, being in here hurts every fiber of my being, but it is nothing that a good feed can't cure."

  "Well, Lord Visigoth…"

  "Lord Visigoth?" Martin asked.

  The vampire simply smiled. "The pleasure is mine."

  "Father Dorian Visigoth or as the council has called him 'The Scourge of Scandinavia' is one of the Order of Twelve. Did you not notice that he said that he walked with us again and that he mentioned God's curse? Only someone who was there would know of their creation," Cristof said.

  "Very wise," Lord Visigoth said with a hiss.

  Without saying another word, he leapt at the two men. They dodged his attack. Martin Luther struck him with a punch and the vampire barely flinched. He raised his hand and Martin Luther lifted off the ground and flew backwards. The unseen force threw him out the front doors and down the steps. The vampire turned his attention to Cristof.

  "However, very unwise for someone such as yourself to take me on," Lord Visigoth said.

  Cristof didn't say another word. He struck at the vampire with his stake. The vampire caught his hand and batted the stake away. He twisted his arm behind his back. Before Cristof could flinch, Lord Visigoth fed. His fangs bit deeply into his neck. His blood pulsed into the vampire's mouth. He inhaled the blood. He drained the life-force from the priest. As he fell to the floor, the vampire laughed.

  The vampire laughed again. "Now for the irony," he said as he cut his own wrist with his fingernail.

  He picked up the nearly dead priest's head. He allowed his blood to drip into the priest's mouth. The priest began to shiver. The vampire muttered a few words and the priest began to shutter.

  "Let's see if that raising spell works," Lord Visigoth said.

  Before he could utter the final words of his spell, two acolytes charged into the church. Lord Visigoth smiled. He bared his fangs and hissed. He charged the first acolyte who, unlike his priest, was prepared for battle. Lord Visigoth struck at the taller of the two acolytes who dodged his attack and countered with a stake to the shoulder. The other acolyte punched the vampire in the face. Lord Visigoth was surprised by their speed and their skill. He decided that feeding on one human was enough for the night. He leapt in the air and dashed out the front door. He disappeared into the darkness.

  The taller acolyte named Adalric ran to his priest. He saw his wounds. More importantly, he saw the blood on his lips. He fought away the tears that were welling in his eyes. He needed to think. Father Blutherz could be poisoned with vampire blood. Suddenly, he had an idea.

  "Wolfgang, bring me your holy water," he ordered.

  The other young acolyte ran to his side. He handed one of his vials of holy water to Adalric. "What are you doing?"

  "Don't ask. Just pour them in his mouth," he ordered.

  One by one, they poured their holy water in Cristof's mouth. He gagged as the liquid filled his body. They washed the vampire blood off of his body and they cleaned and dressed his wounds. When they had the bleeding stopped, they carried his body into the night.

  Over the next few days, they constantly monitored Cristof's health. His bite wounds healed surprisingly quickly. He did not awaken, but he stirred as if he was being tortured by his subconscious mind. They surrounded his bed with crosses. If he were to rise as a vampire, he would be trapped. They treated his wounds with holy water. They also used the holy water to keep him hydrated. Every time that he would drink, he would thrash and scream. After three days, it had all stopped.

  His acolytes watched his motionless body. They blessed themselves and dropped to their knees in prayer. They asked God to take him home despite being cursed with vampire blood. They did not move for hours. They weren't quite ready to see their friend leave them. To their complete surprise, Father Blutherz sat up.

  They immediately grabbed their crosses and prepared for battle. However, Cristof appeared to be fine. He wasn't shying away from the crosses that surrounded his bed. He looked at them as if he had never seen them before. Adalric handed his cross to Wolfgang and he approached their priest. Father Blutherz continued his puzzled gaze.

  Adalric dropped to one knee and looked directly at Father Blutherz. "Father, do you know who I am?" he asked.

  "Yes, but why are you here?" he responded.

  Adalric was worried. Something was wrong. Cristof was in his own room. He should recognize his surroundings. "Father, we all live here."

  "Y…Y…You died too?" the concerned Cristof asked.

  "No, Father, we live as do you," Adalric responded.

  "NO!" Cristof cried as he stood.

  He staggered around the room and grabbed his head. The two acolytes watched as Cristof continued to stagger around the room. Wolfgang attempted to rush to his aid, but Adalric stopped him. Wolfgang was puzzled.

  "Let him go. We need to know what is going on here," Adalric said.

  Wolfgang nodded and they continued to watch. Cristof appeared to be in pain. He clutched his ribs and he screamed. He stumbled and fell over a chair. He screamed in pain again. He staggered to his feet as tears formed in his eyes.

  "I…I…I…I must know," he stammered as he approached a mirror.

  As he staggered to his mirror, tears began to flow. He reached out towards the glass as if he were trying to grasp something. He leaned on the vanity that held the mirror. He dropped his head and cried. Slowly, Wolfgang and Adalric moved behind their friend and mentor to see what he saw or in this case what he didn't see. Instead of three reflections in the mirror, there were only two.

  Cristof dropped to his knees and looked skyward. "Why have you forsaken me, oh Lord?" he pleaded as tears dropped off of his chin.

  Wolfgang removed a stake from his robe. He lifted it in the air and he struck. However, Adalric caught his wrist. Cristof fell to his hands and knees. He wailed. Adalric shook his head. He picked up a cross and held it out to their friend. Cristof ignored the cross and continued to cry.

  "Father?" Adalric asked.

  "I am not your Father for he has forsaken me. Now I am cursed," he wailed.

  "Father, look at me," Adalric said softly.

  Slowly, Cristof looked at him. His eyes were red. His face was stained with tears. He blinked several times. He saw the cross. He reached for it like a child trying to grasp a butterfly. He longed for it. He began to cry again. Adalric walked closer and placed the cross in Cristof's hand. Tentatively, he took it from his acolyte and he held it to his chest. He cried. Adalric smiled.

  "What…What is going on?" Wolfgang asked.

  Adalric dropped to a knee and placed his hand on Cristof's shoulder. "Look, my friend," he said.

  "Look at what?" Cristof asked.

  Adalric pointed to his hands that clutched the cross as if it were his child. Cristof pulled his hands away slowly. He opened his hands and looked at the cross. His hands were not burned. He did not fear the holy symbol. Instead, he longed for it. He wanted its blessing. He was confused.

  "What…What is going on?" Wolfgang asked again.

  "Help me get him
to his feet," Adalric ordered.

  They helped Cristof back to his bed. The priest sat down slowly. He was weak and still very tired. He looked at his friends in pure bewilderment. He hoped that they had answers.

  "What is going on?" he asked.

  "Wolfgang, watch him please. I will return momentarily," Adalric said.

  Wolfgang sat down next to his friend. Adalric left the room. Cristof sat in bewilderment. A tear formed in Wolfgang's eye. He could see the pain on his friend's face. Adalric returned with a writing book, an ink jar and a writing quill. He placed the items on the writing desk. He picked up the desk and turned it so he could face his friends. He sat down at Cristof's writing desk. He turned to the first page in the book. He dipped the quill in the ink and he wrote 'Cristof Blutherz Day One' at the top of the page.

  "Cristof, I want you to tell me everything that you have experienced over the last three days," he said.

  Cristof nodded. "The last thing that I vividly remember feeling was the vampire bite. I remember tasting blood in my mouth, but it didn't taste normal. It felt tainted. I felt God's love washing over me again and again. I saw the Father. He told me that I could not walk with him yet. Again, I would feel his love but I couldn't have it. There was a barrier preventing me from crossing. I wanted to be there but something inside me was preventing it. At the same time, something inside me was easing the pain caused by that barrier. Then I woke up and we were here," Cristof said.

  Wolfgang watched his friend write down every word as Cristof spoke. "What does this mean, Adalric?"

  "I will know after we try a few things," Adalric said.

  "What things?" Cristof and Wolfgang asked.

  "Well, we already know that you are not affected by crosses. Wolfgang, give him a vial please," Adalric said.

  Wolfgang removed a vial of holy water from his robe and he handed it to Cristof.

  "Drink please," Adalric said.

  Cristof wanted to protest but he removed the stopper and he drank. The water felt wonderful as if it was washing his body. He felt a tingle. He drank greedily. When he was finished, he smiled.

  "It felt like before. It felt like God's love washing over me," he said excitedly.

  "That is what I thought," Adalric said as he stood. "Wolfgang, please come here and sit. I need you to note everything that you witness."

  "Understood," Wolfgang said as he stood.

  Adalric walked to his friend. Wolfgang sat down and watched. Adalric removed a small dagger from his sleeve. Cristof watched intently. Adalric dragged the sharp blade across his left palm. A small red line formed. He winced due to the pain but he knew that it had to be done. He held his hand out to Cristof.

  Suddenly, Cristof was incredibly hungry. He could smell the blood. A rage filled his body: A rage that he couldn't control. He could feel his face distorting. Adalric watched his friend. Tears welled in his eyes but he remained firm. He had to know. He slapped his bleeding hand over Cristof's mouth. His eyes widened and his visage changed. Cristof drank deeply. Adalric ripped his hand away. Cristof hissed. He removed a vial of holy water from his robe and pulled out the stopper with his teeth. He grabbed Cristof by his hair and he poured the water into his mouth. The vampire fell back onto the bed. His body shuttered and shook. He frothed at the mouth. A minute later, he was motionless.

  Adalric wrapped his hand in a cloth. He was thankful that the vampire didn't bite into his skin. They watched and waited. Cristof convulsed several times. Eventually, his eyes fluttered open. He held his stomach as he sat up. He looked around. His vampire visage had vanished. He looked at Adalric.

  "I'm sorry," he said.

  "Don't be. Tell us what just happened to you," Adalric said.

  "It felt like just after the vampire bit me. I had all the same feelings. I could taste the blood and tasted tainted. I hungered for more, but the holy water eased the pain. I felt human," he said.

  "Interesting. Do you feel the urge to feed?" Adalric asked.

  "Yes and no. I feel like I have always felt when I didn't quite get enough to eat, but now I only want blood," he answered honestly.

  "Interesting," Adalric said.

  "What are you thinking?" Wolfgang asked.

  "I think that we are sitting in the presence of a new discovery," Adalric replied.

  "Of what?" Cristof asked.

  "I believe my friend that you are the first holy vampire. You are not quite still human, but you are not fully a vampire. Do you want God's love?" Adalric asked.

  "Of course," Cristof responded.

  Adalric smiled.

  * * *

  Days later, a funeral was held for Father Cristof Blutherz. Everyone gathered to bid farewell to the beloved priest who had helped so many people. Martin Luther, now firmly entrenched as the leader of the reformers, gave his eulogy. In his eulogy, Martin Luther preached against the practice of selling indulgences and specifically named Johann Tetzel as a conspirator to commit evil acts in the name of the Catholic Church. He praised his friend Father Blutherz for upholding the good name of the church and, in his death, fought to protect the institution that he so loved. Cheers roared throughout the crowd and Cristof's name was chanted in the streets for days. There was even a prolonged discussion about making him the first saint of the Protestant faith. When he heard those words, Cristof chuckled and told Martin Luther to ignore those requests. Martin Luther reluctantly agreed.

  For the next two years, Cristof, Adalric, and Wolfgang traveled across the lands in secrecy. They watched and learned from Cristof. They discovered that Cristof was in limbo. He was never completely cursed as a vampire, as he still retained some of his humanity. However, he still had vampire needs. At least once a day, he had to drink human blood which thoroughly disgusted him. As they had learned before, they always mixed the blood with holy water to purify it. As they moved from town to town, they always asked that the local priest donate to their cause. When the priest learned of their quest, he would help and he gave a small donation to help pay for their needs.

  Eventually, however, word of their actions reached the Council of the Light and they were arrested. They were brought before the council to defend their actions. The council board refused to speak to Cristof. They ordered that he was to be put to death. However, Adalric and Wolfgang pleaded that they be allowed to present their evidence. Reluctantly the council agreed. They presented their journal and they spent an entire day reading their notes. The council was shocked to learn that Cristof still led them in prayer despite being a vampire. He was brought before the council to speak and he told them of his quest. They were released but now as agents of the council.

  They traveled the lands under new orders from the council. They moved from country to country and learned the fighting techniques of the various council warriors. Cristof was molded into a true warrior whose speed and strength were unmatched. He led them not only in prayer, but eventually in battle. They learned new methods to fight vampires during their travels and Cristof used them with great efficiency. Before long, Adalric and Wolfgang followed him as their leader. Eventually, they returned to Leipzig, Germany in 1519.

  * * *

  Johann Tetzel rested in his home. He had been shunned by the Catholic Church, but he didn't care. By selling indulgences for sins that hadn't even been committed, he had pocketed a small fortune from those souls who wanted the assurance that they would walk in the Kingdom of Heaven. As far as Tetzel, or as he preferred, Lord Visigoth, was concerned, they could walk wherever they so desired. He was going to walk on Earth long after they had perished and he would still be spending their money.

  He smiled. He had found a young prostitute walking the streets. She was a beautiful young girl who had run away from home. She wanted to return to her family but she didn't have any money. Tetzel promised that the church would help her if she came home with him. Of course, the help would come after she offered her services to him. She did so reluctantly and Lord Visigoth enjoyed every second of it. He, however, enjoyed ri
pping out her throat and feeding even more. She had been quite tasty. He had discarded her body in an alleyway far away from his lavish home. Now, he relaxed in a comfortable chair that had been paid for by the church. He smiled.

  "The fools," he chuckled.

  "The only fool is you, Visigoth," Cristof said.

  Visigoth leapt from his plush chair. He spun to face his unexpected visitor. The window to his bedroom was open. His visitor stood in the shadows. He could see the outline of his body. He was impressive. He was muscular. He moved silently which meant he was well-trained. This was going to be a kill that Visigoth would enjoy.