The Damascus Chronicles (24 page)

“Oh Lord!” said the man.

“Help us,” Michael pleaded as he fell to the ground, weak from not feeding.

Michael woke in a strange room, along with Serena and Kat. The young man who had opened the doors of the church sat near Kat. He had bandaged her wounds and brought her food and water. Danny was nowhere in sight. Serena’s burns were also bandaged and Michael saw the cup that Serena was drinking from; Michael could smell blood in the cup, blood that was not human. It was pig’s blood. Michael also took a drink from Serena’s cup, but it tasted horrible. There was something strange about this monk. How could he have known what Serena truly was?

The young monk came over to see Michael as he sat up on his cot. “You and your friends are feeling better.”

“Thank you for your help,” said Michael.

“Your young female friend is doing better. Father Paul and I managed to stop the bleeding and we have called the nuns to bring her to the hospital wing for a few days. I am Brother Dominus Sullivan.” Dominus was a very handsome man, about thirty years old in appearance; he had a short nose and a lean muscular, body.

“Is the priest here?” asked Serena, who had stood up, though she was still weak.

“He will be back here in half an hour. He has gone to say the morning mass,” said Dominus. “Where is my friend Danny?” asked Michael.

“He left to find someone who needed your help,” said Dominus.

Michael noticed a strange tattoo on the young monk’s right hand. It was the same seal Serena had on her neck. “You’re one of us,” said Michael in surprise.

“What are you talking about, sir?” asked Brother Dominus.

“The mark on your hand. I’ve seen it before,” said Michael.

“I have to go,” said Dominus, and he left to room only to run into Father Paul, who was surprised to see Dominus acting in such a peculiar fashion.

“What is wrong; how are the patients?”

“Father, the man in black knows what I am; I believe he and the girl know,” said

Dominus.

”It would not be the first time their kind have come. Let me go and see them, son,” said Father Paul calmly.

He entered the room with Dominus in silence. Father Paul had unique gifts; he was blessed with prophetic wisdom and the gift of insight. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t my old alter boy, Michael Victor Damascus,” said Father Paul.

“It’s nice to see you too, Father,” said Michael.

“I’m surprised. I haven’t seen you since the old days in the service. I heard around town that you took up with unsavory people when you came home. Too bad you didn’t come back here, where your heart should have been,” said Father Paul.

“What do you mean?” asked Michael.

“It’s not enough, son, that you became an accessory to the mob, but you endanger these friends of yours with something much worse. Still, I made a promise to the Lord to help all who come here, and I shall,” said Father Paul.

“I’m sorry that I left the faith, but what could I do? You know what happened,” said Michael. “You just don’t know when to stop, do you?”

“He is with me now; it’s my fault,” said Serena, regretful for what she had done.

“I could tell that you were not human the moment I saw that mark on your neck, child,” said Father Paul.

“How so?” Serena stammered.

“I know your kind when I see them. The young man who has cared for you these last few days is one of them,” said Father Paul.

“A vampire?” said Serena.

“He is my son, and a devout man of God no matter what he was born as. He still serves the church that his true father served at one time,” said Father Paul.

“What do you mean, his true father?” asked Serena.

“The man who helped the church fight the war that goes unnoticed, against a dark enemy,” said Father Paul.

“Reynard Desbode,” Serena breathed.

“Yes, him and his dark empire,” said Dominus. “What is this society, what war, who are you, and how did you know that Serena needed to drink?” asked Michael, confused.

“I am one of your kind,” explained Dominus. “But how could an immortal choose this?” asked Serena.

“Let me tell you a story. A long time ago during the first century, after the passing of the first Christian Emperor, Constantine, the persecution of the Church continued as time passed into the Middle Ages and the Christian Crusades. The pope of that time had formed secret military orders of monk warriors to ensure the protection of the Church from persecution and destruction. Those persecutors were Desbode and his legions. Julius Zoratus was in charge of the Church’s warriors, named the Sons of Judah. As a military general for the Church, Julius was loyal to God and to Rome for years. Julius and his armies sought to fight against invaders by any means necessary, to protect the Church and the world. During a great battle of epic proportions, larger enemy forces defeated Julius’ army, because Rome had failed to provide him with enough men. As Julius saw the horror of his comrades being slaughtered by the enemy, he met his nemesis, the Dark General Reynard Desbode, the founder of the Dark Society. Legend says that Reynard Desbode sold his soul to the Devil to become a fallen angel. His pagan society had one sole purpose: to destroy the Christian God and conquer the world as his own. Gloating in their victory by showing extreme hatred and animosity to their captors, the Dark Society’s general placed a terrible curse upon Julius and his men, mocking their Christian loyalty. Julius and his men were transformed into the undead, neither human nor demon. They had a dual nature split between the two, with no hope of being able to go back to being looked upon as servants of God by the Church in Rome. Some say it was a punishment for Julius’s vast vanity and pride. Others say it was a spiritual test of his faith.

They were taken as prisoners and made to be slaves in chains, working the copper mines for the Dark Society. There they were forced to dig for crystals and copper to power vast technology and weapons. All of the prisoners witnessed inhumane and indescribable acts of torture; they were forced to watch as their own families were slaughtered, crucified, and burned alive in fire pits.” Said Dominus.

Michael had a vision of these atrocities. Men, women, and children being killed by the legions of Reynard Desbode; the fire consuming its victims, leaving a foul stench in the air. He could smell the blood on the desecrated bodies of the dead. The vision stopped suddenly. “I saw it, I just saw it all,” exclaimed Michael.

“He has second sight,” said Dominus.

“Tell me more,” pleaded Michael, he had to know.

“For centuries Julius Zoratus and his new kind were oppressed. Humans viewed our race as monsters, for you see, the curse came with a terrible hunger: the blood thirst. It was so terrible that those who resisted feeding became insane and committed suicide or ended up in killing innocent victims. Thus spread the stories and myths perpetuating the evil nature of vampires. Our kind existed for centuries before Zoratus’ defeat, though we don’t know all the facts, just what was written down in certain records.

But from that time on humans feared Julius and his kind and sought to destroy them. Ekal was a rogue vampire slayer who took control over the vampires to gain power and influence in league with the Dark Society. Julius formed an uprising for his imprisoned legions to escape. The plan worked in deceiving the Dark Society’s smaller order, which they overran and destroyed. Now the fugitives had another problem. Because of what his kind had done while imprisoned, mostly those who went mad and killed innocent people, Rome saw him and his vampire kin as a threat to the Church and gave orders to hunt them down and kill them all. Documents that chronicle this story say that Julius wept as he received the news that the Church had turned against him in fear. He and his kind fled to different parts of the world and went into hiding. As time passed, up to the present day, Covens all around the earth had formed in attempts at survival. Now as you have seen, vampires have integrated into society and blended into the worldwide industries of business, organized crime and even politics, in order to preserve their existence. The Dark Society still exists but is known only as a legend by most people as well as by many vampires. It has grown in number looking for a way to finally conquer the world,” said Dominus.

“So that is why Julius hasn’t told me his story. He desires to have the vampire Covens that are still loyal to justice stop this menace,” said Michael.

“I never did believe the story myself, nor did I believe in God, until now,” said Serena.

“Oh yes child, there is a God; he is here with us right now,” said Father Paul.

“Dominus, is Julius your biological father?” Serena asked.

“Yes, he is. I left him and the coven when I was a boy.”

“How could you abandon your own kind?” asked Serena.

“Father always told us many years ago that as warriors in the Great Test, we would have to kill in order to win, along with keeping our faith and prayer. I could never kill; the guilt always came. After I killed my first enemy during one mission, I could never go on.” Dominus hung his head.

“Young Dominus came here to find peace with God. The Holy Lord directed him to me, so I helped him,” said Father Paul. “It was ten years ago when he came here.”

“I believe that’s why you too came here; I believe that God brought you both here for more than the healing of your physical wounds,” said Dominus.

“Oh please, save me from the melodrama,” snickered Michael.

“Ungrateful coward; then I should have left you to die,” frowned Brother Sullivan. Suddenly the darkness overcame Michael. He fell to the ground and began to convulse. His eyes turned a glowing yellow. The demons that he had allowed to enter his heart took over his mind.

“Let him alone priest, his soul is ours by legal right!” said the demons, speaking through Michael as his body levitated in midair and his eyes rolled upward so that only the whites showed. “In the name of the authority of Jesus Christ, by the blood of the Lamb of God be bound 700 fold and be silent within,” commanded Father Paul as he put his hand on Michael’s head. The demons screamed and grew silent as Michael’s body fell to the floor. As Michael gained control of his mind, his eyes came normal and the darkness left him. He spat up blood on the floor and snapped awake.

“What happened!” Serena screamed in fear.

“What have you two done!” yelled Father Paul. “I thought I gave him a gift,” Serena shook.

“What you have done, child, is worsen the state of his soul. The Lord has shown me what you have done, who he has become, and what you and he must do to be redeemed,” said Father Paul.

“What’s happening to me?” asked Michael.

“Son, you have let your soul and that of your lover’s be cursed. Because of your wickedness and your choices, you have let the Devil’s influence enter you. It is as the demons said; by legal right they share a part of you.”

“How can he stop it, Father?” asked Dominus. “He can’t stop it, not alone; he must repent of his sins, and forgive the one he hates most. Only Christ can deliver him,” said Father Paul.

“I can’t! I can’t forgive Phillips, not him. He killed my sister!” yelled Michael in anger.

“That is your test son; God has decided it for you. It is your destiny to face. If you do not let go of your hatred of this man, you will continue to let these evil spirits live inside you; it’s your choice,” said Father Paul.

“What about me?” Serena asked.

“You must repent as well; your bitterness is the seed of your demons. You too must forgive the man who killed your first love. When you both have forgiven your enemies and have repented, the demons will leave you. Believe in Jesus and you will be delivered. In the meantime, I will pray and fast for you both. However, as a final test, you will only regain your mortality when you have completed your destiny,” said Father Paul.

An enraged Michael vanished as he teleported away from the priest. Serena fell to the ground weeping; she had suffered so much and she longed for her humanity again. She prayed to God for forgiveness and forgave the man who had killed her first lover. As she confessed her sins to Father Paul, he cleansed her through Christ. She had taken the first step to being free, now that she had become a believer in the true light and found God. “Will he be free?” Serena asked Father Paul, thinking of Michael.

“I think there is still good in him, but only God knows. It’s up to Michael to decide,” said Father Paul. Serena then thanked Father Paul and went home, yet her heart was filled with despair, the pain she had brought upon her lover and herself ate at her
conscience
like a cancer comsuming her very soul.

Back at his apartment, Michael fell to the ground in deep anger. Kneeling and looking at a picture of his family, he felt helpless and consumed with grief; he also felt guilty because he was denying his faith in God. He felt fear truly in his soul, fear that his maker couldn’t forgive him, or maybe that he would never forgive the man who had taken the person that had meant so much to him. “He’s dead and that’s that,” said Michael to himself.