God’s presence is strengthening. The flames burn redder.
Battle. A great battle is just over the horizon.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Yo! I just heard some crazy news! That soldier was a messenger, wasn’t he?!” Odysson is heaving after sprinting into my office, so I offer him a cup of water.
“Indeed he was. I shall explain, but first please have some of this.”
I pour myself a cup as well, and drink letting the water sit in my mouth, then swallowing slowly; it helps to quell the fire burning in my chest.
After a pause, I continue. “A large number of vampires attacked from the west and are making their way south.” It burns my tongue to even utter that statement. “Reports say they were led by the Apostle Crumbling Mountain. They cut through the western lands with the speed of a comet, assaulted the city housing our refugees in search of supplies, and then drilled and carved a path through the Sacred Shield Mountains.”
The cup in Odysson’s hand quakes. The water spilling from it clearly reveals his mental state: shock and fear. I know how you feel, my man.
“A-And the people...?”
“Very few were spared from the disaster.” I lament.
“You said they carved through the mountain?”
“They made use of an earthen magic on a scale the likes of which has never been seen before.” My throat is so parched, and my interlaced fingers are about to crush each other from how tight my grip is. I can’t even reach for the water jug; I’m so tense. “After entering the plains, the vampire army split in two.” A sharp pain shoots through my lips. No amount of saliva can keep them from drying out. My breath is so warm and moist, too. “We still don’t have information on which group Crumbling Mountain is leading, but we believe one is heading east for the fort. Their progress is slow, but this most likely means that the damage to the nearby towns is immense.”
The sourcing of supplies from locals—expressed in military terms, that’s all it really is... but reality is much more gruesome. I can’t even find the words to describe how horrific it is. Odysson’s face has gone from green to sheet white, and with good reason. Unfortunately, I must be the bearer of even more despair-inducing news:
“As for the other group, they are proceeding at a forced march to the southeast.”
His shoulders twitch. I knew he’d be able to discern what those words imply.
“Wait, does that mean...”
“Yes. I believe they are targeting the palace.”
A wordless cry reaches my ears. I won’t berate him for being melodramatic, though, for I too let out a silent scream when I guessed their trajectory.
Our country—the one nation we humans managed to build up, the Tryus Nation... is on the verge of destruction. This is an absolutely certain fact; a grim reality we can do nothing to stop. For those of us who have abandoned the central government—or perhaps it is we who were abandoned—this truth is especially clear.
An era is about to end with a great, great human loss.
“Th-The knights... The royal army could...” Odysson mutters.
“Have you forgotten? We are the only ones who have been able to fend off an army of a thousand vampires thanks to receiving God’s blessing.”
“Th-They have the Church; surely they...”
“Frankly speaking, the conventional religion is wrong. That long period of history in which we had no God only served to further our praying techniques. Without a doubt, our tradition and understanding were distorted by the Church. Hope is out of the question.”
I won’t criticize them. I can’t; not when I’ve only just learned of the true God. Religion is about facing God, but religious sects are human-facing organizations; one must consider each separately. To never err is not necessarily to always do the right thing. What salvation can there be in telling a parent whose child has been eaten that there is no God?
However, the real issue is that we require a true faith in order to combat the vampires. Thus, it goes without saying that a revolution must take place—a religious revolution. I was certain that we could secure the time needed for this radical change by fighting north of the fort, but... What imprudence.
Suddenly, the sound of rushed galloping comes from outside. The fact that they’ve come directly to me means it’s urgent, bad news. Boots on rock echo, followed by the sound of a sword clinking in its sheath. They fling open the door without even a knock—why, it’s Origis! What a sight he is. The presence of the battlefield radiates from his body.
“While on patrol, we rescued a rider who was attacked by a vampire.”
“A v-vampire? What—” Odysson splutters.
“The rumors were correct... whether they invade from the north or the west, it makes no difference. Our enemy is penetrating the northern lands,” Origis announces.
“So the war has escalated that far, huh? And what of the rider you saved?” I ask.
“A messenger from the Hell Expanse. Didn’t mean to snub you, but I took the report personally. His letter was too bloody from his wounds...”
“Titles and position mean nothing among us.”
With the imminent fall of the nation, words carry much weight. For the nobles in the capital, who are crushed by despair, position and titles are all they have to live for. Even in a state of emergency, they continue their comical dance, much like those under the demon of narcotics.
“So, Origis. What did the Commander have to say?”
Lord Willow’s decision to stay in the Hell Expanse... it cannot be just for the convenience of the position. Did he learn something in a prisoner interrogation? Or did he receive a message from God?
“My brother can be quite... brusque at times, but according to one of his prisoners, there is an army of thirty thousand vampires heading south from the center of the continent.”
For the first time, I’m at a loss for words. Thirty thousand vampires. If we include their familiars, that’s potentially a force of sixty thousand total. If they charged at us with those numbers, we would be crushed, even if every single man we have fought. We are facing the literal end of humanity.
“Hey, Father. Is this...?” Odysson starts.