NIGHTS OF HALLOW

Once the church members left the village of Woodbridge, Head Warden Humphrey called the villagers who came out in twos and threes from their various houses.

The fear of the unknown visit from the church still lingered in their feeble hearts as they wondered the reason behind it.

When all the villagers had gathered in the village’s center, Head Warden Humphrey without wasting time began to address the villagers. He said,

”A warm evening to you all. I would have loved to address you all on the reason behind the curfew you were asked to observe but unfortunately, I am not entitled to let you know about it. But rest assured that there is nothing to panic about it. Everything done was for the good of everyone in the village, and by tomorrow the head of the church will address you properly on it. Thank you and have a good night’s rest, everyone.”

With that, Head Warden Humphrey turned on his heels and left the villager’s presence.

The villagers all held disturbed and confused look on their faces. Instead of being cleared, their doubts and confusion rose to the highest peak. But they could do nothing but wait till the following day when the head of the church will properly address them.

Away from there and inside the room where Sthena had brought Marco to be checked by the royal doctor, was Marco who lay on the small bed in the room, and the royal doctor who moved around the room with different medical equipments in his hand. His face looked serious and his movement was fast as if he wanted to complete something quickly.

Marco lay on the bed unmoving. When Sthena left them, the royal doctor had given Marco a liquor he drank that immediately stopped both the stomach pains and the mad thirst for blood, and after some time, he fell unconscious.

It had been three hours now since Sthena brought Marco there, but up till now, the royal doctor found nothing wrong with him. He couldn’t detect the reason behind the stomach pains Marco had.

At first, he suspected it was because of the smell exorcism ritual Marco told him he inhaled, but on a second thought and after a series of examinations he conducted, he later found out the real reason behind the condition of Marco.

It was at this moment, that Sthena arrived. The royal doctor was quick to offer the king a respectful bow which Sthena acknowledged with a nod.

”How is he doing, Briggs?” Sthena asked the royal doctor and turned to look at the sleeping Marco.

Mr. Briggs dejectedly shook his head and said, ”I found nothing, Milord. I conducted several tests on him but found nothing. His body is not showing any abnormality. Except for the time he had stomach pains, there’s nothing wrong with him.”

Sthena listened to everything Mr. Briggs said with rapt attention. His thin lips set themselves in a thin line.

Mr. Briggs patiently waited for Sthena to say something or ask him a question that he did not ask.

Seeing he was not saying anything, Mr. Briggs cleared his throat and informed the king in a low voice, ”Milord, pardon my inquisitiveness, but I want to know why the boy’s eye color is black instead of red since you mentioned earlier that he is a vampire?”

Sthena did not answer the royal doctor. He turned away from Mr. Briggs and walked to the table the royal doctor used to keep his equipment and other things. He caught sight of one of the many bottles that were filled with two colors of liquid inside it.

The top of the glass bottle had a colorless liquid and the base had a red liquid that looked like blood. The liquids stayed above and below each other without mixing.

Sthena’s eyes narrowed on the bottle and he sharply turned to look at the royal doctor and demanded,

”What do you think you’re doing?”

Mr. Briggs turned silent at the question of the King. His eyes darted around the room trying to avoid the rage that blazed in the eye of Sthena.

”Mi...Milord, I was only trying to find out what happened to the boy that’s all.”

”Is that so?” Sthena questioned nonchalantly and took the glass bottle in his hand. He said, ”You were trying to find out what was wrong with the boy, but here you are performing your side experiment with someone I brought to you?”

”You’re so brave, Mr. Briggs.” Sthena gently spoke as he swirled the contents of the glass bottle. Even though he swirled it, the red liquid and colorless liquid never mixed with each other.

”Such a wonderful experiment, Mr. Briggs. Perhaps I shall promote you to be my personal doctor? You’re quite capable.”

Mr. Briggs panicked, his red eyes dilated in fear at the trouble he brought to himself. He fell on his knees and beseeched the king, ”Your Majesty, please spare this lowly life of mine. I didn’t mean to do more than you asked me to do, but t... there’s something I noticed in the boy that is not right.”

”Something that is not right? Or is it your brain that had turned foggy that is the problem? When I gave you the instruction not to touch him more than you should, you thought I was merely threatening you?”

”P... please, Your Majesty, I didn’t mean to. I was doing exactly what you asked me when I noticed that—that his body was doing as if it was reacting with something in his blood. That was when I found out his body was rejecting the holy water he had inhaled.”

Mr. Briggs explained in haste to save his head. He peeked at Sthena’s face which was waiting for him to finish what he was saying. He quickly continued,

”When I noticed this, I...I took out his blood which is the red liquid on top and added holy water to it. The boy’s blood rejected the holy water and did not mix with it even when I shook it.”

”Your Majesty, please believe me. I didn’t intend to do more than you asked me. It was the situation that prompted me to do it. I promise.”

”Hmm,” Sthena hummed with an unpredictable look on his face. He questioned, ”I believe after you experimented with the boy’s blood, you came to a conclusion, or were you still trying to perform more?”

”No, no, no, Milord, I didn’t intend to perform more experiments. But there’s something you should know, Your Majesty,” Mr. Briggs’s eyes as he spoke this time were filled with fear different from the one he felt for the king when he stared at the unconscious Marco.

”And what could that be that would save your neck from my sharp claws?” Sthena nonchalantly questioned again, his sharp nails elongating as he spoke.

”Your Majesty, this boy is not what you think he is. I have heard and read of people like this one whose blood cannot mix with holy water. They can be very dangerous, Milord. He is a big threat to the kingdom and to your throne. You should kill him now before it is too late, Milord.” Mr. Briggs hastily spoke to convince the king.

His life was hanging on the sharp blade of the king that was surely going to be the end of him. He knowingly mentioned that the boy was a threat to the kingdom and the throne so the king would be believe him, which was subtly true. People like him were powerful, even more than some pureblooded vampires.

”You should be begging for your life that is hanging on the last words you speak, yet you want me to kill another person? Don’t you just have big guts in there?”

”You did not perform this experiment only to satisfy your curiosity, isn’t it? You wanted another thing. Was it power or were you looking forward to getting some special abilities?” Sthena asked one after the other as he walked towards Mr. Briggs who knelt on the ground.

”Do not worry, I’ll satisfy your curiosity,” Sthena bent on one knee and grabbed the chin of Mr. Briggs in his hand. ”You will have a taste of what power feels like today,”

”Y... your Majesty. P... please,” Mr. Briggs hysterically pleaded with the king which fell on deaf ears.

”Shush,” Sthena quietened the man ”You’ve known more than you are supposed to know, and it is because of this reason that I want to help you relieve the burden of what you know from your head.”

Sthena forced the jaw of Mr. Briggs open and with a click, he opened the glass bottle and poured its content into Mr. Briggs’s mouth.

Mr. Briggs gagged on the blood and the holy water from the glass bottle. Slowly, he felt the sharp nails of Sthena prick his chest before they went further into his chest.

Sthena grabbed the beating heart of Mr. Briggs in his hands and tugged on it, making the royal doctor aware of his sharp nails around his heart.

”Next time, in your next life if you happen to meet my great and magnificent self, remember to do as I ordered you. Hmm?” That was the final word Mr. Briggs got to hear before Sthena pulled his heart out.

”Such a filthy low-quality blood I got to touch today.” Sthena clicked his tongue and brought out his handkerchief from his coat pocket to wipe his hands.

Without wasting more of his time, he walked to where Marco lay on the bed and took him by his arms, and together they teleported from there.