Rieze was a steadfast proponent of taking opportunities when they came.
Sometimes, this meant traversing roads she never intended to travel. Which was fine, even if she was rarely remunerated for her commuting expenses. Because in the end, she knew that even the most unlikely road still led towards her destination.
Case in point, she’d never intended on setting a vampire on the path of redemption. But in her experience, even the longest detour could still result in an unexpected shortcut elsewhere.
That was the way of the world. And it was no different under it as well.
Rieze strode into the darkness, her steps assured despite her unfamiliarity. She didn’t know this labyrinth, but she knew faith. And hers never wavered. Except when Sister Telin received the nod for the 10th seat even though the sly girl was 8 years her junior. But Rieze never thought about that.
Because when she did, her fists started making highly concerning crunching noises.
She stopped, breathed, then continued making her way forwards.
Soon, stone turned to earth as corridors became tunnels. The ancient stonework which comprised the crypt became beams of timber holding up the soil. And the only bones Rieze saw came from the skeletons of beasts dug up by the miners who worked these subterranean passages.
Rieze finally permitted her [Guiding Light] to rest.
Torches. Beautiful torches. Rows of them, lighting up her path. These tunnels were all connected. And how useful that was for someone who wished to tour the mines.
She admired the roughly hewn tunnels as she walked. Amidst the earth, large patches reminiscent of rusting metal caked the surface. Much of it was dull. But even more of it glittered, streaking as thin veins across silvery rocks.
Minerals and ores.
The things this region of the kingdom were known for. Especially iron.
Tirea was a nation of few resources beyond its arable lands. Yet the iron mines beneath its eastern mountains contested with Granholtz were its prize jewels. Though they lacked the manpower and expertise to exploit them to their fullest, it was still enough for a burgeoning industry of smelt work to arise.
Stermondt was prosperous. And that was great.
But it was also terrible.
Because a prosperous people needed only to rely on their own fortunes.
And that meant less need to rely on their faith.
A joyful people. But joy and despair were two sides of the same coin, and it was ever one that was flipped in accordance to the whims of those above and below, part of the everlasting struggle between righteous and wicked.
And when the coin eventually flipped back towards hardship, people would find that it was not the glint of crowns or the glitter of iron which helped them wade through the darkness.
It was the light of the Holy Church.
And Rieze just so happened to be the brightest light available.
Dink. Dink. Dink.
The telltale sound of chiselling echoed in the distance. Pickaxes striking stone. And then the sound of laughter, groaning and camaraderie in shared grief of their surroundings.
Rieze followed the sounds, the torches flickering as she swept by in her sister’s habit. There was an added enthusiasm in her steps. The lambs she’d kindly save today were no different to those in her hometown. Her own father had been a miner too. And so the harsh ringing of iron against iron sounded less like the noise of exertion and more a fond memory. More than once she’d been caught sneaking into the mines and chastised for it.
Now she understood why.
“–and then I hid out the window, right there, backside stark naked to the world while I hung on the wall, and you know what happened after? The old man came and closed it! Said something stank outside!”
“Bwahahahahaha!!”
“The man was right! No wonder it rained so much that day! Even the heavens were trying to give you a bath!”
Gruff. Boisterous. Crude.
Compared to the language exchanged by the miners in this packed cavern, the bars frequented by sailors sounded like the cloisters of newly sworn sisters. This was no fitting place for any young girl, even if she was now within touching distance of her thirties.
The miners knew this, too.
Hence why the jovialness abruptly ceased, the last of the laughter dying out as a dozen miners witnessed a sister walking into the mines not from the entrance, but from an unworked tunnel deeper within.
A wave of mouths fell open. Then, wide and very confused eyes glanced at each other as they confirmed the unlikely sight.
“Good morning,” said Rieze, hoping it very much was still morning. “I apologise for interrupting you in your labour. However, a situation has arisen within these tunnels which necessitates your attention.”
Silence and confusion continued to greet her.
After a long moment, the oldest of the miners present downed his tools and approached her, the caution in his footsteps making it clear he did not know whether she was real or a result of breathing in too much of the cavernous air.
“Who are you?” he asked plainly.
“My name is Sister Rieze of the Holy Church.”
Silence again. Another few moments passed.
“Did you … Did you just come from within the mines?”
“I did, yes.”
“How? They’re closed off. Did you pass us?”
“No. I entered these mines through another entrance.”
The miner blinked at her, then shared his shock with his fellow colleagues.
“That is … was, extremely unwise, sister. It’s strictly prohibited to enter any of the tunnels not being excavated for a reason. Many are unstable. And that’s the least of the concerns. We don’t know where they all lead.”
“Then I can enlighten you. These tunnels, providing you follow the correct paths, eventually leads to an ancient crypt.”
“A crypt?”
“Yes. One currently being used as a lair by a greater vampire.”
If Rieze didn’t know the face of shock before, she did now.
A deathly din resounded, broken only by the audible croaking of miners as their worst nightmares came to fruition.
They, more than most, recognised that dark things dwelled underground. But they also knew that even the worst of them could be kept at bay with enough torches, numbers and ignorance.
A vampire, however, was not one of these things.
“Are you … Are you certain?” asked the man before her, his beard whitening along with his face. “A vampire? Here? Underneath Stermondt?”
Rieze nodded.
She wore the expression expected of her, concerned and serious, even if such an act felt unwieldy to her. Still, the miner before her only looked confounded.
“Forgive me, sister, but … is this some sort of jest? I … I do not know you. And I visit the chapel frequently.”
Rieze blinked at him with renewed interest.
“You visit the chapel? Wonderful. I look forward to seeing you there myself. I’ve heard it’s reasonably popular. The oldest establishment in this kingdom.”
“That … would be true.” The miner looked over Rieze’s habit carefully, as though assessing its genuineness. “You’re not from Stermondt, then. From where did you come? And how do you know a … vampire has made its lair nearby?”
“That’s because I was just there.”
The miner looked her over yet again, his doubt visibly increasing.
“And the vampire? Did you … see it?”
“I did.”
Rieze turned around, sending a small, but meaningful smile over her shoulder.
A moment later, she heard the miner take a step back. Then another. And then another.
In the dimly lit tunnels behind Rieze, a dark silhouette disturbed the shadows.
The scarlet eyes appeared before anything else, drawing a horrified gasp from the gathered miners. As the silver hair shone beneath the light, pickaxes dropped to the floor. And then as the pink pyjamas revealed themselves … the miners didn’t react to that.
But they did when the girl looked up.
For a moment, hushed confusion met her glum expression and defeated eyes. Enough that they failed to turn in time when the first hint of a fang shone in the dim light.
The first set of heels began to turn.
Too little, too late.
“[Dominate Will].”
An invisible force swept throughout the cavern.
Immediately, over a dozen miners swayed on the spot, their bodies reeling like ships caught in a storm. Yet they did not fall.
Their mistress did not permit them to.
Protest and confusion vanished as swiftly as the minds of all present, their free will leached by the vampire’s eyes. Even broken as she was, hers was a strength which could not be overcome by any common man or woman.
And here, no heroes could be found.
None except a sister, who in another time may have borne a sword over a prayer book. And been less effective.
Because what Rieze lacked in bright swords and armour, she made up for in flexibility … and the stubbornness to see through any task, especially one she was roundly expected to fail.
“A terrible tragedy,” she said, admiring the blank expression on the miner before her. “You dug too deep. And now a terrible darkness has been found. It appears I shall need to appropriately warn the townsfolk.”
Rieze felt the vampire standing stiffly behind her.
“And … me?”
“You will do exactly as I’ve asked. And no more.”
Rieze heard no response. She turned and smiled at the girl, whose face was a mosaic of fear and disloyalty. And so she leaned forwards and wagged her finger, no differently than when she’d been chastised herself as a small child.
“Mercy is a trait with many interpretations. And so long as you don’t attempt to wander from the light, I will endeavour to provide you with the kindest one.”
The vampire clutched at her arm. Yet despite the fear she exuded, there was more than a small amount of petulance in the way she glanced at her.
“I see little sense in what you’re attempting to achieve. But I dare say using a vampire as a tool is not the most pious thing to do.”
Rieze offered a scoff, then a roll of her eyes for good measure..
How little she knew. The heavens were vast. And amongst those who would ask for Rieze’s devotion, some were less concerned with daily choir attendance and more with tangible results. She was hardly a bastion of piety, true. But neither her cause nor her immediate line manager demanded she be.
Which was great. Since she could easily see herself losing faith in a particular god.
But what she would never lose faith in was herself.
That’s why she was (for now) 12th of the Sonnenritter, and not a head sister. A job which paid better overtime hours than her. She’d checked.
“Vampire. Do you know why we burn effigies during the Holy Festival of the Fall?”
“Because setting things alight is a mindless activity which townsfolk enjoy?”
“No. It’s to remind the people of the great darkness that those in the Holy Church’s service relentlessly keep at bay. There are creatures fouler than vampires in the depths of this world.”
“Yes, I know. I’ve met some of them. Lovely neighbours.”
Rieze offered a small smile.
“Sadly, no such festival exists in this kingdom. And so a separate reminder shall be required to promote Stermondt’s chapel.”
The vampire pursed her lips.
“You intend to exploit me. A vampire. An unholy abomination.”
“A reminder of the dangers which exist, to help safeguard against the perils to come. A good cause.”
“That does not strike me as particularly good.”
“It is no different to the warnings of sermons, the bedtime stories of mothers and the burning of straw demons. There is nothing more sacred than the souls of our innocents. And there is no greater outcry for vigilance than a peek into the abyss.”
The scarlet eyed woman paused as she considered her response.
“You’re no sister.”
Rieze raised an eyebrow.
Then, she turned to sweep past the befuddled miners.
True. Sometimes, she didn’t feel like a sister.
She felt more like a shepherd. And for the lost lambs of this poor and small kingdom, it was not enough to wield a cane.
She required a wolf.
kayenano
Ohoho! Thank you so much for reading!
Join my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead!
And don't forget to check out the Discord for fun and pictures!
Rieze was a steadfast proponent of taking opportunities when they came.
Sometimes, this meant traversing roads she never intended to travel. Which was fine, even if she was rarely remunerated for her commuting expenses. Because in the end, she knew that even the most unlikely road still led towards her destination.
Case in point, she’d never intended on setting a vampire on the path of redemption. But in her experience, even the longest detour could still result in an unexpected shortcut elsewhere.
That was the way of the world. And it was no different under it as well.
Rieze strode into the darkness, her steps assured despite her unfamiliarity. She didn’t know this labyrinth, but she knew faith. And hers never wavered. Except when Sister Telin received the nod for the 10th seat even though the sly girl was 8 years her junior. But Rieze never thought about that.
Because when she did, her fists started making highly concerning crunching noises.
She stopped, breathed, then continued making her way forwards.
Soon, stone turned to earth as corridors became tunnels. The ancient stonework which comprised the crypt became beams of timber holding up the soil. And the only bones Rieze saw came from the skeletons of beasts dug up by the miners who worked these subterranean passages.
Rieze finally permitted her [Guiding Light] to rest.
Torches. Beautiful torches. Rows of them, lighting up her path. These tunnels were all connected. And how useful that was for someone who wished to tour the mines.
She admired the roughly hewn tunnels as she walked. Amidst the earth, large patches reminiscent of rusting metal caked the surface. Much of it was dull. But even more of it glittered, streaking as thin veins across silvery rocks.
Minerals and ores.
The things this region of the kingdom were known for. Especially iron.
Tirea was a nation of few resources beyond its arable lands. Yet the iron mines beneath its eastern mountains contested with Granholtz were its prize jewels. Though they lacked the manpower and expertise to exploit them to their fullest, it was still enough for a burgeoning industry of smelt work to arise.
Stermondt was prosperous. And that was great.
But it was also terrible.
Because a prosperous people needed only to rely on their own fortunes.
And that meant less need to rely on their faith.
A joyful people. But joy and despair were two sides of the same coin, and it was ever one that was flipped in accordance to the whims of those above and below, part of the everlasting struggle between righteous and wicked.
And when the coin eventually flipped back towards hardship, people would find that it was not the glint of crowns or the glitter of iron which helped them wade through the darkness.
It was the light of the Holy Church.
And Rieze just so happened to be the brightest light available.
Dink. Dink. Dink.
The telltale sound of chiselling echoed in the distance. Pickaxes striking stone. And then the sound of laughter, groaning and camaraderie in shared grief of their surroundings.
Rieze followed the sounds, the torches flickering as she swept by in her sister’s habit. There was an added enthusiasm in her steps. The lambs she’d kindly save today were no different to those in her hometown. Her own father had been a miner too. And so the harsh ringing of iron against iron sounded less like the noise of exertion and more a fond memory. More than once she’d been caught sneaking into the mines and chastised for it.
Now she understood why.
“–and then I hid out the window, right there, backside stark naked to the world while I hung on the wall, and you know what happened after? The old man came and closed it! Said something stank outside!”
“Bwahahahahaha!!”
“The man was right! No wonder it rained so much that day! Even the heavens were trying to give you a bath!”
Gruff. Boisterous. Crude.
Compared to the language exchanged by the miners in this packed cavern, the bars frequented by sailors sounded like the cloisters of newly sworn sisters. This was no fitting place for any young girl, even if she was now within touching distance of her thirties.
The miners knew this, too.
Hence why the jovialness abruptly ceased, the last of the laughter dying out as a dozen miners witnessed a sister walking into the mines not from the entrance, but from an unworked tunnel deeper within.
A wave of mouths fell open. Then, wide and very confused eyes glanced at each other as they confirmed the unlikely sight.
“Good morning,” said Rieze, hoping it very much was still morning. “I apologise for interrupting you in your labour. However, a situation has arisen within these tunnels which necessitates your attention.”
Silence and confusion continued to greet her.
After a long moment, the oldest of the miners present downed his tools and approached her, the caution in his footsteps making it clear he did not know whether she was real or a result of breathing in too much of the cavernous air.
“Who are you?” he asked plainly.
“My name is Sister Rieze of the Holy Church.”
Silence again. Another few moments passed.
“Did you … Did you just come from within the mines?”
“I did, yes.”
“How? They’re closed off. Did you pass us?”
“No. I entered these mines through another entrance.”
The miner blinked at her, then shared his shock with his fellow colleagues.
“That is … was, extremely unwise, sister. It’s strictly prohibited to enter any of the tunnels not being excavated for a reason. Many are unstable. And that’s the least of the concerns. We don’t know where they all lead.”
“Then I can enlighten you. These tunnels, providing you follow the correct paths, eventually leads to an ancient crypt.”
“A crypt?”
“Yes. One currently being used as a lair by a greater vampire.”
If Rieze didn’t know the face of shock before, she did now.
A deathly din resounded, broken only by the audible croaking of miners as their worst nightmares came to fruition.
They, more than most, recognised that dark things dwelled underground. But they also knew that even the worst of them could be kept at bay with enough torches, numbers and ignorance.
A vampire, however, was not one of these things.
“Are you … Are you certain?” asked the man before her, his beard whitening along with his face. “A vampire? Here? Underneath Stermondt?”
Rieze nodded.
She wore the expression expected of her, concerned and serious, even if such an act felt unwieldy to her. Still, the miner before her only looked confounded.
“Forgive me, sister, but … is this some sort of jest? I … I do not know you. And I visit the chapel frequently.”
Rieze blinked at him with renewed interest.
“You visit the chapel? Wonderful. I look forward to seeing you there myself. I’ve heard it’s reasonably popular. The oldest establishment in this kingdom.”
“That … would be true.” The miner looked over Rieze’s habit carefully, as though assessing its genuineness. “You’re not from Stermondt, then. From where did you come? And how do you know a … vampire has made its lair nearby?”
“That’s because I was just there.”
The miner looked her over yet again, his doubt visibly increasing.
“And the vampire? Did you … see it?”
“I did.”
Rieze turned around, sending a small, but meaningful smile over her shoulder.
A moment later, she heard the miner take a step back. Then another. And then another.
In the dimly lit tunnels behind Rieze, a dark silhouette disturbed the shadows.
The scarlet eyes appeared before anything else, drawing a horrified gasp from the gathered miners. As the silver hair shone beneath the light, pickaxes dropped to the floor. And then as the pink pyjamas revealed themselves … the miners didn’t react to that.
But they did when the girl looked up.
For a moment, hushed confusion met her glum expression and defeated eyes. Enough that they failed to turn in time when the first hint of a fang shone in the dim light.
The first set of heels began to turn.
Too little, too late.
“[Dominate Will].”
An invisible force swept throughout the cavern.
Immediately, over a dozen miners swayed on the spot, their bodies reeling like ships caught in a storm. Yet they did not fall.
Their mistress did not permit them to.
Protest and confusion vanished as swiftly as the minds of all present, their free will leached by the vampire’s eyes. Even broken as she was, hers was a strength which could not be overcome by any common man or woman.
And here, no heroes could be found.
None except a sister, who in another time may have borne a sword over a prayer book. And been less effective.
Because what Rieze lacked in bright swords and armour, she made up for in flexibility … and the stubbornness to see through any task, especially one she was roundly expected to fail.
“A terrible tragedy,” she said, admiring the blank expression on the miner before her. “You dug too deep. And now a terrible darkness has been found. It appears I shall need to appropriately warn the townsfolk.”
Rieze felt the vampire standing stiffly behind her.
“And … me?”
“You will do exactly as I’ve asked. And no more.”
Rieze heard no response. She turned and smiled at the girl, whose face was a mosaic of fear and disloyalty. And so she leaned forwards and wagged her finger, no differently than when she’d been chastised herself as a small child.
“Mercy is a trait with many interpretations. And so long as you don’t attempt to wander from the light, I will endeavour to provide you with the kindest one.”
The vampire clutched at her arm. Yet despite the fear she exuded, there was more than a small amount of petulance in the way she glanced at her.
“I see little sense in what you’re attempting to achieve. But I dare say using a vampire as a tool is not the most pious thing to do.”
Rieze offered a scoff, then a roll of her eyes for good measure..
How little she knew. The heavens were vast. And amongst those who would ask for Rieze’s devotion, some were less concerned with daily choir attendance and more with tangible results. She was hardly a bastion of piety, true. But neither her cause nor her immediate line manager demanded she be.
Which was great. Since she could easily see herself losing faith in a particular god.
But what she would never lose faith in was herself.
That’s why she was (for now) 12th of the Sonnenritter, and not a head sister. A job which paid better overtime hours than her. She’d checked.
“Vampire. Do you know why we burn effigies during the Holy Festival of the Fall?”
“Because setting things alight is a mindless activity which townsfolk enjoy?”
“No. It’s to remind the people of the great darkness that those in the Holy Church’s service relentlessly keep at bay. There are creatures fouler than vampires in the depths of this world.”
“Yes, I know. I’ve met some of them. Lovely neighbours.”
Rieze offered a small smile.
“Sadly, no such festival exists in this kingdom. And so a separate reminder shall be required to promote Stermondt’s chapel.”
The vampire pursed her lips.
“You intend to exploit me. A vampire. An unholy abomination.”
“A reminder of the dangers which exist, to help safeguard against the perils to come. A good cause.”
“That does not strike me as particularly good.”
“It is no different to the warnings of sermons, the bedtime stories of mothers and the burning of straw demons. There is nothing more sacred than the souls of our innocents. And there is no greater outcry for vigilance than a peek into the abyss.”
The scarlet eyed woman paused as she considered her response.
“You’re no sister.”
Rieze raised an eyebrow.
Then, she turned to sweep past the befuddled miners.
True. Sometimes, she didn’t feel like a sister.
She felt more like a shepherd. And for the lost lambs of this poor and small kingdom, it was not enough to wield a cane.
She required a wolf.
kayenano
Ohoho! Thank you so much for reading!
Join my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead!
And don't forget to check out the Discord for fun and pictures!
