This Story contains Vampires and there for blood, there is talks about trauma and terrible things done by religion. Also there is cute Lesbians.
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At night, you can feel things, bumping. The terror, things seem fine and suddenly they aren’t. The steps in the darkness, the paranoia but the real fear isn't that some horrific creature will feast on you. No it's you. Your past, your present, your future. In the night it leaves people alone with them self. With their thoughts, with their feelings, regrets, traumas, fears, duty, everything coming with no distraction, nothing to do but sleep and hope for sweet dreams. To instead find the sugar plums but it can be hard in a world that wants to leave you with nothing but you.
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At a table sat two woman, the table in an island of tables, a tavern in the middle of the capitol, in the middle of an empire, in the middle of a whole lot of history. It was a rather run down affair, on the poorer end of the town no so blessed by the church. A place where many less-than-over the table dealing would find themselves.
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These women at the table were each here for different reasons and yet the same one. They were offered a job and were avoiding talking to each other or perhaps simply assessing each other. They had met before but only once and briefly.
The oldest one, although she hardly looked it, was dressed flowing white robe, a witches hat over her head and bandages over her left eye. The dark skinned woman’s witch hat had a belt across it adding a pop of black and her robe had a small jacket to add a bit more flavor. The night was painted across her locks so dark they would almost fade in the dimly lit tavern. She clearly had stories to tell but perhaps they were too cruel for polite company.
Then there was the Paladin, cloaked in the empire’s armor. White plates with golden trims and red cloth under for flexibility sticking out from the holes in the armor that existed to max the mobility. Her powerful flowing red hair like a waterfall of flames. Beauty and strength radiated from her but her expression showed a greater pain.
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The two’s silence said when Jillian, the older of the two, asked “Where is Serena?”
The questioned woman, Trucey, blinked clearly pained at the question as she grips her arm spouting what was clearly not a full truth “I...I regret to inform you that she has gone missing...on our last fight against the Vampire Queen. I am working to find her..”
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Jillian looked broken hearted herself and looks around the room standing up noticing a pair of teens in the Tarven “Hey you two, back to home, stop spying on Mama Jillian. I’ll be back soon enough like with every mission. I’ll send owls with messages to you no worries.” She sends them off, her adopted children need not know what she had to get up to.
Trucey smiles “A mother, I see. When you aided us with your magics against the Mermaid insurgents you seemed so cold I wouldn’t have expected. ”
Jillian sighs in reply “There is a lot of things one wouldn’t expect of me.”
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The clanging of metal boots moved forward as a Knight commander from the order of Paladins appears in front of the two with a nun by his side. He looks over the two and commands in the Tavern in his booming voice “Everyone, leave this area or face holy judgment.”
The patrons scrambled and the bartender went into the back. The man was intimidating, his armor more full, less for quick combat and more for taking any hit that came his way. The nun looked shy, meek, cloaked in her robes and habbet she waved to the other two. Once it was clear the man says “You three are going on a mission, pay will be standard for you miss witch, and you knight already have so many honors among the order for you and your partners accomplishments so we will find additional ways to pay. You will kill the Demon Princess. ”
Trucey gasps “Sir, you truly jest, the demon princess has long since been slayed. Well before my birth during the princess wars. When the holy light was established as the world religion.”
The commander sternly replies “I do not jest, it appears she has been revived and that is a threat to our empire. We hardly stopped her horrible rule when we took back over these lands from the savages.”
Jillian flinched and the commander smirks at her “I imagine you will not hesitate witch you know the cost well enough and the pay is rather lovely.”
The mother shakes her head “I understand….sir.”
He giggles and and pushes the nun towards them “This is Kat, she is a sister of the faith from the chapel that burnt down. She managed to survive and her holy magic will help you two recover from any injuries. The demon princess being newly reborn would mean she is likely weak. Your small group should be enough to at least track her. Trucey’s elite blade and the witches magic should be able to be the offense.”
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Kat smiles saying with blush across her face “Please to meet you two, I hope I will be of proper aid. The holy god will light our path and move us forward.”
With that the Paladin hands the two each a bag of money “This is your upfront payment. you may need money on the travel. There will be more when you return if you do not fail.”
Jillian whistles and an owl flies in grabbing the bag whispering ”to the children” and the owl flies away. She smiles at the commander “My owl carries my funds.”
He shrugs and hands them a map “You’ll cut through the feral Forrest and make it to mount stormbrew, our contacts have said they have seen her around this area. You will locate her, if her powers are closer to full you may call on the local order and they will contact anyone they can. If your able assassinate her, don’t let her cutting tongue seduce you.”
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The commander turns around and leaves not fielding any more questions. Something the three would all be rather use to from the higher ups in the order. And a tale of sorrow and joy begins.
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Jillian
I could feel the rage building inside of me. That smug man avoiding telling me that Serena had gone missing. Towering over me knowing good and well even so I must obey for the children. Though I wasn’t even sure, it felt like so long that I had been there puppet motives hardly seemed to matter, the sins on my hands. A crack a smile, I always smiled and spun sweetly “alright you two, the feral forest is full of mystic natural forces that are rather dangerous, we will need to be careful. We’ll be on horseback but still we must stay close and watch one another. ”
This Trucey was close to Serena, I had spied on them many times watching over her and she always seemed to be with her. The ranks referred to them as the twin blades of order. Known for slaying “horrific” monsters. There closeness was clearly not a game given how hurt Trucey seemed at Serena going missing. Finding her would need to happen but failing this mission wasn’t an option.
My children all left behind by family, caretakers, for loving who they love, being who they are. The queer children left homeless and taken in by me. I hoped Serena was well, perhaps free of the Paladins once and for all.
I moved to grab my horse ready to ride her through the forest and hopefully finish this fast, I wanted to get back to my babies as soon as possible.
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Trucey
Getting onto my horse and riding forward I couldn't help but think of her. Serena, my best gal pal. My most lovely and close friend, My bunkmate, my partner in facing sin. I had to lie to the order, to Jillian, to everyone about the truth of that night.
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Serena saved my life against the vampire queen but her fowl bite changed my Serena. My best friend suddenly demonic yelling in pain, crying as she became the new Vampire queen. Her lips moving close to mine, my heart beating at the clearly delirious Paladin. She looked so sad saying she loved me before flying off into the night likely to feed. I let her get away, for if the order knew they would send people to kill her. I would save her from this beast of sin! I owe her this much.
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I had hardly noticed the entry into the forest. So enraptured by her strong arms as she gripped me and told me last sign of friendship….that's what it had to be right?
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Honestly, it felt strange, wrong in these forests, I had traveled through them before but this time it was so lonely. Two women beside me but neither were her. I no longer felt invincible, I felt vulnerable. The trees eery, hanging vines that wiggled as they looked for food. Most Paladins avoid this root, people tend to leave changed by these odd forces. Still Serena and I were powerful and when it came to saving people we would always come as fast as possible.
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A demon princess was likely to have a cure or at least know of one for Vampirism. It was the only way to get back my best friend. I would save her, I had to save her.
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Then there music playing in the distance, it was faint but I could hear it, it couldn’t be from the city but deeper in the forest. It seemed like Jillian could hear it too she was a bit on edge which wasn’t a good look on her. One could admire a woman with such stature, clearly amazing warrior and probably would make a good wife for like some….man one day. Then again she seemed a bit older, perhaps she was already married? So strong and pretty gosh, how couldn’t she be. Of course us Paladins we make vows to you know not do that kind of stuff but outside of the order it seemed to be the norm.
The nun moved herself closer to me whispering “can you believe they put us in a mission with a Witch, I have no idea why would we need help from a viel sinner.”
She wasn’t wrong, witches were generally punished by the order, they tended to all be criminals or rouges of some other kind. Fighting witches was a common activity for us in the holy light. Still she seemed kind and clearly was willing to work with the order. I say softly “She seems like a very nice person. Let’s not worry, our commander ordered us after all he wouldn’t put us in a mission with someone he thought was unsafe.”
Kat pouts looking frustrated despite trying not to speak the way she looked “I suppose your right. Still it’s best we holy ladies stay beside one another.” She grips her holy marker and blushes as she moves closer to her “your such a pretty knight, I believe I have seen you before in the old nunnery before we had to relocate.”
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I nodded “Yes I was assigned to protection duty a few times early on, plus me and Serena would come over for our private prayer sessions.”
Yes, truly the soft times with my best gal were the best times. So much friendship and joy. Going on nice picnics together, praying together, sharing a bed when Serena’s nightmares would flare up, ahh the good times.
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The music began to draw closer and from the dark of the forest appeared four wolves with purple fur growling at us. I grip my hilt prepared to make quick work of the demonic hounds but was star stuck when I watched Jillian jump off her horse flying into the air.
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Jillian
Damn wolves have to show up when a freaking Paladin is around. Well I guess I could blast them back into the forest so they don’t get killed by the holy squad. They can’t afford to give chace. As I dramatically jump in the air I focus my magic summoning forth a fireball in front of them blasting at them hoping the flames would keep them away. To my surprise a wolf leaped in the air and managed to hit me I was knocked onto the ground from it’s fangs fell a necklace before it raised its claws to strike me.
Trucey leaped forward swinging her blade and slicing the wolf sending it to run back to it’s pack. She declares “Unholy beasts tainted by the forest, you will be put out of your misery.” The wolves don’t seem ready to stand down and their fur stands up tentacles emerging from them attempting to disarm the paladin.
I quickly slid in front getting gripped and shouted “Let me handle these get back on your horse, we need to go as fast as possible, wolves are nothing to me.”
She doesn’t listen ready to attack so I do what I must and summon forth a gale of powerful wind blasting the whole back deep into the forest hoping not to have hurt the things to much.
I spied a glimmer of what had fallen from the beast’s fangs. I grabbed the necklace and suddenly felt weird. Like...like it was mine. This was some kind of cursed enchantment surely. Still I couldn’t bring myself to part with it. I found myself slipping it on, the pretty picture of a woman’s head engraved inside like the face of my previous girlfriends or perhaps that of myself. It was hard to tell but it felt nice having it on. I crack a smile, when was the last time I really smiled? Had it been since Serena was taken? Before that? Had I lived my life to be this miserable?
What was going on? I was being far too introspective, I had to conceal my feelings for the sake of the children.
I give a faint natural smile “There, I said I could handle it, let’s go and kill a person we hardly know anything about.”
From there we keep moving forward until we had to set up camp. Setting up camp in the feral forest wasn’t the smartest idea but I knew a witch who lived here for a while and she showed me a trick or two. Using my magic I made us small shelter bending the frees into a small shack for us. We all attempt to get some sleep.
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The night calls us and suddenly I am back there, to that moment….
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I grip my staff “No, your not going out there young lady. Think of your siblings. Do you think you can beat the Paladins all on your own?”
Serena’s head nods back “First off I’m an adult, secondly, I am not going to do this alone. If we all worked together our magics would be enough, the people would be inspired, we could take them down and I’m doing this with or without you. Your so powerful, come on. ”
I shout “I said no, if you go out there like a some kind of jester don’t expect me to come save you. Your an adult but you live with me under my house and my rules.”
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Trucey
The clashing of metal, there stood the mystic knight Serena, the greatest Paladin in the world. At least in my eyes, my best friend in the whole world, my former commander turned equal thanks to her hard work training me. She had climbed up the ranks so fast it was almost like the divine light wanted her to be at the top, perhaps it did. A steel Golem stood between us and a particularly fiendish ifrit who was found murdering a Paladin who was protecting humans from them.
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Watching Serena work was dazzling she had total control of her holy magics suddenly her blade glowing with the power of the divine light she slashed through the golem the rest of the Paladins had failed against. She taunted “I’d ask you to stand down savage but clearly you have no honor. As long as me and Trucey stand the order will fight on!”
That was right I was part of this team, time to stop watching and join in. Our blades joined as one the creatures had not much longer in the world. All was to the holy lights will.
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Jillian
Just like that there was no more time for nightmares. The music draws closer and the dark forest sky grew closer too. Then suddenly Kat is grabbed a shadowy figure gripping her. The voice hissed “Oh nun is on the menu.” The figure leaves the shack holding the nun in her hands. While the world could always use less nuns I couldn’t just let her die. I shoot the figure summoning lighting and blasting her.
The figure was wearing a cloak, their voice was familiar but different. It couldn’t be her could it? The being of the night smirked “My song didn’t lure her to me, and now this...wait it couldn’t be….”
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She grips the nun tighter and finds herself shooting into the air flying with her, the ends of her cloak like a bats wings. Clearly a very powerful magical being at least. I summon forth the spirit of the owl and sprout wings flying after her she smirks sending a wave of darkness at me, before dropping the girl. Dammit, I had to save the nun. The figure shoot away into the dark when I wasn’t looking.
I grab the girl falling down into a pool of black liquid together. The oozing junk across us as I manage to get us back to land.
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Trucey
I had just barely been able to wake up and grab my sword and shield when I found my two companions had vanished and standing outside was just the figure who had so rudely awoken me from my sweet dreams. I grip my blade “A creature of the night stands no chance against the demon slayer of the holy order Trucey!”
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The figure begins laughing loudly chucking so hard her cloak fell off. It was...it was Serena “Oh my gosh, you haven’t changed a bit have you Trucey”.
Oh holy light, what am I do to. I was so afraid, I couldn't do this, fighting my platonic soul mate, my sister in arms. I, I had to do something though, I had to capture her. I make my battle stance “You know how many vampires I’ve killed Serena, your not strong enough to take me down, surrender so I can tie you up and find you a cure!”
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Serena smiled “Your so sweet, I knew I could trust you were not in the inner circle of the order. When I told you I was trans and you accepted me I knew you were different even if I didn’t get why that mattered to me. Only the higher ups knew and would feed me my supply of pills. You helped me keep my secret and I knew you were part of my heart. ”
She moves onto one knee “So I ask you this...” she pulls out a box and inside of it is a ring with a glowing pink sapphire like no other I had seen. It was truly stunning and any woman would be lucky. “Will you marry me, or date me or anything I just want to be with you” she coos her voice sounding weak all of a sudden.
Yet that voice of hers wasn’t as weak as mine when I gasped “I mean my holy vows!” Perhaps I should have said we were both women or that she was a demon. Yet that was what left my mouth.
She closes the box and looks upset saying “Trucey, you don’t get it do you, I love you. I….It hurts so much…..the order….What it has done to me, to you too.” She took a deep breath then more calmly said “There is so much to explain but this really isn’t the setting. We should move ahead to the town outside the forest.”
What the heavens was I supposed to do. She just tried talking to me with all these confusing feelings. Like my best friend confesses forbidden affection for me while being imbued with the power of the queen of vampires, clearly it had to be some corruption and I could not trust her.
I raise my sword shooting holy magic from my free hand, I just..I had to fight! She dodges gracefully walking backwards as she did. Was she leading me somewhere? I had to make sure the footing was under my control but yet she was so fast and graceful. As she dodged my attacks she asked “So Trucey, did you like my song, I use to sing play it for you when we were on the road, it’s called ‘a hidden confession.’ Feelings one can’t feel coming out in music instead. I didn’t realize then but it was always my love song.”
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Tears began to fall down my face as I shout “Your a monster wearing the face of my best friend, stop...stop saying such...vile….things to me!” My head began to hurt. Marry her, love her, was our fun gal pal moments maybe something more to her? More to me? How could this happen between us? Was it lies the vampire queen told to trick me.
I held onto my chest, I couldn't hit her, I summon up my light magic and aim it at her "Give up!" I quiver and she stands totally still not flinching, not worried at all apparently.
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Serena had to know I could kill her at point blank with this light spell, yet she just stood there. As a shot I’d fired nearly connects, I suddenly reel back, banking it away so it veers off at the last second, missing her by a few feet.
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Serena smiles, looking as happy as her birthday when I got her that cute stuffed owl plush. She says cheerfully "See, you do care."
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As I question myself the vampire tripped me knocking down my sword and grabbing it and strapping it to her back “So light magic now right. Here I’ll show you mine first.” Her hand shockingly glows with the holy light and sending it at me. I move back, the spell landing right in front of where my feet would be and the woman smirks “I said let’s go and talk so stand down Trucey. Enough tears….I have had enough to fill more than a lifetime. I had hoped I had cried all your tears for you.”
My heart was racing, why was she so romantic!!! What was I to do. I let her pull in closer and grab me as we soar into the air and fly off. Whatever these answers were I wanted to know what she could tell me. Even if she was a lie. I had to know, I had to know if these feelings were real.
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Read Chapter 2