Hah, Hah... I breathe heavily as I run through the forest, away from the site, 2 miles (3.22 km) from here that my church and I wanted to use until we got interrupted by two unknown assailants. In addition... I was running from said mercenaries that eliminated the rest of my church. They must be working for those damn angels, or perhaps with the devils, it makes no difference who sent them, but I swear that if I get out of here I will get my revenge.
I take a look back and see one of them is right behind me, aiming his gun at me. *Boom,* in a flash a bullet flies towards me and hits my right shoulder, groaning in pain I stumble a little before overcoming it, focusing on the pursuers behind me.
I ran as fast as I could, jumping over logs and using tree branches to propel myself forward. As I ran, I saw city lights, and As I ran closer, they became bigger and bigger, yet the pursuers were still on my tail.
I hear another sharp boom, and the tree to my side gets destroyed. No bullet should have this much power, this is absurd. I look at the tree horrified, but after another bullet resounds in the air, I ignore my awe and continue towards the city, slowed down by my robes yet lacking time to remove them properly.
Blinded by the city lights that now surround me, I ran faster in the general direction of the apartment complex owned by the church for the members to live in.
Looking backward again, I see the two men pushing through pedestrians in an attempt to get to me. Now that they were illuminated by the city lights, I can properly see their features. One of them was a middle-aged man in jeans and a stuffed jacket, probably hiding his enchanted vest that our guns didn't pierce no matter how many bullets we shot at them.
The second person is a young teen wearing a tailored suit and pants with a pocket watch dangling from its side. On his face he had a monocle decorated by the falling white hair covering most of his eyes.
On his left arm he had a black glove that I could have sworn had teethes, in comparison he's right arm glove looked ordinary as it was holding the gun that was shooting wildly in the forest. It was an old styled revolver with golden plated lines snaking through its entirety.
As I saw they were beginning to lose me, I took the small window of opportunity to slide into an alleyway and disappear from their vision. Resting on the walls of the alleyway, I anxiously take a small Peek back to see if they are still on to me.
As I looked backwards I saw the two of them looking around for me lost as to where i was, quickly hiding my head again I "sigh" in relief.
" They are finally off my trail ", Falling on the floor, I throw my bloodied and sweaty roab to my side.
"Damn it, everything was going just fine, perfectly even, until they came in and killed all of my members. "
Bringing his knees closer to his chest, he hugs them.
" We were so close to completion! We already had all the parts ready and set as the book instructed, we even summoned the creature already. If they hadn't interrupted us we would have already been able to ask the summoned creature to bring someone back to life, yet because they killed that thing I have to start from the beginning now"!
Raising his arm, he repeatedly slammed it on the floor
" why, why, why would they stop me from seeing Nina again!!", in a helpless cry my voice sounded distorted as if it were that of a beast."
Shocked by my voice I was shaken out of my anger, what was that right now, why did I sound so different? Disoriented I shaked myself from my shock, I rose from the dirty floor of the alleyway.
Looking around, I checked that the pursuers had left, seeing that they were nowhere to be seen I raised my right arm to grasp the alley wall, but suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my right shoulder.
I remembered, I was shot in my right shoulder, leaning with my left shoulder on the alley walls I used my left arm to extract the bullet from my right shoulder. Releasing a small moan of pain, I release the bullet that remained embedded in my shoulder.
As the small flattened bullet fell on the floor, I remembered the destroyed tree and wondered "How the hell did my shoulder survive a shot from this thing". Patting the back of my right shoulder where the wound was, I felt nothing but torn clothes resulting from the piercing of the bullet. " How did my shoulder heal from the wound so quickly"? I wondered to myself but remembering those two were still looking around for me, I ignored this new development and left.
I headed to the same apartment complex owned by the Resurrection church, looking around I made sure the pursuers were nowhere near me. Sighing a sigh of relief, I relaxed my tense muscles, they lost me completely.
Heading towards the stairs of the apartment, I saw a young woman I didn't recognize, she had purple hair and was wearing a regular t-shirt and sweatpants. " What are you doing here, this is private property," I shouted, wary of the stranger.
I am Casandra from the Salvation church, Texas department, we arranged a meeting with the Resurrection church executives to talk about information exchange in-between the two of us.
" AAh ", remembering one of the church members talking about such a meeting, I calm down. " Don't bother with that, the resurrection church has been massacred, they are all dead aside from me".
The woman seemed shocked and asked, "What happened, how did you all die "? Answering her question, I said, "Two Dudes barged into our meeting spot and killed the entirety of the Church. Don't worry tho, we will be back on our feet soon enough, we just need to recruit new disciples".
" But for now we are out of action, show yourself out of the complex we won't be having any meetings for now, contact me at a later time when we are more steady", ending the conversation like that I move past her and head to my apartment.
Taking out my keys, I opened the door to my apartment and immediately closed it behind me. Rushing to my closet, I take a large suitcase and stuff all of my essentials in there. " I have to leave this place as fast as possible, they might be getting close to finding where I am....
As the leader of the church of Resurrection was packing his things, a young boy who looked like he was taken straight out of the Victorian era, passed by a bloodied roab and a flattened bullet head in an alleyway.
As he kneeled to inspect the material, he took out of his suits inner pocket a black book and began to whisper illusive chants.
"By blood once shed and bond unbroken,
Let crimson thread be now awoken.
From earth it fell from the soul it came,
Reveal the path, speak forth the name.
Through vein and dust, by fate's design,
Their place in shadow now be mine.
O bleeding mark, O truth made clear,
Bring forth the one who once stood here."
As he finished the chant, he looked in the direction of the apartment and murmured, " I gotcha, you filthy cultist"
After packing everything I need, I head to the door of the apartment, intending to leave the place. " I will have to stay on the low, I don't know how many people were notified of our church's activities, so I can't be sure how many people might recognize me as their leader."
" I might have to leave the country, but I have already packed all of my things in a suitcase and I have my passport and all the money I could get my hands on so i will be fine".
Remembering something I thought, "What about the children on the top floor, what will happen to them". A sad mood had fallen on my face, " I can't take all of them with me, so I will have to leave them here. But after I get into a safe location, I will call the police and notify them that a bunch of children with dead parents are in the top apartment of this complex."
As I resolved myself and my plan, I held the door and prepared to leave, but then I heard a person stepping through the hallway.
" Who is it... the woman from the salvation church? Why would she be here, did she forget something and came to bring it back"?
A cricking suspicion reared its ugly head and invaded my hearth,"Could it be that this is one of the mercenaries after me".
I quickly went back to my room, and as I entered it I saw the window infront of its entrance and considered my next course of action.
" Should I jump out of the window??? could I even survive the fall from this floor?"
but before I could finish considering what would be my next course of action, I heard the main door of the apartment being destroyed...
As I entered the apartment in the complex owned by the Resurrection church, i saw the Incandescent Bolb in the middle of the living room was lighten up.
As I went up to it and grasped it in my hands, it was hot, but not hot enough for a bolb that was suppose to be turned on for hours. all the rest of the apartments in this complex had closed lights but this one didnt.
also if you consider the possibility that the owner of the apartment just forgot to close it, the light bolb would still not match the heat expected of a bolb that was supposedly on for hours. which means a person came in after the rest of the church left and turned it on and either forgot to close it when he left. or...
I began to look around the house for the last member of the church of Resurrection. I was certain he was here. I checked under the table in the bath in the closets but i couldnt find the bastard, but there was one room i didnt check, the bedroom.
slowly stepping towards the locked bedroom i landed my hand on the handle and began to slowly open it. i had my guard up, preparing for an attack, yet non came. the room was empty aside from the suitcase full of clothes, the bed, and the open window bringing in a stream of fresh air.
"That stinky cultist ".
I ran and I ran and I ran, I didn't stop no matter how much my legs wanted to do so...
As i continued to run i saw the end of the city and the start of the forest i came from. i felt it, safety, so close i could smell it, yet... that was not to be.
boom!!!
I shot a bullet that flew in the air and then hit the leader of the resurrection church square in the head... he fell to the ground dead. Coming closer to the body I thought," Lucky me, if I didn't find that piece of bloodied roab I couldn't have found him and he would have run away.
As I squatted to inspect the coarps, Albert the middle-aged man who is my partner in this hunt, came crashing in, and started speaking. " good work jonny, you killed him". I answered him a little condescendingly, " you wanted to go to the cult's apartment complex instead of listening to me, now see where it got you."
"yeah, yeah, yeah, you can continue with your condescending remarks later, there is another thing in the apartment i need to-", before albert could finish his words the leader of the Resurrection church had risen his arms and transformed his body to that of a paled old man, and he's legs went on dividing continuesly in to multiple tentacles that raised him high above the ground.
"shit he is still alive", Albert said preparing for combat. No, he is not alive he is most certainly dead, I said while reloading my gun.
This is the stray devil that the cult had summoned and we killed, it seems that the demon had taken over his body.
"I see... "Albert said taking out his tactical knife, in an instant he lunged at the stray devil cutting off one of its tentacles that tried to swipe him away.
As Albert was fighting the demon, I whispered an incantation into my gun.
"Light of the heavens, pure and bright,
Bless this vessel with sacred might.
By sun and star, by sky and flame,
I call the holy in Thy name.
Let no shadow linger near,
Let no darkness draw its sneer.
With mercy's fire and justice's hand,
Now let this relic holy stand."
as I imbued the gun with holy energy I raised it, aiming it to the pale and wrinkled face of the possessed leader of the cult and called out to Albert.
" I AM GOING TO SHOOT, MOVE AWAY!!!" as Albert jumped back to me he didn't notice one of the tentacles swiping at him. But i didnt warn him of that, because i knew who albert was.
As the tantacle came swiping in, albert noticed it on the last second and raised his arm and stopped it with his flat palm. " nice try ".
Albert wasn't just some random no body that decided to hunt demons, he was the owner of the sacred gear obsedian skin. it was taken using Achilles' impenatrable nature from greek mythology.
As I clicked the gun, a different sound from before came forth, the one of a ringing bell. As the enchanted bullet hit the demon square in the head, it fell down from the 20 feet it had risen itself to using its tentacles.
Albert came to my side and said, "Great, we are finally done with this thing , i am so exhausted". I went to the body of the demon and raised my left arm," Sharky, don't eat the head we need it to claim the reward". No sooner than i said that, did the glove on my hand Reer its teeths, opening them wide and devouring the demon on the floor.
"it's always scary to see how your glove works", albert said shivering comedicly. either way we arent done yet, there is still a person i met in the halls of the apartment complex i need to show you"...
As Albert said that, I wondered who it could have been, another member of the cult perhaps. Or is it the kids on the top floor of the complex. perhaps its another thing that I didn't notice when i was spying on the cultists days before the massacre?
As we entered the building, Albert took me to the first apartment in the complex. There was no door, i assumed he broke it out of the handles to enter the apartment. But as I looked in the apartment complex I saw a young woman with purple hair and a marking on her pupils that i recognized, she was sitting tied up in the middle of the living room.
Albert began speaking, "I found her exiting the building so I detained her, she doesn't seem like a member ". as Albert went on, he kept on talking while facing the girl inside the apartment, my thoughts not known to him.
I managed to supress my shock, i recognized the markings in her pupils and understood what they ment i had to do. I whispered illusive chants into my gun quietly.
"By fang and thorn, by crimson tide,
Let the blood run swiftly where steel shall bite.
A Wound made deep, lets the rivers spill,
A silent pulse refuses to sit still.
Mark this edge with thirst unspoken,
no Seal will last, with flesh this open.
Where strike is laid, let veins betray,
And bleed the soul 'til light gives way."
after finishing the chant the gun glowed dark red, I took off the glove on my right arm and bit my thumb, spilling blood on the gun and subsiding the glow.
As I looked forward I saw that the girl tied up looked at me in awe, as if I was her messiah...
" aah... I nearly forgot...
I was ".
Shooting Albert's heel he fell on the floor clutching it excessively bleeding , " why... why would you do this ". Not answering I reloaded the gun and shot another bullet to his right heel.
like the real Achilles, the sacred gear that albert possessed had a weakness, that weakness being his heels. time went by as albert bled out, he tried to cover his heels to stop the bleeding but the chant i had just sang enchanted the bullets with an enhanced bleeding effect.
Soon Albert died on the floor of the apartment, I walked over he's coarps, freeing the girl in front of me. As soon as she was released she began to speak, "It's an honor to meet you face to face sir, I was told that you operated in the United States but I had no clue I would ever get to meet you".
"don't get too excited", I said after finishing to untie her, " what are you doing in here either way". As I walked towards the coarps of Albert the young women said, "The church wanted to expand to the US in an attempt to absorb all of the numerous cults in here to our cause".
" In an attempt to make first contact with the Resurrection church, i was sent to make a deal with them and strengthen our relations
" I see..." I replied as I raised my left arm, and fed to Sharky the coarps of albert. "either way you should leave, i still have a few things i need to do here before i leave myself", i said while taking out of my inner pocket a black book.
As the woman saw the book, she began to scream like a teenage girl, " is this the holy bible of depravity, " she said her eyes gleaming with joy. " yes it is, " I responded, as I noticed words appearing on previously blank sections of the book.
A new part of the bible had been shown to me and considering i only got this thing a month ago this is going pretty well.
in the holy bible of depravity, there has been only one book until now
The Scroll of Echoes was its name and after reading it in its entirety I gained the ability to use curses and chants. Now that another part of the book has been revealed due to my consumption of Albert, I will get another ability after reading it.
As I looked at the title of the book I saw Epistle of the Thousand Forms, from the name I could already guess what the ability it will give me is". the young woman tried to take a peek at the book, but before she could I closed it.
" if you saw anything you would have gone crazy, you cant withstand the knowledge in this, so dont seek it", I said sighing. "after getting back to your base contact the person on this line", i said handing over a piece of paper with a phone number written on it.
" the person with this phone number will make sure that you don't get caught in such situations again". after saying that i left, but i didnt go down and exited the building, i went up, and up, until the last floor.
Bursting the door open I entered the apartment and saw toddlers and kids between the ages of 4 and 8.
Looking at them I knew they were not just innocent kids, the church of Resurrection had been exposing those kids to demonic artifacts and rituals, there was no way they were uncorrupted
Raising the monocle tied to my waist through golden chains, I took a peek at the children through its glass. I saw a dark aura all around those kids and toddlers, "as i thought ", I whispered.
Taking the holy bible of depravity out of my inner pocket I started to walk around the kids as they looked at me, eyes as pure as an angel, I can personally attest to that since I met one myself.
Taking a knife from the kitchen I gather all of the children to the living room and carve a magic circle to the ground around them, " it will be easier if I take them out all at once ". grabbing one of the babies I stab it in the chest and let the blood pour to the circle.
then I began to chant
By flame of dawn and voice of light,
I cast you out, foul shade of night.
No claw, no lie, no cursed breath,
Shall cross this line or summon death.
By names most pure, by will divine,
Let holy fire form this sign.
Begone, ye dark, to whence you came,
You bear no power in His name.
By truth, by heaven's grace,
This ground is sacred... not your place."
as I chant a gust of flames begins to surround the kids, and as I finish my chant all the kids at once burst into flames. screaming and wailing, their screams do not move my heart, neither do their corpses, burnt to a crisp...
" sharky do you want some Barbecue"...
September 28 2004, all of the members of the " holy church of Resurrection" were successfully massacred by Johnny the Gloved Grave