Anachronistic: Endless Masquerade

4 | The Hazards of Love - Part 1

- 4 -

When trying to save the life of an injured man every second matters. That's why when the group cleared the edge of the forest, they decided Gregor should run ahead. Without the group to slow him, and with the assistance of some blood, he could reach the town in a few minutes. He would only need to ring the bell in the town square. It would draw the villagers out of their homes. The injured men would continue at their pace and Gregor would bring back help from the village. The plan was to buy minutes and pray it was enough.

        Gregor flipped open his little box of vials. The glass shined as Andor moved a torch closer. Gregor nodded his thanks sorting through the blood. He rolled each one until the label was visible, checked it, then moved to the next. When he reached a vial labeled 'Pard' he stopped, downed the contents, then flicked the vial to the ground. Glass shattered.

        As he licked the last of the blood from his lips he felt the effects take hold. The muscles in his legs twitched and bulged. He dug his foot into the hard winter ground as if it was fresh mud. With a deep breath, he steeled himself. A light push from his planted foot was enough to send him rocketing forward. He stumbled a bit on the landing but managed to correct himself with another strong kick of his leg. In a few strides, he had adapted to the new state of his body. Nothing like the first time, when he had spent half the duration trying to control the effects. Experience lowered the adjustment period, even if it could never eliminate it entirely.

        Gregor rushed forward, each stride a great leap. He turned two miles of fields into a matter of a couple of minutes. Once he reached the first building the distance to the square was trivial, then he could ring the bell. The village doctor promised to stay up for the night and several of the village women knew first aid. They could save those men; save Vicar Edwin.

        Except, the bell was already ringing. But why? Gregor's blood ran cold. He steadied his hand on his weapon and jumped up onto the roof of a nearby home. Something had gone wrong. The youkai had left the forest and attacked the village while all the hunters were away. That must be why the bell is being sounded, it's an alarm. It was his worst-case scenario, but he lacked imagination.

        Gregor leapt from rooftop to rooftop until the town square was in view. There he found the vicar's son, Joshua, naked as the day he was born, hammering at the bell with his fist. The women of the village had begun to shuffle from their homes and run to the boy's side. There was an attempt to calm him but he was inconsolable. Gregor listened in. The women's words evaporated into the night but Joshua's shouting came through loud and clear.

        "Monster, Youkai! Lilith! She attacked me! The hunter's daughter, Lilith."

        Gregor felt ill. The seeds of his sin had finally sprouted and born fruit. He drove his axe into the roof in frustration. The tile gave way with a loud crack that drew the attention of a few of the women in the square. Gregor slid back behind the crest of the roof and hid.

        "Calm down," he told himself. He took in a deep breath and held it, counting to ten. When his heartbeat fell back to a normal pace he started to plan. He knew it was over for him now, he only had one real option and at best half the time he needed, but he would still try. For Lilith's sake.

        Gregor pulled his axe free, then dropped from the rooftop. Careful to stay out of sight, he rushed east. There was only one thing that could salvage the situation. The vicar would have left it either in his home or in the main chapel. Luckily, the two buildings were connected, but he would still need to search.