Maxim Darko: The Greatest Gift of Evil. A Vampire Chronicle

CHAPTER FIVE CIRIL THE TAMER OF THE OTTOMANS

When the initial shock at the sight of Svetva's black skull had passed, Father Zlata dispersed the villagers for the day. After the last villager departed, he ordered two strong brothers to destroy The Devil's Nun's skeleton. The Priest sternly ordered. "I want no remains left. Crush the bones until they are dust. As the good Lord commands in the Bible. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust."

"Please Father," fearfully stammered the older of the two brothers. "Please do not ask us to do this." The man took a deep breath. "I refuse Father. If I do this dreadful task, no woman in the village will ever marry me."

Father Zlata's face turned red with rage, "HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME?"

The brother's cowered before his wrath.

"This is your last chance. If you refuse me, the church will confiscate your farm lands," he threatened.

Knowing that they did not have a choice in the matter, the older brother bowed his head. "Yes Father. We will do as you ask."

With finality, Father Zlata ordered. "Report the skeleton's destruction to me at the church." Father Zlata departed the commons, with his two men half-carrying him back to the church.

Nervously, the brothers positioned themselves with the holy fire between them. They each picked up the end of a heavy log, held it over the smoldering fire, and repeatedly dropped it on The Devil Nun's skeleton. The brother's shivered with each impact, half-expecting the skeleton to come back to life at any moment. After being hammered by the log numerous times, the skeleton was smashed beyond recognition–but–The Devil's Nun's skull refused to break. The younger brother, who was the stronger of the two, fetched a large boulder, and held it over his head with two hands. With all his might, he smashed the boulder down on the skull. The boulder broke apart with a hissing sound. Both men crossed themselves in fear and spat on the skull. When their saliva landed on the skull, it immediately vaporized into a black mist.

"We must bury the evil skull," the older brother whispered. After a quick search of the area, he found a long handled wooden shovel. Using the shovel, he dug a hole in the ashes and coals. His brother used a long pole to push the skull into the hole he had dug. The brothers combined their efforts, and shoveled dirt into the hole. Once the hole was filled, they added more wood to the fire to disguise their work.

When their work was done, the brothers reported to Father Zlata in the church. They easily lied to him about the successful destruction of The Devil Nun's skeleton. After receiving the news from the brothers, Father Zlata curtly dismissed them. Exhausted, he sank into a leather padded wooden chair, and accepted herb infused hot water from the village healer. Over the last few hours, he had sent out small search parties in hopes of rounding up the escaped child beasts. Thirty-four of the child beasts had been recaptured, seventeen remained at large. Now, it was late and dark. Any further search attempts would be futile, and dangerous. Taking no chances, his last act before sleeping, was to organize some men to guard the captured child beasts until morning. The purging of evil would resume at dawn.

The following morning, Father Zlata left the church at first light. He paused in the cold, still air just outside of the church's door, and gazed at the thin trail of smoke escaping from the hot coals of the holy fire. The smoke lazily drifted skyward until it disappeared into the dark clouds. Father Zlata let out a sad sigh that formed a thick cloud of ice crystals in front of his face. Feeling the need for strength, he kneeled in the freshly fallen snow, and prayed. "We finish our holy task today, Lord Father. Give me the strength I need to purge the village of evil." A sense of peace entered his soul. He stood and left a trail of footprints in the snow on his way to the holy fire.