Terrestrial Undead

Chapter 17

"I have news!"
003 wasn't used to seeing 004 so animated.
"Father told me our first duty as part of the Order is to protect someone very special. Sir Abbott's coming to visit!"
It was too early in the morning for this, and 003 squinted into their porridge.
"...who?"
004 looked shocked.
"Don't you remember? The Bishop vampire slayer!"
"Oh."
003 did remember, vaguely. Maybe the porridge was clogging up their brain as well as their gut. 004 seemed disappointed in their lack of enthusiasm, and they had known their friend long enough to know an ultimatum was coming. 003 wanted to be happy for 004's new found passion, but the Order did seem remarkably like the airship, and they felt they were somehow going around in circles— hadn't the same King they were serving now been the one that had wanted to Punish them?
At least the Priest seemed harmless enough... but 003 still wasn't comfortable with calling him 'Father'.
"I wish you would seem just a little more grateful, Acolyte," 004 said gently. 003 frowned. They still weren't sure about the name the Order had given them.
"I'm sorry, 004– I mean, Faith," 003 stumbled. 004–Faith— on the other hand, had embraced their new name wholeheartedly.
"I'm just nervous about all this. But I want to support you, I promise."
Faith squeezed their hand.
"We'll get through this together," she promised. "I'll help you. We'll protect the Bishop together from the vampires, using all we've learned. Don't worry, His Majesty's on our side."
She had clearly misunderstood 003, but she was so warm and happy that they couldn't bring themselves to argue.

Sir Abbott drifted in on all the pomp that could be expected of the Kingdom's most accomplished vampire hunter. A swollen man, he was dressed much like 003 and Faith, only he clinked with enough precious metals and stones to empty a quarry.
"See anything suspicious?" Faith whispered to 003, keeping her eyes moving all the while over the crowd that had gathered to witness the spectacle.
"Yes," 003 muttered, "why'd we bother making so many packages for the poor when we could've used half the baubles on this walking mass of gaud to feed them all twice over?"
Faith backed away from them, eyes wide.
"How can you talk like that? This is the Bishop."
003 was about to reply when Priest 4 signalled them to fall in behind him, and the three escorted the guest of honour inside the temple.
"It's an honour to receive you, your Grace," the Priest cooed, kissing Abbott's ringed hand. "Allow me to guide you to your room. I will have two of our finest new recruits stationed outside for security. They will conduct you to the Grand Hall when you are ready."
Faith bowed, so 003 followed suit before the Bishop disappeared behind closed doors.
Faith didn't speak to 003, and with a dropping sensation, they thought they detected iciness in her silence. They were about to try and make peace with their friend when a guttural shriek sounded briefly from behind the golden door before being cut off. Faith went clammy.
"What was that?"
"Maybe he slipped or something?" 003 suggested feebly. Faith shook her head, then knocked on the door tentatively.
"Your Grace? Are you alright?"
No reply. 003 frowned. They didn't want to steal Faith's thunder, but they doubted the big lummox would hear a thing over the tinkling of his decoration. They rapped on the door.
"Hey! What's happening in there?"
There was a pause before the door slowly creaked open, and a familiar face in a very unfamiliar pink dress poked out.
"Well butter me and call me a bun. 003! I came to find you and you found me!"
It was 003's turn to be embraced by 009 this time, who had apparently gotten used to the gesture which 003 gladly returned.
"009! Where have you been? What are you wearing?"
009 laughed and then grasped Faith's trembling hand.
"And 004, you too! Quickly, we've got to get out of here, before—"
"What in His Majesty's Kingdom—?"
The priest had arrived, and he and 009 looked at each other, mouths agape, the former's revealing serpentine fangs.
"Vampire!"
"Father," Faith began, but was cut off.
"Traitorous wretch!" The old man hissed in her face. "Send help! Call the Gaze!"
009 seized her two friends by the arm and hauled them into the room, slamming the heavy door in the priest's twisted face.
The room was in disarray, the Bishop at the centre lying flat on his face. A stranger in similar garb to 009 was halfway out the window, gesturing wildly at 003 and the others to follow her. 009 pushed against the door and motioned.
"Go! I'll be right behind you!"
Faith stood motionless.
"Acolyte, we can't!"
"Dammit, they think we're traitors and those bloody skeletons are after us again! Move!"
003 tugged their friend out the window, landing unceremoniously on the roof below. They followed the stranger to the edge of the parapet, who pointed to the ground below. There was a slab in the paved road, and to 003's surprise, it was moving.
"When it opens, jump in. I'm going to help 009," the stranger said, rushing back towards the window. Soon there was a gaping hole in the ground underneath them.
"We've got to go," 003 urged, but 004 was backing away.
"We don't even know what's under there!"
"No, but we know the alternative is wait for the Gaze to arrive," 003 said, panicking. 009 and the stranger tumbled out of the window again, and bolted in their direction.
"What are you doing?" 009 cried. "Jump!"
With that, she took 003's hand and leapt. They plummeted into the dark before their fall was broken in a bouncy kind of way, and as 003's eyes adjusted to the gloom, they had time to register they were on a large net before another mass sent them bouncing again. Scrambling to the side, 003 heard commotion above.
"Father! Please let me explai—"
Faith's plea was cut off by a mechanical growl.
"You are under arrest."
The stranger's eyes were wide and shiny in the dark as they turned to 009.
"I'm sorry," she nearly sobbed, "she just wouldn't come."