*RING**RIIING*
I’m ignoring you. Let me sleep.
*RING**RIIING*
*RING**RIIING*
Instinctively, I reach out and grab the nearest pillow, which somehow wound up on the floor, and put in the best effort a groggy man could make, in ignoring the damn phone. Its probably a wrong number anyway, its not like anyone would call me at. . . wait, what time is it?
*RING**RIIING*
. . . Two in the fucking morning!? Fuck-it, I’ll answer the damn phone.
*RING**RII-*
“Unless you are Jesus, or a smoking hot woman, I’d advise you to hang up. Now . . . Are you sure? . . . Of course . . .*sigh* you’ve already made the travel arrangements? . . . Right away, Sir! Out”


Eight hours and a couple thousand miles later I was flying over the Mediterranean wondering why the Vatican had called me. And I’m also wondering how the Papal staff got this private plane I’m riding in, makes a five star hotel look like a motel 6. Kind of makes you wonder how this world is run.

“Sir” the pilot’s cheery voice said over the intercom “We are beginning our decent, please fasten your seatbelt”

Between his voice and the intercom I haven’t gotten one ounce of sleep on this flight. I swear if I found out he was under orders. . . I’ll ta- “UGH! Christ! Care to land this plane and not crash it!” Under my breath I said to myself, “Lord, seems all of the pilots that got their licenses after me must have forged them.”

“I’m sorry sir, but it could not be helped”

I swear I could HEAR that kid smile. Its punks like this that make me want to renounce my oath as a Paladin, well, it’s not like I stick strongly to the code. I’ve been before the cardinals numerous times before on separate counts, some they took my side others . . . well . . . were kind of my fault. A few kangaroo hops down the runway and the plain slowly rode to a halt. Without waiting for ‘Mr. Smiles’, I immediately stood and stepped towards the exit.

“Sir, I hope your flight wa-“
“Kid”, I snapped as I was exiting the plane “shut up, and fly yourself the hell out of my life”

“I’ve never understood your brash language Sir Santana” This voice sounded older and more experienced. I turned to look at the source, ready to retort with a snide comment or two, and I saw a man walking towards me in a royal-red Cardinal looking like . . . ah shit.

“Your Excellency”, I said as I knelt before him “Although I am honored that you flew me here in your plane, I pray that boy is never my pilot again, for he may join our Lord prematurely . . . “

“Rise my son” Cardinal of the Vatican, and commander of the Palladian forces, John was never one for, formalities. “I wonder sometimes why I keep you around here” we started to walk away from the airstrip.

“Gee John . . . it’s my winning personality”
“Lets see . . .” he begins counting off fingers “Constant brash language, the sparing of a Dark One, sexual misconduct, sexual misconduct WITH a Dark One, Mass Homicide . . . need I say more?”

Ouch! Low blow man, not cool. Thought I had to mask my displeasure to exchange some pleasantries with a few priests that walked by. During which, I decided not to take what John said sitting down. So as we snaked our way into the heart of the Paladin’s wing (which was made to seem more of a military instillation than a church) I countered his rebuttal.

“John, I’m only human.” I quickly stated, and then launched into my defense, “Not EVERYONE can be celibate, and the demon I spared turned out to be VERY useful in the end, besides you of all people know that what you are doesn’t make you instantly good, or evil for that matter. Vampires are kinky, no further explanation is required. The mass homicide . . . well, although I regret doing every minute of it, you know I couldn’t control myself.”

“I can’t believe you.” He threw rolled his eyes at me “‘Vampires are kinky’, that’s your best excuse?”

I would have thrown in more justification at this point, had I not noticed that we had walked into the Inner Sanctum of the Vatican. This room was earned its namesake by having walls impervious to radio waves, satellite probes, hazardous radiation, and just about every gadget any covert organization has developed. The room itself wasn’t much to look at, windowless, security monitors for the rest of the church, and a lone table in the center of the room. It looked very much like a war room. But to have brought me in here . . . what John has to say must be huge.

“I’ve called you here-
“At the Brink of dawn” I said under my breath.
“To ask you for your help” his look intensified, and he sat himself at the head of the table. “Our man in the Anavrin Castle has reported that the High Circle has ordered an armistice among all demons for the time being. With that order they issued a decree; all assets are to be turned over to the royal family, those who resist shall be exterminated.”

“Isn’t that a good thing? With as chaotic as the demon population is, half of them will be wiped out. And with the ceasefire, at least the lords won’t be feeding off of us as greatly. Either way, we shouldn’t suppress order, even for the darkness”

“True, but an administration born from dark intent will only spawn more destruction and madness. And as you said, mainly Lords and Upper Class demons are completely adhering to the new rules, New-Turns and young-lings are still at odds with each other. It will make getting you in there slightly less difficult.”

I looked a bit more closely at the papers scattered on the table, turned out the majority of them where castle schematics, some Intel on specific lords, and other flora-and-fauna of the area. If they already got this much info on the castle then-

“Don’t bother looking, the castle is almost impossible to get into with the equipment you’ll need to survive. Instead you will be sent in as a slave, our contact Moriarty will ‘purchase’ you and will be our/your eyes in this mission.” Hmm, that name rings a bell. It must have shown on my face, because John added: “Yes that name should sound familiar; he was the Demon I sent you to for you to get better control of your . . . Darkness”

Darkness, sickness . . . no matter what you called it, it was the name for a result to a twisted experiment. A while back, when I was still green, on a solo operation I was captured by a Vampire Lord whom I was trying to assassinate. At this point, I would’ve been bled dry, or turned, but THIS lord loved science and experimentation. Lately he had been trying to infuse darkness in various creatures, all died at one point or another after the treatment. I had survived, not because he failed, but because he gave the darkness in my soul, permanently charred from the atrocities I had committed in previous lives, form. Of the fleeting memories from that night, I remember tearing free from that cold lab table, my entire body burning with pain. My every tooth in my mouth sharpened, my body bulked up, and my nails grew three inches each. I was . . . animalistic and feral in appearance and intelligence. The last thing I remember of that night was using my new claws to rip out that Lords heart, and eating it, while that bastard smiled his way into hell. I awoke sometime later in a ruined keep . . . corpses all around me . . . with the strong scent of blood in the air. A team of paladins found me and brought me back to Rome where they couldn’t treat me. It was John that stopped them from executing me, and that found me help at that time; Moriarty didn’t really cure me, he just gave me more control, and he allowed me to keep my mind during these transformations. He had also-

“MICHAEL!” John yelled.
“S-s-sorry sir” oops, I had gotten myself caught up in memory.

“As I was saying, you objectives are thus: Establish contact with Moriarty, Obtain you equipment and train with your ‘master’, Discover the High Circle’s true intention, Enter into the tournament and secure a portion of land for the Vatican, Learn as much of the enemy has humanly possible during the course of this mission. Should they become a threat to humanity: Assassinate the High Circle"
"Now of course you know that these aren’t the ONLY things you should be doing, there will be other ways to further the cause of the Light on your mission. Just be advised, such acts are secondary to your mission objectives”

“Wait a second; you didn’t say anything about a tournament”
My statement was met with an exasperated sigh, “I DID! You were to busy taking a trip down memory lane to have given it any attention.” I offered John one of my meek smiles, to which he gave another sigh, shook his head, and began restating what I didn’t hear earlier. He gathered his patience for one last marathon.

“The tournament is the deciding factor in the distribution of territories, basically the farther you get up in the ladder, the more choice you have in the size and location of your domain. Ones who are killed outside the tournament are instantly forfeit along with their killers if the duel wasn’t official. That means you cannot assassinate the competition without consent from the High Circle. Now eliminated survivors get last say in what they want obviously, but the reason all the Lords are competing is this; The High Circle is in the tournament and THEIR assets are up for grabs, including DOMINATION of the ENTIRE demon realm! Of course the winner must actually state this, for the 1st place prize is that of the winner’s choice”

Whoa! Now I see why John wanted the best in the force! A shift of power this big could have dramatic implications of the rest of the world. If the Wrong people got into power, well, humanity is (for lack of a better word) fucked. But if even the RIGHT demon got into power, then order may or may not exist for our two races. Well I’ve heard enough, its time to get this show on the road.

I placed my right fist over my heart and knelt down before my commander. “I accept this task and all of the danger it brings. As long as there is a breath in my chest and hope in my heart, I shall see this mission completed.”
John stood up, raised his staff, and crossed me from afar, “Rise my son, and may Heavenly Father watch over you”

I took my leave and went straight to the armory, I hope Master Moriarty can stash all of the ordinance I intend to send to him.