False Prophets

The following day, I opened the note, saying, "They're lying to you. They are false prophets. Hypocrites, I tell you! Meet me at the bell tower. -Your friend, V."

I headed to the tower. Whatever new adventure awaits me, I'm not waiting to find out. But as soon as I walked outside, I saw a woman being burned by a stake, tied up in rope, surrounded by flames like a massive bonfire.

"Kill the bitch!"

"She's a witch!"

"Damn her in Hell!"

Everyone was cheering to execute her for whatever she's done. I approached the people throwing stones at her and asked what she's done.

"She was gathering herbs from the forest!"

Wait, for what? That doesn't make sense…

"Please listen to me!" cried the woman tied up by the burning stake, "I was only making medicine for my sick, dying son! Let me go!"

By the Celestials…

"I also overheard her worshipping those bastard demons they call 'Celestials'!"

Wait, for what…

"There is no other god!"

They keep shouting nonsense. At first, they were kind and humble towards me, the kindest I've ever met, but as soon as I saw this… they were beyond monsters.

"You can not worship any other god than the Bishop! The Bishop is the one true God!"

By in Inferno! The Bishop is just merely human! If anything, he's weaker than my feeble wits!

I went to ignore them, even though, at first, I respected their weird beliefs about polygamy, which is illegal in my continent. Then, I went up to the bell tower, and there was another note.

"Wait until twilight. -V"

Fine, I guess I'll have to wait. It's not like I have a choice. These people are mad!

I fell asleep by the church tower, and when I woke up, it was already midnight.

"Rise and shine, my child of darkness." Says a familiar voice, "You thought I was dead. I was just merely testing your heart if it is pure."

I sat up to adjust my vision and averted my gaze to the man. It was none but Voltaire himself!

"You thought you could kill your own sire? Well, even if we did fight, I could have ripped out your intestines and used those to strangle you already! Now, I have some important matters to discuss with you."

"What are you doing here? How are you still alive?!"

"Didn't I tell you patience is the key to vampirism? Those so-called 'good Sethians' think the Dominant God from the ancient era that they killed and took over their throne by the power of technology think that very same god came back to Earth to save them. No, it is worse than you think. This entire region is run by a cult."

"Didn't you die?"

"I… never die. You see, that fight was just an illusion that I put into your mind, except for everything else that had happened was true. You did save the world from a nuclear apocalypse. But what if I told you that the people here are trying to manipulate you into joining their little cult?"

"But you tried to take over the world, didn't you?!"

"No, that entire thing was an illusion to test how good your heart is. That so-called good Bishop thinks he's the Dominant Sethian god and using that god's name for his own agenda. And since people here are primitive and know nothing, they are easily fooled and believe any tricks he says. He's a charlatan I tell you that! Your vampirism was never cured, he just made you think he cured you and put ideas into your head and you easily believed that! Didn't I teach you how to use your vampiric senses to read people's thoughts? I suppose you don't know how to do that because this entire time, you never fed a single human."

"Prove it to me!"

"Remember when one of his 'tenets' say 'Never Murder'? Well, he is killing everyone that doesn't want to follow his orders. 'Deceit is Forbidden'? He is manipulating everyone. 'Envying Others' Wives Result in Eternal Punishment'? Well, he is raping every man's daughter in this very region, saying that it will purify them with his semen, because he is 'god'. Everyone follows him, all because they don't want to die by fire."

"By the Celestials, you're right…."

"It's okay, I'm a narcissistic sociopath too, so I've known this game for too long. Way too long. In fact, I haven't seen anyone do this since Quiboloy had been in Federal Prison for conspiring child trafficking, when he claims to be the son of God."

"What the bloody Inferno are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing~ Just reminiscing nostalgia. Good times… I was even playing Outlast that time, then the second Outlast game turned out to be a cult thing too. Sethians vs Infernalists, both are extremist activists too!"

"Shut up! I don't know what the infernal angels are you saying! Can you please get straight to the point?"

"Patience…"

"But none of the things you say are irrelevant to the current matter! What are we going to do to stop them?"

"Everything is relevant, you just have to know the right history."

"Yes, I know that. But it doesn't make sense to me, because, well fuck's sakes I was never born that time!!!"

He grabbed me by the throat, and his hand was stronger than I thought. I fought him the last time. It turns out it proves it was an illusion after all. I could have killed him easily.

He smirks and puts me down gently, "Now, let me help you help me. What do you say?" he lends his hand to me.

I did not take his hand, but I did manage to get myself back on my feet on my own.

"Well, charming. If you want to get your vampiric power back, you might have to learn how to feed. Here's your assassin armour, and your blade, and your bow and arrows. Artemis, was it?"

"I don't care, just give those to me! Now go away, I need to change."

"Well, alright. I do respect your privacy."

…

"C'mon," I said, "Let's go."

"Are you going to feed? Let me te-"

"No! Shut up, I'm annoyed by you! I'm an assassin, I can handle this myself!"

"There is no way you can handle a bunch of Sethians, an entire region of them even."

"If I kill their leader, they will all scatter."

"They are not like wolves, they are sheep. They will all kill you for killing their Bishop."

"And how do you know that?"

"PATIENCE!!!" he demanded, and I felt terrified and intimidated.

"I'm… I'm sorry…."

"That's more like it. Now we'll do it my way, because I have too much experience regarding hypocritical religions. Especially cultists…"

"Alright…"

"What's that?"

"I said… alright…."

"No, say 'Alright, Master.'. Say that."

"Alright… M-Master…"

"Good! Now come on!"

He taught me how to feed, which came naturally because I was afraid, I might get yanked away from the victim. It was so easy.

Then, my vampiric power grew stronger!

"Now, for your grand finale! You can activate your metamorphosis… the only way to do that is for an Ampier to drink their own blood, then once you do that, you will become the most powerful being on the planet!"

I bit my thumb, had a little taste from my own blood, and started to transform. It was excruciating at first, but I felt amazing when the transformation was complete! As if the pain was never there, to begin with. I cried a mighty roar more trembling than a thousand claps of thunder. Then I raided the entire village, and the continent, leaving no one behind but the truly good people that just wanted to be free from the curse of the Bishop's control.

Then, I used my vampiric necromancy to heal and raise the dead witch that wanted to heal her son. She was in utter terror looking at me, but I ignored that. The good thing is that I helped everyone and killed all hypocrites.

Then, I invaded the Bishop's master bedroom, holding a cross pointing toward me. I was not muttering a single word, and he tried to pray and confess the sins to his 'God' for pretending to be him just for his own evil pleasures. Then, I grabbed him by the throat and ate his entire head, severing it from his torso. As his knees fall onto the ground, and it doesn't go any lower than that, it just sat up there, frozen by the cold embrace of the death I gave him.

Then, I reverted back to my usual form. I could tell Voltaire was laughing and clapping as he saw the chaos unfold. And he was happy and proud of me.

"It is done."

"Well done! Well done! Jolly good show!" he shrieks in triumphant victory, "God! I hate those things. False prophets. It's been like that since a long time ago. Can't believe they're back. Now they're eradicated. I've also killed every single last people of the bloodline for those whom escaped. Just in case they want to be back for revenge. Even the children. Because… well, they might grow up to be a mighty hunter, track you down, and kill you."

"It doesn't matter… I'm tired of all this adventuring… I just want to go back home…."

"Let me fly you there. All the ports are closed anyway."

"Save your strength, we'll just take the ship. Everyone's dead anyway."

"But you're no sailor, are you? Do you know how to navigate maps?"

"No. I thought you'd know how to sail a ship. You're Voltaire! You know everything!"

"Nobody's perfect. You should learn that from your vampirism. Vampire or not, you are not perfect. Not even me."

"So, what now?"

"I did manage to intimidate a sailor. I've locked him up just in case you might kill every single last sailor there is."

"You're smart… anyway, let's head back home… my wife, Pratha. She probably misses me by now."

We sailed the ship, and Voltaire was doing nothing but enjoying his tobacco pipe and wine.

"I thought you don't drink?" I commented.

"I do not drink… wine. OH MY GOD! Do you realize how long I have waited to say that?! I've waited my whole life just to say that!"

"Whatever… I'm just going to rest for the night. Good night, 'master'! Hmph."

"Sweet nightmares, my child!"