Blood dripped from Gabriel's nose in slow, heavy drops. Pattering against the stone.
Thick, dark crimson slid down his lips, tracing his chin before falling to the floor. His breaths, deep and heavy. His body was finally catching up to the toll he had placed on it.
Sharp pains shot all over his body before collecting in his arm and abdomen. The collision with the pillar had broken the bone in two. The stitches on his abdomen had torn, releasing dribbles of blood out of the edges of the half-healed wound.
Tess forced herself over to one of the pillars dotted around the room, using it to keep her balance. A dark black clawprint covered her neck. The Voludvare had squeezed the last drop of energy out of her.
Gabriel was the first to move, turning towards Tess.
"The nest is clear." The words struggled to leave his mouth.
"What was that thing?" she replied, taking deep breaths between each word.
"A Voludvare," He replied through gritted teeth. Gripping his arm.
A confused look washed over Tess's face.
He saw the confusion in her eyes and continued, "A strong vampire."
Tess straightened up "Did we just take out an S-class monster?"
"No. B-rank at most, probably A- in the North."
Tess blinked, a look of disbelief on her face.
"That was only a B-rank?"
Gabriel's fingers tightened around his arm. Pain flickered across his face as he tightened his grip.
Tess noticed. "Are you injured?"
"Hmm," the demon-eyed adventurer replied, turning away.
"We need to look around," he grunted
Words written on the centrepiece flashed in her mind, sending a shiver down her spine.
"The Eighth Divine One". She mumbled to herself.
Gabriel had walked off towards the book that had called to him earlier.
What was that earlier… Dracamere?
What's Dracamere? Is it the owner of the book?
I need to look at it.
The air began humming as he got close.
He looked over his shoulder at Tess, seeing if she was noticing anything.
Tess was still next to the pillar with her hand on her chin.
She's not feeling this power.
He got closer, but it didn't feel the same as last time. His vision remained intact, and the voices didn't pierce his mind. It just felt like he had walked next to a mage expelling all his mana.
He reached out his blood-covered hand. The air swirled around it, buzzing.
Last time, it was warning me away.
His fingers touched the edges, and some of the blood from his hand dripped onto the cover.
Gabriel's head flung back like he was being shocked. Red lines scrawled across the whites of his eyes.
His mouth opened as though he was swallowing the knowledge of the book.
A picture of a man flashed into his mind.
A tall man sat on a throne, motionless.
Black hair fell over his shoulders, contrasting the pale, sharp angles of his face. His eyes glowed red, not with magic but with something ancient.
He wore black, heavy metal armour, each plate layered with battle marks. Nothing about it was ornamental.
His right hand was wrapped around the hilt of a massive greatsword. The blade was driven straight into the stone floor. Cracks spread from the point of impact.
He stared forward from the throne, looking Gabriel in the eyes.
His mouth parted.
"Dracamere." The only words that escaped.
Gabriel's body jerked forward.
The vision shattered like broken glass, the throne room scattered across the stone floor.
Blood from his nose was still trickling down his chin.
"Gabriel!" Tess's voice echoed through the temple, loud and hurried.
She pushed herself off the pillar and hurried towards him.
Each step taken was unsteady from her fading adrenaline.
"Gabriel," she reached down, trying to lift him from behind.
"What happened?"
The former Paladin didn't respond.
"Gabriel!" Her voice rose.
His eyes opened slowly, the red lines retreating from the whites of his eyes.
"I'm fine," he muttered whilst attempting to stand.
What was that? Again Dracamere. What is it?
Tess frowned, looking at her hands now sticky from his blood. "You're lying."
Her eyes flicked to his abdomen. Crimson liquid seeping through his white tunic.
Gabriel looked down.
"It's just the corners. The wound is half healed."
"And what about your arm?' she scorned.
"It feels like a clean break". He reached his hand up to grab it. "I'll get a splint in Blackhaven".
Tess brushed past him, "Who knows, they might have a healing potion," she chuckled.
"We need to get back to Blackhaven." She walked over to the centrepiece. "But first, what are we going to do about this?"
She glanced over her shoulder. "Hello…? Are you sure you're ok?"
Gabriel nodded whilst picking the book up and placing it in the back of his waistband. "I'm fine. We need to cover the opening and leave."
Tess's face scrunched up "Why?"
He started walking to Tess. "No one can know about this."
"Tess, this is blasphemy, they will execute you if you mention it." His voice turned serious.
"But we only found it?"
"It doesn't matter, the church will execute us if this is true, and there is an Eighth Divine One, and they will execute us if it's false." Gabriel had an unusual snap to his words.
"For just finding it?"
"Yes, the church isn't tolerant, if it's true, they are purposely hiding it, if it's false, they will execute us for heresy. No one disrupts the church's control."
"How do you know?" her tone matching his.
"Because I was a part of the church for years. I watched as my superiors killed people for questioning the Seven."
"I was trained myself to seek out blasphemers and execute them."
She took a step back away from him.
"You- You were a Paladin?"
"I trained, but I never ascended. I was taken before it was my time."
"Taken by who? The people who gave you them scars?"
Gabriel nodded. A pained look washed over his face.
I know how the church works. If we discuss this with anyone, they will send real Paladins, and they do not offer forgiveness or mercy."
Tess was unable to speak. She knew every word he was saying was correct, but the magnitude of this discovery could change the world.
Gabriel turned, staggering towards the opening in the ceiling.
"We seal this place," he said, his voice low and final. "We bury it. And never speak of it again.
Tess stared at him, swallowing hard.
The candle flames lining the temple flickered all at once.
She began walking towards him. "Fine."
Not looking back at the temple, she was given a boost through the opening by Gabriel.
Gabriel turned back towards the altar one more time, the vision of the man on the throne flashing through his mind for the briefest of seconds before grabbing Tess's hand and pulling himself up.
They worked in silence, dragging loose stones and broken debris over the opening. Every sound echoed loudly in the hollowed chamber, every scrape of stone reminding Tess that this place should never have existed.
When the last slab fell into place, sealing the dark below, Gabriel finally stepped back.
"It's done," he muttered.
Tess turned to him, daggers in her eyes, her arms folded.
"Now, let's go find out why they set us up."