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Evileye POV
The sun slowly disappeared behind the green hills, changing its peaks to a beautiful orange light. A sight that she unfortunately didn't appreciate at all at the moment. However, it would probably be more accurate to say that she hadn't enjoyed anything since the incident in the capital of the kingdom. This terrible incident, arranged by the arch demon Jaldabaoth, which had cost her not only her dignity, but also her friendship with her comrades.
Well, her comrades hadn't blamed her for the accident, at least they hadn't said anything, but that wasn't the point. She had lived long enough to notice when someone was hiding something from her, and her comrades were almost certainly hiding something. If she had to assume something, she would have guessed a complicated cocktail of emotions that included anger, distrust, doubt and, most of all, fear.
Fear was a very strong emotion, but also one that could make you act irrationally. Even though her friends had tried to conceal it, probably because they didn't really know how they could feel that way about a friend, their interactions with each other had become wooden. Not that she could blame them for it, quite the opposite.
Under the control of Jaldabaoth's accomplice, she had not only injured Gargaran but also killed Tia and even if her death was not permanent due to Lakyus' intervention, it had severely affected their friendship. Calm and quietly she had disappeared one night, with just a note that had explained why she could no longer stay, how guilty she felt and how she was going to try to fix this.
She had felt responsible to find out more about the vampire that had managed to control her this easily. She did not know what she was going to do once she found her, but at least this search was going to distract her from the sorrow she felt if she thought about her friends. Unfortunately information about Elisabeth was scarce, she didn't know much about that vampire except that she was apparently part of the same organization that also Jaldabaoth was from, that she liked tormenting strong people like Momon and herself, and that she obviously had a servant who had already been seen in the capital before the great demon invasion and whom she had fought on one of the plantations of the eight fingers.
The more you researched it, the more clear it became that this was some kind of conspiracy or long-term operation. The vampire's servant had infiltrated a hideout of the Eight Fingers, presumably to collect information. Some time later, the capital had been attacked by demons and all the Eight Fingers' warehouses had been looted. As she knew, the goal was an item that Jaldabaoth wanted, but what if that wasn't everything...?
Several people also disappeared without a trace. Too many to be buried under rubble or killed by stray attacks. Maybe that had also been the goal of the invasion, to abduct a lot of humans for some kind of ritual or something.
She sighed deeply. The situation was dire, but it could have been so much worse. What if she had damaged Tia's body so badly that she couldn't be revived? Or if Momon, God bless him, hadn't held her back? She would have run amok and probably left part of the capital in ruins. What about Momon? What did he think of her? He'd definitely recognized what she was, and from the story she'd heard from him, he despised vampires like nothing else in the world. She sincerely hoped he didn't think badly of her.
A heavy feeling settled on her chest, and she had to blink back a few tears. It simply wasn't fair. She'd suffered alone for so long, without friends and with no chance of finding a man who understood her. And then, when she finally had someone: a team that accepted her as she was and a man so strong he could even protect her, everything slipped through her fingers.
Was she doomed to live like this forever?
Anger spread within her and she clenched her small gloved hands.
NO
She wasn't beaten yet; she would discover what these monsters' plan was and thwart it. It wouldn't be easy, but it wasn't impossible either. She wasn't once called the Vampire Lord Landfall for nothing, and as a former member of the 13 Legendary Heroes, she still had some contacts she could reach out to.
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??? POV
Dark shadows cast by the torches in the corners bathed the cellar in warm light. The passage leading through the tunnel was densely packed; men and women in white robes, some, like her covered with white feathers symbolling their higher rank, walked beside her, in front of her, and behind her like an endless stream.
Just a few months ago, she had been a devout believer in the Six Great Ones, a thought that made her mouth twist in dissatisfaction. Since she was a child, she had believed in the Six Great Ones, even though she had never seen them herself, and until a few months ago, that had been enough. But then she had appeared to her; divine didn't quite describe her. Her velvety blonde hair, her sky-blue eyes, and the body that could only have been created by an artist.
She had found God...
And God was angry, enraged, at how worms like them dared to worship anyone other than perfection itself. She had understood and immediately fallen to her knees. Tears had streamed from her eyes at the thought of having renounced God itself. But fortunately, the goddess was merciful after seeing her earnest desires and accepted her into her humble service. How happy she had been...
She broke out of her thought, adjusted her robe and looked to her right from where another person dressed in white was approaching
"Good morning, brother, what a wonderful day it is to serve the goddess herself" she greeted the man walking towards her
"I couldn't agree more sister I hope my message reached you" he answered swiftly
"It has" she replied
"All right, when do we move? My subordinates are ready. At the command of the goddess, we will destroy the false saints." he asked.
"Not so fast, as much as I would like to erase the six holy scriptures and their cardinals, arrogance will destroy us. They are still too strong for us to destroy in open conflict." she ordered.
"I know it's just..." he started
"Be patient, brother; we have already infiltrated some of our own among the new recruits of the Sunlight Scripture, and, as far as I know, the Black Scripture has also suffered heavy losses. The time of the true goddess is near..." she explained.
"May Lady Pride light our way" he recited
"May Lady Pride light our way" she repeated
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