4CHAPTER IV
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE EXCUSE GRAMMATICAL ERRORS!
Ambrose Spellman considered himself an intellectual. A theorist and a true student of witchcraft. Needless to say, with over a century's worth of life, he was quite experienced. He knew a great many things, including what it felt like to be observed.
He felt it when he opened the front door, it was a distinct uneasy feeling for him as a warlock. Outside on this chilly Halloween morning stood a teen, probably around his cousins age. That normally wouldn't have been an issue, Sabrina's mortal friends were amusing. Harvey even had a talent for illustration, it was incredible.
Any normal mortal wouldn't have bothered him, but this one did. Or more precisely, the divine eyes that seemed to pierce right through him. The feeling was eased when the boy put a pair of yellow tinted glasses over the eyes, but it was too late.
Ambrose had seen those blessed irises, and he knew exactly what they meant.
"An exorcist." He realized almost immediately. The blood in his body rushed to his limbs, fight or flight instincts driving him to attack before being attacked.
After all, the only reason an exorcist could be here was to eradicate them.
"Good morning," The exorcist spoke with a nervous tone, "Is Sabrina here, I was supposed to give her something yesterday but I forgot. I'm Damien by the way, we go to school together."
Ambrose hesitated for a moment, this 'Damien' or whomever he said he was, wasn't like the exorcists or witch hunters he'd encountered in his days.
He was too relaxed, too unguarded, and most importantly, too polite. All of God's servants treated witches and warlocks with the same value you would a dog's shit. It was simply disgust and then a manic desire to eliminate them. They attacked with robotic precision, brutally and viciously, sparing no pleasantries.
"Does he not know? No… This is a plan! He's playing me!" With a wand clutched between his knuckles, Ambrose threw his fist forward attack spell at the ready.
Well, that's what he would've done had Sabrina not hurriedly grabbed his hidden wrist. "Ambrose!" Her shout startled both their unexpected guess and her cousin. "No need to worry, we're friends! From school!"
"Huh?" He said dumbly
"We're friends." She emphasized while she silently scolded him.
"But-!"
"Sorry… Is this not a good time? I can come back." Damien offered.
Sabrina shook her head and pat Ambrose on the back forcefully, "It's fine, Ambrose just isn't used to meeting new people is all. He's kind of a shy guy." He totally wasn't.
Ambrose seemed to relent, "Alright cousin, I'll leave you be for now." He wouldn't, he'd be watching them. Very, very closely. "We'll have our tea later."
Sabrina's house is unreal. From the outside, it was literally the haunted house in every horror movie. Even had a small graveyard in the front of it. But the inside was just incredible, vintage wallpapers and architecture. It was a time warp to be sure.
"Uhh, sorry about freaking your cousin out. He looked ready to clock me." I said as I looked around. I admired the building, but I was also closely looking for anything out of the ordinary.
The house felt… off, for lack of a better term. Most dreary places like this did as a matter of fact. I mean, let's not forget this place is half mortuary. They tended to be hotspots for night creatures (spirits, demons, etc…). But so far, everything seemed safe enough.
"If only that was all…" I barely heard her mutter it, but I gave it a chuckle. "So, did you need something? And how'd you know where I live."
Out of embarrassment, I scratched my head, "Not to be creepy or anything, but I just looked up a nearby mortuary. This place was the first one to pop up."
I could see it in the way that her head tilted and her eyes squinted that she thought it was a bit weird.
"It was for good reason, I promise! Nothing weird!" I waved my hands back and forth trying to justify myself before clearing my throat, "Ahem! I came to give this to you, and also to scope the place out to make sure whatever's got it out for you ain't in your house. Thankfully, it doesn't look like it is."
I reached in my jacket pocket and fished out a small card. On the front of it, a beautiful illustration of the Virgin Mary and on the back a prayer to go along with it.
Sabrina took it, observing each side. "A prayer card, am I supposed to…?"
I shook my head, already knowing what she was implying, "You don't have to do anything, just keep it on your person. We've already established that you're kinda of a trouble magnet." She seemed to pout before nodding in agreement.
"So this will protect me or something?"
"For the most part," I confirmed, "It won't stop physical attacks, but it'll take the brunt of anything magical or spiritual in nature. It'll also let me know if you're in trouble, that way I can come help you."
Sabrina nodded in understanding, still examining the card. "That's pretty impressive, how's it ganna tell you if I'm in trouble?"
"It'll start to burn up when it's power is used, I've got a duplicate here with me," I pulled another card out, an identical twin, and bent its corner. Sabrina awed at her card when it bent in the same spot mine did, "Whatever happens to your card, happens to mine. So when it starts burning up, I'll know you're in trouble."
"That's so cool!" I let a smug look cross my face, yes it was cool. Super cool even. "So, is this like a magic spell?"
I scoffed at that, I remember thinking the same when the church first began showing us the techniques we could learn.
"Putting it simply, yea. But don't say that to any other exorcists, they'll lose it. Officially, they're called 'blessings'. Magic is usually used by witches and is only possible using The Devils granted power. Blessings are used by the church and only usable by those in God's grace." I explained the subtle difference just as it had been me.
Sabrina seemed curious to learn, and since I'd never had anyone to talk about this stuff with, I was more than happy to teach. She didn't have any use for it anyway, she didn't have the aptitude to make it practical. No offense of course.
"So, I'll know if you get in trouble too then right? What should I do, if that happens?"
"You should run. No offense, but if I'm in deep water there's nothing you can do to help me." She looked offended, "I said no offense." I repeated.
The blond had a conflicted expression on her face.
"Look, if I bite the dust it's all gravy. They'll send someone else out here, and I'll go on up to heaven for my years of service." I shrugged it off like it was no big deal, but I didn't want to die. Not anytime soon at least, and I didn't want to leave Greendale either.
"You should be more considerate of yourself." Sabrina stated.
"Sure thing. I've gotta get going, places to be, spirits to exorcise. You know the business," I began to see myself out, Sabrina close behind. "Oh, and Happy Birthday. I thought I heard Roz say something about Halloween being your birthday."
"Thanks!" She said with a lopsided smile.
Sabrina fiddled with the card in her hands, it was really something else. Regular mortals could use magic it seemed, though 'regular' was a bit of a stretch.
"This is thoughtful, but I won't ever need it." The half witch thought. If the dark baptism went the way it was supposed to, then she'd never see Damien or any of her mortal friends again. Well, to be clear, she'd never see Damien as a peer.
They'd be enemies. On paper at least.
"You have to get rid of that." Ambrose trotted down the stairs, a serious look aimed at his cousin. "Do you have any idea what exactly you've done?!"
Sabrina rolled her eyes, "Relax Ambrose, I checked him out. He's not a bad guy."
"He's an EXORCIST, cous!" He strained, "And you 'checked him out'? What if he's using you to get to the coven? Bet you didn't think about that!"
"You've run into witch hunters and exorcists before, are you really that frightened of a kid?"
Ambrose loved Sabrina, with all his heart and more. She was practically his sister, but boy o' boy did she know how to push his buttons. "You're naive… The both of you! Fine, I'll admit he didn't look like he suspected us. You may have been able to pull the wool over his eyes for now. But he'll learn eventually, it's bound to happen. Especially if you suddenly go missing when you enter the Academy of Unseen Arts. Will you be prepared for what happens when he does?" He asked rhetorically, walking away from the newly 16 year old.
Sabrina thought about that a moment. What exactly would happen? He wasn't a witch hunter, she believed that and he didn't want to kill anyone, she also believed that. But if it was between choosing the sides…
The blond hated to admit it, but she wasn't sure what would happen. She didn't think that far ahead.
Halloween night, arguably the most stressful night for any exorcist. They were just so incredibly unpredictable. A sinister night designed specifically for horror and tragedy. It was nights like this, when fear practically replaced the oxygen, that the most violent of spirits got lively.
*CREEEEAAK!*
I softly pushed a door open with my feet, sword drawn and muscles tense. I could feel it, there was a demon here. It was hard to describe what it was like to sense demonic energy, the best I can tell you is it's similar to opening the fridge.
If you closed your eyes and the fridge was open, you'd probably be able to tell the general direction because of the cold. It was similar to that.
What I was feeling from this house was akin to a cold front. Not only that, but my eyes could see the wretched energy, a deep dark fog stained the walls and floors. It only got thicker with each step.
I relied on my training to keep my breathing steady, but it proved to be a challenge as each breath drowned my nose with the scent of blood. My brain did me a disservice and planted the terrible flavor on my tongue.
"I'm too late." I admonished myself. That was the problem with my line of work. I couldn't very well predict where exactly things like this would take place. I could only react and hope I reacted quick enough.
I didn't look down, but as I crossed the threshold to the living room, I heard the sound of my shoes stepping in a puddle. I didn't need to look to see what it was.
A scowl set in on my face as I eyed the three stacked corpses. A man, and presumably, his wife, along with a young adult. It may not have been the case, but in my head I imagined a happy family watching TV together. Only to be devastated by the horrific, inhuman, monstrosity that chewed at their cold flesh.
"Demon, on behalf of God, and the three humans that lay beneath you, I sentence you to death." The creature's head snapped up to me, it's wrinkly face slathered in blood. Piercing yellow eyes seemed to stare at me with amusement, before it stood to its full height.
Suffice it to say, this hellish fiend was a specimen. Over six and a half feet tall, with arms that reach to its knees and claws that could probably slice steel.
"Hehehaha! A mortal sentences me to death? Don't flatter yourself exorcist, you couldn't hope to wound me! Let alone exorcise me!" It's voice was raspy, spittle flying from its mouth as it jovially mocked me.
It lunged at me, long arm hoping to spear me through in one shot. That was its first mistake. My sword swished through the air like a windshield wiper, and in one smooth motion separated the appendage from the demon.
The severed arm flopped to the floor spilling precious life blood across the hardwood.
"ARRGH!" The beast screeched, it's sharp teeth gnashing together. "A holy sword! Damn you!"
I dashed forward, blood splashing beneath the soles of my shoes. The demon scurried away, doing everything in its power to sway or dodge my blade.
It dodged here and there, but for every three I missed, I returned with a devastating blow. The inner thigh, the belly, the neck, all fatal spots for a human. A demon could survive them, but not without some issue. The wounds I inflicted began to sizzle, the burning properties of my sword taking a delayed effect.
On a missed slash, I rotated my body and threw a spinning back kick. My boot met the demon's chest and sent it flying harshly against the wall.
"YOU! FU-ARGGH!" I shoved my blade through the wide open mouth and impaled my foe. It glared bloody murder at me, struggling to remove the holy sword from its throat, "ANYH ANHTNAB!" It tried to speak.
"I understand why you demons think you have an advantage over humans like us. You're durable, and your body is built for combat." Well, for the most part at least, "But, you shouldn't underestimate a humans potential."
I glared at him matching the intensity that he glared at me with. This was evil here. A single embodiment of what I was born to fight, born to destroy. The creatures of hell were my enemies. And every one that popped up, I'd slay without mercy. I'd deliver the righteous justice God gave me the authority to.
In two quick movements, I withdrew my blade and decapitated the demon. It's head fell to the hardwood floor like a bowling ball, "I-I I'll be b-b-back hum-m-man!"
It didn't get to finish its threat as its severed head began to burn a brilliant blue, "No. You won't."
I flicked my sword to the side, the demon's blood that coated the steel flinging to the floor. What didn't fly off I cleaned with my sleeve before sheathing my 'holy sword'. I stared at the blade in appreciation, it really was a work of art. I was happy that it chose me to wield it.
Even if the fact that it did choose me, made me something of a black sheep. The truth was that it wasn't a holy sword, on the contrary, it was a demon sword. Apparently it was forged in Satan's own ghastly blue flames, because of that it carried a semblance of that power. Once it set fire to something, it did not stop burning until it was ash.
Because it was a demon sword, my reputation amongst my peers was strained. Well, it wouldn't have been if I didn't have questionable beliefs on top of it. Despite that though, I knew that I could rely on them and they could rely on me too. If nothing else, we were brothers and sisters raised together in The Lord's house.
Breaking away from my reminiscing, I pulled my phone from my pocket. I'd need to call a team to clean this and set up a proper burial for the victims.
"It's Damien, I need a cleanup crew." I told my handler over the phone. The nearby Catholic Church didn't have any exorcists like me, or anyone really spiritually aware. But every church had a team that would act as, to put it simply, a coverup squad. They weren't too intertwined with the supernatural, but they altered scenes to make sure sensitive information didn't get leaked to the public.
This was a real hush hush business for a reason though. If it ever got out that demons and witches actually did exist, the world would plunder into utter chaos.
"Three victims and one demon. It's dead, but I'll stick around just to be safe. I still don't know why it showed up here." I explained.
Hearing a confirmation on the other side of the phone I hung up and kneeled. I couldn't save the lives of the people that lived here, but I could pray for their souls. It was the least I could do.
The cleanup was a relatively short affair. The guys they sent me were quick and efficient, I couldn't have asked for a better team really.
I didn't have a car to drive around in (or a driver's license for that matter) and the buses weren't running this late, so I was forced to walk home.
I didn't mind that much, tonight was a rare night anyway. The moon wasn't the large white rock it typically was, instead in its place hung a huge red ruby. It was ominously called 'The Blood Moon'.
"It sure is bea-!" My thoughts were abruptly halted as my body suddenly tensed and it felt as if I was caught in a blizzard. My head tossed and turned, eyes frantically darting as I tried to pinpoint the source of this feeling.
From the forest, under the red tinted moon, I saw what could only be described as a cloud. Thick clouds of transparent black smoke draped the trees on the outskirts of town. There was something wrong going on in the forest, something evil.
I stilled my shaking hand, there was a powerful foe or foes waiting for me. I could very well be running to my death. I shook my head off that thought, so be it. My death would be of little consequence, I would gain more than I lost.
I tried to be as sneaky as a snake while trotting through the woods. The cold presence had since been diminished in the time it took me to get here, but that didn't mean it was gone.
Coming upon a clearing, it became apparent to me. It wasn't one demon, or even person that had been here. It was a gathering, for some sort of… ritual.
Of course, I shouldn't have been too surprised. But I was. I had already suspected it due to the incidents with Sabrina, but I wanted to be wrong. And I sort of was.
There wasn't just one witch in Greendale. There was an entire community of them.
Dun dun daaah!
Chapter 4 is in the books. I want to follow the basic layout of caos, but this is where I start really slipping elements from my side of things in. That said, I'm not ganna cover every detail in each episode (as you've probably noticed). There's a lot of things that don't pertain to Damien and I'll be using that time to advance my own plot rather than the shows, so don't expect a play by play recap. If it isn't mentioned, it probably went exactly how it did in the show.
I also liked the idea of having holy weapons and demonic weapons. Obviously as radical believers in God and all things holy, the other exorcists don't treat those with demonic affinity well. But when all is said and done, they are allies. I'm hoping to introduce things other than typical swords and such, so you may see me take inspiration from other sources.
Having different types of exorcists was a major thing that appealed to me when thinking about this. Ones that fight physically (Like Damien), ones that rely on chants and prayer verses (like mages), and those that rely on more modern tech (ranged fighters). Very RPG like. So it might take a few more chapters to write up characters that fit this, but I've got a basic understanding of what I want.
Hopefully it won't take long, but I think it's safe to say it'll take me more time to write them up than I've been taking for these past chapters. Fair warning to yous.
THXX :)