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Post by Banez Gladpath on May 22, 2011 18:46:15 GMT -5
Arzen and Banez hangin' in the dungeon happy fun not-really times!
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The captain hugged his knees to his chest, trying to wrap his head around his predicament. He was in the dungeons, in a filthy small cell, kept in the same conditions that wicked criminals were under, put away by his own orders. What horrible irony. Everything was taken from him: his sword, his shield, his armor, his chambers.... He was surprised the vampires didn't force him to give up all of his virtues as well. The only thing of value he managed to keep was the swan locket hidden underneath his shirt.
And the king... the prince.... Both were dead for all he knew. Not to mention Lysand. Not knowing anything sucked. The only things keeping him from making any undignified actions such as crying were the thieves and murderers still kept under lock and key around his cell. Telling them that the vampires would likely feast on them one at a time until there were none left kept them from making more stupid and derogatory remarks than was necessary.
His gaze went to the left, where Father Arzen was kept. Banez was enraged that the bloodsuckers had imprisoned a priest, but the other option, death, was worse, he supposed. For a while, he lacked the courage to expel his sins again, when the end of his days seemed near, but finally, he edged over to the black iron bars that separated them, "Father...?"
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Post by Father Arzen on May 22, 2011 18:57:32 GMT -5
It could have been worse, he supposed. Arzen pulled his knees to himself, staring at the wall lackadaisically. He still had God. That was all he needed.
At first when he was brought here, he heard nothing but the taunting of criminals set behind the bars or the cries of those begging him for God's forgiveness. He did what he did to ease the worries of those who called out for him, but it was no good. Not when he was behind bars as he was. There was something unsettling about him being down there to the others that eventually caused them to fall into a silence, ignoring his presence. That being as it was, he was startled when he heard someone calling out to him. It took him a moment, but he realized that it was the guard captain.
"Hm? What is it?"
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Post by Banez Gladpath on May 22, 2011 19:09:29 GMT -5
"Those monsters didn't hurt you, did they?" he asked, quickly going against his intentions. But then Banez took a slow breath, gathering his words. He had to confess. "...If God favors me, then I might not have much longer to live. I don't know how much it would mean, but I must confess something," he said quietly. Even if he did confess it, he would still keep doing it, but maybe Father Arzen could offer his guidance.
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Post by Father Arzen on May 22, 2011 19:13:51 GMT -5
"I have been given a minor wound," Arzen replied, hand rising to rest on his chest. However, it soon dropped again as Banez continued to speak. Oh, a confession...? "Confess your sin, Captain. God shall forgive you, just as the father forgives the prodigal son." He was quiet a moment before adding, "But do no give up hope. God will see us through these trials, I am certain of it."
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Post by Banez Gladpath on May 22, 2011 19:19:21 GMT -5
"There is little love for me among the vampires' ranks. If I'm not killed, I fear for far worse," Banez explained. Even though this was far from a confession box, the captain opened with the standard prayer. Then his voice dropped so that none of the other prisoners could hear, and his hands clasped each other tightly, "Father, forgive me... I'm in love with another man...."
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Post by Father Arzen on May 22, 2011 19:23:08 GMT -5
Arzen was silent for a few moments, absorbing the guard captain's confession. In love with... Am in love with... another... His breath escaped him for a moment and he prompted quietly, "And... You are renouncing this...?" Please be yes otherwise... Well, thou shalt not lay with a man as thou would a woman. The bible was certainly clear on this matter.
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Post by Banez Gladpath on May 22, 2011 19:29:21 GMT -5
Renouncing...? "I can't just stop loving him, Father." He supposed this made the entire confession pointless... "But we can't get married, and I know what the Bible says.... I don't know what to do."
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Post by Father Arzen on May 22, 2011 19:35:58 GMT -5
"It is a sin, not the love itself, but acting upon it." Arzen said quietly. "The only thing I can advise you to do is to control yourself. Love him as you would love your neighbor. However, you cannot give into lust. It is perhaps another test of God." He shook his head slowly. "Stay strong, Captain. You must."
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Post by Banez Gladpath on May 22, 2011 19:41:48 GMT -5
Banez looked at the ground in defeat, although he wasn't sure what else he could have been expecting. "I understand, Father. Thank you." He still wasn't sure what to do, but he prayed that Lysand was out there somewhere, doing alright. He looked up again. "Your wound isn't paining you, is it?"
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Post by Father Arzen on May 22, 2011 19:44:03 GMT -5
Arzen moved his hand to touch the tender scab. "It hurts as much as any cut on the chest would, I imagine. Especially when I move." His fingers traced it a moment before he asked, "And yourself, Captain? Have you any wounds to speak of?"
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Post by Banez Gladpath on May 22, 2011 19:51:33 GMT -5
Banez frowned. He hoped it didn't get infected.... At the priest's question, Banez turned his head slightly. "No cuts, but my stomach is bruised, and my shield arm is worse off. It hurts to put any weight on it." He hoped that the bone hadn't cracked, but the shield-wielding vampire had put a great amount of stress on his arm. "Destroying just one vampire was almost impossible. How could we think that we could do anything against them?"
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Post by Father Arzen on May 22, 2011 19:55:13 GMT -5
Arzen pressed his lips into a thin line as Banez voiced his question. "Perhaps... We are not meant to destroy the vampires." His mind moved to Yen for a moment. He hesitated before voicing his dangerous thoughts. "If they have thoughts and feelings then... Perhaps we are meant to find a way to coexist with them."
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Post by Banez Gladpath on May 22, 2011 20:04:25 GMT -5
As Father Arzen mused, Banez turned to look at him with confusion. Not destroy vampires? Well what were they supposed to do? But when the priest finished his thought, the captain's brows rose, and a look of shock was quickly washed over by rage and disbelief. "That's impossible! They killed our king! They were going to kill Lorin! That... that vampire I fought was going to do the same thing to me that you just told me not to do! What thoughts and feelings could they possibly have that makes them suitable to coexist with?? People have to be killed in order for them to survive!"
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Post by Father Arzen on May 22, 2011 20:12:39 GMT -5
"Do not act as if men do not murder and rape," Arzen said quietly. "Long has the race of man sinned. The vampires were once men too. If we kill them, are we not just killing a man?" He leaned back against the wall, his earlier conflict and confusion returning. "They have free will, a gift that God gave to the races. Why? If they are really just monsters, why?" He raked a hand through his hair. "What if there was a way that they didn't have to kill people?"
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Post by Banez Gladpath on May 22, 2011 20:19:59 GMT -5
At first Banez flinched, looking away like a scolded dog, but then he turned back to Arzen. "What are you even talking about?? I didn't say that mankind was immaculate, but at least our existence isn't based around a mortal sin, or are they too good for mortal rules? Should there be another set of commandments, detailing out the 'immortal sins'?" the captain asked mockingly. "If there was a way where they didn't have to kill people, don't you think they would have thought of it already?" he added quietly.
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