Post by Father Arzen on Jun 18, 2011 12:22:53 GMT -5
"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was two months ago."
"I'm starting to wonder if these confessions of yours mean anything."
"Father?"
"You come to confess the same thing time and time again. Confession is meant for those who seek forgiveness for their sins, not those who seek acknowledgement for them. You have even confessed not believing in confession. Are you mocking the church, Alerick?"
"It is not your place to judge me, Father." Brenthor's eyes narrowed coolly. "It is your place to sit there and listen to what I have to say. It seems this is the only way I have to connect to God- in my current state after all, I could hardly pray to him."
"Have you come to confess your murders?" Arzen asked, keeping his tone neutral even when his heart had been wrenched by the cries of Banez only a few days prior.
"I have not murdered a single soul since my last confession, Father. It is not your place to guess my sins either."
"And it is not your place to lie during confession! I heard you. You murdered Advisor-"
"I confess the sin of lying, Father. Lying to Gladpath." Brenthor folded his hands in front of him, staring calmly through the bars of the cell. "If Lysand is dead, it was not by my doing."
Arzen was quiet for a moment. "Why would you lie to the captain and cause him so much pain?"
"Because I despise him and want to see him suffer! I want to see him burn. I want-"
"Because he's close to Lysand instead of you?"
The large man blinked, his eyes narrowed. It took him a few moments to come up with a reply, startled by the calm suggestion of the priest. "Lysand has nothing to do with this!" He had spoken louder than he had meant to, causing his eyes to dart to the surrounding cells. He had come during a time when he was certain Gladpath would be sleeping and wouldn't overhear his confession. "But while we're on the subject, I must confess forcing my lust upon him."
Arzen could not quite stop the look of disgust from crossing his features. "You lust for him?"
"I don't lust for his flesh. I lust to dominate him, and continue to do so. I will dominate him, and everyone else."
"Why are you here, Alerick? I can see no sincerity behind your confession. Do you truly seek the forgiveness of God?"
"I come because no matter what I say, you are bound to silence, are you not? You can't even tell Gladpath that Lysand is still alive because that would mean informing him of a sin I've confessed to." He grinned at him. "So I suppose... I am mocking you in a way."
Arzen could not stop his scowl even when he knew that he should not be scowling at a man who was confessing to him. "God have mercy on you, Alerick." He began to turn away, only to stop when the man kept speaking, clearly not finished.
"Am I truly damned for who I have become?"
"If you are damned, I am certain it is for other reasons besides being a vampire," he replied, a tinge of ice to his voice that he instantly regretted. What was he doing? He was a priest! He needed to help this man!
But he doubted that there was any help he could give to Alerick Brenthor.
"That may be, but I do not seek heaven's light anyway. No, I will have my own eternal salvation on earth. I will become the savior of mankind, you see." Brenthor grasped the bars of the cell. "I will defeat this vampire menace and free man from them. I will not let them plague us, Father."
"And when you defeat them...?" the priest asked cautiously.
"Then I will reunite man and they will reign prosperously with an eternal king."
"You seek to rule yourself then." Arzen turned away. "Do not hide your lust for power behind words of noble intent. Free us from one plague to bring us another."
"I would bring us to an age where the ruling class does not need to suck our children dry of blood for their survival- I do not murder others for their blood to drink. A time when there will be no more blood baths between heirs. Think, Father. There could be peace, forever."
The priest did not look at him still. "Why do you tell me this?"
"I tell you because you have the power to help make this happen. Once my plans have come to fruition, once I have caused the vampires to collapse, all you need to do is bless my coronation. Tell the people that I have the divine right of kings to rule."
Arzen's brows furrowed, but the large man cut him off before he could speak.
"Think on it. Watch as I tear the vampires apart from within. Then you will see what good I can do for this world." Brenthor got up and turned to go. "Amen." He strode from the cell, leaving the priest in a stunned silence.
"I'm starting to wonder if these confessions of yours mean anything."
"Father?"
"You come to confess the same thing time and time again. Confession is meant for those who seek forgiveness for their sins, not those who seek acknowledgement for them. You have even confessed not believing in confession. Are you mocking the church, Alerick?"
"It is not your place to judge me, Father." Brenthor's eyes narrowed coolly. "It is your place to sit there and listen to what I have to say. It seems this is the only way I have to connect to God- in my current state after all, I could hardly pray to him."
"Have you come to confess your murders?" Arzen asked, keeping his tone neutral even when his heart had been wrenched by the cries of Banez only a few days prior.
"I have not murdered a single soul since my last confession, Father. It is not your place to guess my sins either."
"And it is not your place to lie during confession! I heard you. You murdered Advisor-"
"I confess the sin of lying, Father. Lying to Gladpath." Brenthor folded his hands in front of him, staring calmly through the bars of the cell. "If Lysand is dead, it was not by my doing."
Arzen was quiet for a moment. "Why would you lie to the captain and cause him so much pain?"
"Because I despise him and want to see him suffer! I want to see him burn. I want-"
"Because he's close to Lysand instead of you?"
The large man blinked, his eyes narrowed. It took him a few moments to come up with a reply, startled by the calm suggestion of the priest. "Lysand has nothing to do with this!" He had spoken louder than he had meant to, causing his eyes to dart to the surrounding cells. He had come during a time when he was certain Gladpath would be sleeping and wouldn't overhear his confession. "But while we're on the subject, I must confess forcing my lust upon him."
Arzen could not quite stop the look of disgust from crossing his features. "You lust for him?"
"I don't lust for his flesh. I lust to dominate him, and continue to do so. I will dominate him, and everyone else."
"Why are you here, Alerick? I can see no sincerity behind your confession. Do you truly seek the forgiveness of God?"
"I come because no matter what I say, you are bound to silence, are you not? You can't even tell Gladpath that Lysand is still alive because that would mean informing him of a sin I've confessed to." He grinned at him. "So I suppose... I am mocking you in a way."
Arzen could not stop his scowl even when he knew that he should not be scowling at a man who was confessing to him. "God have mercy on you, Alerick." He began to turn away, only to stop when the man kept speaking, clearly not finished.
"Am I truly damned for who I have become?"
"If you are damned, I am certain it is for other reasons besides being a vampire," he replied, a tinge of ice to his voice that he instantly regretted. What was he doing? He was a priest! He needed to help this man!
But he doubted that there was any help he could give to Alerick Brenthor.
"That may be, but I do not seek heaven's light anyway. No, I will have my own eternal salvation on earth. I will become the savior of mankind, you see." Brenthor grasped the bars of the cell. "I will defeat this vampire menace and free man from them. I will not let them plague us, Father."
"And when you defeat them...?" the priest asked cautiously.
"Then I will reunite man and they will reign prosperously with an eternal king."
"You seek to rule yourself then." Arzen turned away. "Do not hide your lust for power behind words of noble intent. Free us from one plague to bring us another."
"I would bring us to an age where the ruling class does not need to suck our children dry of blood for their survival- I do not murder others for their blood to drink. A time when there will be no more blood baths between heirs. Think, Father. There could be peace, forever."
The priest did not look at him still. "Why do you tell me this?"
"I tell you because you have the power to help make this happen. Once my plans have come to fruition, once I have caused the vampires to collapse, all you need to do is bless my coronation. Tell the people that I have the divine right of kings to rule."
Arzen's brows furrowed, but the large man cut him off before he could speak.
"Think on it. Watch as I tear the vampires apart from within. Then you will see what good I can do for this world." Brenthor got up and turned to go. "Amen." He strode from the cell, leaving the priest in a stunned silence.