Crusade
By Srol

Chapter One:

"No!"

The high priest jerked up off the floor of his hut, sweating and panting heavily. Without even bothering to get dressed, he quickly ran outside his hut and ran through the village. He tripped over his feet a couple of times, startling some slumbering villagers. They knew better to disturb the old priest while he was in the throes of prophecy.

The priest quickly reached the temple. Kneeling down not a few feet in front of the front entrance, he stared straight into the air scribbling frantic patterns into the dirt.

The other priests, having also been waken by the noise watched from a distance. The high priests attendant approached the wizened priest. Staring at the writing in the dirt, he shock his head unbelievably as the old man continued to write down instructions.

Finally, it was over. The old priest, making sure not to mess up his instructions, leaned down to the side and was dozing in seconds. The attendant finished translating than turned to the crowd which had formed, shaking from the severity of the orders.

"What is the will of the gods?" a voice finally arose from the crowd.

"The will of the gods is complicated. However, it can be described simply that they wish us to crusade."

"No!"

The high priest jerked up off the floor of his hut, panting very heavily from both his heads. Without even bothering to comb his disheveled fur, he quickly ran outside his hut and ran through the village. He tripped over his feet and tail a couple of times, startling some slumbering villagers. They knew better to disturb the old priest while he was in the throes of prophecy.

The priest quickly reached the temple. Kneeling down not a few feet in front of the front entrance, he stared straight into the air with both his heads scribbling frantic patterns into the dirt.

The other priests, having also been waken by the noise watched from a distance. The high priests attendant slithered towards the wizened priest. Staring at the writing in the dirt, he shock his head unbelievably as the old man continued to write down instructions.

Finally, it was over. The old priest, making sure not to mess up his instructions, leaned down to the side and was dozing in seconds. The attendant finished translating than turned to the crowd which had formed, shaking from the severity of the orders.

"What is the will of the gods?" a voice finally arose from the crowd.

"The will of the godsss isss complicated. However, it can be dessscribed sssimply that they wish usss to crusssade."

The meeting took place in the Village's main hall. Everyone was there, from the old silent high priest, to the smallest newborn baby. James was lucky to get a seat close enough to the front to be able to see and hear what was being said. Basically, no one was saying anything except the High Priest's attendant, and that was the translation of the High Priest's prophecy.

"The gods have spoken to us, the holy. We have been blessed with their instructions." The attendant paused, approaching a very sensitive spot. "The Forbidden City has been violated!"

The crowd gasped in shock and horror. The Forbidden City was the gods' former home on Earth before the unclean monsters arrived and corrupted the world beyond the gods' ability to save it. The cracked towers could be seen in the distance from any high landscape. No human was allowed there. The gods had placed water on all sides of the city and had sunk the bridges when the world turned evil. The water around the city was surrounded with unholy creatures and monsters to protect the old home of the gods. They only spoke to the holy now, and no longer walked among man.

"My brethren, please hear me out. Scouts of the most unholy, the Cult of Blood, have already discovered ways to penetrate the water barriers surrounding the city, and many holy icons have been contaminated or captured. Therefore, we must go and retrieve the Holy Grail."

The attendant pointed up at the tapestry on the back wall of the hall. It was the picture of a rectangular object, of a gray color with a silvery, almost metal looking slit covering the bottom part. According to legend, on the actual grail, pulling the slit back would either kill or bless you by revealing the grail's true form.

"The gods have given us permission to retrieve the artifact from the Forbidden City, but only the people whom they choose may go. Be warned however, the journey will be fraught with danger. There will be many monsters, in addition to the most unholy Cult of Blood. There is a chance that several of you may be perverted by their blood and become unholy. Just remember, if your own body begins to change, take your own life rather than disobey the gods and eternal salvation will be yours."

The mute high priest himself now stood up and nodded to the attendant. The attendant nodded and once again turned to address the crowd.

"The high priest will now choose the ones the gods wish to crusade. As always, this crusade will be led by Henry, our greatest warrior."

At the mention of his name, the bulky man stood. Many in the crowd cheered. It was well known that Henry was the one who killed the dragon, which had been blooding many of the villages young earlier in the year. He had taken the dragons teeth to help decorate his armor, while the scales went to the graves of the children who had to be sacrificed because they were blooded.

The high priest went through the audience, tapping people on the shoulders quickly, pointing to the stage, and then moving on. Most of the people selected were either of the Warriors guild or the Hunters guild, with a few exceptions. James allowed himself a quick chance to dream of being selected, but those dreams fell on deaf ears. There was no chance a boy not even of 20 years who was in training to become an acolyte would be chosen for a crusade.

However, as the high priest came by his direction, he stared at James. He then continued on. Soon the Crusade was ready and headed off to the Warrior's building to continue preparing. The crowd dispersed rather quickly. They had faith in their warriors, but they also knew that if the warriors failed, it would not affect them greatly.

Suddenly, the high priest's attendant was before him. The tall bulky man was towering above James gave him a shiver of fear.

The attendant said, "The high priest wishes an audience with you, please follow me." At that, the attendant walked out the building without another word making James absolutely speechless.

That was exactly one month ago.

James could not help thinking about how he had gotten to this point as he hid under the overturned catapult, watching the battle rage around him.

The meeting took place in the Village's main hall. Everyone was there, from the old silent high priest, to the smallest freed bloodling. Violenta was lucky to get a seat close enough to the front to be able to see and hear what was being said. Basically, no one was saying anything except the High Priest's attendant, and that was the translation of the High Priest's prophecy.

"The gods have spoken to us, the holy. We have been blessed with their instructions." The attendant paused, approaching a very sensitive spot. "The Forbidden City has been violated!"

The crowd gasped in shock and horror. The Forbidden City was the gods' former home on Earth before they had decided to bless the people of the Earth with their holy blood. The cracked towers could be seen in the distance from any high landscape. No human was allowed there, but those in the cult of blood were not human. The gods had placed water on all sides of the city and had sunk the bridges when they left their blood on the Earth, knowing that one day, their followers would be able to enter and become gods themselves. The water around the city was surrounded with holy creatures and monsters to protect the old home of the gods.

"My brethren, please hear me out. The humans have already discovered ways to penetrate the water barriers surrounding the city, and many holy icons have been contaminated or captured. Therefore, we must go and retrieve the Holy Grail."

The attendant pointed up at the tapestry on the back wall of the hall. It was the picture of a rectangular object, of a gray color with a silvery, almost metal looking slit covering the bottom part. According to legend, on the actual grail, pulling the slit back would either kill or bless you by revealing the grail's true form.

"The gods have given us permission to retrieve the artifact from the Forbidden City, but only the people whom they choose may go. Be warned however, the journey will be fraught with danger. There will be many monsters, in addition to Humans. There is a chance that several of you may die. Just remember, every human blooded is the will of the gods made flesh."

The mute high priest himself now stood up and nodded to the attendant with his human head. The attendant nodded and once again turned to address the crowd.

"The high priest will now choose the ones the gods wish to crusade. As always, this crusade will be led by Hiorich, our greatest warrior."

At the mention of his name, the bulky warrior who had been blooded by a hydra at birth stood. Hiorich was a sight to behold. He had seven heads, each of them with varying degrees of humanness. Some had snake eyes, some had a long snake tongue, others just had scales here and there. The middle head was completely human, and that was the one he used to talk with. Moving down his thick body, he was completely covered with scales and two useless flippers where his arms used to be. Below that, he had two tails which was said had grown from his legs. Hiorich had long ago mastered how to use his two tail-legs to move with lightening speed.

Around his neck he had several vials of blood, one from a different monster. Violenta remembered when her name was Violet, and how the blooded warrior had forced her to drink one of those vials, resulting in her current condition. She had the upper body of a woman, however her arms were covered with a golden fur. In addition, her lower body was that of a lioness, more accurately, a sphinx with the exception that she did not have any wings, and her feet were not changed by the mutation.

The high priest went through the audience, tapping people on the shoulders quickly, pointing to the stage, and then moving on. Most of the people selected were either of the Warriors guild or the Hunters guild, with a few exceptions. Violenta allowed herself a quick chance to dream of being selected, but those dreams fell on deaf ears. There was no chance a girl not even of 20 years who was in training to become an acolyte would be chosen for a crusade.

However, as the high priest came by his direction, he stared at Violenta with both of his heads. He then continued on. Soon the Crusade was ready and headed off to the Warrior's building to continue preparing. The crowd dispersed rather quickly. They had faith in their warriors, but they also knew that if the warriors failed, it would not affect them greatly.

Suddenly, the high priest's attendant was before her. The tall bulky man, who had been blooded by a naga, was towering above Violenta gave her a shiver of fear.

The attendant said, "The high priesssst wishesss an audience with you, pleassse follow me." At that, the attendant slivered out the building without another word making her absolutely speechless.

That was exactly one month ago.

Violenta could not help thinking about how she had gotten to this point as she hid under the overturned catapult, watching the battle rage around her.

To be continued...