Chapter 35, Pit Viper 3

Descending the stairs cautiously, Trisha glanced over her shoulder, making sure Berg wasn't sneaking after her to get revenge. She rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs to pure chaos. Tables, chairs, glasses, and several people were scattered haphazardly around. For some reason, some patrons were also fighting each other?

Liquor and maybe the fact that coins litter the floor could be the cause, perhaps? Moving quickly on her soft leather boots, Trisha advanced towards the front door, where two people were fighting several security guards. Trisha passed the first guard. Judging by the blood leaking from the man's neck, his throat was cut. She shudder at the look of surprise and horror etched on the man's lifeless face.

Another was bleeding from blunt force, perhaps from a mace or heavy staff. That must mean there were only about four more of the security here. Just as she approached the frantic struggle, a blond-haired guard took a broom handle upside the face. She paused, realizing that instead of a staff Eliya was using a damned broom. Trisha would have burst out laughing if Eliya wasn't fighting for her life. Her friend had a split lip and was limping. Greg wielded her curved dagger with familiarity, stabbing with short quick thrusts and stabs to keep the guards away. They weaved amongst the wreckage, using all the furniture to keep away their enemies.

Trisha shook herself from her stupor. They needed to get out of here. She was certain that the other members of the Pit Viper's guild might arrive anytime to see what was the problem. Steeling her nerve and breathing rapidly, Trisha prepares for a fight.

Boot knife in hand, Trisha rushed across the room towards the security guards. Trisha eyed each of the guards, looking for the injured. Her heart raced as she approached a tall, athletic woman clutching at her bleeding arm. Trisha approached from the side and caught the woman completely off guard. With all of their focus on Greg and Eliya, none of the guards had noticed her until she slipped her boot knife into their companion's ribs.

With a yell and a gurgle of blood, the woman fell, clutching at a fetal stab to her lung. Trisha felt bad about that, but it was her or them. Life amongst thieves demanded brutality. Trisha danced back, avoiding an overhanded strike on one of the three remaining guards. Trisha grimaced as the heavy mace slammed into the floorboards with a crack.

She breathed deeply, moving to the side to keep all three opponents in front of her. Lord Noah constantly lectured her on footwork and momentum. Lord Noah was always stating if she stopped moving she would allow her enemy's the upper hand. Trisha stabbed forward, her knife grazing the guard's arms, opening a shallow cut across the red faced mans forearm. Trisha's heart raced as the man yelped, dropping his mace, stumbling backwards. The mans retreat led him right into a crushing blow from Eliya's heavy broom stick. With the sickening crack of wood on bone, the man collapsed unconscious.

The remaining two security guards eyed them wearily, not wanting to join their friends. One guard cradled her arm, while the other bled from a gash to his leg. Blood spatter the light wood of the previously clean floor.

"You jackasses will pay for what you have done. The Pit Vipers won't forget this insult." Scowled one of the two guards.

" Let's get out of here! These morons are stalling for time." Said Greg, his voice sounding nasal.

Trisha glanced at him. Gregs nose was bent at an odd angle, blood dripping down his face. He looked like he had greeted door with his face. The two guards heard their plan and moved to cut off their escape.

" I wouldn't do that if I were you." Said Trisha as both she, Eliya and Greg walked toward the injured guards.

" We can't just let you leave, the guild master will skin us alive." Said one guard, scowling at them.

" Don't worry about that, the guild master is no longer around to punish you." Said Trisha, miming a stabbing motion in the air.

Both guards glanced from Trishas blood soaked dagger to each other. They were clearly unsure of what to do now.

" If you step aside we will leave without causing you or your workspace any more harm." Said Trisha. If she stated the benefits of them leaving, who knew, they might just step aside..

" Are you sure that's a good idea? They have seen our faces. If we leave them alive, it may come back to haunt us later. " Said Eliya quietly.

"Dont be stupid Eliya, you are injured and Greg's nose looks like a tomato run over by a cart. If we fight them, we might suffer worse than some severe bruises." Replied Trisha. To her relief the guards stepped aside, eying them with hate filled stares as they stepped over bloody corpses and broken furniture.

" You better hope we don't catch you in our district again." Hissed the man, wincing as he shifted weight on his blood-soaked leg.

Tense and ready for a fight, Trisha gripped her dagger loosely, preparing for the guards to change their minds and attack. She kept both guards in her site until they were well out of the building and onto the street.

Hastily they walked down the front steps away from the two story building. Trisha repeatedly glanced over her shoulder. Megs' house of pleasure swarmed with people like a beehive hit by a wayward stone. They left the lower district, and Trisha was worried. They were being pursued by two figures. Trisha couldn't make out their appearances through the bustling city street, but she could pick them out, as they were both wearing dark cloaks.

One figure was tall and slight of frame while the second cloaked figure was heavy set. Trisha did one last glance as she approached the church gates.

" Trisha, is that you?" shouted the Head Guard at the gates.

" Yes, sorry to bother you, Harry. Greg and Eliya were injured." said Trisha gesturing to Eliya, who was leaning on Greg, favoring her bloody leg.

" Come on in. The healer should be in the infirmary. Open the gate!" Shouted Harry, turning to his companions. The large metal bound doors leading to the chapel slid open on well-oiled hinges, revealing the large open courtyard.

" Thanks Harry, keep an eye out for angry thieves, we may have kicked the hornet's nest." said Trisha glancing over her shoulder once again to the bustling crowd filling the street.

" And what did you do to deserve their ire?" asked Harry, scratching his chin.

" All I can say is that we upset them." said Trisha, following Eliya and Greg into the church courtyard.

" No one tells me anything." grumbled Harry as they passed. His fellow gate guards chuckled as they shut the gate behind the bishop's apprentice.

With the large doors closing silently behind them, Trisha gestured to one barrack lining the inner courtyard wall. On the front of the barrack was a plaque helpfully labeled 'infirmary'.

" Get yourselves patched up. I will take our prize back to her ladyship." said Trisha striding up the main stairs to the chapel doors. She walked past the two guards, who actually turned their heads to her. Startled, Trisha stopped on the stone stairs in front of the cathedral's main doors.

One guard said," You lack the skills and station to enter the Cathedral with an active talisman."

" Do you mean this?" asked Trisha, dragging the marvelous time piece from her blouse. The metal object she had received from Victor's body was cool and made goose bumps form on her skin. Trisha wanted to hide it. Why did she have to give it to this guard? The small, delicate runes shimmered slightly as she held the talisman in her outstretched hand.

The once perfectly still guard held out a shimmering amulet of his own. The amulet flickered a subtle hue of red. The guard nodded his head and took the amulet from her outstretched hand. Immediately, Trisha wanted to reach out and take it back. She wanted to strike the guard for taking it, but pushed back the urge. The traitorous thought seemed to come from somewhere else and slowly faded as the guard placed the talisman in his pocket. With no other word, the guard turned and enter the cathedral without her.

" Hey wait!" said Trisha, moving to follow the guard. The guard moved hastily down the hallway, his spear swaying over his shoulder as he was moving in perfect step. As she approached the stairs to the bishop's quarters, Trisha smiled at guard standing perfectly still waiting and watching. She had thought the guards were only for decoration, but the guards had detected the talisman immediately and taken it from her.

Wanting some information, Trisha dared a question." How did you detect I was carrying the talisman?" asked Trisha curiously. Much to her surprise, the guard actually answered.

" They train us to sense the faint traces of demon essence that radiate from the demons talismans." Replied the Guard opening the door leading to the Bishop's room. They ascended the stairs and entered the Bishop's office. The graceful woman entered the room just as they did with a metal framed wooden box that was inlaid with runes and swirling red lines.

The guard saluted and proffered the talisman. The Bishop opened the box, which shimmered at her touch. Inside, they lined the box with velvet, creating a cradle that could perfectly cushion anything the size of a fist. The Guard placed the vile time piece inside the box gently and saluted once more before swinging on his heel and marching from the room.

After the guard shut the door with an audible click, Trisha turned back to the opened box.

" Why are you being so cautious? Surely if I carried the talisman, it won't harm you." asked Trisha curiously.

" My dear, you were holding a being that could be hundreds or even thousands of years old. Its always wise to treat each and every one of them as though they are of the highest threat." said The Bishop seriously.

" Wait? That thing could be thousands of years old?" asked Trisha, aghast.

" Of course. The problem is they are very hard to permanently kill. If they come to our world without their mortal shell, we can only attack their mind." said The Bishop.

" Why would they risk coming here with there actual body if they could die her?" asked Trisha, dumbfounded.

" I dont know. But from my experience a demon in the flesh is far more terrifying than a demon who is projecting their mind into a talisman." said The Bishop closing the lid of the metal box. Trisha felt a pull on her senses as the box flashed, and then the glow subsided.

" Is that why you keep them in a box? Do you keep all the demons or do you return them somehow?" asked Trisha. The bishop smiled a forced smile.

" That, my dear, is treading on highly classified secrets. I will strongly urge you to keep anything you have seen to yourself. If anyone was to find out we keep the demons prisoner, our organisation could be in trouble. The sheer devastation someone could release on the world would be catastrophic." said Bishop giving her a stern look. Trisha nodded her head and bowed.

" Dont worry, my lady. I'm to be your apprentice. And I would never think of releasing a monster like Victor in the city." said Trisha shuddering.

" Very well, apprentice. You have performed far above expectation, I will do as promised. As for your friends I will grant them an initiate's badge." said the Lady Bishop smiling a genuine smile for once. Trisha grinned in excitement. But she couldn't waste this opportunity to get information.

" Just curious, but what kind of demon was Victor?" asked Trisha.

" Judging from the energy his talisman emitted, Victor was a minor demon. You were lucky to catch him in such a weak shell. With a mage of his own affinity Victor could would have caused a lot more trouble." said the Bishop.

" Wait, are you saying that human is just as important as the demon controlling it?" Asked Trisha, confused.

" Yes, of course. If some fool summoned a major demon to our world, it would be far easier to kill if its only option were to control a normal human. On the other hand a major demon that takes over a human of the same affinity will be vastly more powerful." Explained the Bishop.

" Is a major demon much stronger than a minor? I know that's a stupid question, but there cannot be much of a difference?" Asked Trisha.

" You have much to learn. If you use the human scale of measuring power, then a minor demon is a novice mage and a major demon is a grand master mage. In the case of a major demon I would respond to the threat, or lord Noah and two of the high priests would." said the Bishop. Trisha nodded her head. What kind of monster took Lord Noah and two others like him to take down? Trisha shudder to think of such a creature moving about unseen.

" Now go, Noah asked me to send you to the training hall upon your return." said the Bishop, a small smile gracing her lips as the woman waved Trisha from the room. Her thoughts swirled with thoughts of demons until she remembered Noah was waiting for her in the training hall.