1-3-8

“Okay,” Gaius said. “So you’re saying that this man Pietro was Count Belford’s valet and might actually know more about Belford Mansion?”

“Yes, Prince Gaius.” Medina said as they walked through the streets of Karlaca. “He is privy to many of the Belford family’s secrets.”

The lion thought about this while Mayor Laurio the lemming and Reuben the monkey walked with them.

“Also, Your Highness, we first need to go to the church,” Medina said. “There are a few items there that I’ve hidden beneath the church that you might find useful against the forces of darkness.”

“First though,” Beryl said. “I think we should pay this ‘Pietro’ a visit.”

+++

Vic the lemming, Khayyam the crocodile, Yvonne the fruit bat and Steno the hyena accompanied Beryl the mink and Mayor Laurio to find the home of Pietro the bat.

The house itself was situated in a bamboo forest near the beach.

“That Pietro keeps both himself and his house well hidden from us,” said the lemming mayor. “He knows what his boss has done to our island. Pietro knows that the people don’t think too well of him. He has a good idea of what will happen to him if we ever get our hands on him.”

“And he overcharges!” Yvonne said.

“Yes, that too,” Mayor Laurio said. “Imagine charging people five silver coins for just going to and from the market!”

Pietro’s house was surprisingly large but well-hidden due to also being made completely of bamboo.

Mayor Laurio called out to the bat.

“Pietro!” the mayor shouted. “Pietro, you knave! Open this door! We need to have a word with you!”

There was no answer.

“Pietro!” the mayor called out again, louder this time.

There was still no answer.

“By the redeemer,” the mayor sighed. “Pietro you rascal, open this door now!”

Only silence answered them.

“This is getting ridiculous,” the lemming mayor scowled. “Perhaps he’s not home.”

“No,” Steno the hyena said, surprising everyone, including Beryl. “He’s here alright.”

“Hmm?” Beryl asked. “What do you mean?”

“He’s in there right now,” Steno said. “I can smell him in there. But he’s trying to hide from us. If we try to force our way in, he’ll try to escape.”

“So what’re you suggesting?” Beryl raised an inquisitive brow.

“I’ve got an idea,” Steno said and turned to Vic. “I’m going to need your help.”

+++

Zenny, the tiger, Dr. Josef the centipede, Fr. Stanwick the badger, Biggs the elephant followed Prince Gaius the lion and Medina the water buffalo woman to the church.

It was empty now but still kept clean and tidy.

“We might not have a priest anymore,” Medina said as she opened the church doors for the others. “But we have dry masses for the Redeemer once every week. I come over on Saturdays to clean up the place and prepare it to hold service on Sundays. For what it’s worth, the unquiet dead never approach this place and people caught out in the open at night usually seek shelter here. The Redeemer is powerful indeed.”

“Indeed, He is sister,” said Fr. Stanwick. “But tell me Ms. Medina, how long was the last mass you had in here?”

The water buffalo woman thought about it and shrugged her shoulders.

“Too long.” Medina said. “Far too long, Father Stanwick.”

+++

Steno the hyena and Vic the lemming got behind Pietro’s bamboo house and found a window. On the other side of the house, the others continued to call for Pietro the bat to come out and talk to them. He would probably never come out now but at least their calls would serve to distract them as the hyena and the lemming did their work.

“Okay,” Steno said to Vic. “Here’s what we’re gonna do: I’m going to open that window and you go in first.”

“Me?” Vic looked shock. “I’m going to force my way into that house?”

“Yes?”

“No!” Vic shook his head. “I can’t do that!”

“Keep your voice down!” Steno said. “Do you want to help or not?”

+++

Medina stopped at the altar and so did the others. She searched around the floorboards and found a small trapdoor which she quickly lifted. Dust wafted from the opening, forcing Dr. Josef the centipede to cover his nose and mouth.

The water buffalo woman reached into the opening and began to bring out items wrapped in rags and tied with rope.

“What are those?” Prince Gaius asked.

“These are some of the things Father Lanella left behind,” said Medina and quickly unwrapped them. “I hid them here for years. I thought perhaps we could use them but we’re just not that kind of people. I mean, we could have tried going up against those things but I feared we would just end up wasting these precious relics.”

She unwrapped a few smaller bundles and revealed them to be candles. But not just any candles. These had strange holy symbols carved into them.

“Those are...” Fr. Stanwick trailed off. “Those are Candles of Protection. Even just one of them can keep all of the Demons of the Abyss at bay. Ephelron only very rarely releases them to the public. To even get a chance to acquire Candles of Protection, one needs the permission of the local archbishop. How did you even manage to get them?”

“Father Lanella was an archbishop,” Medina said and hefted a large bundle from the trapdoor. “But those aren’t the only things we have here.”

Medina unwrapped the next bundle, revealing an old ornate sword that held everyone transfixed by its splendor.

“This is Father Lanella’s very own sword,” Medina said, regarding the weapon with a sense of awe. “He used it when he was part of the Twilight Crusade many years ago.”

Zenny stared at the old sword, its reflection gleaming in her eyes.

+++

Steno used his kukri knife to lift the window’s latch and very quietly opened it.

He motioned for Vic to enter the window.

The lemming hesitated for a second but then decided to go through with it anyway. He clambered into the window and, as quietly as he could, stepped inside. It was dark inside, which wasn’t surprising and he had to wait for his eyes to adjust properly.

What he didn’t expect though was that the bat, Pietro, was waiting for him.

Pietro lunged at him, grabbing him by the neck and attempting to strangle him. Vic kneed the bat in the stomach, making him let go. The lemming then went immediately to the window to let the hyena in but the bat struck him on the back of the head before he could open it.

Vic’s world swam out of focus and could barely block the punches the bat threw at him.

The bat then grabbed a nearby club and was about to start wailing on the lemming when a scimitar appeared near the former’s neck.

“I’d put that down,” said Khayyam the crocodile. “If I were you.”