Demon Hunters

Casus Belli IX

Typically, Gabriel wasn't one to get swept up by his memories – particularly as his were typically not comforting. Yet he couldn't help but remember that summer evening, the day he had felt happier than ever before. Too bad, then, that that memory seemed to be forever tarnished now, as his father, the very same he had thought he could trust, had just sold him out.

"To those of you who do not recognize me: I am Bruno von Richter, the head inquisitor of the church," his father continued from behind Gabriel. "And one of the main architects of the plan that will bring the rotten institution down for good."

Gabriel's eyes glazed over as he slumped in the chair. Initially, he had tried to convince himself that the man behind him was merely an impostor, an actor brought in to give whatever plan they were working on an air of legitimacy. But the more he had heard him speak, the more convinced Gabriel had grown that this was, indeed, the real Bruno. Hope still lingered within Gabriel that this was just an elaborate ruse by his father to lure in all of his enemies – but should that have been the case, the cautious man he knew would have never put himself in the line of fire. No, there was only one explanation: the head inquisitor had just betrayed the church.

"As you can see, we have powerful allies even within the church. How, you might ask, have we achieved this?" Lucas chimed in. "I shall now reveal to you the true nature of demons – the very same revelation that brought even the head inquisitor to our side."

The traitor began an explanation about the concept of a spirit that was supposedly the distillation of a person's whole existence – the soul, in essence. Gabriel listened closely, as he was very curious about what could have possibly convinced Bruno to give up everything he had. However, as Lucas recounted his meeting with an old shaman, Gabriel's interest soon waned. To all intents and purposes, this seemed like the typical alternative narrative. Heavy on scorn for the church, but light on evidence – of course, what said evidence could even be was a question in its own right. Besides, Gabriel was still reeling from the revelation about his adoptive father. Of course, it did make sense. After all, how had the mysterious traitor been able to gather so much information without being caught? How had he known about Gabriel and his mission? No, the answer had always been obvious - Gabriel had merely consciously averted his eyes from the truth. He still wanted to deny it all, or at least a small part of him did. The fact that he couldn't turn around to look Bruno in the eye certainly didn't help with the emotional turmoil he was experiencing.

"Now, I'm certain that you have heard other alternative explanations for demons. As such, I assume that you have certain reservations against believing in my story," Lucas said, having finished his exposition. "Therefore, I shall back up my words with a demonstration."

The man reached into a pouch he had brought with him and produced a glass jar. Gabriel had to look twice to confirm what he was seeing: there was clearly something inside the jar, something that was letting off a soft glow. Lucas opened the jar's lid and coaxed the 'something' out. The audience watched on in stunned silence as a small orb, about the size of a fist, emerged into the cold night air and floated just above Lucas's palm. It was difficult to make out its exact shape, as it seemed to be in constant flux. Indeed, the object appeared most otherworldly.

"This is a spirit, the very essence of a person. Normally, you wouldn't be able to see it, but I have mixed the fire with certain ingredients to allow everyone to see it."

The former inquisitor held up the spirit for anyone to see. Gabriel did not know what he was looking at – however, at the same time, there was no telling if this thing was a 'spirit', or merely some convenient prop Lucas had created. Certainly, it did give off a sense of something supernatural, but there was no still telling if what the man was telling was the truth.