The Holy Order

Chapter 1

Jude was fuming. If there was a word angrier than fuming, that's what he was. He knew what he was doing. He was a hunter for Christ sake. But the Holy Order didn't think so. They were taking away his case, his mission! He had been working on catching this serpent since he was 12. When he was 19, he was allowed to become a member of the team that was working on it. Many thought it was only because his father was an important member of the order. But Jude knew his father did no favors. He was here purely based on his merit. He had trained and studied with more zeal than most. Most of the younger members of the order were there because their parents gave them no other choice. They had been taught that this was their legacy. But Jude loved everything about hunting. He had spent hours reading every book he could get his hands on and even longer training. He deserved to be here. But he was being withdrawn from the investigation, more like thrown out.

He stormed outside his house and stood in the garden. He looked up to see his older brother step out.

"Do you have to be so overly dramatic." He said nonchalantly.

"Over dramatic!" I say almost screaming. I take a deep breath; I don't want father to hear me yell. "Over dramatic" I repeat more softly this time. "Really Eliot? Need I remind you of the time you weren't allowed to work on a case you didn't come home for 4 days."

"Yes, I stayed out and collected myself. I didn't whine like a baby." This was Eliot the ever so placid brother. He was the perfect son, exactly like our father wanted his sons to be. He was a tall man. Almost 3 inches taller than me. I am six feet tall so the height shouldn't matter. But he was intimidating. With his deep voice, broad shoulders and calm composure. He even looked exactly like our father. Dark brown hair and brown eyes, muscular frame. He was great at combat and was intelligent. Not as much as Jude though. He had inherited that from his mother. He had actually inherited a lot from his mother. His thin physique and long fingers. Which was why he was so good at painting and playing the piano and violin. Given the chance he would have learnt other instruments too, but he didn't have the time.

"You're an artist my love." His mother would say. She used to love art and was the complete opposite of his father. Jude often wondered how they fit so well together. But despite everything they did, his mother had been the only one who could make their father laugh, he was a very serious man. But since her death he drowned himself with work, and never laughed. And when I say never, I mean never. I did get the same brown hair and eyes from our father like Eliot did but that was it. I am a skilled fighter too, but I'm not a natural like my brother. I had worked hard to get good at it.

"So, you're saying I should take a break and leave too. Come back after I've calmed down." I say looking at him.

"Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. I am glad you understand." And he walks back inside before I can reply.

I wanted to shout and punch something, but Hanlon men do not complain and fuss. "Hanlon comes from the Gaelic name 'Ó hAnluain' or 'descendant of Anluan'. Anluan was beheaded in battle, he was a warrior. We will respect his legacy. We do not moan and whine. We fight no matter what the obstacles." My father had told me this the first time I fell off my bicycle. I was 5 then. But I've heard it many times since.

The Hanlon men this and the Hanlon men that. It was suffocating at times. But Jude loved his work so he dealt with the rest. Maybe he should leave and take a break. The idea of taking time off sounded so foreign. They never got time off. They never went on vacations. He didn't even know what one was supposed to do on a vacation. But he had seen enough movies to know how they were supposed to look.

Maybe he'd go to Spain or Greece. Any place with a beach would do. He was tired of living in London. Cold and wet London. He loved his city but he had always wanted to visit someplace warm. Members of the Holy Order weren't allowed to go on international missions unless they had been a member for at least 5 years. Jude had been a member for only 2. All of them joined when they were 18. There was a test and if you passed you would be taken in, if not well then too bad. Getting rejected was the biggest dishonor any family could face.

He went inside his house and went upstairs to his room. His room was very simple. His walls weren't filled with posters like the rooms of teenagers in movies. But he loved his room. One wall had a large bookshelf filled to the brim with books of all kinds. From demonology to science and even classic fiction. He had a shelf full of weapons and other hunting gear. His bed was in one corner by the windows. He often couldn't sleep at night and would look outside at the stars and buildings, and would paint them. There was also a study table in another corner, where they did all their school work. By which he means whatever work their father gave them. They had always been home schooled. Their father taught them everything about hunting and its history and their mother taught them science and mathematics. Then there was the part of the room that was his favorite. It had his instruments that he would sometimes play for hours. His father and brother had no interest in instruments but they never stopped him. Even if he played at 3 am. Their mother used to do that sometimes, play till 3 am and they had always loved it.

He sat on his bed suddenly feeling very tired and put his palms to his face. He was tired. The mission had taken up all of his time. He had been working himself to bone for the past four months. He suddenly stood up, he was going to take a break. He would go on a vacation. He would have fun, he needed it. He walked up to his cupboard and began to pack his bags.

What do you carry on a vacation? He chose his most beach wearable clothes. Which was hard since all of them only wore pants and shirts, which were very formal. He also owned sweaters and trench coats (I know the trench coats were too on the nose but their father insisted they look classy). He owned gym clothes too, but that was it. No loud Hawaiian shirts or shorts, and god forbid they ever wore sandals their father would not be pleased.

He kept a mix of everything and then kept his journal and some books. He then moved to the weapons shelf and looked through that. He needed weapons that weren't too conspicuous but would help if he got into trouble. He settled on daggers.

Once he was packed he went down and into his fathers study. "Father" he called out. One look at his face and Jude lost all his bravado. "Are you going somewhere?" He is looking at my face sternly, but then he always looked liked this. "Eliot suggested I take a break" I say softly. Speak up Jude, I scold myself. I clear my throat and try again, "Elliot suggested I take a break and collect myself. I anyway have a week long break before I am assigned a new mission. I thought maybe I could travel and visit some places." I studied my fathers face. He was a handsome man, tall and muscular, with a defined jaw that made his face look rugged. He removed his glasses and kept it on his side table and sighed. "I can think that is a good idea. You should go. Just be careful." He said. Jude was a little shocked by how readily his father had said yes but he did not want to try his luck any further so he nodded, picked up his bag and walked out his house. He stopped the first taxi that he found and headed towards Kings Cross station.