In Our Image: Bloodline

Chapter Twenty One: The Battle of Hadrian's Wall

The Battle of Hadrian's Wall

The air is cool but beyond the breeze and rustling of grass across the area, it is silent along Hadrian's Wall. The covens along with Dendera and her party are beyond tense. Like a lit match lying on a leaf floating in a puddle of gasoline, the slightest thing could set everyone off. The white haired nephilim continues to capture the attention of everyone after displaying command over beings that should be mortal enemies.

"You have been called here by this witch." He says while motioning to Abigail who stands with clinched fists.

"She has summoned you to see which of you have joined us, and to try and convince you not to. I wish none of you harm, neither I nor my brothers and sisters with me shall lay a hand on you, I simply wish to explain who we are and why we do what we do. If you listen to my words I will indeed ask you to join us, but hear me sisters of the old magic." He pauses to let them process what he said.

"You are a murderer, you slaughter humans like cattle!" Dendera speaks loudly from her ranks while stepping forward.

There are whispers and talk within the covens, the harbinger raises his arms to bring their attention back to him.

"Yes, yes this is truth, I am responsible for the sporadic killings of humans across our world, I will not deny these things." He replies to Dendera's surprise.

"Why! These are innocent people who have done nothing!" Immy screams thinking of Colson and the humans killed and hurt at the football game.

The harbinger turns to Immy and peers deeply into her eyes from afar. He nods and returns attention to his crowd, "I commit these acts for recruitment, some of my followers wish for revenge, revenge for all that has been taken from them and continues to be taken from them. Once this venting happens they realize how serious we are and join our cause."

Serah steps up to insert her frustration, "And what cause is that, you wreck my home, kill our friends and destroy our lives. We can never go back, what cause of yours would warrant such acts!"

"Freedom..." The white haired man replies calmly but firmly. "I have known of Dendera for a long time and I know her attachment to these humans runs deep, over two thousand years deep. I knew she would oppose me, I knew there would be no convincing her so I had to try to eliminate her for the greater good of us all." He finishes.

The area is once again silent as more processing of incredible information is taking place, he continues.

"My followers and I have but one goal in mind, and that goal is freedom, freedom for me and for all of you!" He motions around him in all directions with his glowing spear.

"What exactly do we need freeing from?" High Priestess Flower asks.

The man smiles and looks in her direction, "Now there... there is the question begging to be asked tonight. Sisters of the great covens, how do you live? Do you practice your gifts... gifts, openly and with freedom? Or have you not been persecuted for thousands of years by humans who are clearly your lesser neighbors on this planet? How many of you were lost in the trials, burned, butchered and drowned for simply having abilities they did not.

Forced to hide and live in secrecy, keeping your numbers small and dwindling while they spread across this world like a virus."

There is more talking amongst the covens but not the same as before. Before it was worry, fear and anger at this stranger for invading their sacred site, now... now they listen.

"Not just witches, but vampires, wolves... all of us live in the shadow of humanity. How many of my vampire brothers and sisters with me did I find feeding off of animals, rats, sick and dying humans? Just to avoid being seen, just trying to survive they must hide and live each day and night in fear and secrecy. How many of the great and powerful werewolves amongst our ranks have been killed, how many slaughtered for nothing more than their condition.