Children of Sol

Anglestan

Janus 17, 1923 A.V

St. Solarias Orphanage, New Lundun

Latevia

It all happened so fast. Faster than she imagined things would unfold. The guards were overwhelmed in mere seconds as the strigoi tore them apart like a pack of wolves. She had been the one to lock the doors to the cafeteria's kitchen, making sure all the children were inside. When she turned back around, her fellow sisters were slaughtered in front of her.

Her eyes widened beneath her porcelain mask as she took in the scene before her. Mother Elizabeth, Sisters Jane, Heathers, Elise, Ingrid, Agnes, and all the others, sprawled out on the floor as the strigoi fed on them, jaws clamped around their necks. 

She felt her heart stop. Her legs threatened to give away. They were dead. All dead. People she's lived with for years, ever since the convent. People she's bled with, laughed with, and grew up with, now lay on the floor in a bloody mess. 

Her body shook, the sorrow in her teary eyes overflowed—and transformed. She felt an emotion rise up from the depths of her soul. One that she trained herself to suppress at all times, as she was taught to by the convent. Now, that wall was beginning to crumble as her blood rose up to her chest. The veins in her neck bulged as she stood motionless, watching the scene before her eyes. She couldn't name the feeling at first, but the word slowly formed in her head. 

Rage. That's what it was. 

A burning rage birthed from uncontained grief, making itself known. She clenched her hands into fists, squeezing so tight that it started to bleed. 

The bastards. The monsters. They were feeding on them. Her sisters, her friends, and soon, the children she had been trying so hard to protect. Latevia felt her breathing turn heavy. Erratic. The weight on her chest growing more and more apparent with each inhale. Her darkening vision seemed to bring her into a predatory focus.

One of the guards had his throat ripped out, dropping his domina and clutching his neck as blood poured out like a fountain. The strigoi lapped it up like a dog, laughing at the poor man's struggle to stay alive. His domina lay on the floor, only a few feet away from him. Everyone else was in a similar situation. All the strigoi seemed so preoccupied by their kills. They didn't seem to notice the lone nun at the end of the room radiating danger. 

Her blood dripped onto the floor, fists shaking, still balled up tight. She stared blankly at the bodies in the room, her mind finally clear with a decision. A quiet resolve washed over her, as her fingers unclenched. Without a word, she slowly approached the dying guard, with the strigoi right on top of him. She stole a glance at the domina before moving to pick it up.

The monster barely even registered her being there. It was only when she stood beside him, did he take notice. He looked up at her with a smug grin, expecting the nun to cower and beg, but as soon as he did, his smile faded. 

The strigoi's eyes went wide with alarm for only a split second. He was staring down the barrel of a domina. The one behind it wore an expressionless mask, but there was no mistaking the consuming, burning rage behind it. 

Before he could move out of the way, Latevia's finger squeezed the trigger. 

A loud bang reverberated throughout the room, and a shock of pain surged in the strigoi's head, but only for a short moment—before the bullet pierced his skull and came out the other end, splattering his brains on the floor. The bang echoed throughout the cafeteria, startling the other strigoi in the room. 

They stared at her for a moment, the disbelief and shock etched on their features, before it slowly contorted into anger. One of them immediately leapt for the nun, growling and hissing as he threw itself at her. In any other circumstance, his prey would be running away by now, but not this one. 

The strigoi suddenly couldn't breathe. He reached for his neck, gasping and gurgling, as his feet kicked in the air. His eyes widened at the realization that he was suspended from the ground. To his surprise he found a hand wrapped around his throat. One that was connected to the same nun he had tried to pounce on. 

He stared in shock as he tried to pry the hand around its neck—and failed. Legs kicking around wildly, the pressure around his throat increasing, sending him into a wild panic. 

A low growl emitted from the nun, as the seemingly expressionless mask stared daggers into the strigoi. "You won't hurt anyone I care about, ever again." 

The strigoi growled back and thrashed wildly in the nun's grip. The others hissed and stood up from their bloody banquet, wary of this new enemy. 

"Die," Latevia said. 

With a swift motion, she turned her wrist with inhuman speed, the force of which sent the strigoi's neck twisting the wrong way. A loud snap rang throughout the room, before the strigoi's body went limp in her grip. She dropped it to the floor, before turning her gaze to the others and let out a hiss. 

The other strigoi prowled around her, cautious. They growled and hissed, keeping low to the ground, ready to pounce. She glared daggers back at them, lifting her hood and reaching for her mask. 

No more hiding. 

She threw it to the wall and it shattered into a thousand pieces. 

The strigoi hesitated. They gritted their teeth and took a step back, keeping their eyes on the lone nun. The shock was apparent in their pupils, slight confusion written in their faces as they tried to make sense of the situation before them. 

As they stared at the nun, deep red eyes that matched their stared back at them. Latevia let a snarl escape her throat as she bared her teeth back at them, showing off her fangs. Her skin was deathly pale, almost like a corpse. Her golden blonde hair flowed down to the shoulders, but it didn't hide her pointed ears. 

"Who's next?" She spat. 

The strigoi circled her warily. "What is this madness?" One of them muttered. "Why is there a fellow strigoi among the nuns? Are there more strigoi in Anglestan?!" 

"Traitor!" Another one bellowed. "We're your kind!" 

"Really?" Latevia said, raising the domina. She blasted two rounds at the one who spoke, without any hesitation, killing him instantly. "I never noticed."

The strigoi stared in shock at their fallen companion then back to the nun in disbelief. "It doesn't matter whether she's strigoi or not, kill her!"

The monsters lunged at her, throwing themselves at the sister all at once. Latevia mirrored them, pouncing at the nearest one. She tackled him to the ground and bit into his throat without a second thought. Her fangs sunk into the enemy's throat and growled. Her jaws clamped down hard. The strigoi lashed around, and tried to scream, but only found himself gurgling and choking on his own blood as Latevia ripped out his throat. She then whipped around and emptied the domina into another. 

She dove away as the remaining strigoi lunged at her. The one that had its neck snapped started to slowly move again, the cracking of bone sounded across the cafeteria as it slowly snapped back into place and healed.

Latevia dove for the domina of the other downed guard, snatching it up and cocking it. A sharp pain suddenly surged across her back as she felt sharp claws shred through her clothes and her skin. She quickly twisted herself, using the butt of the domina as a club. She slammed it into the nearest strigoi, before flipping it backwards in a fluid motion. She fired a shot at his head, before quickly turning to the other and blasting a shot through his chest. 

"Eat this you bastards!" She charged at the remaining two. 

One of them was able to dodge out of the way and slashed his claws at her side. Latevia gritted her teeth, but kept charging at the one seemingly stunned in place. She grabbed him by the neck and lifted the strigoi into the air before smashing him down to the ground with enough force to shatter the marble floor. She quickly fired the domina into his face, before turning to attack the last one. 

Before she could aim however, the one whose neck she snapped, grabbed her from behind, his injury fully healed. She screamed as she felt the stinging pain of teeth piercing her skin, lodging into her shoulder. She hissed and tried to kick the attacker away, but suddenly felt a fist connect to her cheek. Another to her stomach. She gasped and spat out blood. 

She hissed at her attackers, lifting her feet off the ground and kicking the one in front of her hard enough to send the monster flying towards the wall. She suddenly whipped her body around, gathering all her strength. The force sent the one behind her tumbling on the floor. 

Without another second, she twisted behind her, lined up the shot and fired. The one on the floor reduced to a bloody mess. 

Only one left to go. She thought to herself. Pain surged throughout her body as she took a step forward. The earlier punch must've done more damage than she thought. The blood loss was starting to affect her too. She needed to end this, now.

Latevia slowly approached the dazed strigoi, seemingly embedded into the wall. She checked the domina just to be sure how many shots she had left. Turning it to the side, she checked the revolving chamber. There were three more slug rippers. 

Good. I'll put an end to this one in this one. She looked to the other on the floor who was still clutching at his non-existent throat. Then this one.

The strigoi in the wall growled as she approached. "You fucking bitch! You traitor!" he spat out his words, gritting his teeth with fury in his eyes. "Why are you helping them?! We are the ascended race! They are prey! You would kill your own kind over some worthless, fragile, blood bags? Are you insane?!"

Latevia shoved the barrel of the domina into the strig's mouth, her finger fiddling with the trigger. "Worthless? What would that make you? Fucking parasite. You don't deserve to live. Not a lifetime. Not even a day." She squinted her eyes, staring into the same red ones in front of her. "Sol's wrath has manifested in me. This is for all the lives you've taken. Die."

She fired. Blood and brains splattered into her face. There weren't any eyes to look at any more. Nor was there a head left. She turned and walked over to the one on the floor and emptied the domina, firing two shots without a word. 

She dropped the domina, looking at the carnage around her. Bodies littered everywhere, the cafeteria painted red. Her knees suddenly felt heavy, giving out from under her. She fell down, her head spinning. Everyone else was dead. She might pass out herself any second, the blood loss was making her dizzy, not to mention the smell. It flooded her senses, it was… enticing.

She snapped out of it, shaking her head. Stop. You did what you had to do. They were monsters. They killed your friends and your family. You don't have to do anything else now. The children are safe.

She gasped. "The children!" she exclaimed. She forced her feet to get up from under her and ran towards the kitchen. "Kids? Where are you?! It's safe now!" she called out, looking for them. She opened the freezer door, finding fifteen of them huddled together in a corner, shivering. 

"Kids!"

They screamed at her, inching away further. 

"The monster! It's going to eat us!" They screamed. One of them started to break down in tears.

"N-no! It's me, Miss Latevia! I'm not going to hurt you."

"M-miss Late? Y-you're covered in blood! A-and y-your teeth…"

"I-I know, but don't be scared. I promise I'm not going to hurt you."

"You're one of them! Y-you suck blood!"

Latevia bit her lip and looked at the frightened children. She sighed heavily and bent down slowly, moving closer. The children inched back in fear, covering their eyes and burying their faces into each other. "She's gonna eat us!"

"I'm not going to hurt you. I promise," Latevia spoke softly, placing her hands in front of her with her palms up, trying her best to look non threatening. She reached out slowly and placed a hand on the arm of one little girl, rubbing her thumb, before moving to pull her closer. 

The young girl flinched, yet allowed the nun to pull her away from the others. The other children started to panic and cry. One of them grabbed the girl's hand, shaking his head in fear. "Heather, don't! S-she'll eat you!" he said. 

"I won't Marcus. I swear I won't. Please." 

"How do we know you're telling the truth…"

"I have never lied to any of you."

"Except for not telling us you're a bloodsucker!"

The nun sighed slowly and looked at the girl in her arms, shivering and keeping her head down. Heather, the second oldest girl next to Camilla. Latevia frowned a bit, and nodded slowly at Markus' accusation. She sighed and shook her head. "If I told you, all of you would be scared of me," she began. "But please, I love all of you. I will never do anything to harm you. The monsters are gone, they won't bother us anymore. Please trust me, I want to protect every one of you. I will never let anything happen to any of you, okay?"

"Y-you promise?" Markus spoke softly.

"I promise. Pinky promise." 

She moved just a little closer, slowly pulling the sobbing child to her chest, cooing as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Sshh, don't cry, Heather, sweetie. I'm not going to hurt you," she said, placing a gentle kiss on the little girl's head. 

"I took care of you all, remember? Remember all those times we played board games late at night, even when Sister Elizabeth would get mad that it's past your bedtime? Or when I helped dress you, and read you stories. Please, don't be scared of me. I promise I won't hurt you."

The girl in her arms slowly lifted her head. Teary eyes met with Latevia's deep red ones. "Y-you're a bloodsucker," she whimpered.

"I am." Latevia cleared her throat. "But I will never hurt you, trust me. Please, Heather." 

"O-okay…" The young girl sniffled, wiping her tears. 

She then turned to the rest of the children and offered a warm smile, even when fangs showed. "It's still me. Nothing will change my love for each and every one of you."

Marcus looked at her then to the rest of the children, weighing his options and the thoughts in his head. He swallowed hard and nodded before slowly moving forward as well, the younger kids carefully following. 

"Good boy," Latevia sighed. "Let's go find the others and let's get out of here, okay?" 

"Y-yes Miss Latevia…" The children said in unison.