Luka and Milica were dutifully working, when the call came in - from the Archbishop.
"We begin in an hour. Be ready. Everyone else is notified." - The Archbishop Jevgenij said to Luka, then cut the call.
"He agreed?" - Milica looks at Luka with concern.
"He approved. They all begin in an hour." - Luka replied with a smile on his face.
Milica lit up and ran out to share the good news, to get everyone prepared for what is coming.
It was the day they returned to the church after leaving Rene. Luka and Milica sat and for hours documented everything they had seen and done. Then sent that all to the Archbishop Jevgeniy, though at the same time made a request to start sounding the church bells in the area surrounding Rene, all the area of 77 churches to ring the bells every hour for a day, then every 3 hours the next 7 days, with prayers of healing. That was the necessity to heal the grief and the pain, the dark and the gruesome that the Cathedral accumulated, that the criminals did.
The Archbishop said that he must get on with the preparations then. It sure would not be an easy and fast feat.
But it took only half a day to get the reply. Milica and Luka were ecstatic to have the Archbishop this reliable, trustworthy and capable.
The church bells began ringing right at the time when Dima was still in Rene, when the 'storming' of Cathedral by the special force came to. The bells rang through the moments of Levin and Fillip being caught and executed.
The church bells rang through the days of investigation, all seven days of those. Though as more and more information arose from what was found - Archbishop Jevgenij was the one to prolong the whole bell ringing and prayers for three more weeks.
It might have been absolutely crazy, on such a scale, with such a thing. But the bells would be heard in all of the region, ringing through day and night, to really purge the evil, to rid the land of the pain. Sorrow and anguish quenched by prayers and acknowledgement.
The special unit discovered over a thousand bodies - in the Cathedral, in and around that abandoned house.
People kept coming to Churches to pray for the peace of the souls, for them to rest easy.
Special burials commenced in Rene, the local Church was overwhelmed at first, but there were priests coming from other churches in the region to help, with the summoning from the Archbishop himself.
Once the special task force was finished with the Cathedral, as they took all the evidence, all the remains, were putting together all the profiles of the missing people with remains checked - many more people were notified who were further from Rene, some were the cases from over 10 years ago, some others were from 80 years back. The close family and relatives were all notified. All the remains were either shipped to their respective families and relatives, the remains unclaimed were gathered in one place, awaiting for the Archbishop to come up with a solution.
Instead of the Archbishop the visitors of the church came, the investigative unit. Altogether there were 15 people. Some as old as 60, some as young as 20.
The negotiations were with the local municipality regarding the ownership of the Cathedral, with the verdict then coming out that the local church and the Archbishop bought out that Cathedral.
The five elders from the visitors of Church were tackling all the legalities and the contracts, documents and all other bits. The younger ones went into the Cathedral itself to conduct the investigation.
"Be careful there." - Father Simeon said to the youngest. They were going through the Cathedral floors. - "I heard there's a library here, come on." - Simeon gestured to the other one.
One of the men was writing down notes in his small notebook.
"There shall be a lot of work with reconstruction and cleaning." - Father Georgy lets out, as he fixes his glasses on his nosebridge, once more looking around the scattered pews laying around.
"It all has to be removed, for as far as we're told. Cleansed, purified, blessed and only then new things shall be placed." - Father Viktor said, touching the walls, seizing up the amount of work.
"Don't forget to check for any evil entities in here. From the investigation they brought us, they said there were rituals here for an evil being. Some historic records did mention there's a tomb in here somewhere." - Father Konstantine added.
All the while they were chatting and checking, young Father Anastasiy went through the hall into other rooms, one by one checking what was inside.
An odd thing caught his attention - a wall piece, a large slab of stone which had a whole as if painting cut out in it, like a story.
Depicting a tree, large tree and people around it worshipping it, then there's the roots stretching down and below the roots there sits a serpent-like thing. Sleeping it seems. Father Anastasiy traced the art with his fingers, looking closer at all the details, eventually feeling something odd. He leaned in to have a closer look, as there was one thing he did not notice before - the eye of the serpent had a hole, enough to push one's finger in.
"That's odd." - Father Anastasiy let out, as curiosity gave in and he pushed his finger into the hole. Feeling something like a button - he pressed it.
A clicking of gears, like some sort of lock, just got unlocked. Father Anastasiy stepped back, as he pulled back his finger from the painting. A moment later - the art piece started to move outwards, like a door - opening.
"Huh…" - He squinted his eyes at the scene, then turned towards the entry to the hall he came from,where other church representatives were, but then once more turned to the now opened door in front of him - inside was pitch black. - "A warm welcome, huh?"
He looked down to check on the small bag he brought with himself, which contained multiple items for the blessing and the cleansing rituals, as well as his own personal-made things he likes to fiddle with in spare time.
After checking and verifying he still has everything with him, he looked inside the dark opening in the wall. A deep sigh, then a nod to self and he stepped inside.
The path was odd, as it was the staircase leading downward.
The candle he brought along did well at showing the way, as well as letting some light in. The walls were damp, mouldy, the stairs were rather slippery, so Father Anastasiy moved slowly down.
After a while he reached the opening - a large space, dark, with roots growing over the rock walls, the floor and ceiling, pretty much swallowing the whole of the room in the roots.
"Huh…" - He breathed out, looking closer at the roots. Not sure if this would be something akin to a tree, or something rather malevolent.
"A human?" - A husky, deep voice emerged from the darkness of the room.
"A serpent?" - Father Anastasiy asked back with a sarcastic tone.
"Hmmm." - The voice mulled over something, as the sounds of the slow movement across the roots began. A piece of rock seemed to fall down with a thud.
"Oh, did I wake you from your slumber? That sounded like the lid of a coffin." - Father Anastasiy said, as he turned towards the voice, the candle in his hand, now also turned in the direction of the movement.
"Audacious." - The being grunted, as it seemed to come closer, slither closer to Father Anastasiy.
Father Anastasiy started to slowly walk towards the sounds, then finally saw the tail end of a serpent slowly move around on the floor, atop all the roots. A large sized snake would not do right by it to describe this. Enormous would be closer to the right description.
"I know that unwelcome guests are not nice to have, but as a host of this place I'd like to see your face, to well, acquaint myself with you." - Father Anastasiy walked further down, until he saw the large coffin out of marble, lid indeed on the floor, roots all over it, but the white marble as if brightened the light of the candle in the room. Allowing the young Father to see more of his surroundings.
"Fearless? No…" - Serpent seemed to slowly go around, trying to understand more of what came into his lair. - "Small? Yes. What trouble."
"Mhm." - Father Anastasiy put the candle on the edge of the coffin, then pulled out a few more. Started lighting them up and putting them on the rim of the coffin, adding more light to the room. - "No matter how long you sleep, there should be some light to make your body work better. Have you not heard of it?"
A swift motion was heard, then the grunt, eventually the slow approach of the serpent was audible. Anastasiy waited, standing next to the coffin, looking inside of it - bones of a person in white robes laid inside. By the looks of the attributes - a priest. Something resembling a cross chain was on his chest. Hands over his chest, laying there.
"I wonder what man was this." - Anastasiy let out, as he looked more at the leftovers of the corpse in the coffin.
"A dedicated kind." - The husky, deep voice came again. Now standing a few metres away from Anastasiy was a dark serpent, long tail curled around, the top of the body resembling that of a man. Long dark hair, face torn, with half of it being just bones now. Half the body was the same - bones. The other half had some meat on it, with bits hanging, like he was being tortured, shredded alive even.
"How long have you been here?" - Anastasiy looked at this monster calmly, no fear or anxiety, no worry, just peaceful and calm. Which made the serpent tilt head, looking at this youth in wonder.
"Are you not afraid?" - The serpent asked.
"Are you planning to eat me?" - Anastasiy asked.
Serpent gave it a moment, looking at the man in front of him.
"Maybe later." - Serpent replied. Anastasiy gently gave a nod.
"I would expect no less, to be honest." - Father let out. - "But seriously, what are you?" - He looked at the Serpent, trying to look directly into its eyes, but the hair kept covering those.
"An old god." - Serpent let out. - "That is what they called me." - He pointed at the person in the coffin. - "He made sure there'd be many to worship me."
"Seeing how you are, I suppose it did not go well in the long run." - Anastasiy breathed out. - "What a life." - He added. - "So you live here?"
"I do." - Serpent replied.
"Been out there much?" - Aastasiy asked
"Not in over a thousand years, no." - Serpent replied.
"Funny how you still count the time here." - Anastasiy raised his eyebrow, then looked aside. - "Though, what else to do but count the time."
"How did you get here?" - Serpent asked.
"A wall opened up and I walked in." - Anastasiy looks at the Serpent unfazed.
"A wall opened up?" - Serpent repeats.
"Uhum." - Anastasiy nods in response.
A moment of silence hung in the air, as Serpent came even closer to Anastasiy, now arms-reach away from him, towering over the youth.
"Why did you come here? What are you seeking?" - The serpent's voice almost growled.
"Answer to the question: Did the people above sacrifice the innocent for you? Thousands of those people - were they all for you?" - Anastasiy calmly looked up to finally meet the flowing yellow eyes of the Serpent.
"People? Sacrifice?" - Serpent responded. - "Ha… Ha-ha… Ha-ha-ha!" - Dark and ominous laughter came out of him. - "I was the one sacrificing them, guiding them, eating them, locking them. What a fool! Ahahahaha!"
Father Anastasiy turned aside, pressing his lips, thinking, though still and yet - not an ounce of fear or worry.
"You foolish human." - Serpent says, as he nears the youth from above, about to eat up the young Father Anastasiy.
"Rude to assume things about beings you do not know of." - Anastasiy replied, then pulled out a handful of the powder he held in hand and threw it over the candle fire. The fire crackled and burned in rainbow colours, spooking the Serpent, as he halted his advance.
"What did you do?" - The serpent looked at Anastasiy curiously.
"Caught your attention, huh?" - Anastasiy smirked at the Serpent. - "Science. I rather enjoy it, really. It's a fun thing to explore the chemicals, the reactions and the consequences of those. For example this." - Anastasiy pulls out the bottle from the purse, opens it and pours into the coffin.
"What is that?" - Serpent cautiously looks at events.
"Ah, this?" - Anastasiy locks eyes with a serpent. - "Watch." - He knocks the candle into the coffin, making the fire start burning bright. - "Kerosine sure does well when you need some light."
"You wish to take his place then?" - Serpent asks, as he glares with anger into Anastasiy's eyes.
"I'd rather not. But I am sure curious what he was to you." - Anastasiy does not falter. - "A worshipper, a devout believer, a lover maybe?"
Serpent swiftly turns away, grunting, then turns back to once more look at Anastasiy.
"Any last words?" - Serpents' words seethe with anger.
"Holy cocktail." - Anastasiy lets out, as he pulls out the other few bottles from his purse, opens the cork and flings them at the serpent.
"What is this foul smell?!" - Serpent angrily jolts, though Anastasiy takes and throws a candle at the Serpent, setting the latter on fire. - "What have you done, you fiend?!"
"Holy cocktail. AS I've said." - Anastasiy smirks, then takes out the holy book and starts reciting the passages.
"This yapping won't do anything!" - Serpent retorts, as he writhes around to get the fire off of him, but that instead gets the dried roots blazing.
Fire starts spreading around the room, filling the air with smoke. More and more of the room is revealed, making Father Anastasiy take a moment to try and see it as much as possible, to remember as much as possible.
Then the Serpent manages to stop the burning on his body, slowly regaining composure, now making way towards Anastasiy, really eager to kill this bug which defiled his home.
Upon making it close, wrapping the priest with his serpent body, the priest still continued to chant prayers.
"You foolish, dirty, abhorrent pest." - Serpent's face was now a breath away from the face of Anastasiy. - "I'll make sure it hurts every little bit."
A sudden sharp feeling in the skin made the serpent grip the priest tighter.
"Trying to stab me?" - The serpent now growled at the man.
Anastasiy once more looked the Serpent in the eyes, instead of writhing in pain he smirked with satisfaction.
"Making love to you would be too much of a hustle." - Anastasiy replies. - "Wouldn't you think?"
A syringe with holy oil dropped out of the hand of Anastasiy, he managed to inject the best with it. Hoping it would aid in this tricky thing. Though one thing he knew for sure - he himself is very much poison for such creatures.
Voices came from the stairs, as the other priests came once they smelled the smoke. Seeing the serpent frapped around the Anastasiy made the others use their own relics, holy oil they threw in and on the Serpent, as they rushed to help youngster.
"Don't! Go back!" - Yelled Anastasiy at his subordinates.
"What are you saying you fool?!" - Simeon shouted.
"Out! All of you!" - Anastasiy insisted. - "Lock the door!" - He shouted, as the blood splattered from his mouth. The grip on him tightened bit by bit.
The others did not really listen, charging in to help, but as if a barrier was up and they couldn't reach in.
"Shit!" - Victor cursed. - "Out! Come on!" - He pulled the others towards the stairs.
The footsteps ceased, the sound of the rock-made door closed up. The fumes and smoke now accumulated in the room.
"You were a human once." - Anastasiy let out, as his breath was messy. - "What a tragedy, really."
"How dare you, you vermin!" - Serpent hissed and bit the neck of Anastasiy. Blood pouring down the priest's body and onto the serpent's body.
"By the light of the god almighty, may the being be purified." - Anastasiy slowly said, catching his breaths to let the words out.
The smoke made it hard to breathe, the loss of blood made it hard to keep eyes open. Breath seemed to leave him. The mouth of a serpent covered the mouth of a priest, slimy long tongue pressing into the mouth, slithering down the throat.
Serpent was dared by such a nuisance, but conquered it, like all the others before him.
Sudden pain made the Serpent jolt back, hands holding the mouth, as the dark blood was gushing from its mouth. The eyes are full of spite and anger.
Anastasiy bit the tongue off of this beast, swallowing it down. A smirk on his tired face - satisfaction.
The pressure of the serpent around the priest's body was now at full force - crushing the body on a man, blood leaking out, as bones began protruding. Anastasiy was dead now.
Upstairs the priests began the ceremony of the exorcism. Chants and power of the mighty with them. The light of the beings of light permeating the cold darkness began seeping through the cracks on the wall, leaking into the tomb of the Serpent.
With no way of using words as magic now, serpent had no way to go. Not a single way out. The place was ruined for him. Light was amplified by the fire around, with it eventually getting to the Serpent, the body of priest laying in the coffin, the body of father Anastasiy.
The light burned the Serpent, making him shout in pain, though with no tongue the sounds of pain were that of a hollowed being. Angry, threatening and yet - with no bite.
Writhing in pain, trying to get the light off of him, going round the coffin, trying to shake and brush the light off - yet nothing worked.
"It's a bitch, ain't it?" - The voice of Father Anastasiy from the back made the Serpent jolt, turning around and facing the impossible.
The young priest stood there, alive, spitting out the blood from his mouth, as he looked at the serpent with an eerie smile.
"What? Cat got your tongue?" - Anastasiy smirked at the Serpent. - "Ah, it did. Sorry." - He shrugged unapologetically.
Serpent halted his struggle, watching the man in front of him.
"Yeah, that happens the first time you see it." - Anastasiy gave a little nod. - "But don't worry. I'll make sure you suffer the pain of all your sacrifices." - He pulled out the small knife from the cross that hung on his chest. - "I'll see to it that you cease to be. Lovingly, of course."
The serpent watched the creature with fear. Not once has the serpent seen a man come back from the dead. Not in such a way.
The priest walked over to the serpent, with a small knife picking out scales one by one, ripping them out, making the serpent writhe and cry out in agony. This kept on going, not until the serpent died, but until Anastasiy picked off all the scales from that body. Mercilessly.
Throughout all the ordeal the light kept residing in the room. Filling it with the powers of light.
Then Anastasiy walked back to the body, pulled out the eyes, ripped out the heat, putting those in his purse.
"Alrighty…" - Anastasiy let out, as he turned around to check on the progress. Walked over to the coffin, checked that the bones indeed turned to dust. Checked the walls - all the roots burned down into charcoal. - "Ha-ah. A lengthy cleanup it is."
With that the priest walked up the stairs and knocked on the stone door. After a bit - it creaked open. The other priests were standing there, awaiting the report.
"Shall need to incinerate the body with holy oil." - Anastasiy said calmly.
"Hold there." - Simeon said, walking out of the room. Off to bring the oil.
"I already dread the paperwork." - Konstantine sighed.
"Not as much as that thing there." - Georgy rolled his eyes at Anastasy. - "I presume the thing was more afraid of you than of its own self."
"Aha-ha. Quite the joke, Father Georgy." - Anastasiy smiled in return.
After a moment Simeon brought a large jar of oil.
"Go on." - Simeon handed the jar to Anastasiy.
"Thank you." - Anastasiy took it and went down to burn the rest of the body.
"Let us pray some more." - Konstantine said.
It took another hour or prayer and burning - to have all of the Serpent burn down into dust. Only then the other priests went down to see for themselves the tomb of this being.