[Adam POV]
I turned and leaned on the wall from my side to look directly at him.
"Don't worry, Carlisle." I said, giving him a smile, "you are far from the first to think this way."
Carlisle put his elbows on the stone wall and let out a sigh.
"Can you blame me for it?" Carlisle said.
"No, no I can't." I said with a chuckle, "But most vampires I have met don't exactly have this dilemma. So this is newer territory for us."
Carlisle looked over at me with a raised brow.
"So most vampires don't care that they are condemned to hell?" He asked, in a bewildered tone.
"Not really, no." I said, shaking my head, "when I first met Julius, he was like you. Except he was more afraid of becoming a monster, instead of a fear for his soul." I said.
"In fact when I met him, souls were not really a concern for most."
Carlisle looked at me.
"When did you meet Julius? I know he is old, but you never exactly dated your passages in your journals." Carlisle said.
"We have known each other for close to fifteen hundred years now." I said, with a shake of the head, "boy does time fly."
Carlisle shook his head.
"That…that is a long time." He said in a bemused tone.
Then, turning to me, he said.
"But not as long as the creation of earth itself, huh."
I looked at him but didn't say anything.
Something Julius told me was the fact that Carlisle was actually a rather religious person. who, at the moment, was on a search for religious comfort.
As in, that he wasn't a damned person for the fact that he was now a vampire.
After a few moments, I responded.
"No…not that long."
After that we got quiet again.
But from the distance, we could hear what sounded like a band starting to play from a tavern.
A smile came to my face.
Turning to look at Carlisle, I asked him a question.
"Have you ever done anything spontaneous?"
He looked at me confused.
"...no?" He asked questioningly.
"I don't believe this is a good idea." Carlisle said as we walked down the cobbled street.
"Oh. And why do you say that?" I asked, with a laugh.
"Because, what if something happens, Adam? Someone got hurt, and I can't control myself?" He asked.
I laughed again. "I will be there, and stop you if you do…but I have faith in you." I said, patting his shoulder.
At the moment, we were wearing the clothes of the common man.
For me, that was my normal wear. But for Carlisle, I could tell he felt like a fish out of water.
Which was the point of all of this.
Getting closer to the tavern, the music grew louder, with the boisterous shouts and cheers of the patrons.
Stopping in front of the well-kept front of the tavern, we could see inside and the heated party going on inside.
"Here goes nothing." I said as I put my hand out to open the door.
But was stopped, as a very drunk man slammed the door open, as he stumbled out, singing a church song as loud as he could.
Stepping to the side, I let the drunk man, who didn't even notice us, go by.
Looking at Carlisle, I smiled. "Again, here goes nothing." I said as I turned to the door and strode in.
The inside was lit by hanging lanterns and a large chandelier that had candles lit in holders in a circle.
In the far corner of the room. A group of people played a fast beat and exciting tune.
That made you want to tap your foot.
Filling the tavern was the working class man.
Some were standing. While others were sitting at tables scattered around the room.
Sprinkled in with them were the tavern wenches and beer maid's.
"Came on Carlisle. It's time for something spontaneous." I said, as I walked to the first table in front of us, which had three men seated at it.
"I thought we were already doing something spontaneous just by being here?" Carlisle said as he followed behind me.
Pulling a chair from an empty table, I pulled it with me as I approached the table.
As I slid the chair in front of me to sit, I saw they were playing a game of dice.
"Good evening, gentlemen." I said boisterously.
They all turned to look at me.
"Evenin." One of the bearded men said as he shook the wooden cup holding the dice.
Slamming the cup down, he lifted it.
"Damn it be all!" He yelled as he saw the count.
"Hahahaaa!" A gray-haired man said as he laughed at the losing man.
"That be the third in a row!" He wheezed.
"Aye, the damn fool doesn't know when to quit." The third younger looking man said.
And in quick succession, we had traded names, and before even I knew it, I was holding the cup and dice.
"How much is the bet?" I asked as I looked at my three new friends.
"ow much you got?" the older man asked.
I shrugged, then pulled my coin purse from my side, clunking it onto the table.
A few of the gold fell out.
"that much." I said with a laugh, as I saw the wide eyes of the three men.
"that'll doo." All three said in unison.
"Thought so." I said as I started to shake the cup.
Slamming it down, I leaned the cup to look at the count.
'Wait…what game am I even playing?' I thought.
Closing the cup, I looked at the three other players.
"And what game are we playing exactly?" I asked.
"It be called numbers." He said as he looked at the cup, then back up to me.
"Whoever rolls the highest number wins." he said with a wide smile.
"We free made it ourselves." The older man said, with a wide gap filled smile.
"Hmm, sounds simple enough." I said as I lifted the cup.
Three sixes and 2 fours.
"Twenty six!" I said happily as I tapped the table with my palm.
"Good roll." Loser said with a smug smile.
"But just you wait till it be my turn. I'll show you a good roll." He continued.
"Shut your gob, would you. Your yappin be distracting." The old man said as he collected the dice and cup.
As the old man shook the wooden cup viciously. A beer maid with rather large…assets, brought a large wooden mug to the table for me.
"Here you are, love." She said…sweetly, as she delivered the beer.
She was pretty-ish for a place like this, but definitely wasn't my type.
Too much cleavage and not enough teeth.
But maybe in the 21st century and proper dental care, she might have been a true looker.
As I picked up the mug to take a sip of the foam, I realized all three of the men at the table were staring at me strangely.
"What?" I asked as I finally took a sip of the dark brew.
Slamming the wooden cup down, which he had been holding up by his head in a shaking motion, the old man yelled.
"Hoow!"
His face was beat red, and steam almost looked to be streaming from his ears.
"You been here not any more than a piss, and Betty be bringing you ale."
"Calm yourself, Tom. Before you have another chest pain." The younger man said while pointing a finger at the older man.
The old man who I learned was named Tom, looked at the younger man.
"But James. I've been coming here every day for years tryin to get Betty to even look at me, bu."
"Enough you geezer. She's told you more than once she's not interested." Loser said, with a loud laugh.
"And I've told you, it takes time for women to see my dashing looks."
Turning away from their argument, I remembered I hadn't come here alone.
Searching the room, I looked for the other man with light hair.
It didn't take me but a moment to find him.
Seated in front of the fireplace, Carlisle seemed to be having a full conversation with a group of nicely dressed men.
'There you go, kid. Socialize like a regular human again." I thought as I turned back to my table.
From there, the part took on a life of its own.
And the alcohol flowed freely.
As I bought round after round for the tavern patrons.
I even got to run into Carlisle, who seemed to be finally having some fun.
Of course, neither I nor Carlisle could get drunk.
But that didn't mean we couldn't have fun partying with drunk people.
And as it turned out, those men he had been talking to earlier were some of the town's doctors and his apprentices.
We finally left the tavern as the sun was barely coming up over the horizon, and most of the people left in the tavern had fallen over blackout drunk.
The air was crisp and cold.
Turning to Carlisle, I saw he had a small smile on his face.
"Come on. We have one other stop." I said, as I started walking down the street.
Carlisle didn't say anything this time and just decided to follow after me.
It didn't take long to reach the town's only church.
Walking up the path, I reached the doors.
But when I turned, I saw Carlisle standing just outside the church's perimeter.
I let out a small sigh.
"You want to find out if you have a soul or not, correct?" I asked him. Not needing to ask loudly, as I knew he could hear me perfectly fine.
He nodded.
"Then come on. We're running out of time before the early risers wake up and the sun is out." I said, as I pulled open the large wooden doors that were painted black.
Not waiting for him to follow me, I stepped into the large stone church.
For the size of the town, this church was of moderate size, compared to some other towns.
Which had absolutely massive ones compared to the size of the town itself.
It was probably of Julius's doing.
Walking halfway up the aisle, I took a seat at one of the pews and waited.
As I did so, I looked around.
Although it was of moderate size, it did have excellent craftsmanship.
The large glass windows that filled the back end of the church had exquisite glass artwork done to it.
Depicting a man with a glowing gold halo over his head, with a hand seeming to be reaching out to the viewers.
And on a pedestal in front of the windows was a large gold cross.
Interrupting my thoughts was the soft footsteps of Carlisle as he entered the church and made his way to me.
Taking a seat in the pew in front of me. Carlisle sat.
"Ah, you made it." I said, with a chuckle.
Turning his head to look at me, Carlisle asked.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Leaning forward, I rested my elbows on the back of the pew he was seated at.
"You don't know?" I asked, Scrunching my brows together.
"Know what?" He asked.
I leaned back.
"Soulless beings can't enter holy ground." I said, looking him right in the eyes.
I honestly had no idea if that was true or not, but I was hoping he would belive my words and that I was 'the Adam' would help persuade him.
"Just as those who have filled their souls with the devil's words could not enter." I said, pushing my words on.
"Remember Carlisle. God judges the soul, not what you are on the surface." I said, my voice slowly building.
" I understand that you question the existence of your soul, as your nature as a vampire defies the convintional understanding of humanity. But let me assure you, your soul is not defined by the circumstances of your existence or the choices you have made." I said, and as I looked at Carlisle, I saw a quiver at the corner of his lip.
"God's judgment transcends the boundaries of humanity, encompassing all beings, regardless of their nature or origin. He sees beyond the physical manifestations of your being and delves into the depths of your soul. looking into the core of your being, examining the intentions, desires, and moral compass that guide your actions." My voice was now bouncing off the walls, seeming as if I was speaking to Carlisle from every direction.
"While your existence as a vampire may be marked by immortalty, thirst for human blood, and supernatural abilities, it does not mean that your soul is devoid of goodness or incapable of redemption. God's judgment is rooted in mercy and compassion, offering a path of salvation and forgiveness to all who seek it." I said, pausing for a moment, to let my words sink in.
Then moving my arm, I grip Carlisle shoulder.
"Your struggle to reconcile your vampiric nature with the concept of having a soul is understandable. But remember, it is not solely your actions that define your soul. It is the choices you make, amd the relationships you build, as well as the capacity for love and empathy that reside within you."
"Just like Julius and Jane. both compassionate and virtuous vampires, should have shown you, it is possible to live a life guided by values and principles. By embracing your humanity, cultivating empathy, and striving to do what is right, you can find solace in the belief that your soul is not lost. God's judgment is not limited by neither your or my limited understanding. He sees the potential for growth and transformation within each individual, regardless of their nature. So, Carlisle, do not despair. Embrace the journey of self-discovery, seek redemption, and remember that God judges the soul, not what you are." I said, in a tone I myself was surprised by.
Maybe it was the fact that those were the words I wish I had said to Oliver and Gérard in an attempt to turn them into vampires.
And were the words I had sought after their deaths.
Then like a miracle from the man himself, the sun shone into the glass art in front of us.
Turning the once impressive glass art into a true work of beauty.
As the glass figure of Jesus glowed bright with the early morning sun.
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I would like to send a Special thanks to my brother who helped me with this chapter.
Spacificly the whole religious rant, which I wanted to be very dramatic. And really send a message to Carlisle.
And let's be honest, I'm still expanding my vocabulary and would have never pulled out such words as " transcends the boundaries of humanity, encompassing all beings, regardless of their nature or origin"
Oh how I wish he would be my co-writer or something. 😢
Anywho, big thanks to (Baconed_Out)
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