I've heard a lot about the city, and read a lot too. An old city with a rich history.
As soon as I entered the city limits, I smelled them. They were not even trying to be concealed. I smelled the stench of the walking dead pretending to be people.
I arrived in the night, so the smell was especially strong. I was unsure as to why vampires would have such a strong presence in a city of God-fearing people without persecution.
I was sure it had something to do with the ruling class though. The common people keep their faith easily enough. It is the elite that fall easily to lies and sin to a traitorous degree. If the vampires are strong, then the elite are mostly traitors.
If not, there must be a third party getting in the way. That is unlikely though.
Or is it?
A known enemy of the Church and humanity are the Devils. Perhaps Devils are interfering. Only one way to find out.
It was my luck that I arrived in Paris just as the sun went down. I thanked the owner of the cart I was hitching a ride on and took the city on foot.
All I had to do was follow the smell.
The smell took me through the normal districts. It forked into many paths, but I chose to follow the path with the strongest stench.
Which led me out of the normal districts, and into the richer districts. Not a surprise.
I was led all the way to a nice abode that was obviously throwing a party. The guards outside questioned my presence outside the city estate.
"Hey! Can we help you with something...monk?", the guard asks.
I shake my head, "Oh no Mr. Guard. I was just passing by when I noticed a party going on. I have another estate I am heading to tonight. Also, I am an exorcist, not a monk Mr. Guard."
"Aye, a boy like you is an exorcist?", he asks with a raised eyebrow.
I smile, "Oh yes, I am young, but have a good talent. Especially when it comes to killing vampires. Anyways, I will be on my way now. Good night and God bless you all."
I said the vampire killing part a bit louder for those inside. The animals have good hearing at least. The guards say farewell and I leave.
A few minutes of walking down the road, some well-dressed figures came out of the sides. No one else is around beside us.
"Oh, a young exorcist walking in Paris all alone. What an early treat. It was bold to declare who you are and what you do so proudly.", one of them says with red eyes.
I smile, "You animals are predictable. Your arrival was expected. Now I can get adequate information without going to see the local bishop."
I drop my traveling case that lands on the cobblestone with a thud.
I whisper, "10% activation."
The vampires flinch as the air changes. My eyes turn red which confuses them and a reveal of my fangs confuses them further.
The one that was talking asks with apprehension, "What are you?"
I scoff, "There is a natural predator for everything, you drink human blood. I drink vampire blood."
I then attack with speed they cannot match. A vampire to my right is stabbed through the heart with my hand. I use his blood to make a barbed chain. Which I swing around to another vampire. Whose body is wrapped up and drained of blood in a blink of an eye.
Recognizing my power, the rest try to escape. I focus on the talkative beast on wrap him in chains. I drag him to me rather use the barbed chain to drain him right there. A direct feeding allows for better retainment of memory. This allows the others to escape, but I don't care about them for now.
The whimpering cretin pleads for its life. I ignore the pleading and bite into his neck. I drain him and get all his memories. Which proves some theories. The Devils are involved. The Devils are keeping the Church forces occupied to where there is no one left to deal with the vampires. At most, the worst vampire offenders are hunted down. Which does nothing to the real infestation.
I decide, "I'll clean Paris before I move on. The Devils may be keeping the Church busy, but the Church is keeping the Devils busy. The vampires have no protection. A perfect situation for me."
-----------------------
thanks for reading. Don't forget that you can read early on my patreon.