Episode 19--The Night Lords V: A Start of Pilgrimage

Ion desperately pleads with Esther to kill him, saying that unless she does, in his starved condition he won't be able to resist draining her dry. She still refuses. He begs her, saying he doesn't want to hurt her. This isn't your fault, so don't blame yourself, she says; I'll let you drink my blood. He stares at her as she draws open her collar and bares her throat, leans closer and closer, fangs extending to their full sharpness; but, realizing that he loves her, he can't do it. He pulls away, grabs the silver dagger Dietrich left with them and plunges it into his chest. She stares in shock as he drags himself across the cell. Thank you, Esther, he says, I'll never forget your kindness. She tries to approach him but he bids her farewell, pulls the blade free and aims it at himself again, this time straight for the heart. Stop!--she sobs. The blade flashes down--there's a loud metallic ring and snap and the blade's broken point flies across the cell, clattering to the floor. Ion stares bewildered at the now useless weapon, and they both look toward the cell door--

Where Abel has appeared with gun drawn; he shot the point off the blade in a split-second dead-accurate shot Tres would be proud of. =) Looks as if I arrived just in time, he says. I'm so sorry I'm late-- I had a few things to do on the way. He smiles and holds out a flask of blood substitute.

Suleiman in the Imperial Palace; a stern voice behind him calls his name. It's Asta, saying she's here to arrest him for treason, with the testimony of the Count of Memphis and his Terran companion as witnesses. That's not possible, he says smoothly, since I've just been informed that both their bodies were found in the dungeon. What?!--startles Asta-san. It seems they killed each other, says Suleiman; you may examine the corpses yourself. Interesting, says another, younger voice; yes, let’s have a thorough examination. Both Suleiman and Asta turn in surprise as Esther and Ion enter, Ion bloody and limping, leaning on Esther's shoulder. Asta glares fiercely at Suleiman. I know everything you've been planning, Ion says coldly; it's clear you’re the one who murdered my grandmother and assassinated Her Majesty. Resign yourself to your fate! It's you who should face your fate--you traitors!--says Suleiman, and aims his ray-beam ring at them, but a voice behind him says, ice cold and sharp, "Stop it." And Suleiman freezes with a look of aghast horror in his eyes.

A small capsule, ornate blue and gold, descends thru the ceiling to rest at the head of the throne room. It can't be, Sul thinks--why is she still alive?! You almost look as if you aren't happy to see me alive, Duke of Tigris, says a voice from inside: a little girl's clear voice. What do you mean? What reason would I have to try killing Your Majesty?-he protests. I'm not referring to the incident at the Moldovan mausoleum; I wasn't the one there, she says. The veiled blonde we've been seeing in the Imperial role comes to stand beside the small capsule. Show him your face, the unseen Empress directs, and as she draws away her veil Suleiman gasps: the Duchess of Moldova! Ion's jaw drops as he realizes that his grandmother is still alive. I knew the traitors would make their move when the Count of Memphis returned to court, says the Empress, so I made her my impersonator and left a puppet at her estate. She expresses her disappointment in Suleiman, saying that among all her children he was one of whom she had especially high expectations. He again protests his innocence, but she interrupts him--"Do you not remember this face?"--and the capsule's dome opens to show the one inside. It's Seth--the same Seth we saw as a tea-seller in the city, now dressed in her full regalia as Empress of the East--and Suleiman realizes that he's already tried to kill her once before without knowing it, when they fought on the cliffs outside the city. Even I was worried when you aimed Solomon's Ring at me, says Her Majesty Seth, smiling…

Suleiman falls to his knees. You said you had high expectations from me, he says slowly. What an obvious lie, you don't expect much of anyone. I'm sure you've never trusted a single one of our people--the red ring begins to glow. Suleiman! --shouts Asta, rushing forward, and his ring and her crystal lance flash at once. Debris falls harmlessly from the ceiling. You intentionally missed me, says Seth. Suleiman's face is filled with genuine pain and remorse; there is no child, he says quietly, who does not love his mother. We see that Asta's strike blew a gruesome, charred hole in him, big enough to see through. He falls and Seth goes to kneel at his side; he manages a smile. I toiled for you 300 years, he says, and in the end you're still a being I can't understand. Who are you…to us? Seth strokes his hair, closes her eyes: if I could answer that, she tells him, things would be much easier for me.

She thanks them all for their good work and asks Esther (who’s permitted to go on calling her "Seth-chan", to Ion's surprise) --where is the third envoy who came with them from the outside? Esther replies that if she means Father Nightroad, he left when we started discussing the Baron of Luxor [Radu]. But the Baron is already dead, Esther adds; the one controlling him is a member of the Orden, named Dietrich. The Orden?--Seth looks concerned…

In an ornate building, D/Radu stands at the control panel before a tall, glowing chamber. Self-recovery function, this is it, he says. He sets a small cube on the panel; it glows and sinks into the circuitry. As a green bar rises from it, Abel's voice is heard: "step away from there." So you came after all., says D/Radu, and Abel replies that only trouble can come from using this. But your kind used it long ago, says D/Radu, not that I condemn you for it. The cube rises back to the surface, Radu pockets it and turns to the door. Let this slide, and I'll just leave, he says. I can't let that happen, says Abel coldly. Leave the data cube and step away.

I despise taking orders, snarls D/Radu, and without warning throws a huge blast of blue flame at Abel. In an instant Abel assumes his Krusnik form [no control phrase!]) and his scythe cuts the fireblast in half. D/Radu fires again and again; the Krusnik spits that it's useless and swings the scythe in an arc, literally swatting the firebolts back at him. He drives the scythe into Radu's body, a gout of fire leaps out like burning blood, and Dietrich's voice says, having fun? I tried making the blood flammable… he presses his fists together and stands back with blue flame blazing from both hands, smiles at the Krusnik. What are you going to do?--he taunts.

Abel focuses. Nanomachine Krusnik 02, release of restrictions to 80% approved, he says…and his eyes suddenly snap wide, the red scythe dissolves under his hand, and an electrical shock seems to burst out of his chest. He shudders under the impact, gasps and collapses. I see, says D/Radu with a cool smile; a vampire who lives on the blood of other vampires, but you don't like to do that...this is what you get for starving yourself. How do you know, Abel gasps. I've heard other things too, says D/Radu; you were once an enemy of the world. He raises a flame. Goodbye, Father, he begins, and a voice calls out ---"please stop that."

Who are you, he asks. Just a pretty little girl who's passing by, says the Empress of the East. Abel gasps her name. She smiles as if nothing were wrong: it's been awhile, Abel, how are you? --Don't interrupt me! yells D/Radu and throws the firebolt straight at her. It bounces off harmlessly and white matter begins gathering all over him-- he stares in shock. Krusnik 03's power--high energy focused ultrasonic waves, says Seth, her eyes glowing red and wide: flames of sound! Radu screams as his hands crumble like salt and his body begins to dissolve.

Today I'll let you off with just this, she says [!!], but I won't be so forgiving next time. Her eyes are fierce, blood-red. You did things to my children that can't be undone, and I will have my revenge. --D/Radu disappears and Abel looks up dazed from the floor. "Seth.." he says, as the Krusnik mode fades out and she returns to her cute self. She smiles at him: "it's been 900 years, big brother."

Esther takes her leave of Milka, Asta and Ion as a ship awaits. Ion turns sadly away; if you have something to say you should say it, advises Asta. Her kind of people age and die so quickly. But I-- Just say what you really think, she tells him gently. He rushes after Esther and throws his arms around her. Let’s make sure to meet again, he says, and she agrees.

And Seth and Abel watch from under a tree. Hey, why don't you stay here, she says; let's live together as a family, like old times. Abel gazes wistfully into the sky. I'm a sinner, he says. But it's been 900 years, begins Seth, I'm sure she-- He cuts her off. I haven't forgiven myself, he says, I can't no matter what. Pause. That's all right…it may be more convenient to have you over there, brother, Seth says. Convenient? She doesn’t look at him. He's still alive, she tells him. Abel stares at her in utter shock and horror. It wasn't enough, she adds gravely; he combined with the Krusnik 100%, so even the fall from outer space wasn't enough to kill him. [We see both brothers in their white space uniforms from Abel's flashbacks, arguing, Abel shaking Cain by the lapels as small Seth runs onto the bridge.] He's--

Abel is already walking away. Brother, calls Seth, and Abel stands, voice interstellar cold. I'll destroy him, he says. For certain.

...go on to Episode Twenty.

...return to Trinity Blood Episode Guide.