The Price of Purpose

The towering doors of the Reliquary loomed, their golden engravings catching the dim candlelight that flickered along the corridor. She hesitated for just a moment, fingertips grazing the cool metal of the entrance. A deep, rhythmic hum resonated from within, the sound of divine machinery churning beneath the marble floors—proof of the Lord’s presence in this sacred place.

Taking a slow breath, she pushed the doors open, stepping into the chamber where her body would once again be reshaped by Holy Transfusion. The air was thick with the scent of incense and something metallic, something ancient, and as she walked forward, the glow of celestial conduits pulsed along the walls, illuminating the path.

As she entered the chamber, she could hear voices. A Brother's voice, cold and slightly hoarse, crackled through a nearby radio, giving orders to the Sister in charge of Holy Transfusion.

"Don't bother with the new Sister," the voice stated bluntly. "She's a waste of time."

A brief silence followed before the Sister in charge of Transfusions responded, her tone uncertain. "But, Brother Isaiah, the Lord has decreed—"

"I don’t care what was decreed," Isaiah interrupted, his voice sharp with irritation. "She'll only make things harder. Keep her there."

The radio quickly cut off, leaving static and a flabbergasted Sister holding a microphone. As she places it on the receiver, Angelique steps inside.

"So I'm a 'waste of time' am I?" Stubbornness flared in her mind. "Nobody can say that about me."

The Sister turned, startled. "Oh, dear! You heard that? My apologies Sister Angelique. He has no real authority on this matter, so pay him no mind."

"Oh, I'll pay him mind. And he'll hear what's on it soon enough." Angelique's former hesitance and anxiety had been replaced by annoyance. He dared to question her worth? Denied her very necessity? She would show him. "Hook me up!"

Angelique walked briskly to the chair in the middle of the room. As she sat, she immediately reached for the restraints and began tightening them around her ankles. The surprised Sister, jumped to her side, fastening one wrist, and then the other, tightening them to the point of almost cutting the skin.

The Sister walked to the vision board against the back wall, flickering with the Lord's power. She pressed the keys to enter Angelique's name and serial number. As the data was processed, the chamber hummed with energy, the conduits along the walls pulsing brighter in response. A small cylindrical machine on a table whirred to life, as the light of God filled it from within. After a moment, the top slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a syringe of intricate silver filigree, its glass chamber brimming with a crimson liquid.

As the Sister retrieved the ornate syringe, Angelique had a stark moment of realization as her defiance left her. The liquid inside shimmered unnaturally, an eerie glow pulsing from within, growing stronger as it neared. The Sister held the syringe with reverence, stepping closer.

"Brace yourself," she warned softly. "The second Holy Transfusion is… more intense."

Angelique said nothing, only nodding as she tilted her head, exposing the vein at her neck. The Sister pressed the needle to her skin, and the moment the liquid entered her bloodstream, the world exploded.

The Lord's white hot fire spread through her veins, igniting every nerve. Angelique drew in one ragged breath, arching her back violently and pulling against the restraints. Consumed by light her vision blurred. Shadows of angels danced just beyond sight. Her heartbeat sang loudly, a testament to her love for the Lord. Burning from the inside out, her skin seemed to stretch and contract. The Lord willed her to become something new, unmaking and remaking her in an instant. She screamed and laughed as pain and euphoria merged to create a new sensation altogether.

The Sister remained silent, watching with calm detachment as Angelique writhed against the restraints. It would pass. It always did. But for those few agonizing moments, she knew, Angelique was standing at the threshold between mortality and something greater.

There was no lingering ache. The pain had passed. Angelique lay there upon the chair in perfect relaxation. The anticipation of pain had been a large supplier of anxiety and, perhaps, it was as bad or worse than she had thought, but getting it over with had removed that anxiety.

The Sister began to remove the restraints, allowing Angelique her freedom. She stood, examining herself. It seemed not much had changed. Her robes were tighter and there was a metallic taste in her mouth, but nothing was visibly different.

"Well, you grew an inch taller." The Sister said quietly. "But with this transfusion, you should be stronger, faster, and you won't tire as easily. As well, you should have heightened immunity to poisons and venom. That doesn't mean eat whatever you want though. And don't let things bite or sting you."

The Sisters voice faded in and out. Still in a slight daze, the Sister walked Angelique to the door, still speaking. Angelique couldn't concentrate well and the Sister handed her a small wrapped candy. With a wink and a smile, the Sister sent her on her way, and Angelique quietly made her way to the main hall.

She popped the candy in her mouth. The sweet strawberry flavor brought her thoughts something to focus on as she wandered through the halls. She needed to go to the transport station. Darius was waiting.

Angelique stumbled slightly as she walked, her limbs still loose and relaxed. She felt light, but as if she had no energy at the same time. Just as she steadied herself, a familiar voice called out.

"Angelique?"

There stood Sister Mariana, in her new golden robes, her expression frozen in shock. She quickly scanned Angelique’s form, taking in the deep silver of her new uniform. "Why are you wearing that?"

"What else would I wear? I'm a Silver Sister." Angelique chuckled lightly, a bitter smile on her lips.

Mariana blinked in disbelief. "Silver? But… you were promised Golden! You were supposed to be with me at the archives. What happened?"

Angelique sighed, rubbing her temple as she tried to clear the lingering fog from her mind. "One of the Seraphim needs a Sister. The Lord saw fit to place me in that position. I’ve been given a second Holy Transfusion and now I have to go to the surface."

"They forced this on you, didn’t they? This wasn’t your choice." Mariana’s brows furrowed, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.

"All we do is for the Lord." Angelique let out a dry chuckle. "May he be praised."

"May he be praised!" Mariana's face softened, her frustration being replaced with concern. "What happens now?"

"I need to meet with Brother Darius at the transport station. I go to meet Brother Isaiah as soon as possible." Angelique began to walk forward.

Without another word, Mariana stepped closer and looped an arm around Angelique’s waist, steadying her. With a grateful nod, she leaned into Mariana's support as they made their way forward, each step bringing her closer to an uncertain fate.

The heavy clank of machinery echoed through the cavernous chamber, the transport ship waiting for their arrival. The bright lights that shone down from the walls blinded Angelique as they passed over her, illuminating the path she needed to take. A deep and static sermon played over the speakers, a prayer for the travelers and the success of their pilgrimage to the surface.

Mariana held Angelique in her arms, now a show of affection more than a supporting shoulder. Her grip was firm but reluctant as she guided her toward a man near a transport ship. Darius waved enthusiastically, wearing the same goofy smile that he had before, not that Mariana knew of it.

"So I take it we're all ready?" Darius asked, reaching for Angelique.

Mariana shot him a cold look, her arms reflexively tightening around her friend. The smile dropped from Darius' face, leaving a stark and resolute look of sympathy. He drapes Angelique's arm over his shoulders and lightly removes her from Mariana.

"You have to bring her back!" Mariana said grabbing at the collar of his regalia threateningly. Her eyes filled with tears as she held on shakily. "She's stubborn, overly sure of herself, and kind of a ditz... but she's not strong."

Angelique raised her head weakly. "I love you too. Jeez..." Mariana chuckled lightly, dropping the tears that had pooled from her eyes.

Darius grasped the hand on his collar, squeezing it reassuringly. "You have my word. I will see her back, if it costs me my life."

Angelique could barely understand their conversation, sleep threatening to take hold. She waved weakly to Mariana as Darius ushered her into the transport and over to her seat. Darius sat beside her and fastened her seat belt around her before his own.

A loud hiss of steam released and the ship pulled out, leaving Mariana to her worry. The vibration of the ship began to lull Angelique deeper into sleep. Visions of the Seraphim Isaiah floated through her head as she tried to imagine his appearance. Her distaste for the situation and the words she had heard him say about her on the radio added a clear bias to his imagined form. A boorish man with an unwashed face and bad pores.

She chuckled under her breath as she leaned her head back, unintentionally succumbing to slumber. Time passed her by as she dreamt of golden robes, the archives, and helping the Unproven become something more than faceless servitors. The life she should have had, if it wasn't for that death prone Seraphim.

As quickly as she fell asleep, so too did she wake, the screech of splitting metal tearing through the ships relaxing hum. Darius pulled his sword from his side as other brothers began firing their rifles through a gash in the side of the ship. Red glowing eyes peered in from the darkness outside as another hole opened on the other side.

"A number of Rabdos have attacked the transport!" The pilot shouted into the radio. "We're going down! Requesting backup at the following coordinates."

Darius turned quickly, throwing himself over Angelique, covering her head. The ship dropped suddenly, planting itself in the ground of the surface, momentum carving a path through the dirt until it came to an abrupt stop. Using his sword, Darius cut the belt fastening Angelique to the seat and pulled her away just as a pair of blade like appendages ripped through the wall behind her.

"We await death, Brothers! I'll create an exit. Open fire as soon as we're out!" Darius commanded, raising his sword.

Darius' blade began to glow as he brought it down, sending blue holy light forward. The Rabdos clawing it's way inside took the full brunt of the blast, shredding it to pieces and scattering it's pieces to the wind. The hole it had made flexed outward, now open enough for the pilgrims escape.