Sisters of Saint Benedict Ch. 02

Sister Sofia Riina's story was not dissimilar to that of her sisters in the order. She was raised modestly, spending the majority of her youth in a convent; where she was educated and taught to live humbly. At age fifteen though, another order visited her monastery. Unknown to the younger girls, these were the Sisters of Saint Benedict. Their presence felt uncomfortable; they watched the adolescent girls with sharp, discerning eyes. The Mother Superior especially felt as though she could see right through you, or perhaps set you ablaze with but a thought.

When Sofia was called aside by her own convents Mother Superior, she was uneased to say the least. With the way that the other order had looked at her; she was worried that she was in some sort of trouble. When she was sat in a room with two others of her age before the Mother Superior of the Benedictine sisters, she was certain of some misdeed she must have committed to end up here.

But she and her sisters were offered a choice; stay at their convent, and continue their studies, maintaining their freedom to one day be married; or join these visiting sisters; putting them on a path to take their vows with the Benedictine sisters. The two others turned the offer down. But Sofia... she saw something in these nuns' eyes. There was more to this that they weren't telling them. So she accepted.

The others were dismissed, leaving Sofia alone with the visiting order. She was made to take an oath of secrecy, which she did with some hesitation. It was then that they revealed the full nature of their order; and what exactly being a Sister of Saint Benedict entailed.

At first, she couldn't believe her ears. Vampiri? Nuns fighting? Secret orders? It all read out like some sort of joke. But as Sofia looked in their eyes, she knew they were truthful.

Once again, she was offered to step away now if she so wished.

The next seven years she spent training with the sisters; learning to fight; learning of vampire anatomy, and their weaknesses. She had never thought of herself as a fighter, but the sisters showed her otherwise. Just two years prior she had been allowed to take her vows; and fully commit herself to the order's cause.

At least, that was how the story went according to Sofia as she told it to Amaia.

When the vampire was first brought to them, Mother Superior determined the creature required constant supervision, with only brief allowances for mass. Unfortunately for Sofia, she was assigned the shift after evening mass. From nine in the evening until just before morning mass, she was to stand guard outside Amaia's cell. She was given strict instructions; Don't talk to the Vampire, Don't open the cell door, and under no circumstances was she to enter the cell.

Sofia broke the first rule on the first night.

Amaia had spent hours upon hours that first night trying to draw her into conversation. She had heard from the ones that brought her in that half her vocabulary seemed to be swears, and the other half wasn't much more polite. But Sofia heard a refined tone and a vocabulary that seemed endless in its depth. She was nothing short of totally pleasant; asking question after question about Sofia and her life.

It was only a matter of time before she broke.

"Why?" The woman peered in through the small barred window of the door. "Why are you so intent on conversing with me? We're your captors, should you not be furious with us?"

"Oh no, I have no quarrel with you sister. I understand you are just fulfilling your vows, yes? If I may ask, what is your name?"

"Sofia... I mean, Sister Sofia. What might I call you?"

"Amaia. So, Sister Sofia, what exactly brought someone such as yourself into the order?"

Sofia had no way of knowing as much, but that one conversation would be the beginning of the downfall of her entire convent.

It took another week before she broke both the second and third rule in the same night. Amaia had been making subtle suggestions toward Sofia coming inside so that they may hold their conversations more easily. She knew that she shouldn't, but the nun was far too curious on exactly what the blood feeder was like up close.

She stayed cautious of course; making sure that Amaia wouldn't have been able to reach her even if the vampire wanted to. But each night she found herself inching ever closer. She hadn't even realized such a thing had happened until Amaia had touched her arm. The action was enough to send her scrambling to the corner of the cell for the remainder of the night. But if Amaia was truly as monstrous as they said; if she really sought only to tear out her throat and feast on her blood, why hadn't she taken the chance while Sofia was within her grasp? She couldn't have been as bad as they said.

She spent the next several nights sat next to Amaia, an uneasy sort of trust of the vampire being established. By the night before the vampire was subject to the brands, she considered Amaia something akin to a friend. Of course, she didn't tell anybody about this. Her repentance for such a thing would've taken her months.

As Sofia neared the cell, Amaia turned her head down. It was time to put on a show for the sister; she needed to see just how far the woman would go for her. With a thought, tears began to roll down her cheeks. When the door began to unlock, she visibly cowered from the sister who entered; knowing Sofia was watching.

"Are..." Sofia frowned, Amaia's demeanor telling her that the blood feeder was, in fact, not alright.

"Can... Can I help? I brought cool water, it may ease some of the pain."

Amaia looked up to meet Sofia's gaze, and the nun felt her heart ache with empathy.

"I'm n-not sure how much it will help... but you're welcome to try Sister."

Sofia stepped inside, closing the cell door behind her before going over to Amaia to kneel beside her. Far closer than what could ever be considered safe to any of the other sisters. She dipped a small rag she had brought with her into a bucket that had also made its way down with her. Amaia leaned forward, Allowing the nun to lift the tunic to expose her back. Sofia winced upon viewing the burns, pausing her a moment before lightly pressing the cool cloth to one of the brands. Amaia hissed in response

"Sorry!"

"No, no it's not you Sister. Please, continue."

A few moments passed in silence, interrupted by Amaia's hisses each time the cloth made contact with her singed flesh, followed by a soft apology from Sofia each time.

"Was it more of the same?"

"What else would it be?" Amaia let out a rueful chuckle. "No matter how many times I tell them, they don't believe me. I have half a mind to make something up, but I suspect they'd only be more upset upon realization of deception."

"Well, we were told that vampires form covens and cabals. Spreading their influence over the area, feeding off of villages..."

"Some may do that. Not as much anymore though i suspect. Harder to stay out of sight in groups, especially with your order hunting us."

Sofia pursed her lips, but she didn't have a retort to such a statement. Instead she elected to continue dabbing at Amaia's back, breaking the silence after several minutes.

"Would you like me to get your front? Or perhaps more pigs blood?" Sofia, behind Mother Superiors' back, had been bringing Amaia goblets of pig's blood when she could. She knew from Amaia that it wasn't enough to even give her a fraction of her strength back; but it did ease some of the hunger pains if only for a short time. The simulacrum of her actual foodstuffs filled her stomach well enough, but after her body couldn't properly get its nutrition from it, the hunger returned with a vengeance.

"I appreciate your efforts sister," Amaia was shaking now, and a tremble made it into her voice, "But you only offer temporary relief at best. What I need... well, I can't ask that of you sister."

"Are you sure? I- I want to help you, I hate to see you in pain this way." Sofia knit her brows together, genuinely concerned for Amaia. Little did she know, she was playing right into the vampire's hands.

"Dear Sofia, the only thing that can truly offer me relief is to feed." Amaia turned her head away from the nun. "I can't ask that of you. Your order would shut you out for such a thing."

Sofia stopped cold. She had been moving to wring out the cloth, but instead she held still, allowing the cloth to drip into the bucket; the other hand caught frozen in the motion of reaching to wring it out.

She'd be lying if she said she didn't half expect this outcome. She knew from her time studying that vampiri could only properly heal themselves while fed. Those with a steady supply of human blood would have no issue keeping themselves in perfect form, but those who were not so lucky would be far more similar to humans in their healing ability.

Sofia knew this. She also knew that what Amais said was true; both parts of it. If Mother Superior found out she had let Amaia feed, on her own blood no less, she'd be cast out of the coven at best, and at worst... Well, it wouldn't have ended well for her in any sense.

But she couldn't help herself. They called Amaia a monster, but she looked so fragile and weak in this moment. She couldn't stop her heart from aching for Amaia and her pain. The scripture always taught that no creature was outside of God's love, and Father Vincenzo taught in his sermons that all were able to find repentance in the lord; and furthermore that they should follow in the savior's footsteps and care for all Heavenly Fathers creatures. Was she meant to simply stand idly by while one such creature suffered?

No, how christlike would that be of her?

"Signora Amaia, it pains me too much to sit idly by and witness your suffering." Sofia set the cloth aside, instead setting her hands neatly on her thigh. "I know that it may be against my vows but... I simply must aid you now. You may feed on me, if only for a moment so that your wounds may heal."

Amaia was glad her head was turned away. Otherwise, Sofia would've seen the wicked grin that tugged her lips upwards. She quickly returned her expression to the frail look she had given her earlier, turning to look at Sofia with concern in her eyes.

"Sister, I can't ask such a thing of you!"

"You're not asking Signora, I'm offering.

"But your vows, what if Mother Superior finds out what you've done? I can't live with good conscience knowing my imposing lead to your ostracization."

"Please Amaia. I know the risks, but I can't let you suffer like this. If they cast me out for caring for you, then I accept my consequence." Sofia looked at Amaia with pleading eyes. "Please, let me ease your pain."

"And what if they're right?" Amaia's voice suddenly got cold, her amber eyes regaining clarity in an instant to bore through Sofia's blue ones. "What if I'm the monster they all say? What's stopping me from draining you completely and massacring your sisters?"

Sofia felt a chill run down her spine when Amaia's demeanor changed. It happened so fast she wasn't sure if she was even looking at the same person. That was terrifying in truth. But despite that, she held on to a certain trust and faith in some goodness from Amaia.

"Well... I figure if you wanted that, you would've already done so. Not like you've been without opportunity. Maybe the others see it as foolish but I... I trust you Signora Amaia." Sofia searched those piercing eyes, unsure of exactly what she was looking for there.

"Very well... if you insist, and if it will help put your mind at ease."