Johanna forced herself to keep walking as she approached the village of Sirhalom. Her conscience was screaming at her to turn back and give up this crazy idea, but she did her best to ignore it and headed for the village elder’s house. The villagers greeted her respectfully as she passed, and she forced herself to smile back at them.

She could feel her heartbeat racing as she arrived at the door of the elder’s hut. She paused for several moments, staring blankly at the door as she tried to decide whether to knock. She glanced around and saw the villagers watching her curiously. She swallowed hard and rapped on the door. After a few moments it opened and there stood Klemen, the village elder, smiling warmly at her.

“Gravedigger, what brings you here? I’m thankful to say there is no work for you today; we are all alive and well, even with this vampire abroad.”

“That’s, um… that’s why I’m here,” Johanna stammered. “As you know, vampires can raise the dead, but human blood sprinkled over a grave works as a powerful protection against dark magic. Therefore-” Johanna’s words caught in her throat. She forced herself to keep going. “I was wondering if your people could perhaps spare some blood to protect the graveyard?”

There was a brief silence as Klemen considered Johanna’s request. He looked somewhat taken aback.

“Well, of course,” he replied eventually. “I shall gather the villagers and we’ll fill a bucket for you, Gravedigger.” He added with more determination, “we must not let that foul creature disturb our forefathers’ peaceful rest.”

Klemen fetched a knife and bucket while Johanna did her best to ignore her increasingly vocal conscience.

*   *   *

Johanna sat against a tree beside the Sirhalom graveyard, munching on a peach as she watched the sun set behind the trees of Heiligtum Forest. She breathed deeply of the warm still air and let out a long yawn. From behind her came the soft crunch of a twig. She turned to see Eldrik, the hood of his cloak low over his face. They held each other’s gaze, their faces betraying no emotion.

“You keep coming back,” said Johanna. “Why?”

Eldrik shrugged. “You think I have anything better to do?”

Johanna paused and took a deep breath.

“There’s a bucket of blood in the house,” she said, pointing up towards her hut, “for you.”

Eldrik stared at her incredulously. “Human blood?”

“Yes, human blood,” Johanna insisted.

“How did you get that?”

“I convinced the villagers of Sirhalom to give me some. I told them it would protect the graves from dark magic.”

Eldrik hesitated a little before setting off up the hill. Johanna remained where she was, finishing her peach while she waited for him to return. Eldrik went inside the hut, emerging soon after and walking back down towards Johanna. He stopped and stood a few meters from her, his lips rimmed with blood. Johanna looked at him expectantly as he wiped his mouth.

“What are you playing at?” Eldrik asked, eyeing her warily.

“I’m trying to help you.”

“Of course, you are,” Eldrik growled angrily. “Is there nothing that can break you?” His breathing quickened, his voice becoming frantic. “No! No, you haven’t been through what I have! You would have broken! You would have broken!”

“Eldrik, calm down,” Johanna pleaded.

“Why did I come back here?!” Eldrik spat, trembling with emotion. “Seeing you now just makes it worse!”

He threw back his head and screamed in agony. Johanna stood up and gently reached out to him. Eldrik violently slapped her hand away, then turned and ran. Johanna watched him go, trying to hold back tears.

“I won’t give up on you,” she whispered.

*   *   *

The last rays of sunset filtered through the treetops as Eldrik ran blindly through the woods. His breathing came rapidly, his fists clenched tight in anger. He came to a stop and fell to his knees, slamming his fists furiously against the ground. He growled and ground his teeth, unable to control the emotions tearing him apart.

She can save you.

“I don’t want to be saved!” Eldrik screamed in response to his own thought.

Why not? Are you so twisted that you prefer being evil? You’d choose this life over the one she’s offering you?

“I made my choice!” he snapped. “I’m evil and I can’t change that.”

She’s prepared to forgive you if only you can forgive yourself.

“How could I ever forgive myself?! I’m a monster!”

You try so hard to justify yourself, then argue that you’re unforgivable.

“I can justify myself as a villain,” muttered Eldrik, “not as a hero.”

Then what do want?

“I don’t know!”

Tears of blood formed in his eyes and ran down his cheeks. He collapsed to the ground, sobbing.

“But I can’t go back, not now.”

She could help you.

Eldrik screwed his eyes shut, his bloody tears dripping onto the ground.

She’s giving you a chance for your virtue to be rewarded. Isn’t that what you always wanted?

Eldrik wept, curled up in the dirt and rotting leaves of the forest floor.