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now we know why the streets are so empty,” I added, counting at least a dozen of the creatures advancing upon us. They looked like zombies. Bill and Ed had mentioned them to me, but according to them, although real life zombies looked like their fictional counterparts, the vampire hierarchy used them for mundane clerical work of all things. I’d been both amused and insulted to learn the undead equivalent of my old job was entrusted to walking corpses.
    The things advancing on us, however, didn’t seem to have much interest in paperwork. Their eyes shone red and feral in the gleam of the flashlights as they doubled their pace toward us.
    “Brothers,” Bernadette called out, “this is the first of the unholy blight we have come here to face. Trust in your training, but most of all, trust in your faith.”
    I decided to add a bit of practicality. “Swords only,” I barked then lowered my voice to address Bernadette. “Let’s take them quietly if we can.”
    “Sound advice,” she remarked, drawing her dagger, but stepping back to let the younger, more fit warriors step up,
    “We’ll hold back, too, unless you need us,” Meg said.
    I nodded then turned to face the oncoming threat – not quite a horde, but still potentially dangerous. I felt something in my mind tighten, my focus turning to the enemy at hand and, insanely enough, an anticipation of the conflict to come began to suffuse my being.
    I drew my own weapon. A part of me was tempted to command the Templar to hold back, that this enemy was easily dealt with on my own. It was a struggle to not heed its call, but I managed to push it down.
    To appease that part, I instead let my power fly free. Not all of it. Lighting up the dark street like the Fourth of July could be just as counterintuitive to a stealthy approach as a firefight. However, I let enough out to cover myself in its soft white protective glow, the blade practically singing in my hand as I did so.
    I stepped forward with enough Templar to equal the enemy in front of us.
    “Take out their heads,” Kelly called out from behind. I glanced over my shoulder at her and she added. “I watch a lot of TV. You have no idea how many people screw that up.”
    Affording her a small smile, I turned away and stepped forward. I held back the battle cry on my lips, instead opting to let swift and savage action do my talking for me.
    * * *
    Though I wanted – almost needed – to launch myself into the center of the fray, I forced myself to hold my position relative to the Templar, opting to engage the zombie on the rightmost edge of their loose-knit grouping.
    The pathetic creature only had one complete arm, her ... its other ended in a ragged stump several inches below its shoulder. It hardly seemed a fair fight.
    Had I tried anything like this a year ago I, more than likely, would have tripped and stabbed myself. Now, though, I moved with a fluid grace … employing precise steps as if I’d been training my entire life. I side-stepped the creature and kicked its legs out from under it.
    It fell forward, not even trying to break its fall with its one good arm. It landed face-first, eliciting a grunt that sounded less one of pain and more air simply forced out of its rotting body.
    With no hesitation, I lifted my sword and brought it down in an arc. The human skull is thick and well protected, but my weapon was aglow with the fires of faith magic. I bisected her ... its skull just above the jawline, my weapon sending up sparks as it passed through the creature’s head and met asphalt.
    Its body shuddered once and became still. Somewhere deep inside of me, I felt a pang of regret. Whoever it had once been, there was little doubt it hadn’t asked for this fate. Though I didn’t share the Templar’s beliefs, I said a small silent prayer nevertheless, hoping that this tormented soul was now at rest, before turning to see how the rest were doing.
    It was a similar situation for the most part. The other