Chapter Text
"You have to see a local doctor," Franz said worryingly as he observed Frederic coughing a little. Both priests were walking in the garden that was next to the parish.
Frederic shook his head. "Felix has the same concerns as you, but I told him it's okay. I don't need a doctor."
"But you must see one," Franz insisted. "If not for mines, Felix's or Clara's sake, but for the congregation." He then put his large hand on Frederic's shoulder. "They would be devastated if you go."
Frederic paused in thought for a moment as Franz removed his hand from his shoulder. "I'll go seek a doctor the first thing tomorrow," he sighed.
Franz smiled. "That's more like it." He was relieved when he saw Frederic break into a small smile, even if it was a bit reluctant.
Just then, the priests spotted a woman sitting on the grass, playing with a King Charles Cavalier dog. She appeared to be around the same age as Franz and Frederic (late thirties). She had medium length light brown hair and was wearing a dark purple dress.
Always the charmer since his wilder days before he had a dark night of the soul and became a priest five years ago, Franz walked up to the woman.
“Sorry to bother you ma’am,” he began apologetically as Frederic looked on. When the woman looked up, Franz was immediately struck on how beautiful her bright blue eyes were. She wasn’t the most conventional beauty he ever laid eyes upon, but her face was very expressive. “But the service is long over and I unfortunately have to ask you to leave-”
“No one is here,” the woman slightly protested as she stopped playing with her dog and stood up. She noticed how tall he was by the way he towered over her. She also was struck by his lovely green eyes and long medium brown hair. Her dog's whining made her snap out of it. She gave her dog a sad look. Franz could see she was of short statute and a bit curvy. “It’s not like I’m going to take any of your valuables from the church.”
Frederic frowned. The woman was beginning to get on his nerves. “Father Liszt is right ma’am. You have to leave.”
The woman looked at Frederic for some time, making him anxious all of a sudden. She felt he could be more handsome if he put on weight. “Are you Father Chopin?”
Both Franz and Frederic looked at each other. “Yes," Frederic replied carefully. "How did you know?"
The woman smiled mischievously as she looked directly in Frederic's expressive grey-blue eyes. "You may want to get your stuff in order. You don't have much time left."
Before Franz reacted, Frederic grabbed the woman's arm with unusual force, making the woman yelp in pain. He ignored the little dog's growls.
"Christ, dear man!" she exclaimed scornfully as Frederic was still grabbing her arm as they walked towards near the exit of the parish. The dog followed them as he wagged its tail, while Franz quickly walked behind . "You should be saving your strength for your last months. Not attacking the true righteous one!"
Frederic grabbed her even harder. "Blasphemers such as yourself have no place at this parish!" He seethed.
The woman snorted. She ignored Franz's raised eyebrow towards her since it was making her feel a certain way. "I guess you forced me to have no choice."
Before Frederic said something snarky, the woman's arm suddenly turned hot. So hot that Frederic quickly moved his hand away in pain. He and Franz then had the bizarre feeling to look down on the ground for a moment while seeing smoke in the corner of their eyes. When they looked back up, they didn't see the woman. Instead, they saw a man in a dark purple suit with a maroon vest. The man had the same exact features as the woman, just in masculine form.
The man smiled smugly as he saw both Franz and Frederic in a shocked and hypnotic stupor.
"What are you?" Franz asked. He was mesmerized by the man. He couldn't put a finger on why that was.
"You tell me my dear man," the man replied sarcastically. He was trying not to take so much in Franz's beautiful appearance. He was still had butterflies in his stomach by the way he raised his eyebrow earlier.
The reply woke Frederic up from his stupor. "Oh, get the hell out!" He exclaimed angrily as he made the sign of the Cross. He then look at Franz apologizing. 'Sorry for the swearing, but this man or woman has to go. It's a demon!" He didn't even noticed that Franz was still in awe of the man.
"My friends do indeed call me the little devil with endearment." He looked at Frederic with mocking pity.
Frederic just stood there exasperated. Why wasn't Franz doing anything to get rid of blasphemous imp? "Are you going to do something Franz?"
"About what?" Franz asked in a mental haze.
"About this person!" Frederic replied incredulously as he furiously pointed to the man. He was fearing that Franz was already falling under the spell of this twat. "And you're going to be like him soon if we don't kick his bloody arse out."
At this, Franz woke up from his trance and looked at Frederic with some annoyance. "Why the harsh language, Frederic?"
Frederic's eyes widen. "Are you serious Franz?" He and Frederic ignored the man's obvious enjoyment on seeing their unusual spat.
"I'll talk to you about it later," Franz then looked at the man. "Unfortunately you have to leave my good sir."
"Will do," the man said as he walked away. "Come on Peps." The dog gladly followed him. He took one look back, nodded to Franz while ignoring Frederic, and went along his way.
Frederic was so exasperated on what just happened that he was completely silent along the way back to the parish. Franz too was a bit unnerved on what he experienced and didn't say anything either.
"So how's your class going?" Felix asked Clara. They were in the kitchen, sitting.
"A lot better," Clara replied with relief. "The pupils are paying more attention. I think Franz's speech to the class helped."
"I wouldn't be surprised," Felix remarked as he drank some of his coffee. "The pupils adore him." Clara nodded in agreement.
Just then, both Felix and Clara see Frederic entering into the kitchen. He went straight to the coffee, without acknowledging them.
Felix and Clara gave each other worrying glances. "Do you think I should ask him what's wrong?" She whispered.
"No," Felix replied whispering. "I think he will say something soon. Just give him some time."
As Felix predicted, Frederic opened up after some moments of awkward silence. "I had the strangest event happened just a moment ago."
"Go on," Felix said gently as Clara looked on. With some hesitation, Frederic told the bizarre event that he and Franz witnessed.
After telling the strange event, Frederic could see that both Felix and Clara had conflicted emotions on their faces, despite the wide eyes. Frederic patiently waited for them to try to take it all in and make sense of the event in the most logical way.
“This sounds like a warlock of some sort,” Clara said as she shook her head. “They cause all kinds of chaos. I’m glad you and Franz were able to get rid of him.”
“Thanks to me," Frederic sighed. "If I wasn’t there to help Franz snap out of it. That Devil, imp, warlock, or what ever the hel- sorry- heck it is would have taken him as his next victim.” He finally to a sip of his coffee after he was done speaking.
“Are you afraid of that warning he gave you?” Felix asked with concern. He clarified when Frederic gave him a confused look, “You know, when he was in female form.”
Frederic grimaced as he coughed. “Oh that nonsense. Not one bit.” He tried to brush it off by laughing mirthlessly, but both Felix and Clara saw through him. It was painfully obvious that the warlock got under his skin.
“If it makes you feel any better, do you want me to perform a cleansing ritual to get rid of that warlock’s energy from you?” Felix suggested as Clara looked on.
Frederic nodded in reply and both Felix and Clara were pleased to see the relief and hope cover Frederic’s face for the first time today. “Yes. That will make me feel a lot better.”