“Black birds tend to like shiny things.” ~ The Bloody Raven
I've already covered the 2017 Libertad which is essentially the same as the 2013 but enjoy the special bonus Mexican silver while you're here.
Teresa D’Mordecai; Final Chapter
October 1821, Día de Muertos, Orèaga's Hacienda, Veracruz
Orèaga screamed as he sat up on his bed. His sweat poured off his clammy skin as if he had been fighting off a fever for weeks. His muscles ached, his thoughts in a cloudy daze.
It was still night. He could hear the downstairs Sitting Room grandfather clock gently chime three. Veracruz is still celebrating their Day of the Dead.
He let his legs drop off the side of his bed. Then reaches at the bedside table and fumbling with the matches before lighting the small oil lamp.
Resting his elbows on his knees, his face felt the palms of his sweaty hands and tried to recall what had happened.
How did he survive?
Samuel began to piece together random flashes of memory of his remarkable duel. He could remember the strange Nun's fearsome mask as she constantly challenged the depth of his own swordsmanship. He recalls the duel leaving the confines of his study and continued through out his home. It took all his skill to keep her sword at bay.
She was focused, hardly uttered a word but her blade spoke in an elegant and effortless style like a formal dance. Her parries, slashes and thrusts were precise, forceful, and confident steering this duel's the pace and candor, her anticipation magnificent. Si, clear traits of a sword master that even his teachers of Madrid's Guzman Arms Academy would have had to admire. Inconceivable as it may be Orèaga realized that he was being toyed with and her message was clear that his life was in her hands.
In the sitting room his opponent allowed an unexplainable pause in her attack giving Orèaga a chance to call his guards for help. The voices of four guards mustered in a clamor towards his hacienda only to abruptly halt upon the front steps. During 'Day of the Dead' celebrations and fireworks the four shots echoing through out the villa may be heard but will not solicit a response. Voices now silenced. Expect no further help. The figure of another woman appeared at the entrance foyer, pistols in hand, “He's all yours Sis." Then stepped back out to guard the entrance.
Orèaga fought back a long-forgotten sense of panic and refocused on fighting to win by any means. Their blades cross again.
There was a foreboding about her sword every time their blades touched.
It was not the fear of dying that sent chills through his body. It was enough to hear a multitude of black birds from out of nowhere. A curse? It was imperative not to be cut by her blade.
Yet at that very moment her blade moved like lightning, opening a cut on his right cheek. He yelped as he staggered backwards almost forgetting to keep his blade tip up.
“Bah,” His free hand fingers tested the wound.
It burned like fire.
She slowly steps back as shadows emerge from the floor around her feet.
Amorphous shadows moaned in pain as if forced to take the form of the living, becoming recognizable victims of Samuel Orèaga's past crimes and transgressions.
One by one, the dead gave witness to their demise before pointing a gaunt finger, in a "guilty!" accusation before one came forward radiant in a peaceful glory. Father José Morelos. This dream has become a nightmare, a nightmare Samuel wanted wake from.
"What do you see Orèaga? Tell me!" Demanded the rogue nun. Her eyes turning desperate to know.
Father Morelos eyes fell upon Orèaga in a strange compassion. "I was summoned here from a place of unimaginable beauty, peace and contentment to be back to this earth so full of unnecessary pain and suffering to be a witness." José then turns his eyes lovingly to Teresa. "My dear sister Teresa, I was heartbroken not to find you there awaiting me. Now I understand why God has you travel the lonely path between the light and the dark.” Josè steps to Teresa and lovingly caressed her pale cheek. Her lack of awareness to the late Father's presence was an important clue. “I also understand that your eyes have seen much suffering over three hundred years of your amazing life, and I pray that you make the right choice in the end."
"Orèaga, you see Father Morelos? What is he saying? Is he at peace?"
The Vice Governor concluded there are clear some boundaries even in the spirit world.
Josè turns his eyes back to Orèaga. "Oh yes, I am here for you Samuel not for Teresa though there is so much I wish to say to her.
"Why are here Morelos, who are you to judge me!? You are dead. I saw you die!"
"Only God judges my friend, and I forgive you because I am at by far a much better place. Repent, while you still have breath and be my brother. "
Orèaga only grimaces at the thought, "This must be a nightmare, a trick by this witch!"
"My death was by your orders with malice in your heart and your greed for gold, silver and power like the tyranny of those above your position. I used the treasure of St. Angélesta to free an oppressed people!"
"He is here, I know it! I love you José!", her eyes glancing to and fro trying to see what she cannot see nor hear what she cannot hear, her blade tip drops. "…tell me Vice Governor for your sake, is my José faring? As you are his killer only you can see him, it is the way of the Black blade's curse on your body."
Thinking that this must be some magicians trick Orèaga realizes that he may have a bargaining chip. "Will you leave me be when I tell you?"
The vengeful nun removes her mask, "Tell me to my true face and I will leave you with only a cursed scar." Her blade tipped down to a neutral position.
PThe light of the large sitting room lamps illuminates the familiar soft features of her face more clearly. She was indeed the defiant nun that bested his squad and denied him his treasure, a face that burned into his memory forever.
Defeated by a nun before his men and superiors, his dream of achieving as Viceroy of New Spain was crushed. Rather than being gracious and contrite he let rage and anger seethe in his thoughts and conceived a desperate plan.
Father Morelos became alarmed, "No, Samuel don't do that!"
"Your illegitimate lover is condemned to the darkness, your illicit relationship was a blasphemy against the church and god, he never intended to love only to use you in his lust for power!"
Tears suddenly welled up in Teresa's eyes, her free hand grasped at her heart, "No! It's not true, I know his passion and soul..." her blade dropped to her side.
Orèaga let down his sword and stepped closer to Teresa, "I swear, I see his soul in flames of suffering." He motioned the cross across his body, "I repent and beg you for forgiveness..."
Her mask dropped to the floor, her thoughts trying to reconcile the contradiction in a storm of emotional turmoil. There was no evidence of such behavior from Josè. She glances left at the fall new moon hanging over Veracruz as if provided some guidance. “Lies.”
"...Sister Teresa." Orèaga's grip tightened on his hilt then quickly lifted his blade.
Her face instantly turns ferocious, the pommel of her sword struck his forehead.
Everything went blank.
"Was it just a nightmare?"
1791 Spanish 4 Reales
The cut on his right cheek was still there. “It’s not a dream!” He shifted the oil lamp closer to the mirror to examine the wound. It still felt a burning sensation, but that wasn’t all as he felt a pain at his neck. Lifting his chin up and to the left he stares closer into the mirror and sees a pair of weeping puncture wounds. “What is this!?”
In the mirror over his shoulder appears to be a letter floating in the air as if by magic. Turning around his eyes fall upon an angry Sister Teresa. His eyes fixed on her monstrous fangs. "Santa Maria!"
“So, you are a member of this cursed Society. I can kill the body, but I cannot have the soul! You want your treasure? Then I curse your spirit into a silver coin until your day of reckoning!”
Oréaga’s blood spills over the basin table.
P
Adding silver and Crypto coins in my Stack for that rainy day, are you?”
And gracias amigos for visiting my post this #fiestatuesday.
The #fiestatuesday tag is the brainchild of SSG Tag Master @silverd510 and you don’t have to be a member of the #silvergoldstackers or #ssg-community to participate, please feel free in joining us in sharing our Stacking treasures and adventures. Viva la Revolution!
Previous chapters of Sister Teresa D’Mordecai;
References
Sources
“Et lux in tenebris to serve laboro, sum sicarius” “I work in the shadows to serve the Light, I am an Assassin”
