[LNHY/ACRA] The Daily Super Short-Short Story #33

[Saxon Brenton]

The Daily Super Short-Short Story #33
 
A Devil Came Down to Georgia 15
 
Last Time: Saint Christopher revealed his Secret Origin. Or perhaps *a* 
Secret Origin. Mythic types seem to like multiple choice Secret Origins...
 
     Martin sighed with contentment. St. Christopher smiled and asked, 
"Feeling better?"
     The young man nodded. There was a touch of embarrassment about his 
mien, and his shoulders convulsed once as he tried to suppress a choke of 
emotion. "I'm fine," he said, and wiped his cheek with his metal-perforated 
wrist. "Sorry," he said more steadily. "I was very weak to let that sock 
get to me, wasn't I?"
     "We all have dark moments," admitted the wolf-headed saint. "And the 
wondersocks are very good at weaving their lies. What is important is to 
recognise that failing, and make amends for it."
     Martin steadied him emotions and considered. He recalled something 
that his companion had said earlier, and wondered if there might not be 
more to this visitation. It was, of course, possible that St. Christopher's 
intervention had been an example of good will for its own sake, but it 
could also be that there was some greater purpose to this. If so, then 
(and here embarrassment tugged at him again) he would need to be more 
observant and trusting in providence, and less prone to self-doubt. "You 
said that the sock's story about my Nephilim inheritance was a deceit 
based on part-truth. Is there something else that I should know?"
     St. Christopher smiled again. "There is. And now that your Choice is 
made, and I am free to make my counter-move against the Others, I will 
tell you." He sat down upon a rock which hadn't been there before. "What 
do you know about the Benandanti?"
     "I've never heard of them. Are they another type of non-human race?"
     "No. It's one of several names for people of great spiritual 
abilities. They were born with a caul - an amniotic sack over their face 
- and this marks them with the ability to travel in their dreams to fight 
against the forces of the Devil. A few times a year the Benandanti who are 
between the ages of 20 and 40 will hear a martial drumbeat in their sleep, 
and know that this was a call to fight against the forces of evil. They're 
compelled to travel in their sleep - their minds roaming free and taking 
the form of wolves - to fight against the witches and sorcerers who're in 
league with Hell. I've been involved with them for a very long time. 
After all, while they're mustering and moving against evil they count as 
travellers, and are among those who most need the patronage of my 
sainthood. And who better to be involved with the Astrally Travelling 
Werewolf Crusaders than a dog-head who can take both human and canine form?"
     Martin thought about this. "I turned twenty only a month ago. So, 
I'm one of the Benandanti too? But that makes two completely different 
Secret Origins, one for good and one for evil. How does that work? Is that 
even possible?"
     "It's possible, but it is rare," admitted the armoured dog-man. 
"Normally one would overwhelm the other, or they would negate each other. 
In your case not only has your Benandanti ability catalysed the recessive 
Nephilim inheritance, but they have synergised with each other. When your 
calling as one of the Astrally Travelling Werewolf Crusaders became active, 
so did your powers as a Teenage Giant Halfbreed Angel. That sort of 
combination doesn't happen often, and is extremely powerful."
     "And that's why both you and the wondersock took an interest in me," 
said Martin, catching on. "That's a power that comes from two different 
sources, and each side will be trying to claim them whole lot."
     "Exactly. You have the potential to great good or great evil Martin, 
and free will dictated that you had to be allowed a choice between us."
     "Yeah," he said, disgruntled, "But I almost believed his lies about 
being beyond the grace of God." He wasn't sure whether he was more angry 
at himself or at the sock.
     "Yes. That is where their strength lies. But you must be careful 
even now that you've seen through the sock's deceptions. You'll still be 
in danger from him and his allies, and you must also be careful to use 
your gifts wisely. You still have the choice: to use great power with 
great responsibility, or to let absolute power corrupt you absolutely."
 
Tomorrow: Confrontation with an evil sock.
 
Authour's notes:
     As mentioned in my first post of this series, this arc is based on a 
story idea I've have kicking about for a few years, called 'Knight of St. 
Christopher', which had a priest who was unknowingly a Benandanti wondering 
why he was turning into a Ghost Rider-style occult motorbike vigilante. 
Upon reflection, the inclusion of a moral dynamic between the protagonist's 
Benandanti (Astrally Travelling Werewolf Crusader) and Nephlilim (Teenage 
Giant Halfbreed Fallen Angel) natures makes for a stronger story - although 
only time will tell if the actual execution of the story lives up to that 
potential.
 
The Daily Super Short-Short Story series and the wondersocks created by 
Arthur Spitzer, and used with belated permission.
 
The Teenage Giant Halfbreed Angels epithet for the Nephilim/Nephalim 
cooked up by Andrew Perron.
 
-----
Saxon Brenton    University of Technology, city library, Sydney Australia
     saxon.brenton at uts.edu.au 
The Eyrie Archives of Russ Allbery which collect the online superhero 
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