"Righteous" is the second story in the Tales of the Slayers comic anthology. Written by Joss Whedon and illustrated by Tim Sale, it was originally published on February 20, 2002, by Dark Horse Comics.
Summary[]
In a medieval English village, a young maiden initially rejects her calling as the Slayer, believing that God would not curse her so. However she soon accepts her destiny, comparing it to the suffering of Christ. She studies, trains, and rejects her suitors, devoting herself to God. In the meantime, she prepares for her battle with Saint Just, a powerful vampire making his way from town to town, leaving behind only ashes.
The village is attacked by St. Just, who climbs the walls protecting it and opens it to his followers. The men of the village refuse the call to arms, many hiding in church. The Slayer fights St. Just and beheads him, while his pack escapes.
Though the village has been saved, the Slayer is accused of witchcraft by the local priest and soon she is arrested while sleeping. She is burned at the stake before the eyes of her Watcher, who is unable to save her.
After she is dead, the townsfolk celebrate. However, the Watcher kills one of the guards and opens the gates to St. Just's former minions, who kill the Watcher and proceed to destroy the village and slaughter its inhabitants.
Continuity[]
- The story takes place circa 1600.
- In the episode "Intervention," Anya claims that witch trials weren't that bad, as witches could have just used magic to escape, though this did not apply to those who were falsely accused of being witches.
Appearances[]
Individuals[]
- Saint Just
- Unidentified Slayer (Righteous)
- Unidentified Watcher (Righteous)
- Unidentified priest
Organizations and titles[]
Species[]
Locations[]
- Europe
Objects[]
Death count[]
- Unknown number of locals and residents of neighbor towns, killed by Saint Just and his vampires.
- Saint Just, staked and beheaded by the Slayer.
- The Slayer, burned alive under the priest's orders.
- Unidentified guard, stabbed by the Watcher.
Behind the scenes[]
Production[]
- Although the date of this story is not explicit, the Slayer is burned at the stake accused for being a witch; prosecutions for the crime of witchcraft reached a highpoint from 1580 to 1630.
Collections[]
Quotes[]
| The Watcher: "They burned the darkness from my mind. The world at last was clear. For God is good... And God is kind... But He's not welcome here." |