Knock Three Times

31. The Colossus

                HIGH ABOVE THE DESPERATE cries of the maimed and fading, the battle torn, beaten and last of the strong, a brave priest stood with feet planted firm, unwilling to move. His spine was straight like a guardian sentinel between a fallen Oracle and a beast of legend in the undead flesh. Nasferatu appeared as he had in historic film, but far more chilling in person. Charles' demonic form was an unnatural state, Black Matter DNA most responsive when the subject's temper and rage subdued the best of him, or when the need to feed became unbearable and borderline torturous.

His eyes were much wider than the legend had been depicted, like piercing yellow orbs unblinking, unfeeling and thirsty for living flesh. Pointed teeth formed a grin suiting to a lunatic clown, far more sinister than Father Jeremy had ever imagined, the very sight shooting a frigid chill up his back. The reality of standing in the presence of the vampire was like nothing any movie or book could accurately describe. His very vessel radiated evil, unfiltered and dreadful beyond human understanding.

"How could such evil exist?" thought Father Jeremy as he took in the vampire's hideous appearance. He had been trained throughout his career to comprehend the evil of the human mind, to which he had always believed there were limits. But before him stood a living example of how easily the devil could seduce the human soul and drag it into hell with him, if one does not keep a strong will and pure heart.

Charles Orlok was not made for such darkness, the priest was positive. His evil had been nourished and encouraged, a broken heart used as a catalyst to drag him under, one moment of defeat at a time, until all that remained was an all-consuming hate. All it took was that first step—that first empty moment of defeat or loneliness, and like an infernal seed that hate grew and spread, covering and destroying anything good in its path.

Jeremy looked upon the creature not as an enemy, but as a human being defeated in all things. This was the worst of us turned outward for the world to see—the sheer ugliness of mankind in all its grotesque misery—the absence of divinity. Charles—Nottingham, whoever the monster claimed to be was not his enemy, he realized in that moment. The true enemy has always been, and will always be sin, and the dense weight of human reaction to traumatic experiences. There was no limit to the evil of the human mind, as he once believed, only that which we set for ourselves, and some were simply incapable of standing against it.

'Stand aside, Locksley.' the beast's voice was course and deep as only a creature of Hell could produce. As the monster licked his lips with a forked tongue Jeremy held his composure, though his nerves remained on edge and prepared for the worst. The undead looked beyond the crusader with a frozen and curious glare, watching the former nun hold the Oracle tight in her arms, a divine light emitting from every pour like tiny fragments of stolen sun.

'You will keep away from them.' He grasped the Templar blade tight, holding his ground with every ounce of bravery he could manage.

The vampire moved to the left, but Father Jeremy's footwork mimicked him like a jittery reflection. To the right they shifted in tandem, but the brave man refused to let him through. Their eyes remained locked on one another from across the topmost platform like two gunslingers awaiting the slightest of movement, studying every shift of facial muscle or turn of chin.

Nasferatu moved closer one cautious step at a time, and as the crimson moonlight beamed down upon them Jeremy caught movement in his peripheral vision, watching with quickening breath as the vampire's shadow moved independently.

'YOU STAY AWAY!' he bellowed as the eerie shadow figure stretched and creeped closer to his right, and the eerie vampire at his left.

'You know not the power of the darkness, Locksley. You're in way over your head.' His voice was raspy yet monotone, as though the beast had swallowed Charles whole, and let him stew deep in his belly while the unfeeling creature spoke for him.