A Crusader without a Crusade

A Crusader Without a Crusade
By
Eric Z Fox


﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡The vampire looked towards the sky. The fire of daylight kindled in the east reminding him of the monster who brought him into this eternity. Seeing a hundred years into the past he saw her. Not in her deceptive beauty but how she truly was. A twisted and seething monster with long curly hair and dark endless eyes that in some hellish way matched her bladed blood incrusted teeth and bony claws that ripped from decaying flesh. The vampire turned and descended deep law to the building that served as his home.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡Behind him the titanium bolt locked the electronic silver door. He loved the fact that his weakness kept him safe. As the bolt closed the monotonous female voice came to life. "Good morning William the current status of our foreign stocks is MT7 up 0.37 MYCON up 9.6 NASDAQ down 0.74 Dow down."
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡"Enough," The vampire named William said maliciously. "I don't care. This.. this eternity is too much and I cannot live through this." as always William felt no embarrassment from his emotional confessions to the machine. After all it was his only confidante.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡"Work on the prophecy today." William told it as he placed his ancient palm on the black sensor pad. William could feel the light as it moved up and down his hand. There was an audible beeping and the ultimate size coffin opened with the sound of hydraulics that was well cared for.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡The computer and small TV screen came to life. The bed was red and silk. The fabric felt like clouds to his skin and he knew sleep be easy. As the top closed, with the same hydraulic sound drowning the daytime away with mechanical darkness, sounds, and most precious of all safety, William was content.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡Because like everything else a vampire's dreams are enhanced. Within the matter of minutes, generations of lives could be experienced. There was a legend that vampires refused to drink the last drops of life in fear of poisoning, but the fear was that of deathly vengeance through dreams that can drive an immensely passionate being like a vampire into utter lunacy.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡William dreamed of his childhood. Born in the year 1276, his childhood though never in want for wealth always his weakness for adventure would attract the most abusive of troubles. Once, when William was 10 he jumped from the Del Tore cliffs, which plummeted a thousand feet into the Atlantic Ocean.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡Breaking his leg he promised somberly to his mother, Lady Del Tore, then never again would he pull such a stunt. Eight months later though he lost the tip of his thumb to a badly laid, though successful, plan to remove a guard of the palace.
His life was extremely easy for the dark ages, so naturally William was extremely bored. The whole Christian world was on a mad frenzy to capture the Holy Land. Several English and northern European Crusades were short-lived or more often than not outright failures.



﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡The plague swept the world in an unholy onslaught. Behind it left entire towns smelling of black and bloated corpses seething in the sun. Unfortunately the plague killed all mammals including rodents leaving only the insects to devour the victims.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡Williams' home in Leon was the picturesque of tranquility. The horrors of war and the plague were kept from the city gates. In the year of 1292 when William was 16 and boredom gnawed a hole through his soul he joined the Charlemagne's Franciscan army and began to plan an attack to the Holy Land. Under the attack of Muslim Pirates the three Franciscan ships had to put anchor in the Greek port of Crete. It was there that another ship and 200 Orthodox Christians joined. The fierce fighters were Mongolian trained and believed in none of the rules of war. So their fierce guerrilla tactics could, and God willing, would stifle the Islamic infidels.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡It was 1293 and William was a handsome 17 year-old young man. The battles did nothing to quench Williams thirst for excitement if anything it just gave him a love for battle. The city of Damascus was what the Crusaders wanted. Strategically speaking it was the most important place in Palestine.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡The Arabs, whose superior technology was astonishing, fought fiercely keeping the Christians from besieging the city walls. They did this by constantly forcing them to the sea. William being a bold and daring man volunteered to sneak within the enemy encampment and capture the Sultan. They hoped that they could trade the Sultan’s life for the city.


﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡William snuck into the city strapped to the bottom of water cart. After the setting of the sun William freed himself from the dust incrusted hiding spot and crept about the city. Immediately William saw the beauty of the Arabian domes. No single European city could hold a candle to the beauty of this war torn city. Rome was the only city to compare but still it was only a shadowy figure to this heavenly place. In the old quarter William found a dark an ancient castle that clashed immensely with the surroundings.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡It was constructed from dark cold stones. Its towers and spires tickled at the stars and William knew this was some sort of ancient European design. It was easy for William to sneak into the castle since oddly no Guards paraded the grounds. Once he entered the courtyard he could smell the pungent odor of death not like the plague-ridden cities of Europe but a more ancient smell of death that stopped baking long ago. No torches burned. As well as the salted earth grew no plants. If William was a more intelligent man fear would carry him on his way, but bright enlightenment would never be a talent in this young mortal mind.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡But deep down towards the dungeon William was drawn. It was almost like a voice calling to him that caused him to open the rotting door. In the first cell sat a mountain of skeletal remains. This should cause any man to run, but William wasn't ordinary. He kept on his silent course in search of the thing that drew him like a moth.
"Adventure," he heard in a female voice that bounced from wall-to-wall.
"I will give you an adventure like no other." Finally the hair on the back of Williams’s neck stood erect. Fear moved through his veins. But never would he give in to it.


﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡He saw her and thought she was a ghost. Her feet floated above the ground and she moved with the fluidity of water. Her dark hair and eyes accentuated the paleness of her skin. Her bosom was full and lust prickled at William’s heart.
"I.. I am William of Leon. I am..."
"I know why you are here. And I also know that your friends are dead."
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡Williams' heart broke, because denying this woman's words was an impossibility. "Their ships were burned,” she continued. "Greek fire, and as the green flames licked at them they recounted your God, and his dead son." William wanted to deny, and to say no, but couldn't. He was totally enthralled to the being that moved towards him like an angel William could feel her passion radiate from her like heat. She wished to cover William with kisses; he just knew it and had no objection to it.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡As she came upon him she kissed his lips and cheeks. Gently she rubbed her silken tone down his chin. William who had closed his eyes opened them with a lustful look. She was kissing his neck when he saw she was a dead thing. Her black hair was now dirty and matted. Her hands that moments earlier had filled his heart with delight were bloody talons of bone.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡She wore no perfume except that of the rotting grave. Her blade teeth elongated into that of some fiendish monster. Worst of all was her cold kisses that sought Williams' corralled artery. William, who was unaccustomed to fear, was revitalized by this powerful yet odd emotion. With no thought William drew his dagger, which was a gift from his father, plunging deeply the silver blade into her neck severing her voice box and stifling any undead screams.

﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡Her blood exploded in a font. Covering William in sticky Gore he gasped. Around him he could feel the blood moving into him, changing him. The next evening at moonrise William knew his friends were dead and that he was some hellish fiend. Because the howling of the blood hunger was undeniable and denying it never even entered his thoughts.

So for eight hundred years William has fed on blood and adventure.


The present 6:00 p.m.

"Sunset is in 35 minutes," the computer said as the technological coffin opened,” our stocks..."
"I don't care about that. What about Kayock?" Williams said with sulfur burning eyes.
"In the matter of the prophecy," the computer said. "No new points have been discovered except the fact that last night satellite images picked him up near Little Rico."
"What was he doing?"
"Watching."
"Watching what?"
"Unknown, insufficient information. Satellite observations scans indicate it was not an immortal."
"Good," William said, smiling bringing his hands together. "I'll start tonight on him. Where was this all- at?"
"In IP 17 sector 3." the computer retorted in a confidence that only an unemotional machine is capable of doing.
"Bring up all data on Kayock and the prophecy." T here was an audible deep as the sophisticated machine began to read off the information.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡"Kayock was known to exist at least 1000 years BCE. He is the self-proclaimed father of immortals said to be the first of four creatures created by the mythical monster that created all vampires. Sometimes called death on a pale horse in ancient Egypt he was known by the name of Anubis. Other aliases including Joseph of Aramat and Tulif Culi.
His financial status is that of an untouchable. He is the founder of the guild. An association of immortals that are trying to develop human culture to Nirvana. Kayock is extremely adept at all forms of known mental abilities. His telepathic sensitivity is unmatched as well as his Tele- and Pyro- kinesis."
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡There were three clicks as the computer-changed angels from Kayock to the prophecy.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡"The prophecy of Chee. Traced in origins to the third dynasty of Egypt all precogs have seen it when looking upon the destinies of immortals. According to Guild historians a boy translated the true meaning of the prophecy 2000 years ago. The boy Isa is known in modern times as Jesus Christ.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡The prophecies’ wording is generally agreed upon as, “The child of the childless will rise when three of the four fall. As he cleanses the world of fire he will meet with the dark hart. If in this battle he is victorious than mankind will move forward as never before but if not it will end."
"Thank you," said William knowing from prior meetings this was it. "Are Kayock's whereabouts confirmed?"
"Negative. It is suspected he stays in his club but confirmation is not been established."
"Well... Give me a printing of last night's activities. Set compound to defense posture 3 and prepare my hardware."
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡William adorned the Teflon torso coverings strapped both automatic pistols to his hips and placed the 45 with silver hollow points in the back of his waistband. With fluid movements he put on his black duster and with no thought he placed his sword in the specially designed sheath that was concealed within the coat.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡"I think I’ll find something interesting tonight,” he said not expecting an answer but the zealous computer provided one any way.
"I believe so,” it said. Almost as an afterthought adding, "Careful sir."
"Of course baby. See you in the morning." Within a second he was to the door and into the night.
Kayock the Hunter

﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡Kayock sat in his fortress below the Manhattan nightclub worried. For seven years he has watched this boy and never once has he considered the contamination that being in the mere vicinity of him may pose. Yet near morning yesterday Kayock felt watched. Easily his mentalism told him that neither human nor immortal eyes gazed upon him. Still though he felt watched and the fact that no living or undead things were the cause only lightly eased his mind. After all his powers could never read a machine.
The speaker buzzes and a familiar voice said, "Greetings."

﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡"Thomas," Kayock said unable to keep the smile from his voice. With the flick of a switch the 4-ft thick titanium door lifted. From the gloom of the stairway, Thomas stepped forward. His six-foot frame was big and bold. Though he had the face of a middle-aged man his eyes were blue and innocent. And after all the accomplishments that this immortal being has done, nothing humbled Kayock so much as his eyes.
"What's going on tonight?" Thomas asked.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡"Something very bad, I think." Kayock said sighing at the end. Bringing both hands to his temples and Kayock rubbed his pale black skin. "Let's go." he said to Thomas
"OK. 274th and Carol. The old district. You might actually come in handy Tom for once." Kayock smiled as he rose from his Victorian chair. "Can you," keep up with what he was going to ask but the older looking immortal was already up the stairs and into the night.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡Kayock was out so fast mortal eyes could never have perceived him. As he was out and up into the dark sky’s the power of the night slightly eased his troubles. The 5-mi. trek was nearly instantaneous. As he arrived at the top of a building a block from his usual perch Thomas waited with the wind lapping briskly at his dark lapels.
"How did..." Thomas cut him off with that familiar shush gesture and pointed. As Kayock looked Thomas whispered.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡"William of Leon. Got here the same time as him but he's been preoccupied with... You're Saint maybe? "
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡"Probably," Kayock said. "I've been here a lot lately. He’ll run, follow him. Then call to me."
"Sure," Thomas said feeling the adrenaline from the anticipation of battle. Like all vampires blood and battle was what made undeath worth living through.


William and Kayock together

﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡William saw the black giant fall like a stone. As he struck the asphalt the world shuck and the ground depressed like that of a meteor hit. Easily William could make out the dark shape of Kayock. His eyes were red and burned with hatred. Though the handsome dark face was that of a boy it was a boy cut from ancient stone. His squared jaw held steady as William pulled his sword.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡"You found him haven't you. The boy, the prophecy where..."
Like a true and practiced warrior William went rigid as Kayock thrust his arms out in an almost comical motion. With the practiced moves of a showboat William twirled his sword near his own left leg then to the right and up over his head. William brought the blade down in an ark about 6 in. away from his own body it clanked and fell to the ground like it hit metal.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡With more than a little bit of horror William placed his palms out and touched the impenetrable wall of air. Rage filled him as he eased his hands across the six sides of his prison like some foolish park mime.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡William smiled at Kayock turning his point nose into an almost beakish look. Kayock could see the sudoplasmic wings connect themselves as William raised and bent his arms. Suddenly the crack house Kayock had been watching for months exploded in a fireball of destruction. The query, of both vampires, mercifully was elsewhere.
The blast rocked the world so greatly, Kayock’s concentration faltered and the prison dissolved from around William.
"Much ado," the pale blood drinker said as he lifted into the air.


That same day several hours before sunset



﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡The ordinary looking street kid known as Whisper screamed for sneaky T to stop the Cadillac they were in. Contrary to Whispers look he was far from ordinary. Blessed with the ability to know danger the car stopped immediately (the belief in their homie was that great).
"What's up Dog?" sneaky T Asked Whisper who sat in the back between Tweeks and Cholo.
"Something real bad," Whisper said concentrating trying to hold on to that feeling he called his spider sense. "Nobody's there now... But soon... That house... we gotta find a new one."
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡With that Sneaky T made a wide U-turn and they were all off to find another place to sell their shit.

Kayock and William part 2

﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡William was almost on the roof of his own building when Thomas wrapped his arms around the weak almost silken wings of the vampire William. The two crashed with a deafening clump in to the raised access to William stairway on the roof. William knew the scent of the immortal that attacked him. It was a Kayock's buddy, that impudent inventor Thomas Edison. Though the young immortal was strong for his age, he was no match for this fully armed, well minus one sword, eight hundred-year-old killer.

﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡As the two wrestled fiercely they began to tumble down the staircase and Thomas knew William had the upper hand. Especially when an earth-shattering blow to the face caused him to see a momentary flash. With all of Thomas's strength he tried for positioning, to jostle himself to the top, but it was useless he was no match for this monster.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡"After I kill you I’m going to get the boy," Williams sent telepathically to Thomas. This however barely registered in his mind because the level linoleum of William's personal home caused a cold sensation under Thomas' back. Again as they stopped William landed an even more powerful blow to Thomas’ face
. ﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡This time though as unconsciousness momentarily flashed into Thomas’ mind he became aware that the heavy weight of his attacker was no longer upon him. Sight came back to Tom as Kayock was tossing the bloody vampire named William with such force that the silver door crumpled.
﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡The jostle of flesh, blood, and bones that was William stared at Kayock. With an amazing amount of will the broken vampire raised the automatic pistol and pulled the trigger. The gun exploded as the second and third bullet collided with the first that sat suspended, by Kayock’s mentalism, in the barrel bringing William the true death.
Bloody shrapnel and meat fanned in all directions while Kayock said, "Wipe the computer." Thomas whom had already gotten to his feet and was rubbing his face knew exactly what to do. Kayock looked over Thomas’ shoulder as he installed a virus that would erase all information through the server and any others main frame it has been in contact with since its conception.

﷡﷡﷡﷡﷡The members of the C murder mobsters were not even surprised when the reports of e crack house that they had abandoned had exploded. That was the faith they had in their OG Whisper. Over the years that ability of this has saved all their lives numerously, not to mention it made them a powerhouse in the world of drugs as well as gang banging.
© Copyright 2002 Whisper (UN: kayock at Stories.Com). All rights reserved. Whisper has granted Stories.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.