Moth Cathedral

Sister Mary exchanges a look with the Priest, and then lowers her weapon. Slowly, the priest hovers towards the alter, his long garments fluttering behind him. He stands above the injured man and looks kindly upon him. "Acknowledgment and confession of one's sins are the first steps to redemption."

As he spoke, a pair of feathered wings came into view from behind the holy man. They were abnormally large, hunching from his shoulders and sweeping across the marble alter. The man suddenly resembled a dove preparing to take flight, as his wings gently fluttered into a relaxed position.

"Rise, son of man" said the Priest. "I will heal your wounds, then we can discuss the nature of the beast within"

He slowly and shakily got to his feet, he looked at Sister Mary, "I'm sorry..." he turned back to the Priest, "thank you...for even just agreeing to hear me out...the chains I assure you are not for your protection, attacking a man who has probably taken down demons thrice times more powerful than myself would be suicide, they are for my own peace of mind..."

The Priest then held out his arm across the Doctor's forehead. "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, I restore your health. Stand now and be cured off your bodily wounds"

((If the Doctor can see energy waves, he might notice a faint white aura pulsating from the Priest's hand and over his body, as the bullet wounds, internal and external injuries quickly disappear.))

He slowly stood and blinked, "wow...that's just...wow...thank you..." he let out a soft sigh, breathing nolonger hurt but the pain still coursed through his body thanks to being on holy ground

"The decision to repent and give your life to Christ is one of great weight Doctor, so firstly, let us establish exactly what sort of beast possesses you to attack the innocent" asked the Priest, his wings disappearing.

Smirks.

"Well to be precise it's two, an odd thing I know but my life is filled with odd occurances and misfortune. The first is an atypical beast, a Lycanthrope, that I had control of most of the time, there were times I would blackout and not remember what I had done, only to realise I was stained in blood..."

He sighed, "the second I did to myself, the Ashkentay demon ascension rites, it would appear this demon part of me is an Incubus, I have been told by a friend of mine who happens to be a Succubus, though she has far far more control over her demon side than I do of mine...those are my beasts Father...is there anything you can do?"

"Father, I know that lycanthropy is the ability to undergo transformation into a wolf, but exactly what type of demon is an incubus?" asked Sister Mary, clutching her gun tighter than she should.

"The incubus is a demon in male form, or in this case, inside a male, who lies upon sleepers, especially women, in order to have sexual intercourse with them. They usually do this in order to spawn other incubi." the Priest answered, watching the Doctor closely. "The incubus drains energy from the woman on whom it performs sexual intercourse in order to sustain itself. Repeated intercourse with such a spirit by either males or females, a succubus, may result in the deterioration of health, or even death. So the question is Doctor, were you... forced or did you accept these demons willingly?"

Sister Mary smiled, clearly holding back giggles. "So in other words, where you rap ed?"

"Sister Mary Stevens!" the priest rasped, but the gun-wielding nun deflected on an innocent face, "its a perfectly logical phrasing" she said.

"for starters the Ashkentay Demon ascension rites were used, I didn't know what kind of demon I was going to be end up with, it was more a kind of pick and hope for something that isn't really, really nasty....I think I got off lightly being turned into an Incubus...there are much, much worse things that I could of been turned into alrighty..."

He shook his head.

"That's the problem...I am part of that demon, hence ascension, an ascension TO demonhood...rather than sharing a body with a demon...when I say beasts within...I mean that the part of me that is a demon keeps whispering in my head to get me to do dark and evil things I'd rather not go into with a lady present..."

The priest spoke softly. "Why, did you choose so willingly to worship and then accept a demon Doctor Johnson? By these actions, you condemn your own soul into damnation!" Sister Mary disappears behind a door.

He smirked, "it seemed like such a good idea at the time..." he looked to the priest, "after becoming the Lycanthrope I found that I simply couldn't control my actions at times, I..I think I murdered four people, brutally, I though that perhaps it would be better to have an evil I could control, in place of a beast I could not, the power of a demon giving me control over the beast in me. what I hadn't bargained for was that while the beast is savage, it is pure in it's nature, only to hunt and to kill, the demon sees this and I hear whispers in my head, the beast wanting to kill and the demon seeking to have me lose what little self control I have and give in..."

"That has to be the stupidest thing I've heard in a very long time Doctor. But I am glad that you've decided to seek the good Lord" said the Priest, in monotone. "The good news is, you have shown great faith in God so far, so I will be able to cure you. Together, you and I can banish your demons to serve your faith until death. Do you understand what I am saying, is this what you want?"

he paused, "yes it was incredibly stupid...so your saying that I have to do the lord work until I die...which would very well be until the day of judgement, correct?"

"Almost correct. Technically, you have chosen to become a demon, however, through prayer we can bind your soul to your faith. This means, so long as you believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, and continue to believe, you will live as a servant of God; a redeemed demon; an angel so to speak" said the Priest. "It is a heavy decision to make, it must come from the heart. You must truly speak your sins and then accept Jehovah as your God and Christ as your Saviour. The transition may or may not be instantaneous, similarly to the healing of your wounds, it will depend mainly on the strength of your faith."

Outside, a storm strikes the earth; lightning and thunder begin to dance. Sister Mary Stevens reappears, carrying a large, old wooden crate marked with a cross. She places it near the Priest and proceeded to lighting candles. She then approached the huge windows, and began to shut them, one by one.

The Priest continues, "you were almost correct because as a servant of God, you are immortal, granted the gift of everlasting life; you will continue to work according to His will until the day of Judgment, just like myself. Unless of course you loose faith, at which point you shall inevitably be banished to the Netherworld, as a demon... forever." On his last word, a thunderclap struck, the noise echoing through the Church.

He breathed a heavy sigh, the descision was difficult, "You know I never did read the bible..." he let out a soft chuckle, "I'm going to need some tutoring Father but...if this is to stop me becoming what I know I will become...then I guess it must be done."

He paused a second.

"There are...problems...though...I'm a known criminal, there are more than a few heroes that would like to see me arrested, how can I remain here without going back to Prison, I spent four years there...it's...not something I want to repeat if I don't have to..."

He looked at the Priest, "I want to change, I really do, I want to use this curse for something greater than petty thefts...but what am I to do, stepping foot outside this cathedral in daylight is suicide...there's this heroine...she...she's gunning for me, even if I change, she'll still come for me.."

"I operate under the laws of God and outside the laws of man, Doctor Mechano." said the Priest. "But I do well to keep the Court pleased. If you renew your faith, you will no longer be a criminal in the eyes of the Lord. However, Mathew 5 verses 23 and 24 teaches us to confess our wrong doings to those we have offended, and offer onto them a gift in order to repent our sins. As far as the Church is concerned, these acts will cleanse you off your sins. Afterwards, you are welcomed to stay at our monastery." At this, Sister Mary who was struggling to shut the great doors quickly turned to send a questioning look at the Priest. The man returned a comforting look and continued "If the Court will not allow it, then you must do your time in prison as punishment for your past crimes. However, we will pray that they be lenient and allow you to live and work under the supervision of the Church. I am very glad you have decided to redeem yourself Doctor Mechano, there is no greater joy than to see a man rethink his evil ways. Are there any further questions before we begin?"

Again, thunder struck. The heavy rain could be heard beating violently against the glass windows, now hidden behind wooden shutters.

((by the way, read my edited post above. I have to go to work now, be back later tonight))

He shook his head, "if I am to become a servant of Him I shall become His sword, to defend the weak when no other will defend them, to uphold His law in every path of my eternal life, if this is the price to pay to stop myself becoming a beast of murder and sin, then the price, no matter how heavy, must be paid. I never was a truly evil man you understand...it wasn't until now I realised what evil really was..."

He looked upto the Priest, "begin, begin so that I may seek redemption through your teaching and his graces, begin so that I may seek to prove myself worthy of redemption come the day of judgement, eternal servitude is nothing compared to the eternal damnation I would face...please..begin..."

"Alright then" said the priest, bending over the wooden crate. He produced eight candles and then climbed down the alter towards a small, eight-sided baptismal pool. Carefully, he positions the candles on eight stands and lights them up. Sister Mary had finished closing all the windows and now approached the great doors. The storm outside had become so thick that she struggled against the wind, just trying to shut the doors.

"Doctor, if you would like to step into the pool please" said the priest. "There will be some... things that may or may not happen when you enter the holy water so, brace yourself and don't be startled. One, the holy water may burn you severely. Two, the pool will most likely turn to blood the instant you enter, it will boil and it will be incredibly thick, depending on the number of innocents you have killed and the weight of your sins. Three, you may begin to hallucinate, you will see walking bodies of your victims, ghosts and spirits, they may try to attack you, just make sure you stay in the pool; it'll all be in your mind. Four, the experience might trigger the demons within. In this case, I will have no other choice but to do battle; again, you must be kept in the pool. However, the most important thing is that you stay attentive and repeat every English word that I read. If you seize to respond, I can only read louder and hope you can still hear me. If this is clear, enter the pool."

With slow heavy footsteps he made his way into the pool. As soon as he stepped within it he could feel the burning sensation, gritting his teeth and breathing deeply, clenching his chained fists tightly, he could hear sizzling flesh but he knew he had to ignore it, closing his eyes and biting down on his lip.

The priest produced a Bible from his side pockets and began incantations. "Repeat after me. Heavenly Father, by the power of your Holy Spirit, you give to your faithful people new life in the water of baptism." As the priest spoke, the thunder outside seemed to roar in disagreement. The great doors are suddenly blown open by the wind and Sister Mary falls on her back. The priest urges the doctor to concentrate. "Repeat it!"

((Mention if the water turned to blood, if the Doc sees the dead walking and falling and if later, the demon takes over. I'll leave all that to you Doc if you want those things to happen.))

"Heavenly Father, by the power of your Holy Spirit, you give to your faithful people new life in the water of baptism." He gritted his teeth whispers of the demon ravaging at his mind, the water turning into thick blood. He fought the urge to move out of the water, he must, for his own sake

The priest continued, raising his voice above the storm. "Guide and strengthen us by the same Spirit, that we who are born again may serve you in faith and love, and grow into the full stature of your Son, Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit now and for ever. Repeat."

"Guide and strengthen us by the same Spirit, that we who are born again may serve you in faith and love, and grow into the full stature of your Son, Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit now and for ever."

He shut his eyes tightly, his body shaking and quivering from the pain, he feared opening them for what he would see.

The priest continued to explain. "In baptism, God calls us out of darkness into his marvellous light. To follow Christ means dying to sin and rising to new life with him. In your case demon, this is not a metaphor. When I submerge you, you will die for deciding to turning against the devil, but when you emerge, you shall become an angel of God and the darkness of your curse shall be lifted. The water will clear and you shall see the dead no more. Doctor, I ask you now... Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God?"

With his eyes still clamped together, the Doctor muttered in response. "I reject them." Suddenly, the ground nearby is struck by lightning. The electricity inside the cathedral fades out, the light bulbs shatter instantly and the darkness takes over. Still, with the eight candles shining over the priest and the demon, the baptism continues. The holy man raises his voice even more.

"Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil?"

"I renounce them." said the Doctor.

"Do you repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour?"

"I repent of them."

"Do you turn to Christ as Saviour?"

"I turn to Christ."

"Do you submit to Christ as Lord?"

"I submit to Christ."

"Do you come to Christ, the way, the truth and the life?"

"I come to Christ."

The priest lowers his gloved hands into a small bowl and coats a finger with anointing oil. Slowly, he reaches for the Doctor's forehead to sign the cross upon him.

"Christ claims you for his own. Receive the sign of his cross" the priest mutters, placing the oil on the Doctor's forehead. Suddenly, the man's face becomes contorted with rage, anger and a mixture of all other evil emotion. His facial muscles are pulled, stretched and exaggerated into a demonic form.

"Peto abyssus! Peto abyssus!" the demon screams, trying to break free of his chains while gnawing his sharp teeth at the priest. "Vos misellus mancipium! Licentia nos exsisto! Vos mos non verto nos, pro nos es plures!" Suddenly, he casts his gaze upon Sister Mary who had finally managed to shut the great doors. The demons jumps around inside the holy water, splashing blood across the marble floors. The incubus shakes his waist about, lashing his manhood side to side like a serpent whip. Still, it appears he was compelled spiritually to stay within pool. The priest produces a small, gleaming cross that shone upon the demon as he prayed in Latin.

"Operor non erubesco fateor fides Sarcalogos crucius. Pugna fortiter ut a discipulus Sarcalogos obviam sin, orbis terrarum quod diabolus, quod subsisto fidelis ut Sarcalogos ut terminus vestri vita." He then repeated the prayer in English. "Do not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified. Fight valiantly as a disciple of Christ against sin, the world and the devil, and remain faithful to Christ to the end of your life. May almighty God deliver you from the powers of darkness, restore in you the image of his glory, and lead you in the light and obedience of Christ."

Now the priest paused, waiting to see if the prayer had worked, to see if the demon would calm.

He panted hard...his eyes slowly returning to normal but remaining in his demonic form, he looked up at the Priest, "please...continue..." he suddenly found himself stripped off his ability to shapeshift...stuck in his demonic form. He clenched his fists and squeezed his eyes so very tightly shut. He could feel the bloodied water still burning him, the sound of sizzling flesh reaching his ears.

The priest thrusts the cross closer to the demon's face. "Edward Johnson, is this your faith?" he asked.

"Yes... this is my f-f- f-aith. Faith" the demon gasps.

Slowly, the priest places his gloved hands on the demon's right shoulder and also across his back. He helps him to his knees and gently began to submerge him.

"Edward Johnson, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" said the priest, before lowering the demon deep into the holy water. At that precise moment, lightning strikes the roof of the Cathedral and the windows shatter into a million pieces, showering the interior with deadly shards of broken glass. The wooden shutters had been flung clear off their hinges and the great doors fried into splinters. However, as though by divine intervention, both Sister Mary and the Priest stood quiet still and calm, somehow without a single cut from the flying pieces of glass. From outside, the storm gave a final roar as though the devil himself was swearing vengeance against the holy man. The rain disappeared as quickly as it had come and both lightning and thunderclouds dispersed from the horizon, leaving a midnight sky dotted with shining stars; God's own artwork across a canvas of empty space.

The water inside the baptismal pool soon cleared, instead of blood was a clear, colourless liquid, glistening in the candlelight. The priest quickly bent low and placed a gloved hand upon the new born angel, who was probably drowning by now.