Ok, so I don't own Raziel or any Soul Reaver Legacy Of Kain character! The only thing I own is Vera (and trust me, no one else would want her but me)! Again, I know I took creative liberties in the story. Please try to deal with it but if it's really hard for you I suggest you don't read it! I know how things really unfolded in the game, trust me, I just was having trouble and the way I wrote it was easiest and least confusing for me! I respect opinions and criticism just not overly mean "advice." Thank you and please enjoy!
"Ok, I am officially bored out of my mind!" I turned away from the window of our new- but crappy – house, tired of looking at the same green grass and blue sky that was Nosgoth. Don't get my wrong, I liked nature, but I was forbidden to leave the house and after a month of pretty landscape that you can never TRULY enjoy, it starts to feel like it's mocking you. "Why did we move here anyway?! And how?! Last thing I remember, an old guy I've seen you guys talk to like once a year came in, told you we HAD to leave, then stared at me in some pervy old dude way! Who was he and why did he make us leave?!"
"Vera," My mom started, narrowing her eyes in aggravation, "You ask this every time you get 'bored out of your mind.' And we always tell you…" She drifted off, waiting for me to finish, her darkened brown eyes staring expectantly at me.
I crossed my arms over my chest, then exaggerated my imitation of my mother to a high pitched screeched, "He's an old friend, this place is safest for the time being and he was NOT staring at you in 'some old dude pervy way'…Even though he was." I rolled my eyes, then went over to the deep blue couch in the middle of our living room, sitting beside my bitch of and older sister, Lily, which I never would've done had it not been for the TV in front of her.
"You're so annoying, Vera! It's not like it's THAT bad here! No school or any lameness like that! And it's only until that old guy comes back, so it's not like we're in Nothingsgoth forever!" Lily flipped her blonde hair back snottily, a disgusted look directed at me on her dumb, perfect face. And by perfect, I meant perfect.
My family was the most perfect group of people in the world. Mom had smooth, shoulder length blonde hair and soft brown eyes. She NEVER had a bad hair day in her life, let alone a bad make-up day, zit day, etc…She always looked perfect, like Lily. My Dad had short, always groomed light brown hair and baby blue eyes that turned icy whenever he was angry…They did a lot when I was around. Lily, as I said, inherited Mom's perfect complexion, hair (except her's was longer) and supermodel body.
And me? I got muddy brown hair, random dark blue eyes and a pale complexion so the zits I got stuck out like one of those houses that has Christmas decorations up in July, and as a sixteen year old girl, I got them A LOT.
"You know what?! Screw this! I've been stuck in this house for, like, a month and I'm sick of it! I'm leaving!" I snarled and walked to the door, my hand around the doorknob, glancing back one more time to see my family glaring back.
"No, you're not. There're dangerous things out in Nosgoth at night and I'll be damned if I'm going to let you meet them!" My father snapped, coming down from upstairs at the exact moment I started shouting.
Perfect timing.
"I thought this was 'the safest place for us.'" I air-quoted, scowling, and before they could respond, I stomped up to my room and slammed the door. I hated that they always ganged up on me!
I sat up in anger and frustration for a couple of hours (I was always filled with energy, which was part of the problem). All I could do was bounce a ball against the wall, fuming silently until everyone in my house was asleep.
It was time to put my plan into action.
Quietly, (or as quietly as possible- I tripped over my backpack and smacked my head on my desk) I put a few pairs of clothes, my iPod, a blanket, water and snacks in my backpack, then snuck down the stairs and out the door into the semi-darkness (Nosgoth never went completely dark).
I was finally free from the house! I looked around at the green I could never actually touch and suddenly felt more comfortable. Reaching down and running my hands through the cold and slightly damp grass, I wondered, what was my dad talking about when he said dangerous things were out here? I saw thriving trees to my right and left, not close enough to be considered a forest, but enough to keep the landscape from becoming barren. As I said, Nosgoth never went completely dark, but just enough to see a few dim stars in the night sky. The only complaint I had about the outside world was that it was a little chilly. I wrapped my arms around myself in a hug, preparing for my long journey. All I knew was I was VERY grateful I'd brought my purple sweatshirt.
After walking around for about an hour of beautiful landscape that stopped being beautiful after about twenty minutes and became very monotonous, I could feel my body starting to shut down and my throat getting dry. I stopped and took my backpack off, digging around until I found my bottle of fresh spring water. The first sip was like heaven and I couldn't wait to drink more, but before I could enjoy another, I was interrupted. From the corner of my eye I caught two huge shapes getting closer and closer.
I squinted to try and get a better look at what was coming toward me…And I still had no idea.
These things looked like giant dogs on steroids with rabies. They ran on all fours and were bulging with muscles, with glowing red eyes that were narrowed into slits. Their noses were crinkled and their teeth were bared, with white foam flowing from their mouths. I could hear growls coming from their lips.
So obviously, I was scared shitless.
I screamed and chucked my water bottle at them, which I knew wouldn't do crap AND wasted all my water but I was terrified. I ran like hell back in the direction I came from, hearing their panting getting closer and closer behind me. I could feel my heart pumping, and I knew I was going to run out of stamina soon, due to my month of being trapped inside the house without any real exercise. I gave up on life altogether, knowing I was as good as dead.
"I don't wanna be ripped apart by rabid dogs! My dream death is dying in a freak roller coaster accident mid-arm wave to the camera!" I was practically bawling, babbling to no one in particular when I realized I was no longer being chased. I turned and realized I was face to face with the back of a dude's head.
Wait…was it an actual guy? His hair was like a normal guys; black and cut short in the back, and he had this brown scarf around his neck, probably covering half his face - it was pulled up high and he was naked. I mean, there wasn't much to see, being that his body was literally a walking skeleton…only blue. His feet were just two pointy toes and his hands were three claws, his wrists wrapped in what looked like mummy wrap.
All in all, I didn't care what my savior looked like, as long as he was, well, saving me.
The dogs were distracted by this skeleton dude, realizing he was more of a challenge than a weak little teenager. They started to growl louder until one of them lunged at him.
The guy moved quickly, waving his right arm until a kind of bright green sword appeared from now where, seeming to engulf is arm. He jumped on top of the one while it was in mid-air, decapitated it, then jumped to the other who was still grounded, stabbing it through its back until it stuck out through the creature's chest. It gave one last yelp before the skeleton guy withdrew his weapon. The man's sword arm disappeared and from the bodies of the dogs bright white lights appeared, floating in round shapes until the skeleton man opened up his scarf a little, drawing the bright lights in until they disappeared.
"Whoa." Was all I could say, my mouth hanging open in shock. What had just happened?
The blue dude didn't even look at me; he just kept walking in the opposite direction. Sorta rude, but maybe he was anti-social. I could change that.
"Hey, wait up!" I yelled, chasing him until I was right next to him, staring into his face…er…whatever you'd consider white eyes surrounded by black; the rest of his face was covered by his brown scarf.
His eyes widened and he stared at me like he was seeing me for the first time. "Yeah…um…You saved my life. Thanks." I said awkwardly, waiting for him to stop staring and actually say something back. Instead, after a few more minutes of curious staring, he shook his head and walked faster, trying to get away from me. "Hey, wait! What's your name?"
I ran to him again, getting VERY annoyed but maintaining composure. I stopped directly in front of him, then shoved my hands out, touching his cold bone chest, partially covered by the scarf, the rest, blue ribcage.
His eyes widened in disbelief, first staring at my hands on his chest, then up at my face again. He looked like he was contemplating something, probably thinking Id leave him alone if he actually talked, and his chest rose a little, as if he was taking in air in preparation to speak. "I am Raziel." His voice was surprisingly smooth, kinda calming even though it was tinged with impatience. Sure enough, he sidestepped me and kept walking farther and farther away from me like I had a disease. I gritted my teeth in annoyance but continued to chase him, not giving up that easily.
"I'm Vera. I'm sixteen aaaaand I almost didn't get a chance to be any older than that, but thanks to you, I'll live another day. And I wanna make it up to you by saving you, like you did me."
Ok, this wasn't exactly true. I saw Raziel kick those gigantic things' asses and knew I needed that kind of protection. But what he knew wouldn't hurt him, right?
"I have dealt with you long enough." He stopped finally, his fists clenched and shaking, his blank eyes narrowed staring into mine. "How are you not afraid of me?! I have killed hundreds upon hundreds of little girls just like you! I am not some kind of human, who saved you because I felt guilty to let you die! I killed those creatures for my own personal gain!"
"…Diiiiid you know when you shake your head like that when you talk the two pieces of hair almost framing your face bounce?" I hadn't heard a word he'd said, distracted by his amazing hair.
His eyes widened again in disbelief as he tilted his head to the side in confusion. Then, they narrowed a second time. "What was that?"
"I said-" I started, but before I could repeat myself, he grabbed me by the throat and lifted me into the air. I flailed in panic, realizing I was close to dying again. "Let…go!" I tried to say, but he only gripped harder.
"I told you I could kill you, and I will if you don't leave me alone! You're lucky enough I got what I needed from those beasts." His glare drifted from my face down to my dark purple sweatshirt and then to my tight jeans, then his eyes returned to normal but he looked confused again. No that that mattered. He hadn't let go on my throat yet and I was sure I must've been turning the same shade of blue he was.
"Let…me…go!" I choked out and he loosened his grip a little but still held on, which didn't help at all.
"You are a very curious creature…Where is it you come from? Your clothing suggests anywhere but here and your lack of fear for me…I don't understand it…unless…Where you come from things…that look like me…are common?" His head tilted to the side again curiously, which I found kind of cute the first time, but now that he was holding my throat, I didn't think it was so adorable.
"Let…go…and…I'll…tell…you!" I gasped like a fish out of water and finally, he dropped me on my butt to the ground. "Ow!" I shouted then scowled at him, but told him what I promised I would, all the while rubbing my throat, "I live…lived in a place called New York…It's LOADS better than this boring green flatland, that's for sure…Then some pervy old guy with an eight on his head told me and my family we had to move then…I don't know, we just ended up here." I shrugged bitterly, getting up and wiping the dirt off my jeans, scowling down at the ground.
"Eight…You mean a sideways infinity symbol?…That could only be…Moebius?! What could he possibly want with you?" Raziel pondered, suddenly sounding more interested in me, for once talking to me like I was a person. "Perhaps having you with me will come of use…"
Wow, well I guess that old dude was more popular than I thought. And I guess Raziel is pretty interested in him. And I ALSO guess that because Moebius is interested in ME, Raziel is, too! Man, I am good! And because I knew that, I also knew I could get more out of this situation now. "Weeeeeell, I don't know. If you're so into me being away from you, I should just go." I turned and made like I was going to start walking in the opposite direction, but he grabbed my arm, a lot lighter than when he had my throat. His claw was as cold as his chest bone had been, and I had to admit, the three sharp talons that were his fingers felt kinda weird, but I was really enjoying the sudden attention.
"Wait…Come with me…" He cringed a little, "Please." He was obviously uncomfortable and annoyed to be saying these words to me, but I happily realized he meant them.
"Ok. Under one condition…Can we camp here for the night? I've been up for a while and I'm tired as hell!"
"…What?" He asked, his eye almost twitching in annoyance, drawing his hand back from my wrist.
"Hey, you're the one that thinks I'll 'be of use' buuuuut I won't be of use with no sleep! So let's stay here!...Unless you'd rather have me leave…" I put my hands on my hips with a little smile, knowing I'd won.
He glared for a few seconds, then looked down as his awesome hair covered his face from my view, "…Fine. But we wake up early tomorrow morning, no exceptions. You've delayed me long enough."
"What important place would a walking blue skeleton have to be?" I snapped instantly feeling anger building up in my chest, annoyed with his talking to me like I was an irritating animal again.
"If you must know," He started, ignoring my insult and not even bothering to look at me, "I am going to see a vampire by the name of Janos Audron. He will answer some vital questions for me."
"Vampire?" I asked excitedly, feeling my eyes light up. "They exist? That's sooo cool! Are they like Edward Cullen? Or are they jerks? Are they handsome? Jeez, my dad said there were monsters outside but I thought he only said that to keep me in the house!"
Raziel looked confused, then shook his head, not bothering to try and comprehend what I'd said, "Just…Go to sleep. I don't want to waste any more time."
I sighed heavily, my questions unanswered. He seemed pretty stubborn about this and even though I reeeally wanted to know, I'd already got him to stop for the night, and I knew even that was pushing it, "Ok…Fine." I took the blanket out of my backpack, then lifted my sweatshirt over my head and curled it into a ball, lying down with it as my pillow. "Goodnight, Raziel. You seriously HAVE to tell me about vampires in the morning…if I wasn't so tired I'd ask now…" I said while yawning, my tiredness catching up to me.
I faded off into sleep before I could hear his response.
Raziel
I was filled with anger and annoyance when that small but loud girl finally shut her mouth.
Honestly, I had no idea how I avoided killing her; it was very difficult. But, if she was essential to Moebius, I wasn't going to pass up a chance to be ahead of him in some way. I knew the old man was tricky, and as a Time Streamer, who could appear in whichever time he wanted, I already was a few steps behind. Moebius did not want me to figure out my destiny but wanted me instead to remain a slave to the Elder God, a being who raised me from death and wished me to fully submit to his will…I was no one's slave, but the three of us had a common enemy…
After I had left the untrustworthy Moebius' retreat, I was on a quest to find out my mysterious fate. I had planned on going it alone. Unfortunately, this was not the case anymore. Even so, this Vera, in some small way, made me want her to be around me…Why was this? I wondered in surprise, then came up with a few logical possible explanations:
First, I was becoming weak and wanted socialization no matter who it was…Though that seemed unlikely…Even since I'd become this…thing I'd preferred to be alone.
Second, she was not afraid of me. She looked at my disfigured body as if it were normal.
Third, sleeping, the girl looked peaceful, quiet, almost…cute?
What the hell was wrong with me? I was being unreasonably pathetic. This feeling was strange; one I had not felt in all my years of life…or death. It had to be due to the fact that I had not had an actual conversation with a human in centuries…It could not be anything else.
I looked over at the 16 year old again. Strands of her long, straight dark brown hair were in her closed mouth. Without even thinking, I reached out to move it out. I froze, stared from my distorted claw to her pale, soft face and instantly became angry.
"This is not me." I spoke aloud, disgusted with myself, "Damn…" I shook my head, then turned away from her and scowled off into the grass covered landscape of Nosgoth until morning.
"Mmm…" I heard a groggy voice and turned around, almost forgetting about the teenager behind me, completely lost in my own thoughts, which ranged from Moebius' time portal, which had sent me to this time, the past, to Kain, a vampire whom I was out to kill. The whole reason I jumped into the portal in the first place was to chase him down. It was useful to be in the past for more reasons than one, however. At this time the infamous vampire Janos Audron was still alive. I knew he had answers I sought about my mysterious future, and it was an added bonus to chase down Kain as well. Though dragging along this girl might make things go slower.
"Ahhh…" Vera stretched her arms in the air, then she looked at me, eyes half closed, hair in knots. "Hey, Raz, did you sleep at all last night?"
Raz? No one had ever called me that name…Why did this girl have to make me feel this way? This emotion must be immense annoyance. That's all it could be. "Don't call me that." I snapped, irritated by her stupidity. "And no, I do not need sleep."
Her large blue eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock. "That's…so…COOL!" She hopped up and put her purple sweatshirt back on over her red camisole, suddenly rejuvenated. "So, about the vampires-"
I cut her off, sensing that if I let her talk, she wasn't going to stop anytime soon. "We need to get to Janos Audron. Save your needless prattling for another time." I started walking, impatient to get to the vampire and also slightly annoyed at the feeling I could not seem to figure out.
"Well excuuuuuuse me! Maybe you should get some sleep every once in a while if your gunna be cranky all the time!" She threw her backpack over her shoulder, glared at me, then rubbed at her eyes. "It's soo early! If you're gunna be like this the entire day I'm listening to my iPod."
"i…What?" I asked, grudgingly curious. I turned and watched her dig into her bag and pull out a small, white object.
"Music player. Nyaaaah!" She stuck her tongue out at me and put little cords into her ears, "Now I can drown out your negativity with THIS!" She pressed a button on the device and I heard a clicking noise. Suddenly and without warning she burst out into song…if you could call it that, "If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain, if you're not into yoga, if you have half a brain, if you like makin' love at midnight by the dunes of the cape, then I'm the lady you've looked for, write to me and escape!"
Though the lyrics and tune were irritating, I found Vera's singing voice to be…nice. I suppose in tune is a better description… The singing went on for about five minutes as we walked, and I resisted the urge to stop her, knowing that would lead right back to her talking to me about vampires and due to my unpleasant past as one of those vile creatures, I was in no mood to explain, as it would undoubtedly come up.
"Raz, how long is it gunna be? I'm seriously booored. Like, bored enough to talk to YOU with your neagtiveness…ness." She took out the cords in her ears and placed her music player into her bag again.
"See that?" I motioned to the giant mountain in front of us. From where we were, the castle that Janos lived in looked smaller than a cottage. I saw Vera squint at it, then her already large eyes got larger. "THAT far?! Awww, maaaan! AND I gotta climb a mountain?!"
"No. There is a trail twisting around the mountain we can walk. Here." I walked along the base of the mountain until I saw the beginning of the dirt path. I looked back at Vera who now seemed relieved, then I started up the trail.
"Why would ANYONE build a house on top of a mountain?! That's, like, the ultimate in anti-social. And what about if he wants to get groceries…eerr…food? He's gotta run all the way down this path, into some random village and then grab someone, run 'em all the way back here, drink their blood, then get rid of the body…Maybe he's worried about his weight so he wants to burn the calories? Still, a human can't have THAT many-"
"He's got wings." I interrupted before she could go off anymore. Honestly, the things this girl comes up with…If I hadn't killed those dogs before they killed her, I wouldn't be dealing with her now…And even if she HAD survived the dogs, something else would've gotten to her by now…She was so weak, so unprepared so-
I heard a slight cracking noise from above me which distracted me from my thoughts. Strange…I did not know the cause of this, unless some rocks from the top had broken from the mountain and were tumbing down…In which case they'd land…right on top of me.
"Raz, look out!" Vera screamed, throwing her hands out in panic and fear.
Stupid me. If I had taken the time to move, instead of thinking the entire thing out, I wouldn't be getting crushed by rocks right now…Wait a minute…Why wasn't I being crushed by rocks right now?
I looked above me. The large, round rocks were above my head, as expected, but they weren't moving. What was happening?
"Uh…Raz?" I heard Vera's voice, which was quiet for once and turned to see her. The look on her face was one of wide-eyed wonder. She was staring down to her hands, which were still out but were glowing a bright blue. "What…what is this?" She asked, looking back up at me.
I was as unsure as her about the whole thing. "I do not know…My only guess is that you could be sorceress…Although that is highly unlikely, because if you were a sorceress…Your powers would have more than likely developed at a younger age…Unless someone put a seal on your magic…Even so…You are not from Nosgoth…You are human born…But Moebius is invested in you….Hmm…Until we find out some answers, make your powers scarce. Only use them when you have to, alright?"
I looked up at the teenager to find her beaming at me with the snout of a pig. Had she listened to a word I said? I shook my head and continued up the hill as the rocks fell behind us.
"Hahaha!" She laughed at my reaction, snorting between each breath. "Ok, ok, I heard you, Raz." She touched her nose again and it returned to normal. "This is just soo cool! I'm not just a plain, average girl anymore! I'm like you!"
I cringed a little at her comparison. No, she did not want to be like me. I had to resort to killing things and sucking out their souls for sustenance. I was different from humans, alright. They hated me, every one of them. Terrified I was going to kill them, they joined together to try and kill me every time I entered a village. It was then that I had to kill them. I did not fit in with humans or vampires…I was a disgusting wraith, feeding off of the souls of the dead…but at least I had free will. No one could strip me of that.
"Wow…using my powers really makes me tired…" I heard Vera say drowsily from behind me. "I think I'm just gunna rest a little before we get to Janos'…Is it ok if we go a little slower? I don't think I'll be able to walk AND talk at the same time for very long…"
That was alright with me.
The trail's dirt path reminded me of the Nosgoth I knew, from the future. This was the past, and that meant it was before the time of Kain, my enemy for many reasons. Here, it was green and beautiful and balance was restored to the land. I noticed the pillars were off in the distance…The Pillars…Each pillar represented a different element of society and each also had a Guardian. The most important Pillar of the five was the Balance Pillar. This Pillar was what kept Nosgoth this green and beautiful. However, the Balance Guardian was murdered and Kain was the one chosen to be the next Balance Guardian. To balance out the murder with a willing sacrifice would keep the land thriving. However, Kain refused to kill himself for his own selfish reasons. The Pillars collapsed and Nosgoth becomes a barren wasteland of death and destruction.
Vera had no idea how lucky she was to be in this time. I did not know why Moebius placed her here, but there had to be a reason, and I was going to find out…Even if she did not know herself.
When we got to the top of the mountain I was surprised at how short the time seemed to go by…It must've been because Vera, who was getting paler and paler as the trail continued, had stopped talking.
Using her powers had sucked the life out of her momentarily, which should be expected for a new magic user. Still, I could not believe that Vera, a sixteen year old, weak, immature, unintelligent girl would suddenly be given powers…Her powers were unlocked when she tried to save me…I had heard that, like an adrenaline rush, powers are released from the body when someone the person cares about is in danger…Vera cares about me…Hmm…I did not know how I felt about that.
"Vera, do you-" I started, but the doors to the large castle flew opened and a beaming blue vampire greeted us.
"Raziel! It's nice to finally make your acquaint-Oh! Hello!" He looked at Vera in slight surprise with another smile, then stuck out his hand. "I'm Janos Audron. It's a pleasure to have you at my home!"
Vera smiled back and laughed a little, and I noticed their hands were touching longer than a normal handshake. The feeling inside me let loose in unexplained anger. "I'm Vera."
"My, Raziel, the prophecy did not foretell of you bringing such a beautiful, young girl with you to my humble abode." Janos looked at me again, the huge, bright white smile still on his lips.
"Right." I was instantly annoyed by Janos' flirtatiousness with my…(my what? Annoyance? Aggravation?) Vera. It was because he was not taking my visit seriously…right? Of course. I had come here seeking answers and Janos was focused on the teenager following me around. "Janos, please give me some answers."
"Of course…Just…May I have time to speak with Vera?" He smiled again, and suddenly, I wished I had a jaw, so I could flash teeth like that and get the attention of…What the hell was wrong with me?!
"Yes. Fine. Sure." I sighed in frustration. I suppose I had all the time in the world with Janos. I just was not a very patient person.
Vera
"What? Why me?" I asked, confused, blushing a little. Janos certainly had a way with introductions. While Raziel ignored most of the things I said or did, it seemed like Janos couldn't stop looking at me.
But I was still in shock from the size of Janos' house, let alone the hospitable vampire who lived in it! It was gigantic, with stone flooring and gold covered dome-like ceiling. It had a giant wood table to the right, which only had two chairs and a chandelier above it and to the left of the table was a giant bush-like plant. On the stone walls were lots of candles that kept the place light and inviting. Straight ahead of us was a hallway that led even farther down into the huge castle.
"I have important things to discuss with you…If you don't mind of course." The tall, dark blue vampire looked into my blue eyes with his brown ones, politely waiting for my response. I guess you could've called Janos handsome. He had angel-like wings, but they were black, and his hair was black with tinges of gray near his ears. His clothes were more robe-like than anything else, and his exposed arms were muscular.
"Yeah, that's fine." I smiled again, noticing his was contagious. No one had ever given me so much attention before and I loved it.
"Come with me." He took my hand, and led me away from the wooden double door entrance. I took one last glance at Raziel to see his eye twitch a little, then he folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall.
Once we were down the candle lit hall and around a corner, Janos let go of my hand. "Alright, Vera, I'm very sorry to have had to invade your personal space like that, but it is very important Raziel realizes how much you mean to him and I needed to…accelerate the process a bit." His blue skin glowed with a blush as he sat down on a chair that was against the wall and gestured me to sit in the one beside him.
What, was he talking about me? And Raziel? I thought he wanted to talk about my powers. Raziel didn't give two craps about me! "Raziel doesn't give two craps about me, Janos." I said with certainty, still feeling a bit drained from my use of magic, which reminded me, "You don't want to talk about my sorcery?"
"What sorcery?" Janos' eyes widened in shock and surprise as he looked at my hands, then up at my face for explanation.
"I used magic for the first time in my life trying to save Raziel from falling rocks. Raziel said I might be a sorceress. I didn't know it was real and I didn't know how I used it but it happened! Do you have any idea what went on?" It was worth a shot asking for Janos' opinion, the way Raziel was talking about him he seemed like the vampire Albert Einstein.
"Wow…This…This was never mentioned in the prophecy. Vera," He grabbed my shoulders and looked me in the eyes again. "Your existence is very important. It could change the outcome of Raziel's very future. I am the guardian of the sword the Soul Reaver, and it is a big part of Raziel's unfortunate fate. Stay with him, no matter what, alright, Vera?" He closed his eyes and gripped my shoulders tighter "...You are a sorceress…and I can feel the seal on you. Whoever put it on you is a powerful sorcerer himself…You'll be able to use it when you most need it. Just…remember what I said about Raziel, alright? He does care about you, even though he does not seem show it. Watch him." He took my hand again and we walked back up the hallway. Raziel straightened up from the wall and glared at our held hands, then at Janos…Maybe the vampire was right…No, he couldn't be. Raziel only wanted me around because that old guy Moebius was interested in me. He said so himself.
"I apologize for the delay, Raziel. Now, where do you want to start?" Janos beamed at the scowling blue skeleton man, but before he could respond, the door was slammed open and six silhouettes stood before us. "No!" Janos hurled his hand out and Raziel went flying backward to the nearest corner and into darkness, out of sight from the six bulky shadows. "Behind the plant, Vera!" The vampire's eyes didn't leave the entrance where the six men stood.
I didn't want to leave Janos alone to deal with them, but the expression on his face and the way his voice sounded made me dive behind the potted bush without question.
"Men, watch a master in his craft!" A man stepped forward with a horrible machine in one hand and his other outstretched toward Janos, moving slowly and obviously relishing every second of the encounter.
The old vampire looked to the floor, then up at the man, his eyes blank. "Vera, don't make a sound." He said quietly, without turning. As he finished his order, the man ran at him slamming him against the nearby table, jamming the machine into his chest and ripping his rib cage apart. I gasped in horror at the sight of his large, beating black heart. The vampire's face was wretched with pain and agony, and he turned his head away from his open chest as his blue face turned grey.
"No!" I whispered, covering my mouth to not yell and obey Janos' last wish. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. My eyes shut tightly and I wished harder than I've ever wished before that what was happening wasn't happening.
Then, the evil, disgusting man ripped the heart out of my new friend's chest. I couldn't even believe it. The other five men whooped in victory as the first man held the heart up. "NO!" I screamed in aguish, and the men's voices were suddenly cut short.
"What was that?" The largest one asked, his voice sounding like there was no brain inside his head at all.
"I'll check it out, brother." Another shadow stepped forward, getting closer and closer to me.
I curled into a ball trying to stay hidden for as long as I could but sobbing hysterically and trying to stay as quiet as I could behind the plant, wondering why Raziel wasn't doing or saying anything. He didn't seem to like Janos but no one deserved the horrific death the vampire had just experienced!
"It's a…girl? Raziel, it's a little girl crying…What do I do?" I heard the man in front of me say, puzzled.
Raziel?! What?! I looked up to see a pale man, his head tilted to the side as he looked at me, his brown eyes swirling in thought. He looked like he was going to say something to me, then looked toward the horrible leader instead.
"Bring her here, Rahab." Yes! It sounded like Raziel! But…I looked to the dark corner Janos hurled my Raziel into and saw him throwing himself against an invisible force field Janos must have put up before he died, not trusting Raziel not to get caught. Guess I wasn't as important as him….Was it cuze I wasn't blue or something?
"Right. I just…haven't dealt with women…really…" Rahab started loud, then got quieter as he awkwardly reached for my arm. I wasn't going to let him get me THAT easy!
"NO! Y-you j-just k-killed my f-friend!" I hopped up and jumped back quickly, tears running down my face. I'd never had anyone die in front of me before, and it gave me a horrible feeling in my stomach that I hadn't done anything to help him.
"Look, little girl, we won't hurt you. We'll take you back to the castle with us…Girls like castles right?" Rahab crouched down and started walking closer and closer as I backed farther and farther away from him and closer to the back wall. "It doesn't even matter! We saved you from the most infamous vampire in history! Come with us now!" He was getting impatient and angry and so was I. This guy looked so full of himself, especially for not knowing anything about girls. And I knew he wasn't as nice as he was trying see, especially if he was friends with the jerk who just killed Janos.
"I'm a sorceress and I'll hurt you with my magic if you take a step closer to me!" I screamed and finally took a look at the other Raziel that had killed Janos.
He had the same hairstyle as my friend, but he was human, not a blue skeleton. His eyes looked cold and dark and he was smirking at me, still holding Janos' heart. When he heard what I said, he threw his head back and laughed loudly. "You?! A Sorceress?!" The other men laughed with him, including the loser Rahab who had stopped trying to grab me due to his large amusement in what I said.
"You won't be laughing NOW!" I threw my hands out at them, wishing them all to burst into flames, but all that happened was a red fire-like glowing on my palms. And "fire-like" wasn't good enough. "Poop." I sighed in disappointment, knowing I was beat. I expected to hear their laughter again, but instead, only stunned silence.
"Ra-Raziel…She doesn't lie…Did you see her hands glow like fire?" The dumb and biggest of the men looked astonished as he stared at me but before I could try to intimidate them with more sucky magic like pull a quarter out from behind one of their ears since my actual magic wasn't working (it'd be worth a shot!), I heard a small step in front of me. I turned just in time to see Rahab with his sword lifted over my head.
Then, nothing.
