The Wraithen Threat

The novel version of RP2, originally posted on the Eidos Legacy of Kain forums

Contributed to by, in order of appearance:

Colder-Than-Ice (Izael)

Steele (Lukien)

Angel of Music (Luciano the barkeeper)

HolyMoses (Lent)

Veronica Ma (Kour)

DarkWraith (Novanus)

LOK kain is the greatest (Lessa)

Janos of Uschtenheim (Abel)

WraithStar (Jessie)

Edited by WraithStar

Disclaimer:We do not own legacy of kain. it is owned by Chrystal Dynamics and Eidos. but the chraters are our own.

A Seemingly Innocent Beginning

Izael was a fairly young man who had not yet seen very much action. He was an expert swordsman, preferring to use his magical long-sword and shield that had passed on through his family line to him. His once royal family had all fallen victim to pestilence, leaving him as the last member. He was still searching for his place in the world. His will to do good led him to join the Sarafan.

Izael walked out from the Sarafan headquarters in his shiny new armor. Singing a song he slowly walked to his guard post at the docks (he had hoped for something better, like hunting the cursed vampires, but the local commander said that he was far too young and inexperienced). Izael was watching the sun setting into the sea when he suddenly heard a scream from a house nearby.

The vampire Lukien smiled as he felt the human's life blood course down his throat, exciting him. It was over quickly and he tossed the drained mortal unto the ground before going after the other one, a woman, who was screaming her head off. With a contemptuous snort, he yanked the human to him through telekinesis and drank her life's blood too. He usually didn't take such bold feasts so close to Sarafan strongholds, but he was hungry and hadn't eaten for days.

Izael kicked the door open. His face became pale when he saw what was inside. Raising his sword and shield, Izael steeled himself and prepared to sell his life while yelling for help. But then he remembered that there was a guard-post nearby. There should be four elite knights ready all the time if something like this happened. Izael decided to make a run for it, and threw a nearby barrel at the vampire while running for his life.

Lukien laughed as the young Sarafan Warrior ran from the house, knocking the barrel away with his mind. Why were these Sarafan so determined to wipe his kind out? The answer eluded him. Shrugging, he unsheathed his heavy broadsword and made his way outside. In the distance, he could see the Sarafan Warrior returning, this time with four trained knights with him. He smiled. This was going to be fun.

Izael watched in horror as the vampire kept laughing while it killed all the knights with but a gesture of its hand. How could he ever win against such a creature? He decided that he must try, for the sake of all who lived in this city. All hope had died in his heart as he charged the creature. "Die undead monstrosity!" And he had wanted to hunt these creatures... What a fool he had been.

In the middle of the young Sarafan Warrior's charge, Lukien felt something tug at the back of his mind. Lukien, I'm in troub-- His momentary lapse allowed the Warrior to get close enough and bring his blade slicing straight down—right for his head. Lukien just barely managed to get out of the way, his super-human reflexes saving him. Realizing he had to get to his friend, he used his mind to trip the Sarafan Warrior and then he dissolved into a swarm of bats, hoping he would be able to help his friend in time.

Izael rose slowly back to his feet, panting heavily. Then he started laughing as the tension released. He had nearly killed the vampire and it had run away! He had defeated the vampire and saved his people! Proud, Izael decided go to have a drink at the local pub before filing a report back at the HQ. Slowly he started walking down the street, stepping over the bodies of his fallen comrades. He was just too damn exhausted to give them a proper burial right now.

Izael walked into Luciano's Tavern, which was now open for business. Luciano wiped the bar and asked, "What'll it be young man? I've got the best stouts in town. Or maybe an ale?" Izael sat down. "The finest thing you have. So, any rumors around?"

"The finest you say? The Sarafan must be doling out combat pay. You appear to have been engaged in some exercise, young Angel of Light." Luciano poured a drink from an ornate bottle. "Here you are. Said to have been Ottmar's favorite brandy. Enjoy. I did hear a man speak earlier today about a strange winged creature. Probably too much to drink. Creatures like what he described are unheard of in these enlightened days. Better left to the myths and superstitions of old."

Lukien arrived in the middle of Meridian just in time. His friend, a newly-made vampire by the name of Kraz, was surrounded by a good dozen Sarafan Warriors. Acting instinctively, Lukien yanked two of the Warriors to him through TK, tossing them against the wall behind him easily. He then moved forward as quickly as a snake, unsheathing his broadsword as he did so. With an almost lazy backhand, he decapitated a Warrior and watched him fall to the ground, blood spurting from his neck in a red fountain. The other Warriors, realizing they had a threat in the rear, immediately turned to face him, and Lukien easily dispatched two more with lighting-fast strokes. Kraz took advantage of the Sarafan Warrior's sudden oversight and took down three with his deadly claws. It was a simple matter for Lukien to drop the rest. Lukien was about to ask Kraz what he was doing, but he was cut off. "Lukien," Kraz breathed. "I've dire news..."

Back in the bar, Izael finished his drink and said, "Actually, I just fought with a vampire today. Right now I'm ready to believe anything. But hey, I better get going, I gotta file a report back at the HQ." He tossed a few coins at the barkeeper before leaving.

Luciano scooped the coins up from bar and replied, "Much obliged, warrior. Be wary this night. More than a few of my customers have disappeared as of late. Perhaps you could mention this to your superiors, and have them pursue an investigation into the matter? Vampires or not, something is happening to my customers." "Will do, mate."
Izael walked into the HQ and reported to his sergeant. He also told what the barkeeper said and requested permission to investigate this matter himself. What he got was an order, "STICK TO YOUR GUARD-POST AND STAY THERE!" and so he walked disappointed back to the docks. It was getting cold and a mist was slowly creeping in from sea. Clouds covered the stars, Izael's torch being the only light in the area. Everything seemed quite. Little did Izael know that his earlier encounter with the vampire was just the beginning.

Enter Gadorian…

Gadorian was a rather old vampire that could still pass for human when he wanted to. He slowly crept through the darkness under the docks, carefully avoiding the puddles of water. He slunk closer and closer to his prey: a peasant woman washing her clothes in the water. His fangs protruded and his throat quivered in anticipation of his soon-to-be meal. With speed that seemed to rend the very air, Gadorian was upon his victim. He clasped his hand over her mouth to prevent her from letting out any cry of help before whispering seductively into her ear, "Shhh...don't worry. I promise to make it quick." His fangs pierced her flesh as if it was air, and he immediately found her jugular.
Gadorian let the body slump towards the ocean, letting the waves hide the corpse for him. His attention then turned to the docks above him - in his concentration on hunting, he failed to notice the Sarafan that approached above. Foolish! What if the young warrior should find the body before it washed away?

Gadorian stealthily ascended the stairs up to the top of the dock. He saw his possible enemy watching the ocean pensively. Perhaps he could distract him, lead him away from the docks? Yes, then by the time the body was found the vampire could be long since departed, if necessary. Unnoticed, he approached the Sarafan until he was inches behind his head. "It's dangerous to be out this late at night, even for a Sarafan."
The youth whirled about, his torch nearly going out from the sudden movement, clearly startled by the stranger. Quickly regaining his composure, he began to reply to the mysterious apparition, who seemed to somehow appear on the deserted dock without his knowing...

Izael recovered his composure and responded, "Yeah, that's what I tried to explain to my sarge, and as you can see, didn't help much." He turned his back to the stranger and spat into the water. "Hey, what's that? A body? Has that vampire returned? Hmmh, I was just wondering what happened to my fallen comrades...where their bodies disappeared to."

Curses! Gadorian stood nervously behind the guard. Foolish boy, turning his back like that. The vampire readied his claws and prepared to lay waste to this little nuisance. Something stayed his hand, however. A peasant was nothing, many died every day and the nobility hardly noticed or cared. But a Sarafan? The deaths of the other knights earlier that day could be attributed to the fleeing vampire, but as he was seen flying away from the city in bat form, any more bloodshed could not be blamed on him. Gadorian surely didn't need the food, and he loathed killing humans when it wasn't necessary...it seemed a little discretion would be the best course of action.
Focusing arcane power, the vampire pierced the mind of the warrior. His magic sought to seek control of the man's consciousness. It soon became clear that the knight's mind was too strong to be entirely conquered, but it was also not altogether immune. "Body? Ha! What body?" The pair peered over the dock nervously. Gadorian's eyes were set on the corpse as he prayed the enchantment would hold.

The Sarafan searched the beach, but could not find what had caught his attention the moment before. He stepped back and shook his head in confusion. "Seems like you've had a little too much ale tonight, boy. Come on, let's get you home." Only a wry smile crept its way outside onto Gadorian's face, but inside he was caught in a maelstrom of laughter. What would the Sarafan think if he knew he had just befriended a vampire?

"Home? Sorry sir, I'm on duty. No ale clouding my vision, there WAS a body. But it has disappeared. Or perhaps I'm just seeing things, after all, I've already seen much blood running today. Not going home for hours, nope, but I sure would enjoy company. Tell me, who are you and how did you manage to sneak me up from behind?"

"Name's Malien. Pleased to meet you." Gadorian raised one eyebrow and with a mischievous half-smile, reached out his hand. "I'm new to these parts, but then, I'm new to most parts. I'm a...collector...of artifacts, trinkets, armor...weapons. That sword you have there is quite handsome. I haven't seen many like it before. Those runes etched into the blade...it's filled with quite powerful magic, is it not?" Gadorian eyed the sword curiously. It seemed so familiar, but from where?
"As for sneaking up on you, I apologize for that. The mist is so thick I didn't even know you were here until I was just upon you. Perhaps that's what you saw under the dock? My eyes are keener than any, and I saw nothing more than waves." The Sarafan tried to get out "But I kn.." before Gadorian cut him off. "Bodies? And the murder of your brother knights? Why, does this city think of nothing else but death? Let us talk about something more pleasant. Why, you haven't even told me your name!"

"Ah, I apologize for my rude manners, sir. I'm really not myself today. My name is Izael," he bowed. "My sword has passed on in our family for generations, and it is said to be very powerful. I just don't know what it can do. You said you know something about magical items? Can you analyze this sword?"

The answer became immediately clear. The sword wasn't familiar because he had seen others like it. The weapon was clearly one of a kind. Gadorian had seen this sword before. Perhaps in time he would remember his previous encounter with the weapon. He shuddered to think he may have been the murderer of one of this boy's ancestors; he was just beginning to like him.
Gadorian took the blade into his hands, "Look here, at the design of the hilt - it was clearly forged by the Serioli. I've seen many of their weapons before, but I can't recall any made of a metal resembling this one. The origins of the runes, too, elude me. See how the style changes from the runes closer to the hilt to those towards the tip? Why, there's the Sarafan emblem, but it appears only halfway down the blade - this sword predates your order's founding. It's clear the sword has been enchanted and re-enchanted many, many times. I wouldn't be surprised to learn it had been cursed a few times as well. Of course any hexes on it have long since been lifted. Much of its power seems to be contained deep within the blade - it takes a skilled user to evoke its full potential. As your power grows, so the blade's will grow with you."
As Gadorian spoke, the sword began to glow, brighter and brighter the longer he held it. Gadorian prayed the knight was focused enough on his speech not to take note of the growing aura about the weapon. Nervously, he thrust it back into Izael's hands. "Take good care of it. No doubt, it can take good care of you"

Unfortunately, Izael had indeed noticed the glow of his sword. Looking away from Malien he struggled to keep his face calm. Was he really befriending a vampire? How could that be? Was this vampire the one he had defeated earlier, coming back to take its revenge? Or what was this? The vampire had looked honest, perhaps it had changed its mind? Or was it simply trying to use him as its pawn? Sighing deeply, Izael turned to face what he thought was certain death. However, his face told everything and Gadorian knew his cover was blown even before the young Sarafan had said a word.

The hairs on Izael's neck stood on end as Gadorian let out a maniacal laugh.
"Well, at least I don't need to keep track of the fake name anymore," Gadorian thought. The Sarafan boldly lunged forward and struck the vampire with all his might, but the blade had no effect. Gadorian lifted his hand toward the sword, and in an instant it was engulfed in white ethereal flame. Izael dropped the weapon in shock. "How could you ever dare to try to harm me with that weapon? See who the blade obeys?"
Even unarmed, Izael stood steadfast before the vampire. Gadorian lifted a particularly menacing shard of wood from the dock using telekinesis. Gadorian knew he could kill the Sarafan if he had wanted, but didn't. What mattered to him was that Izael knew it as well. The wound would scar, but in a few weeks that would be the only reminder that it had ever happened. Gadorian casually walked away from the dock and into the night, leaving the Sarafan, impaled through the shoulder and nailed to the dock, the sword lying by his side. Someone would find him in the morning, he was sure.

Izael struggled, his face a mask of pain. "No, it cannot end like this... I... need... answers." With great effort, Izael managed to free himself. He stood there, bleeding, waiting for his head to clear. When the pain lifted, he slowly took up his sword and took few steps into the night. "Vampire! I do not want to harm you... I want...answers...what is this sword? You seem to know more than you reveal. I know you do not want to kill me! Come back! Hear me!"
Suddenly the pain returned, and Izael almost fell on his knees. Gritting his teeth, Izael leaned onto a fence, looking into the black water of the docks. However, the fence suddenly broke and Izael fell over it into the water with a mighty SPLOOSH. Gadorian nearly turned back at hearing Izael crash into the water. If anyone could swim in full armor, though, it was a Sarafan. Even so, the tide would wash him up. And what use would a vampire be so near to water? No, the boy was not yet ready, Gadorian would return to him again when he was. The boy, yes, it was the boy who wasn't ready. Gadorian was prepared for everything...He had to keep telling himself that.
Gadorian couldn't return to Izael before he was sure. His memories had always been shaky, but what little detail they offered had never been deceptive. Not that he could remember. So he couldn't place his trust in his memory, but he had sturdier evidence, too. The vampire stalked across the street, clutching his chest where a glowing symbol had appeared over his heart. The symbol created a sharp sensation, although it was not quite pain. It had been dormant for years, but had burned anew the instant he laid his hands on the sword. The same rune burned just as brightly, just above the hilt of the blade...
Gadorian needed some escape from the events of the night. He needed some distraction, some way to forget, if only for a moment. He needed—to feed.