Sins of a Savior
By: Lady Kreliana
Kreliana@aol.com
Disclaimer: I don't own Legacy of Kain or any of its characters. Crystal Dynamics does. I own Andrielle and Adrien.
One by one the caskets of my brother and his fallen comrades were paraded through the streets of Nosgoth as peasants and nobles alike threw flowers upon their holy corpses, revering them as the heroes they once were. One by one they were carried to a tomb within the mountains, where they shall sleep eternally; coldly embraced by Death's arms. They were Sarafan warriors, saviors from the vampire plague...now their lives were cut bitterly short by one of the unholy fiends they were sworn to destroy. And all I was allowed to do was follow them silently with the other families. I wanted to break down and cry that day, however being the sister of a Sarafan, crying was never an option. I was always to be strong like my brother was, before he was so cruelly murdered.
When we reached the tomb, only the others' families, a few Sarafan, and I were allowed inside. It was a simple funeral, a priest gave a sending, we said a prayer, and the other Sarafan laid their brethren inside the tombs. I fought with my tears as they laid my brother inside the tomb, it would be the last time I'd ever see him again. Despite my wishes, a few fell down my cheeks. I wiped them away quickly; I didn't want the others to see me crying like this.
Why my family? I thought. First my father, then my twin brother and mother, now my eldest brother...all gone thanks to vampires.
"Raziel," I whispered, "how did this all happen?" I knew all too well the answer to that, it started nearly ten years ago...
When I was young, I lived with my two brothers and my mother. Father had died shortly after my twin brother, Adrien, and I were born; killed by a vampire. Life wasn't easy, but we managed. Mother worked as a seamstress to bring in some money and Raziel would take odd jobs every now and then to help earn some extra money. We were poor, but we were happy. I still remember the week our lives changed forever. It's a memory that haunts me even now.
"Andrielle, Adrien wake up!" I awoke to the sound of my mother calling our names.
"Andry, it's our birthday today!" Adrien shouted. I nodded with excitement as we hopped out of bed and ran into the kitchen. There, mother and Raziel were waiting for us. When mother saw us, she quickly put down her cooking utensils and gave us both a great big hug.
"Happy birthday you two," she then gave us big kisses on our cheeks. We both squirmed to get away from her kisses. She let us go and went back to making breakfast. Raziel walked over to us and started ruffling our hair.
"How does it feel to be four, guys?" He let go of our heads and we started fixing our hair.
"I dunno Razzy." Back then, I couldn't pronounce Raziel, so I called him Razzy.
"Mommy, will you play with me today?" I asked. She looked at me, apologetically, and sighed.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart, I have a lot of work to do today." My heart sank. Mother had been very busy lately and I wanted to at least spend time with her on my birthday. Raziel sensed my sorrow and scooped me up in his arms.
"I'll play with you today, Andrielle!" He then started spinning me around and around, causing me to laugh.
"Raziel, don't do that in the house," Mother scolded. He promptly stopped and put me down.
"Besides," she continued, "I don't know if you can handle those two."
"Aww, come on, Mother. I'm sixteen years old, I think I can handle 'em." She gave a quiet laugh.
"I know you can dear, I'm just pulling your chain. Have fun and be careful. I'll call you when breakfast is ready." We ran outside as fast as we could.
"What should we play?" I asked.
"Tag!" Adrien shouted. He then tapped me on my arm and screamed, "You're it!" Both my brothers started running. I chased them around the house for a great deal of time, before I caught up with Adrien. I had him cornered when Raziel picked me up from behind. Adrien tried to escape, but Raziel picked him up as well.
"I am the demon, Janos Audron, and I have come to make you two my dinner. Bwahahaha!" Raziel started running around with us in his arms, still pretending that he was Janos and flying us to the aerie. Adrien and I laughed and giggled. As he was running around, mother came out of the house.
"Well, Janos Audron, before you have those two for dinner, come and get your breakfast." We did as we were told and went back inside for our breakfast. The rest of the day went well. Some of the villagers came to our home to wish Adrien and I a happy birthday, Mother made us a birthday cake, and we got a few gifts. It was the happiest moment that I can remember from my childhood.
Later that evening, Raziel snuck into our bedroom before we were about to go to sleep. He walked over to our beds and handed a package to me, and another to Adrien.
"Happy birthday guys." We tore the packages open to see what he gave us. I got a doll, Adrien got a slingshot. The doll had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a pale blue dress, just like me. I thanked Raziel, and he exited the room. I snuggled with my new doll and went to sleep.
A few days later, the town held it's annual Feast of Calming. Every year the villagers gathered to pray for the swift eradication of the vampires. We would spend the early hours of the day fasting and in prayer, and in the afternoon, we'd feast and play games. From what I can remember, Mother and Raziel took this festival very seriously. They wanted Father's death avenged as quickly as possible. Neither of them went into detail about what happened, ever, they only said that vampires killed him. When we arrived at the town's square, we quickly joined those who were already in prayer. During the morning, I took a quick peak at Raziel. He and Mother were lost in prayer. I even pulled on his hair at one point to see if he'd react…he didn't. His concentration was unshakable.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Close to three hundred heads shot up simultaneously as the dinner bell was sounded. Immediately, everyone started racing for the food. Adrien and I had to wait until Raziel and Mother were finished praying before we were allowed to get our food. Needless to say, we were probably the last family to get our meal thanks to those two.
After we ate, it was time for everyone to have some fun. Mother was chatting with some of the other women, Raziel and the other teenagers were dancing inside one of the buildings, so Adrien and I went with the children our age to see what we could get ourselves into. As we neared the group, one of our friends, Timothy, was the first to acknowledge us.
"Adrien, Andry! Come quick." We looked at each other and decided to see what was going on.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"We're going into the woods to play hide and go seek!"
"But, aren't those woods haunted?" Everyone glared at me. One of the older girls walked toward me and stared me down.
"What's that matter, Andrielle? You scared?" I backed away a little.
"No, that's not it."
"Then lets go." Reluctantly, we followed them into the woods. Timothy decided to be "it" first, so the rest of us hid. I hid behind a rock, and Adrien climbed up a tree.
"Ready or not, here I come!" Timothy shouted. As he walked passed me, I stayed as still as I could, waiting for the right moment to make my move. One more step, I thought…NOW! Running as fast as my legs could take me, I headed for the base. Just as I was about to reach base, Timothy caught sight of me, but it was too late. By the time he started after me, I was already on base.
"Safe!" I yelled. Suddenly, all the other children darted out of their hiding spots and made it to base too.
"Safe!" they yelled. The look on Timothy's face was priceless. It was the look of humiliation combined with defeat and bewilderment. He trudged back to the base, and begun his count again.
It took about five turns before someone else finally became "it," or rather volunteered to take the task. Each of us had our turns hiding and seeking that day. I think it was about the tenth round of the game when someone bothered to think about how long we'd been playing the game. None of us really knew how long we'd been in the woods that day, but it must have been too long because it was starting to get dark.
"Guys, it's dark, we can't see the trail anymore," someone noticed. We started to panic a little. We were lost in a place we shouldn't be during nightfall by ourselves. We stood there silently until we heard footsteps behind us. I sighed with relief when I thought one of the grown ups had come to get us out of the woods. I was gravely mistaken. A tall man with black hair and red eyes walked towards us. His skin was pale white and his hands were cloven. I knew instantly what he was; a vampire. Without hesitation, we ran from the unholy creature. Somewhere along the way, Adrien and I got separated. I didn't even realize it until I looked to my left and he wasn't beside me. I stopped in my tracks and started calling out for him.
"Adrien! Adrien, where are you?" I cried and cried but got no answer. My vision blurred as tears formed in my eyes. With no energy left, I sat down and started crying. I was cold, alone, afraid, and unable to do anything about it.
"ANDRIELLE! ADRIEN!" I looked up when I heard someone shouting my name. I could see Mother holding a torch, calling out our names.
"MOMMY! I'M OVER HERE!" I shouted. I could see her running toward me, and as she did, I heard a loud thud next to me. I looked to my left and shrieked at what I saw; the mangled corpse of my brother. I turned slowly to see his murderer laughing evilly. He raised one of his claws and pointed at me…I was next. He looked up for a moment when he saw my mother charging at him.
"NO!" she screamed, shielding my life with her own. Wildly, she attacked the vampire with her torch. However, her efforts were completely futile. The vampire backhanded her, sending her to her knees.
"Andrielle, run…live!" was the last thing she said before the vile creature bit into her tiny neck and drained her of her lifeblood. From the distance, I could see some of the other townspeople coming in our direction and with them was Raziel. I immediately ran to him. The townspeople rushed ahead of us and beat the vampire to death for taking Adrien and Mother's lives. As I watched them ignite the vampire with their torches, my fatigue was getting the best of me. All I remember was leaning my head next to Raziel's leg before everything went black.
I awoke later that evening to the sound of my brother talking with someone. I crept to my bedroom door and peered into the living room to see who Raziel was talking to. I didn't recognize the man; he was old, wore a hooded robe and had a staff with a snake that coiled around it and a blue orb at the top. Slowly, he turned his head until he looked directly at me.
"Ahh, this must be little Andrielle," he said.
"Yes, Lord Moebius." I was stunned at what my brother said. This man…this old man in our house was the time streamer Moebius?!?
"You see, sir," Raziel continued, "I cannot leave her here alone. I'm sorry, I cannot accept your offer."
"She can come as well. We would never turn down orphans such as her. Please reconsider my offer," he coaxed. Raziel sighed deeply. I simply wondered what was going on. He stood silent for a moment before speaking again.
"Very well, Moebius. We have a deal. I'll become a squire." Moebius smiled. I didn't trust his smile; it seemed evil at the time.
"A wise decision, young man. We can leave tomorrow if you like."
"What about my mother and brother's funerals?" Moebius' face fell.
"Oh yes, that. Very well, we'll leave after they're buried. I shall return then." Without another word, he vanished into thin air.
"Razzy, what's going on?" I asked. He stood there for a moment expressionless, then, all of a sudden he got a look of pride on his face.
"I'm going to be a Sarafan." He walked over to me, and knelt beside me, "We're going to live at the Sarafan stronghold after we bury Mother and Adrien." For a few moments, I had completely forgotten about them. I could feel the tears brimming in my eyes.
"I want Mommy and Adrien," I cried. Raziel placed a hand on my shoulder sympathetically.
"So do I, Andrielle," he picked up my face so that I was staring face to face with him, "We're gonna get through this, you and me. First, you should get some sleep. It's been a long night for both of us." I nodded and went back to my bedroom.
The next few days were very surreal to me, almost like they didn't exist. I kept thinking this was a bad dream and I'd wake up from it. I kept telling myself that I'd wake up to see Adrien in his bed across from me to the smell of Mother making breakfast in the kitchen. But, it never happened. I think that realization hit me hardest at the funeral. The whole town had gathered in the cemetery. They had helped to pay for the cemetery plots and the coffins since Raziel and I obviously had no money. It was their farewell gift to us, per se. They knew that we would be leaving shortly after the funeral so that Raziel could begin his training.
As they laid the coffins into the earth, I started to sob uncontrollably. Raziel held me for the remainder of the funeral. I buried my head in his shoulder and cried. Once it had ended people started walking up to us telling us how sorry they were for our loss before they went to their homes. They couldn't even fathom how alone we felt. Most of our family had been slaughtered by now, leaving the two of us with our grief.
"Raziel, it's time," someone said. I looked up to see Moebius standing in front of us.
"Yes, Lord Moebius," Raziel turned his attention to me, "We're leaving for the stronghold now." I nodded silently, and Moebius guided us to a nearby carriage. We climbed inside and began our journey to our new home.
Along the way, the two of us fell asleep. Moebius woke us both up before we arrived at the stronghold.
"We will enter the stronghold by boat." He gestured for us to follow him, so we did. We followed him down a steep hill until we reached a small boat that would take us inside. As I boarded the boat, I looked at the stronghold. It was truly amazing. All around it were Sarafan, our protectors and saviors. How I admired them! And my brother was becoming one of them! I beamed with excitement as the majestic gates opened and allowed us inside. Once the boat docked, a few of the knights came to greet us.
"Welcome back, Lord Moebius," one of them said.
"Thank you, Malek."
"Malek!" my brother shouted, "I can't believe it! What an honor!"
"Calm yourself, boy," Moebius ordered. He then pointed at a woman who was standing next to Malek, "Helena, show Lady Andrielle to her new quarters." I was taken aback for a moment. Nobody had ever called me Lady Andrielle before.
"Yes, sir. Follow me, Miss Andrielle." I looked at Raziel for a moment, not sure what to do. He assured me I'd be fine, so I followed Helena to my new room. She showed me a room with a bed, a desk, and a dresser. It was small, but it was cozy. I walked inside and noticed a robe on the bed.
"You should change into your new robe, Miss," she said. I hadn't expected a new set of clothing.
"Umm, Helena?"
"Yes dear?"
"Why do I have to change my clothes?"
"All apprentice sorceresses wear these robes, dear."
"I didn't know I was an apprentice sorceress." Helena looked at me, dumbfounded.
"Why else would you have been brought here?" She shut the door behind her and left me to my thoughts. Although the news came as a shock, I was thrilled to know that I too would be able to help purge the world of the vampires. I quickly changed into my robe and found a matching pair of boots beside the bed. I quickly ran outside where Helena was waiting for me.
"It's almost dinnertime. I hope you're hungry." Once she mentioned food, I realized just how hungry I was. I hadn't eaten all day. I walked into the mess hall and saw many apprentices of all ages. Raziel was already there, waiting for me. He now wore black pants, black boots, and a red shirt. It was the apprentice garb for the Sarafan warriors. We sat next to each other during the meal and mingled with a few of our new classmates. I was getting more and more excited about our future in the stronghold. I felt we were finally going to be ok.
Two weeks had gone by, and things in the stronghold were going very well. Raziel and I were making lots of friends, however he had become especially close with five particular boys. I had become close with only one person, Marion, mostly because there were fewer girls in my classes. I had chosen the path of a healer rather than a sorceress. It was the path less chosen since healing magic is harder to master and because healers aren't allowed on a battlefield. At first I wanted to use attack magic, since I wanted to be able to directly help my brother on the battlefield, but I later changed my mind when I realized I could be more useful as a healer. That and I didn't want to shave my head when I became a full-fledged sorceress.
After we had been living at the stronghold for about three years, we saw less and less of each other. Our training nearly consumed all of our time. I was becoming a competent healer, far from the best but definitely not useless, and Raziel was becoming a very impressive warrior. Although he preferred the sword, he could pick up any weapon and easily defeat most of the other apprentices. There were rumors that he might even surpass Malek one day. I was a bit skeptical about how good he was, so one day I decided to sneak a peek at one of his training sessions. The training was held in a large courtyard that was full of apprentices, and in the center was Raziel, surrounded by four apprentices.
"Fight!" the instructor yelled. Immediately the one in front of him slashed down with his sword. Raziel rolled out of the way, and tripped his attacker on the way up. He brought his sword over his opponent's neck as if he were about to cut his head off.
"Kill!" the instructor yelled. The first one got up and stood on the side. The others didn't waste any time ganging up on him. He had one on each of his sides and another to his back. The two on his sides tried a simultaneous stab, but Raziel quickly evaded the attacks. The force of their momentum sent them hurling into each other. They were lucky that the staffs they were using were training staffs and not actual weapons; otherwise they would have killed each other.
"Kill!" the instructor yelled with a slight laugh. Raziel resumed his fighting stance; one opponent left. The other swordsman looked at his comrades and threw his sword down, forfeiting the match. He knew he couldn't win. With the match over, the instructor dismissed the class. The other apprentices then congratulated my brother on his fine performance. I too made my way through the crowd to congratulate him.
"Raziel! You did great!" I said. He hadn't noticed me until then.
"Hi Andrielle. What're you doing here?" His voice was slightly cheerful. Obviously he was still excited about winning his match.
"I wanted to see you fight."
"Well, were you impressed?" I nodded quickly. One of the other apprentices quickly put his arm around Raziel's neck.
"You should be, he's the best in the class!" he said. Raziel laughed.
"Turel, I'd like you to meet my sister, Andrielle."
"I didn't know you had family, Raziel."
"She's my only family. Right now she's studying to be a healer."
"Really? Well, maybe she can be of some use over there," he pointed to one of the apprentices who got stabbed earlier, "Looks like Melchiah got hit harder than we thought." They walked me to the injured soldier to see if I could be of any help.
"Umm, would you like me to heal you?" I meekly asked. He gave me a dumbfounded look and shrugged his shoulders.
"What the hell? What do I have to lose?" He showed me where he was hit, and I touched the wound lightly with my hands. A surface wound, this'll be easy to heal! I thought. I gathered a small amount of healing energy and released it on his wound. It was healed within seconds.
"Thanks, Kid," he said. Three others walked toward us. One of them was laughing at Melchiah.
"Good work, Mel. You lasted five seconds longer than you did yesterday." Melchiah was struggling to control his rage as the other apprentice laughed at him.
"Quiet, Zephon. Besides, Rahab over there needs to learn not to stab his allies." Rahab took a step closer and raised his eyebrow.
"Oh really? I don't remember you exercising such control over your weapon."
"Guys, guys, we shouldn't be fighting like this," Zephon said, as he picked up my hand, "Especially in front of such a fair lady who saved our comrade from his terrible…bruises." The others laughed as he kissed my hand, causing me to blush fiercely. The third apprentice put his hand on Zephon's shoulder; obviously he was going to get his two cents in.
"Getting 'em young now, eh Zephon?"
"Watch it, Dumah, that's my sister," Raziel jokingly threatened. The others continued their laughter. As much as I would have loved to have stayed and listen to Raziel's friends joke about their sexuality, I had to return to class.
"I have to go back to class, Raziel. I'll see you at dinner."
"All right. We have to go get measured for armor suits anyway." Turel perked up slightly.
"Hey, that's right! I can't believe we become Sarafan in two months!" The others nodded. I could sense an overwhelming sense of pride, excitement, and accomplishment within them. The boys were about to become men and stand alongside the best warriors in all of Nosgoth. And they had earned it. The only part of their training that remained was their field training. That would be the most difficult trial for them to overcome.
The entire stronghold was in a bit of chaos the following week getting preparations for field training underway. Even we healer apprentices were being shoved to and fro in case we were to be needed during the next coming months. It was hard work, but I managed.
I still remember the night when Raziel went into his field training. I was so scared. It's not that I didn't have faith in his skills; I was just worried about him. Maybe it's a natural feeling after losing so many family members to vampires, I don't know, it's not important now. Anyway, those of us who were to stay in the stronghold lined up at the entrance to see everyone off. We lined up single file and brought flowers to give to our comrades. I had three scarlet roses and two white roses to give to Raziel. Suddenly, we heard footsteps in the distance. Everyone looked down the hall to see the apprentices marching down the hallway two by two in full armor. We quickly gave our gifts to the soldiers before their exit. When I gave my roses to Raziel, he asked me why two of them were white.
"They represent you and me, Raziel. The three red roses are Mother, Father, and Adrien." He looked at the roses sadly.
"Thank you, sister, I will remember them in battle."
"Good luck, big brother!" I waved to him as he left the stronghold. After they left, the doors were bolted behind them. It was the last I'd see of him for two months. Those two months were pure Hell. Those of us with family out there were always on edge. Once a day messengers would stop by and report how the apprentices were fairing, but it wasn't enough to calm our hearts. All we could do was sit around and wait. This became especially difficult when tragedy struck nearly two weeks before they came home.
We had been in the dark about their situation for days. No messengers had arrived to inform us about their situation and we were beginning to worry. I remember on that day, I was walking down the hall when many of my classmates were seen running down the hall.
"Andrielle!" I looked up and saw Marion calling my name.
"Marion, what happened?"
"I don't know, they want all healers at the front gate right now." Without hesitation, we started running down the hall. I feared the worst. What if Raziel was hurt or worse? No, I couldn't think like that. When we got there, we saw nearly fifty troops battered and bloody. We didn't waste any time, for if we did their lives could be lost. I frantically healed one solder after another, checking their faces to see if Raziel was amongst them. He's not here, I thought. I started to worry; if he wasn't here he could still be on the battlefield…he could be dead on the battlefield. Just as we were about to finish healing the soldiers, another wave of soldiers came off the battlefield. They seemed relatively unscathed, which made me thankful. One of my instructors walked up to the commanding Sarafan.
"Are all the apprentices with you?" he asked.
"All but nine."
"All but nine? What happened, did they get killed?" The Sarafan shook his head.
"No. Three got injured and the other six wouldn't leave them."
"I see, the injured ones names?"
"Drake, Blaine, and Samuel." My instructor wrote the names on a piece of paper.
"And the others' names?"
"Raziel, Turel, Dumah, Rahab, Zephon, and Melchiah." I froze when I heard my brother's name called. How could he have been so foolish? Didn't he know that he could get killed? Trying to be a hero, I guess. Or maybe it was just the bond of comrades, not being able to leave anyone behind.
"All right," my instructor continued, "I'll be sure to keep a few healers out here in case they show up," he turned his attention to the crowd and shouted orders to everyone, "Listen up! Move everyone inside, we'll heal them there!" Those who could carry their comrades inside did, which excluded most of us kids. I followed them inside and aided wherever I could. I worked all day and heard no word of Raziel's return. When nightfall came, my worry turned into panic. At one point, I forsook my duties and ran to the front gates to watch for him, waiting for any sign, any at all of him. As I neared the gates, I was stopped by one of the guards.
"Children aren't allowed past this point. Go back to your duties," he ordered.
"Please let me stay," I begged, "My brother's out there somewhere."
"I'm sorry, miss, but I cannot allow you to…"
"Let her stay. I see no harm in it," another guard interrupted.
"But, Lord Malek…" Malek paid no attention to the other guard.
"You can stay as long as you don't get in our way." I thanked him and waited with them outside the gates. I don't know why Malek had allowed me to stay at the front gates. Maybe they thought I'd be useful in case someone needed to be healed quickly.
Hours passed and still nothing. Hope was lost to me and I was getting tired. I didn't want to go to bed yet, but things were looking bleak. There had been no sign of them all evening.
"Lord Malek, thank you for letting me stay here tonight. I need to go to sleep now. Good night." As I wearily walked down the hall, I heard the gates open behind me.
"There's the stronghold!" I heard in the distance. I turned around sharply and ran up the hall. When I reached the gates, I could see the vague outlines of what appeared to be eight people.
"Lord Malek!" one of them shouted. Once I got a closer look, I saw that it was Turel, "Lord Malek, one of our men's still back there holding off the vampires." Malek nodded and went to help the ninth man. I turned my attention to the three being carried. Two of them were so severe that only a master healer would be able to do anything significant, so Dumah, Rahab, Melchiah, and Zephon took them inside. Turel laid the other man down so I could heal him. I gathered all the energy I could and focused it on his vital organs. With a flash of light, I channeled my energy into him. This would prove to be more of a challenge than healing Melchiah was a few weeks ago. Slowly, but surely, the wounds closed up enough for the man to survive. However, I exhausted my energies. It was then that it dawned on me…Raziel wasn't here, he was the man holding off the vampires with Malek. Oh no! What if he gets injured, I won't be able to heal him. He could die.
"Andrielle, Blaine, lets go inside," Turel said. Blaine got off the ground and they started walking inside. I stayed put.
"Andrielle!" he yelled, "It's dangerous out here, lets go inside!"
"What about Raziel?"
"Malek's with him, he'll be fine." I shook my head, I wouldn't leave my brother alone.
"I can't just leave him like this."
"Too bad, we're going inside now." He grabbed my hand and started dragging me to the stronghold. I was too exhausted to fight back and eventually I let him just lead me inside. Somewhere along the line, I collapsed from fatigue.
I awoke in the infirmary the next day, still wearing what I wore the previous day. I sat up in my bed and stretched my aching muscles. Most of the people who had been treated the day before were long gone, but as I looked to the bed next to me, I received a delightful surprise. Beyond all hope, there was Raziel. I hopped out of my bed and walked over to where he was sleeping, but as I neared his bed, he suddenly sprung up and grabbed my throat with one of his hands. I let out a small yelp as he lifted me off the floor and then he looked at me…he looked at me with such a cold look, it was desolate of all emotion. It may have been for a split second, but it seemed like an eternity. He looked at me for a moment and gasped when he finally recognized me.
"Andri…Andrielle," he quickly embraced me. I could feel his heart pounding and his breathing was heavy. It was as if I had scared him half to death, "Don't you ever do that again. You hear me?"
"I was worried about you, Raziel. I thought you left me like Mom and Adrien." I could feel tears stinging my eyes. He quickly pulled me away.
"No more crying, Andrielle, we're warriors." His words were uncharacteristically harsh and cold. Come to think of it, Raziel changed after his training. He wasn't the kind, warm, loving big brother I had come to know. Now, he was cold, heartless, and a…killer. He wasn't Raziel anymore.
Most of the apprentices were given time off due to the attack. Malek said it was a fierce attack, and had it not been for the bravery of people like my brother, nobody would have survived. In fact, when Raziel ascended to the rank of Sarafan in a few weeks, he was to be given his own distinct set of armor, as were his five friends, as well as a medal for valor and courage in front of the enemy. Because of his refusal to leave any of his men behind, he would also become captain of the graduating class' platoon. It was an honor beyond belief and completely unexpected. Nobody complained, though, everyone was happy with the decision to make Raziel captain. Most were reassured by it actually, they felt they were in the hands of a competent and brave soldier. I think I was the only one who knew how Raziel had changed. His comrades would have hated to know that he was nothing more than a cold-hearted vampire killer, who felt no shame or remorse for what he did. Then again, so were they, so I guess it all evens out. Don't get me wrong, I'm not disrespecting the Sarafan, not at all. If it wasn't for them, the vampire scourge would become out of control, and then where would we be? I'm merely criticizing their lack of emotion.
Three weeks later, things calmed down and Raziel's classmates could finally ascend to the rank of Sarafan. It was supposed to be a great day for us all, but I couldn't shake this feeling of uneasiness that I'd had ever since Raziel attacked me that day. I couldn't be near him without being afraid of him. At the end of the ceremony, my brother and his five friends went before the crowd to receive their special awards. I didn't pay much attention to the others, they were getting the same award; one for bravery and valor. Raziel's was awarded last since his was most important. Moebius would be giving him the award.
"For bravery, honor, and display of leadership, I award you, Raziel the Sarafan, the Medal of Nine." Moebius took the award and pinned it on Raziel. The Medal of Nine was the highest award a Sarafan could receive, because it was an award that the Circle of Nine members themselves bestowed. Many people were awestruck that an apprentice would have won such an award. After he got his award, the ceremony had concluded, so Marion and I left the auditorium in search of Raziel. We found him just outside the auditorium talking with Turel and Dumah. When he noticed me walking toward him, he only turned his head slightly, as if he were annoyed. I approached him cautiously.
"Andrielle," he said flatly.
"Umm, congratulations Raziel. You too, Dumah and Turel." They simply nodded. I couldn't help but wonder what happened to them on the battlefield that had caused them to become like this. These were not the same men I had known two months ago, I didn't like what they had become. Is this what war does to people? I started questioning if coming to the stronghold all those years ago was such a good idea.
Years went by. When I was thirteen I became a full-fledged healer. Raziel remained a cold-hearted bastard. Normally, I don't use such harsh words, but I'll never forget the day when their truly sadistic personalities were made known to me. One day I was carrying buckets of holy water to the stronghold's chapel when I noticed my brother and his friends laughing loudly in a nearby room. Curiously, I opened the door and found the six of them holding down a vampire and torturing it to death. They turned to look at me.
"You want in on the fun?" Raziel asked before he ripped open the demon's chest. Turel ripped out his still beating heart.
"Look at his black heart, how still it beats!" he shouted.
"Or, 'how it still beats' would probably be better," Dumah corrected. Turel threw the heart at him, and the others laughed. The creature looked at me and as it died, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for it. Was all this truly necessary? I left the room as quickly as I entered with a new sense of pity toward the vampires. Not much, but some. I quickly went to the chapel and poured the holy water into some basins. I turned to leave and came face to face with Raziel.
"Raziel!" I gasped, "You scared me, I didn't even hear you come in."
"You left suddenly, I wondered if something bothered you."
"Oh, well, you know, it's the first time I've ever seen something like that," I lied. I couldn't flat out tell him I was disgusted with how he let the vampire slowly die.
"Andrielle," he put his hands on my shoulders, "You shouldn't feel so bad. Vampires are animals, nothing more. They don't deserve pity, they're not like us."
"Still…"
"Remember our family, Andrielle. When your loyalty falters think of them."
"You're right. I'm sorry for being so foolish." He laughed and then, surprisingly, embraced me.
"Andrielle, you have a big heart, that's all. I just can't believe you'd extend it towards vampires." Raziel let go of me and Moebius appeared behind him.
"What can I do for you, my lord?" Moebius smiled evilly. I didn't like that look. Raziel gave him a slight bow.
"I have good news. The time has come for us to do away with Janos Audron."
"That's fantastic!" I said. Janos Audron had been the kill that my brother sought the most. Moebius looked at me, irritated.
"Isn't it, child?" Moebius focused his attention to back to Raziel, "I have given my staff to Turel. He knows how to use it. You will take a platoon to Uschtenheim later this afternoon. You will wait there for a blue, undead creature to lead you through his aerie. Make sure he is unaware of your presence."
"Yes sir." Raziel then started leaving the room.
"Raziel, one more thing…remember to bring the demon's black heart with you. He will also have a sword with him that I'd like for you to fetch. It has a skull on the hilt and a curved blade." Raziel nodded and continued to exit the chapel.
"So it begins," Moebius chuckled as he vanished. I didn't know what he meant, nor did I care. I left the chapel and returned to my quarters.
Nothing exciting happened during Raziel's short absence. He returned triumphant, bearing the sword Moebius asked for as well as the heart. Zephon placed the sword on a table and we made our way into the courtyard, and then a frantic guard then ran into the room.
"We're under attack! The monster from the aerie must have followed us here!" he shouted. Raziel ordered him to go back outside and guard the hallway.
"Dammit, he must be after the heart. Zephon, Melchiah, you two stay here and guard the courtyard. The rest of you follow me. You too, Andrielle, there's something you must do." I nodded and followed my brother and the others into the inner sanctum.
"Dumah, Rahab, you two wait here. If Zephon and Melchiah are defeated you two need to stop that creature." They took up their arms and we ran into the next room.
"Turel, stay here."
"What do you plan on doing, Raziel?"
"I need to safeguard Andrielle. She'll take the heart to the chapel and hide it there." Turel nodded.
"We'll see each other again. This isn't the end." Raziel and I left Turel alone. We entered the Uroborus room and he handed me the heart.
"Moebius told me this heart is a powerful relic in the vampiric world. They mustn't be allowed to have this. Guard this, even if it means your life." I nodded and took the heart.
I continued to the chapel, he stayed to fight. I prayed the fiend wouldn't make it to my brother.
When I arrived at the chapel, I saw a Sarafan standing near the alter.
"Hey, don't you know the stronghold's under attack?" I asked. He immediately got off his knees.
"What?" I nodded. He looked at me for a moment.
"Are you Lady Andrielle?"
"Yes."
"I never got to thank you all those years ago for healing me. You remember, right? It was two weeks before your brother and I became Sarafan."
"Blaine?" He nodded.
"Allow me to return the favor. I'll guard the chapel's entrance."
"Thank you." He left the room and I had to find a place to hide the heart. After hiding it in a concealed nook behind the alter, I exited to see how Blaine was holding up. However, when I exited the room, I couldn't find him anywhere. I stepped into the hallway to see if he'd left. Maybe the attack was over and he forgot to tell me, but when I peered around the corner, I saw a vampire draining his blood. He threw Blaine's body onto the floor and walked toward me. He was a tall vampire, and not like any I'd ever seen before. His hair was white, his skin was green, and the way he carried himself was almost regal. As I backed into a wall, my legs failed me, and sent me crashing into the stone floor, unable to move. He lifted one of his cloven hands to my face, and studied it.
"I see," he said, smiling evilly. He grabbed my shoulders gently and…helped me to my feet. I realized that if he was here, then obviously he had gotten passed Raziel. And that meant he was dead.
"You…killed my brother, didn't you?" I choked.
"Not for a few more millenia, my dear." The way he said my dear seemed almost paternal, but I didn't understand what he was talking about, and I don't think I would have even if I was thinking clearly.
"Are you going to kill me?" I asked.
"Humans," he laughed, "You cling to your lives so tightly it's disgusting. I remember I felt that way before my death came. But, no, I'm not going to kill you."
"Your death?"
"Yes, my death. The human in a vampire doesn't drift away completely when turned. Would you be surprised to know that for the longest time I loathed what I was?"
"What made you change your mind?"
"During my journeys as a fledgling, I met an old vampire who told me that my curse was a gift. That we were gods, dark gods, and our duty was to thin the herd."
"The herd…so that's how your kind sees us. We're nothing more than animals to you, aren't we?"
"It's the same with your kind as well." I laughed as I thought of my conversation with Raziel the day before.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I must edit the part fate has written for me." He laughed deeply and evilly as he walked away. Suddenly, we heard the sound of a sickening crunch. I recognized that sound from Raziel's session with the vampire, if someone wasn't getting their heart torn out, then they were suffering just as badly. And then I heard a voice scream in agony…Raziel's voice. I started to go after him, thinking if I got to him in time I could heal him.
"I'm afraid I can't let you go in there just yet," the vampire said and he cast a spell on me that put me to sleep.
When I awoke, there was a chilling silence in the air. Immediately I wondered about Raziel, but somehow, I can't explain it really, I already knew he was dead. That feeling only worsened as I neared the Uroborus room. When I walked into the room, I saw his body on the floor. There was no blood, only a pale, cold body. Tears stung my eyes and I knelt down next to his body; he really was gone. The door flung open and other Sarafan walked in and took his body.
"Six circle members, and six of our generals…dead. I just can't believe it," one of them said. Six of the circle are gone too? I thought. I could care less about the circle members, their replacements would be born somewhere soon, but who would replace my brother? He wouldn't be reborn, I would never be able to hear his voice or see his smile again. I was alone.
Over the next few days, I decided to leave the stronghold and return to the village that I was born in. I was a powerful healer and decided to spend the rest of my days working as a doctor in the village. It would be a pious life, but at least I'd be away from all this bloodshed. I had no reason to stay with the Sarafan now that Raziel was gone, so I decided to live for myself now. Meeting that vampire on the day Raziel was murdered gave me a new perspective on vampires. While I still didn't like them, I realized they weren't the mindless animals the Sarafan had taught them to be. They weren't so different from us, but I still feel that they need to die and their souls be released.
The funeral has concluded, and with it my ties with the Sarafan. All that remained for me to do was greet fellow mourners in the stronghold's reception hall. This would be my last night in the stronghold, so before I went to the hall, I packed my things and changed into a simple traveling dress.
"That should do it," I said as I packed the last of my things. However, I overlooked one of my most sentimental items, my doll. The same doll Raziel gave me before we came here. I carefully placed it in my bag and walked toward the hall. The doll reminded me of the time when my brother was a caring person and all the good times I shared with him. A few more tears fell down my cheeks.
"Crying doesn't befit you, Lady Andrielle," I turned to see Moebius standing behind me, "and neither does that dress. You do realize that by leaving this place, you will be branded a traitor."
"If you think that's going to stop me, old man, you're wrong. I have no more business with you."
"You're more like your brother than I thought, traitor."
"Go to Hell, Moebius." He laughed at my remark.
"Patience child, I'll see your brother soon enough."