The Righteous Fiend
The Sarafan were dignified. The land's holy protectors, risking their lives for a higher cause. The extinction of the vampires. That parasitic race that feeds on everything that is pure and destroys everything that is good.
I am Raziel.
My mission was given to me at birth. My destiny was preordained. To be the leader of the proud Sarafan inquisitors, to be a saint, second only to the great Malek.
As a Sarafan warrior priest I naturally exceled at multiple fields. Through intense training I quickly became a fearsome fighter, mastering the art of combat with almost every weapon known to man. My body and my health were at a supernaturally perfect condition. People could be heard gossiping that I had the looks of an angel. My voice could influence every single human in Nosgoth. Whatever my command was, they were committed to following it as if their lives were on the line. Truthfully? They were.
My Sarafan brothers and I were always watching each other's backs, because we knew that it required all of us to successfully protect our people.
Through the iron fist of our brilliant commander Malek the Paladin and through the unlimited wisdom of the all-knowing Moebius the Time-Streamer we would lead our holy crusades against the vampiric plague.
Who would dare oppose us? Who would even think of questioning the authority of such noble saviors? Our inquisition was unparalleled and I was at the center of it all.
The encounters between Sarafan and vampires were many. We would crush them wherever they would hide. I myself have killed hundreds of their kind with relative ease, proving that we humans could use our potential to surpass even the most extravagant of monsters.
No vampire ever came close to threatening my life.
I set the goal that me and my brethren would eventually hunt down and kill Janos Audron. I dreamt that one day I would be standing over his dead body, holding his cursed heart in the palm of my hand. Victorious.
That dream became a reality. Today.
We discovered passage that led us into the vampire's aerie and fought him with the help of Moebius' powerful staff that could render vampires immobile. I killed the legendary Janos Audron with no effort, no hesitation.
Never in my life had I experienced the emotion that they called fear.
So, what was that strange feeling now? Why did the expression on my face feel so wrong? Was I sweating? The sword in my hand felt heavier than ever. My armor so uncomfortable.
Melchiah, Zephon, Rahab, Dumah and Turel were dead! Killed by the same creature that has seemingly overpowered me.
Wounded and helpless inside my own stronghold, the blood that fled from my body was instantly devoured by that cursed vampiric sword that was now in the hands of this enigmatic creature. What was this demonic adversary that was standing before me?
As I got to my feet in a final hopeless attempt to keep on fighting, my enemy readied his attack.
Without even giving me the slightest opening of a counterattack, the creature plunged his sword into my stomach. Writhing in pain I tried to say something, even I don't know what, but my assassin was the one who spoke.
"I renounce you."
As he pulled the sword from my dying body I felt the final pints of my noble blood being taken into it.
My vision began to fade and as my soul abandoned its host I couldn't help but sense an unexplained irony to this entire scene.
What relevance did the creature's final message had? And why had its voice sounded so hauntingly familiar?
I died, without ever knowing.