Legacy of Kain ; Path of redemption 2 by Lazaruss
Chapter one ; recollections
It was a warm evening with no clouds, one of the signs of the arriving spring. Winter was already long gone, with its snow melted away and the naked trees now painted with blossoms and flowers. At first it seemed that the summer was just around the corner but it was in fact slowly dragging it self on its way to Nosgoth.
The tree she was on was one of the few ones that already released its fresh green leaves out and thus rushed in front of others to greet the warm season. But that wasn't the reason she chose to use it. She actually wanted to behold her former home from the height of its branches. Tarian, Jasmine and Kain warned her not to return again, but she was always too reckless and too stubborn. A small farm and a courtyard were so familiar she could hardly believe that it has bean twelve years. Her father Robert installed a new water supply, the house was repainted in blue and the old apple tree, now trimmed, still cast shadow on the eastern window of her old room. The wooden fence was replaced with a metal wire that almost made a boundary for her, suggesting her where her place now is ; with the rest of the shades in the forest behind her.
Tonight her father went to hunt something down, leaving her mother Nathalie, her sister Helen and her husband Joseph alone in the house. Her parents were old now and hardly capable to maintain the estate, but Helen and Joseph were a big help. She always felt a little guilty about applying to the NUC academy and abandoning them, but considering the current situation it was far too late to go back. She watched as all three sat unsuspecting at the porch of the house discussing some simple life's troubles, and her heart clenched with a sense of lose forcing tears once more to her eyes. She often cried on this place, and the burned scars stretched from her lower eyelids all over her cheeks like some dark rays of flipped black sun. She was actually proud to bare such marks, even though the others considered her weak for it. In fact, all of her offspring, the Sumnali, tattooed similar marks on their faces as a sign of belonging.
A sudden whisper ended her recollecting :
" I've advised you to stay away from this place, Adella. "
She looked at the sky for a moment not sure of what to say, but than she returned her eyes to the three people at the porch :
" …My parents grew old, my younger sister got married, soon she'll have children of her own, and I still look like I used to twelve years ago. "; she looked back at the night :" Did you watch your family… your human family like this ?"
" I killed my human family. "; a cold answer came
She was a little disturbed by this but she didn't express it :
" I guess you had to prevent someone from using them against you. "
"Actually, I had to spare them the pain of watching me doing what I did. "
" Do you ever think about them ?"
" All corpses start looking the same after a while. "
She shivered by this cold logic, squeezing the branch she sat on more tightly. Kain continued :
" But my past shouldn't be your future, but your teacher. It seems that this lesson you'll have to learn the hard way. "
" What do you mean ?"; there was no answer
Suddenly, a shot was fired, and she lost her seat. The branch snapped and the hard land started to draw closer rapidly. She tried to glide down, but the passing branches constantly banged her arms making them impossible to spread. She finally stroke the earth most painfully falling on her face and stretching her body like a long staff. She rose her head, shaking off the dirt and grass, but just as she was about to get up, she heard a familiar sound of mortal blood beating trough a vain followed by the sound of a pulse gun being reset :
" Get up ! Slowly, and keep your hands where I can see them !"; a man's voice came from behind
Adella smiled as she begun to rise from the damp grass. People of Nosgoth held vampires extinct centuries ago, and the man behind her didn't have a clue of what he'd just brought down. In her twelve years other dark gifts emerged, but her mesmerizing magic increased drastically. There was no man or a woman who could resist her hypnotic gaze, and she extensively used it to lure her pray and feed upon them. She trained it to such measure, she could even subjugate some younger vampires into her desires, but she would only use these powers for need and not for some sick form of self entertainment. In truth she has thus enslaved a certain number of men and women to serve her and her offspring but only out of necessity, since the Sumnali have tended to rarely engage in a hunt. That way her vampires could take the servants blood quite often, sustaining them in life and keeping them perfectly loyal. It was another feature of her household.
As it was, she was just in a need for a new servant to tidy her wardrobe, and this one should do nicely.
" Your stalking days are over, girl !"; the man said :" Turn around and let me see your face !"
" Once I feed on this one I'll have to call someone to help me take him away to my nest… "; she taught
But as she turned the cunning smile on her face changed to a confused opened mouth and a shock. He wore a white shirt plaid with blue lines, and pants of dark gray cotton. At first she didn't recognize his voice but than his face cowered in white hair and short beard stroke her like a bolt of lightning. The gun in her father's hand started to shake and his at first angry face changed to resemble hers. Their eyes were so huge it seemed as they were about to fall out as they stood there watching each other, two family members dead and lost to the other one. There were no words that came out of her mouth, as she tried to say something, only some silent squeal of a frightened rodent. In that moment he swallowed some spit to make his throat fit for speaking and than spat out one word mixed with horrible grief :
" … Adella… ?"
Her head shivered chaotically and she fled in the darkness of the woods. A scream of pain followed her as she ran trough the thick consuming shadows and once she wrapped her self in them, she heard him running after her. She was well concealed from him but guided by rage he pressed on trough the naked trees, desperate to track her down. There was no trace of her. As he came to a slope clearing with a log lying like a border telling him he already went too far, he razed his eyes to the sky, yelling :
" Where are you, you monster !"
For a while there was nothing but the sound of breeze in bushes and twigs and crickets singing their nightly songs, but than her soft whisper came from all around :
" Stop hunting me. "
He was startled and frightened but his anger was still prevalent :
" I will hunt you down, if it takes forever ! I will release my daughter !"
" … I don't want… you to kill me. "
" You are already dead !"
" Very little of your daughter is dead. "; she said suddenly appearing behind him.
As he turned she ripped the gun out of his arms and tossed it away. He rushed at her, but she just welcomed him in her hug and held him firmly in her arms while he was beating her back with his fists as hard as he could. He punched her and punched her and after a while his punches slowly grew into sobbing with grief replacing anger. She held him with closed eyes and again released tears over her cheeks, making them sparkle on the moonlight like pearls over her face. She removed him from her chest and faced his bowed head :
" I've bean here every month for the past twelve years. Don't you think I would have harmed you all by now ?... I've just missed you and I had to… "
She pooled her arms away and wiped the stinging tear drops off with her sleeves, and than he saw the scars of water-burns beneath her eyes :
" Adella… Could it be you ?"
" What's left of me. "; she backed away allowing him to see her as she was.
Her skin was clean blue, completed with fangs claws and pointy ears, her hair was now darker and eyes a kind of pretty silvery-blue like sapphire disks, but other than that she still looked the same with the same smile and the same feelings painted on her face. She wasn't in a uniform any more, but in a short provocative pale blue blouse and tight seductive dark blue skirt sliced over its right side to expose her smooth leg. On any other woman, such clothing would signify a person of cheap standards, but with a mastery body language she was able to use it to make her seem irresistible. She came and sat on an old log trying to find something to chase away all the negative energy of this moment, but other than fade attempts to smile she was pretty ineffective.
Finally her father approached and sat about a meter away. She looked at him and he placed his hand on hers :
" …My baby… What have they done to you… "
She tried to say something but still in wane.
" How… How did this happen !"
And it was then that she spilled out everything that happened in the past twelve years starting with her mission and Kain and overthrowing of Grand-marshal Larevos. She was actually quite relieved to finally get it off her chest. In her hope she practiced such speech a million times and though it didn't come out quite right, it was more than liberating.
" … so now I'm the matriarch of my vampire house, the Sumnali… the oldest one of Kain's… so called progeny. There is also Tarian of the Tergetti and Jasmine of the Zantara that are suppose to be my… brother and sister. We don't have the intention of ruling the world. Only to… exist as a part of it. "
" How can you live like this !"; he asked her, still shocked :" Like… a blood stealing parasite !"; he didn't want to insult her but he couldn't help it. He was simply feeling like that.
" Remember a couple of years ago ? When mom got lost ? She broke her leg and passed out, and there was no one around to offer a transport. "
" She said she just woke up in a hospital… you took her there !"
" … I can go on, because I still have my responsibility. "; she looked away :" I've succumbed to this dark nature, but… I tried to remain the same, to hold on to all that remains of me… my love for you amongst other things. "
They bowed their heads down looking at each other's knees, just sitting and not paying heed to the nightly sounds. They didn't know what to say to each other, they were incapable for anything other than sitting and hovers started to pass by them rapidly. Close by an owl released its midnight call amongst the cricket's silent whispers, and the time came to end this some how. Any how…
" You must come home with me !"; he said
" I'm… not a part of that home any more… I can't go back. "
" Where will you go than !"; he said grieved and angry :" To some cave ! In these woods !"
" I… can't go to them… not like this… not like this… "; she looked at him :" They must still hold me for dead. "
" Oh, god… "; he cried :" I feel like I'm loosing you again !"
" Promise me you won't tell them. "
" You're asking me to lie to your mother ? To your sister ?"
" You have to… if only, to save them from your pain. Please, promise me. "
" I… promise… "; he threw it out of him self and she hugged him
It was a long time and the old burden of thirst came back upon her. She stood up to leave :
" Will I see you again… ?"; he asked
" … I don't think that's a good idea… Maybe… if… "
" I understand. "; he bowed his head
She turned away, standing like that for a while and than just vanished saying :
" Good by. "
Clocked in darkness she paced trough the woods, leaving him behind to drop his head on his palms. She paced fast, not turning back or knowing where she was going. She just had to get away as fast and far as she could.
Golden arms of dawn started to invade the night, but when she came in, the bowels of her household offered no comfort to her, rather than a cruel reminder of her situation. The brown décor of the cavern was lightened by candles and torches so that the human servants could find their path, rather than stumble around, and in such environment her vampires were also capable to dwell comfortably, safe and protected. At first it gave her no cure for her pain, but as she gazed upon such perfect sanctum for the Sumnali, the motherly instinct bubbled up within her and pride managed to suppress her grief. This was her family now, caring and comforting like any other imaginable, with these vampires for her children. Holding for that, she managed to smile to her self and find the satisfaction and peace again.
It was than that Velako, the first of her vampires approached her. He had short blond hair and a formal type of suit which signified that his role in her home was an important one. With his golden eyes bowed in respect, he spoke :
" Mistress, your brother Tarian, lord of Tergetti is here. "
" How many times do I have to tell you not to call me Mistress ?"; she softly said :" We aren't masters to one another. "
" I feel more comfortable… respecting the authority. "; he answered innocently :"… Any how, your brother expects you in the guest chambers. "
" I taught I smelled him upon my arrival… "; she said to her self
She paced trough the lower tunnels of the cavern which were decorated with esthetic artifacts and comfy furniture occupied by her children. They were stretched over sofas and beds, enjoying the shades and the servant's blood, lazy and spoiled during day time. Some of them were behind curtains using servants to indulge their appetites and desires, with their shadows dancing behind sheets and cloth. The Sumnali and their servants were often engaged in sensual games of pleasures, giving satisfaction to one another, but none of the vampires did violate or malice the humans, and though they were all magically seduced into submission, they would often find great satisfaction in their master's handle.
She passed these dormitories and formally entered the guest chambers. The man within was pacing the dark stone flour giving the image of being annoyed. He had a short black hair lifted upwards that exposed his white face, with long black leather coat covering his strong body. As she walked in he spoke looking at a certain painting as it suddenly draw his attention :
" I have hoped I'd catch you napping. "
" I had some business to attend to. "
" You went to see them again. "; he looked at her :" You toy with our safety by going back to that place a hundred times over. "
" The safety of my children is my own concern. I made sure that none of us was in danger. "
" God, Adella !"; he laughed trough his seriousness and faced her :" Listen to your self ! You are so blinded by your previous life, you don't tell the difference between worry and jealousy. "; he came to her and looked in her eyes :" We have our differences, but I don't want to see you hurt. "
" I… know. "; she turned away :" I'm just so angry at everyone… you and Kain and Jasmine, telling me to abandon them… and I can't. "
" This… clinging, or what ever you call it, it can't do you any good. Look at you and your house. You don't stab your fangs in humans. You drain their blood out in glasses and drink it. Don't you know how much sweeter the blood is when it's spiced by chilling fear ?"
" I know well the taste of such vintage, and I won't taste it again soon ! The servants take care of my children. They've lost their previous lives and gave everything to us and they shall be treated justly in my house. "
Tarian turned and silently went for the dour :
" We are what we are, Adella. Denying won't change it… Take care of your self… "; he left the room leaving her with those words
Suddenly, a colorful music echoed the empty cavern coming from her quarters. It was a romantic tropical kind of a melody for the late nights at the beech and young lowers. As she followed it she gained the sense of being drawn to it by another but she had no desire to defy it and she allowed her self to be guided like that. The closer she approached, the more did the music grow louder and the foreign will that was leading her more calming and satisfying. It drowned her concerns and sorrow, and swiftly brought peace back in her mind and heart. The spirit that possessed her was not violent but kind, pleasing her to follow and so sweet she felt like a baby in its arms. At last her legs brought her to the dour of her quarters and than her hand reached for the knob. Only than did she stop to wonder about her actions, but only briefly before allowing her self to go on.
Her room was the last in the cave complex, and it also held a secret escape root in case someone would attack. Its walls were decorated with fresh candlesticks and pictures of her previous and current family chaotically displaced trough out the interior. The ground was cowered by a soft red carpet and it also had a comfy bed, some furniture and a small library. The music was emanating from her disk player that was on a commode next to her still untidy wardrobe, and on the center of the carpet, Kain danced on the melody with the soul reaver hovering next to his left gliding on the music like his dance partner.
Before her stretched a small steep wooden staircase but instead of using it, she stood on its fence and watched her sire until the music ran out. Kain smiled to his still hovering sword and stepped closer to the machine.
" We just got to love this thing, me and he. "; he said while resetting it for the next song :" So many emotions rushing trough the air like a scourge… a rain of notes that comes together in a perfect river of the heart. "
She was not surprised to find him here. He had a certain habit of paying unexpected visits to her occasionally, but considering the events of the last night, she didn't know what to expect of this one. This situation might move him to take some drastic action, and it frightened her.
" You already know what happened. I doubt that there is anything in the land that can escape your attention. "; she said as she slowly started to climb down the stairs :" What will you do ?"
Kain razed his finger up suggesting her to still her self, and than he activated the next track. This one was a more formal melody reserved for nobility in the ballroom. The reaver glided down on the chair as if taking a seat, and Kain extended his arm to her :
" Come. Dance with me and forget your troubles. "
She knew he won't give her the answers before he so decides and so she stepped on the carpet and entered his welcoming arms. They've danced passionately giving into the music but her eyes were constantly upon him expecting and wondering. Though her body was calmly making the poetic steps her mind was burning with anticipation and expectation. Finally as Kain gently bended her over his arm he whispered to her :
" You can't save them from them selves. "
Though this answer was warm and caring, it made her shiver in his arms :
" And… are you going to " save " them from me ?"
" Their fate… "; he said as he span her in the spot :" … is in your hands. "; she smiled but he than spoke enigmatically :" That alone will be enough. "
The music stopped and she looked at him confused. She didn't understand what that meant, but she knew him well enough to know it had much deeper meaning.
" Your riddles play games with me. "; she sadly said :" Sometimes I wonder are you helping me or just trying to confuse me. "
He smiled to her and presented her the first part of one torn book.
" What I like the most about this age, is that the humans are thinking with their own mind rather than fanatically and blindly following individuals. As soon as the consciousness broke free, imagination started giving birth to ideas. "
She looked at the script :
" Children fairytales ?"
" You might find your next step in there. "
She took it carefully like it was something priceless and easily damaged, but still it was just a story with its end torn away.
" What about the other half ?"
" You must write it your self. "; the reaver glided to his hand and he placed it on his back ready to go.
" Why can't you just tell me what I'm suppose to do ?"; she asked him slightly annoyed
" What kind of a lesson would it be than ? All you need to do is to outsmart me. Good luck. "; he vanished in a white flash leaving her alone in this puzzle.