Lessons about Water

Disclaimer: Legacy of Kain belongs to Edios and Crystal dynamics, they are not me. I am making £0.00 out of this fic, it is written purely because I have a burning need to create.

Rating: PG-13

Part: One of One

Set: Post BO1 Pre SR1 – six months after Kain raised his fledglings.

Authoress note: A snap shot of Kain having no patience and having to deal with fledglings.

For all my reviewers, who without I would have surely given up a long time ago.

Lessons about Water.

{Kain}

I had always known that humans, in general, were stupid. But now, after raising fledglings of my own, I suspect that a lot of vampires are as well; although, after spending years in the company of Vorador and his army of fledglings I should not be surprised by this. I have had plenty of opportunities to witness the stupidity of vampires. But, seeing it from those of my own get was disappointing. They spend their nights foolishly flirting with danger in such a way as to get themselves killed, unless under my constant supervision. I am their Lord and Master, I am not a nursemaid here to guard against stupidity.

"Where are we going, father?" Melchiah pulls me from my thoughts. I glance at him before turning my attention back to the road.

"We are already here," I pause to let them look at the entrance to the forest swamp.

"Why to bring us here?" Raziel looked up at me, his expression so hopelessly confused that I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. I started walking again.

"I hope to educate you," I said as Raziel jogged to keep pace with me. "As hopeless a task as it may be."

"Educate? About what?" Raziel asked.

"Your weaknesses," I said. "We will find them all in this place, it is also uninhabited, or should be, so it will give you time to learn in relative peace."

"This is Termogent Forest, the Black Forest," Rahab called out from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder at him. He, Melchiah and Zephon were lagging, I slowed my pace. I cannot recall ever being so feeble, six months dead and still they are weaker than I was after being dead only days. They are barely able to function without constant care and attention. This was not what I had in mind when I thought to raise an army.

"Where Vorador used to live?" Raziel had slowed his pace to walk with his younger brothers.

"Yes, look," Rahab gestured to one of the fallen ignis fatuus. Raziel made a curious sound and walked towards the fallen torch. I lurched forward to grab his arm before the moron walked right into the swamp.

"Father!" Raziel cried out, I snarled wordlessly at him. He whimpered and I realised I was a hairsbreadth away from breaking the little idiots arm. I released my grip and turned away from him, squashing the urge to set something on fire.

"I warned you about the water," I said as slowly as I could manage.

"I know but..." Raziel rubbed his wrist.

"I warned you before we came here, I warned you last week, I warned you last month when the roof leaked and it still doesn't stop you. Next time I won't bother and when you're permanently dead maybe, just maybe, I'll get some peace." I pinched the bridge of my nose, rubbing to alleviate a headache I could feel fast approaching. I had never suffered headaches before but in the last six months since raising children, I had had one almost constantly.

"I ... sorry, father." Raziel muttered. They were all quiet for a few moments while I stood perfectly still trying to force my headache away by willpower alone.

"But surely there has to be a reason Water hurts us," Rahab said suddenly, I sighed loudly.

"It just does, don't touch it," I had always thought Rahab the most intelligent of the brood, but his questions were sometimes inane.

"Maybe it just burns older vampires?" Zephon asked dipping a hand perilously close to the water.

"No," I said, "but by all means touch it if that's what it takes for you to listen." Zephon made a strange face as if he couldn't quite make up his mind as to whether or not he believed me.

"It doesn't look dangerous," Melchiah said.

"I don't like the look of it," Dumah growled and looked up at me. "How do you fight it?" Despite my poor mood that comment made me smile. Dumah, while often the most idiotic of my brood was always the one to ask the best questions in my opinion.

"You don't fight it," I explained. "You avoid it. As you age you will build up a bit of a resistance to it, and maybe one day you will be able to venture out when it rains, but never will we be able to be fully immersed in it."

"I don't like having an enemy I can't fight," Dumah grumbled, giving the water a fierce some glare.

"Try getting sick," Melchiah said, Dumah frowned

"How would that help?" he asked.

"Sickness won't help," Melchiah said. "But it's a worse enemy, you can't even see sickness."

"Oh," Dumah sighed looking despondent.

"Come, we've wasted enough time here," I said and started walking further into the swamp. At the slow pace, I was having to take it would be almost dawn before we arrived at the mansion. I picked up speed a little.

"Where are we going?" Zephon asked.

"The mansion," I said.

"Why?" Zephon said I didn't answer. I was growing immensely weary of explaining myself. Zephon opened his mouth, no doubt to repeat himself, unfortunately, his focus on me meant he was not looking where he was going. He lost his footing and stumbled forward, right into the swamp.

I lurched forward but was beaten in my rescue by Raziel. He grabbed his young brother by his trousers and yanked him back, preventing injury. Then not meeting my gaze fell back into his place at Melchiah's side, apparently he was sulking.

"Well done," I smirked, and then clipping Zephon on the back of his head continued on through the swamp.

We reached the mansion without further incident. It was less dilapidated than I had expected which was a pleasant surprise. I moved my brood into the northern wing which still had its roof for the most part. As the sun rose they settled themselves two to a room leaving me to enjoy a rare moment of peace. Or so I thought until the door to the room I had taken creaked open.

"What is it, Raziel?" I glanced at him before looking back out of the window. He said nothing for a moment and I let him keep his silence.

"We are a burden to you," Raziel said quietly after a time.

"For once you are astute," I smirked, walked to the bed and patted the mattress inviting him to sit with me. He had these rare moments of clarity every now and then and in those rare moments he could be something of a stimulating conversationalist, more so than his brothers at any rate.

"Then why have us?" he said, his tone almost accusatory.

"Because I have hopes for the future, soon, I hope you will not be a burden," I said.

"Lord Kain, Champion of lost causes," he smiled at me.

"Not lost, Raziel, never lost," I said. "Frustrating and slow to improve, but not lost."

"You truly believe that?"

"Yes," I said. He sighed and I could almost hear him thinking, trying to word his thoughts in such a way so as not to anger me but wishing to voice them regardless.

"Then ..." he started but I interrupted him.

"I am not known for my patience child or my empathy. When I was young I was very unlike you or your brothers. However, I have seen other fledglings and they were like you, needing help, foolish and prone to near fatal accidents. I forget that sometimes, I hold you and your brothers to my own standards when perhaps I should not."

"I would like to meet your standards," he said quietly, looking down at his claws.

"And so you should, in time," I said. "But I forget that I am the exception not the norm, these things take time," I said it more for myself than for him. Reminding myself of the fledglings I had seen Vorador raise, useless, and overly emotional at the start of their lives but they grew into capable creatures with time. Some of them at least.

"What will we do when we are no longer burdens to you?" he asked

"Then, on that fateful day, in the far, far, far future," I smirked, he glared at me. Already he was showing signs of a backbone that would possibly rival mine one day. "We will take Nosgoth."

End

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