FAMILY TIES

BOOK TWO

INTRO

Ten years have passed since kain declared war against the humans of Nosgoth. But in a world not of their own the vampires fought long and hard, through the sun and over the seas, the world out of their favor. Never the less slowly but surely the war began moving into kains favor. The advantages over humanity became evident and vital to each step kain took toward victory. A vampire needed not sleep, nor food, and for every one that died, hundreds replaced it more from the corps of the human armies. Blood was the only thing they needed and once the war started…they hand plenty to look forward to. Like one unified great swarm of destruction, the vampires swept thought the land devouring every thing in their path. The Humans, with their bloated egos and high pride, unaware of the coming of the vampire threat, had been caught off guarded and scrabble to grip the situation of their true reality. Lost in a sea of ignorance and arrogance, the humans that once refused to acknowledge that such scourge as the vampires would ever pose a true threat, would quickly be flooded and drowned in the coming tide of kains assault.

Unfortunately, the catastrophic amount of human casualties of the war had brought down its own tide of civil conflict among the vampire clans. The dead, which were need to spawn more vampires, were bickered and fought over...especially among the smallest of the vampire clans. This disturbed kain. The younger clans were small and few and demanded clan's numbers to be fair and level. While the older clans fought the real war on the battlefield and constantly demanded more troops, lord kain ordered that all battlefield dead would be split up equally amongst the smallest clans, the weaklings of the dead would go to the younger clans while the elder clans would walk across the battle field picking up the corps of the humans strongest warriors.

Niccolie was quickly drafted from the Zephonim intelligence web to the head of a Razielim cavalry unit. Niccolie's fierce battlefield fire and advanced strategic at commanding quickly earned him recognition as a valued lieutenant among the vampire ranks and his brutal and horrific attacks on the humans made him a legendary terror on the battlefield. Despite his iron fist dedication to the war, some of the people Niccolie commanded would often refuse to follow him. He was often ordered to work with the Razielim, who already hated him for his crimes against them as a vampire slayer, and the other was the Turelim who had their own reasons to hate him. Eventfully this caught the attention of kain. Kain had been closely watching Niccolie and other former vampire slayers with in his army, Niccolie was one of the ones he favored. Kain knew that he would never harvest Niccolies full potential with out the right tools. Thus kain ordered Niccolie create his own cavalry unit that would operate out side a clan jurisdiction and answer only to kain, as a part of the kains private army, of which he had his own infantry.

Niccolie walked thorough the rakes of the vampire clans for 20 the most ruthless, loyal, and battle worn veteran vampires he could find and then he made them battle ready, conformed and formatted to his strategic psyche. Quickly they became a force to reckon with and one that Kain was proud to call his own. Feared though out the human kingdom, and wanted on every battlefield in theirs. They earn many names like "kains hand" "the dark riders" "the riding death" and the infamous "nights slaughter cavalry" for their trade mark assaults. In the middle of night they would charge down upon villages and camps…and in the morning nothing would be left but torn remains of human life.

While her father continued his dedication to the war, Karie was sent to the Vandor academy of war. Niccolie wished to keep Karie safe form danger and that she would not see the terrors of war. Although she heavily resented her father's idea of protection she found many knew friends while training for war and learning the old vampire's ways.

CHAPTER ONE

Night. Near the caves of the oracle.

Night, so dark and long that even the razor sharp minds of war campers had been chiseled down to a dull blunt edge by the hour of the night. For a time of war, the men seemed at peace, quietly talking of their homes and family, the things they loved and the things they did in there youth. Slowly men began to get ready for the nights sleep, they bid each other good night as a small few stayed up a little longer to right their letters to wives and children or to finish what stew was left from days dinner. And finally as the moon waned over the black smoky sky they fell to the mercy of dreams while watching the flames of the last fire leap into the night sky.

Across the grassy field on which the men camped and up a hill slop, silent observers upon horse watched as the wind swept the campfire smoke toward their high hill, hiding them in obscurity form their dreaming prey.

Twenty pairs of red amber eyes glared tensely and patiently at the camp. The biggest stood ahead of the others, clearly the leader of the riders mounted band of stalkers. They stood as quite and still as the night, motionless, from a distance it was far too easy to mistake them for trees or brush, and yet no one would have the opportunity to have a seconded opinion as the smoke obscured the strange statues.



They watched as the camp slowly fell asleep from the day's battles.

"Let us strike now master!" hissed one as a pair of eyes moved in the direction of the leader. The leader raised his hand, and signaling them all to hold. Time drove on and the camp was alive with the sound of snoring.

Slowly the fire died out as the last ambers grew cold, the camps smoke end and the riders lay now exposed in the night, their vision clear.

*Shrink* the sound of metal pulling against metal as the leader pulled his black and silver sword from his back slits. Every one did the same.

The leader turned his horse to the others.

"Now we go, quick and bloody, no survivors" his words seemed to freeze the air around him. He turned his horse toward the camp, one slap of his spurs and he charged down the hill as the others followed him in a frenzy of swords and hooves.

Quietly the vampire slayers slept, they did not hear the thunder of wild horses charging down the hill in their direction and unknowingly to them, their fates were sealed.

Suddenly someone screamed as a dozen horses trampled over him in his sleep. All the others found that they had awoken into a hell of darkness and blades. as one got up and scrambled to find his sword, a horseman charged past leaving the man in two pieces. Heads were flung from their bodies as swords tore through them with impossible speed. In a matter of minuets it was all over. Quite was the camp again and night went on.



The next morning.

The sun rose to blood covered sheets and body parts that littered the once peaceful camp. A glossy black leather boot stepped into the mud with a shingle from its spur. It was tall man in black leather armor with a hood shaded over his head, the leader. He took another step as he looked over the camp. His cape, tattered from years of battle and riding within the thick of woods with shredded holes that exposed his pair of swords crossed over his back.

"A glorious morning, isn't it, Niccolie?" said a short but well build dark skinned vampire with white dread locks as approached the tall man, he to wore similar armor with a hood, which he used hoe shade his face from the suns sickening rays. The leader turned to him.

"With the rise of the sun we have arisen victorious." continued the smaller vampire, motioning to the early morning sun.

"Indeed" said the leader turning back to the shattered camp.

"And what are we to do with the bodies of those intact, Niccolie?" the smaller one pointed to a corps that had been trampled to death, rather then the sliced to pieces "shall we give them to lord kain, or to the local Dumahim?"

"We leave them, let whoever wants them take them" said Niccolie walking off through the camp. "We have done our job"

Niccolie's looks had not changed much through the years; his pale white face and pitch-black hair were frozen in time from the moment of his death. But he had changed a lot more then he looked. He was respected, respected for what he did. He was important now, his reputation, his actions, all desired his aid, even kain asked for him. When kain asked the secret of his success, Niccolie didn't give an answer, all he could say was 'he does what he does best'. Then kain awarded him power, his own little army of hand picked men. The highest honor in the vampire community.

Niccolie walked up to his horse, a black Lipizzan he had named dark rain, and got on. He trotted through the camp. His men were scavenging through every thing the vampire hunters owned, looking for any thing of value or perhaps some vital information they were carrying.

Niccolie trotted up to the smaller vampire whom he had spoke to before, a Dumahim, he was Shark, Niccolies seconded in command, right a man, and his most trusted friend. The story behind how the two met was comical, but they where both men of the same nature, and quickly became fast friends.

"I am going to scout the area, and report to Jacob." Niccolie told Shark as he trotted away.

Shark didn't ask why Niccolie was going to scout, that was a fledgling's job, but he knew Niccolie. Every man in the unit knew him. This was some thing he did often and if any one asked why they would never live to regret it. No one questions Niccolies actions.

Niccolie trotted Black Rain through the low grass, and into the woods. The cool breeze ran over his body. Niccolies mind lay a thunderstorm of turmoil, his mind had become corrupted from the tensions of his life, and it seemed unbearable. With Karie begging to go to battle, kains direct orders, along with letters of assistance from every clan and Zephons persisten nagging for him to take on special missions for the clans benefit, he was over worked. He felt as if he was being pulled in all directions. Not to mention his other life, his blood lust life that he tried in every possible way to hide from Karie, but every day it grew stronger, and harder to control.

He was a monster among his own men. If Kain ever wanted to send a message to the humans, he would send Niccolie. But above all, the sharpest spear to his mind was the death of his wife, he had been half way driven to insanity and half driven to the misery and loneliness of which he never recovered. He found that killing was the only escape. He would just ride into battle and let his rage take over as if each life he took would make things right, made things more justified, made life more bearable. And in it all there was a benefits to all this, he was respected and feared and thus no one would dare question him. In a way his inner suffering fueled his outer success.

Niccolie road to a near by mountain and had Black Rain hike up it, once he reached a clearing he gazed down on all around him like some kind of god. He could see to the vampire strong holds were the Dumahim had based their capital and then on the other side of the mountain was a small cluster of black, like a spot of cancer on a field of evergreen health. His riders. He stood on the cliff that over looked them all for a second. He sat down and looked across the view again. He picked up some small stones at his feet. He looked them over for a few seconds before casting them off the cliff. As if he tried to throw away the pain and sorrow that tainted his life, even so, it failed.

After some time he got up and got back on black rain and trotted back down to the city that he had to report in to.

****

"I just don't get him," said Karie aimlessly moving books around. She had changed very little since she became a vampire too, she still looked her peak age of 18 even thought her true age was 31, and yet she was still child in mind, immature, arrogant, and impatient. A side effect of immortality, look young feel young. And the fact her father still treated her like a child didn't help the matter. She sat at a table that had books piled in small mountains that lay among six other vampires. Three girls, two of where older then the third, Shila and Moemie, Shila and Moemie were of Zephonim. Both of which looked like they were in there twenties but are acutely around the adult age of karie. the third was a younger fledgling named Ariel of the Dumahim, she was turned at a abornamly young age, a look as a child even though she had lived for a good 20 years. And three boys, one was an adult named Thresh, a Turelim by breed but not by heart. next was in his mind adult but fledgling by years, his name was Vicious, but referred to as Vic, a quite Dumahim who often kept to himself. The last was a fresh fledgling, so fresh he still smelt human, named Elayious, he prefer EL with an attitude of a typical Zephonim. He was the groups clown.

"Maybe he's scared you might get hurt," said Moemie flipping a page of a very big book.

"That's what he is doing. He's putting me here so I can lose out on all the action" said Karie in a fussy tone crossing her arms.

"Well he's your father. he's trying to protect you." added Shila

"Yeah, he's like your 'father', your BIRTH father. We don't have that; we only got the one that made us what we are. You should be thankful for what you got." Thresh lectured in his wise guy tone

"I guess you are right." Said Karie picking up one of the books and opening it. The small group sat quietly in the huge library, reading through the scrolls and dusty old books.

"This assignment sucks," said EL finally breaking the silence.

"Well, some day you will need to know every action the great Vorador did." Said Thresh

"Hay how long do you think this war will go on?" ask Moemie.

"Not long," said thresh.

"Why not long?" asked Ariel curiously

"The humans are disorganized, they are not prepared. Too busy fighting amongst each other."

"You think we will wipe out humanity?" asked Moemie

"No, some will probably live on." Said Karie flipping another page."or where would we get food?"

"AH HA!!" said EL triumphantly as he jumped up, his short body nearly buried under the books.

"Found some thing?" asked Vic.

EL flung the book down to revile a sketch drawing of Vorador with a column next to it. Thresh picked it up and began to read.

"Vorador, one of the most powerful vampires to live thought the vampire plunges. During the plagues he had successful kill six members of the circle of nine to avenge the vampiric holocaust brought down by their sarifan armies. Shortly there after he retried to his mansion in the woods north east of the pillars. Were he stayed till he was captured and executed along with his followers."

"hummm. well I still don't see why he is so great." Said Ariel.

"He killed six members of the circle of nine to stop the extinction of vampire kind" Vic pointed out "we owe our existence to him"

"Is that a good or bad thing?" Karie mumbled to herself

"So" Ariel said sarcastically

"So? So! The circle of nine was the one who invented the sarafan and sent them to destroy all vampires." Said thresh a little upset at their lack of respect for such a ancient vampire hero.

"Well he only killed six" Ariel continued

"six out of nine is a lot." Vic replied

"You found some thing?" an elder mentor had entered the library. He was the teacher of all cadets.

Thresh handed the book to him.

"Good, I am glad you took your time to only find one book that contains Vorador." He glanced at the piles on the table "his name should be in all of these"

"We...uh..." Karie began trying to think of excuses

"Enough, your not going to be wasting my time" he said putting the book down "to the gym, poll jumping for all of you."

"Awe man!!" whined EL

Every one got up and left the library.