A/N: Now I don't know if anybody actually reads this story besides the two members on my listings(one faved and the other is a watcher, I thank both of you. ^^ ) but I like it so I will continued to write it whether read it or not. Though some R&R would be nice and up lifting but I'm not gonna bug you about it. ^^' So anyway, sorry this is late, been super busy lately. But I hope to get this story on the road soon. Also, I may be needing your guys' help with making desicions soon so when the time comes please speak up even if to just flame. ; ; ...Have a good read! ^^

Chapter 2

Raziel awoke to the feel of soft bedding below him instead of the coarse, scratchy sheets of the filth infested inn he was forced to work. He felt dazed and confused, eyelids too heavy with sleep to open them so he could only feel his surroundings. He was lying naked on his stomach but at a weird angle, it felt like he had pillows under his stomach; something that had been done to him before to get him into a better position for his buyer to take him, but it didn't feel like that was the case this time considering he had very little anal pain (from his "appointment" before Kain) and there was a blanket over him for privacy. His only pain was the discomfort from the bruising on his hips and the strange recent pain in his lower back; he had come to think that it was from the harsher treatment he got compared to his fellow "workers" but had never brought it up in fear of a punishment for no reason. Though, something was wrong now; here he was in a strange position, in weird and comfortable surroundings but he couldn't remember a thing from the night before! What had happened to him? He forced his eyes open and got a blurry look around; he was lying on a king-size bed with satin bedding, the contentedly warm comforter draped slightly over his hips but didn't brush painfully against them. Raziel used his weak arms to slowly try and push himself into a sitting position but suddenly stopped at the feel of someone touching his arm gently.

"Raziel, you shouldn't move just yet, your body needs time for Sestine's potions to take effect and heal you…" A deep blue blush spread over Raziel's pale cheeks at the sight of Sayumi standing there next to his bed, rather embarrassed about being only wrapped in a blanket in front of the eight-year-old looking spirit unknowing of her being his ancient home realm. The wraith-turned-human gulped painfully with his damaged throat as the little female spirit sat down gently on the bed next to him, coaxing his body into relaxing back onto the pillows by massaging his battered hips with her soothingly cool hands.

"Who are you and why are you doing this? I do not understand what is happening, have I done something wrong to be given such false treatment of kindness…?" Raziel whimpered out softly as Sayumi gently continued her massage, even rubbing her fingers soothingly over the small of his back where his wings would soon be released from.

"I am Sayumi and you have done no wrong, Raziel, in fact you have done all of Nosgoth a very favorable deed. You simply cannot remember it, though we are working on remedying that." She told him softly as she pulled the blanket up over him, her touches making him drowsy once more, "You need your rest for the transformation that your body will be going through soon… I am truly sorry to say, that because of how your new body has formed, you will have to be awake for the release of your wings…" In the back of Raziel's mind he knew that that was a bad thing but he was far too sleepy for his brain to grasp the subject or question what she had just told him. He started to drift off as Sayumi put out all but one of the torches lit by purple fire before she left Raziel to his strange new nightmare about a disfigured blue creature and giant green squid with many eyes.

~H~T~

Sayumi made her way down the corridor from Raziel's room to one of the main halls of the castle to see Kain and Sestine studying a map of Nosgoth on a large wooden table. She smiled softly as she gazed at the pair of two of her most loyal protectors and their strange predicament. Kain stood tall with arms crossed as he stared down at the map, completely ignoring Sestine; the petite lunacorn was kneeling atop the hardwood table to actually be able to see the cartography parchment.

"So, what is the severity of damage to Nosgoth that you're estimating…?"

"I'm not entirely sure, Kain, but the constant decay of the Pillars is in turn causing the barriers in the north, east and west," Sestine pointed to each direction, "to crumble. With each piece of the barrier that falls something can push through…"

"Push through?" The vampire lord raised an eyebrow to further illustrate his inquiry.

"Yes." The lunacorn sat back on her bent legs, "Kain, in the times when the Ancient vampires roamed freely and my race was happy and thriving there were many other races."

"Then where are they now…" The vampire was dead serious. Sestine could only sigh.

"Kain, for one who has traveled through time you should REALLY learn your Nosgothian history…." Sestine could only sigh, "Some were banished beyond the barrier because they posed a threat to the livelihood of Nosgoth while others fled beyond the barrier to save themselves from the near extinction of their species brought on by the humans…" She paused and the two ancient creatures simply stared at each other. The two shared a silent maelstrom of emotions about the fact that both their races had suffered a fate much the same from the hands of the humans who let themselves be ruled by their greed for power, land and the resolve to service a false god. With an uncomfortable flip of her green streaked hair, Sestine turned back to the map and continued.

"But now, years later, the barriers are breaking and the races are starting to slip back through again and bringing countless problems with them. So far the Pillars have protected Nosgoth from the changes in the outside world but now that things are coming through that could endanger the very livelihood of all Nosgoth we are entitled to cast out the returning races and restore the barriers." She pulled slightly at the bustier of her gown as she waited for him to say something; it was a nervous reaction of hers when she was around him for long periods of time, she hated the strange heat that flushed her lavender skin for no reason when they were silent for too long.

"These other races could bring diseases here that we are not used to and it could harm the already fragile balance we have achieved as of late… We must rid our home of them." Kain growled out gruffly as he dragged a claw along the path on the map to one of the barriers, "How much longer before the barriers shatter completely?"

"I cannot see them but I feel they are close to the breaking point." Both vampire and lunacorn looked up quickly, neither had noticed Sayumi come in.

"Sayumi! …How long've you been there?"

"For some time, Sestine but that is not important. I came to tell you that Raziel is asleep; when he awakes his wings will be to the point where they need to be extracted. The little spirit walked over to the table and climbed up onto one of the heavy chairs, careful to avoid banging up her wings while she gently held her seeing orb in her lap. Kain walked over to her as she waved a hand over the orb bringing up a clouded image on a snowy mountain side.

"Say, what is that?" Sestine asked as she crawled across the tabletop to sit on the edge next to Kain.

"This is the mountain, Thulgoth, it holds the barrier to the north. Though there is something strange about this barrier, it feels as if it protects something than just holding back other races." Kain didn't like the sound of watery snow having to touch his skin but such things were hard to avoid, as his thoughts drifted along this line Sayumi brought up another image; a Cliffside with a cave and runes carved into it, "This one seems the most problematic… I feel very little magical energy trying to break it down; instead it feels as if a strange advancement the realm outside it…" Sayumi looked up at her two guardians and frowned.

"We mush hurry and find a way to uphold the barriers before they are too far gone and end up damaging the Pillars." Kain grunted as Sestine nodded, they were about to say something when they were cut off by the sound of a pained cry coming from the back corridors.

"Raziel!" The three exclaimed instinctually and rushed for his chambers.