Dèjá vu

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: Four of Four

Set: During Blood Omen one / Soul Reaver 2

Authoress note: Vorador ponders the implications of Time Travel

Chapter Four

Vorador opened his eyes and was genuinely surprised.

Looking up he recognised the canopy above his bed, and the smell of smoke burned his nostrils. He was in his mansion, his ruined mansion, he had never expected to see it again. He recalled the mob, the crowd gathered to see him die and then the blackness. The blackness must have come when the blade fell.

He moved, trying to turn his head and felt the world spin. His stomach clenched at the sensation and threatened to throw up what blood it still held from the battle before his death. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then another. He would not vomit all over himself, that would be the final humiliation in this most recent farce. He groaned as the nausea started to ebb.

"You're awake," a familiar voice said. Vorador thought for a moment, trying to pin down the voice he knew he recognised. It took him a moment, but he remembered Kain.

"Kain," he said, his voice hoarse and almost silent. He felt the bed he was lying on shift as someone leaned close. He risked opening his eyes and flinched. He had been expecting the arrogant fledgling, the ankle-biter who had killed William the Just. This was not that creature. This creature was fully evolved and far larger than the fledgling had been. Vorador frowned at him, again feeling the faint wisp of recollection in the back of his mind. "I know you," he said.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," the vampire said. "Although the me you know is currently otherwise occupied."

"You!" Vorador said suddenly, jerking as he tried to sit up without thinking. The nausea returned full force and Vorador was disappointed in himself when he threw up what little remained in his stomach, although at least he managed to roll over so he didn't cover himself in it.

"You might want to avoid sudden movements," the vampire said, sounding both amused and concerned. "I imagine you have the mother of all headaches right now."

"You could say that," Vorador managed to lie back. "You were in the pillars clearing that day. You are Kain, the arrogant little ankle biter all grown up."

"Well done," Kain said dipping his head slowly. "I wondered how quickly you would figure it out, I've been making bets with myself to pass the time."

"Time? How long have I been?" Vorador started but stopped when Kain waved a large taloned hand at him.

"Only a day or so," he said. Vorador felt a chill rush through him. "If you feel up to it, I can see about finding someone for you? I did what I could but I must confess healing a decapitation is not something I have experience with." Vorador nodded and the world moved a little less than it had the first time, although still enough to make him groan. He watched as the elder Kain walked away, apparently to find him someone to eat. Vorador snorted at the idea of the angry fledgling playing nursemaid, the role didn't seem to suit the elder Kain well either although at least he was more stoic about it.

Closing his eyes, Vorador tried to think clearly. How was he still alive? He gently tensed each of his limbs, making sure everything moved as it was supposed to, he was sore and stiff all over but everything from his feet to the tips of his ears seemed to be working. He let out a sigh of relief.

He heard footsteps returning, apparently, Kain had people on hand for Vorador's recovery. He opened his eyes again and watched as the elder Kain thrust a baffled man in his late twenties at him. Vorador didn't recall grabbing the man but when he regained his mind the man was dead in his hands, his shoulders crushed under the force of Vorador's grip and his throat torn out. Dropping the corpse Vorador sat back on the bed and tried to breathe slowly and keep the blood down.

"Janos!" Vorador blurted suddenly as his sire rushed into his memory. Vorador looked at Kain, "in the garden," he breathed "there is a tomb."

"I thought it rather elaborate for a groundskeepers hut," Kain said. "But your Sire is gone." Vorador had the sudden and distinct impression that Kain knew more than he was saying, but the look the elder gave him stopped him from voicing his thoughts.

"Why?" Vorador said eventually.

"Why what?" Kain asked.

"Why am I alive, I was dead. I was supposed to be dead, how am I here?" Vorador had a thousand questions but this seemed the most pressing.

"Ah, I thought you might wonder about that," Kain said. "The short answer is that you are needed."

"Needed?" Vorador said running his hands over his throat trying to feel where the blade had cut him, but his skin was smooth.

"Yes," Kain said. "There is much to consider and I am at a loss as to how much of it you already know."

"Why am I needed," Vorador said firmly, his voice a little louder than he had been managing.

"There will be a war, possibly a few wars and vampires are almost gone from this time. We need numbers and right now that burden falls on you."

"Who decided that?" Vorador snapped, he was no one's broodmare.

"I did," Kain said crossing his arms over his chest in such a manner that Vorador could see centuries of leadership in his form alone.

"Used to giving orders are you?" he said before he could stop himself.

"Yes," Kain said, but he visibly deflated. "It's an old habit learned over a millennium of only arguing with one person."

"Just one?" Vorador said as Kain reached behind him to touch the hilt of his sword. It was then that Vorador noted that Kain wore the Reaver and that the blade was more than it had been when Vorador had crafted it, it blazed with white fire.

"The rest were too terrified," Kain smirked. "It was terribly boring."

"That's not an invitation for me to argue with you," Vorador said. Kain shrugged.

"You could try if you like, but I think you don't want to. You know as well as I do that if we are to have any hope of survival that we need to be more than we are now."

"What's the point," Vorador snapped. "Moebius will …"

"Moebius is dead," Kain said, the Reaver flared at the words and Vorador flinched.

"Dead?" Vorador said softly. "It's about time." He smirked at his own pun.

"True," Kain said sitting on the bed beside Vorador. "But he is not the true enemy, not really."

"There's more?" Vorador said Kain nodded. "Perhaps worse, perhaps not. But regardless you are needed."

"To be your broodmare," Vorador snorted. Kain shrugged.

"If you like, but also a guide. The me who truly belongs here is a complete prat, he needs guidance."

"You want me to babysit you?" Vorador couldn't help but laugh.

"You seemed to take some sport out of it," Kain smiled a small smile. "You enjoyed knocking me down when I got too stupid."

"Can you not talk about my future in the past tense please," Vorador sighed.

"I'll try," Kain said.

"Good." Vorador winced as his stomach rumbled.

"If you feel up to walking a few feet I have larder for you," Kain managed not to look too smug.

"Very well, but before you abandon me to raise your army and you. You are leaving aren't you?" Kain nodded. "Good, then I trust you will at the very least enlighten me as to why I am going to be doing this?" Kain stood and helped the shaky Vorador to his feet. The world spun slowly this time, the dizziness getting better.

"I will explain what I can," Kain said. "the rest you will have to figure out yourself."

"I hate bloody time travelers," Vorador said as they started towards the door.

Kain laughed.

The End

Thank you for reading, please review, I'd love to hear what you think of the fic.

For information on published works and upcoming projects, release dates, as well as weekly blogs, check out katiemariewriter . co . uk

I wrote a Book. A big one and a couple of little ones. Check them out!