Raziels Fortress

The moment Vana passed through the gates of Raziels fortress she was greeted by two of his guards who had been sent to meet her. They helped her dismount from her horse and then one took the reins and guided it to the stables around a corner. While they were doing this she noticed them exchange odd glances as the offering she was set to bring was no-where in sight, but they decided it best not to ask.

As the other dissappeared behind the corner the taller, better built guard led Vana to Raziels chambers, deep within the fortress. They walked down many long dull corridors, with candles embedded in the walls giving off a flickering sombre glow. Here and there were large scarlet banners bearing Raziels clan insignia, and the guards wore a short red cloak over their right shoulder similar to Raziels which was significantly longer and it covered his left side. This guard looked a little like Turel, with his long dark hair and fierce features, but his cheek bones were lower than Turels and he was a little shorter.

After a short while they came to a pair of thick wooden doors, with Raziels clan symbol etched in each. This was the chamber in which he would hold meetings with his brethren or his soldiers, and Vana wondered why he had chosen to meet her here, and not in his private rooms.

The guard knocked on the door once, and from inside they heard Raziels low, authorative voice call "Enter." The guard nodded to Vana and gestured for her to enter, she smiled in return and opened one of the doors.

As she entered she could see Raziel sat at the head of the large rectangular table, looking over maps of some sort, and cradling a silver goblet with one of his large hands.

He looked up from under his brows, smirked and stood, Vana smiled back as he walked towards her, placing his drink upon the table and wrapping one of his masculine, cold arms around her slim waist. He gently pulled her closer to him and welcomed her with a passionate kiss.

"Good evening." He whispered as their lips parted momentarily, before they returned to lapping at each others lips with their tongues and holding eachother closely. Their tongues slid together rythmatically, and Raziel parted Vanas cloak to reveal a very pleasing sight. She had decided to wear the dress that Raziel himself had had made for her not long ago. It was similar to the dress that she had to wear when she was present at a meeting at the Sanctuary of the clans, the one that she had actually worn that night.

This dress, however, was suited far more to those evenings that were to be spent with a lover, or husband, this was used mostly to seduce, to attract, and it made Vana feel especially good about herself when she wore it.

It was blood red, sinking down in a V shape to reveal the most part of the centre of her smooth pale chest, revealing the insides of her breasts and ending just below her belly button, showing off her toned, smooth stomach. The dress was sleeveless, and a single split in the skirt glided down her right leg to her high heeled shoes.

After their long, intimate kiss, Raziel stood back from Vana, and glanced past her, then he looked back and spoke, "Did you bring my offering?"

Vana lowered her head, bringing her gaze down to meet the stone floor, and bit her lip gently, "He is not here." She said tossing her hair back over her shoulders and looking back to Raziel, who stood before her, his eyebrows were raised and his lips slightly parted.

"What do you mean?" He questioned as he shifted his weight onto his right leg. Vana wet her lips with her moist tongue and began to 'explain' to Raziel how the offering escaped her.

"He was very quick." She said finishing off her short tail. By now Raziel had seated himself on one of the scarlet cushioned wooden chairs, resting his chin on his right hand with his left hand laid upon the table.

"And you didn't chase him?" he asked with a bemused expression upon his handsome face. Vana strode towards him and placed a hand on his muscular shoulder as she slid behind him and gently massaged the top of his broad back.

"And be late for you? Besides, I can bring you another, or...I could apologise another way..." She whispered as she leaned in and began to pet his neck with soft butterfly kisses. He brought his left hand up and ran it through her silky smooth hair, closing his eyes and tilting his head so that more of his neck was laid bare for her touch.

Vanas hands glided over Raziels delicate skin, crossing over at his collar bone, her finger tips barely stroking his neck as she held him in a lovers embrace.

Raziels lips curled up in a blissful smile as he felt her skin on his own, her kiss upon his neck, her cool breath and her silky hair as it fell down over her shoulders and brushed against his own. Then he remembered what had been troubling him, and what he felt he must stop her from doing. He opened his eyes and removed his hand from her hair, causing her to pause her kisses and look over to his concerned face.

"What's wrong?" She asked, standing up and walking round to meet his gaze. Vana crouched before him and held his hand waitng for his response, but his eyes were firmly planted on the floor, preventing her from looking into them.

"I don't want you to go into the human city." He said plainly, giving her hand a slight squeeze. Vana remained silent, in the back of her mind she had known that he would ask this of her, but her mind was made up, and she couldn't say to her father that she had changed her mind all of a sudden. He certainly wouldn't be pleased.

"You'll have more chance of survival if you jumped straight into the Abyss." He said bringing his gaze up to meet hers.

"That's a bit extreme Raziel, you forget, I've done this sort of thing before, you just need to trust me." She placed both her hands on his and came in closer for a small kiss, but he turned his head and continued to speak.

"I do trust you, but I do not trust the hundreds of Vampire hunters that will also be gathered there. Please, just find the entrance and return to us."

Vana shook her head sadly, she hated to upset Raziel, but he wasn't going to alter her resolve.

"It's saving us so much trouble Raziel, if I do go in, we can be prepared for whatever the mortals intend to throw at us."

"Have you thought about what will happen if you do get caught? Not only will you die, but we will have no-one else to send in you place, the mortals will have the upper hand if they do intend to start another war, Kain will have lost his only true child and I..."

Before he could finish Vana interupted by placing a finger before his lips to quieten him, and she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I will be fine, if it looks like there are too many then I will return, I know what I'm doing." She said with a smile on her face, "Besides, I will be coming back as soon as my work is done, afterall I now have to prove you wrong, so it's more of a challenge to me."

Finally Raziel smiled in return and he leaned forward to kiss her lovingly.

"Come..." He said as he stood up, "It's late, and we don't have much time till day break. Plus I'm intrigued as to how you now plan on apologizing to me..." Vana followed Raziel to his bedroom, holding his hand, with an excited smirk stretching its way across her scarlet lips.