Chapter 10

Parting Ways

Chapter Updated: June 17, 2013

I can't stop thinking about that moment Raziel and I shared in the mansion not so long ago. His response to my embrace had surprised me that evening. The feeling of his arms around me still lingers. We have not spoken a single word since then. I stand looking over the edge of the balcony, with my hands on the railing, contemplating the significance of that moment. It overlooks the courtyard and the garden beyond. Decorated with trees, a well, and a stone walkway that curves around the length of the yard. It leads to the crypt that contains Janos' body.

A gust of wind blows my hair about, as I watch Raziel descend the set of stairs to my left. It has thankfully stopped raining. Here I ponder my current situation, watching small birds fly by, pecking at the ground for earthworms that are buried within a small layer of the earth's crust. Raziel stands on the path below, looking up at me, making me feel like Juliet. Although, The Beauty and The Beast would be more accurate. I chuckle to myself.

I walk over to the stairs that lead to the stone path, where Raziel waits patiently, for once. Perhaps now he has a little more respect for me. I look up at him smiling, meeting his gaze, but he looks away and starts walking. This is obviously a little awkward for him and I can understand why. I'm sure he's not used to being treated so…lovingly. I'm not sure how to act myself. Have things changed between us?

I follow close behind him as we walk along the path, watching his wings sway in the wind. We reach the large stone building on the other side. It is a dome shaped building with Doric style, pillar reliefs that surround it. We stand on a circular platform with six sconces, three on either side of us. A large entrance beholds a large winged being arched over the doorway, making it ominous and forbidden. Raziel turns around to face me, probably to tell me to stay here. He speaks for the first time in a while…

"You may come…but stay out of sight when I raise Janos."

"…okay." I answer quietly. I was not expecting that…

The door unfastens for Raziel and I trail behind quickly, so the door doesn't shut in my face. I almost bump into him. It's fairly humid in here, but the cool atmosphere makes up for that. Although, it's intolerably quiet, and dim I find it peaceful. I follow him to the stairs that lead to the chamber below. Taking a few pictures of the room we are in, as I didn't get a chance the last time we were here.

The door slides open and we pass through. As we do so, the door slams close behind us and I latch onto Raziel's arm startled. I look up at him, but he doesn't react like I was expecting him too. He only slightly acknowledges me, but continues forward. So I continue to hold his arm as we make our way down the curved stairs. Candles lit the way to the camber, reflecting off spider webs, adding to the ambience of this place. It seems to get darker and darker as we walk down the stairs. I'm soon relieved to see a flickering light ahead as we come to a doorway. I let go of his arm as we approach.

"Now, stay here." I nod, feeling uneasy about the whole thing.

Raziel enters the room and I peek around the corner. He approaches the altar where Janos lays in peace. With on swift motion he shoves the heart into Janos' chest. I have to look away.

When nothing happens, I feel my heart sink. This aggravates Raziel and I thought he was going to bring his fist down hard on Janos' chest in anger. He instead lays his hand down gently on the wounded area. Is he too late once again? I feel entirely responsible for this. I was always slowing him down. I would be a fool to deny this. I start to enter the room when something happens. Janos' body jolts alive and I scurry around the corner, letting out a sigh of relief. Perhaps now Raziel will finally acquire the answers he's been perusing for so long.

Janos grabs onto Raziel's arm, who struggles to release himself from Janos' strong grip. He gasps and rises suddenly, grasping his chest in shock. When he finally comes to, he looks surprised to see Raziel.

"I remember…" he recalls his memory.

"Raziel, the heir of prophecy... You came for the Reaver just before the Sarafan found me..." he steps off the slab.

Raziel cuts him off and begins to explaining how he has been imprisoned deep within Vorador's crypt for centuries after the Sarafan destroyed him. As Raziel fills him in on the details, Janos appears to be overtaken by all the news.

"Your blood line has been swept away and the age of the vampires is coming to an end."

"We can waste no time then! –"

Raziel pushes away from Janos, cold and distant. He suggests that Janos has mistaken him for somebody else and that only he has the answers he desires. He tries to explain to Raziel that there are forces in the world that will try to mislead him. Raziel then asks him why the vampire race would create a weapon that would imprison there savor. Janos refuses to believe such a thing, telling him that he is destined to wield the blade, not to be consumed by it. Raziel reveals the wraith blade, bound to his arm. Janos looks astonished.

"Redeemer and destroyer…Is it possible that I misread all the signs?"

Janos suggests, in a hasty manner that Raziel's destiny might be more complex then he originally thought and he will bring him to the place where all his questions will be answered. I watch as Raziel and Janos vanish into thin air…my heart stops.

"No…" I whisper softly.

I run into the room, turning around in circles a few times trying to take this all in. I suppose I was in denial, as I have never witnessed somebody disappear like this before. I slump to the floor, my face glazes over, and my mouth gapping. It's what I feared. Ever since we came here, I've had this terrible feeling we were going to be parting ways…

"…he's gone."

I rap my hands around my body, sitting in the candle lit room for almost thirty minutes. Only then did the truth start to hit me like an iron hammer. I feel lost, alone, and I have no idea where to go next. I knew our companionship was not going to last forever, but I was hoping it would last longer, since our moment in the mansion. This just leaves me empty inside. The same emptiness I felt when my mom died. A hole in your heart that can never be replace.

I have to find Raziel even if I have to throw myself into oblivion to find him. I just wish that Janos had said their location before he vanished, with the one person in this timeline that makes me feel safe.

Perhaps I should start looking in the mansion. I'm not exactly sure where to start looking, or what to look for, for that matter. The more I think about it, the more impossible it seems. I can't lose spirits now. I have to find him and the mansion sounds like a good place to start. On the plus side it might be a safe place to rest if I need too. With Raziel gone, there may be less demons around.

I walk back up the steps and through the door. It's still closed and I have no idea how to open it. There's a panel in the middle and when I touch it, the door responds quickly. Walking through the corridor, my footsteps echo on the cold pavement. Making me feel uneasy. When I reach the door to the crypt, I slide it open slowly. This is going to be harder then I originally thought.

The courtyard is swarming with demons. I can see two scouring the walkway and a few on the upper half, beyond the garden. The two on the walkway are turned away from me, walking towards the upper half. They appear to be discussing something. I thought this would be a good chance to run to the nearest tree. As I did so, I manage to step on a twig just as I reach the tree. Before I made it behind, I caught a glimpse of them respond to the noise. This is just perfect…

One of the demons comes over to check things out. I can hear it approaching the tree. My heart starts pounding in my chest. If it pounds any louder, I swear the demon will hear it. I close my eyes praying, with sweat pouring down my face. This can't be how it ends. I've gotten so far on my research, I was not going to give this up so easy. I start scouring the ground for something to defend myself, but as I do so, another demon comes down the steps. It starts to discuss something with the others and the one inches away from me, leaves to join the conversation…

(Raziel)

Janos transports me to the ancient vampire citadel, old and derelict. Millennia's of war against the Hylden race has been unkind. It is here that Janos suggests I will find the truth behind my destiny. Although, he is reluctant to answer my questions at first, he eventually submits. I could care less if the world were to end this instant.

He tells me that my actions will decide the fate of the vampire race, but how? By been imprisoned in the Reaver for all eternity? How does this insure the fall of the Hylden? The more questions I have answered, then more I appear to have in the end. When will this constant spiral of confusion end?

Janos gives me a medallion to open the locked door in the sanctuary, which will lead me deep within the bowels of the ancient citadel. I'm not sure what obstacles I will have to overcome, but Janos makes it seem ominous.

Ever since I've been here, I've had this odd feeling that something is missing. It is now that I remember her. She is still in Vorador's crypt, alone and unsupervised. I suppose she will be safe for now, assuming she will stay there. Knowing her, that would be wishful thinking. She will probably scour all of Nosgoth hunting for me.

I find myself growing weary the more I think about her, alone, confused, and unprotected. Perhaps I should have brought her into the room with me. Janos would not have reacted terribly towards her presence. Why does this even matter to me? It's not like I have a responsibility to her. Ever since that moment in the mansion, I can't get her out of my conscience. She lingers there like a terrible curse, haunting me. I'm not even certain I will ever see her again. In fact, I'm almost positive I will not.

It feels strange to be unaccompanied by her. Sometimes I find myself looking back, like she's been here all along. I would wonder why she's being so silent, completely forgetting that she is no longer with me. I suppose I have become accustomed to her – sometimes friendly conversation, not to mention her argumentative tone and endless whining. I have to admit, the one sure thing she appeared to be skilled at was quarrelling. She never treated me like a monster. Instead, she treated me like a friend, even when I treated her so…poorly. For that, I will never forget her, or the compassion she had shown me.

No matter what happens in the citadels inner most sanctum, I will know that my existence is not a complete waste ever since Kain postponed my destiny in the Sarafan stronghold. That there is at least one person I know I can trust completely in all this chaos.

I travel further down the steps of the citadel, until I enter a large courtyard. Two fire demons rise from the scorching pits of hell to meet me. Clearly whatever resides in the bowels of this place is significant, as they do not want me to discover it. They taunt me in a pitiful attempt to aggravate me. Really I don't know why they bother, it's not like they stand a chance…

I waste no time in defeating the fire demons. Nothing is going to stop me from entering the sanctuary within. I pass through a large, arched doorway and follow the corridors until I reach the entry to the ancient chamber. As I walk down the small stairway, a wind moans and whistles around me, pushing my wings around carelessly as I approach with caution. The room has a small, circular pool and an elongated door to the right. I figure this was the door Janos made mention of. I am to enter if I want to discover the truth behind my destiny. I put Janos' medallion in the carved out space on the door and it opens to reveal a long hallway.

I gaze down the immense passageway hesitant to enter. It's so vast, I cannot see the end of it. The wind feels as though it is pulling me in and for a moment I thought I heard it whisper to me. Telling me to go and embrace my destiny. I step into the lonesome hall and the doors slide shut behind me…

(Michelle)

I reached the mansion at last. I had to maneuver around the few demons that dotted the courtyard, but they were far too distracted in find Raziel to have noticed me. I can always count on my dumb luck to get me out of serious situations. Although, I don't know how much longer it will last. Raziel seemed to have been a large part of my survival in this dangerous land. Without him I fear what will become of me.

I creep quietly down each hall, trying to find the library I had entered when I first came here…with Raziel. How am I ever going to find him? As I walk down the hall, I pass the room we were in moment ago. I am confronted with powerful memories. I walk into the room and sit on the bed. A sea of emotion washes over me as I sit hear feeling sorry for myself. I lay down on the bed, starring at the spot where we had stood together in each other's embrace. I wonder if he feels the same way as I am feeling now, but I have my doubts.

I'm alone, and confused. I have no idea where to go, or what to do next. I can feel myself shutting down the more I think about it. I need to snap out of this if I'm going to survive. I hear two demons walking past the door to the room. I can feel my heart pound in my chest, as they had not noticed me. I slip under the bed before they enter the room.

Laying under the bed, stiff as a board, I eavesdrop on their conversation. They are talking about an ancient vampire citadel that stands to the west of the pillars, on the lake of tears.

"The hour of salvation is at hand." I can only see their feet from my position under the bed.

"He has provided us with the blood of an ancient, the fool has no idea what he has done."

"The lord will be pleased with this information."

"Raziel, the savior of Nosgoth can only insure its demise." I cringe at the dry, throaty voices as they laugh. Although, my heart flutters when I hear his name. Raziel.

"They are talking about Raziel!" I panic to remember the place they were talking about.

The vampire citadel, Lake of Tears. Why do I know that name? The demons depart from the room and continue down the hall. I pull my backpack under the bed and pull out the book I found in the library called: The Serpent in the Lake of Tears. That's where I heard that name. I open it up and read the contents. Then I flip to the page that mentions the Vampire Citadel.

"Ah." Here it mentions that the citadel once served as a beacon to the ancients, but now crumbles in ruins over the lake of tears. Although, it states only winged beings can reach the top of the citadel. I read further and it mentions an old passageway through the base of the mountain. It goes on to mention that it once served as a home to the great serpent of the lake of tears, which also served as the guardian to the tower, to stop infiltrators.

I pull my map out of my bag to calculate the distance I need to travel to get there. My heart sinks deep in my chest at the thought of the space between us. It could take me days to get there by foot and I have this feeling that something monumental and terrible is going to happen if I don't get there on time. I'm so tired, but I have no time to rest. I have to get there as soon as possible.

I make haste to leave the mansion. I'm not surprised to see the halls are empty now. I can hear the sound of my own footsteps echo through the halls. The demons must have departed to the citadel. I hurry down the halls, picking up the pace to a slight jog. I leave the building through the back door. Madly looking for a way to leave the manor, it only brings back painful memories. I see a gate at the end of the courtyard. I race down the enclosure, maneuvering around the fallen pillars that block my path.

I exit through the gate. I'll need to head west to get to the Lake of Tears. But, I need to get out of this forest as soon as possible. If I can see the pillars I'll know which direction to head. Then I'll be able to find the citadel and be one step closer to Raziel. I'm on my own now so I'll have to take every precaution along the way.

I'm not even a few minutes into the forest and I have to stop running to catch my breath. I can feel my body straining under the stress. All I want to do is rest, but my determination and stubbornness keeps me going. I would sooner collapse to the ground in exhaustion then stop now.

I can no longer see the mansion, this is a good sign. I've at least been traveling a good distance. But I can't run anymore, as I no longer have the strength, or the breath for it. For now walking will have to do. When I went through the mansion gates, I traveled left. I hope I'm traveling in the right direction. I assume that the gates I exited through were to the south, which would mean I am now traveling west. All I can do is hope that I'm not going the wrong way.

Before I know it, the forest becomes dark and hard to navigate. I can hear wolves baying at the moon and other creatures come to life as the night passes. Although this time around, I find it beautiful and mesmerizing. Even though I'm vulnerable to attack, I'm not afraid like I was at the beginning. Perhaps traveling with Raziel had strengthened me somehow. I had already seen the worst of what is out there, so what's there left to be afraid of. If I'm going to die, then I'm going to die. What's the use in being a coward about it? I knew the risks in coming here and I would have been a foul to think anything less.

My feet are starting to get heavy and my muscles are cramping. I have no doubt that this is the result of sleep deprivation and dehydration. I refuse to bow down to my body's needs. My humanity is going to have to wait for another day. I doubt Raziel would let such things get in the way of achieving his goals.

For a moment I thought I saw a break in the trees, but I'm most likely hallucinating. My vision is blurred and I've been seeing things all night. I bend down and grab my flash light from my bag, throwing away all precaution to see a few extra feet in front of me. I turn it on and flash it in front of me, to see if I really am delusional. To my surprise it is the edge of the forest.

I run to the opening and flop myself onto the grass, starring up at the painted sky above me. Galaxies and nebulas float above my tired body. The sky is so littered with stars it looks as though someone repeatedly flicked paint on a canvas; It's breathtaking. I don't think I could make out the constellations if I were an astronomer. In the city you don't get to see stars like these.

"I wish Raziel were here to see this…not that he would care…" I heave myself off the ground and dust myself off, remembering my current operation. I look around for the pillars. It's hard to find them in the dark like this, but I soon find them to the southwest, standing tall against the horizon. I know this is going to be a long trek, but I have to reach Raziel before it's too late. I don't yet know what I'll be too late for, but I honestly don't want to find out…

I do not own Legacy of Kain, or its characters. I only own Michelle.

Dialoge from Legacy of Kain Defiance.

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