The Cathedral

In his time, Zephon had not been overly concerned about security. He had relied mainly on the structure of the original building, large stone doors at the exit, and enough simple yet time consuming block puzzles to reduce the most patient sage in nosgoth to incoherent rage. As has been the intention of the humans the building originally belonged to. In the original siege during Kain's conquest, the legions had almost lost. The Cathedral had lost most of its army in a recent battle, but even the remnants had been enough to cause huge casualties to the vampiric legions as teams laboured to push blocks into wall cavities in precisely the correct slots while being fired on from perhaps only two soldiers, who still managed to disrupt the teams enough that Kain had been forced to call a retreat, resorting to siege and hoping the humans would starve before they could activate the pipes.

The Dumahim, however, were not content to rely on the human builders of centuries ago, and now the Cathedral was a formidable fortress. While the architects of the great Sarafan strongholds would be ashamed to have been involved in its construction, it served well enough. The Dumahim supposedly had a weapon far more dangerous than anything the Sarafan had possessed, and the fortifications existed merely to ensure they had enough warning to use it before anything got close enough to stand a chance of gaining one. Which the nine remaining Soul Reavers were attempting to do, to understand the one force that was a threat to them. Kain had come across some of them when surveying the fortress. Clearly bored, they had been careless, failing to perceive him, and he had thought it better to avoid conflict, in view of their immortality.

Ghosting around the Cathedral once again, he looked for some point of entry. Not many unguarded ones presented themselves, and if the weapon the Melchahim had spoken of could destroy wraiths, Kain did not wish to experience its effects. He endeavored to remain out of sight as much as possible.

On his third circuit of the building, he was spotted. A couple of conventional crossbow bolts were followed by a strange transparent projectile moving too quickly for him to attempt to dodge. It missed by several feet, and Kain was gone before they could fire again.

Just out of sight of the entrance, Kain considered his options. Was he to risk Nosgoth on a passing interest? Before the thought had finished forming he knew the answer was yes. His impulsive nature would cause his downfall yet. But how to enter?

Then it came to him, so obvious he was surprised he'd overlooked it. The Warp gate. Assuming the Dumahim had been stupid enough not to de-activate it.

Out side the Warp room, a lone human fired a crossbow at him. Kain snatched it out of the air and advanced, grinning. The human was in his sixties, far too old for skirmish duty. Deciding not to waste energy sparring, he teleported behind the human, a technique that always worked-

-Unless your target was clever enough to anticipate this and sidestep your attack without turning. Kain teleported again-

-And the human dived forward, anticipating that he'd slash instead of thrust this time. He came to his feet facing Kain, who was still grinning evilly.

"Your lifespan is measured only by whether you continue to guess correctly, human."

"Perhaps so, but I have spent my life fighting creatures such as you, and I will continue guessing for some time yet. I have outlived your ill-conceived empire, at least, and humanity will long survive your race. Consider this, Kain. Of all the clans, the Dumahim were the only one to directly conflict the human citadel. And the result of that? The clan, shattered and leaderless, were hunted down like the beasts they were, and now only a shard exist, which, unable to destroy the humans, attacked and killed a weaker clan, usurping their territory. We can, and will, best you yet."

All of which was only a means of getting Kain to kill him quickly. It succeeded in something different entirely. Kain could hear running feet. The Soul Reavers had heard the speech and were coming to investigate. He could not linger, but remained to deliver a closing remark.

"For such impudence, I shall leave you to their mercy. Think of me when you are devoured."

And with that he entered the Warp room, barely avoiding being seen by the oncoming Wraiths. Flicking through his possible destinations, he arrived at the top of the Cathedral and found it was not de-activated. Was it possible that the Dumahim had been stupid enough not to de-activate the Gate? Or was he walking into a trap? The Wraiths would enter soon, he had best decide quickly.

He walked through the Gate. The Zephonim Wraith leapt on him from the lintel. Kain felt the fangs strike the back of his armoured neck. Like Raziel, the creature had been revived with unnatural strength, but Kain was still strong enough to dislodge it and smash it against a gatepost. Unfazed, it sprang up again and leapt at him.

Two Dumahim fledglings burst into the room, followed by an adult carrying what looked like a strange form of musical trumpet.

A slight expansion of its cheeks was the only warning Kain had. He flung himself out of the way the tube was pointing. The shot hit the Zephonim Wraith, which fell to the floor writhing. It vanished, and Kain looked desperately around for it rematerializing. But nothing happened. Meanwhile, the Dumahim adult was firing his weapon through the portal as fast as he could draw breath, and at least four of the Wraiths assembled there had been struck. Some tried to flee, and the Dumahim picked them off with surgical precision. Finally, the Wraiths were either dead or fled, and Kain leapt up and shattered the symbol on the lintel of the Gate, ensuring no one could use it again. When he landed, the Dumahim had his weapon aimed directly at him. Kain raised his empty hands.

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't fire this."

"What will you gain? If I meant to harm you, I would have while you were occupied."

Kain considered telekinetically snatching the weapon, saw how tightly the Dumahim was gripping it, and reconsidered.

"What will I lose?"

"A possible way of re-establishing vampire sovereignty?"

"Empire? Don't speak to me of sovereignty. What good did it do the Council? All slain by the wraith you hid from!"

Ah. Of course they lost respect for me, with that tale.

Kain activated the Wraith Blade. The Dumahim's eyes widened briefly.

My God, he recognizes it!

Kain decided on telling the Dumahim something more believable than the truth. Injecting just the right tone of anger into his voice, he said

"Hid from? Hid from? I fought that creature for weeks before I finally slew him, taking back the blade rightfully mine. You cannot conceive the anguish I have borne since the Council fell!" The last sentence was true, at least. "I was wounded enough that I was forced into dormancy for years, when I could have fled him, and I arise to the impudence of creatures like you! Why do you think the creature vanished, altruism for the remainder of the empire? I think not!"

Above them, unnoticed, the second Wraith Zephonim listened, intrigued. Along with the other, it had climbed the Cathedral unnoticed in order to activate the Warp Gate for the others. Unlike the other one, it had not tried to assault Kain when he had passed through, and if they failed to notice him and left, he might be able to gain one of the sound-weapons and return it to his master.

Below, Kain kept his face to careful amity. The Dumahim had believed him, and now he was to be let inside. He departed the room, flanked by the two fledgling Dumahim. The adult remained briefly. The Zephonim lunged, and was caught by a sound projectile. Laughing, the adult also departed, amused to think the Wraith had thought him so stupid, not to watch the ceilings.

Now empty, the glyph room remained unchanged for several hours. Then a Turelim materialized. He had crossed the Gate in spectral, but remained in spectral for what seemed to him to be several months. Now stranded, he had no choice but to depart the long way. He headed for the door.

-

Several hours earlier, Kain had entered Zephon's room. It was so thick with webs and eggs he could barely move, but he could clearly see the urn in the centre. Along with the Guardian. Several normal Zephonim stood trying to placate a large spider even more grotesque than Zephon had been. But no spider had red glowing eyes segmented like a fly's. It turned to him. Kain expected it to speak, but instead it lunged. He tried to step back, only to find his feet were stuck on the webs he stood on, hence he fell. And now his entire body was mired. The spider backed away and then spoke.

"Have you any final words, murderer of Zephon?"

"Final words? Presumptuous, aren't we?

"Oh, rest assured, you shall not leave here alive."

One of the Zephonim seemed about to protest, but a stern "Be silent!" made him stifle any objections.

"As I once said to Moebius 'But I am dead...as are you.' After which I severed his head. Do you wish to keep your head when I destroy you?"

"Brave words, Kain. But an insect survives long enough to kill even headless. And queens are more powerful than mere kings."

"Would Zephon like to hear you say that?"

The voice was hauntingly familiar. Where had he heard her before?

"My former consort would be pleased to see me reviving the Zephonim clan. Enough to forgive me one careless remark. I was not more powerful then. I am now. His duty of adding to our ranks has fallen to me and his other consorts. My own consorts' she waved a foreleg 'shall supplement the ranks of his own eggs until we achieve the restoration of the clan"

Kain was not listening any more. Zephon found a way to produce fledglings naturally? And failed to infor- Of course, fool. He marked well the example of Raziel.

His thoughts broke as he noticed the spider advancing again. He tried futilely to move and wondered at the strength of the silk. The spider was atop him now. Venom dripped from her pincers.

"Any final words worthy of my ears, Kain? This is your final warning."

"Not as such, no. But you would do well to remember-"

The Immolate struck her dead on, and the air filled with the stench of burnt hair. She leapt to the end of the room, almost knocking over the urn in her haste. One of the Zephonim hastily steadied it.

"-not to present your weak spot to a living victim." But he was impressed. Few things could survive a direct Immolate. She turned to face him and he could appreciate the damage. Both eyes had melted like glass. One forelimb had burned to ash and one pincer had cracked off. Kain shed his skin and got up, removing his haversack from the web once given leverage. He turned to the spider, drawing his axe. She tried futilely to hide. Satisfied, Kain bent close to the urn and repeated what he'd said to Melchiah. He turned to leave. The spider threw an egg at him, almost overturning the urn. The twelve Zephonim were not pleased. They held the spider down while Kain cut her head off. Kain prepared to leave. But was there an almost imperceptible feeling of loss in his soul?

No. He dismissed it as remorse for allowing his lieutenants to be slain, no other option or not. But he could not escape a slight feeling of uneasiness as he departed before the spider could re-attach her head.

I'm afraid this update may be the last for a while. I cannot think of any possible way for Kain to enter the Abbey. And yes, the Wraiths were vampires thrown into the abyss and revived like Raziel. I'll explain why the sound weapon destroys them later.