Kildiazar: I own everything that has my name on it.

Kain: KILD! I have a bone to pick with you. How dare you use indelible ink on my Reaver!

Kain walks in brandishing the Soul Reaver, which now has a printed-on sign on the hilt saying "MADE IN CHINA." Without hesitation, Kild whacks a stamp on Kain's forehead. It says "Property of The Unwanted Ghost."

Kild: Don't worry. It isn't indelible. You only have to wash it off with running water. :D

Suddenly, a large post-it tree walks by.

Raziel: (to Kain) Be glad you only got the stamp.

Chapter 11: Of Dreams and Lightmares once more

"Yo, Dudley! Waz'up? It's TC. We gotta talk. I've got a major situation here."

"Yo, Nero! What can I do for you at this time of day? Aren't you going to sleep or something? Could I interest you in some generic RC Sedaril? It's guaranteed to put you to sleep and take away those awful lightmares that occasionally plague all Vampires! Or perhaps what you need is Guayabano Special Relief Heal Herb. It alleviates wounds and muscle pains for the low, low price of only 9.95 Guines!"

"Shut up, Dudley! And don't call me Nero! You know why I called. I don't want any of your drugs! We have to talk, in person."

"Kain is there with you now isn't he? And now, you're wondering about Raziel?"

"Yes and yes! Now, when can we talk? It's urgent."

"Oh, I know it's urgent, more than you can imagine. Well, let's see. I am available tonight. Meet me at Club O2 at 6 PM sharp."

"Thanks. I'll be there."

Tiberius Cain put his Nokia N-90 cell phone back into his pocket. He had just spoken with the only human who, as of right now, could help him in solving the mystery of Kain's inexplicable appearance in this world, that nagging feeling that Raziel was calling out to him, and not to mention the intuition he felt that Gamin had been released. He had never been wrong about these things before. But now, he wished as though he had made a great mistake in thinking such things.

Tiberius turned to return to the Master coffin-room at the heart of his mansion. It was about 5 AM and the first rays of sunlight signaled bedtime for all Vampires, except the insomniacs. The heavy pull of daily slumber was already upon him. Already, his senses had begun to dim. Even the world around him seemed to swirl obscurely. The carpet, the tapestries, the walls and all other vibrantly colored ornaments began to blend together as though in a watercolor painting.

'But wait a minute!' Tiberius thought for a moment. This was unnatural. Even if he were at the very brink of consciousness and only moments away from being dead to the world, he could still at least see the outlines of his surroundings distinctly.

His thoughts, however, were abruptly disturbed when an invisible being struck him from behind. Whatever it was, it was sharp and had pointed tips like a several-pronged whip or a massive spiked claw. He could feel it driving into his skin and scraping the flesh away. He let out an ear splitting cry of agony. What confound all the more was that his own voice seemed to bounce of the walls and attack him. His acute sense of hearing only served to heighten his vulnerability. The more he screamed, the more the sound retaliated.

Subsequently, the invisible being dealt another blow. This time it was to his chest. Tiberius dropped to his knees and let out another groan of pain. He folded his wings around himself in defense. From within this shell, Tiberius looked around for his attacker. But none could be found. He was alone in the hallway and his only companions were the furniture and other inanimate objects that could not possibly have assaulted him.

He stopped his pointless cacophony. The more noise he made, the more he was harmed by his own voice. He listened intently for any sign of his mysterious assailant. Nothing. There was no indication that there had ever been anyone else. Whatever it was, it left no trace of a scent.

The Vampire was completely baffled. However, just as inexplicably as the entity vanished, it reappeared. Tiberius heard a thousand demonic voices simultaneously laughing at his pitiful defense. It was Gamin's voice amplified a thousand-fold. Tiberius tried to shut out the unrelenting reverberation but to no avail.

"Go away, Demon! Go away! You are not welcome here!" he shouted at the empty hallway.

The cruel laughter did not cease. In fact, the Vampire's rage only served to please the Demon even more. He spoke in a satisfied manner. "What have you done to the Master's Pet, my son? Where are my loyal Dogs?"

Tiberius tired of the Demon's foolish mind game. Did he always have to play along? "The Shadow Wolves are no more, Gamin. I took care of them. And if I am not mistaken, the one who summoned you is the last one in existence."

There was no change in Gamin's tone. He seemed to already aware of this fact. "I sent the little one off to another dimension to retrieve an object of desire. I suppose I should bring her back. She is all that remains of my collection, after all. I wouldn't want to waste a favorite."

"Don't toy with me, Gamin!" the Vampire snapped back. "What is it you want?"

Gamin presented his entire being now. No longer hiding in the shadows, Gamin unveiled his wings to show that he was not clothed in the old faded vest he wore during his supposed eternal slumber. Now, he was sported garments of the modern world, clothes of this era. He was clad in a seductive, black, see-through shirt. From within peeked the Demon's immaculate abdomen. Flesh hard as rock and without that marble paleness most Vampires possessed.

Tiberius' eyes narrowed at this sight. He was utterly disgusted by this defilement. A sense of long forgotten hatred was reawakened in his heart. "You fiend!" he shouted. "You've been rummaging in my closet, haven't you?"

"I needed a change in my appearance. A millennium has passed and you expect me to walk this earth clothed in those prehistoric rags? Besides, you will not need your clothes for very long. Your death is at hand, my son. I will allow you to live for a short amount of time. But only so that you may say farewell to this world and all else you love."

"What are you saying?"

"A swift demise by Scorpion's Bite

Behold the Demon's awesome might"

Gamin chanted in an ominous tone. He spread out his red blazing wings and folded them unto himself. As he enveloped his divine being in an impenetrable cocoon, Gamin appeared to shrink and morph his body. Suddenly, several insect-like appendages sprung out from what could have been his back. A pair of sharp claw-like pincers and a deadly stinger tail also manifested to complete the demonic atrocity.

The transformation was done and before Tiberius, stood a gigantic crimson red scorpion with its stinger poised at the ready. The scorpion swiftly scuttled over to Tiberius, snapping its pincers menacingly.

But the Vampire was not caught off guard. In one rapid movement, he impaled the scorpion with the bone spike at the tip of his magnificent wing. The point of his right wing was now embedded in the wooden floor of the hallway.

A grim smirk of satisfaction formed on his lips as a pool of scarlet liquid began to stain the expensive Persian carpet. But the smile abruptly melted into a look of downright fear and horror at the sound of a weak, breathless whisper.

"Daddy!"

He could hardly hear the voice. No doubt, a human probably wouldn't be able to hear it. It had the tone of a dying creature, susceptible and begging for mercy. The voice was so faint, so familiar. A sudden sensation of shock and alarming disbelief swallowed him as he realized who it was.

But Gamin was not done with him yet. He murmured another verse of warning into Tiberius ear.

"Ash to ash and dust to dust

Into the heart, the fatal thrust"

The dying scorpion writhed in pain just a little more before it expired, disintegrating into dust. Only then were the Vampire's fears truly confirmed. As the dust of the deceased scorpion cleared away, he now saw what it was he had actually skewered with his mighty wing.

Gamin; the scorpion; they were never there. It had all been a very convincing illusion. What he saw now was a most traumatic sight, for what kind of father would not be devastated to witness his son that now lay dying in his arms. And Tiberius saw the truth in Gamin's sinister words. Indeed, he had pierced his son right through the heart. Withdrawing his wing now, would ultimately mean death to his beloved Child.

'Curse that Gamin!' Tiberius thought instantly with such hatred. 'Why that good-for-nothing son of a … I can accept being informed of my own inevitable demise. But to remain alive only to witness everyone I love put to death – and by my own hands at that – it's simply lunacy.'

Tears began to well in his eyes. 'Please, not again!' he pleaded in silence to TJ's languished form. He would not let his son die by his hands because he succumbed to momentary madness, just as he had done before. At a certain point in his life, centuries ago, he had unwittingly slain all of his children. Being driven near to the edge of insanity, he had no conscious knowledge of this. He had lost so many of his children that way and when he came back to his senses, it was too late.

His son's own eyes only mirrored his emotion and even seemed to intensify it. But the dying embers in TJ's eyes refused to be extinguished. In one last desperate bid for life, Tiberius bit open the ulner artery on his right wrist and pressed it to TJ's open and gasping mouth. Precious, life giving blood trickled down the bleeding hand and into his begging lips.

TJ was nearing the state of Vampiric shock. It was like a full shutdown of a Vampire's unnatural body. He would soon lose consciousness and his body would lock in a rigid position as his fatal wound would attempt to heal itself. When a Vampire entered this cataleptic state of recuperation, it nigh crossed the line between unlife and absolute death, so much that it could already be mistaken to be already dead by most.

TJ feebly licked at his Father's blood. He could still feel excruciating pain in the place where his heart was. But he could also feel it slowly, very slowly restoring itself. He could hardly keep his eyes open in his agony. His unfocused eyes could only make out an intense promising light far away, directly above him. The tunnel! With all his will, he strained to look away and keep his gaze only at his Father. He smiled and TJ feebly smiled back. Inevitably, the darkness overcame his sight and he rested his weary head upon his Father's comforting claw. His resolve to live was strong. But now there was nothing else to do but leave it all to fate.

Drops of Tiberius' tears fell down on his son's face. He was openly weeping in silence now. He feared to lose his favorite son, though he felt somewhat reassured when he felt the vulnerable flesh strain to repair the damage with his blood. Tiberius was so caught up in his despair that he did not even notice his wife, Severina, gently soothing and comforting both her son and husband. The Vampire Lord only became aware of her presence when he leaned his head to her supportive shoulder.

Severina was no healer but she knew the measures of basic first aid ever since her past life. Her skilled claws carefully moved to her husband's wing and expertly pulled it out. Tiberius took out his clean satin handkerchief and Severina used it as a makeshift bandage to keep the blood from flowing out too much. And together, they fused their Pranic energy into their Child's near-lifeless form. This magic-based form of energy would easily quicken the recovery of an injured Vampire. All this was done in silent understanding, for they were both well versed in these procedures. Together, they gently took up TJ and set their beloved son into his own little coffin.

Before leaving his son to sleep, Tiberius gazed thoughtfully upon TJ's fragile form. The incident that had just occurred served as a reminder of just who and what he was. Humans, Shadow Wolves and even Vampires alike thought of him as a bloodthirsty murderer. It was nearly accepted as a fact by all. Who wouldn't when all his nefarious deeds were written all over the old scrolls and history books? However, those who knew him personally knew that he was far from the malicious tyrant he once was. He had indeed changed over the centuries, becoming a far gentler soul, who believed that the main purpose of Vampires was not to plague the universe but to facilitate its healing. He had long ago lost the urge to hunt and thus created a drink that would spare other Vampires from the act of taking life if they too so detested it.

Lost in his pensive musings, with Severina patiently and silently waiting by his side, Tiberius seemed to have lost track of time. He was surprised, in fact, when he looked up at the clock and saw that it was already 7 AM. He had let two whole hours pass by. It even took him a while to realize just how exhausted he had become.

Severina grew increasingly worried. She could see the stress and fatigue written all over Tiberius' face, so she put her arms around her husband and drew him to a tight embrace. "We have to go to sleep now, Candy. It's getting early. TJ will be fine, you'll see. The Pranic energy will do its job. I'm sure of it." Her voice so comforting, like that of a playful angel.

Tiberius gave into Severina's "tender" embrace. He had already begun to have trouble keeping awake as the minutes passed. Without wasting a second longer, they both kissed TJ good morning and soundlessly crept away.

Tiberius fell into Severina's guiding hands as she lovingly led the way to the coffin-room at the heart of their mansion. Soon they reached that particular room. It had no windows and only one entrance; the perfect lair for a Vampire to sleep in. Or in this case, it was the perfect lair for two Vampires to sleep in, for instead of the usual coffin, it was especially built to accommodate two Vampires. It was twice as large as a regular coffin, yet it still retained the proportions of a regular hexagonal coffin.

Both Vampires slipped into their sleepwear. For Severina, it was a white silken nightgown and for Tiberius, it was a black cotton robe with gold edges and a strange insignia on the back.

Morning came and blackness overcame them. They slept with their bodies pressed tightly against each other despite the capacious size of their casket. The odd thing was, though Tiberius showed more signs of lethargy than Severina did, Severina fell asleep in a few moments, while Tiberius tossed and turned in his evidently troubled sleep.

In his slumber, Tiberius' mind was unsettled due to the recent series of dreams he'd been having. Sometimes, he had dreamless sleeps. But most of the time he had what Vampires called "lightmares"; nightmares that occurred during the daytime, when most Vampires slept. His "lightmares" normally consisted of someone torturing him, no doubt caused by a certain Shadow Wolf who tormented his kin. Today was seemingly no different from any other day.

Tiberius felt bound to the earth by invisible shackles; his sight completely shrouded by a peculiar miasma. Though he could not see, he perceived Val's spiritual presence in close proximity. The Wolf's intimidating glare was the only thing that broke through the haze. Crystal blue eyes darted to and fro, shifting here and there, encircling him. What was she planning to do? Before the Vampire even knew it, the invisible shackles that restrained him began to yank his limbs away from his body. With all his might, he fought to pull them back. As though in response to this, the unseen shackles snapped back onto him, like several tensed rubber bands.

Tiberius took this instant of momentary freedom to lunge at the luminous eyes. He grabbed the Wolf's dream avatar by the neck and plunged his bared fangs into the thick, luscious piece of flesh. Immediately, he felt himself being sucked into the Shadow Wolf's body, and more importantly her mind. This was a unique thing he could do with only Val and Val alone; the result of an enchantment cast upon her since her rebirth. He could not share dreams even with his own wife, Severina. Neither was he able to invade the dreams of his own children or even regular mortals. If he could, female teenagers would practically be falling in line to invite him into their dreams. And Severina wouldn't like that now, would she?

The scenery around Tiberius seemed to shift to a new terrain altogether. He found himself on a barren mountain. It appeared to be possibly Mount Illumine, only it was devoid of all life and vegetation. The sun was not out, leaving only a dim, purple sky above. Tiberius flapped his wings and rose up into this purple firmament. He then looked down and surveyed his surroundings for anything of interest that was happening in this dream.

Sure enough, he soon found what he was looking for. From his point of view, he saw what looked like a cliché chase scene from a less than B grade horror movie. What kind of dreams did this Shadow Wolf have? While he suffered all the lightmares she had so blithely created, she was fleeing from her friends for the very reason that they were Vampires. Was that all she had to worry about? That damned racist! She always thought too highly of herself. All her true lightmares were always forced on him, most probably without her even knowing it.

Not long after observing this pathetic scene, Tiberius finally found something of true interest. Enter Raziel. There he stood in resplendent glory. His newly evolved wings brandished in the wind, unmarred by the lethal waters of the abyss. And Val had practically - and conveniently - collapsed in front of his flawless body.

If this had not been a dream, Val should have been cowering in fear. However, even if it were real, she would still most likely have the audacity to challenge him.

Then it seemed that Raziel was suddenly veiled in darkness. At that instant, Tiberius braced himself for he knew what was about to come. Raziel's tortured screams resounded throughout the entire mountain. Whatever torment and agony Raziel felt; the stripping of his wings, the descent into that acidic whirlpool of despair, churning and burning for hundreds of years; Tiberius experienced it as well.

An eternal second passed and both creatures were released from the dark, suffocating void. Raziel reappeared as the atrociously disfigured wraith, the product of Kain's malice. His cowl hung limply by his shoulder while his empty gullet lay exposed. Tiberius remained unmarred. He was never meant to suffer the abyss. But he felt the pain nonetheless, only because of the blood and soul covenant he formed with Raziel centuries ago.

Tiberius flew up and relocated himself somewhere where Raziel could see him. A little behind the Shadow Wolf, he hovered, beckoning for Raziel to come. Raziel, in turn saw this.

"Brother," he whispered through his mind.

"I am here," Tiberius murmured in reply.

Raziel swiftly covered the jawless half of his face with that shabby piece of cloth on his shoulder and did what could only be described as shifting into the Spirit realm in a Dream Realm. He rematerialized just a few feet away from Tiberius, leaving Val helpless at the mercy of her friends.

In an unexpected reunion, the Vampire and the once-Vampire embraced each other, lost in their forgotten memories.

Disclaimer: The usual disclaimer applies. Do I have to keep repeating myself?