And on to part two with Raziel! Sorry that it has taken a bit to get this done. A mixture of family issues, health issues, and other things have cut into my ability to write new works. Mostly I have been editing for Moonbird, so check out her stuff too. :)
Parts of the convo with Raziel and his First are in reference to A Family Affair by HopeofDawn, Thefracture seen here /works/5280863/chapters/12188651
Please enjoy and go check out their works! :D
Now, Kay's strategy to just walk by as if she owned the place might have worked on a group of inattentive Humans or even some of the other Chosen. There was even the chance that it might have worked on the two older Vampires... had it not been for the fact that the exact same phenomenon that had caused her to notice them made them notice her.
Kay was someone 'real' passing through a sea of 'not-quite-real' beings. As such, she stood out like a beckoning light, drawing their attention as soon as she was close enough to be seen. Both males eyed her warily before glancing at each other. A single, careful sniff at the air to catch her scent revealed her to be a Vampire. And a young one at that! Neither of them recognized her as being counted amongst the newly Turned Razielim. As Anani was the one who held the artifact, no others of their Clan could have appeared. Any who came with him had to be physically touching said male.
Was this woman one of the Otherworldly Vampires that their Lord had mentioned resided in this odd land then? Possibly. One of the males stepped forward, a tri-taloned hand resting loosely on the sheathed sword belted to his waist.
"Halt Fledgling," the male barked out in a commanding tone. "Where do you think you are going?"
Kay almost stumbled mid-step at the male's shout but caught herself and came to a halt.
Oh, great, she thought apprehensively. Now how should I handle this?
She shifted her stance, turning to look at the pair of older Vampires. Kay had to force herself to remain relaxed and nonchalant in her demeanor. It couldn't hurt to answer them. There was even the chance that, by doing so, she'd be able to avoid any negative incident with the two. After having faced Kain in even a minor fight, she wasn't all that eager to face a vampire intent on actually causing her harm. Let alone two.
"Back inside," she responded, keeping her tone as bland and unassuming as possible.
"And what business could you possibly have within, Fledge?" he asked as he took another step toward the female.
"Most of my gear is in there," she responded in a dry tone, keeping her words vague.
Taking mental stock of her current arsenal, she almost swore aloud. If it came down to a fight, Kay really didn't have all that much to defend herself. Yes, she had an armlet hidden on her left arm. A spare to replace the one that Kain had destroyed just before Turning her. However, all it contained was a single Haste Materia and a low-level Transform Materia. Not the best Materia's to have on hand in a fight, but she'd yet to find the ones Kain had sent scattering about his room or, in the case of a Time Materia, out the damn window. She wasn't certain if she'd even be able to reclaim that one. Kain had probably found and confiscated the damned thing for himself.
Asshole.
Beyond that, she had a pouch full of clothing and basic accessories, neither of which would do her any good in a fight, and two smaller pouches filled with only a sparse handful of magically charged gems. She'd been in too much of a hurry to both enjoy a few moments of freedom and check in on Kurama to hunt for more weapons. In hindsight, she should have taken the extra few minutes to either search for her stuff in Kain's rooms or grab supplies directly from home while she'd been there. Her eagerness to 'get out of the house,' so to speak, was going to bite her in the ass now. She just knew it.
Maybe they would let her pass without complaint or issue...? Unlikely, but she could hope.
"Likely confiscated and not simply left behind, given the way you've answered me, Fledge," the older male said with an amused snort. He looked the female over warily and then chuckled. "No doubt your gear was taken to keep a youngling like yourself out of trouble."
While not joining in on the conversation, the other male still let out a small huff of laughter at his Clan-mate's words. Fledglings did have a knack for finding trouble when left unattended. Both had yet to relax their stances around the young female vampire. They'd not earned their respective ranks by being careless around those of seemingly lesser strength.
...or not, she thought dryly to herself. Still, there might be a way past them. They seem to be assuming several things, so... perhaps that angle would work?
"Not so much that as simply having said gear tossed aside in a haphazard pile," she responded, keeping her tone light and almost suggestive as she let a hand fall to rest on a cocked hip.
It wasn't a lie, per se. While Kain had indeed removed them from her to keep her from using said items against him during their 'little talk,' she hadn't been denied the use of said weapons once she'd 'woken up.' Hells, when it came to their 'sparring' sessions, Kain had a habit of pointing toward the pile of items that lay helter-skelter in the far corner of his room and then telling her to fight him with one or more of her unusual weapons. That or he took her down to the armory and tossed a random weapon at her. More often than naught, that last set of circumstances usually ended with her getting thoroughly trounced within minutes. Kay had never fought with a halberd, spear, or a battle-ax before.
The unfamiliar weapons left her with a shit-ton of openings for him to take advantage of during those training bouts. Failures usually led to more heavy-handed training and injuries that took time and plenty of blood to heal. The few times she succeeded in landing more than one blow usually ended in a different sort of injury. The kind caused by rough, vampiric sex. Which required still more blood to help her recover from Kain's amorous attentions. Hells, throughout all that, she hadn't even had the chance yet to speak with Raziel since she'd regained her sense of self. Her 'Sire' had proven in short order that he was a jealous old wolf. What belonged to him, belonged to him, no 'ifs,' 'ands,' or 'buts' about it. And if he wasn't in the mood to allow others around her, then, well... he just wasn't in the mood.
But that was a line of thought better examined later when she was safely back inside. If Kay's little escapade to escape her 'cabin fever' resulted in her getting hurt...
No, she thought to herself firmly. Now isn't the time to panic. Remember that they can scent your fear and apprehension if you let your emotions get away from you!
Raziel shifted closer to the trio, remaining silent as the grave as he weaved around the parapets. He almost let out a dry chuckle when he caught the woman's carefully spoken words. Like the Elder Kain, she seemed to enjoy veiling the truth behind comments designed to mislead and confuse. Such care with words allowed those she spoke with to come to their own conclusion without having technically lied to them. She could then reasonably argue that it was not her fault if her words were misconstrued by the listener.
"Oh?" the male shared a bemused look with his companion and took another step toward the female whelp. "Are you claiming to have caught our Sire's attent-"
A stray breeze carried the woman's full scent toward the pair. The male closest to her froze, eyes flashing white as a myriad of emotions passed over his face. The other male went just as still and then abruptly growled. A low and clearly threatening sound.
"You smell like the Master, not our Lord," the other male bit out, voice going cold and vicious with barely restrained anger. His hand dropped to his sword, and his eyes flashed white.
Well... fuck, Kay thought wildly as their gazes practically pinned her in place. This is precisely what I was trying to avoid by staying downwind! Think, woman, think!
Raziel's eyes narrowed as he watched events unfold beneath him. If his Sister was foolish enough to bolt, he would need to step to halt his Razielim. And swiftly. Then again, if she showed the same temperament as his Fledgling Sire had, he'd likely have to step in to stop a fight regardless. A brash, boisterous attitude would not endear the woman to his kin. He carefully moved closer to the trio below.
It wasn't the best plan, but Kay coughed into her hand and then glanced to the side as if embarrassed. Despite the shy seeming movements, she kept her eyes focused on the irate males through her hair. She knew better than to take her eyes off a potential threat. Let alone two potential threats.
"Well, damn," she said, keeping her tone light. Coy even. "Knew an oil bath woulda been a good idea after that little 'spar' earlier. Worked up a good sweat."
Hopefully, they would take her words to mean that she smelled like Kain only because they'd had sex recently. Which, while true, wasn't the danger here. Better that they consider her some random Fledgling that had caught the Elder's eye in a carnal sense rather than Kain's newest Childe. She held no illusions that they would react with anything other than anger at such a thing. Especially after everything the Razielim had been put through...
It was a clever attempt to divert their attention. And it might well have worked save for one thing. Kay had forgotten that a Vampiric Childe carried an echo of their Sire or Dame in both their scent and their Vampiric Aura. Even young as she was, she had that Aura now. And knew not how to hide it from an Elder. So the two irate males flared their own Aura's against hers in a testing brush of power that revealed the truth of her Line in an instant. They could practically taste the echo of Kain blended amongst the youthful storm of her power.
There was no hiding the truth of who her Sire was...
"Hastaga," Kay muttered under her breath.
She'd started backing up the second she felt their power flow over her like a wave during high tide. It felt like they were old and terribly powerful. Not as strong as Kain's own Aura, but the combined pressure of their questing Aura's alone left her fingers trembling. Her fingers rapidly curled in against her palms, concealing the tremor. If it came down to a contest of strength against one of them, she would lose armed as she was. Facing both of them? No. Kay had to hope that she was clever enough, fast enough, to evade them. Had to hope that she could reach one of her more reliable weapons. That or hope that Kain or Raziel would soon return from wherever the pair had disappeared off to.
And neither of those options appeared likely given what she knew of the situation.
The male closest to her snarled reflexively at the feel of unfamiliar Magic in the air. His hand lashed out to grab her wrist, yet the boost to her speed allowed her to avoid his grasping hand. If only just barely. Surprisingly, Kay didn't go far. Only a few feet, really. She didn't want to trigger a full 'hunt' response by fleeing outright. There was still a chance that she could talk her way out of this. While she kept her gaze on the male that had reached for her, she made sure to keep the other male in her peripheral. She would not be flanked. Not if she could prevent it.
"Look, I don't want to fight," Kay said, keeping her tone low and soothing. She held her hands out at her sides as if she were harmless. "I'd just like to go inside and gather up my gear. I'll be out of your hair right quick. Would you kindly let me pass?"
Raziel straightened warily, ready to move at an instant's notice. His progeny's reaction was more than a little irritating, but at least the woman had refrained from bolting outright. They would have pursued her and treated her as nothing more than prey. Which she was most certainly not. Not anymore, at least. The males on the ground needed to reign their tempers back under control lest they draw the blood of his new Sister. Kain's new Lady Lieutenant. Kain had advised Raziel of his intent to keep the woman for a time. To train her both for the tasks that she would need to complete on her own world and ensure that they would have a new, strong Clan to stand beside the Razielim upon defeating what Kay often referred to as 'The Squid.'
Even if the woman was a Fledgling, new to her nature and weaker than those before her, she was to be treated with the respect due to her thanks to her new station.
Sadly, a peaceful resolution to their confrontation was not to be. When the male's hand closed about naught but air, a menacing growl filled the air. He shared a sharp glance with his Clan Brother. Anani, Raziel's First, had warned the pair to be mindful. Had told them that the strange Magics of this 'Haven' could be detrimental to the unwary. True, the Fledge had shown that she could cast such strange Magics, but she had only used said spells on herself thus far. She was weaker. Without word, nor Whisper, nor physical signal, the pair moved as only those long used to fighting side-by-side could and made to flank the whelp. To cut off her escape.
"Do you always show such disrespect to your Elders, woman?" he said, smirking as he stalked leonine-like around her. His tone was deadly.
Wonderful. They're out for blood, she thought to herself with a faint wince. And they don't seem to care who I am.
Kay eyed them both warily as she thought of how best to proceed. That he has said 'Elders' the same way a nobleman might say 'Betters' raised her hackles more than a little. Oddly enough, she wasn't quite sure how to respond. What knowledge she had with regards to the Vampiric Culture on Nosgoth was limited and incomplete. The whole of their customs and social nuances were unknown to her. She knew enough to have subtly-not-so-subtly insulted Kain before by protecting her throat and baring her teeth, but the more subtle nuances were lost to her beyond the basics.
Not only that, but Haven's library was just a little bit of a bitch to work through. Finding any useful information about Nosgoth on the upper tiers of the library was impossible. The only things on the upper levels were tidbits. Notes, recipes, ledgers. The deeper levels where she might find something useful were far more dangerous to traverse, and Kay was very aware that she was not skilled enough to brave the Literary Dungeon alone.
Which is what left her confused with regards to her current predicament. Was she considered of higher rank than these two solely because she was Kain's Child, or was Kay considered lower-ranked because they were so much older than her?
She just... didn't know. She didn't know where Kain was. She didn't know that Raziel was nearby and could aid her if she just called out for him. So, no, as far as Kay knew, she had to face these two down on her own. And there were too many variables that she was just plain ignorant of.
Ah well, they do say that fortune favors the bold, yes? she thought to herself.
"It is you who should be showing me respect," she growled back, baring her new fangs and shifting her stance to a more confidant one despite the faint tremor in her clenched hands. "Get the fuck out of my way. Now!"
Raziel started forward, ready to drop to the ground. They were perilously close to stepping out of line, and if they dared attack her... He paused briefly and looked down at the woman, bemused. A silent huff of laughter escaped him as he dropped into the deepest shadows of the buildings next to the wall he'd been on. Even the fainted of light from the nearby torches would not reach him where he was. He paused again, remaining both out of sight yet close enough to interfere.
At least she does not lack in bravado, he thought, watching his progeny and wondering if they would come to their senses or not. And though she may not fully realize it, she is correct about who should respect whom in this situation.
"Impertinent little wench!" the lead male growled. He smiled grimly a moment later, fangs flashing a cruel white in the glow of the torches.
"It's obvious that you require a lessoning, you little bitch," the other said with a dark, loathsome laugh that made it very plain that he had plans to enjoy himself. He lunged nary a second later, sword drawn in an instant and cutting through the air in a sweeping arch.
Raziel's eyes narrowed when the two males did not back down and then narrowed further, still into enraged slits when they attacked. Why were they being so foolish? Was it the mistaken belief that they need not fear reprisal that had them acting so brashly?
Shit! Kay thought as she jumped backward and then to the side to avoid the sword. She knew that she needed to keep the distance between herself and the other male trying to get behind her. Did I miscalculate?!
Thankfully, the Hastaga spell was keeping her one step ahead of the male's attacks. One step ahead of the one attempting to flank her. But it was close, and she knew there was a distinct possibility that they were playing with her. Relying on the Materia wasn't a good idea. The Magic wasn't indefinite. The spell only lasted so long. If she was caught at the wrong time, they'd take her down.
Given the cold, eager light in their eyes... well, it was clear that the pair intended to do much worse than the Hylden had. The Hylden had wanted her broken, so they could get information out of her. Instead, these two wanted to hurt her and thus 'hurt' Kain by proxy. They wanted her broken and bloody before killing her. Wasn't it funny then that it was Kain that had already succeeded with regards to that particular goal before he had Turned her?
Still, Kay would not allow such a thing to come to be a second time. Truth death awaited her in their hands if they caught her...
"I have no quarrel with either of you," Kay snapped out through grit teeth, annoyance and growing rage filling her voice with false bravado. "Stand down!"
"Ah, but we have quarrel with you, little bitch. Your very existence is an affront to our senses," the other male drew his own blade and chuckled darkly. "And the Master is not here to protect your worthless hide. If this Haven is indeed as dangerous as we were warned, well... they do say that 'accidents happen,' yes?"
Raziel frowned darkly at his progeny's words. Their anger was a palpable and dangerous thing. A silent sigh escaped him, and he moved to step out of the shadows, prepared to deal with his wayward Clan swiftly and concisely. Not only did they need a lessoning of their own, but Kain would most certainly have his hide if he failed in his duties to protect his Sister. Especially when the threat to her person was his own bloody Clan.
"Look," Kay said, gritting her teeth to hide the growing worry building in her gut. She would try one more time to talk them down. "I get that you are upset with 'the Master.' I really truly understand why. But if you have a problem with 'Master' Kain, would you kindly take it up with him instead of me? I'll not play the part of his 'whipping boy' just because you think I am an easy target for your anger! Back off!"
Rather than respond, one of the males lunged for her to tackle her to the ground. The angle was just right so that if he missed, his partner would be able to cut off her escape. Vengeance was theirs as far as they were concerned. This otherworldy realm was the perfect place to carry out said vengeance, with none being the wiser. Kain was not in residence, the powerful vampire's potent Aura nowhere to be found, and Raziel had been keeping his own Aura muted. Anani, who was the only one that they believed capable of interfering with their plans, was deep within the bones of the false Sanctuary and could not stop them.
Rather than dodging the male's attack, Kay lunged into it, hand raised and pushing against the male's bare chest.
"Transform," she said, her voice cold. Cruel even.
Even hidden as the Materia was beneath her clothes, the light of it still flashed brightly enough to be visible. Of course, it helped that the male was committed to his leap. He had no way of avoiding the Magic meant to turn him into a small amphibian. Specifically, a rather large species of frog. Mind, it wouldn't disable him long as Kay hadn't spent much time working with this particular Materia. It would, however, last long enough for her to deal with, or alternatively escape from, his partner.
Rather than wait for a reaction from the remaining Razielim, she bolted through the sudden opening caused by her spell. Rather than head inside, she darted for the exit gates. She could lose them far easier in a seemingly crowded cityscape. Moreover, the unfamiliar scents of the area alone would give her a better chance to escape their senses.
Even if it was a 'false' Sanctuary, it was still based on the original building. Her attackers knew the layout of the structure far better than she did. Kay did have the option to teleport, or 'apparate' as Remus called it, but... she was not yet that skilled with the ability. An inexperienced magic-user could potentially leave behind weapons, clothing, or parts of their very personage. The latter could result in said magic-users death. So, that particular spell would only be used as a last resort.
Behind her, a rather shocked Vampire-turned-frog fell to the ground with an indignant 'ri-ribbit?!' of noise. The other male froze briefly in shock, which allowed the woman more than enough time to slip past him.
What strange Magic was that?!
Raziel himself had started forward with a low growl only to go still at the sight of the 'Frogged' Razielim hitting the ground. He almost laughed, openly and loudly, at the confusion that her spell had generated. As the woman bolted past his concealed location, he acknowledged that such trickery was highly effective as a distraction.
The second male shook off his shock at the sight of his partner being transformed and charged after the female. His natural speed as an Elder Vampire meant he could catch up to her swiftly. If he was careful and chose his path wisely.
Raziel followed the route they took easily with his eyes and knew that he could catch up within moments, especially once air-bound. However, rather than give chase, he took the time to wander over to the transformed fool and kicked the confused male against the wall. A panicked 'ribbit' escaped the male at the blow, mainly because he had realized just who it was that had sent him flying. The noise was followed by a pained squeak of sound as the Vampire-turned-frog was pinned to the ground by a razor-sharp and taloned foot.
It was too bad that Raziel had never seen nor heard of a 'squeak toy' and thus could not appreciate the correlation between the noise his Child had just made and what such a toy could make. Otherwise, he might have smiled. Cruelly.
"You had best hope that my Sister comes to no harm whelp," Raziel snarled, and the 'frog' let out an unnatural, whimpering sounding 'ribbit.' "As it is, I will deal with your foolish hide later."
While he was scolding the frogged male, his other Child had managed to cut off the woman's attempted escape route through the main gates. He was trying to herd her down one of the narrow alleys between the smaller buildings that lined the edges of the courtyard. If he could pin her in, trap her down one of the many dead-end paths designed to confuse and trap invading forces, then he would be free to have his way with her. Ideally, his Brother would recover soon and join in on the 'fun.'
Rather than waste breath cursing, something that she admittedly no longer needed and which made her escape infinitely more manageable, Kay darted about randomly to avoid being herded by her pursuer. She knew those kinds of tactics well enough to recognize them when they were used against her. Hells, Kay employed them often enough herself these days.
The male chasing her attempted to lunge for her as her form darted about, clever as a weasel in her movements. He could tell that she was at least somewhat familiar with what he was attempting to do, but that made the chase all the better for hunters like them. Attempts to pace her, to force her down a particular path failed yet again. He growled and forced on a burst of speed in an attempt to get in front of her.
She managed to dodge around the male and ran partially up the side of the main wall, pushing off it and back-flipping onto the roof of one of the buildings. Launching a series of telekinetic blasts blindly, each with force enough to knock a Human unconscious, to distract the male, she glanced about quickly for a new escape route. The damned walls of the Sanctuary were tall enough to deter even a Vampire from attempting to climb them. When no ready option became apparent to her, she snarled out another 'Hastaga' to restore the mental countdown back to the meager five minutes of heightened speed she had for each cast with the lesser Materia.
If she allowed the Magic of the Materia to fade for even a second, then there was no doubt in her mind that she would be caught by her pursuer. Her body would then be used to slake their lusts and satiate their rage. She'd rather avoid that, thank you very much.
Raziel kicked the Frogged form of his Razielim into the wall a second time and, blessing of blessings as far as the male was concerned, the weaker form meant that the male was knocked unconscious. He then turned to chase down the other two. A moment later, he paused and raised a brow at the abrupt explosion of wood nearby. Telekinesis perhaps? Interesting. What other spells did the Fledge have hidden up her sleeves?
~Anani, come to the courtyard,~ Raziel ordered over the Whisper as he continued to pursue the running pair. Considering how long she'd managed to keep away from the other Razielim, he decided to simply watch for a little while longer. He would interfere only if, though more likely when, she was caught. ~Your retinue decided that it would be a good idea to harass a new Fledgling and they needs must be reined in.~
The male in question that Raziel was speaking to was his First. Said male started at the Whispered order before moving resolutely toward the courtyard as directed. In part, Anani was relieved. Both to hear his Sire's voice and to have a task put before him. Trying to obtain any useful information from these 'Placeholders' had been like pulling one's own fangs out. They were woefully incompetent outside of their given tasks. Even Human slaves and servants were of more use than this lot!
~Sire...?~ he started, only to hesitate.
After the rather forceful manner that his Lord had used to make him drop the subject the time he had asked his Lord to create new Fledglings to boost the Clan's ranks, well... he did not dare to hope that this 'new Fledgling' was of Raziel's line. Still, the question lingered in Anani's mind, begging to be asked...
~If I may be so bold as to ask,~ Anani continued, bracing himself for an angry response, ~do I have a new Sibling to assist you with?~
While Raziel and Anani held their silent conversation, Kay was busy flitting about on the rooftops avoiding the male still hunting her. Each attempt to hit him with the Transform Materia like his friend failed. Thanks to his ally being struck by the Magic, this male knew what to look for and was fast enough to dodge the faint beam of light. That didn't surprise her, though. The Razielim weren't known for being tactical idiots. Most of the time, anyway.
What really did nothing to help her efforts was that the courtyard was too damned open an area even with the buildings that lined the inner walls. There was no place to hide. So the best thing to do now was to... actually try and get inside the main building. Somehow. It would make the Razielim think that he'd be able to trap her more easily. Once inside, she could always make a bee-line for one of the carefully spaced windows on the upper levels. From there, she could jump out the window and use one of the feather-fall equivalent spells that she knew to avoid breaking a limb during her escape.
It wasn't the best plan, but it was the only plan she had...
Kay jumped from the roof, sending a burst of telekinesis to hit the spot where she'd just been. Chunks of wood went flying through the air like shrapnel. She then followed that up with several volleys of lightning magic as an added distraction before bolting for the main doors of the Sanctuary. Hopefully, she could slip inside fast enough to slam down the drawbar to seal the door.
Her pursuer yelped and dodged most of them now on fire debris that was flung about. Flaming chunks still bounced off the Razielim's side, and he had to take a moment to put out the fire on his leathers. Raziel, too, paused in his shadowing and frowned, though it was not due to the small fires that had started up around the area. Nor was it due to the local Placeholders' sudden, panicked movements as they moved to put out said flames. No, the origin of his upset rested quite firmly at the feet of his First.
~No. You do not,~ Raziel responded in a steady tone that brokered no quarter if Anani dared to press things yet again. ~It is I who have a Sibling to deal with.~
Anani started down the main hall that led to the courtyard to corral his traveling companions. Potentially to assist in corralling the new Fledge if said fledge had lost control of their instincts. Which wasn't impossible. Raziel's tone caused a visible grimace to pass over his face, and he missed the gravity of his Sire's last sentence.
~My apologies for the assumpt-,~ he froze in shock as Raziel's statement finally registered. His next words were both Whispered and shouted aloud.
"The Master has Turned another Fledgling!?" he asked, breaking into an outright run. "And the others are...? Are they aware of the absolute madness that they are committing themselves to!?"
~They know precisely what it is they are doing,~ Raziel responded, his tone implacable. ~However, they do not seem to care. They seem to be counting on Kain's absence, as well as my own perceived absence, to enable them to make it seem as if what they intend to do to be nothing more than a tragic accident that could not be helped.~
~Fools,~ Anani snarled. Even if he, himself, still held a certain degree of anger in his heart towards Kain, he was not fool enough to act upon that rage. Not when he had sworn to remain at Raziel's side. Even if doing so meant returning to the side of the Dark God that had forged them into what they were... and then discarded them so viciously. ~That they dare to risk your ire, let alone the Master's, is sheer idiocy. We were prepared for discontent and upset in the ranks as we started informing the others of your choice to return to the Master's side, but this...? They will be lucky if the Master's punishment is only that of a swift death!~
~Indeed,~ Raziel responded. ~And that is if I do not deal with them myself before he returns.~
Raziel might have preferred to deal with the wayward pair on his own but knew that he would be unable to conceal the events of the day from Kain. While he no longer believed the Elder to be the omniscient and all-knowing being that he had worshiped before his descent into the Abyss, he still knew that Kain would find out. Even if the woman, for some reason, wanted to keep silent about said events, the Elder in question had numerous ways of ferreting out the truth. Least of which was the expedient act of simply barging his way into the Fledgling's mind.
With the Elder pursuing her distracted, Kay was able to safely dart through open double doors of the Sanctuary. She twisted about to slam shut the large doors with a near-violent burst of telekinesis. Panic almost gripped her when she noticed there was no drawbar before she focused and pulled one of the few precious stones she had on hand from her pocket. The charged stone allowed her to place a bar of energy across the large doors to act as a locking bolt. The spell-wrought bar would not last long, but it would hopefully last long enough to buy her a few more moments. Kay then spun back around to continue her flight down the long hallway.
Unfortunately, she only knew of a few windows in the massive structure, designed as it was to be a home for light-sensitive creatures. The thought that her Mas... Si... Kain's rooms might well be a safe escape route for her was a bit galling. Still, at least she knew the route to said rooms. As long as the massive metal shutters were still open and had not been sealed shut with Magic, then she had a way out of this mess...
Turning the corner, Anani immediately ducked backward out of sight when he saw a form turning to continue their flight. A female form no less. One that was angled to dart past where he now lay in wait.
The Master chose a woman to be his next Lieutenant? Anani thought with a bemused blink before shaking the thought away.
Female Vampires had been rare creatures to find amongst the ranks of any Clan. They could be as formidable, if not more so, than the males of their kith, but Human social norms made it hard for the females of Humanity to stand out enough to even be considered to become a Fledgling. Still, no Human was Turned solely on the merits of their sex or individual looks amongst the Clans. Instead, every individual had to prove their worth in some form or fashion. Tactical geniuses. Those skilled at hunting and tracking. Individuals with espionage skills. Accomplished scribes and scholars.
The woman had obviously done something to catch the Master's overly critical eye, and that was all that Anani needed to know about the situation just then.
~Sire, the woman you mentioned, is near me,~ Anani Whispered. ~Would you like me to stop her flight?~
~Yes,~ Raziel responded, wings and shoulders relaxing from their tensed position as he stalked after his errant spawn. ~That would be best. Do not harm her if you can help it my own.~
~As you say, ~ Anani replied.
Anani waited silently and timed his next action carefully. Given the Fledgling's rather impressive showing of speed, especially for one recently Turned, he'd have to move swiftly. His hand lashed out just as she moved past him to close about her wrist. He planned to use her own momentum to spin them both about and pin her against the wall on the off chance that she might try to fight his hold. He flared his Aura as he moved, thick and potent with power. Befitting of his station as Raziel's First-Born. Hopefully, that would be enough to calm the wild fight/flight instincts coursing through her.
When the hand closed tight about Kay's wrist, she started to ready the Transform Materia once more to use it against this new male. The flaring of his Aura, something that she'd not yet gotten used to, caught her off guard enough that the word came out as a jumbled, sputtered gasp. The Magic fizzled out, and she stumbled, making it easy indeed for him to pin her with her back to the wall. A part of her was left stunned, while the rest panicked further still at the semi-mental onslaught. She did the only thing she could think to do in such a position.
She tried to knee him in the groin.
It was a blow that was easily blocked given how badly the female had been knocked off-kilter. However, Anani curbed the desire to simply render the woman insensate, as that would not go over well. Instead, he pulled her away from the wall, twisted her about so that her arm was pinned behind her back, and then shoved her forward again so that her chest was pressed firmly against the wall.
"Calm yourself!" he barked into her ear, placing his hand behind her neck. It was a hold meant to prevent her from twisting about to bite at him. "I mean you no harm, Fledgling!"
"The hell you don't!" she managed to snarl dazedly even as she tried to break free of his hold.
While the male had not been with the other two, there was the same 'echo' of Raziel in that flood of power dancing over her skin. That could mean that he was with Raziel himself, or it could mean that he was simply another ally of the pair who had attacked her, called to help them via the Whisper. But she didn't know which option was the truth. Nor was she going to take the chance that he was a foe pretending to be a friend.
It was a difficult thing to ignore the weight of his Aura, but she pushed away the instinctual desire to submit and bare her throat. Instead, she squirmed and wriggled about within his grasp. There was an edge of desperation behind her movements. The claws of her free hand lashed out over her shoulder again and again toward his hand, where he gripped her. It did not matter if she managed to hit the male or herself. She would heal in short order, and so would he, but any blood left behind would leave her skin slick and hopefully allow her a greater chance to wriggle her way free of his grasp.
Anani snarled, not in anger but out of frustration. He twisted her about as her increasingly bloodied form became slippery enough for his hold to become tenuous. Unless he chose to risk digging his talons into her flesh, that is. Wild as she seemed at the moment, it was an ingenious tactic for one so young to use. Were she dealing with another Fledgling, she would have likely managed to escape. Instead, he twisted her about and forced her to the ground, quickly pinning both of her arms behind her back. Again, he flared his Aura in an attempt to make her calm.
Yet she did not calm. On the contrary, his actions, especially after the very clear intent that the other two had shown while attacking her, only drove her into a deeper state of rage and panic. She might willingly, grudgingly, submit to Kain now that he was her Sire, but she would not submit to those who meant her harm for something that had nothing to do with her! So instead, she lashed out, kicking, twisting about to try and throw him off, and clawing at what she could reach of the male above her.
"Fucking hell! Let go of me!" she yelled angrily.
The fact that she was still cognizant enough at this point to form coherent speech and employ one-on-one battle tactics was promising. The taste of her growing panic in the air, however, was not. If she lost herself fully to those instincts, he might well actually have to render her unconscious. And when one considered just how difficult it was to render a Vampire unconscious, that meant she would be left with a significant amount of brain damage. Damage that would heal over time, yes, but it would potentially leave her in a state of Healing Torpor for days, if not weeks.
He would be made to face both Raziel's and Kain's mercies for having struck the new Lady Lieutenant in such a manner. Even if it was meant to be helpful. Hopefully, the woman would calm down before such actions were needed!
"You need to calm down, fledge!" he said again, his voice ringing with authority.
Kay snarled in response and tried once more to buck him off her body. Eventually, she managed to lift their forms up by an inch or so, but he moved with her readily enough to pin her back into place with little effort. Another snarl escaped her lips. Instinct was well and truly starting to override all sense of reason. This was not her Sire holding her pinned down after she'd lost a spar. This was not her M-. No. Not that. He would never be that. Kay was too stubborn to acknowledge that even if her instincts screamed otherwise in her head.
No. The male above her smelled like those who had proven to be a threat. He needed to be defeated. He needed to be bloodied and driven away with his tail between his legs! Barring that outcome... she needed to get away from him. She bared her fangs, a vicious flash of white in the torch-lit halls. Yet, caught as she was on the edges of a purely animalistic mindset, she still managed to speak.
"I said release me, damn you!" she shouted.
Roared really. It was an echo of defiance so similar to that first 'confrontation' between her and Kain. She really did hate being bound. Being trapped. What concentration she had left centered around her Magic, and she sent out a wild burst of telekinetic energy that would normally force anything within a four-foot radius flying away from her.
The bellow of rage did not startle Anani. The burst of unconstrained and wild Magic, however, did. Brief pain sparks lanced through him as he was flung bodily against the far wall, his form just missing Raziel's by a hairs-breadth as the other male rounded the corner.
Raziel had just managed to force his way through the previously barred doors. Both of his wayward Razielim having been left suitably restrained to await their eventual punishment. He jerked back and paused briefly as Anani went flying past him, taking note of Kay's bloodied form before he let out an exasperated sigh. Another huff of breath escaped him a moment later as if he was frustrated at the mere thought of dealing with a recalcitrant Fledge any longer than he needed to, and he stalked forward resolutely. The woman was indeed as stubborn as his Fledgling Sire had been. And just as resourceful it seemed.
With the male's weight gone from her back, Kay scrambled to her feet. All she wanted to do now was get back home. Get back to her territory, where she knew she would be safe. Sheer willpower alone was the only thing helping her maintain Focus on her Magic, her mind, and she abruptly spun in a circle. The full three-sixty movement of one Apparating away from their current location.
Raziel had stalked close enough in the interim as she stood that he was able to grab the woman's wrist in his hand as she twirled about. At first, he'd thought that she was spinning about to attack him. Far too late, he realized that the twisting movements and energies that she was drawing on were an attempt to teleport away. His time spent learning Magic with Remus, a wizard and a werewolf, had only resulted in a basic understanding of that particular spell. Still, he knew it well enough after having witnessed the Wolf-Wizard use it several times. He yanked her form towards his, hoping to disrupt the spell and keep both of them within the confines of the faux-Sanctuary.
And stop it, he did...
Kay's instincts had left her thoughts scrambled just enough for his actions to be more than a thorough distraction. Hells, him saying 'hello' would have likely had the same effect as she hadn't even sensed his approach! The Magic pulsed wildly and slipped through her metaphysical fingers. Intent and Focus wavered and broke. In most cases, with her Magic, this would have resulted in the spell fizzling out uselessly. Yet, when it came to any teleportation spell that relied so heavily on unwavering concentration, the consequences of such a spell failing could be detrimental...
Like now.
Kay's eyes flew wide. A choked sound escaped her as the Magic backlashed with the viciousness of a barbed whip. Her body arched as if she'd been shot in the back, and she stumbled forward. Anyone behind her at that point would have been able to see the tunic disappear in a swirl of wild Magic that left her back bare...
And beyond that, the wild Magic took over a dozen strips of flesh from her along with the large portion of her tunic.
"My Lord! Her back!" Anani exclaimed in shock, his eyes widening as cloth and flesh disappeared in a whirl of Magic.
He moved forward to help restrain the Fledgling female if it was needed, but the uncertainty on his face was writ clear for any and all to see. Were such injuries from a spell gone wrong? He was well versed in magics himself, but even he was unfamiliar with the sudden pattern of wounds on her back and... was that bone?
A circular, whirling pattern of wounds had been left behind, looking as if they had been carved into her skin. They extended from the top of each shoulder almost all the way down to the base of her back. The damage looked to be deepest at the center-most point of said pattern and, if one looked close enough, one could indeed catch a brief glint of white beneath all the red that had started to pour down her backside.
Raziel caught the woman as she pitched forward and raised a brow at his First. He was about to ask Anani what he meant when the woman's blood scent hit his nose. Hard. Startled, he shifted her about and took note of her now bare and badly damaged backside. A frustrated sigh escaped him at the sight before him. In truth, he was mostly frustrated with himself more than the woman. The Wolf-Wizard had explained to him at one point that Apparition could cause injuries such as these if the caster was distracted.
"I do believe that the wolf called this kind of injury 'splinching,'" he muttered to himself before letting out another heavy sigh.
At least the woman was no longer fighting his hold...
Of course, she wasn't fighting back anymore. The pain of the sudden injury seared through her like fire, forcing a high-pitched keen past her clenched teeth. Agony drove her down to her knees. She was fighting visibly to maintain control of herself, eyes flickering white, then gold-and-blue-flecked brown and then white again. Those new, wild instincts threatened to overwhelm her completely in the face of such agony. All she could do was cling desperately to the hand wrapped firmly around her wrist.
Kay fell forward a bit, her mouth and nose ending up close to the skin of the male in front of her. She breathed in a ragged gasp past the pain and immediately caught his scent. An aroma which carried the clear echo of Kain's own. Not like one of the ones chasing her. She breathed that scent in a second time desperately. The way one might gasp for air after breaching the surface of the ocean. For the moment, his scent was the only thing anchoring her to conscious thought...
"Sire?" Anani asked with a questioning tone and a raised brow.
"This is the result of a teleportation spell gone wrong, mine own," Raziel offered in explanation.
He coiled a taloned hand slowly and gently around the back of the woman's neck even as he eased down to one knee, helping Kay to the ground as her legs failed her. He would force her down onto her stomach if need be to examine her wounds, but... not yet. There was no need to startle her back into her previous state of combativeness. If she remained docile due to both the pain and his scent, then so be it. It would only make her easier to manage as he attempted to tend to her injuries. He let out a low growl, something that was rather close to a rumbling purr really, and pulsed his Aura over her gently. The noise and metaphysical touch were designed to soothe. To calm.
It was a tactic that many an Elder had used to comfort a wounded and near-mindless Fledgling.
Her senses were reeling. From the pain. From the danger that she'd been in. When a hand closed firmly but gently around the back of her neck, she almost snarled. Almost lunged upwards to bite. Only the low, calming rumble and that flaring of his Aura stalled her upward movement. As a result, her head fell listlessly against the male's upper chest, and her form started to tilt sideways. She had to brace her free hand against the ground to keep herself from falling over completely. Her vision had gone dark. Like she was close to passing out. Like she should have already passed out but, for some reason, couldn't! She would have welcomed the oblivion of unconsciousness. It would have been preferable to enduring this.
Raziel caught her fully as she tilted to the side, easily able to support her weight as she tried to catch herself. When Anani started forward once more to help, he shook his head. Better not to crowd her just yet. The rumbling purr in his chest grew a bit louder as he settled his chin on the top of her head.
"Easy now," he said soothingly. "Breathe past the pain. You will heal."
Kay's claws dug viciously into the stone floor, deep enough, harsh enough that the flesh of her fingertips was scraped raw in an instant. She heard him but couldn't make out his words. A thready sound filled the air as she took in his scent once more to keep herself anchored to reality. Anchored to herself. Sire's scent and Aura echoed in the males... and... there was something else. Something more. Her head shifted minutely as she tried to place the scent that filled her nose, but even that small movement sent sparks flaring along her spine, threatening to snap the reins of her control entirely.
A small, keening whine escaped her throat. Her mouth moved, but she could form naught but pained, wounded animal-like sounds.
~Hurts... fuck... it hurts...it hurts,~ she thought, Whispering said thoughts instinctively to any and all nearby since she couldn't force the words past her lips.
Taking note of the sound of claws digging into stone and the wet noise of flesh scraping roughly along the same surface, Raziel reached down to pull Kay's hand up and away from the ground, keeping his movements slow and careful so as not to startle her. It would be best if she refrained from hurting herself further. A closer look at her back showed that the magic-wrought wounds were quite extensive. Keeping both of her smaller wrists in one large hand, he shifted her forward so that she was tucked more firmly against his chest, the other hand holding her shoulder firmly enough that it would have badly bruised a Human. Hearing those pained mental cries, he nudged his thoughts against her own and sent a soothing pulse along said mental link.
~I am here, Sister,~ he rumbled into her mind. ~You are safe now. Shh. Just breathe.~
She heard him, clear as a cloudless day, and surprisingly enough that mental contact further aided her in her efforts to maintain at least a shred of her remaining self-control. The tension slowly bled out of her shoulders at the soothing noises he was making. While she no longer needed to breathe now that her very nature had been changed, she still focused on taking slow and steadying breaths in and out. Breathing past the pain was a difficult task. That the male was offering her comfort rather than harm helped. Kept her tethered to that nebulous sense of 'self.' She opened her eyes and blinked blindly. This was... he was... he had called her Sister, hadn't he? There was only one being on Haven who would call her such a thing nowadays.
"Gnnnhh... Ra... Raziel?" she managed to say. A weak growl threaded through her voice. A very clear sign that she was still on the edge of losing control.
"Yes, Sister, it is I," Raziel replied, almost letting out a sigh of relief. That she was talking was a good sign. However, the rumbling in his chest did not fade as he spoke. "Are you suitably calmed now?"
"Nnnnhhgrrr..." a near-violent shudder of pain wracked through her body, momentarily rendering her unable to speak. A frisson of rage passed through her, only to be soothed away once more by his continued rumbling and the touch of his Aura. "Y-yes...? Nnngh... your... Clan..."
"I am aware of their actions Sister. Remain calm for me. Do not over-stress yourself thinking of them," Raziel said softly, carding talons through her hair soothingly. "Tsaa, that's it. Calm. Now, I need you to tell me when you last fed."
The woman would need blood regardless of her answer. Still, if her last feeding had been within the past few hours, then that would help matters immensely. That she had not already fallen into a healing Torpor was a good sign. It meant that she'd not been putting off her feedings out of disgust for her new diet. Something that was a very real possibility for those Fledglings that were Turned and recalled their Human lives.
"Hrrnn? Fed?" she shuddered as the question brought to mind the thought of rich blood.
Kay almost lost control then and there. She knew multiple sources of blood. Blood packs. Human. Demon. Raziel himself. The sudden red-white urge to feed was almost overpowering. A thready keen escaped her throat as she tensed to lunge. Only the flaring of pain along her back, caused by her own movements, forced her to abort that attempt to try for his throat.
"Calm," Raziel said firmly, power laced throughout his words. His grip upon her hands and shoulder tightened in warning. "Focus on my voice."
~Focus on my presence,~ he Whispered, keeping that mental link open between them to give her both tangible and intangible things for her to focus on.
Any other Fledge, save for the younger Kain, would have already been rendered mindless by the Hunger. Even Kain's younger self could only stay in control for so long when he'd been this badly injured. So Kay needed to stay aware. If only to make things easier for him as he worked to aid her.
"Hsssnnngh," she blinked blearily, not really focusing on anything she could see. Her eyes were still flickering back and forth between white and brown-blue-gold. "B-b... before I... Before... Ngh!"
Her voice broke off with a tiny snarl of frustration. It was hard to talk. To work her mouth to form the words she wanted to say. Why was he making her talk?! She wanted... she needed...
A clear pulse of Hunger rang out like a strident note over the Whisper. Raziel frowned, and his grip on her shoulder shifted to more of a rubbing pressure than a holding one, though the grip on her wrists lessened nor shifted one bit.
"Before you left to go on your little jaunt?" he asked in clarification, not caring if she found out that he'd followed her to her home. "Did you feed till you were full and the Hunger's edge was completely gone?
"Yesssssss," she hissed out through clenched teeth. The affirmative answer meant for both of his questions.
The threads of her control were fraying and fast. Blood... blood... she needed blood. Sweet-copper-ruby-red-wine-liquid-ambrosia. Blood-scent was in the air, but it was her own. She needed someone else's. She needed... shifting as much as she could, she tried to sink fang into the arm of the hand holding onto her shoulder. It was the closest thing to her face, and thus the least amount of movement would be needed to latch on.
He frowned, almost snarled really, and shifted her about to both avoid her attempted to bite and to get a better look at her back. The sight... concerned him. Even as a Fledgling and after having fed and fed well so recently, the woman's wounds should have either slowed or started to show signs of healing by now. He shifted her to the side and forward carefully, frowning at the sight of bone.
Why were the wounds not closing?
Not that Kay could tell him, what with her thoughts racing so, but the wounds were a result of magical backlash, not a physical weapon. They would be slow to heal and might even leave permanent scarring. The only reason she wasn't bleeding out was that her Magic had also worked to protect her as best it could during that moment. As such, many of the major blood vessels had been essentially 'cauterized.' Especially the veins close to the spine.
Even when she'd been practicing such Magic as a mere Human, splinching usually took more than one healing potion to fix. Sometimes three or more would be needed to repair the spell-wrought damage to the body. Beyond that, special creams had to be used to ensure minimal scaring for any wounds larger than a knife cut, and even then, they did not always work completely. Kay remained quiet, for the most part, as he moved her about. A near-constant, discontented and pained, rumbling escaped her throat. Noises that were forced out of her due to the agony-laced sparks of damaged muscles being moved to and fro. He was actually being quite gentle, but the pain was unavoidable.
"You will need a significant amount of blood to heal this, it seems," he muttered softly, mostly to himself. He spoke a little louder a moment later. "Given that you fed barely over an hour or two ago... hn. Listen to me, wild little pup. I have not had the chance to feed recently, but I will allow you to feed directly from me. Sparingly. Know that you will not enjoy the corrective measures that I will employ if you take more than that which I allow you, Sister. Do you understand me?"
"I..." she tried to nod and froze. The movement had caused a violent twitching throughout her entire body. A low groan escaped her. It was so hard to talk...
~I... understand you...~ she managed to Whisper back after a moment.
He nodded to himself and then held out his free hand toward Anani, indicating for the other male to remove his bracer. He was not letting go of her wrists. He dared not, really. Her control was a tenuous thing at best.
Anani moved swiftly to remove the bracer in question. Once it fell away and the cloth wrap was unbound, Raziel then bit into his own wrist to create a wide enough wound. The fresh wound would give the Fledgling vampire both a target to aim for and make it easier for her to sink fang into his armored hide. He raised his arm closer to her face and braced himself. Anani stiffened beside him.
Both males were ready to restrain the woman if she dared to gnaw upon his arm like some wild beast as most her age were wont to in such a state.
Fresh blood-scent hit her nose. The blood of an Elder Vampire no less. It was potent. A sweet, siren's song. Intoxicating. She'd only been allowed to feed directly from Kain once, and even that had left her in a state near to that of drunken catatonia. She lunged for the pro-offered wrist and sank her Fledgling fangs into the weak point he'd made in his Torpor-toughened hide. She'd barely enough time to think that she needed to at least try and rein in her Hunger when the first wash of blood passed over her tongue.
The purple-black vitae practically screamed with power and overwhelmed her thoughts entirely. A sweet warmth spread through her, and the heat of it moved immediately towards her back. A few moments passed before the wounds finally began to show the first signs of healing over.
Raziel allowed her to feed until he felt the beginnings of Hunger twinge at the edge of his own mind. He almost growled at himself. What he was willing to provide would not be enough to fully satiate her Hunger. Not with those injuries. Still, it would have to be enough for the interim. Ideally, she would last long enough for him to gather more for her.
"That is enough, Sister," he said in a low, commanding tone. Then, flexing his talons around the back of her neck, he drew her away with a firm hand.