"Dead," Zephon moaned quietly to himself, suspended in complete solitude in his Cathedral. "I died back then, and ever since then..." The Clan Lord did not finish the rest of the sentence. He did not want to think anymore, he did not wish to dwell on such memories. Once again, the cold-hearted vampire cursed his mutated form; wishing that for a few brief moments that he could cry once again. In those far off days, Zephon had not worked off his sadness. He had become a master of building a shield around him, hiding his thoughts and emotions from all until even he could not deduce what he was truly thinking or feeling. He had become a victim of his own game. Zephon had killed Siglar in a fit of rage when the officer, talking more from pity than anything else, had suggested that perhaps Zarina could be resurrected as a vampire.
Zephon would not commit such a blasphemy against his wife; he would not bring her back as a monster, which he considered himself to be deep down. There was nothing divine about him; if he couldn't save her, then why should he be called a dark god? As Zephon recalled, somewhere in his shady and half-remembered musings, Siglar had been skinned alive and only after twelve days was he allowed to die. In severe agony.
A sudden sound made Zephon open his eyes and stir his monstrous form. Someone was coming up the elevator. And that someone was Raziel, his former brother from the Abyss. And there, before his very eyes, stepping off the elevator was Raziel, if changed. Now he was no longer beautiful; his once proud features had melted away, and his skin that had once carried a golden cast to it was now a deep blue; muscles and bone seemed to be the only 'skin' to speak of. Raziel's clan banner was wrapped around his face, hiding most likely a visage that was even more twisted than Zephon's.
But the fifth eldest son's eyes locked immediately on the writhing, pulsing form that was attached to his former brother's right arm. He did not know what it was or what it did, but Zephon knew that in the core of his very being, that thing for lack of a better word, was his doom. In a voice laced think with arrogance and sarcasm, Zephon spoke for the first time in a long time.
"Prodigal son. There is no return to the light for you, Raziel."
"Zephon." A note of surprise was in Raziel's voice. "Your visage becomes you. It is an appropriate reflection of your soul." For a few moments, Zephon felt the twinges of hurt deep down, but because of his shield that he had built up over the centuries, he easily turned it aside and came back with a scathing reply of his own.
"And you are not Kain's handsome Raziel anymore, his precious first-born son turned betrayer. You have missed so many changes, little Raziel. Look around you. See how the human's weapon of destruction has become my home, indeed my body. A cocoon of brick and granite from which to watch a pupating world." Zephon raised one of his many legs and gestured at the cathedral in general; the spider webs, the dust motes floating through the air and then at the expansive ceiling.
"A crevice in which to cower, only to devour a victim already ensnared in your cowardly webs." Raziel pointed a claw at the drained body of a human, one of many who thought they could challenge the Lord of the Silent Cathedral and failed to do so. "But you have made the mistake of leaving me unbound, and it is you who must succumb to my will."
"Will; instinct. Reflects action. The insect mind finds little difference." Zephon uncurled more of his legs from underneath his body, eyes narrowing as he looked Raziel over. He would enjoy this battle. He did not feel much in the way of emotions anymore, but he remembered hate. And he hated Raziel, the one being whom dared to believe that he could kill him. The blood began to pulse and pound through Zephon's de-evolved body; pincers at the end of his legs snapped in anticipation. "I warn you, brother, as my stature has grown, so is it matched by my appetite. Step forwards, morsel."
Zephon lunged forwards, noting the surprise crossing Raziel's face. He would enjoy this battle immensely.
****
Darkness.
Light.
Darkness.
Light.
Things flashed before Zephon's eyes. He did not understand. One moment he was fighting Raziel, and the next...the Clan Lord looked around him quickly, gazing at his surroundings. He seemed to be suspended in the middle of inky darkness that would quickly turn into blinding light, only once again to fall back into darkness. He looked down at himself, then realized with a start that he was no longer a monster.
His hideous spider form that deep down Zephon hated was now gone. Once again he displayed his talons instead of the many insect appendages that he had grown to love and hate. His malformed body was once again restored before he evolved into something far less. Zephon ran a hand through his short black hair, then glanced at his clan cape, once again displayed proudly over his right shoulder. He was back to the way he was, before he...
Zephon did not want to finish the thought. Instead he spoke. "Where am I?"
"That all depends," a warm voice spoke behind him. The vampire turned quickly, the voice that spoke conjuring up images in his mind. And there, standing before him, looking as radiant as she once did at the party so long ago, stood Zarina. Zephon took a few steps backwards as if he had been punched full in the stomach. He couldn't speak. He couldn't breath. There, standing right before his eyes, was his lover and wife that had died so long ago.
"Zarina?" Her name came out in a whisper. Zarina nodded and smiled. She walked towards Zephon, crossing the distance between them quickly, then embraced Zephon while leaning her head against his shoulder. She felt so real; warm and solid. Zephon quickly wrapped his arms around her and for the first time, began to cry. Emotions rolled over him; disbelief followed by sadness, only to be consumed by pure joy.
This was Zarina. She was here with him once again. "My love," the Clan Lord spoke in her ear. Cupping her head in his talons, Zephon looked into Zarina's eyes, then kissed her passionately on the lips. Zephon felt tears sliding down his cheeks, then realized that Zarina was crying as well. He did not want to let her go ever again; Zephon did not care if he was being melodramatic because it was the truth. "I love you, I love you," he said between kisses.
Zarina only laughed as Zephon picked her up and whirled her around. Setting her back down on her feet, Zarina brushed her hands through her husband's hair and smiled. "And I love you. The wait has been long, but now we are together again, Zephon."
"Where are we," he voiced the question.
"It all depends. Heaven. Hell. Somewhere in between." Zarina gripped Zephon's hands and looked at him. "It all matters to you."
Zephon shook his head. "I do not understand."
She closed her eyes for a moment, let out a deep sigh, then looked at her husband. "Raziel killed you in the fight. You are no more in the physical realm. Now you stand in limbo between two other realms, both that you once thought to not exist but very real. In life, you committed many atrocities, ones that even I will not speak of." Zephon felt his heart, once he thought long gone, lurch suddenly in sickness. Zarina saw the doubt cloud his face and brushed a hand across his chest. "But you also redeemed yourself through love. Yes, love is enough to save anyone, Zephon."
The vampire wiped the tears from his eyes and cleared his throat. "So I can go there, to the light with you? Even if my soul is black and I was once a monster?"
Zarina laughed. "You are not as evil as you think. You have redeemed yourself through me, my love and that is enough." The light and darkness display ended abruptly and off in the distance a small tunnel of light glowed. Zephon looked towards it with longing. Zarina extended her hand towards her lover and her friend. "Take my hand and walk with me towards eternity, my love."
Zephon clasped his talon in her soft hand, feeling the warm flesh and smiled. She was real, and so was he. Their love was real and through it, he was redeemed. The worries of the old world rolled off the vampire's shoulders and his black lips turned up into a smile. Everything was far away; pain, anger, the hurt and hatred to all that once stood before him.
Zephon felt reborn.
Together, Zephon and Zarina walked towards the light, towards eternity.
- Fin -
Zephon would not commit such a blasphemy against his wife; he would not bring her back as a monster, which he considered himself to be deep down. There was nothing divine about him; if he couldn't save her, then why should he be called a dark god? As Zephon recalled, somewhere in his shady and half-remembered musings, Siglar had been skinned alive and only after twelve days was he allowed to die. In severe agony.
A sudden sound made Zephon open his eyes and stir his monstrous form. Someone was coming up the elevator. And that someone was Raziel, his former brother from the Abyss. And there, before his very eyes, stepping off the elevator was Raziel, if changed. Now he was no longer beautiful; his once proud features had melted away, and his skin that had once carried a golden cast to it was now a deep blue; muscles and bone seemed to be the only 'skin' to speak of. Raziel's clan banner was wrapped around his face, hiding most likely a visage that was even more twisted than Zephon's.
But the fifth eldest son's eyes locked immediately on the writhing, pulsing form that was attached to his former brother's right arm. He did not know what it was or what it did, but Zephon knew that in the core of his very being, that thing for lack of a better word, was his doom. In a voice laced think with arrogance and sarcasm, Zephon spoke for the first time in a long time.
"Prodigal son. There is no return to the light for you, Raziel."
"Zephon." A note of surprise was in Raziel's voice. "Your visage becomes you. It is an appropriate reflection of your soul." For a few moments, Zephon felt the twinges of hurt deep down, but because of his shield that he had built up over the centuries, he easily turned it aside and came back with a scathing reply of his own.
"And you are not Kain's handsome Raziel anymore, his precious first-born son turned betrayer. You have missed so many changes, little Raziel. Look around you. See how the human's weapon of destruction has become my home, indeed my body. A cocoon of brick and granite from which to watch a pupating world." Zephon raised one of his many legs and gestured at the cathedral in general; the spider webs, the dust motes floating through the air and then at the expansive ceiling.
"A crevice in which to cower, only to devour a victim already ensnared in your cowardly webs." Raziel pointed a claw at the drained body of a human, one of many who thought they could challenge the Lord of the Silent Cathedral and failed to do so. "But you have made the mistake of leaving me unbound, and it is you who must succumb to my will."
"Will; instinct. Reflects action. The insect mind finds little difference." Zephon uncurled more of his legs from underneath his body, eyes narrowing as he looked Raziel over. He would enjoy this battle. He did not feel much in the way of emotions anymore, but he remembered hate. And he hated Raziel, the one being whom dared to believe that he could kill him. The blood began to pulse and pound through Zephon's de-evolved body; pincers at the end of his legs snapped in anticipation. "I warn you, brother, as my stature has grown, so is it matched by my appetite. Step forwards, morsel."
Zephon lunged forwards, noting the surprise crossing Raziel's face. He would enjoy this battle immensely.
****
Darkness.
Light.
Darkness.
Light.
Things flashed before Zephon's eyes. He did not understand. One moment he was fighting Raziel, and the next...the Clan Lord looked around him quickly, gazing at his surroundings. He seemed to be suspended in the middle of inky darkness that would quickly turn into blinding light, only once again to fall back into darkness. He looked down at himself, then realized with a start that he was no longer a monster.
His hideous spider form that deep down Zephon hated was now gone. Once again he displayed his talons instead of the many insect appendages that he had grown to love and hate. His malformed body was once again restored before he evolved into something far less. Zephon ran a hand through his short black hair, then glanced at his clan cape, once again displayed proudly over his right shoulder. He was back to the way he was, before he...
Zephon did not want to finish the thought. Instead he spoke. "Where am I?"
"That all depends," a warm voice spoke behind him. The vampire turned quickly, the voice that spoke conjuring up images in his mind. And there, standing before him, looking as radiant as she once did at the party so long ago, stood Zarina. Zephon took a few steps backwards as if he had been punched full in the stomach. He couldn't speak. He couldn't breath. There, standing right before his eyes, was his lover and wife that had died so long ago.
"Zarina?" Her name came out in a whisper. Zarina nodded and smiled. She walked towards Zephon, crossing the distance between them quickly, then embraced Zephon while leaning her head against his shoulder. She felt so real; warm and solid. Zephon quickly wrapped his arms around her and for the first time, began to cry. Emotions rolled over him; disbelief followed by sadness, only to be consumed by pure joy.
This was Zarina. She was here with him once again. "My love," the Clan Lord spoke in her ear. Cupping her head in his talons, Zephon looked into Zarina's eyes, then kissed her passionately on the lips. Zephon felt tears sliding down his cheeks, then realized that Zarina was crying as well. He did not want to let her go ever again; Zephon did not care if he was being melodramatic because it was the truth. "I love you, I love you," he said between kisses.
Zarina only laughed as Zephon picked her up and whirled her around. Setting her back down on her feet, Zarina brushed her hands through her husband's hair and smiled. "And I love you. The wait has been long, but now we are together again, Zephon."
"Where are we," he voiced the question.
"It all depends. Heaven. Hell. Somewhere in between." Zarina gripped Zephon's hands and looked at him. "It all matters to you."
Zephon shook his head. "I do not understand."
She closed her eyes for a moment, let out a deep sigh, then looked at her husband. "Raziel killed you in the fight. You are no more in the physical realm. Now you stand in limbo between two other realms, both that you once thought to not exist but very real. In life, you committed many atrocities, ones that even I will not speak of." Zephon felt his heart, once he thought long gone, lurch suddenly in sickness. Zarina saw the doubt cloud his face and brushed a hand across his chest. "But you also redeemed yourself through love. Yes, love is enough to save anyone, Zephon."
The vampire wiped the tears from his eyes and cleared his throat. "So I can go there, to the light with you? Even if my soul is black and I was once a monster?"
Zarina laughed. "You are not as evil as you think. You have redeemed yourself through me, my love and that is enough." The light and darkness display ended abruptly and off in the distance a small tunnel of light glowed. Zephon looked towards it with longing. Zarina extended her hand towards her lover and her friend. "Take my hand and walk with me towards eternity, my love."
Zephon clasped his talon in her soft hand, feeling the warm flesh and smiled. She was real, and so was he. Their love was real and through it, he was redeemed. The worries of the old world rolled off the vampire's shoulders and his black lips turned up into a smile. Everything was far away; pain, anger, the hurt and hatred to all that once stood before him.
Zephon felt reborn.
Together, Zephon and Zarina walked towards the light, towards eternity.
- Fin -