That blasted fire had burned for centuries making me wonder if my friend and master were really dead. Somewhere beneath the ash did he still live, waiting to destroy me as I had him?

In the past few centuries, Nosgoth had degenerated far more than what my body had. Its ugliness made me look beautiful by comparison. Fear and darkness enveloped a once spectacular landscape. The sight disgusted me. This was Kain's doing. For his selfishness an entire world was suffering.

The humans begged for death. The woman that I had hunted in the night before had thanked me for taking her life. Insanity ripped at their minds as they watched a myriad of new and more ghoulish vampires take over their world. What humans remained were locked within a Citadel and few ventured beyond its watery moats. Vampire hunters who were once seen as saviors were now few and far between.

Each vampire clan had taken on a new look, and as the centuries passed their bodies adapted to their new abilities and surroundings. Among the many clans, I alone remained unchanged. I was as ugly as I had been the day Ovelin held me in the water, my flesh molding together like a hellish jigsaw puzzle. I had never quite gotten over what I was. It had been a century since I'd even dared to wonder what I must look like to others. Whatever it was, it was a far cry from my former glory as a human.

I had been alone since Ovelin's death. I was always alone. But rage and hatred consumed me and I wasn't at all lonely. I waited, bidding my time until my strength and my dark gifts grew. I was nurturing them they way my human father had always taught me to do. But Kain also grew stronger with each passing century.

I still maintained that I would destroy Kain for what I had become as a vampire. I swore to make the once proud leader fall. I would make him as hideous as I was and then I would kill him. But what I didn't realize is that I was not alone in the aspiration.

I wondered however if even this would give me the peace I so desperately sought. I turned away from the fire and left the canyon to wander the forsaken landscape as I did every night.

Tonight, the council convened…or what was left of them… More than likely there was nothing to talk about anyhow. Aside from the ailing Nosgoth, nothing changed. I found this amusing.

Since their own indemnifications had made them all so different they could find nothing in common with each other. Zephon had locked himself away in the Silenced Cathedral and had not been seen for a century or so. His offspring were roaming the hallways, scaling the walls and towers like some sort of hellish spiders.

Rahab had disappeared within the walls of his now drowned Abby and only appeared for Council meetings. His children were locked away in the Abby. Rahab guarded them as if he knew something was coming to exterminate them.

Melchiah had grown massive and even more grotesque than before. He hid from the world deep within his chambers. My former brethren were left to their own devices, wandering the halls and tombs of his Stronghold that was crumbling in on itself.

Turel had taken up residence beyond the mountains of Nosgoth and had not reappeared since the death of Raziel. His few remaining children were rare and it had been sometime since I'd seen even one of them.

For all his self-admiration and half hearted attempts at ruling his clan, Dumah had gained only death. He still sat regally on his throne, metal spears piercing his body from every angle. A major part of his children had joined him in the underworld but the rest roamed the land aimlessly. It was to be the only time the humans were brave enough to confront a vampire Lieutenant as powerful as he was. I was not surprised to see that this whole scenario had taken place. Dumah's vanity had killed his brother and for that he had paid the price a thousand fold.

Sighing, I sat on the steps of the Serafan tomb listening to the ghostly voices whisper their nonsense. For centuries I had found solace here in the tombs where no vampire dared to go.

The pictoglyphs told stories of Nosgoth's glorious past. They told of Serafan Sorcerer Priests and Warriors who risked their lives to rid the world of evil vampires. But I did not need these pictures to remember the past. I remembered it as if I had never left…

"I want one!" The shrill voice demanded. Standing there the boy with the stiff red hair looked almost like a gaudy rooster. "It's not fair." He crossed his arms over his chest, a scowl turning his handsome features into something more of a nightmare. I was appalled to think that I had once been this boy.

"It's not possible." My father crossed his arms over his chest mimicking my angry gesture. It was almost impossible with the heavy armor he wore.

The man behind him smiled an altogether wicked and unnatural smile. I recognized him as the Oracle of Nosgoth. My father knew him as Moebius. "I don't see the harm in him having such a creature, William." The Oracle moved forward and ruffled my hair. I ducked away from him.

In all my eleven years I had never trusted the old man. It seemed to me as if he was manipulating my father and the Serafan like marionettes. However, in this argument I was glad to have him on my side.

"Yes father." I said, uncrossing my arms. "I don't see what it would hurt. After all with the Oracle here what could possibly go wrong?" I gave him a hopeful smile. "You promised I could have a pet and I have chosen." I paused to glance at Mobieus. The sightless old man nodded as if he knew I was looking at him. "You promised…" I finished slyly. "And isn't a king always supposed to keep his promises?"