Hey, anyone else wonder about what Raziel was like as a human child, like Raziel does??

Forgotten Memories

By Ryoken

I plunged the reaver into the door and made my way into the first chamber. Like that of the place below the pillars and the forge of darkness, here, too, were murals of the winged race. Undoubtedly, they had created this forge as well. I progressed through this longer forge puzzle and when the forge's power was aroused, that of light, it reminded me of the light Sious had when she had used that power. This, of course, made me think about her again as I went out the way I had come.

Equipped with the elemental power of light, I could now gain entry to the fortress and maybe even access to the time-streaming chamber. I shot the telekinetic blast of light at the red crystal above the gate way, and it opened. Melchiah would have been amused to see such mechanics, he always did like to play around with gadgets. Anyway, as I fought my way through the human hunters, I thought about how I would travel back in time in order to speak with Janos Audrin. It also occurred to me that I could, too, see Sious all at the same time. Well, maybe.

I entered the room where the time-streaming device was and there was no one in sight. Shooting the red crystal above the door must have triggered an alarm of sorts because Moebius spoke out to me at once.

"What are you doing?"

"I've come to get away from this time, Time-Streamer."

"And how do you suppose you'll do that? You don't know how to set it, and I most certainly won't do it for you."

I pointed the reaver at the fool's neck. "If you don't, then I suppose I'll have to kill you instead of Kain."

I could tell that he was not very pleased. "Very well." We entered that chamber and I was certain I wouldn't have been able to set it had he not come along. Moebius set the device and told me that I needed to do was flip the switch in front of me. Something was not right here. I could sense that something was wrong.

"Rot here, and forget me." My world spun sickeningly as I was tossed into the time stream and came out on the other side.

Betrayal. I suppose I should always trust my senses for here I was in a time that I knew was not that of when Janos still lived for here lay the ruins of an abandoned stronghold.

Alone and angry at myself, I looked out of the time chamber from where I stood. I emerged from the chamber into that dark crumbling world which I could not recognize as Nosgoth. I looked up towards the ceiling only to be greeted by rain coming from an incredibly black sky. Damn that old man. I suppose trusting him wasn't the brightest thing to do, I should have known he would pull something like this.

As I began walking towards the door, the doors were still intact, a green wall of lightning suddenly blockaded my path. Two green demons appeared on either side of me.

"Not you again. Why do you keep pestering me when you know you cannot win against me?"

"*chuckle* Ignorant child. We shall not let you pass!" What fools these demons were. With no one around to protect, these pests would be easily destroyed.

Once they were deceased, I began exploring the remains of the stronghold. I soon found out it was crawling with the demons. I was growing of the same old fights so I decided it was best that I snuck around them Once I reached the large doors of the chapel, I opened them to find the spirit of Moebius, waiting for me.

"Leave my soul in peace, Raziel!"

"You forget that when you are in this form, I am the one you should fear. Care to take the risk?"

"What do you want me?"

"You sent me here, Moebius. Tell me why."

"I had to get rid of you. You were ruining my plan."

"Bah. To hell with you!" I drew the Soul Reaver and he quickly dispersed. Alone again, I decided to pay a visit to Sious's home, if I could get there. As I began journeying, I wondered what awaited me there. Unconsciously, I stumbled upon the Pillars, and Ariel's haunted spirit.

"Who's there?!"

But I simply ignored her question and went on. I noticed that she hid behind a Pillar as I came into view, but I paid no heed to her or what she said.

This time as I came upon the threshold, I remembered that that old squid lurked down in the waters there. I was tired of how he'd been treating me so I again avoided him. When I came upon the swamp, I discovered that the tree was gone and I was able to scale the wall now. I hurriedly made my way through the caverns and ended up in the deserted town. There was no one there except for some demons and hunters trying to block my path. So I pressed on through the mountains and made it to Janos's retreat which now lay in ruin and the lake of ice now melted into water. There was nothing left.

"Do not think that there is nothing here that could aide you, Raziel." I didn't even have to turn around to know who it was.

"The city lies in ruin, both Vorador and Janos are dead, along with Janos's retreat. What could possibly be hidden here that could help me, Kain?"

He came closer and into view. "Go further into the mountains. You'll find what you're looking for at the end of the maze of canyons." Then, he was gone. And it started to rain.

"Wonderful. Simply wonderful." So I did what Kain asked of me and I traveled through the canyon, running into hunters and demons alike. And then I came upon a forge. Strange how a forge was built all the way out here away from the city. I entered and saw the pyramidal design of the forge and I wondered what element would be granted to me this time. I solved the puzzle and was taken upwards to the top of the shrine to the snake's open mouth. When I landed, I saw the strangest sight. Sious stood at the entrance of the room, but she seemed entranced by something. I went to her side as quickly as possible, but she disappeared as soon as I reached her. Perhaps I was hallucinating from all of my thoughts about her, but she didn't seem to be an illusion. I made my way back to the altar and gained the power of air. Once I had exited the temple, the rain, which had been pouring down when I arrived at the forge, immediately stopped when I first stepped out. I am still not certain whether it was a coincidence or something more.

Next chapter: Will Raziel finally be able to see his mother again?