After a moment, Lara turned away from him and began walking toward Jials. Raziel followed slowly behind, and a malicious smile broke out across Jials' face as Raziel's eyes traveled across Lara's backside. Well, where there was love, there was lust. He pushed the door open and held it for the two, shaking his head and hiding his smile. Lara headed through the halls, not needing to know where she was going. She could almost feel where the Pillars were and how to get them. Stepping out into the light and laying eyes on them almost felt like coming home. She hadn't realized how much she had missed them. It must have had to do with her being a Pillar Guardian. The oblong portal still rippled in the afternoon heat, little crackles of energy running through it. She headed up to it, then stopped and looked at Raziel. He walked up and stepped through it. Lara glanced at Jials. He saluted her.

"Tally ho."

Lara shook her head and rolled her eyes as she stepped through. The humidity of Nosgoth wrapped around her, and the first thing that greeted her was one of the annoying little light glowy bugs. She blew at it and waved it away, but it persistently kept return to her face. Raziel watched with a smirk as he pulled off the shirt, and wrapped his clan tabard back around his face that he had set here to get later. As she tried to smack the bug again, Raziel took her arm and slipped into the Spectral Realm to get her away from the bug. She jumped in surprise as the world turned blue, then she fixed Raziel with a pointed glare.

"You did it again."

"Did what?" Raziel asked innocently.

"Dragged me into the Spectral Realm with asking me."

"I was just trying to be helpful and get you away from the bugs . . ." He took her to one of the conduits and shifted back into the real world. She glanced around cautiously, but it seemed the bug had given up and flown away. She looked up at Raziel.

"Where to?"

"This way." He started walking down one of the paths away from the Pillars. She followed behind him, looking around at the massive greenery. Rays of sunlight slid down through the interconnecting tree branches, giving the place an almost heavenly look. It contrasted greatly with the fact that the superior hunting species on the planet was vampires. It was almost perfectly ironic.

'But then,' Lara mused to herself idly, 'humans haven't done all that well as it is.'

Raziel led her through the twists and turns, leaving her completely confused as to where they were. This wasn't one of the paths she had been down with Raziel and Kain before. The trees curved up and locked above, creating the feel of a tunnel. The trees suddenly opened up to a huge building done with gothic architecture. Lara raised an eyebrow, but followed Raziel. The double doors that allowed access to the internal structure were thrown wide open, welcoming all. Or perhaps as a silent challenge. What had to be vampires were standing in the darkness, just out of the sun's reach. Humans walked freely in and out of the building. And as impressive as it was, Raziel still traveled into it and didn't stop. The humans stopped to gawk at Raziel and then to blink in confusion at Lara. Several vampires nodded toward Raziel, which he politely returned. Then their inhuman eyes turned on her in a mixture of curiosity and disregard. And still Raziel continued.

He finally came to a stop at the entrance to small antechamber. Around him, Lara could see the unmistakable form of none other than Kain, gesticulating fiercely, enwrapped in what was apparently berating a pair of younger vampires. They shrank back from him in utter terror, nodding furiously to get the hell out of the room with their heads attached. Finally, he snorted and indicated for them to leave. The beat a hasty retreat out the door, not pausing to glance at Raziel or Lara. Raziel nodded to Kain as he stepped in, then moved to the side to expose Lara. Kain strode up to where she stood and stood gazing down at her, eyes yellow eyes narrow. He indicated to Raziel who bowed and stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Lara's eyes narrowed. Raziel bowing to Kain? What was going on here?

She looked back up at Kain, then in a movement faster than she could follow, she was swept up and her feet were dangling about three feet above the ground as she was encased in a massive hug that would have broken the bones of a lesser woman. Raziel stepped back into the room, chuckling. Lara was set down and she saw that Kain was well was grinning. He glanced up at Raziel.

"Judging by the fact you don't have Earth's Reaver and that Lara is here, something happened that wasn't according to plan. Enlighten me of what has occurred."

Raziel quickly summarized the finding of the Reaver, then the recapture of it back into Moebius' possession. When told of Moebius' escape, Kain's eyes narrowed in concern.

"And I had hoped he might stay locked up. It was a foolish hope, it seems."

"That it does," Raziel agreed. He quickly ran over the rest about Moebius employing the local authorities and the fact they were going to need more firepower if they were going to get the Reaver. Kain smirked maliciously.

"So you came to me." He stood with a sigh, and glanced around. "Were that it were only a few days later. Unfortunately, I am not capable of leaving, but believe me, if I could, I would in a heartbeat." He rubbed his chin a moment. "I believe I can set up a small group of vampires to supply you with the necessary . . . firepower you require. I was already beginning to plot out a group to go to Earth, but I hadn't been thinking of fighting capability. However, a few tweaks to the planned group shall suffice."

Lara blinked at him. "Why had you been planning a group already?"

He turned to her. "Because, Lara, Nosgoth has been in the darkness long enough. We want to enhance its technological path, to give it a push in the right direction. So we'll use your world's technology to do just that. In return, as the two worlds become more comfortable with one another, we will introduce you back to magic."

"Do you think either world is truly ready?"

Kain chuckle dryly. "I don't think either side will ever be ready. But we've lived in the dark ages long enough, and you've lived without the flare of life that magic gives for far too long." He paused. "I believe I'll have the group together and there the day after tomorrow."

Lara nodded acceptance and turned toward the door. She stopped when she found Raziel standing in front of it, shutting it softly to deny her passage. Confusion settled on her features.

"I believe," Kain began. Lara turned toward him as he continued, holding up a small rectangular package, "that you owe us a game of strip poker."