Sort of a follow up to another fiction of mine. Well, not exactly, I'll refer to it at times but I'll try not to dwell on things a lot so people can read this without having read the other, the other being "Warped Reality".
I'm very fond of crossovers with clashing yet similar worlds. This will be my second Yu-Gi-Oh and Legacy of Kain piece. The fiction this follows is the "what if" thing I did where I was dropped into the YGO world. Yes, I did a self insertion but I'm proud to say I took a serious stab at it and really tried to make it believable and not cliched.
Not sure which POV I'll settle on, so be prepared for jumps. And as with all my fics, I'm going to make this AU because I don't know enough behind the series to say it's cannon. This will save my ass and stomp out complaints of it not being right. It's AU, I can make certain changes and take certain liberties. Though this -is- a crossover and it will be rare to find persons who know of LoK, give it a chance at least? You might enjoy it or get an interest in the Legacy of Kain series; both Blood Omen and Soul Reaver branches ;;
If you want information on LoK after reading this, there's something at the bottom to look into.
Yu-Gi-Oh! characters and everything related is (c) Kazuki Takahashi
Legacy of Kain characters and everything related is (c) Crystal Dynamics and Silicon Knights.
My attempts at gathering the remaining Millennium Items haven't been going anywhere. I still only possess my Ring and the Eye. My partnership with Malik isn't as rock solid as he would like to think. I'm in it for my own reasons, I don't plan to let him have anything. Likewise, I almost damned positive he's planning the same thing. We're just using each other and most likely we both know it but aren't saying a word. Not that it matters, only the outcome will. But I know something he doesn't. Something that's worth a shot, might not yield anything but you never know until you try. I met an interesting individual a few months back. Not a magical being, but everything around the incident was magical. Still don't understand how or why it happened, but I don't care. I only need her to get to what I'm really after. My own pawn to go against Malik and anyone else in my way. An Eater of Souls, I know of a place I can get one. And soon I'll know much more about this Eater and if they are worth my time and effort. But first, I must pay a visit to an... acquaintance. That is why I am here, in the Shadow Realm. I've been mulling over my English speaking skills for a while, as I will need them to communicate with her and hopefully my pawn in waiting. Not only am I doing that, but I am sifting through magical energies and signatures; trying to find my indicator. The card I had left her as a "gift" was what I was trying to home in on. She'd understand soon enough why it had been left, and the fact it was the Change of Heart card would only drive the point home. I had to smile at this, she had played with me when we first met and I toyed with her in return. I doubt she'll do the same this time, no, I know how to deal with her and will cut straight to the point this time. Ah, there we go. I found my calling card and its barer isn't far away, I can see her through the shimmering portal, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans once again. Her hair hadn't changed at all, the natural blonde of it reached to her jaw line and the reddish browns of the long ago dyed part reached her waist. Hrm, she's removing her boots. I'll wait just long enough for her to undo the laces before I approach her; make her retie them because I can.
The boot sailed past his head and hit the wall with a loud thump. The woman scowled at the dent it left.
"What the hell are you doing back here?" she hissed as her eyes darted frantically to the bedroom door. It was shared with her younger sister after all, she could come in at any minute.
"I told you we would meet again. I have a job for you, once again I am in need of your services," Bakura began, he picked the boot up and tossed it to her.
"I can't just walk out now! Damnit, everyone's home. Parents, both siblings. Shit my dad's probably going to walk up here soon and toss what I just bought at me because I forgot the damn bag downstairs," she continued to ramble but the Spirit simply ignored her. Instead he walked to the door, took a glance out it then turned around.
"No one so far. Don't make this harder than it has to be, Sarah. I need you to take me to Nosgoth."
"N-Nosgoth? Why do you want that wasteland of a world? The place is dying, it doesn't have anything of use."
"Oh but it does. I need the soul stealer," the Spirit replied. Last he had seen Sarah, he learned of other worlds. Nosgoth was one and from what she had said who he wanted was there.
"Why?" the woman raised a brow as she swept two toned hair from her face.
Thankfully I had thought of this question beforehand, and I gave her a somewhat honest answer. I told her the soul stealer would be needed to free Malik's mind slaves and he would most likely be immune to the Item's magic. I topped it off with Malik being in power would be far worse than myself. She bought that, didn't want me to accomplish my goal but was willing to keep Malik from it at least. I wouldn't need her for long, just long enough to coax the stealer to join my cause. She was needed because she knew more about this than I did, thus my reason for depending on her. As much as I hated it, at least I got some pleasure out of the fact I got to manipulate her into doing it.
"Alright, fine," she sighed. "I'll worry about explaining my absence later. I know you aren't going to give me any time," she muttered as she began to re-lace her boots.
"Excellent. You have until I return to ready yourself. I am going to pinpoint the door to save time," he replied before his form wavered and faded away.
"I don't want to go to Nosgoth," the woman muttered to herself. "Scares the crap out of me." She took the opportunity to put a few things in her various pockets, just stuff incase it became an extended stay.
I still wasn't clear on this doors to other worlds theory the Pharaoh had formulated when our first run in with Sarah happened. It was another world though, so I suppose it made sense. But onto the task at hand.
Vampires, soul stealers and mortals even dumber than the ones I surround myself with. This should be fun. The hard part will be finding who we, or rather I, want. I walked through the halls of portal like doors. Their surfaces rippling softly with a clouded look. I used the Ring to guide me, once more searching for magical signatures, signatures from a being that fed on souls. I ran into a bit of a problem when I found more than one portal with this signature. To save face and not look like an amateur, I spend more time just feeling what the Ring was sending me. Anything that would point me in the right direction. The differences were so small, I had no choice but to broaden my horizons. I forced more will through the doorway and into my Ring. I immersed myself in feelings, emotions and thoughts from this world's inhabitants. It was an overwhelming sensation, so much information surging through me. At one time I had belittled mortal minds for their slow processing speed. For the first time I felt near the point of overload. Things raced sickeningly through my mind, a deluge of information spilled forth from the trail I had blazed. Gasping I pulled my power from that place, my surroundings spun dangerously around me and I was forced to lean over and prop my hands on my knees as I struggled to still the tempest I had enraged. Once the disorientation passed I could finally sift through the hordes of information I had culled. More crap than I had ever imagined possible sat there in my mind. I tossed it aside without so much as a second glance. Eventually I found what I had been looking for and I was ever so grateful that my first pick had been correct. I would have returned to my aid rather disgruntled if I had to repeat this thorough search again. I took a moment more to make sure I was completely gathered before I returned to claim her.
"I've found the location, I need you to unlock it now," the Spirit said once he rematerialized in the living world.
"Go me," the woman sighed.
Bakura rolled his eyes before clamping a hand on the shorter woman's shoulder. She jumped and scowled at him. He paid it no mind and instead wrenched the two of them to the Shadow Realm. Like last time the young woman seemed to be hit with waves of pain and agony, she claimed they came from all the doors at once. Quickly Bakura led her to the doorway he had deemed as Nosgoth. The woman stumbled and placed her hands through the shimmering surface. Once settled it stood as still as glass, the image as bright as if there was nothing obstructing it. Upon her ok, Bakura ducked down under where she stood and slipped through the portal. Once he had turned back to give her a nod, the woman slipped through. She made an audible sigh when the pain that plagued her ebbed. She straightened her posture then quickly backhanded the taller figure in the chest.
"I hate that place and I hate it when you don't let me get ready for travel to it," Sarah scowled. Last time he had done nothing but jerk her between realms without her consent.
"It's done and over with, now where should we start?" Bakura prompted as he scanned the wasteland before him. The ground was nothing but rock and dirt, no signs of plant life anywhere. Jagged and gnarled rock cliffs jutted up all around the area. The howl of wind resonated through their vertical surfaces. The sound of a thundering waterfall came from somewhere on the other side, all the echoes and reverberations made it hard to figure out exactly where the water was. The most peculiar sight was the sky, the sun was blocked out by thick, black rolling smoke. The air was heavy with it, the land seemed to suggest the sky had been this way for quite a while. The brownish-green color the smoke gave the air was more than unsettling for both persons.
"Give me a moment to figure out where we are. You hear the water?"
Bakura gave her a look as if she had said the dumbest thing ever.
"I'll take that as a yes. The landscape suggests we are near the Abyss," she paused for a moment before going further into detail. "The Abyss is supposed to lead to the underworld here, a swirling vortex of water. All rivers, lakes and streams converge at this point. Where the water goes after that, well you've got me. The Abyss also serves as the grounds for vampire executions. In Nosgoth all water is deadly to a vampire. Well, except for the fish breed."
"Fish breed?" the Spirit interrupted.
"Yes, vampires here have evolved into five different breeds. Each has unique look and attribute. Rahabim are the fish ones. Dumahim are the most common. They look like beetles and gorillas mixed into one, I don't think they have any certain ability. Turelim are the most power--"
"I don't care for a history lesson, I want to know where the soul stealer is," Bakura cut her off.
"Yeah, well there's one thing you should know first. Raziel won't just pop up anywhere and there are other forces at work here that most likely already know who we are and what we plan to do. And if they don't like what we're here for, we're not going to get it done," the woman snapped.
"And you couldn't have told me this earlier? This will complicate things quite a bit."
"One, you never asked me. Two, you probably would have taken it as trying to worm my way out of this. Three, we have company," the woman pointed behind the snowy-haired teen. A man in heavy and battered armor cautiously approached, what looked like a flame-thrower was poised and aimed at the two.
"Strangers, you speak of the highest of Kain's lieutenants. To whom do you hold allegiance?" the man asked loudly.
"To no man of this or any land," Bakura hissed in return.
"Then you are of vampire nature and not to be trusted," the armored clad man growled before he flared up his weapon.
"Yes! Thank you for turning the first person we see against us!" the woman threw her arms into the air. "Vampires aren't considered men, and by saying you don't side with men you basically said 'dude, I'm a vamp and stuff'!" she spat. The hunter cocked his head to the side in contemplation of the woman's strange words before slowly advancing on the two, his flame thrower's fire sweeping from side to side.
"I'm doing the talking from now on," Sarah said as she turned to run, Bakura grabbed her shirt collar and prevented her from moving.
"This simple minded fool is of no threat to me," he snarled as his Ring began to glow. He raised his arm up till it was even to the ground, with a snap of his wrist there was an instant flash of light. The hunter grunted and dropped his flame thrower, a moment later his body crumpled to the ground in a heap. Bakura whipped his hand up and snatched a card out of thin air.
"Don't tell me that's a soul card," Sarah groaned when she caught sight of it.
"I won't, then." He tossed it back to her. "Call it a souvenir."
The woman made a face and stared at the image. She didn't know what to do with it so she slipped it into her pocket. "Let me warn you, this kind of action will draw attention to us. And it makes me think you could have taken Malik on by yourself."
Bakura whirred around and glared right into her brown eyes. "Not alone I can't, his power is too great and can at least distract me, all I can do is keep him busy. The other soul stealer can finish him off for good."
"I had forgotten that," the woman frowned.
"I trust you aren't having second thoughts," he growled lowly.
"I'm basically helping you kill someone. This doesn't settle well for me."
"You should have thought of that before coming," he reminded her.
"Would you have let me stay? I think not, I just didn't realize that no soul equals no life. And with Raziel doing the taking, it's never going back. He doesn't just take a soul, he feeds off them and digests them," she muttered a reply.
"Oh! Even better, no more annoyances once Malik's gone for good," Bakura laughed.
"And what about this, hrm?" she demanded as she pulled the hunter's soul card out and shoved it in his face. "What are we supposed to do with this. I can't leave that poor man back there. The vampires will get him, how do I get his soul out of here?"
"Tear the card in half," Bakura answered as he pushed his way past the woman. A smirk touched his features when he heard the rip behind him. "Congratulations, you have freed his soul into the ether. It can never be brought back now."
"You sick twisted bastard! How could you let me do that!" the woman hissed as she dashed up to him and hit him square in the back with both fists balled up.
"I love it when you talk dirty to me," he chuckled despite the recoil from her attack. "And it's quite amusing when you try to hit on me."
The woman scowled and pulled back to throw a punch. The Spirit easily caught her hand and held it harmlessly away from him. "Test my patients again and I will not hesitate to tear your soul from it's moorings and enslave your body and mind to do my bidding."
"You wouldn't dare," she growled as she wrenched her hand free.
"I would, I can and I will if you give me no other choice."
"And what will get me in that boat?" she demanded.
"Failure to comply and work efficiently."
"This won't be easy nor fast. Raziel could be anywhere and in any time. I can't just walk--"
"Any time?" the Tomb Raider spat. "Is there anything else you have neglected to tell me?"
"My knowledge can get us into deep shit, we may end up the unknowing pawns in some madman's game."
"I don't like playing the pawn, I'd much rather have them," Bakura snorted.
"Yeah well in Nosgoth manipulation is a circle. You manipulate one person and they manipulate someone under them. The circle goes on until you're the one being manipulated into doing your manipulation. There is always someone who knows more than you do."
"I'll learn this stuff soon enough. Now go, lead the way to possible locations."
"I hope you're ready for a fight," the woman grumbled. "Because you're going to meet the vampires eventually."
"They will pose no threat to me. Soul-less beasts," the Spirit waved the notion off.
"Nosgothic vampires have souls."
"Well that only makes it easier to get rid of them."
"Not really, their souls are rooted far deeper than a human's. But don't kill them all, there's something going on and I think it's better to leave some around..."
"I'm not going to bother for detail. They cross me, they die."
"Fair enough," Sarah shrugged. "The closest place that comes to mind is the Sanctuary of the Clans, the meeting place of the six lieutenants of which Raziel is part; the days of the gatherings have long since passed though."
"Then why go there if no one would be around?" Bakura grunted.
"Because of what else is there. That and our very presence may draw attention."
"Whose, the soul eater?"
"No, but the next best person: Kain. We'd be best to get on his good side first. Not that Kain would listen to humans, but sneaking around won't put us in too good a light."
"I don't care how they view me, I just want the soul eater!"
"Be sure to tell that to Kain," Sarah said flatly.
The two walked in silence, the climb over rock walls was all that slowed their process to the ruined building. It looked out of place, the white stone contrasted with the browns of the earth. The insanely large doors had long ago rusted shut, not even Bakura's convincing kick would budge them. The next best thing was a gate at the far end. It failed to budge as well, but the ornate and decorative rigging did allow for one to squeeze through, providing they had time to spare on the awkward action.
"Quit pulling!" the woman sneered as the Spirit tugged violently on her arm.
"You're moving far too slow," he snapped in reply. She had trouble at the gate to get into the building as well.
"I'm stuck, ok? This hurts so damned much and your tugging isn't helping any!" she squeaked as he tried to once again tug her free from the gate.
"You women and your chests. Always wanting them larger and then when you get them bigger you complain about the back pain, tight spaces and everything under the sun," he growled as he released her.
"I didn't ask for this, I didn't have work done damnit. I'm natural and full figured, now leave me the hell alone," she spat as she managed to wiggle free. "One more damned gate to go," she growled.
"You go through first then, I can shove from behind."
"So very helpful." Sarah rolled her eyes as she dusted herself off.
"About as helpful as you've been. Nothing but fighting me all the way have you done."
"Because you seem to think I know more than I do!" she whirled around to face him. "For someone that's supposed to be in charge and calling the shots, you sure are leaning on me heavily."
"You are a living map, you understand? That's all." The Spirit narrowed his eyes and pushed ahead. "Now follow."
The second gate wasn't far from the first, the curving hall hid it from view and made it seem further than it was. The squeezing through the bars had gone much like the previous two times. Bakura had easily gone through while Sarah would struggle.
"I don't relish the idea of doing that to get out," the woman huffed as she straightened herself. The Spirit slid through behind her, almost gloating with how easily he had managed it. "The door isn't far from here," she said with a roll of her eyes.
"It won't budge," Bakura growled as he rammed it once again with his shoulder.
"Hey! Knock it off, you're going to hurt yourself," the woman snapped as she pulled him back.
"I didn't know you care," he jeered.
"I don't. That's Ryou's body you're mistreating and I don't like it."
He chuckled and shook his head. "So I was right, you do like him, don't you?" He had a look of disgust mixed with slight amusement.
The woman glared at him. "So you figured it out, good for you! Want a pat on the back?" she grunted.
"Fan girls, the single most annoying species on the planet." The Spirit curled his lip into a snarl.
"Want me to get clingy and talk baby talk? I'll show you annoying..."
"I just want this door opened," he snarled at it.
The woman sighed and grabbed a single handle, with a grunt she began pulling it towards the wall. Ever-so slightly the large carved stone door budged. The sound of grinding stone echoed throughout the rock walls.
"Show off," Bakura said flatly. "You knew all along and just let me push like a moron."
"Something like that," she replied out of breath as she tried to move the other door enough for the two to fit through. She ended up with her back pressed against one thick door while she tried to move both using leverage from her legs. The stone moved quickly and easily, the end result was the woman sitting on her backside cursing.
"And now I feel better about myself," Bakura chuckled as he stepped over her and into the expansive brick and stone room. "And the point of the ruined pillars in the center is...?" he asked when he realized they weren't structural supports.
"The Pillars of Nosgoth. They're tied spiritually and physically to the land. Their condition matches that of the land. This building hasn't been seen by human eyes in a long time..." Sarah replied in awe. The nine Pillars were all in various states of decay, broken and leaning with a dead greyish color to them.
"And yet the fires in the hall and here are burning. Interesting wouldn't you think?" Bakura mused.
"The vampires own this place as they do all of Nosgoth. This is the seat of Kain's empire," the woman pointed to the center most Pillar and the ornate throne around its base. She scuffed her boots across the ancient stone floor and took a full minute to study just the rune she stood on. Slowly her gaze began to drift around the room to the torn and faded color banners of the Clans, Bakura frowned as he watched her.
"Fear and awe in one, quite amusing if you ask me," the Spirit said after a long period of silence.
"Yeah well I have a higher understanding of this place than you do. I'm both thrilled and scared to death of the fact I'm here."
"And so far here has given me no reason to remain. Why did you wish to come here, woman?"
"She is searching. And I figured I would humor the both of you," a voice echoed through the domed room.
Sarah flinched and stood still as her eyes scanned the room, she listened carefully and tried to pinpoint the direction it came from.
"You can stop trying to find me, I will step out," a deep chuckled sounded as a figure emerged from a hallway on the rail-less balcony. Dressed simply, the vampire was adorned in leather pants, gauntlets and boot variations, he wore no shirt but instead had a red drape tossed over his right shoulder. Greenish yellow skin and muscles rippled as he walked to the edge and tilted his head to the side slightly, stark white hair drawn into a low ponytail shifted with the action. "I must say, you are an intriguing pair. Two different worlds in a third of alien origin. You know I do not approve of this," the vampire lord shot a glare at the woman, his horned eyebrows furrowed deeply. "And I cannot allow you to accomplish your goal. Raziel is far too important to my plans. And the fact that you even thought you would stand a chance is amusing. You are the saddest resistance I have ever seen." The vampire chuckled darkly as his form turned white and vanished, a slight hum sounded when did so. Another flash and hum drew attention to the throne. The vampire lord reappeared seated in the stone structure casually. "And you," he said as he pointed one of three thick fingers towards the Tomb Raider. "You are in control of something that does not rightfully belong to you. All I need do is weaken you and the both of you stand no chance of survival in this land."
"Your knowledge and understanding of our situation is quite impressive, Kain is it?" Bakura replied darkly. "However I am certain that you don't know everything there is to know." The Ring began to glow brightly as Bakura summoned forth a monster from the cards. He had a slight look of surprise on his face with the ease in which his summon had gone through. The giant demon of bone and muscle snarled down at the vampire lord. It flexed massive black wings and thrashed a heavily horned skull. Kain seemed un-phased, the vampire once again teleported to the balcony. He crouched down and clasp his clawed hands together, as he drew his fingers apart purple energy tendrils sparked and snaked to fill the void his parting hands had made. Bakura ordered the monster to perform a lightening strike on the Nosgothic resident. Before the monster's power could be charged, Kain let loose the power he had been building up. It wasn't aimed for the monster, instead his target had been Bakura. The white-haired spirit gave a yell of surprise as the purple mass slammed into him. He was knocked off his feet and sent skidding across the floor. His form slumped lifelessly against a support pillar as the monster he had summoned vanished, it's tie to the material realm having been severed.
"You failed inform him of my means of foresight, an unfortunate error," the vampire lord chuckled. "But yet, I have reason the believe you may have done it on purpose. You are a slippery one, woman. While you lack force I do not trust your mind. But you will slip eventually and I will learn to read you," Kain warned. "I want the both of you out of here, now." With that the vampire vanished.
As promised, here are some places to check out for info on the Legacy of Kain series. Since apparently ff.net doesn't like the use of slashes, I'm going to put a hyphen - in place. You'll have to change em to slashes on your own o@
nosgoth.net
lair.echidnoyle.org-lok
I'll also give official sites just cuz I can.
eidosinteractive.com-gss-legacy-original_soulreaver
eidosinteractive.com-gss-legacy-legacyofkain
If what you read here about Kain was interesting, trust me... those sites hold much more. It's a wonderfully detailed and dark story that puts a new spin on vampires.
I'm very fond of crossovers with clashing yet similar worlds. This will be my second Yu-Gi-Oh and Legacy of Kain piece. The fiction this follows is the "what if" thing I did where I was dropped into the YGO world. Yes, I did a self insertion but I'm proud to say I took a serious stab at it and really tried to make it believable and not cliched.
Not sure which POV I'll settle on, so be prepared for jumps. And as with all my fics, I'm going to make this AU because I don't know enough behind the series to say it's cannon. This will save my ass and stomp out complaints of it not being right. It's AU, I can make certain changes and take certain liberties. Though this -is- a crossover and it will be rare to find persons who know of LoK, give it a chance at least? You might enjoy it or get an interest in the Legacy of Kain series; both Blood Omen and Soul Reaver branches ;;
If you want information on LoK after reading this, there's something at the bottom to look into.
Yu-Gi-Oh! characters and everything related is (c) Kazuki Takahashi
Legacy of Kain characters and everything related is (c) Crystal Dynamics and Silicon Knights.
My attempts at gathering the remaining Millennium Items haven't been going anywhere. I still only possess my Ring and the Eye. My partnership with Malik isn't as rock solid as he would like to think. I'm in it for my own reasons, I don't plan to let him have anything. Likewise, I almost damned positive he's planning the same thing. We're just using each other and most likely we both know it but aren't saying a word. Not that it matters, only the outcome will. But I know something he doesn't. Something that's worth a shot, might not yield anything but you never know until you try. I met an interesting individual a few months back. Not a magical being, but everything around the incident was magical. Still don't understand how or why it happened, but I don't care. I only need her to get to what I'm really after. My own pawn to go against Malik and anyone else in my way. An Eater of Souls, I know of a place I can get one. And soon I'll know much more about this Eater and if they are worth my time and effort. But first, I must pay a visit to an... acquaintance. That is why I am here, in the Shadow Realm. I've been mulling over my English speaking skills for a while, as I will need them to communicate with her and hopefully my pawn in waiting. Not only am I doing that, but I am sifting through magical energies and signatures; trying to find my indicator. The card I had left her as a "gift" was what I was trying to home in on. She'd understand soon enough why it had been left, and the fact it was the Change of Heart card would only drive the point home. I had to smile at this, she had played with me when we first met and I toyed with her in return. I doubt she'll do the same this time, no, I know how to deal with her and will cut straight to the point this time. Ah, there we go. I found my calling card and its barer isn't far away, I can see her through the shimmering portal, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans once again. Her hair hadn't changed at all, the natural blonde of it reached to her jaw line and the reddish browns of the long ago dyed part reached her waist. Hrm, she's removing her boots. I'll wait just long enough for her to undo the laces before I approach her; make her retie them because I can.
The boot sailed past his head and hit the wall with a loud thump. The woman scowled at the dent it left.
"What the hell are you doing back here?" she hissed as her eyes darted frantically to the bedroom door. It was shared with her younger sister after all, she could come in at any minute.
"I told you we would meet again. I have a job for you, once again I am in need of your services," Bakura began, he picked the boot up and tossed it to her.
"I can't just walk out now! Damnit, everyone's home. Parents, both siblings. Shit my dad's probably going to walk up here soon and toss what I just bought at me because I forgot the damn bag downstairs," she continued to ramble but the Spirit simply ignored her. Instead he walked to the door, took a glance out it then turned around.
"No one so far. Don't make this harder than it has to be, Sarah. I need you to take me to Nosgoth."
"N-Nosgoth? Why do you want that wasteland of a world? The place is dying, it doesn't have anything of use."
"Oh but it does. I need the soul stealer," the Spirit replied. Last he had seen Sarah, he learned of other worlds. Nosgoth was one and from what she had said who he wanted was there.
"Why?" the woman raised a brow as she swept two toned hair from her face.
Thankfully I had thought of this question beforehand, and I gave her a somewhat honest answer. I told her the soul stealer would be needed to free Malik's mind slaves and he would most likely be immune to the Item's magic. I topped it off with Malik being in power would be far worse than myself. She bought that, didn't want me to accomplish my goal but was willing to keep Malik from it at least. I wouldn't need her for long, just long enough to coax the stealer to join my cause. She was needed because she knew more about this than I did, thus my reason for depending on her. As much as I hated it, at least I got some pleasure out of the fact I got to manipulate her into doing it.
"Alright, fine," she sighed. "I'll worry about explaining my absence later. I know you aren't going to give me any time," she muttered as she began to re-lace her boots.
"Excellent. You have until I return to ready yourself. I am going to pinpoint the door to save time," he replied before his form wavered and faded away.
"I don't want to go to Nosgoth," the woman muttered to herself. "Scares the crap out of me." She took the opportunity to put a few things in her various pockets, just stuff incase it became an extended stay.
I still wasn't clear on this doors to other worlds theory the Pharaoh had formulated when our first run in with Sarah happened. It was another world though, so I suppose it made sense. But onto the task at hand.
Vampires, soul stealers and mortals even dumber than the ones I surround myself with. This should be fun. The hard part will be finding who we, or rather I, want. I walked through the halls of portal like doors. Their surfaces rippling softly with a clouded look. I used the Ring to guide me, once more searching for magical signatures, signatures from a being that fed on souls. I ran into a bit of a problem when I found more than one portal with this signature. To save face and not look like an amateur, I spend more time just feeling what the Ring was sending me. Anything that would point me in the right direction. The differences were so small, I had no choice but to broaden my horizons. I forced more will through the doorway and into my Ring. I immersed myself in feelings, emotions and thoughts from this world's inhabitants. It was an overwhelming sensation, so much information surging through me. At one time I had belittled mortal minds for their slow processing speed. For the first time I felt near the point of overload. Things raced sickeningly through my mind, a deluge of information spilled forth from the trail I had blazed. Gasping I pulled my power from that place, my surroundings spun dangerously around me and I was forced to lean over and prop my hands on my knees as I struggled to still the tempest I had enraged. Once the disorientation passed I could finally sift through the hordes of information I had culled. More crap than I had ever imagined possible sat there in my mind. I tossed it aside without so much as a second glance. Eventually I found what I had been looking for and I was ever so grateful that my first pick had been correct. I would have returned to my aid rather disgruntled if I had to repeat this thorough search again. I took a moment more to make sure I was completely gathered before I returned to claim her.
"I've found the location, I need you to unlock it now," the Spirit said once he rematerialized in the living world.
"Go me," the woman sighed.
Bakura rolled his eyes before clamping a hand on the shorter woman's shoulder. She jumped and scowled at him. He paid it no mind and instead wrenched the two of them to the Shadow Realm. Like last time the young woman seemed to be hit with waves of pain and agony, she claimed they came from all the doors at once. Quickly Bakura led her to the doorway he had deemed as Nosgoth. The woman stumbled and placed her hands through the shimmering surface. Once settled it stood as still as glass, the image as bright as if there was nothing obstructing it. Upon her ok, Bakura ducked down under where she stood and slipped through the portal. Once he had turned back to give her a nod, the woman slipped through. She made an audible sigh when the pain that plagued her ebbed. She straightened her posture then quickly backhanded the taller figure in the chest.
"I hate that place and I hate it when you don't let me get ready for travel to it," Sarah scowled. Last time he had done nothing but jerk her between realms without her consent.
"It's done and over with, now where should we start?" Bakura prompted as he scanned the wasteland before him. The ground was nothing but rock and dirt, no signs of plant life anywhere. Jagged and gnarled rock cliffs jutted up all around the area. The howl of wind resonated through their vertical surfaces. The sound of a thundering waterfall came from somewhere on the other side, all the echoes and reverberations made it hard to figure out exactly where the water was. The most peculiar sight was the sky, the sun was blocked out by thick, black rolling smoke. The air was heavy with it, the land seemed to suggest the sky had been this way for quite a while. The brownish-green color the smoke gave the air was more than unsettling for both persons.
"Give me a moment to figure out where we are. You hear the water?"
Bakura gave her a look as if she had said the dumbest thing ever.
"I'll take that as a yes. The landscape suggests we are near the Abyss," she paused for a moment before going further into detail. "The Abyss is supposed to lead to the underworld here, a swirling vortex of water. All rivers, lakes and streams converge at this point. Where the water goes after that, well you've got me. The Abyss also serves as the grounds for vampire executions. In Nosgoth all water is deadly to a vampire. Well, except for the fish breed."
"Fish breed?" the Spirit interrupted.
"Yes, vampires here have evolved into five different breeds. Each has unique look and attribute. Rahabim are the fish ones. Dumahim are the most common. They look like beetles and gorillas mixed into one, I don't think they have any certain ability. Turelim are the most power--"
"I don't care for a history lesson, I want to know where the soul stealer is," Bakura cut her off.
"Yeah, well there's one thing you should know first. Raziel won't just pop up anywhere and there are other forces at work here that most likely already know who we are and what we plan to do. And if they don't like what we're here for, we're not going to get it done," the woman snapped.
"And you couldn't have told me this earlier? This will complicate things quite a bit."
"One, you never asked me. Two, you probably would have taken it as trying to worm my way out of this. Three, we have company," the woman pointed behind the snowy-haired teen. A man in heavy and battered armor cautiously approached, what looked like a flame-thrower was poised and aimed at the two.
"Strangers, you speak of the highest of Kain's lieutenants. To whom do you hold allegiance?" the man asked loudly.
"To no man of this or any land," Bakura hissed in return.
"Then you are of vampire nature and not to be trusted," the armored clad man growled before he flared up his weapon.
"Yes! Thank you for turning the first person we see against us!" the woman threw her arms into the air. "Vampires aren't considered men, and by saying you don't side with men you basically said 'dude, I'm a vamp and stuff'!" she spat. The hunter cocked his head to the side in contemplation of the woman's strange words before slowly advancing on the two, his flame thrower's fire sweeping from side to side.
"I'm doing the talking from now on," Sarah said as she turned to run, Bakura grabbed her shirt collar and prevented her from moving.
"This simple minded fool is of no threat to me," he snarled as his Ring began to glow. He raised his arm up till it was even to the ground, with a snap of his wrist there was an instant flash of light. The hunter grunted and dropped his flame thrower, a moment later his body crumpled to the ground in a heap. Bakura whipped his hand up and snatched a card out of thin air.
"Don't tell me that's a soul card," Sarah groaned when she caught sight of it.
"I won't, then." He tossed it back to her. "Call it a souvenir."
The woman made a face and stared at the image. She didn't know what to do with it so she slipped it into her pocket. "Let me warn you, this kind of action will draw attention to us. And it makes me think you could have taken Malik on by yourself."
Bakura whirred around and glared right into her brown eyes. "Not alone I can't, his power is too great and can at least distract me, all I can do is keep him busy. The other soul stealer can finish him off for good."
"I had forgotten that," the woman frowned.
"I trust you aren't having second thoughts," he growled lowly.
"I'm basically helping you kill someone. This doesn't settle well for me."
"You should have thought of that before coming," he reminded her.
"Would you have let me stay? I think not, I just didn't realize that no soul equals no life. And with Raziel doing the taking, it's never going back. He doesn't just take a soul, he feeds off them and digests them," she muttered a reply.
"Oh! Even better, no more annoyances once Malik's gone for good," Bakura laughed.
"And what about this, hrm?" she demanded as she pulled the hunter's soul card out and shoved it in his face. "What are we supposed to do with this. I can't leave that poor man back there. The vampires will get him, how do I get his soul out of here?"
"Tear the card in half," Bakura answered as he pushed his way past the woman. A smirk touched his features when he heard the rip behind him. "Congratulations, you have freed his soul into the ether. It can never be brought back now."
"You sick twisted bastard! How could you let me do that!" the woman hissed as she dashed up to him and hit him square in the back with both fists balled up.
"I love it when you talk dirty to me," he chuckled despite the recoil from her attack. "And it's quite amusing when you try to hit on me."
The woman scowled and pulled back to throw a punch. The Spirit easily caught her hand and held it harmlessly away from him. "Test my patients again and I will not hesitate to tear your soul from it's moorings and enslave your body and mind to do my bidding."
"You wouldn't dare," she growled as she wrenched her hand free.
"I would, I can and I will if you give me no other choice."
"And what will get me in that boat?" she demanded.
"Failure to comply and work efficiently."
"This won't be easy nor fast. Raziel could be anywhere and in any time. I can't just walk--"
"Any time?" the Tomb Raider spat. "Is there anything else you have neglected to tell me?"
"My knowledge can get us into deep shit, we may end up the unknowing pawns in some madman's game."
"I don't like playing the pawn, I'd much rather have them," Bakura snorted.
"Yeah well in Nosgoth manipulation is a circle. You manipulate one person and they manipulate someone under them. The circle goes on until you're the one being manipulated into doing your manipulation. There is always someone who knows more than you do."
"I'll learn this stuff soon enough. Now go, lead the way to possible locations."
"I hope you're ready for a fight," the woman grumbled. "Because you're going to meet the vampires eventually."
"They will pose no threat to me. Soul-less beasts," the Spirit waved the notion off.
"Nosgothic vampires have souls."
"Well that only makes it easier to get rid of them."
"Not really, their souls are rooted far deeper than a human's. But don't kill them all, there's something going on and I think it's better to leave some around..."
"I'm not going to bother for detail. They cross me, they die."
"Fair enough," Sarah shrugged. "The closest place that comes to mind is the Sanctuary of the Clans, the meeting place of the six lieutenants of which Raziel is part; the days of the gatherings have long since passed though."
"Then why go there if no one would be around?" Bakura grunted.
"Because of what else is there. That and our very presence may draw attention."
"Whose, the soul eater?"
"No, but the next best person: Kain. We'd be best to get on his good side first. Not that Kain would listen to humans, but sneaking around won't put us in too good a light."
"I don't care how they view me, I just want the soul eater!"
"Be sure to tell that to Kain," Sarah said flatly.
The two walked in silence, the climb over rock walls was all that slowed their process to the ruined building. It looked out of place, the white stone contrasted with the browns of the earth. The insanely large doors had long ago rusted shut, not even Bakura's convincing kick would budge them. The next best thing was a gate at the far end. It failed to budge as well, but the ornate and decorative rigging did allow for one to squeeze through, providing they had time to spare on the awkward action.
"Quit pulling!" the woman sneered as the Spirit tugged violently on her arm.
"You're moving far too slow," he snapped in reply. She had trouble at the gate to get into the building as well.
"I'm stuck, ok? This hurts so damned much and your tugging isn't helping any!" she squeaked as he tried to once again tug her free from the gate.
"You women and your chests. Always wanting them larger and then when you get them bigger you complain about the back pain, tight spaces and everything under the sun," he growled as he released her.
"I didn't ask for this, I didn't have work done damnit. I'm natural and full figured, now leave me the hell alone," she spat as she managed to wiggle free. "One more damned gate to go," she growled.
"You go through first then, I can shove from behind."
"So very helpful." Sarah rolled her eyes as she dusted herself off.
"About as helpful as you've been. Nothing but fighting me all the way have you done."
"Because you seem to think I know more than I do!" she whirled around to face him. "For someone that's supposed to be in charge and calling the shots, you sure are leaning on me heavily."
"You are a living map, you understand? That's all." The Spirit narrowed his eyes and pushed ahead. "Now follow."
The second gate wasn't far from the first, the curving hall hid it from view and made it seem further than it was. The squeezing through the bars had gone much like the previous two times. Bakura had easily gone through while Sarah would struggle.
"I don't relish the idea of doing that to get out," the woman huffed as she straightened herself. The Spirit slid through behind her, almost gloating with how easily he had managed it. "The door isn't far from here," she said with a roll of her eyes.
"It won't budge," Bakura growled as he rammed it once again with his shoulder.
"Hey! Knock it off, you're going to hurt yourself," the woman snapped as she pulled him back.
"I didn't know you care," he jeered.
"I don't. That's Ryou's body you're mistreating and I don't like it."
He chuckled and shook his head. "So I was right, you do like him, don't you?" He had a look of disgust mixed with slight amusement.
The woman glared at him. "So you figured it out, good for you! Want a pat on the back?" she grunted.
"Fan girls, the single most annoying species on the planet." The Spirit curled his lip into a snarl.
"Want me to get clingy and talk baby talk? I'll show you annoying..."
"I just want this door opened," he snarled at it.
The woman sighed and grabbed a single handle, with a grunt she began pulling it towards the wall. Ever-so slightly the large carved stone door budged. The sound of grinding stone echoed throughout the rock walls.
"Show off," Bakura said flatly. "You knew all along and just let me push like a moron."
"Something like that," she replied out of breath as she tried to move the other door enough for the two to fit through. She ended up with her back pressed against one thick door while she tried to move both using leverage from her legs. The stone moved quickly and easily, the end result was the woman sitting on her backside cursing.
"And now I feel better about myself," Bakura chuckled as he stepped over her and into the expansive brick and stone room. "And the point of the ruined pillars in the center is...?" he asked when he realized they weren't structural supports.
"The Pillars of Nosgoth. They're tied spiritually and physically to the land. Their condition matches that of the land. This building hasn't been seen by human eyes in a long time..." Sarah replied in awe. The nine Pillars were all in various states of decay, broken and leaning with a dead greyish color to them.
"And yet the fires in the hall and here are burning. Interesting wouldn't you think?" Bakura mused.
"The vampires own this place as they do all of Nosgoth. This is the seat of Kain's empire," the woman pointed to the center most Pillar and the ornate throne around its base. She scuffed her boots across the ancient stone floor and took a full minute to study just the rune she stood on. Slowly her gaze began to drift around the room to the torn and faded color banners of the Clans, Bakura frowned as he watched her.
"Fear and awe in one, quite amusing if you ask me," the Spirit said after a long period of silence.
"Yeah well I have a higher understanding of this place than you do. I'm both thrilled and scared to death of the fact I'm here."
"And so far here has given me no reason to remain. Why did you wish to come here, woman?"
"She is searching. And I figured I would humor the both of you," a voice echoed through the domed room.
Sarah flinched and stood still as her eyes scanned the room, she listened carefully and tried to pinpoint the direction it came from.
"You can stop trying to find me, I will step out," a deep chuckled sounded as a figure emerged from a hallway on the rail-less balcony. Dressed simply, the vampire was adorned in leather pants, gauntlets and boot variations, he wore no shirt but instead had a red drape tossed over his right shoulder. Greenish yellow skin and muscles rippled as he walked to the edge and tilted his head to the side slightly, stark white hair drawn into a low ponytail shifted with the action. "I must say, you are an intriguing pair. Two different worlds in a third of alien origin. You know I do not approve of this," the vampire lord shot a glare at the woman, his horned eyebrows furrowed deeply. "And I cannot allow you to accomplish your goal. Raziel is far too important to my plans. And the fact that you even thought you would stand a chance is amusing. You are the saddest resistance I have ever seen." The vampire chuckled darkly as his form turned white and vanished, a slight hum sounded when did so. Another flash and hum drew attention to the throne. The vampire lord reappeared seated in the stone structure casually. "And you," he said as he pointed one of three thick fingers towards the Tomb Raider. "You are in control of something that does not rightfully belong to you. All I need do is weaken you and the both of you stand no chance of survival in this land."
"Your knowledge and understanding of our situation is quite impressive, Kain is it?" Bakura replied darkly. "However I am certain that you don't know everything there is to know." The Ring began to glow brightly as Bakura summoned forth a monster from the cards. He had a slight look of surprise on his face with the ease in which his summon had gone through. The giant demon of bone and muscle snarled down at the vampire lord. It flexed massive black wings and thrashed a heavily horned skull. Kain seemed un-phased, the vampire once again teleported to the balcony. He crouched down and clasp his clawed hands together, as he drew his fingers apart purple energy tendrils sparked and snaked to fill the void his parting hands had made. Bakura ordered the monster to perform a lightening strike on the Nosgothic resident. Before the monster's power could be charged, Kain let loose the power he had been building up. It wasn't aimed for the monster, instead his target had been Bakura. The white-haired spirit gave a yell of surprise as the purple mass slammed into him. He was knocked off his feet and sent skidding across the floor. His form slumped lifelessly against a support pillar as the monster he had summoned vanished, it's tie to the material realm having been severed.
"You failed inform him of my means of foresight, an unfortunate error," the vampire lord chuckled. "But yet, I have reason the believe you may have done it on purpose. You are a slippery one, woman. While you lack force I do not trust your mind. But you will slip eventually and I will learn to read you," Kain warned. "I want the both of you out of here, now." With that the vampire vanished.
As promised, here are some places to check out for info on the Legacy of Kain series. Since apparently ff.net doesn't like the use of slashes, I'm going to put a hyphen - in place. You'll have to change em to slashes on your own o@
nosgoth.net
lair.echidnoyle.org-lok
I'll also give official sites just cuz I can.
eidosinteractive.com-gss-legacy-original_soulreaver
eidosinteractive.com-gss-legacy-legacyofkain
If what you read here about Kain was interesting, trust me... those sites hold much more. It's a wonderfully detailed and dark story that puts a new spin on vampires.
