Chapter Forty-Three
Raziel watched Turel's shadowed form as he moved atop the ledge over the doorway. Raziel backed up a few steps, defensively raising the Soul Reaver, preparing for conflict. In one quick movement, Turel leapt from his perch and landed with a thud in front of his older brother. Raziel took in the sight of the devolved vampire lieutenant.
Like the other lieutenants, Turel's evolution turned for the worse. He no longer resembled the vampire that had helped toss Raziel into the abyss. Like most of his brothers, Turel's stature had also grown in size. Though hunched over from his twisted spine, he still stood about as tall as Dumah had. The vertebrae of his spine had twisted and contorted, growing into spikes that forced their way through the skin in his back.
Turel's musculature had grown as well. His torso bulged with strength. His upper arms shared this feature, but the size of his arms tapered off towards his wrists. His claws were long and thin, but had a deadly sharpness to them. His legs were thick with muscle as well. His feet had elongated. He walked on his toes and the balls of his feet, no longer depending on his heels for support.
Turel's ears had grown and elongated, even longer than that of his offspring. His ears seemed to droop and wobble whenever he moved his head. He had grown somewhat of a snout over the centuries, his nose and mouth protruded a bit from the rest of his face. When Turel grinned, he sported a mouthful of sharp, pointed teeth. The lieutenant's eyes were ever watchful and penetrating, despite their beady appearance.
Behind Turel, Raziel caught sight of something moving. He studied it, realizing that his brother had grown a long, leathery tail. So heavy, Turel could not lift the appendage, but rather, it served the purpose of extra balance.
Raziel smirked at Turel's 'divine' changes. "Melchiah becomes a fleshless zombie, Zephon an immobile insect, Rahab a serpent in a fishbowl, and Dumah a foolish lapdog. But you Turel, I believe your changes best suit you; a deceitful rat!"
This obviously struck a cord with the lieutenant. Catching Raziel off guard, Turel backhanded the vampire wraith with his left hand, sending Raziel crashing into a nearby wall. The fallen warrior quickly rose to his feet. Turel took his time, or at least seemed to. Raziel watched his brother slowly approach him, crawling on four limbs, and realized the vampire had forfeited speed for whatever dark gift he had obtained.
Using this newfound knowledge to his advantage, Raziel hefted the Soul Reaver and leapt at Turel. The smaller combatant believed he would be quick enough to circle his larger foe and attack from behind. He was mistaken. Turel lifted his right arm, and a dull blue energy surrounded it. Raziel found himself frozen in place. He could not move!
Suddenly, Raziel found himself lifted into the air and thrown again back into the wall. This time, the reaver of souls did not find himself rising to his feet as quickly. When he did finally get up, he took notice of Turel's next attack. The beast held his mouth agape, a faint glow emanating from his gullet. Raziel recognized this attack. Turel's offspring had annoyed him with this inherited trait. But thanks to Turel's strongest general, Raziel had absorbed this power as he devoured the vampire's soul.
Turel released the blast of compressed air. Raziel braced himself for the impact. He knew it wouldn't be pleasant, but the damage wouldn't be sufficient either. Again, he was wrong. The blast from Turel was several times stronger than any of his children had been able to create. The lieutenant had put his own energy into the attack for added damage.
As the projectile crashed into Raziel's body, he was smashed into the wall. The projectile burned and tore at Raziel's fragile tissue; pealing what little muscle he had from the bone. The attack subsided. Raziel regained his posture. He looked down to his arm and abdomen to assess the damage. His jerky-like tough muscles had been torn from his bones. Though he was certain the damage could be repaired, the danger Turel posed was far clearer now.
Unable to get close to his brother, Raziel opted to fight fire with fire. He pointed the Soul Reaver at him, and concentrated a projectile of his own. Turel snickered. Raziel released the blast, but as it neared its target, the vampire slapped it away like it was a pesky mosquito. Turel began to slowly advance on his prey.
The vampire wraith realized he needed a little more power behind his attacks. Concentrating on the wraith form of his blade, Raziel summoned the fire element. The wraith blade, pulsing around the physical blade, burst into flame. Again, Raziel fired a projectile at his enemy. The blast connected with Turel's chest. He paused momentarily, but otherwise, seemed unfazed. He continued his approach.
"I have spent centuries in the fiery hells of Dark Eden. My skin no longer burns by flame's touch."
"But is your skin immune to water?"
The wraith blade switched elemental properties to water. Raziel fired a third shot. The watery projectile collided with Turel's shoulder. The water burned his flesh with a hiss. Turel grimaced in pain, but continued onward. Raziel continued the assault, firing blasts that connected with his arms, legs and torso. But the vampire was not deterred.
As Turel neared his victim, Raziel watched the injuries he delivered heal themselves. It was as if Turel had never been injured. Turel swung his razor sharp talons at Raziel. The vampire wraith leapt over the attack, but was caught in midair by the vampire's telekinesis. Raziel was thrown again into a rocky wall. He staggered to his feet.
Turel continued his slow approach to Raziel. The latter watched the first draw near, trying to think of a way to thwart his enemy. As Turel crawled along, Raziel noticed a grouping of rocks and boulders barely balancing on a ledge above Turel. With the wraith blade changing over to earth, Raziel fired a blast.
Turel laughed evilly. "Do you not realize that you cannot best me at my own gift? I told you, Raziel. You will not be able to destroy me like you did our brothers!"
"Don't count on that," Raziel replied as his blast struck the boulder that had been supporting the mass of rock and stone above Turel.
The lieutenant realized too late what Raziel's intentions had been. The mass of rocks and boulders came crashing down towards Turel. The vampire attempted to divert the avalanche's direction using his telekinesis, but was unable to move every boulder out of the way.
Knowing this attack would not end Turel's life; Raziel instead used it as a distraction. While Turel was busy trying to redirect the boulders' paths, Raziel charged the beast. Soul Reaver drawn back, the reaver of souls thrust it forward into Turel's torso. The lieutenant released a screech of pain, clutching at the wound, no longer paying any head to the rocks and stone that pelted him.
From inside Turel's body, the power of the Soul Reaver tore him apart. The energy of the twin blades seeped up through Turel's flesh. The power reached the surface, appearing like cracks in the surface of a stone. Suddenly, the confines of Turel's flesh could bear no more. His body exploded, sending chunks of flesh in several directions. However, the bits of flesh burned and dissolved before ever reaching the ground.
From the ashes of Turel's body, rose the fragments of his soul. The entity combining, Raziel drew the spirit of his last brother into his body. The new power given to him by the lieutenant momentarily overwhelmed and disorientated him, but he quickly recovered.
Turel's offspring had taken no notice of the battle. Instead they continued slaving away during the entire altercation. Now with Turel dead, it seemed they had been free from some form of mind control. One by one they halted their labor, trying to get their bearings straight.
"He has killed our father!" an elite Turelim shouted, having noticed his master's absence.
Though the vampires had been manipulated by mind control, they were still fiercely loyal to their creator. Dozens of vampires charged after Raziel. Using his new abilities, Raziel concentrated a telekinetic barrier around him. The Turelim were unable to penetrate the barrier, even with their own telekinetic blasts.
Raziel focused his power, suddenly expanding the barrier around him. The vampires were sent flying backwards. Many of them found themselves hurtled into the depths of the molten lava pits below, burning to their deaths. Those that did not suffer the same fate reconsidered their assault. Instead, they opted to flee, ensuring that they would live to see another night.
Watching the Turelim leave, Raziel was satisfied with his efforts. He released his energy and the telekinetic barrier faded. Using the power of the earth element, he blasted at the far wall, which contained the silent interdimensional portal. The projectiles caused boulders to crash down in front of the gateway, concealing it once again.
With Turel dead, and the threat of reopening the portal diminished, only one more obstacle was left. Though having recently allied himself with his executioner, the truce was only destined to be short lived. Raziel still had matters of his revenge on Kain to complete. After he had successfully wrought his vengeance upon his sire, he would return to the past and save Jenise from her own death.
Raziel turned to leave. However, he was halted in his tracks. The twin blades of the Soul Reaver pulled on his arm, defiant of Raziel's will. The vampire wraith's eyes widened in fear.
"No! Not now!" he yelled as the blades turned on him once again.
The blade impaled itself through Raziel's torso. The former vampire struggled against his fate, fighting against the power of the blades. A pulsing distortion filled the area as the blades drew from Raziel's life force. From the shadows, Kain emerged to witness the event.
"How...convenient! You come...after I've done...all the...dirty work! To see...me like this...once...again!" Raziel sneered at the master vampire.
"Despite what you might think, I don't enjoy seeing you like this Raziel. My only purpose for being here is to return the Soul Reaver to its proper time frame. That is all."
"How...comforting..."
"Raziel, this is your fate. It has always been your fate. There is nothing you or I could do to change that. Just accept it Raziel, and it shall be less painful."
"I shall never...accept this...travestry...as my fate!"
"Then experience your last moments of existence in complete and utter pain," Kain replied somewhat sadly as he turned away.
Despite Kain's warnings, Raziel still refused to accept his fate. He fought with all his might against the power of the Soul Reaver. The harder he fought, the more of his energy he felt drained from his body. He began to feel dizzy and disorientated, as he grew weaker. The Soul Reaver was winning.
Raziel could feel his physical manifestation breaking apart as the Soul Reaver absorbed him. His physical body slowly dissolved away, revealing Raziel's true spiritual presence. The reaver of souls did not pass into the spectral world with the disintegration of his material body. His soul remained trapped in the material realm as the blades consumed him.
With his physical body gone, Raziel grew weaker exponentially. The blades drew him in even quicker. The aura of the wraith blade grew brighter around its physical twin as Raziel's final moments drew near. Kain dared not to watch. A flash of bright light filled the air and the paradoxical distortion ceased. The sound of metal crashing onto stone filled the air.
Kain turned back around. The Soul Reaver was all that remained, lying still on the ground. The vampire approached the blade, and hesitantly picked it up.
"I'm sorry it had to be this way, Raziel," he spoke to the blade.
"Not as sorry as you'll be when I finally destroy you!" a hissing voice echoed through the air.
Kain looked in all directions, trying to locate the strange voice. He turned behind him, noticing a faint glow fill the air in front of him. The glow took shape and Kain filled with fear.
"Raziel!" he whispered in disbelief.
Manifesting from the spectral realm, the reaver of souls returned. But he was different. He still possessed his decayed appearances; no flesh or organs, bony structure, stretched muscle. However, he no longer held a humanoid form. His appendages had stretched, walking on all fours.
Raziel's face had elongated, his lower jaw mysteriously returned. His wings held structure, the bones having healed somehow. The recovered appendages slowly fanned themselves out. A tail of bones stretched from the base of his spine.
"Raziel, what has happened to you?"
"I have changed Kain. All because of you! Locked in that blade for centuries, I have evolved as I should have as a vampire!"
"But how did you escape?"
Raziel sniggered. "Of course...you weren't watching when it happened... As you know, the Soul Reaver was destroyed when you brought it down upon me. I was freed from one prison, and trapped in another form of torment...attached to the arm of my past self! It seems no matter what becomes of me, I am still a pawn to someone, even my own self...
"But I've grown stronger. As my past self used me for his own benefit, I slowly began taking control, consuming the souls he wished to devour, absorbing the elemental powers of Nosgoth. Once I gained enough power, I would trap him within the Soul Reaver.
"Being attached to him, I pulled us both into the physical blade. But unlike me, he had not the strength to escape. Once inside the blade, I detached myself from my host and escaped. You see, the same entity cannot occupy the same space at the same time."
"Then it is you who have caused your own suffering! Trapping your own self within the blade! All you had to do was NOT proceed with that one act, and your suffering would have been over!"
"No. My suffering only would have rewritten itself. This...my imprisonment...was the only way I'd get a chance to finally kill you!"
Raziel swung a large, talon-filled fist down upon Kain. The master vampire leapt out of the way. The impact from Raziel's fist pounding the ground caused the area to shake violently. Kain was unable to keep his balance. Raziel backhanded the vampire, who was sent flying into the opposite wall. He fell down to the ground.
Raziel approached Kain with a maddening gleam in his eye. Sitting on his haunches, he carefully picked up his sire with both hands. The demonic entity wrapped his large hands around Kain, certain to pin the vampire's arms to his sides. Raziel lifted the vampire up to his eyelevel.
Kain, helpless to do anything, stared at Raziel with immense fear. He had not foreseen this event in the Oracle's caves. Raziel grinned eagerly at the morsel in his clutches. Kain felt himself growing weak, realizing that his former first-born was slowly sucking the life force from his body.
Just as Kain thought he was about to lose himself to unconsciousness, Raziel suddenly ceased his feeding. He growled in anger, momentarily forgetting Kain and dropping the vampire on the ground. Raziel turned around, to find the culprit who dared interrupt his meal.
Before him was three figures. One of which was focusing his energy upon Raziel, causing the demon great pain. Raziel attempted to approach the trio, but found when he did so, his pain intensified.
"Beast! You do not belong in this world! The dead are to remain dead!" the man in the center yelled, increasing his power to contain Raziel.
Raziel writhed in pain as the sorcerer's power increased, stabbing at him like a thousand daggers. The demon's physical manifestation began to stagger in and out of existence, as he grew weaker and weaker.
"Now! Now's the time!" the woman of the trio called out. "Open the portal!"
The third member of the group focused his energy, forming a vortex of energy behind Raziel. The first, increased his power to its maximum, and forced Raziel back into the portal. The demon screamed in anger as the portal sealed itself shut.
"May his soul rest peacefully in the afterlife."
Kain slowly rose to his feet, still very weak from his near death experience. The trio approached him, and Kain instantly recognized them.
"Taliba. Drogo...and Nobu. What brings you three to this depressing era?"
"We came as soon as I had the vision..." Taliba vaguely replied.
"How touching...you came to save me," Kain joked with a toothy grin.
"Not I," replied Drogo. "As I said before, 'the dead ARE to remain dead.' I would have done the same to you as I did him, but Taliba insists there are still important matters destined for you, and for you alone."
"Enlighten me."
"Let us find some place a little less...unsettling...before we begin," Nobu requested, eyeing the fallen boulders over the inactive Hylden gateway.
"Agreed. I shall take us to the caves of the Oracle. They are probably the most comforting place in this era," replied Kain. Just as Kain prepared his teleportation spell, Taliba began reciting her prophecy.
"Remember this one truth, Kain. Eventually, History will repeat itself..."
Raziel watched Turel's shadowed form as he moved atop the ledge over the doorway. Raziel backed up a few steps, defensively raising the Soul Reaver, preparing for conflict. In one quick movement, Turel leapt from his perch and landed with a thud in front of his older brother. Raziel took in the sight of the devolved vampire lieutenant.
Like the other lieutenants, Turel's evolution turned for the worse. He no longer resembled the vampire that had helped toss Raziel into the abyss. Like most of his brothers, Turel's stature had also grown in size. Though hunched over from his twisted spine, he still stood about as tall as Dumah had. The vertebrae of his spine had twisted and contorted, growing into spikes that forced their way through the skin in his back.
Turel's musculature had grown as well. His torso bulged with strength. His upper arms shared this feature, but the size of his arms tapered off towards his wrists. His claws were long and thin, but had a deadly sharpness to them. His legs were thick with muscle as well. His feet had elongated. He walked on his toes and the balls of his feet, no longer depending on his heels for support.
Turel's ears had grown and elongated, even longer than that of his offspring. His ears seemed to droop and wobble whenever he moved his head. He had grown somewhat of a snout over the centuries, his nose and mouth protruded a bit from the rest of his face. When Turel grinned, he sported a mouthful of sharp, pointed teeth. The lieutenant's eyes were ever watchful and penetrating, despite their beady appearance.
Behind Turel, Raziel caught sight of something moving. He studied it, realizing that his brother had grown a long, leathery tail. So heavy, Turel could not lift the appendage, but rather, it served the purpose of extra balance.
Raziel smirked at Turel's 'divine' changes. "Melchiah becomes a fleshless zombie, Zephon an immobile insect, Rahab a serpent in a fishbowl, and Dumah a foolish lapdog. But you Turel, I believe your changes best suit you; a deceitful rat!"
This obviously struck a cord with the lieutenant. Catching Raziel off guard, Turel backhanded the vampire wraith with his left hand, sending Raziel crashing into a nearby wall. The fallen warrior quickly rose to his feet. Turel took his time, or at least seemed to. Raziel watched his brother slowly approach him, crawling on four limbs, and realized the vampire had forfeited speed for whatever dark gift he had obtained.
Using this newfound knowledge to his advantage, Raziel hefted the Soul Reaver and leapt at Turel. The smaller combatant believed he would be quick enough to circle his larger foe and attack from behind. He was mistaken. Turel lifted his right arm, and a dull blue energy surrounded it. Raziel found himself frozen in place. He could not move!
Suddenly, Raziel found himself lifted into the air and thrown again back into the wall. This time, the reaver of souls did not find himself rising to his feet as quickly. When he did finally get up, he took notice of Turel's next attack. The beast held his mouth agape, a faint glow emanating from his gullet. Raziel recognized this attack. Turel's offspring had annoyed him with this inherited trait. But thanks to Turel's strongest general, Raziel had absorbed this power as he devoured the vampire's soul.
Turel released the blast of compressed air. Raziel braced himself for the impact. He knew it wouldn't be pleasant, but the damage wouldn't be sufficient either. Again, he was wrong. The blast from Turel was several times stronger than any of his children had been able to create. The lieutenant had put his own energy into the attack for added damage.
As the projectile crashed into Raziel's body, he was smashed into the wall. The projectile burned and tore at Raziel's fragile tissue; pealing what little muscle he had from the bone. The attack subsided. Raziel regained his posture. He looked down to his arm and abdomen to assess the damage. His jerky-like tough muscles had been torn from his bones. Though he was certain the damage could be repaired, the danger Turel posed was far clearer now.
Unable to get close to his brother, Raziel opted to fight fire with fire. He pointed the Soul Reaver at him, and concentrated a projectile of his own. Turel snickered. Raziel released the blast, but as it neared its target, the vampire slapped it away like it was a pesky mosquito. Turel began to slowly advance on his prey.
The vampire wraith realized he needed a little more power behind his attacks. Concentrating on the wraith form of his blade, Raziel summoned the fire element. The wraith blade, pulsing around the physical blade, burst into flame. Again, Raziel fired a projectile at his enemy. The blast connected with Turel's chest. He paused momentarily, but otherwise, seemed unfazed. He continued his approach.
"I have spent centuries in the fiery hells of Dark Eden. My skin no longer burns by flame's touch."
"But is your skin immune to water?"
The wraith blade switched elemental properties to water. Raziel fired a third shot. The watery projectile collided with Turel's shoulder. The water burned his flesh with a hiss. Turel grimaced in pain, but continued onward. Raziel continued the assault, firing blasts that connected with his arms, legs and torso. But the vampire was not deterred.
As Turel neared his victim, Raziel watched the injuries he delivered heal themselves. It was as if Turel had never been injured. Turel swung his razor sharp talons at Raziel. The vampire wraith leapt over the attack, but was caught in midair by the vampire's telekinesis. Raziel was thrown again into a rocky wall. He staggered to his feet.
Turel continued his slow approach to Raziel. The latter watched the first draw near, trying to think of a way to thwart his enemy. As Turel crawled along, Raziel noticed a grouping of rocks and boulders barely balancing on a ledge above Turel. With the wraith blade changing over to earth, Raziel fired a blast.
Turel laughed evilly. "Do you not realize that you cannot best me at my own gift? I told you, Raziel. You will not be able to destroy me like you did our brothers!"
"Don't count on that," Raziel replied as his blast struck the boulder that had been supporting the mass of rock and stone above Turel.
The lieutenant realized too late what Raziel's intentions had been. The mass of rocks and boulders came crashing down towards Turel. The vampire attempted to divert the avalanche's direction using his telekinesis, but was unable to move every boulder out of the way.
Knowing this attack would not end Turel's life; Raziel instead used it as a distraction. While Turel was busy trying to redirect the boulders' paths, Raziel charged the beast. Soul Reaver drawn back, the reaver of souls thrust it forward into Turel's torso. The lieutenant released a screech of pain, clutching at the wound, no longer paying any head to the rocks and stone that pelted him.
From inside Turel's body, the power of the Soul Reaver tore him apart. The energy of the twin blades seeped up through Turel's flesh. The power reached the surface, appearing like cracks in the surface of a stone. Suddenly, the confines of Turel's flesh could bear no more. His body exploded, sending chunks of flesh in several directions. However, the bits of flesh burned and dissolved before ever reaching the ground.
From the ashes of Turel's body, rose the fragments of his soul. The entity combining, Raziel drew the spirit of his last brother into his body. The new power given to him by the lieutenant momentarily overwhelmed and disorientated him, but he quickly recovered.
Turel's offspring had taken no notice of the battle. Instead they continued slaving away during the entire altercation. Now with Turel dead, it seemed they had been free from some form of mind control. One by one they halted their labor, trying to get their bearings straight.
"He has killed our father!" an elite Turelim shouted, having noticed his master's absence.
Though the vampires had been manipulated by mind control, they were still fiercely loyal to their creator. Dozens of vampires charged after Raziel. Using his new abilities, Raziel concentrated a telekinetic barrier around him. The Turelim were unable to penetrate the barrier, even with their own telekinetic blasts.
Raziel focused his power, suddenly expanding the barrier around him. The vampires were sent flying backwards. Many of them found themselves hurtled into the depths of the molten lava pits below, burning to their deaths. Those that did not suffer the same fate reconsidered their assault. Instead, they opted to flee, ensuring that they would live to see another night.
Watching the Turelim leave, Raziel was satisfied with his efforts. He released his energy and the telekinetic barrier faded. Using the power of the earth element, he blasted at the far wall, which contained the silent interdimensional portal. The projectiles caused boulders to crash down in front of the gateway, concealing it once again.
With Turel dead, and the threat of reopening the portal diminished, only one more obstacle was left. Though having recently allied himself with his executioner, the truce was only destined to be short lived. Raziel still had matters of his revenge on Kain to complete. After he had successfully wrought his vengeance upon his sire, he would return to the past and save Jenise from her own death.
Raziel turned to leave. However, he was halted in his tracks. The twin blades of the Soul Reaver pulled on his arm, defiant of Raziel's will. The vampire wraith's eyes widened in fear.
"No! Not now!" he yelled as the blades turned on him once again.
The blade impaled itself through Raziel's torso. The former vampire struggled against his fate, fighting against the power of the blades. A pulsing distortion filled the area as the blades drew from Raziel's life force. From the shadows, Kain emerged to witness the event.
"How...convenient! You come...after I've done...all the...dirty work! To see...me like this...once...again!" Raziel sneered at the master vampire.
"Despite what you might think, I don't enjoy seeing you like this Raziel. My only purpose for being here is to return the Soul Reaver to its proper time frame. That is all."
"How...comforting..."
"Raziel, this is your fate. It has always been your fate. There is nothing you or I could do to change that. Just accept it Raziel, and it shall be less painful."
"I shall never...accept this...travestry...as my fate!"
"Then experience your last moments of existence in complete and utter pain," Kain replied somewhat sadly as he turned away.
Despite Kain's warnings, Raziel still refused to accept his fate. He fought with all his might against the power of the Soul Reaver. The harder he fought, the more of his energy he felt drained from his body. He began to feel dizzy and disorientated, as he grew weaker. The Soul Reaver was winning.
Raziel could feel his physical manifestation breaking apart as the Soul Reaver absorbed him. His physical body slowly dissolved away, revealing Raziel's true spiritual presence. The reaver of souls did not pass into the spectral world with the disintegration of his material body. His soul remained trapped in the material realm as the blades consumed him.
With his physical body gone, Raziel grew weaker exponentially. The blades drew him in even quicker. The aura of the wraith blade grew brighter around its physical twin as Raziel's final moments drew near. Kain dared not to watch. A flash of bright light filled the air and the paradoxical distortion ceased. The sound of metal crashing onto stone filled the air.
Kain turned back around. The Soul Reaver was all that remained, lying still on the ground. The vampire approached the blade, and hesitantly picked it up.
"I'm sorry it had to be this way, Raziel," he spoke to the blade.
"Not as sorry as you'll be when I finally destroy you!" a hissing voice echoed through the air.
Kain looked in all directions, trying to locate the strange voice. He turned behind him, noticing a faint glow fill the air in front of him. The glow took shape and Kain filled with fear.
"Raziel!" he whispered in disbelief.
Manifesting from the spectral realm, the reaver of souls returned. But he was different. He still possessed his decayed appearances; no flesh or organs, bony structure, stretched muscle. However, he no longer held a humanoid form. His appendages had stretched, walking on all fours.
Raziel's face had elongated, his lower jaw mysteriously returned. His wings held structure, the bones having healed somehow. The recovered appendages slowly fanned themselves out. A tail of bones stretched from the base of his spine.
"Raziel, what has happened to you?"
"I have changed Kain. All because of you! Locked in that blade for centuries, I have evolved as I should have as a vampire!"
"But how did you escape?"
Raziel sniggered. "Of course...you weren't watching when it happened... As you know, the Soul Reaver was destroyed when you brought it down upon me. I was freed from one prison, and trapped in another form of torment...attached to the arm of my past self! It seems no matter what becomes of me, I am still a pawn to someone, even my own self...
"But I've grown stronger. As my past self used me for his own benefit, I slowly began taking control, consuming the souls he wished to devour, absorbing the elemental powers of Nosgoth. Once I gained enough power, I would trap him within the Soul Reaver.
"Being attached to him, I pulled us both into the physical blade. But unlike me, he had not the strength to escape. Once inside the blade, I detached myself from my host and escaped. You see, the same entity cannot occupy the same space at the same time."
"Then it is you who have caused your own suffering! Trapping your own self within the blade! All you had to do was NOT proceed with that one act, and your suffering would have been over!"
"No. My suffering only would have rewritten itself. This...my imprisonment...was the only way I'd get a chance to finally kill you!"
Raziel swung a large, talon-filled fist down upon Kain. The master vampire leapt out of the way. The impact from Raziel's fist pounding the ground caused the area to shake violently. Kain was unable to keep his balance. Raziel backhanded the vampire, who was sent flying into the opposite wall. He fell down to the ground.
Raziel approached Kain with a maddening gleam in his eye. Sitting on his haunches, he carefully picked up his sire with both hands. The demonic entity wrapped his large hands around Kain, certain to pin the vampire's arms to his sides. Raziel lifted the vampire up to his eyelevel.
Kain, helpless to do anything, stared at Raziel with immense fear. He had not foreseen this event in the Oracle's caves. Raziel grinned eagerly at the morsel in his clutches. Kain felt himself growing weak, realizing that his former first-born was slowly sucking the life force from his body.
Just as Kain thought he was about to lose himself to unconsciousness, Raziel suddenly ceased his feeding. He growled in anger, momentarily forgetting Kain and dropping the vampire on the ground. Raziel turned around, to find the culprit who dared interrupt his meal.
Before him was three figures. One of which was focusing his energy upon Raziel, causing the demon great pain. Raziel attempted to approach the trio, but found when he did so, his pain intensified.
"Beast! You do not belong in this world! The dead are to remain dead!" the man in the center yelled, increasing his power to contain Raziel.
Raziel writhed in pain as the sorcerer's power increased, stabbing at him like a thousand daggers. The demon's physical manifestation began to stagger in and out of existence, as he grew weaker and weaker.
"Now! Now's the time!" the woman of the trio called out. "Open the portal!"
The third member of the group focused his energy, forming a vortex of energy behind Raziel. The first, increased his power to its maximum, and forced Raziel back into the portal. The demon screamed in anger as the portal sealed itself shut.
"May his soul rest peacefully in the afterlife."
Kain slowly rose to his feet, still very weak from his near death experience. The trio approached him, and Kain instantly recognized them.
"Taliba. Drogo...and Nobu. What brings you three to this depressing era?"
"We came as soon as I had the vision..." Taliba vaguely replied.
"How touching...you came to save me," Kain joked with a toothy grin.
"Not I," replied Drogo. "As I said before, 'the dead ARE to remain dead.' I would have done the same to you as I did him, but Taliba insists there are still important matters destined for you, and for you alone."
"Enlighten me."
"Let us find some place a little less...unsettling...before we begin," Nobu requested, eyeing the fallen boulders over the inactive Hylden gateway.
"Agreed. I shall take us to the caves of the Oracle. They are probably the most comforting place in this era," replied Kain. Just as Kain prepared his teleportation spell, Taliba began reciting her prophecy.
"Remember this one truth, Kain. Eventually, History will repeat itself..."