A Place Where the Sun Doesn't Shine


Raziel stood at the edge of a watery grave of a city. He felt his son land with a great gust of wind. It blew his tattered wings and made ripples in the water below.

Raziel had grown accustom to the company that Rehael gave him from time to time. It had been a week since they first met. Even though Rehael was young and still too weak for proper fighting, his gift of wings truly did help. From his sight up there, Rehael could see nearly everything.

Any time Rehael began to ask to many question and became an annoyance Raziel would shift into the spectral realm to get away. That was the only place Rehael could not follow him. But in time Raziel had to return to continue his quest. And Rehael would always find him.

Rehael looked to his lord and spoke, "This is the Drowned Abby. Home of Lord Rahab and his kind. In the time of your.... your absence, Lord Rahab has gained immunity to the water here. His children swim in the waters below. They have bin known to spit a "substance" to stun their prey. This is all I know, my lord. The few that came here to feed almost never come back. I too have had my share of "moments" where my life hung in the balance. This place never set well in my mind."

Raziel looked back at his child. "Be glad you have the gift of flight. While you can fly over these acid waters," he unknowing praised Rehael, "I must deal with the rubbish within it. You may go. I shall call you when Rahab is dead." With that he leapt off the cliff, took hold of the remains of his wings, and glided to the nearest pillar.

"You know I will not leave you, my lord," called Rehael to his creator.

Raziel turned back and said, "If you stay, you will keep an eye out for my brother's kin."

Rehael nodded and then took to the air. Determined to protect his lord, Rehael followed Raziel's every move.

Raziel leapt and glided from pillar to pillar careful not to touch the burning waters. Soon he made his way around the submerged Abby. And onto a walkway, where upon landing he used the wrath blade to kill the amphibius vampire there.

Rehael tried to land, but the columns of the walkway were too close together. His grand wingspan that kept him aloft was never made to fit within the spaces given. He would need to find a perch somewhere else. He took to the Abby main building and set alight there. Rehael watched his master go through a door. This would now become a waiting game. He glazed into the waters below and observed his brother kin swimming there.

In the longtime there, Rehael took to cleaning himself. Flicking parasites from his dark matted fur. He took to wondering about his brothers back in the clan's land. He had left under bad circumstances, defying the old one. He was forbidden to leave the clan's land to search for the blue creature. In doing so he signed his own death warrant, never to return home. Until he met the master.

With the return of their lord, Rehael could have a homecoming unlike any other. He puffed himself up with the thoughts of praise that he would receive from the others. The son that defied the rules of the old one and took off one his own. The foolish son that took out on his own on a journey to his death. He would come home to his brothers, proud and better off. He would come home with their Lord Raziel.

Rehael had often been told that he was like their master; headstrong, willful, daring, and prone to taking great risks. They would have killed him for his life's blood long ago, if he wasn't so good at leading the hunters for food. Rehael was frequently sent to Drowned Abby or to the Dumeahin City to gather the life giving blood. The brother kin that lived there were large and full of blood, and very dangerous. Rehael thought that they wanted him dead. But no, Rehael was the only one willing to take the chances to bring the most food back for the weaker ones.

His clan would suffer now for his indiscretion . No longer would they have a complying fool to take the unwilling out for food. Rehael's shoulders dropped and his head drooped. He was a fool for leaving his people. They would soon be killed off by the Melchiahin or Zephonim clans. He and his lord will now be the last of their kind.

Rehael in his pity for his clan, gave no notice to the sound of his lord touching down upon the roof of the Abby. Raziel walked silently past his child, thinking that Rehael was sleeping. He stopped at the end of the roof to contemplate the jump to the bell tower. Just as he was about to spring Rehael's cry sent shockwaves of pain coursing through his head. The gust from Rehael's wings beats, as he took flight, nearly sent Raziel into the water below.

By the time Rehael had come back to land, Raziel's head had only a dull ache. He scowled at his child.

Rehael backed away, looking down as he did. "I didn't take notice of you when you came up," he spoke quietly. "Only when I did, I thought you were something else. You put the fear of Kain into me. And so I fled. I am sorry for the cowardice I have shone you, my lord. And for the hindrance I might have caused you."

Raziel shook his head and berated Rehael, "You should be keen when in enemy surroundings. If I was the enemy, I would be now feasting upon your carcass. Do not let this happen again!" Upon saying that he turned and jump to the bell tower.

"As my lord commands," Rehael muttered.

Raziel turned in circles to find a way in or down to where Rahab may be. The only things that could lead him on the right path were the bell and a spiral staircase. He put them together and rung the bell. The din of bell caused the stairwell to open up and let Raziel deep within the Abby. He headed down into the belly of the beast until water appeared. There was no going further in this world, he shifted.

Within the blue haze of the spectral realm Raziel could continue onward. Water meant nothing here, and thus was no longer a hindrance. He made his way further down until he came to a large set of open doors that lead into the main building of the Abby. He entered and climbed the pillars there to get to the swirling gate that would lead him back to the material world. And when he did Raziel found himself within he half submerged, darkened Abby. Listening to the sound of the being swimming in the waters.

The being was fish like, with webbed fore arms. It was green in color. And quite big, crested with fins and horns. It swam within the murky waters, circling the pillars which Raziel stood on. Without warning the creature lurched upward out of the water. It starred at Raziel with the red eyes of a fledgling. The grotesque face of the fish-vampire sneered at him. So this is what Rahab had become.

"Kain told me that you would come," spoke Rahab.

"So you have conversed with that bastard," Raziel taunted his brother. "What did he say of me, little brother?"

"He said that you would destroy me." Rahab circled the pillars to find a better place to attack from. "But I will never fall to some one as insignificant as you!" With that he lunged out of the water, biting at his brother.

Raziel leapt form his pillar onto another, to escape Rahab. He watched as Rahab slipped below the water, only to lie in wait until another opportunity to present itself. Raziel know that his brother would not fall easily. There was no was he could bring fire into the Abby. With Rahab's immunity to water and no weapons within sight. There was only one option left. Raziel had to break the stained glass windows.

Raziel stood with both clawed hands before him. A hum filled the air as a ball of time and space distorted within his hands. He aimed the ball at one of the windows and let it go. The glass shattered letting the sunlight come spilling forth into the darkened Abby. Raziel could hear his brother's cry of pain as the light hit him. He took aim at another window, shattering that one as well.

Rahab would not let his older brother win. Letting only his head and shoulder rise above the water, he searched for Raziel. Upon finding his brother, Rahab inhaled deeply then spat. The blue mass, that was quite like the Force Projectile, went flying.

Raziel took notice of the mass that headed he way. But he was not willing to give up the force ball in his hands to save himself. When the ball was ready he let it fly, only to be hit full force by Rahab spew. Raziel was knocked off the pillar that he stood on, Rahab was laughing in the background. In desperation he reached out with both of his clawed hands. He caught hold of the pillars edge. Raziel pulled himself back onto the pillar just as Rahab tried to bite at him again.

"You have grown nimble over the years away from us," Rahab taunted. "I could say that this is the most fun I've had in a long time."

After letting another force ball fly, Raziel countered with, "I was just about to say the same thing about you." All the while preparing another force ball. He let that one fly as well.

Soon Raziel had Rahab cornered. Only one window remained intact, and Raziel had targeted it. He let the force ball go. As it sailed effortlessly though the air, Rahab knew his demise was immanent. He would fight no longer. Raziel had won.

With the last window shattered, sunlight light the whole room. Raziel heard the agony of the burring that came from his younger brother's mouth. Rahab fought with the pain, tearing skin form his own muscles to stop the agony. But everything he tried was to no avail. Rahab's soul left his body floating belly up in the waters of the Abby that was once his home.

Raziel was lifted into the air once again to receive his brother's soul and gifts. Once the new soul entered his body, Raziel felt it course through his whole being. It found spots within him and filled the gaps, making him more complete then before.

But once again, that nagging feeling in that back of his mind came up. This was his brother, one of the five men he had so trusted so long ago. Sadness and guilt filled Raziel as he was dropped form the completion of Rahab's soul becoming one with him.

"Now with the soul of your brother, Rahab," the disembodied voice of the Elder God spoke within Raziel's mind. "Water will never harm you again. You may return to places you have once been and find a new paths to follow."

To Dumah, Raziel though to himself. With that he dove into the waters below, waiting to be greeted with the blue haze of the spectral realm. To his surprise, Raziel felt the cold waters touch his skin. He jerked with the mental anguish of the nonexisting pain. A moment or so pasted before Raziel truly understood that he was submerged and in no pain. With a kick of both is legs, Raziel propelled himself forward. He swam like the aquatic mammals that had once live in Nosgoth's oceans. Raziel made his way to the stairwell and then up to where Rehael waited for him.

Rehael watched his lord emerge from the bell tower's stairwell. He was a little worse for wear, but still alive. Rehael smiled inwardly, his master was alive.

Raziel jumped to his child. "Now to Dumah's," he said as he walked across the Abby's roof. "He too shall suffer my wrath!"

"To get to Lord Dumah's city we must go through the last human outpost." Rehael unknowingly licked his lips at the thought of human blood.

"Then we go there," Raziel said as he stalked off.