Disclaimer:- Don't own it.
'Take that, man behind the door. Take that, man under the bed, take that, whisperer, lewd whisperer in the bushes. And that, tormentor, and that, exploiter. Take that, bully man. See how it feels. See how it hurts. See how he screams...'
-Sally, Fortress by Gabrielle Lord
'Did you hear his cowardly screams when I tore that black heart from his carcass?'
-Sarafan Raziel, Soul reaver 2
It had been several days, now, since Raziel had escaped to seek vengeance on Kain only to be captured again, trapped in the restroom he had used in a previous life. Raziel had, of course, refused to drink the human blood the vampire vermin brought to him. He would not care much if he had to drink the blood of a vampire, but of course, that wasn't what he was going to get. They had tried to convince him otherwise, that they wanted to 'help' him, with his 'amnesia'. Raziel ignored them; he refused to be sucked in by the vampire's code words like 'help', and 'care'. They were just vampire's words of seduction, the parasites trying to convince him, to find ways to use him again for their own foul purposes. There was no way that he would let them twist him again for their own dark, evil ends.
Raziel had stopped raging inside his prison, getting tired of it. He wanted to go out to seek Kain for vengeance again, but the guard outside his room was doubled. When he stepped out the door, he now faced four or five vampires. And tough though he felt that he was, he knew he wasn't that strong. And a couple of them looked particularly large and muscular.
Another day had passed. Raziel, with little else to do, fell into another fitful sleep. He was getting thirstier by the hour, but he refused to pay any attention to the stupid urge. But the more he fought it, the more nightmares he had;
Dreaming, Raziel found himself in a large hall. Raziel recognized it. It was in the Sarafan stronghold, where the warrior priests spent the early night having dinner or eating breakfast in the morning. He spotted long table that was usually there, and went over to it. But instead of the good food that was usually there, there was a man, chained to the table, groaning. For good reason too, all over his body were deep cuts and scratches, making him bleed all over the table, all over the clothes, dripping blood everywhere. And he had the biggest urge to just lower his head and suck all of that blood up. He could imagine the man's neck, coated with plasma.
Raziel resisted, pulling himself, although reluctantly away, each step like a million pounds. But now the walls were bleeding, and blood began to well from the floor he stood on. Soon the hall was flooded with the red liquid. And he wanted it. He wanted to drink all of that gore....
Raziel woke up with a start. Gasping, (although he really didn't need to breath) he looked around the dark room he was in. The dream came rushing back into his mind.
All that gore. And he wanted it.
Raziel squeezed his eyes shut and tried to imagine something else.
What did he like to imagine?
Vampires. Nothing pleased him more than getting rid of the demon vermin. Deep down inside, though he refused to admit it, he was afraid of them. They had been growing in numbers, and Raziel began to live in the evil and danger that they represented, and thus began to live in the fear of them, seeing them not as a people, but through a warped spyglass, as monstors. He fought them as often as he could, mostly to conquer that fear, so that the hunted could become the hunter. And the more he conquered that fear, the more he loved it. He tried to remember his crusades, catching all of the vampires, putting their heads on stakes. Pulling out Janos' heart out, his brethren around him.
Except it wasn't Janos he was cutting up. It was that man he had first bitten. Raziel remembered the taste of his blood, and imagined it all welling from the hole in his chest. He could taste the blood now...
"NOOOO!" Raziel yelled, shaking his head clear of the vision. Okay, maybe that didn't work so well. His vampiric urge was getting the worst of him. And he really, really, needed a drink. But he was still worried about the first time he had drunk in such a manner. The rapturous feeling he got almost drove him from himself. For a few moments he had stopped being a Sarafan, and had become one of the blood sucking fiends he detested so much. Then, he was able to stop himself. But what would happen if he couldn't control himself next time? Raziel would stop being... himself. What would he be then? Probably the stupid creature he was before. The fear that would separate Raziel from becoming that vampire would almost disappear. But the Sarafan that he was would cease to exist.
"No." He moaned. He didn't want that to happen. But what could he do? He felt particularly helpless when another pang of thirst hit him. Clutching his empty stomach, his world spinning around him, Raziel eyed the door, almost wishing one of his keepers would burst in offering him a goblet of blood.
Okay, maybe trying to control that thirst of his wasn't such a great idea. But what could he do? He wanted to seek vengeance on that scum for turning him into one of them. Maybe he could direct his thirst, the thirst they forced on him, on them, fusing that thirst with his hatred.
And he was thirsty...
Then he found himself heading for the door, and opening it, before he caught himself. The two muscular vampires turned and spotted him.
"You shall not pass!" One hissed.
A smaller vampire walked up. "Lord Raziel!" He exclaimed. Raziel saw him, and smelt his blood. Vampire blood.
"You'll do fine!" Raziel grinned, and brought his claw up to strike. But the lack of sustenance had drained him, and there wasn't enough force to the blow, so the vampire wasn't too badly injured. Unfortunately, with the vampiric claws that he had, he didn't need much force to cause three shallow gashes along the vampire's chest. The smaller vampire backed away. Another pang of thirst hit him, and Raziel clutched at his stomach again. He eyed the blood leaking behind the vampire's claws, which were holding the scar that quickly healed the scratch he had caused.
"What's he doing?" The unwounded vampire asked him, anxiously. The healed vampire at his side seemed to realize what was up and rushed away, apparently getting something.
"BloooDDdd!" Raziel hissed. He lunged at the other smaller vampire, and bit straight into his neck.
Matt tried to push his leader away. "Raziel... Please stop!" He winced, his own blood being drained. Raziel didn't want to stop, however, and sucked the vampire's blood even more, until the stronger Turelim pulled Raziel away roughly, shoving him back into his room.
"BlooOOOOdd!" The group heard Raziel yell before the door was slammed before them by the Turelim.
Matt saw Kat coming up towards them. She spotted the bite marks on Matt's neck.
"It happened again, didn't it?" Kat said simply.
Matt growled. "What the hell is his problem!?"
"Uh.... He's thirsty?" Kat offered.
Matt shook his head. "Then why in the hell does he keep on turning down all that human blood we send him? Freakin' fussy..."
"Maybe he has 'cravings'." Kat joked.
Matt shook his head, again. "Yeah, right, a vampire, pregnant." He sneered. "Real funny."
Bob had come running back from wherever he went to. In his arms Matt saw what looked like some sort of farm animal.
"What's that? A pig?" Matt asked, scrunching up his nose.
"Yeah, a pig." Bob said, rolling his eyes. "I figured if he wouldn't drink human blood, we could at least keep him off our backs by giving him this."
"Ugh. I hate pig blood." Kat commented.
"It won't solve all our problems, just giving him that."
"I know. But it will keep Raziel... or whoever Raziel thinks he is... satisfied until he gets better." Bob shrugged, and moved towards Raziel's restroom.
"This is stupid!" Matt spat. "We are Razielhim. We do not bring prey continuously to a vampire. That is for slaves to do. Lord Raziel should go hunt for himself. We hunt in groups and share out kill about. But the way our master is acting, it's like he's an invalid."
"A ferocious invalid at that." Kat commented, gingerly touching the scars that were forming on Matt's neck. Looking him over, he looked pretty much drained, after what Raziel did to him.
"Oh, go fix yourself up. I'll take your shift." Kat said. The Razielhim left, thankful.
Bob had delivered the pig to Raziel, and hurriedly left. Someone else was to relieve him from his shift. The next order of business on his list, seeing as it was nearly daytime, was to wait for that delivery for that special stuff that he ordered. He leaned against the wall near the water coming up from the ground, a small part of Razielhim territory submerged, bordering Rahabim territory. Then, remembering how deadly water was to him; he backed away, just in case the company he was about to have decided to arrive with a splash.
His expectations were correct, when the two Rahabim appeared, spraying water all over the floor. The two carried several bottles, still wet, like the Rahabim, of what should be brandy.
"We got what you wanted." The rahabim Estrid said, placing the bottles on the floor in front of Bob, who smiled delightedly. He was surprised when a third rahabim walked up out of the water.
"We didn't just get brandy either. We got a few samples of wine, beer, gin... Which is what Sebek here is giving you."
"My, my, my." Bob smiled. "All of this, and I don't know how I can repay you."
"We've thought of that." Estrid smiled back. "If you want to do us a favor, there's a couple of turelim that we want captured. I think you've met morlock..."
"That git who's guarding our Lord Raziel right now? He, I've met him." Bob rolled his eyes.
"He's a stick in the mud. But a couple of his friends, the two that always stay with him, we want them. There's a little place on the opposite side of the drowned abbey that we've reserved just for them. See how they like it when they're stuck..." Estrid stopped himself.
"Anyway." Sebek continued. "We want you to get them there. And we don't want Kain or anyone else knowing about it."
"You kept my secret." Bob said, picking up some of the bottles and holding a large group of them in his arm, cautious of their wetness, Even better, was that the water chilled them, so for once Bob and his fellow Razielhim would get a chance to drink something cold for once. "I'll keep yours. Consider it done."
The rahabim, satisfied, dived back into the water, while Bob, looking over his trove of poisons, walked away, back to his territory to share them with his kin. Now, about those turelim...
At least Raziel was satiated this time. The vampires were considerate enough to feed him a pig. The blood wasn't as good as the human or vampire blood that he had tasted earlier, but it at least was something.
Okay, maybe he would have to hold off his vengeance for a while. He couldn't seem to get out of this prison. Even when he was strengthened by the blood he was fed. There didn't seem to be much of a chance of getting out.
He needed help, at least. But who would help him? Turel, Dumah, Malek, Zephon.... The Sarafan brotherhood. Usually he would turn to them for help. But they were probably all turned. No, this time Raziel was alone.... So very alone. Worse than alone; he was a vampire, too. Even his own body was against him.
But without help, there was no chance of escape. The only way Raziel could get out was for him to become the vampire he was before he woke up. But he wouldn't let that happen. He wasn't doing much here, though. The only other possible thing he could do would be to die.
Then again, last time he tried that, he wasn't so successful, and was revived, anyway. But maybe the next time he did it he would be more successful. Maybe if he used fire or water or something. He'd rather die. Rather die than face what he was...
He really didn't want to face his vampirism. He hated vampires. Feared them. It was worse now, as he was now afraid that he couldn't resist them for much longer. And though he really didn't want to admit it, he'd rather die than face that fear.
But fear was what he was feeling.
And though he could stop looking at those cloven hands, his pale skin. Avoid the face his mirror showed, and avoid feeling his fangs, Raziel could not avoid the fact that his thirst would come back. Whether he wanted to or not, he was going to have to face that fear. He didn't know how though. All he felt that he could do was anticipate that cause of fear again. Anticipate the thirst.
Anticipate that addictive lust, which was breaking down that wall of fear Raziel had put up, separating him from vampires, brick by brick.
Hmmmmm. A little more serious this time. I've addressed the probable reasons why Raziel hates vampires. Like Janos said, humans hate what they fear. Hence that quote at the beginning of the story. As for Raziel fears vampires, I gave that reason for, too. I might elaborate on that further in later chapters. In one perspective, it might be cruel to put someone in a situation that they would fear so much. But in another, it might be better to learn to face that fear. Or at least, in a less violent fashion. It shouldn't mean that what Sarafan Raziel did was right, of course. But it might explain his actions. Any comments or flames, please review!!
'Take that, man behind the door. Take that, man under the bed, take that, whisperer, lewd whisperer in the bushes. And that, tormentor, and that, exploiter. Take that, bully man. See how it feels. See how it hurts. See how he screams...'
-Sally, Fortress by Gabrielle Lord
'Did you hear his cowardly screams when I tore that black heart from his carcass?'
-Sarafan Raziel, Soul reaver 2
It had been several days, now, since Raziel had escaped to seek vengeance on Kain only to be captured again, trapped in the restroom he had used in a previous life. Raziel had, of course, refused to drink the human blood the vampire vermin brought to him. He would not care much if he had to drink the blood of a vampire, but of course, that wasn't what he was going to get. They had tried to convince him otherwise, that they wanted to 'help' him, with his 'amnesia'. Raziel ignored them; he refused to be sucked in by the vampire's code words like 'help', and 'care'. They were just vampire's words of seduction, the parasites trying to convince him, to find ways to use him again for their own foul purposes. There was no way that he would let them twist him again for their own dark, evil ends.
Raziel had stopped raging inside his prison, getting tired of it. He wanted to go out to seek Kain for vengeance again, but the guard outside his room was doubled. When he stepped out the door, he now faced four or five vampires. And tough though he felt that he was, he knew he wasn't that strong. And a couple of them looked particularly large and muscular.
Another day had passed. Raziel, with little else to do, fell into another fitful sleep. He was getting thirstier by the hour, but he refused to pay any attention to the stupid urge. But the more he fought it, the more nightmares he had;
Dreaming, Raziel found himself in a large hall. Raziel recognized it. It was in the Sarafan stronghold, where the warrior priests spent the early night having dinner or eating breakfast in the morning. He spotted long table that was usually there, and went over to it. But instead of the good food that was usually there, there was a man, chained to the table, groaning. For good reason too, all over his body were deep cuts and scratches, making him bleed all over the table, all over the clothes, dripping blood everywhere. And he had the biggest urge to just lower his head and suck all of that blood up. He could imagine the man's neck, coated with plasma.
Raziel resisted, pulling himself, although reluctantly away, each step like a million pounds. But now the walls were bleeding, and blood began to well from the floor he stood on. Soon the hall was flooded with the red liquid. And he wanted it. He wanted to drink all of that gore....
Raziel woke up with a start. Gasping, (although he really didn't need to breath) he looked around the dark room he was in. The dream came rushing back into his mind.
All that gore. And he wanted it.
Raziel squeezed his eyes shut and tried to imagine something else.
What did he like to imagine?
Vampires. Nothing pleased him more than getting rid of the demon vermin. Deep down inside, though he refused to admit it, he was afraid of them. They had been growing in numbers, and Raziel began to live in the evil and danger that they represented, and thus began to live in the fear of them, seeing them not as a people, but through a warped spyglass, as monstors. He fought them as often as he could, mostly to conquer that fear, so that the hunted could become the hunter. And the more he conquered that fear, the more he loved it. He tried to remember his crusades, catching all of the vampires, putting their heads on stakes. Pulling out Janos' heart out, his brethren around him.
Except it wasn't Janos he was cutting up. It was that man he had first bitten. Raziel remembered the taste of his blood, and imagined it all welling from the hole in his chest. He could taste the blood now...
"NOOOO!" Raziel yelled, shaking his head clear of the vision. Okay, maybe that didn't work so well. His vampiric urge was getting the worst of him. And he really, really, needed a drink. But he was still worried about the first time he had drunk in such a manner. The rapturous feeling he got almost drove him from himself. For a few moments he had stopped being a Sarafan, and had become one of the blood sucking fiends he detested so much. Then, he was able to stop himself. But what would happen if he couldn't control himself next time? Raziel would stop being... himself. What would he be then? Probably the stupid creature he was before. The fear that would separate Raziel from becoming that vampire would almost disappear. But the Sarafan that he was would cease to exist.
"No." He moaned. He didn't want that to happen. But what could he do? He felt particularly helpless when another pang of thirst hit him. Clutching his empty stomach, his world spinning around him, Raziel eyed the door, almost wishing one of his keepers would burst in offering him a goblet of blood.
Okay, maybe trying to control that thirst of his wasn't such a great idea. But what could he do? He wanted to seek vengeance on that scum for turning him into one of them. Maybe he could direct his thirst, the thirst they forced on him, on them, fusing that thirst with his hatred.
And he was thirsty...
Then he found himself heading for the door, and opening it, before he caught himself. The two muscular vampires turned and spotted him.
"You shall not pass!" One hissed.
A smaller vampire walked up. "Lord Raziel!" He exclaimed. Raziel saw him, and smelt his blood. Vampire blood.
"You'll do fine!" Raziel grinned, and brought his claw up to strike. But the lack of sustenance had drained him, and there wasn't enough force to the blow, so the vampire wasn't too badly injured. Unfortunately, with the vampiric claws that he had, he didn't need much force to cause three shallow gashes along the vampire's chest. The smaller vampire backed away. Another pang of thirst hit him, and Raziel clutched at his stomach again. He eyed the blood leaking behind the vampire's claws, which were holding the scar that quickly healed the scratch he had caused.
"What's he doing?" The unwounded vampire asked him, anxiously. The healed vampire at his side seemed to realize what was up and rushed away, apparently getting something.
"BloooDDdd!" Raziel hissed. He lunged at the other smaller vampire, and bit straight into his neck.
Matt tried to push his leader away. "Raziel... Please stop!" He winced, his own blood being drained. Raziel didn't want to stop, however, and sucked the vampire's blood even more, until the stronger Turelim pulled Raziel away roughly, shoving him back into his room.
"BlooOOOOdd!" The group heard Raziel yell before the door was slammed before them by the Turelim.
Matt saw Kat coming up towards them. She spotted the bite marks on Matt's neck.
"It happened again, didn't it?" Kat said simply.
Matt growled. "What the hell is his problem!?"
"Uh.... He's thirsty?" Kat offered.
Matt shook his head. "Then why in the hell does he keep on turning down all that human blood we send him? Freakin' fussy..."
"Maybe he has 'cravings'." Kat joked.
Matt shook his head, again. "Yeah, right, a vampire, pregnant." He sneered. "Real funny."
Bob had come running back from wherever he went to. In his arms Matt saw what looked like some sort of farm animal.
"What's that? A pig?" Matt asked, scrunching up his nose.
"Yeah, a pig." Bob said, rolling his eyes. "I figured if he wouldn't drink human blood, we could at least keep him off our backs by giving him this."
"Ugh. I hate pig blood." Kat commented.
"It won't solve all our problems, just giving him that."
"I know. But it will keep Raziel... or whoever Raziel thinks he is... satisfied until he gets better." Bob shrugged, and moved towards Raziel's restroom.
"This is stupid!" Matt spat. "We are Razielhim. We do not bring prey continuously to a vampire. That is for slaves to do. Lord Raziel should go hunt for himself. We hunt in groups and share out kill about. But the way our master is acting, it's like he's an invalid."
"A ferocious invalid at that." Kat commented, gingerly touching the scars that were forming on Matt's neck. Looking him over, he looked pretty much drained, after what Raziel did to him.
"Oh, go fix yourself up. I'll take your shift." Kat said. The Razielhim left, thankful.
Bob had delivered the pig to Raziel, and hurriedly left. Someone else was to relieve him from his shift. The next order of business on his list, seeing as it was nearly daytime, was to wait for that delivery for that special stuff that he ordered. He leaned against the wall near the water coming up from the ground, a small part of Razielhim territory submerged, bordering Rahabim territory. Then, remembering how deadly water was to him; he backed away, just in case the company he was about to have decided to arrive with a splash.
His expectations were correct, when the two Rahabim appeared, spraying water all over the floor. The two carried several bottles, still wet, like the Rahabim, of what should be brandy.
"We got what you wanted." The rahabim Estrid said, placing the bottles on the floor in front of Bob, who smiled delightedly. He was surprised when a third rahabim walked up out of the water.
"We didn't just get brandy either. We got a few samples of wine, beer, gin... Which is what Sebek here is giving you."
"My, my, my." Bob smiled. "All of this, and I don't know how I can repay you."
"We've thought of that." Estrid smiled back. "If you want to do us a favor, there's a couple of turelim that we want captured. I think you've met morlock..."
"That git who's guarding our Lord Raziel right now? He, I've met him." Bob rolled his eyes.
"He's a stick in the mud. But a couple of his friends, the two that always stay with him, we want them. There's a little place on the opposite side of the drowned abbey that we've reserved just for them. See how they like it when they're stuck..." Estrid stopped himself.
"Anyway." Sebek continued. "We want you to get them there. And we don't want Kain or anyone else knowing about it."
"You kept my secret." Bob said, picking up some of the bottles and holding a large group of them in his arm, cautious of their wetness, Even better, was that the water chilled them, so for once Bob and his fellow Razielhim would get a chance to drink something cold for once. "I'll keep yours. Consider it done."
The rahabim, satisfied, dived back into the water, while Bob, looking over his trove of poisons, walked away, back to his territory to share them with his kin. Now, about those turelim...
At least Raziel was satiated this time. The vampires were considerate enough to feed him a pig. The blood wasn't as good as the human or vampire blood that he had tasted earlier, but it at least was something.
Okay, maybe he would have to hold off his vengeance for a while. He couldn't seem to get out of this prison. Even when he was strengthened by the blood he was fed. There didn't seem to be much of a chance of getting out.
He needed help, at least. But who would help him? Turel, Dumah, Malek, Zephon.... The Sarafan brotherhood. Usually he would turn to them for help. But they were probably all turned. No, this time Raziel was alone.... So very alone. Worse than alone; he was a vampire, too. Even his own body was against him.
But without help, there was no chance of escape. The only way Raziel could get out was for him to become the vampire he was before he woke up. But he wouldn't let that happen. He wasn't doing much here, though. The only other possible thing he could do would be to die.
Then again, last time he tried that, he wasn't so successful, and was revived, anyway. But maybe the next time he did it he would be more successful. Maybe if he used fire or water or something. He'd rather die. Rather die than face what he was...
He really didn't want to face his vampirism. He hated vampires. Feared them. It was worse now, as he was now afraid that he couldn't resist them for much longer. And though he really didn't want to admit it, he'd rather die than face that fear.
But fear was what he was feeling.
And though he could stop looking at those cloven hands, his pale skin. Avoid the face his mirror showed, and avoid feeling his fangs, Raziel could not avoid the fact that his thirst would come back. Whether he wanted to or not, he was going to have to face that fear. He didn't know how though. All he felt that he could do was anticipate that cause of fear again. Anticipate the thirst.
Anticipate that addictive lust, which was breaking down that wall of fear Raziel had put up, separating him from vampires, brick by brick.
Hmmmmm. A little more serious this time. I've addressed the probable reasons why Raziel hates vampires. Like Janos said, humans hate what they fear. Hence that quote at the beginning of the story. As for Raziel fears vampires, I gave that reason for, too. I might elaborate on that further in later chapters. In one perspective, it might be cruel to put someone in a situation that they would fear so much. But in another, it might be better to learn to face that fear. Or at least, in a less violent fashion. It shouldn't mean that what Sarafan Raziel did was right, of course. But it might explain his actions. Any comments or flames, please review!!