XIII KAIN
He reached the top of the wall and looked around for a moment, mesmerised by the view. On one side, the lands of Nosgoth stretched far away; he could see the southern swamps, bathed in moonlight and a heavy fog. On the other side, the mad swirl of the gathering, continuously moving, swarming around the empty centre, the cacophony of voices ringing up into the sky. It occured to Raziel that Kain might well have been up here all evening, watching unnoticed. Kain stood a few paces away, staring down at his offspring with a look of distaste.
"Look at them, Raziel." He kept his eyes on the crowd, his voice sounded weary. "Have a look at your work. It was you that brought them here, your careful coaxing and wheedling. Look!" Raziel looked, but he could not be sure it wasn't simply to avoid meeting Kain's eye. "The Lords of Nosgoth," Kain mocked. "To think that they are this dying world's only hope! Without you they would be utterly doomed." Raziel looked up, uncertain whether his Master's words were meant to praise or damn him. Kain sighed. "Yes, it will be you, Raziel," he muttred.
"My Lord...?" Raziel tried, carefully. Kain looked up, distracted for a moment as if he had forgotten Raziel was there at all. The weariness in his eyes chilled Raziel to the bone. "Do I... disappoint you?" he asked.
Kain grimaced. "No, Raziel." He stepped closer and put a hand on his shoulder. "On the contrary, you surpass my expectations at every turn."
"Then... what?"
Kain indicated the circling crowd below with a languid swipe. "Look at them, Raziel. Look at them turning their useless circles, oblivious to the fact that it takes them nowhere but where they were before. They understand nothing. Without you, they haven't got a chance."
Raziel carefully took in every word, trying to understand Kain's riddles.
"They care nought for the unforgiving future. Certainly, they are happy to share Nosgoth now, here, where blood is plentiful and only ever an arm's reach away. But when the bloodflow stops, do you think it would take them more than a moment before they would turn on each other as deadly foes once more? And do you believe that can be avoided, in a world where nothing will grow?"
Raziel cast his eyes down. In his heart, he knew his Lord was right. A deep sense of regret overwhelmed him, regret for the world that seemed here to lie at his feet. "You think me a fool," he said softly.
"I know you are no fool, Raziel," Kain answered. "Nosgoth is only sinking ever-further into corruption and decay, however. There is nothing you can do to stop it. When simple survival is at steak -- and it will be -- the clans will turn to bitter wars. Even your council is doomed to mortal conflict."
"But must we simply give up then?" Raziel cried. "Must we stand idly by while everything we ever believed in dwindles and fades away?" A sense of grief overwhelmed him; he had grown so skillful in ignoring the future, he could not bare to face it now.
"No, Raziel." Kain grabbed hold of his shoulders. "We must not. How could we give up? However hopeless our situation is, no matter how infinitesimal our chance of success, we must try!"
"Yes," Raziel nodded. Suddenly, Kain released him and turned away. He looked up at the dark night sky, and balled his fist. Raziel could sense Kain's anger and grief, and felt his own soul answering it.
Kain turned around again, an intense look in his eyes. "Promise me one thing, Raziel."
"Anything," Raziel answered.
"Whatever happens, I need you to stay true to yourself, and your own ideals. Take no one's council but your own, Raziel; you alone know where your path must lead."
Raziel was taken aback by this strange admonition. A sickening idea began to take root in his head. "I promise," he said, voicelessly.
Kain stared out over the slowly revolving crowd, a pensive expression on his face. Fragments of earlier conversations returned to Raziel, seen now in a different light. It will be you, Raziel, Kain had whispered to the night sky. Without you, they haven't got a chance. And what had he just told his progeny? Only you will inherit this world... Who were they to inherit it from, if not --
Another memory forced itself on him. His wild-eyed kinsman, Stahl, raving in his madness: I have seen Kain die! The voice rang in his head and Raziel felt the blood freeze in his veins. He was unable to breathe, unable to think the unthinkable...
Kain sank to his knee, as if the weight on his shoulders was too much to bear up any longer. Raziel stood behind his shoulder; his eyes lingered on the small carved skull of the Soul Reaver, staring callously out at the world from its empty sockets. He found his hand hovering near the hilt, as if it wanted to stroke its smooth grip. He put the hand down on Kain's bare shoulder.
"Lord," he began. Kain turned his head towards him slightly, but made no answer. Raziel felt as if his heart would break. He could not bring himself to ask, but he knew there was no need to. He knew now what Kain had tried to say, understood his pain and rage, even if he did not understand how this could be. What could possibly happen that Kain would -- Whatever happens...
"Father," he whispered, "I will not let you down."
Kain nodded grimly, his eyes fixed on the slowly turning wheel below.
He reached the top of the wall and looked around for a moment, mesmerised by the view. On one side, the lands of Nosgoth stretched far away; he could see the southern swamps, bathed in moonlight and a heavy fog. On the other side, the mad swirl of the gathering, continuously moving, swarming around the empty centre, the cacophony of voices ringing up into the sky. It occured to Raziel that Kain might well have been up here all evening, watching unnoticed. Kain stood a few paces away, staring down at his offspring with a look of distaste.
"Look at them, Raziel." He kept his eyes on the crowd, his voice sounded weary. "Have a look at your work. It was you that brought them here, your careful coaxing and wheedling. Look!" Raziel looked, but he could not be sure it wasn't simply to avoid meeting Kain's eye. "The Lords of Nosgoth," Kain mocked. "To think that they are this dying world's only hope! Without you they would be utterly doomed." Raziel looked up, uncertain whether his Master's words were meant to praise or damn him. Kain sighed. "Yes, it will be you, Raziel," he muttred.
"My Lord...?" Raziel tried, carefully. Kain looked up, distracted for a moment as if he had forgotten Raziel was there at all. The weariness in his eyes chilled Raziel to the bone. "Do I... disappoint you?" he asked.
Kain grimaced. "No, Raziel." He stepped closer and put a hand on his shoulder. "On the contrary, you surpass my expectations at every turn."
"Then... what?"
Kain indicated the circling crowd below with a languid swipe. "Look at them, Raziel. Look at them turning their useless circles, oblivious to the fact that it takes them nowhere but where they were before. They understand nothing. Without you, they haven't got a chance."
Raziel carefully took in every word, trying to understand Kain's riddles.
"They care nought for the unforgiving future. Certainly, they are happy to share Nosgoth now, here, where blood is plentiful and only ever an arm's reach away. But when the bloodflow stops, do you think it would take them more than a moment before they would turn on each other as deadly foes once more? And do you believe that can be avoided, in a world where nothing will grow?"
Raziel cast his eyes down. In his heart, he knew his Lord was right. A deep sense of regret overwhelmed him, regret for the world that seemed here to lie at his feet. "You think me a fool," he said softly.
"I know you are no fool, Raziel," Kain answered. "Nosgoth is only sinking ever-further into corruption and decay, however. There is nothing you can do to stop it. When simple survival is at steak -- and it will be -- the clans will turn to bitter wars. Even your council is doomed to mortal conflict."
"But must we simply give up then?" Raziel cried. "Must we stand idly by while everything we ever believed in dwindles and fades away?" A sense of grief overwhelmed him; he had grown so skillful in ignoring the future, he could not bare to face it now.
"No, Raziel." Kain grabbed hold of his shoulders. "We must not. How could we give up? However hopeless our situation is, no matter how infinitesimal our chance of success, we must try!"
"Yes," Raziel nodded. Suddenly, Kain released him and turned away. He looked up at the dark night sky, and balled his fist. Raziel could sense Kain's anger and grief, and felt his own soul answering it.
Kain turned around again, an intense look in his eyes. "Promise me one thing, Raziel."
"Anything," Raziel answered.
"Whatever happens, I need you to stay true to yourself, and your own ideals. Take no one's council but your own, Raziel; you alone know where your path must lead."
Raziel was taken aback by this strange admonition. A sickening idea began to take root in his head. "I promise," he said, voicelessly.
Kain stared out over the slowly revolving crowd, a pensive expression on his face. Fragments of earlier conversations returned to Raziel, seen now in a different light. It will be you, Raziel, Kain had whispered to the night sky. Without you, they haven't got a chance. And what had he just told his progeny? Only you will inherit this world... Who were they to inherit it from, if not --
Another memory forced itself on him. His wild-eyed kinsman, Stahl, raving in his madness: I have seen Kain die! The voice rang in his head and Raziel felt the blood freeze in his veins. He was unable to breathe, unable to think the unthinkable...
Kain sank to his knee, as if the weight on his shoulders was too much to bear up any longer. Raziel stood behind his shoulder; his eyes lingered on the small carved skull of the Soul Reaver, staring callously out at the world from its empty sockets. He found his hand hovering near the hilt, as if it wanted to stroke its smooth grip. He put the hand down on Kain's bare shoulder.
"Lord," he began. Kain turned his head towards him slightly, but made no answer. Raziel felt as if his heart would break. He could not bring himself to ask, but he knew there was no need to. He knew now what Kain had tried to say, understood his pain and rage, even if he did not understand how this could be. What could possibly happen that Kain would -- Whatever happens...
"Father," he whispered, "I will not let you down."
Kain nodded grimly, his eyes fixed on the slowly turning wheel below.