"What do you think you can do against Kain?" Raziel asked in irritation.
"I'm not sure yet," Jennifer said, pinching the bridge of her nose. She had spent most of the day trying to figure out if she would be able to use her powers on Kain. "My instincts tell me that I'll know what to do when I need to do it."
"That does not inspire confidence," Raziel growled.
Jennifer sighed. "It's almost sunset. Let me get my coat, then we can go looking for him."
Raziel leaped off the couch, cursing his lack of agility in plush form. Suddenly, a feeling of dread stole over him. He rushed into the bedroom.
Kain was standing in the middle of the room. He had an unconscious Jennifer cradled in his arms. "I'll have to deal with that demon of yours later," Kain muttered as he jumped out the window, failing to notice Raziel's small plush form.
"Jennifer, no!" Raziel yelled as he tried in vain to resume his normal form. He scrambled up onto the bed; he couldn't even reach the window like this. Raziel collapsed in frustration as he realized he was trapped.
"Don't give up," Brightflame said.
"I am still bound in this form," Raziel said, holding the dragon's head so he could look her in the eye. "I am powerless."
"Lend me your strength, little one." Brightflame said.
Raziel felt part of his energy drain away. He locked his arms around the dragon's neck as she slowly stood on shaky legs. Brightflame spread her wings and leapt out the window. Raziel felt a rush of exhilaration as Brightflame flew through the air. He felt a slight pang of jealousy at her intact wings, but it was tempered by sadness as well. Raziel could feel the dragon's exhaustion already. This would probably be her only flight.
The pair easily caught up with Kain. Brightflame cupped her wings and dove straight at his face. Brightflame tried ineffectively to gouge Kain's eyes with her soft claws. Kain dropped Jennifer in surprise. She woke up when she hit the ground.
"Unbind me woman!" Raziel cried as he lost his grip and fell.
Kain tore the stuffed dragon away from his face with a sickening ripping sound. He stared in horror as he saw Raziel transform. Kain tossed the dragon aside and grabbed Jennifer. "I don't know what you are, but I expect that you care for her life."
"Let her go, Kain," Raziel threatened.
Kain's pale features distorted as he sneered, "You dare to command me?"
"Just do it, Kain!" Raziel shouted.
Kain lowered his mouth to Jennifer's neck. She winced as his fangs pierced her skin. Raziel leaped onto Kain, knocking Jennifer out of the way. The two vampires fought, punching and clawing at each other. Raziel managed to wrestle Kain to the ground, but had to struggle to keep him there. Kain roared in fury and managed to grab onto Raziel's drape. His eyes widened in shock as he saw the gaping hole that was Raziel's lower face.
"Stop," Jennifer commanded. She stood in the street, one hand was firmly clasped on her bleeding neck, and the other was holding the injured Brightflame. Her eyes blazed with fury and concentration.
To Raziel's surprise, Kain slowly let go of his cowl. He struggled weakly for a moment, but then lay against the pavement in surrender. Jennifer slowly walked towards the two vampires. She reached out with her bloodstained hand. Kain groaned in pain as her clutched his head.
"What are you doing to him?" Raziel whispered.
Suddenly, Kain opened his eyes. "Raziel?" He grasped Raziel's shoulders in bewilderment. "How is this possible? You sacrificed yourself to the Reaver."
Raziel shrugged Kain's hands off his shoulders and stood up. He straitened his cowl in disgust and glanced at Jennifer.
She was sitting on the pavement, her hand once again pressed to the gently oozing wound. "I pushed his memories forward. Once he took my blood, he became bound to me. Don't ask me why that is."
Kain stood slowly. "How did I get here?"
"We were hoping that you would know," Raziel said.
"There was a man. He told me to call him Elizavere, but that's impossible." Kain grinned smugly, "I had been able to kill Elizavere."
"You're in a world where we only exist as stories," Raziel said as he helped Jennifer to her feet. "Jennifer was the one who summoned me."
Kain studied his claws as he digested this information. He paused as he noticed that he had five fingers. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked.
Jennifer allowed Raziel to help her to her feet. "Morphic identity," she said. "You didn't realize that you were in your younger body until after your perception of yourself had frozen."
Kain stared at Raziel, who merely shrugged. Kain turned away in disgust.
"Where do you think you're going?" Raziel asked.
"I have an appointment with a doll maker," Kain said.
"There are some things that you should know," Jennifer shouted after Kain. "You're not going to be able to hurt him, and he might be able to do something horrible to you."
"Do not presume to warn me, girl," Kain sneered.
Jennifer sighed. "Just remember, you don't need to feed anymore. The authorities are going to hunt you down if you insist on killing people."
Kain turned to Raziel again, "Why do you put up with this wench?"
Raziel narrowed his eyes and said, "I have my reasons."
Kain turned away again and strode purposefully down the street.
"I can't believe I'm just letting him go," Raziel said.
"I can find him again," Jennifer said.
Raziel gently touched Jennifer's neck; it had finally clotted over. "I'm sorry I let him hurt you," he said.
"I'm sorry about binding you in your doll form. I... I don't want to do it ever again." Jennifer said
Raziel sensed that Jennifer had wanted to promise that she wouldn't bind him again, but he heard her hesitation. There probably would be another occasion where he would be forced into that helpless plush form. Raziel considered that Jennifer at least was concerned about not making any promises that she couldn't keep.
Jennifer was examining Brightflame's damage. The little dragon's stuffing was showing through her side.
"Is she...?" Raziel faltered.
"It's just a popped seam, I can fix her," Jennifer said. "The poor thing's not even going to be able to think for a while, though. If Brightflame had been able to live, she probably would've gotten herself killed tonight."
Raziel glanced up as Kain disappeared around a corner. "I wonder what's going to happen to him."
Jennifer glanced up, "It's best not to think about it," she said hauntingly.
Raziel shifted to his human form and gently lead Jennifer home.
"He doesn't realize what he is, does he?" Raziel asked after a while.
"You mean a doll?" Jennifer asked. "No, I don't think he does. He'll probably find out the hard way."
Raziel thought about this for a moment. "I shouldn't have let him go."
"He made a choice, we should respect that," Jennifer said wearily. "I don't know what's going to happen to him, but if he survives..."
"What?" Raziel demanded.
"He'll be just fine," Jennifer sighed. "He'll probably wander off again and find some drooling fangirl to take care of him. I think that he's got a better chance if he keeps his young look."
Raziel slowly shook his head in wonderment. He wasn't sure who to feel sorry for: Kain, or the unlucky fangirl that would instantly hug him.
"I'm not sure yet," Jennifer said, pinching the bridge of her nose. She had spent most of the day trying to figure out if she would be able to use her powers on Kain. "My instincts tell me that I'll know what to do when I need to do it."
"That does not inspire confidence," Raziel growled.
Jennifer sighed. "It's almost sunset. Let me get my coat, then we can go looking for him."
Raziel leaped off the couch, cursing his lack of agility in plush form. Suddenly, a feeling of dread stole over him. He rushed into the bedroom.
Kain was standing in the middle of the room. He had an unconscious Jennifer cradled in his arms. "I'll have to deal with that demon of yours later," Kain muttered as he jumped out the window, failing to notice Raziel's small plush form.
"Jennifer, no!" Raziel yelled as he tried in vain to resume his normal form. He scrambled up onto the bed; he couldn't even reach the window like this. Raziel collapsed in frustration as he realized he was trapped.
"Don't give up," Brightflame said.
"I am still bound in this form," Raziel said, holding the dragon's head so he could look her in the eye. "I am powerless."
"Lend me your strength, little one." Brightflame said.
Raziel felt part of his energy drain away. He locked his arms around the dragon's neck as she slowly stood on shaky legs. Brightflame spread her wings and leapt out the window. Raziel felt a rush of exhilaration as Brightflame flew through the air. He felt a slight pang of jealousy at her intact wings, but it was tempered by sadness as well. Raziel could feel the dragon's exhaustion already. This would probably be her only flight.
The pair easily caught up with Kain. Brightflame cupped her wings and dove straight at his face. Brightflame tried ineffectively to gouge Kain's eyes with her soft claws. Kain dropped Jennifer in surprise. She woke up when she hit the ground.
"Unbind me woman!" Raziel cried as he lost his grip and fell.
Kain tore the stuffed dragon away from his face with a sickening ripping sound. He stared in horror as he saw Raziel transform. Kain tossed the dragon aside and grabbed Jennifer. "I don't know what you are, but I expect that you care for her life."
"Let her go, Kain," Raziel threatened.
Kain's pale features distorted as he sneered, "You dare to command me?"
"Just do it, Kain!" Raziel shouted.
Kain lowered his mouth to Jennifer's neck. She winced as his fangs pierced her skin. Raziel leaped onto Kain, knocking Jennifer out of the way. The two vampires fought, punching and clawing at each other. Raziel managed to wrestle Kain to the ground, but had to struggle to keep him there. Kain roared in fury and managed to grab onto Raziel's drape. His eyes widened in shock as he saw the gaping hole that was Raziel's lower face.
"Stop," Jennifer commanded. She stood in the street, one hand was firmly clasped on her bleeding neck, and the other was holding the injured Brightflame. Her eyes blazed with fury and concentration.
To Raziel's surprise, Kain slowly let go of his cowl. He struggled weakly for a moment, but then lay against the pavement in surrender. Jennifer slowly walked towards the two vampires. She reached out with her bloodstained hand. Kain groaned in pain as her clutched his head.
"What are you doing to him?" Raziel whispered.
Suddenly, Kain opened his eyes. "Raziel?" He grasped Raziel's shoulders in bewilderment. "How is this possible? You sacrificed yourself to the Reaver."
Raziel shrugged Kain's hands off his shoulders and stood up. He straitened his cowl in disgust and glanced at Jennifer.
She was sitting on the pavement, her hand once again pressed to the gently oozing wound. "I pushed his memories forward. Once he took my blood, he became bound to me. Don't ask me why that is."
Kain stood slowly. "How did I get here?"
"We were hoping that you would know," Raziel said.
"There was a man. He told me to call him Elizavere, but that's impossible." Kain grinned smugly, "I had been able to kill Elizavere."
"You're in a world where we only exist as stories," Raziel said as he helped Jennifer to her feet. "Jennifer was the one who summoned me."
Kain studied his claws as he digested this information. He paused as he noticed that he had five fingers. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked.
Jennifer allowed Raziel to help her to her feet. "Morphic identity," she said. "You didn't realize that you were in your younger body until after your perception of yourself had frozen."
Kain stared at Raziel, who merely shrugged. Kain turned away in disgust.
"Where do you think you're going?" Raziel asked.
"I have an appointment with a doll maker," Kain said.
"There are some things that you should know," Jennifer shouted after Kain. "You're not going to be able to hurt him, and he might be able to do something horrible to you."
"Do not presume to warn me, girl," Kain sneered.
Jennifer sighed. "Just remember, you don't need to feed anymore. The authorities are going to hunt you down if you insist on killing people."
Kain turned to Raziel again, "Why do you put up with this wench?"
Raziel narrowed his eyes and said, "I have my reasons."
Kain turned away again and strode purposefully down the street.
"I can't believe I'm just letting him go," Raziel said.
"I can find him again," Jennifer said.
Raziel gently touched Jennifer's neck; it had finally clotted over. "I'm sorry I let him hurt you," he said.
"I'm sorry about binding you in your doll form. I... I don't want to do it ever again." Jennifer said
Raziel sensed that Jennifer had wanted to promise that she wouldn't bind him again, but he heard her hesitation. There probably would be another occasion where he would be forced into that helpless plush form. Raziel considered that Jennifer at least was concerned about not making any promises that she couldn't keep.
Jennifer was examining Brightflame's damage. The little dragon's stuffing was showing through her side.
"Is she...?" Raziel faltered.
"It's just a popped seam, I can fix her," Jennifer said. "The poor thing's not even going to be able to think for a while, though. If Brightflame had been able to live, she probably would've gotten herself killed tonight."
Raziel glanced up as Kain disappeared around a corner. "I wonder what's going to happen to him."
Jennifer glanced up, "It's best not to think about it," she said hauntingly.
Raziel shifted to his human form and gently lead Jennifer home.
"He doesn't realize what he is, does he?" Raziel asked after a while.
"You mean a doll?" Jennifer asked. "No, I don't think he does. He'll probably find out the hard way."
Raziel thought about this for a moment. "I shouldn't have let him go."
"He made a choice, we should respect that," Jennifer said wearily. "I don't know what's going to happen to him, but if he survives..."
"What?" Raziel demanded.
"He'll be just fine," Jennifer sighed. "He'll probably wander off again and find some drooling fangirl to take care of him. I think that he's got a better chance if he keeps his young look."
Raziel slowly shook his head in wonderment. He wasn't sure who to feel sorry for: Kain, or the unlucky fangirl that would instantly hug him.