AN UPSTART INHERITANCE: VII -- VENGEANCE
"We wish to speak to Kain."
The two guards did not move aside. They were both dressed in deep red as guards of the Sanctuary: Kain's own men. They looked the two black-clad vampires up and down a bit.
"Only you two?" the taller of the guards asked skeptically. He had short, brown hair and a face that would be friendly, if not for the cynical sneer on it.
"You are welcome to join us, if you wish," Hengest said sharply.
A thin smile spread his lips. "Not likely." Baldwin looked more closely at him. He could not remember ever seeing him before, but with lips that dark and eyes that bright, he could easily be Razelim. He brushed his hair out of his face and glanced at Hengest. The certain knowledge that he was going to die did not leave him calm and collected, as he had hoped. In fact, he was trembling. What if these guards would not even let them through? They could hardly fight their way in, there was a crowd in the gatehouse not thirty paces away.
"Is this all, Marten?" the second guard asked his companion. "I thought Raziel was loved better than that. Or are his spawn all cowards?"
"All but two, it seems," Marten answered. "And they're damned fools."
They stood aside. Baldwin felt their contemptuous eyes on him as they passed them, into the gloom of the circular hallway that ran around the throneroom. He tried to walk with confidence, but terror made his steps falter and his head try to hide between his shoulders. Kain was expecting them, even the guards were. He reminded himself their plan depended on that, that there was still hope, if not much of it.
"They're ready," Hengest whispered, and Baldwin nodded. The door to the throneroom was open, light spilled out into the hallway. Kain was waiting. Baldwin took a deep breath and nodded at Hengest. They strode in, side by side. When the door slammed shut behind them, Baldwin felt shaken, but he did not turn around. His eyes were fixed on the figure reclining on the imposing throne. Lord Kain. No, just Kain, his mind corrected him. Kain watched them, one hand idly fingering the hilt on the Soul Reaver as they drew their swords and walked the steps up to the platform. Baldwin clenched his empty fist, the signet ring still sat loosely on his first finger.
Kain laughed, loudly but without real mirth. It was threatening, like faraway thunder, and Baldwin clenched his fist so tight it hurt.
"Ah, Raziel's avengers. I have been awaiting you for some time." He looked them up and down appraisingly. "I did expect there to be more of you, however. Did the others lose heart underway?" He leant forward, a cynical sneer on his face, his eyes darting from one to the other.
Baldwin was just about to speak when Kain's eyes tracked up and beyond them -- to the door. Baldwin's heart sank. He knew, already.
"Clever," Kain rumbled, a bemused smile on his face. "But not, I fear, clever enough." He stood up and raised a hand to the door. It was enveloped by a blue-green aura momentarily, and short arcs of lightning sparked from it. Baldwin's breath caught in his throat. Kain brought his attention back to them.
"Now," he said, descending the steps in front of his throne, "was there something you wished to tell me?"
"The door won't open," Hengest whispered, needlessly. Baldwin had guessed. All was lost, he knew, and finally, his courage seemed to return. He shook his hair out of his face and looked the father of vampirekind in the eyes.
"Just a request," he said. His voice sounded modest to his ears, and insignificant, but none of that mattered anymore. It was time.
"Yes?"
Even now, he hesitated. This was Kain, Lord Kain. A large part of him wanted to drop to his knees in deference, but he would not. Kain was his enemy. Axel, the others, they didn't matter. He would do what he came here for. For Raziel.
He dashed at his enemy, a loud cry breaking from his lips. "Die!"
And the next thing he knew was the sound of his sword, clattering to the floor. He looked at his strengthless hand, confused. Cold, blue flames danced on the edge of his vision, and his eyes traced them down to his chest. Kain had caught him on the Reaver, and his own momentum had impaled him on it: the hilt nearly touched his chest. He looked up, in shock, straight into Kain's yellow eyes. He registered the look on Kain's face. Disappointment.
"Your request is denied," Kain said, humourlessly, and jerked the Reaver free. Baldwin screamed, though the sound never made it out of his lungs. An indescribable pain ripped through his body as his soul was torn loose from its moorings and something answered his scream. He felt himself fall into it, a presence, a hunger, something... almost familiar...
Raziel.
.
.
Author's Notes:
Poof there goes Kainsken. The first to die. Can you guess who will be the last? Send in your answer and win a cookie! It took me an afternoon to write this, and I've been looking at it, changing little things about it since 10 now. It's half past 2. I hope it paid off.
My boyfriend Dave helped me with it, it was his idea to give Kain a punchline before he kills Baldwin. I used a different line to his, but I do think it really added to it.
Review Responses:
Varyssa: As you well know, it can sometimes be hard to live up to the expectations one has crafted for oneself. I hope you feel I made the grade. Bows graciously.
Semdai: Glad you like it. Pets your black little heart and kisses it better.
"We wish to speak to Kain."
The two guards did not move aside. They were both dressed in deep red as guards of the Sanctuary: Kain's own men. They looked the two black-clad vampires up and down a bit.
"Only you two?" the taller of the guards asked skeptically. He had short, brown hair and a face that would be friendly, if not for the cynical sneer on it.
"You are welcome to join us, if you wish," Hengest said sharply.
A thin smile spread his lips. "Not likely." Baldwin looked more closely at him. He could not remember ever seeing him before, but with lips that dark and eyes that bright, he could easily be Razelim. He brushed his hair out of his face and glanced at Hengest. The certain knowledge that he was going to die did not leave him calm and collected, as he had hoped. In fact, he was trembling. What if these guards would not even let them through? They could hardly fight their way in, there was a crowd in the gatehouse not thirty paces away.
"Is this all, Marten?" the second guard asked his companion. "I thought Raziel was loved better than that. Or are his spawn all cowards?"
"All but two, it seems," Marten answered. "And they're damned fools."
They stood aside. Baldwin felt their contemptuous eyes on him as they passed them, into the gloom of the circular hallway that ran around the throneroom. He tried to walk with confidence, but terror made his steps falter and his head try to hide between his shoulders. Kain was expecting them, even the guards were. He reminded himself their plan depended on that, that there was still hope, if not much of it.
"They're ready," Hengest whispered, and Baldwin nodded. The door to the throneroom was open, light spilled out into the hallway. Kain was waiting. Baldwin took a deep breath and nodded at Hengest. They strode in, side by side. When the door slammed shut behind them, Baldwin felt shaken, but he did not turn around. His eyes were fixed on the figure reclining on the imposing throne. Lord Kain. No, just Kain, his mind corrected him. Kain watched them, one hand idly fingering the hilt on the Soul Reaver as they drew their swords and walked the steps up to the platform. Baldwin clenched his empty fist, the signet ring still sat loosely on his first finger.
Kain laughed, loudly but without real mirth. It was threatening, like faraway thunder, and Baldwin clenched his fist so tight it hurt.
"Ah, Raziel's avengers. I have been awaiting you for some time." He looked them up and down appraisingly. "I did expect there to be more of you, however. Did the others lose heart underway?" He leant forward, a cynical sneer on his face, his eyes darting from one to the other.
Baldwin was just about to speak when Kain's eyes tracked up and beyond them -- to the door. Baldwin's heart sank. He knew, already.
"Clever," Kain rumbled, a bemused smile on his face. "But not, I fear, clever enough." He stood up and raised a hand to the door. It was enveloped by a blue-green aura momentarily, and short arcs of lightning sparked from it. Baldwin's breath caught in his throat. Kain brought his attention back to them.
"Now," he said, descending the steps in front of his throne, "was there something you wished to tell me?"
"The door won't open," Hengest whispered, needlessly. Baldwin had guessed. All was lost, he knew, and finally, his courage seemed to return. He shook his hair out of his face and looked the father of vampirekind in the eyes.
"Just a request," he said. His voice sounded modest to his ears, and insignificant, but none of that mattered anymore. It was time.
"Yes?"
Even now, he hesitated. This was Kain, Lord Kain. A large part of him wanted to drop to his knees in deference, but he would not. Kain was his enemy. Axel, the others, they didn't matter. He would do what he came here for. For Raziel.
He dashed at his enemy, a loud cry breaking from his lips. "Die!"
And the next thing he knew was the sound of his sword, clattering to the floor. He looked at his strengthless hand, confused. Cold, blue flames danced on the edge of his vision, and his eyes traced them down to his chest. Kain had caught him on the Reaver, and his own momentum had impaled him on it: the hilt nearly touched his chest. He looked up, in shock, straight into Kain's yellow eyes. He registered the look on Kain's face. Disappointment.
"Your request is denied," Kain said, humourlessly, and jerked the Reaver free. Baldwin screamed, though the sound never made it out of his lungs. An indescribable pain ripped through his body as his soul was torn loose from its moorings and something answered his scream. He felt himself fall into it, a presence, a hunger, something... almost familiar...
Raziel.
.
.
Author's Notes:
Poof there goes Kainsken. The first to die. Can you guess who will be the last? Send in your answer and win a cookie! It took me an afternoon to write this, and I've been looking at it, changing little things about it since 10 now. It's half past 2. I hope it paid off.
My boyfriend Dave helped me with it, it was his idea to give Kain a punchline before he kills Baldwin. I used a different line to his, but I do think it really added to it.
Review Responses:
Varyssa: As you well know, it can sometimes be hard to live up to the expectations one has crafted for oneself. I hope you feel I made the grade. Bows graciously.
Semdai: Glad you like it. Pets your black little heart and kisses it better.