I know it's too soon to have gotten a review, but I really needed to write, so here's the next chapter. Oh, something I forgot to do last chapter- Legacy of Kain is in no part mine, though eventually there will be a character of my own creation. Raziel, Kain, Janos, and anyone else who may show up are property of the good people at Eidos. Or whoever made the guys. To the story!

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Kain sat upon his throne, the black and broken Pillar of Balance firmly at his back, reminding him of his role in Nosgoth's future. How had it come to this? The Balance Guardian Ariel's murdered spirit now rest within the weapon he held in his right hand, a weapon forged from his first lieutenant, whom he himself cast into the abyss. Janos Audron, whose heart had been used to bring Kain into being as he now was, had been possessed by one of his mortal adversaries, and disappeared. To make matters worse, he now possessed a weapon with power beyond what even he himself carried, all because of the attempt at martyrdom Raziel had committed. Raziel, who at the moment sat perched upon a shattered pillar, still lived, and all because of Kain. He knew that what happened in the Elder Gods chamber had not been meant, but he could do nothing about it now. The beast still struggled to regain power far beneath the two, most likely in order to attempt more interference.

As Kain thought everything through, Raziel took to observing the area around the pillars. He knew this area well, for he had been here numerous times before. In the forest to the east, Janos' castle lay in wait. He knew better than to search for the missing vampire there, for the Hylden who now possessed him knew Raziel could transverse the jungle and the castle interior. That left 90 of Nosgoth as a hiding place for the creature. What was worse, the Hylden could work the portals to and from the reaver forges. At the thought, Raziel leapt off of the pillar in front of Kain, muttering rather incoherently, but very quickly.

"Raziel! Calm yourself! Speak slowly, and do not waste my time." Kain was very pissed off, and Raziel knew it. Though he no longer feared the vampire lord, for he himself possessed Kain's abilities, he did as told.

"Kain! The Hylden who took control of Janos! We must find him, and soon!"

"Whatever for? The beast took wing the second the pillars shattered, so why would he be a threat to us now?"

"Because, he controls Janos Audron, in whom beats the Heart of Darkness! Janos knows about Vorador, and that he forged the Reaver! If the Hylden ascertain that knowledge from him, they could find him and possess him as well. The secret of the Reaver would fall into the Hylden's hands!"

The revelation was startling, but true. He sat dumbfounded for the better part of a minute, then stood once again, his blade firmly in hand.

"We must find Janos, as well as Vorador. The secret of the Reaver must not fall into the hands of the Hylden Lords. Janos could not have gotten far, but his Hylden counterpart will most likely try to get back to its world, which means he will come for the squid."

Raziel was now dumbfounded. He'd known that Audron was no longer his own master, and had figured out the Elder God's secret himself, but never pieced it together. It now seemed as though the Hylden had more tricks up their sleeve than ever before.

"I will go back to the 'god' and await either you or Janos. With the reaver as it is now, I should have no trouble holding him off until your return. Finding Vorador may prove difficult, however, if he wishes not to be found."

"I know. I will seek them both out across Nosgoth. Vorador needs not to be found, for I feel it better to leave him be at the moment. Our winged friend, however… There are only so many places a figure like Janos could hide. I will return within two days. If he attempts to use our friend down there to cross into his world, kill him."

Raziel was shocked, but not surprised, at Kain's comment. He was to once again kill the vampire? He had regretted finding out that he had been the one to rip the Heart of Darkness from Janos' chest in the first place. It was startling to find out that so much was a result of that death. Mortanius' theft of the heart to resurrect Kain, the damnation of Nosgoth at the hands of the Scion of Balance, and his own tormented journey due to a swim in the abyss. All of this seemed to revolve around Kain, but in truth it was all because he had helped kill Janos. His thoughts receded quickly now, leaving behind one- guard the squid.

Kain nodded silently to Raziel and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Moments later, and miles away, he reappeared at the entrance to the Sarafan castle, Moebius' main base. He figured the best place to start his journey was the one place he didn't want to be.

The vampire quickly threw open the giant double doors and began darting through the hallways, his boots clicking off the stone floor as he ran. The hallways were devoid of life, but he had expected as much. Both he and Raziel had been through here before, and now that Moebius was finally dead and gone, it was doubtful the Sarafan would return any time soon.

He cleared the castle in a little under an hour, since no one was there to delay him. As he exited a door out onto a parapet, the sky clouded over the dim sun of Nosgoth. He peered out into the land he had once ruled with an iron fist. The sight of the shattered pillars brought his spirits down once again, and he quickly averted his gaze. The forested area around Janos' castle caught his attention, and his next destination was laid out before him. He gathered his concentration and once again transported himself in a cloud of smoke.

Back at the pillars, Raziel had decided it would be a better idea to keep watch at the entrance to the chamber instead of trying to ambush the Hylden-possessed vampire. He had positioned himself upon a ledge across from the entrance to the Elder Gods chamber, his back firmly against the wall. His view was completely unobstructed from his vantage, and he could see that the monstrous creature they had recently shredded limb from body had lain still since he came back down. The most logical conclusion, or the one he'd believed to be most logical, was that the creature had shifted to its body in the demon world. If the creature could do so, then it was a very real possibility that he could do the same.

Kain regrouped at the entrance to Janos' manor, only to find the front door buried under rubble. He surveyed the courtyard in which he stood, massive columns jutting straight into the air almost 50 feet. The statues that surrounded him were of vampiric origin, some showing the more savage side of the race, while others showed the more noble faction of vampire. He recognized a few of the statues to be himself, Raziel, Turel, and Dumah. He smirked with an evil glare as he saw that Turels and Dumahs statues had been severely mistreated. As he gave one last look at the majesty that Janos had given his castle, he quickly leapt onto the ledge that ran the length of the wall. A window up here had been shattered, making the picture upon it impossible to see, for no glass lay on the ground. He entered the castle slowly, not knowing how well Raziel cleaned up after himself. He drew the Reaver with a swift yank on the handle, and instinctively summoned the spectral counterpart. He knew that was one of Raziels great gifts, seeing it firsthand as it was used against him. The labyrinth of a keep took great effort to sweep through, but he did it with amazing grace and speed. He'd found numerous pathways blocked by piles of rubble and debris, assuming that it had come during his brethren's journey through. As he came into a large room, he noticed three large statues impaled upon weapons from the backside. He kneeled down next to the center one, mumbling the words silently to himself. He took note to the fact that Janos had the statues created to resemble the Hylden. The weapons that pierced the hearts of these creatures were representations of vampiric weapons of legend, and the likeness was uncanny. He had the distinct feeling he should worry. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he felt a sharp sting across his back, and snapped around. Janos Audron, or the Hylden consumed version thereof, stood nose to nose with him.

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Wasn't sure where to end this chapter, but this seemed like a good place. I know the story hasn't gone very far, but there's a lot to come.

XX – Updated. Had some facts wrong, but thanks to Stooge's information, things have been corrected. - XX