Sorry for the update being so late, but I had a vacation, and spent it well. Anyway, to those of you who reviewed last chapter-
Lunatic Pandora1- Think of him as you will, I just wanted people to be weirded out.
Smoke- Ahh, I understand now.
Manus Dei- I kinda didn't want to go along with the storyline, except for huge cataclysmic events that just wouldn't be right without. You are correct in what you said, but try and sit that aside for this story. Just trust me when I say that I do comprehend the actual story.
Stooge- Yes, and no. Technically, since Kain kept Raziel from killing himself with the vampiric blade, he didn't lose his soul, which in turn means when Kain tried to kill him with it, it shattered… wait… that just means that the story starts over again… holy crap…. Oh! I got it. Since Raziel enters the sword completely (this is where my story starts), his soul IS in the blade, and therefore Kain could kill Raziel with it in the vampire age, since it already possesses the soul… wait, that's not right either…. Oh well.
Anyway, I know it's been a while, but let's see how well I do.
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"You were going somewhere fiend?" Kain asked as the body of Janos Audron hung in his hand. He held the now demon vampire by the throat, standing atop a twisted pillar. Ironically, his own.
"Ughh.. yes, I was."
Kain smirked, knowing well that the demon had been caught off guard, for the ever surprising Kain had not been known to traverse the spectral realm. When Kain had exited the building, a quick dash and leap closed the gap between the two, and the pillar had been a convenient landing place for him. Falling to the ground and crushing Janos' body would have worked just as well, but this would suffice.
"Now, tell me demon, is there some way that you may be extricated from that body, or will I have to lay waste to Janos' life once more?"
"Ugghhh… I believe that… you will have to kill me… and find out."
"Very well, but you will talk before you die. I could always use information. What had you planned on creating, what you say will match the Reaver?"
"'Tis a weapon unlike… any you mere.. vampires.. could ever imagine wielding. The secret lies buried with…. The oldest of us.. in my masters castle."
Thoughts ran through Kains mind like water down a mountain. If the being in his grasp told the truth, then he may well have been heading back to the castle which he spoke of. But that being the case, why wouldn't they have forged the weapon long before coming back to Nosgoth? On the other hand, he might still have searched for Vorador, to learn the forging of the Reaver. This seemed more logical, for their weapon could be adapted to destroy the Reaver. More inquiry was required.
"Very well. You've added minutes to your life span, so long as you continue to speak. I know you seek out the one who forged the Reaver. I have sought him myself, but to no avail. How had you planned on finding him?"
The semi-dangling body gathered its composure, and looked Kain straight in the eyes.
"I have my ways, vampire, ways that you could only dream of. I know what resides in this body's memories, of which Voradors location is part of."
Kain had been blindsided. Raziel had been right in the theory, but wrong in the method. From what he deciphered, as long as he was a part of Janos, the Hylden knew everything the vampire knew. Ideas began bubbling up through Kains thoughts, the biggest of which was letting the thing go, and following it to Vorador. It seemed reasonable, but how would he go about it? As the thought grew, he figured it out. And smiled.
---
Raziel, the ex-vampire wraith that he now was, had not expected what lay before him. As he exited the portal to the Hylden world, a lush green view blanketed the ground. Far out in the distance, bright crimson red mountains stood high, possibly higher than in Nosgoth. Down the hill from where he stood lay a city, seemingly civilized, with a bustling populace. As he turned his attention skyward, the bright sun blinded him for a second before he put his hand up to block it. The clouds seemed to emanate a light gray, on a very hard, light blue background. He reveled in the sight, knowing what he was here to do, but now disliking the job all the more. He turned around, checking out the rest of his surroundings. Mountains behind him signaled that he would find nothing that way. It looked like the town was his best, and worst, choice.
The venture down the hill took a short amount of time, and Raziel had no encounters along the way, which was always good. The more people that knew he was here, the worse the situation would be. He stopped about 60 yards outside the town's edge, and knelt down. He'd have to come up with a plan to fit in, or at least not be seen. As he pondered, the dread of being watched came over him, as though some higher being was looking down upon him. The thought became reality, however, when a large blunt object caught him in the side of the head, sending him reeling, and into unconsciousness.
---
Janos flew like the wind, keeping Kain well out of tracking distance. He'd been lucky to get away, and was going to press that luck as far as possible. As he crossed over the forest, his thoughts returned to the job he'd been sent to do. Find Vorador, and the forging technique for the Reaver. Not more than minutes later, he landed on the balcony of Voradors mansion. The Hylden knew that he would look wrong, had Janos actually wanted to speak with him. He focused all his energy onto the body he encompassed, and slowly began to change appearance. He'd kept the Hylden look for long enough, and it would hinder his progress now. Janos Audron now stood, looking exactly as he did before the ordeal started, and he went to find the vampire.
A forest blocked Kains passage, but he'd followed his prey long enough to know the direction he was going. The vampire began running through the woods, dodging in between trees and foliage of all kinds. It took less time than he thought it would to tread through, but as he came to a halt, Voradors mansion stood before him. He smirked, knowing all too well who else had come here, and how he'd let him go. The vampire could have easily ripped the jugular from the fiends throat, but opted to 'slip' and lose his footing on the pillar. It was, in essence, a ploy to make the Hylden believe he got away through sheer dumb luck. Apparently, it worked. Kain quickly climbed the mansion walls and darted in through an open window. He closed his eyes and listened carefully, trying to pick out familiar sounds, and heard only one. Janos' voice. He quietly slid around corners and down hallways until he found where it was coming from, and listened intently.
"Vorador, old friend. I have a grave favor to ask. Raziel has been bested, and the Reaver is lost. Kain has been placed in the position to save Nosgoth, but he cannot do it without the Reaver. Is there a chance that you could forge another, or someone else?"
"Janos, I cannot. The Reaver was forged for Raziel, and it should be wielded by him alone."
"I understand, but we no longer have that option. Kain is our best choice, and possibly the only one we have. If you will not forge a new Reaver, then let me do it. Teach me, and I will forge it for Kain."
Kain could not hear Vorador, which meant he pondered the thought. Would he actually give out the secret to the beast? How could Vorador not realize that it was not the true Janos Audron? He had to find out. As the silence in the room lengthened, Kain came up with a plan. He gathered every vile thought he could muster and walked into the room.
Vorador looked up and was taken aback at Kains appearance. He'd not thought the vampire ruler of Nosgoth would visit him, let alone as nonchalantly as he had.
"Kain! What are you doing here?"
"I have come to ask you the same thing he has."
Kain motioned to Janos, who stood dumbfounded, but regained his composure rather rapidly. He smiled, and took it upon himself to respond.
"Kain, I had worried you mourned the loss of Raziel. I hear tell he was bested by a Hylden, no?"
"You are correct. The foul beast lay waste to the wraith, but not before Raziel gave his all, and almost succeeded in killing him. It is a shame I was not there, or the so-called-demon would lay in a pool of its own blood."
It was apparent that Kain hit a button in the Hyldens mind, for his face twisted with anger. He tried to quickly swipe it away, however, Vorador took note.
"Janos, friend, you seem upset. Why would that be?"
"I wish… that Raziel still lived, to wield the Reaver and take down the Hylden."
Vorador shot Kain a split-second glance to see him smirk, and go right back to serious. He knew that Kains presence here was not for the reason he gave.
"Janos, I have come to a decision. You know Kain better than I, so I will tell you how to forge a new Reaver. After all, we can't have Kain go against the Hylden that took down Raziel without a weapon, now can we?"
Janos' face became a little brighter, indicating that he'd taken the bait.
"It would be pointless, and more so, fatal. I doubt he could best the fiend, even though his power is great."
With a wave of his hand, Vorador led the two others into a new room, with Kain trailing behind a few feet. He knew that he'd gotten the message across to Vorador, but now it was time to see what was in store.
---
A wooden ceiling hung over Raziel as he opened his hazy eyes, or what he had for eyes. As he sat up, a wool blanket fell down his chest, letting a cold breeze blow over his chest. The room he was in was small, with only one window, and it was closed. Thankfully, he reminded himself. He lay upon a short wooden frame bed, the middle stuffed with down feathers, or something of the sort. A small fireplace had been built into the wall opposite him, a stone chimney protecting the house from catching fire. He threw the blanket off him, standing up. His head still hurt, but he'd survive. He'd survived worse, and he would not be beaten by a concussion. As he started for the door, it opened. He reached for the Reaver, only to find it missing.
Damn the timing.
His second instinct, he summoned the wraith blade, and stepped behind the door.
As the door closed, a blue figure walked into the room and up to the bed. It was a Hylden, and appeared to be male. He was of medium build, with slightly larger wings than Raziel would have. Raziel crept forward, ready to impale the being, when it spoke.
"Halt. I mean you no harm, and you should know that. If I'd wanted you dead, I'd have killed you with the first blow. I am the only one who knows you're here, so please, do not worry."
As he finished the sentence, he turned to face Raziel. His face reminded the wraith of his own, while he was still a vampire. The Hylden stood straight, his build making him slightly taller than Raziel. His muscle mass was not high, but Raziel knew appearances were deceiving. The creature was outfitted in nothing more than cloth pants, with a sash tied around the waist. Through the sash, however, hung two daggers, and a lot of sharp metal discs. Each seemed to have points protruding from the edges, and each with a different number of points. He took note of each, and looked back at the man.
"Why would you leave me alive if you knew to keep me hidden from the rest of the town? You obviously know what I am."
"You are almost correct. I know what you have become, but not why. I am not as I appear, either, despite the Hylden look. I was born in Nosgoth, before the Hylden were banished. I am most likely the oldest in our world, save for Lord Granth. I am called Oryx, or in our language, 'hybrid'. I would know your name, blue one."
Raziel thought for a moment before deciding to trust Oryx. He had not been aggressive thus far, and that alone was reason to trust him, especially in this place.
"I am Raziel. I fear that I cannot entirely trust you, but it seems I have no better choice, do I? You have not attacked me as of yet, and I do believe you do not intend to. The question, then, is why?"
Oryx chuckled, his wings bouncing up and down as he did so. He looked at Raziel, shook his head, and sat down on the edge of the bed. He offered the chair that sat across from him to Raziel, who took the opportunity to relax.
"I am not against Nosgoth, as the rest of my people seem to be. As far as I know, the nobles are the only ones who truly believe that we need to go back. However, power and fortune can turn a lot of people onto the same path, and they now have thousands of followers. It seems that they've gotten one through already. You clashed with him, I sense, and came out alive. You must be powerful, or lucky."
"Luck had nothing to do with it. It seems that I've been the deciding factor in Nosgoth's future for some time now. Even I do not comprehend entirely what I am to do, but it seems I must, understand it or not."
"Yes. I do know how that feels. My life should have ended more than a millennia ago, with my family's. My father, however, was not from here, and had a very long life span. He was born in Nosgoth, and my mother here. That is why I am called Oryx. For some reason, I cannot die as long as I remain here. This is why I kept you alive, knowing what you are. You are my only chance of getting to Nosgoth, and finally ending my existence."
As Raziel took in the new information he'd been given, he knew that this would benefit him more than he could have hoped for. Now he had a guide through around this world, and a way to keep hidden. The only thing he lacked now, was a plan.
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I can't seem to get the story rolling enough for the fights, but I'm working on it. This chapter took me way to long to get done, but here ya go. R&R, and have a nice day!