Author's Notes: I had a really, really crappy day today. But this isn't my LiveJournal... and I won't go into the gory details, but in other words... here's my writing. Heh. Enjoy.

pinkfuzzyone: Thankies for appreciatin' the story! You're a doll!!

Solain Rhyo: Yes...I know, it was a little short and lacking in description but that's why I said I didn't like it. I just wanted it to finish as quickly as possible so I could get to Kain's REAL nature.

LunaticPandora1: Yes, I thought so, too. She's still a silly human, for all her bravado...

--Kain--

The night was blessedly cool. I tasted the moisture in the sweetened air and there was a formidable breeze blowing in, and I heard the distant snapping of fabric, popping and crackling now and then as the air swelled around me. We wandered into the village area, very few lights to guide our way but the strange dim lights from above. Sometimes the streets were paved with the black stone, which smelled something terrible, let me assure you. At other times, the roads which we passed were made of dirt, solidly packed, with thick patches of grass that grew and sparkled with dew.

I had a good feeling about this place, no matter how larger-than-life it was. Never had I seen so many doors. I felt, swallowed in the ambient noise of it all, I was walking through a surreal dream from which I might soon awaken.

I heard music, and a harsh hissing sound. Amanda stopped, obviously hearing it also. I was helping her along, because she was still slightly weak and the pace she set was excruciatingly slow. I wanted to return, slightly fearful of this place despite my lack of injuries sustained.

"It's a radio," she whispered. "It transmits music and sound. But sometimes it doesn't get through so good and it sounds like that. Scratchy. Perverted. Listen." She bobbed her head slightly, and I have to say that I almost caught the beat that she was listening to.

But she was walking away again, leaning against the wall and singing softly. I followed her again, the whole while realizing my fate was in the hands of a crazy little girl. How ironic.

"What is this city called?" I asked quietly, my voice edging on the point of whispering.

She didn't answer, but stopped, catching her breath. She looked immensely tiny in that huge jacket. Something, a sound like a pin dropping to the floor. Then there were those unnerving sounds I had hated to hear again, the sound of those moving horrors that seemed to dominate the streets at speeds only a vampire could possibly attain. But they were far away, and the screaming of the machines as they turned corners a distant echo.

"Venice," she said quietly. "It's in a country called Italy, which is in the general vicinity of the continent called Europe. There's six others... but we'll talk about those only if you want to hear about 'em." She pointed to the building, withdrawing from the wall. She stumbled backwards, fingers scraping on the wall of the nearby porch.

I picked her up, shaking my head at her frailness. She clung to my arm and grimaced. "This... sucks. I..." She gasped, enlightened as she touched my hair. "Hey...Hey, you know what? Give me some of your blood!"

"What?" I smacked her hand away, lowering my voice. I whispered back at her, harshly. "You can't just ask for it any time you want and expect to get it on command!"

"I can make you," she said, her eyes darkening dangerously. "Remember - I am a witch. I can cast spells on you." She lifted her hand just in front of my eye. I jerked my face away just as a small flame sprouted in the middle of her palm. I gasped a little before I grinned.

"Such talent for a human. I can do better, but now is not the time for that. You want blood?" I hissed, and pointed to one of the guards. "Get it from one of them." Then I was up, dragging her roughly to her feet again as the night deepened. I drew Raziel, pleased to hear him so happy for more death. His hunger was my hunger - I would gladly sate us both.

The guards did not attack me as I so quickly had thought. Some of them had their heads bent, listening keenly to their silent orders while watching me with shining, luminescent eyes. I didn't stand threateningly, but I held the Reaver tightly, waiting in the full light of their white blinding lights with Amanda pressed against my chest, who sheilded her eyes from the lights.

"What do you want?" said a vampire, walking forward. He looked commanding, and although I had respect for them all, I knew that their weapons couldn't kill me. They learned this lesson quickly, because they all carried swords this time.

"I want access to the portal," I told him smoothly. "Or this girl dies."

Amanda stiffened. I wouldn't have dreamed of killing her. Besides, these fools probably didn't know that it was closed and I needed her to work the magic for me. Still, if she didn't know I was serious, it was better that she act scared as long as I had control. I pulled the Reaver closer, pressing the cold blade against her chest. I felt her shake even more, her untamed Whisper whimpering in my mind.

The vampires all shifted nervously. Then the leader turned, motioning for two of the some dozen minor vampires to unlock the doors from here to the chamber. I narrowed my eyes as they finished and bared my fangs. "Now... as for every miserable one of you... leave."

"We can't," a vampire said.

"Cannot.. or will not?"

"We answer to Kamael alone," the commander answered. Even I could see that he was trembling, fighting with his words. "And I won't be ordered around by an ugly piece of dog vomit like yourself!"

"Do you want to die for your master... or a poorly projected insult? Which will it be?" I answered quietly, pulling the shaking human off the ground and bending my mouth closer to her throat. I pitied them, my piercing gaze noticing that these weaklings had seemed to withdraw into themselves.

"I will not die a traitor," was the inevitable answer. Vampires began to disappear from the scene. The leader continued, drawing his sword and all too aware that his entourage was vanishing under his nose. "We did as you asked. Now let the mortal go."

Amanda held out her hand as if imploring them desperately to save her. I jerked my face away just as I noticed a tear roll down her cheek, too close for comfort. Then, from her hand, the flame jumped up again and it raced across the short space between the insolent one and ourselves and knocked the sorry piece of trash directly in the chest, sending him flying backwards in a mass of burning flames.

She instantly went very limp, and I was pleased to see the vampire stand again, a screaming, walking pyre. He started running around blindly, shoving the others out of his way and roaring. Somewhere in the licking flames, I saw the tips of his fangs as he began to desperately need the healing blood of a mortal or a vampire. In the confusion I tucked Amanda over my shoulder and ran into the building again, my eyes squinting at the insufferable lighting, feeling my pupils burn and shrink to a painfully small size. I must have looked like a madman to anyone who came across me. The floor loudly announced my passing, the same smooth shining marble under my feet. Then I saw the room with the panels above, and knew that I was there.

I skidded to a halt, slowly crouching as I laid Amanda down on the smooth stones. She was shaking terribly and I was annoyed to not know the reason. Her skin was so translucent that I could see the blue and purple veins trailing along in her arms and hands, and especially the one artery in her throat. I licked my lips, trying to ignore the awful pounding in her heart. It was skipping terribly, like a child with hiccups, and for every beat it took it lost two.

I was beginning to think that this was a terribly misconstrued idea. I watched her tremble and suffer, gasping as though she were a fish out of water. Give me your blood.

I could take her with me, I thought desperately. But what in the hells could I do walking around Nosgoth with a fledgling? I have no time for her... and it takes time and energy to make her fully turn.

I fought again, and finally I braced myself, brushing my fingers over the Reaver's blade, consulting him silently. What should I do?

I sucked in my breath. I felt the indistinct tremor of power quiver through the metal. It practically jumped at my caress, and I wondered whether or not Raziel was perfectly aware that I was talking to him at all. He had always been my firstborn; a capable aide-de-campe; my second in command, and most importantly my treasured confidant. Would that I hoped that he still kept his sanity inside of that cursed sword, that his personality was still intact.

And for several moments, I swear it on my soul, I heard Raziel speak to me. He said:

"Embrace her as a vampire. She is your daughter. I entrust her to you now; do not fail me."

Her eyes were radiant, imploring me to stop the pain that was so visibly tormenting her body. I lifted her again, but this time with a calming sense of sureness and certainty; if Raziel wanted this, then plainly it must be done. She was no longer trembling, but growing quiet and solemn, looking up at me without really seeing. I thought I saw a flicker of something inside of her eyes other than the shining water that dripped gently down her cheek again.

I impressed upon the sensation of calm again, though I hardly needed to. I didn't sense her fear, only the growing emptiness that heralded the coming of death. I held her, the Reaver laying quietly on the floor beside us. I pressed her close as a father would his own child, and I knew then that it would have to be done.

It was either a slow death, or the Curse. I chose the latter option.

I couldn't waste time asking her for her own choice in the matter. Unbuckling my wristguard, I let it sit on the floor nearby and bit into it with an exhilirated shudder. The taste of my own vital fluid was intoxicating and powerful even to me; but this time it would not be for me, or my long-dead sons. I rested her head in the circle of my arm, and let my black, thick blood drip against her lips.

--Author's Notes--

Okay... to clear things up, I was really nervous about how Kain was going to go about this. I studied up on whipping beatings, and yes, you can die from blood loss if you are whipped with a capable enough weapon. And so that is why Amanda is still a little dizzy and weird while she walks off.

And so I came to the Question: Should Kain turn her? Or not? Let her wallow in insanity, and inevitable death, or bring her into his world? I thought about it... and in the midst of my own misforturnes, I figured it would leave openings for a third story... Now, I'm not saying there will be! A very slim possibility of a big 'might'... so... anyway, I shall write more. I'm sorry if Amanda's new life has been too predictable for you readers... I just couldn't decide. But I figured the story might go more smoothly if she was a vampire.