--Author's Notes-- An untimely sort of update... this is chapter ten, and it's a lengthy one involving a strange 'encounter'. You'll understand, soon. Sorry for not updating... I have like, almost ten classes right now and all of them hate me. It's enough to make me cry! I don't own Kain or them folks..but I own Amanda. Essentially, she is me with some spice and sugar and everything nice.

--Amanda--

I was floating on the wind made by Death as he breathed. The chilling dismal world around me was like swimming through a shapeless muck that would only give with each cold breath that fell across my face. I cried out repeatedly, fighting it, and struggling to the surface that I knew wasn't there. All of it consisted of a vast nothingness that echoed my cries back to me and made my ears ring painfully. I already knew I was dying, or maybe death had already sunk his teeth into me and sucked my spirit into this purgatory.

What the hell did I know about death anyway?

Raziel knew far more than I. He once told me that the spiritual cycle was commonly referred to as the purifying cycle of life, death, and rebirth that came and went, swelling and capturing each soul in its vast web, entrapping each spirit and giving it a new purpose each time around the wheel.

I knew now that I was dangerously close to this wheel, and that the cold breath that I felt was the turning machinations of destiny, spinning me in and out of its vacuum, but each time I came close I was spun away by a force that had no name. I wanted to let myself go, but each time I was ready the force knocked me back again. It was pain that pulled me back. Pain and... taste.

I found myself writhing in the arms of the unnamed one - I couldn't think of his name - sucking at the sweetest tasting loveliness I had ever had in my life. My resolve caved and I was sobbing like a fool, and then I lost myself in an earth-shattering roar that sounded like the whole universe was angry with me.

I was spinning into oblivion again. I had no power over myself anymore and I was scared, because once I saw that face I realized what was really happening. Then it no longer mattered, and I was staring down the most horrifying thing I had ever seen, and the voice - oh, goddess of the moon, the voice! - shook me to the very core of my being.

You are mine, and have always been mine. Your will is strong, but mine is stronger. No one comes close and escapes me. Let go your selfish desire to live and give in to me.

What was I supposed to say? I closed my eyes, waiting, but the horrible pull jarred me out of my efforts. Oh, god, please just give me that sweet substance that takes the pain away...

You won't get it. It is gone, forever, gone from me and gone from you. It doesn't belong to you. Your life is ended, just as you wished it. Come.

I tore myself away, terrified but suddenly... enraged. In the darkness, there was very surprisingly light.

I looked down at myself. I wasn't anything special. I was a featureless yet human-shaped blob that glowed faintly but gave off no more light than maybe a stick-on glow-in-the-dark stare. I didn't illuminate anything because there was nothing to illuminate. While I was looking, though, my chest seemed to... expand as if something was coming out of me. I was even more scared shitless because of the fact that I had watched too many of my mom's favorite horror flicks to think this boded anything but unwell.

However, it wasn't horrific, nor some spindly-legged little black alien creature from an old Aliens film. In fact, the body that emerged was not unlike myself. It was iridescent, and the source of a most powerful radiance that seemed to make Death shudder around me.

"Raziel!" I cried, having found a voice. I latched onto him, we two seperate beings, and he spoke with a booming voice that reminded me of how those ridiculous old Moses movies where God is speaking through the burning bush.

"I'm not bound to your wheel, strange one. I know one like you - greedy, parasitic... a plague unto itself, feeding off the innocent lives of this world... But you keep away your hungry grasp and let her continue on!!"

He swung the Reaver of his for all his worth, and the world around me was roaring. I felt cold, watching as the world around me was very suddenly illuminated. I wrapped my arms around Raziel's neck and felt myself pulled from the force of the Wheel and gave myself up to living. I knew that I was alive, or as close to it as could be.

--Kain--

Pain was not a new experience for me. Unfortunately, knowing pain doesn't take the sting out of its blinding bite, nor does it prepare anyone for it when it comes full-force. The agony of bearing her life with my own blood was excruciating, and feeling a hungry little mouth pulling on my vitality for all she was worth reminded me of having my nerves pulled out through one, minute little hole in my flesh.

I bit my tongue to keep myself from screaming.

I watched as she finally let go of my arm. Her fingers slipped free from that deathgrip and she collapsed onto my lap with a contented sigh. Her eyes were opened, but she did not yet see me. I saw her lips move, and I knew what she said. She mouthed Raziel's name, not mine. But it was enough. I felt my wrist knit itself again and rubbed my hand, having lost almost all feeling in it. I put the wrist guard on again and picked her up, sitting her against the wall near the strange symbols that wrote my name.

I retrieved Raziel - bless him, damned and all, bless his foolish heart - and sheathed the sword thoughtfully. Only the next moment did I hear a powerful vampire approaching. He did not hide his footsteps or make an attempt to sneak upon us. Even if he had, I still might have sensed his presence. I turned to the huge metal door and awaited him.

I knew it was the vampire that Amanda had been speaking to. It was something like the Whisper that we vampires used to communicate over short distances, when too far yet to hear ourselves out loud - the way her head was bent, she must have been in close connection to this one.

The vampire who had fathered Darius, the one who had defended Amanda - in a way - wore a long greatcoat, his hair white as virgin snowscapes in Nosgoth and his face imprinted itself on my memory. It was filled with wisdom, knowledge - he could have passed for Moebius easily but this man had a kinder, more gentler face. On a better day, I would have warmed up to him... maybe.

"Kamael," he said briskly before I could ask. He had an accent that was unique, sweet and like the very scent of the fresh ocean air. "And before you even begin to draw that nasty sword of yours, I will tell you this much - you are not fighting my younger, inexperienced Kindred. Wherever your tainted blood may have originated from, I am almost guaranteed to overpower you."

I stood solidly on the ground. I knew he was taking me in. His pitch black eyes were burning with malicious, smoking hatred, and a morbid hunger to destroy me. I was amused but took extreme care. I kept my hand on the Reaver, feeling my blood tingle with anticipation. "That may be so... but consider perhaps that you are wrong, and all your careful planning and long life have led up to this point - that you will die, murdered by a 'tainted vampire'."

Kamael left no room for me to argue any further. He rushed me, and barely had I time to dodge the telekinetic blast that shattered the wall directly in front of him. I dissolved into mist to quicken my movements, and drew the Reaver, slashing toward his exposed back after manuevering behind him. I cut open his jacket and laid bare his statue white skin, which almost immediately healed. However, he seemed shocked and extremely worried and turned around quickly, countering with a sword of his own I hadn't seen before.

I deflected it and moved against him again with every ounce of skill I could muster. But after my first evasion, he didn't make the error of underestimating me again. He always kept his front towards me, never letting me get the better of him, and never letting me push him against one of the walls. Each strike cost me two from him, and my opponent's new speed won him several scoring slashes in my own flesh. My molten eyes flashed like the boiling depths beneath the earth, as carnal and savage and unforgiving as the States guardian, who often depicted death as one of his elements. I bent my will, and sent my own telekinetic attack, sending him suddenly spiraling through the air and into a pillar which cracked with the impact.

He rose to his feet and tarried a few moments, measuring me so as not to meet my blade or a blast like that again. I could tell he was weakening but it wasn't because of my being a stronger vampire. I had powers that he couldn't comprehend, and in his eyes he understood this. Nothing's fair in love or in war, either. I had no qualms that I was the Scion of Balance as well as the oldest immortal known to Nosgoth.

I rushed forward in a cloud of smoke and mist, sweeping my blade upward and throwing him into the air. I leapt to meet him, and chopped, left, right, and a final crunching left. He was sent to the ground in final crushing blow that bounced him several feet away. I landed and wiped my brow with a low chuckle.

He stood up quickly, panting and glaring at me. I rushed forward and crushed him against the pillar again after knocking his weapon aside. I pinned him with the Reaver and pressed my face close to his. Close enough to feel the chilling breath fan against my nose as I sneered at him.

"Submit," I purred with pleasure. "I can promise you that if you let us go, we'll never return again."

Kamael grew limp and pleaded silently. I gave in and backed away, positioning the Reaver against his throat. The point pricked his skin just so and instantly Raziel's voice filled my head. Screaming. Hungry. I shuddered.

"Leave," Kamael rasped, his eyes widening with the pain of simply being in contact with the Soul Reaver. "Just get away from us all and leave."

I tried to dull out Raziel's voice. It was so sudden and unfamiliar - it hearkened back to the awful day when I cast him into the abyss. But there was no pain laced in every rising tone. A distilled, terrifying hatred and loathing and sheer animosity was there now. I sheathed the Reaver, and he quieted a little. I walked away from Kamael, who was too occupied with recovering from his ghastly wounds.

I lifted my new fledgling and carried her in my arms beyond the building, no longer capable of finding my way home here again.