Chapter one : axes of war
Raziel was correct. There were many portals in the city. A lot more than he was used to, in fact. He quickly fed to his full strength and chose to use one in a smaller ally, to avoid the unnecessary attention. Who would be crazy to go out in the night anyway. Suddenly he realized that he had to be a lot more careful, for a woman's scream, and a large group of people startled him. They were all surrounding him, shouting in some strange language. The loud noise and black stench stroke his senses. As he recovered, he was surrounded by an entire mob of strangely dressed and terrified humans. They all were circling around him in large empty ring, pointing at him and muttering on that alien tongue. But the next second, their attraction ran straight at the edge of the crowd, and leaping all across to the other side lost it self in the darkness of the alley.
Escaping his spectators, Raziel reclined on the wall, shaken and disturbed. He was not used to display his grotesque features in a ZOO like place such as this, and the amount he suffered just now seriously stressed him. Suddenly he realized that the wall was warm, like it was alive. He jumped off of it, and observed it for a few moments. It was a plain wall. He stabbed his claw in, and pierced it easily. Ripping some of the material out, he begun to examine it. The outer layer was white and appeared like sand stone. Under neat it was a layer of dry grass, pressed hard, and than something white and soft he didn't recognize. The basic layer was hard and red with holes trough it, but it too was soft for his claws. He could scale walls easily. Since it seemed to be the best way to move undetected, he scaled up high, and glided between tall buildings.
Once his senses adapted to the noise, he was able to witness the true magnificence of this place. Buildings were as high as mountain tops, streets were filled with lights that made night seem as bright as day, multicolored dancing lights, and moving pictures like living walls that burned warmly and pleasant. But for all its magnificence, it was far too crowdie and stuffy, repressing the nature on human's expense. It was nothing like the land he came from, and he hated this place for being forced to chase Kain to it.
A corpse caught his eye down below, bearing a familiar bite marks on it's neck. It was still fresh. Kain was near. As he mowed onward, he found another, and another, and more over there.
" What's the matter, Kain ? Are you enjoying your final meal, or do you think that your thirst can save you ?"
But as he continued, he found even more unfortunate humans who stood in Kain's path. The trail was so obvious, that it puzzled Raziel. Kain had brought them here for a reason. This had to be some kind of a trap, but even so, the bait was too apparent. He followed it to a tall and high lightened building. Knowing Kain, he was probably at its roof, gazing across the land. He must have waited for him, so Raziel decided to do something unexpected. Shifting into a spectral realm, he entered the building and found a staircase that led upwards, a direct link to the roof.
" At last I've got you, Kain !"
He started climbing.
High at the top of the skyscraper, Kain stood and observed as the horde of tiny humans moving below. A fade smile replaced the grim empty stare, as Raziel broke the iron dour that led from the stairs to the rooftop.
" Time to pay the piper !"
" Finally you've shown up. I've bean waiting for the past half… "
Before Kain could finish the line, Raziel leaped on him, cutting him with the reaver. Kain jumped aside in his mist form, as the searing pain pored more fuel to the fire of anger that already burned within him. Raziel jumped again, but Kain grabbed him, and punched trough the wall with his head. He pooled him out to punch trough again, and after that, he saw a blue foot claw slam to his face. Raziel threw his claws on him cutting him twice, and he went for the third slice only to find him self grabbed in a telekinetic grip. Kain slammed him on the ground and than throw him of the roof, but Raziel shifted in the spectral realm, and emerged again the way he came. But as he swung the reaver at him, Kain jumped behind him grabbing him with his claws beneath his arms, across his shoulders and closing them on his head, thus holding him still. They struggled like that for a few moments, until Kain finally broke the silence :
" If you could control your anger long enough to tie a few thoughts together, you'll see that there is no choice but to… he-he… spear my life for now. It's a messy thing we're in, and if ether of us wants to see Nosgoth again, we'll have to bury the axes of war. "
Kain released him. Raziel jumped back, and looking at him with distrust said :
" Why ! What is this place you've brought us to !"
" This ? "; Kain said, holding the burning wound, which the reaver left on him :" This was not my intention at all. It was your impatience rather my machinations that have caused this setback !"
" A setback it may be… for you ! This only means that you don't get to die on our HOME GROUND !"
Before the next word was spoken, Raziel jumped at him, only to be blasted over the edge of the roof by a telekinetic bolt. But as he flied trough the air, Kain grabbed him in his TK grip and polled him back on the roof :
" FOOL !"; Kain yelled still squeezing him in his grasp :" Take a look around you ! We are as far from Nosgoth as you can possibly imagine ! Kill me now, and you'll be stuck here forever !"
" I just might be inclined to accept such terms !"
" Come now, Raziel ! Who do you think you're talking to ? You are as sick about this place as I am, and we both know it !"
" Perhaps I am… But I'm more sick of your presence than you can grasp !"
" So much, that you'll rush with your quest for revenge at the cost of eternal imprisonment, when you really don't have to ?"
" What are you saying ?"
Kain placed him down :
" We've bean catapulted trough space and time, Raziel. And worse yet, this is a world of men ! Men who consider them selves the most superior beings in this world, and won't be pleased by our intrusion. "
" Why are you telling me this ? This place is as good as any to hide from me. You're intelligent enough to find a way back your self, and than leave me stranded here !"
" The taught has crossed my mind. Except the fact that I DON'T hide from anyone… Besides, my plans in Nosgoth include you drastically. "
" You can't expect me to fall for that. "
" No… I suppose not… The reaver is your proof. It is the key element of all my machinations. If you don't believe that it belongs in Nosgoth, than you are a fool. "
Raziel stood there considering. Kain walked to the edge of the balcony :
" I've bean using my telepathy for a while and I've learned much. They all have very unprepared minds for my influence, though are more intelligent than what I'm used to. This society is like an ant colony ; they all work for the interest of the collective, guided by unseen individuals. What little spare time they have, they waist on selfish needs. "
" It still beets your empire !"
" Just barely ; For such advanced lifestyle, they've drilled the earth, burned forests, crumbled mountains and destroyed entire species of life. Their " fun " requires energy, and with its production, they've poisoned this world, water, earth, air… and them selves. Their blood is as bitter as oil. I've never tasted… "
" I have heard enough ! Why are you and I in such grate trouble ?"
" There are no gates, chronoplasts or timestreaming chambers here ! Nowhere !"
" And you've had a chance to look every inch before I came along ?"
" No, you stup… ( humph ) They did, and I've read it in their thoughts ! If we are EVER to return home, we'll have to work together ! Desperate times call for desperate measures Raziel !"
" I'm not yet THAT desperate to stand by your side ! I should just kill you here and now, and than seek my own means to get back !"
In that moment, Kain grabbed him in his TK grip again :
" Perhaps you should FIRST try to find such a path, you stubborn idiot, and THAN come after me ! I'll even help you find me again. That building across the street hides a secret underground maze that few natives know about. I'll be there for the next hover, trying to find something of REAL use to us both. Good luck in wasting your time Raziel !"
He catapulted him trough the air, and than disappeared in a white flash of light.
Deep within the city, under the surface of the earth, laid a secret complex of research laboratories filled with some of the most advanced technology of this age. Most of the people who work there have dedicated their lives to their projects and the government that supports them. The place was filled with guards and other means of protection and surveillance, but it was no problem for a vampire's mist form. Kain made his way to the main lab, and after disabling the cameras, engaged in a short massacre with the resident professors, fisting on their blood and memories. He was holding the head of the leading scientist, and after finishing with his " reading ", he let him drop like a ragged doll :
" That was very informative, doctor. "
As he turned around he saw Raziel standing there. What little of his blue face was revealed, displayed a grudge that was making Kain's barely contain the laughter.
" Are you… sure you've looked everywhere ?"; Kain asked with a mocking tone
" Don't push your luck. ( humph ) First let's put some rules on the table : I'm not your ally, your friend, your anything. I don't follow your orders, I only consider your recommendations. We " work " together until we get back, and when we do, we resume what was interrupted. "
" Whatever, Raziel. "; Kain said still mocking
" Have you bean more successful than me ?"
" Perhaps there is hope for the two of us yet. I " recommend " that you follow close behind me. "
Raziel was not used to take orders from Kain any more, but he swallowed it just this once. Kain continued :
" The success of this mission depends on secrecy. We must move unnoticed or we will fail. But when the time comes massacre will be eminent. "
" And when will the time come ?"
" When I reveal my presence. You'll know when it happens. Until than, you best avoid these "eyes". "; he pointed to a broken camera on the wall.
" Walls have eyes here !"
" You'd be surprised. "
Kain shifted in mist form, and Raziel jumped on the ceiling and started scaling it.
" Clever… I'm impressed. "; a cloud of mist said :" Be wary of their strange weapons. It " barks " pretty loud. "
" You worry for me, Kain ?"
" No. I'd just hate to hear you say " you didn't tell me… ". "
Kain led him to a console where he typed a few words in that alien language the natives used. Raziel tried to remember every letter so he could make something out later. But as he leaned closer down, he felt the ceiling crumble. In a second he started falling, and shifted into a spirit realm. As he stood up, he glanced at a frozen camera.
" Catch me now if you can. "
In the spectral plane, all the doors were wide open, and he started searching for a portal out. But every single one he could find was in a room observed by many eyes. Finally he found one in a smaller room that contained some complex alchemical set of wails.
He shifted out and found him self behind a woman who worked there on the machinery. She had a white coat, and a long gray hair bent in a tail. His first taught was to kill her, but something made him stop. Her figure… her shape… he'd seen her somewhere before, but couldn't remember where. In that moment she turned, and find herself face to face with him. She was so shocked, she dropped the tin glass wail she held, and started to mutter something that certainly was not any language at all. Her face was even more familiar. Being the reaper of souls, he could see into her soul, and what he found there was also recognizable ( one more curse of his repugnant resurrection from the abyss; being able to look inside a soul of every living creature and to find good inside, but not to be able to express it him self ). He definitely met her somewhere, but not during his days as a vampire.
Before his further survey, she jumped back in the visibly terrified.
" Oh, common now. If I haven't harmed you by now, I certainly won't do it anytime soon. What will it take for you to understand ?"
Than he saw the rod she used to mark her work down before he came along. He toke it, and began drawing on a piece of paper with an incredible speed and accuracy. In a few moments he tossed her a picture of her hand and his claw, shaking hands. Confused and disturbed she examined the paper, and than looked at his outstretched claw ( hand ). He was standing there almost like a statue, patiently waiting for her to decide. After a while, she finally reached slowly and insecurely. He gently took her by the hand and helped her up, afterwards placing his claw on his torso :
" Raziel !"
She slowly repeated the gesture :
" S… Sharon… "
Looking over the room, Raziel realized that she was some kind of a chemist. But the thing on her face was puzzling; two round glass disks, hooked to her ears by a tin metal wire. He slowly reached for it and took it of. It seemed to make the image blur when looking trough it. Why, he wondered, would anyone want such a view. But he wasn't careful enough, and his claw slightly cracked one of the disks. He instantly twitched and gave it back to her in a clumsy fashion that made her smile, lightly.
Suddenly, Raziel heard something. He faced the door, and gently pushed her behind him. A few moments later, a cloud of mist started to emerge trough the cracks on the door, and slowly took a familiar form. Kain's wicked face forced the fear back in her bones, and the woman stepped back before this new intrusion.
" There you are... and with dinner no less. Have you saved her for me ? You shouldn't have. "
" No Kain, I haven't saved her yet, but I intend to. "
Kain looked at him with a misunderstanding glare :
" I don't know what you are trying to accomplish or prove or whatever, but it doesn't meter in the slightest. She knows of our presence now, and she WILL die to keep us a secret. "
" Haven't you fed enough tonight ?"
" No !"
" Well why don't you go somewhere you CAN feed some more !"
" You may be a mach to me now, but you won't prevent her death ! Step aside or you'll find your self amongst spirits, and with a bad headache. "
Raziel just draw the reaver out to the plain sight. Kain laughed :
" You can't possibly stand between me and the blood !"
Raziel leaped at him, but Kain razed his arms, and caught him in red flames. In seconds Raziel burned to ashes and was transported to the spectral realm with a bad ache all over him. He took plenty of souls to feed to the full strength, and emerge out again only to find Kain cornering her and razing his claws to strike. In the last moment Raziel grabbed him from behind and lifted his entire body high above his head. Kain hissed and swung his claws at him, cutting him deep. But Raziel stood trough the pain, and throw him on the table with the chemistry machinery, braking it to bits. Kain jumped up again and yelled :
" Fool ! She'll raze the alarm and spoil everything. "; and than he got calm :" Raziel, you and I have to much blood on our hands to seek redemption now. She's nothing more than a scrap of meet on our plates !"
" That's your vision Kain, and not mine, not anymore !"; he tossed a look on her again as if he wanted to reassure himself that she was worth this all :" I'll stay here and make sure, she doesn't spoil your precious mission. "
" You would choose to leave a potential treat rather than agreeing with me !"
" Any day of the week !"
" Very well ! But if anything… ANYTHING goes wrong, you won't be able to protect her !"; and than he spoke to her ( the first time he used this new language ):" You, do you understand ? Answer !
" Wh… what's going on ?"
" My " friend " just convinced me to spare your life for now. Should you raise the alarm, you'll die. Should you leave this room, you'll die. Should you open the dour or interact with anyone outside, you'll die. Has your puny mind memorized this ?"
" Y…yeas…"
Kain glared one more time on Raziel, and than went back the way he came. Raziel sighed with frustration, and than got calm. His favorite human was safe, and Kain dispersed. Things started to go his way.
Men slowly started to muster at the floors above. Mostly security, for important visitors were expected. As each of them arrived he was escorted to a large purely lightened briefing room. After a short period of time the last of these guests arrived. He swiftly paced down the long corridors filled with men in green uniforms, armed with heavy weaponry. He him self was followed by three men in black suits and stiff firm eyes. Finally he too reached that dark room, and as he entered the doors were locked behind him. The other men, who were already sitting at the long leathery desk, were instantly silenced by his appearance. He sat at the front of the desk in a big leather chair and, glaring at the rest of them, spoke :
" Gentlemen ; I was awoken at two in the mourning and am not happy about it. What's the emergency ?"
" Actually ser, we were hoping, you could tell us. Apparently none of us sent the call. "
" Well nether did I ! Who sent the call !"
" I did !"; Kain said arrogantly, simply appearing there in the shadows.
" What is this ? Is this some kind of a joke !"
" A joke… yeas…"; he concluded, and in an impressing leap jumped on the table, knocking one of them that stood up back into his chair :
" Sit down ! Yeas this is a joke ! You vermin sit up here in dark spooky room making the decisions that aren't yours, all the time thinking to your selves "we're the toughest boys on the playground ". It's a sick joke indeed !"
The man at the front stood up :
" I don't know who do you think you are, but you're a dead man !"
" You've missed for a century or two. As for the current dead, you'll fill in nicely !"
At that moment, screams of men started to emanate from the briefing room. The security forces tried for the door, but with all their efforts they couldn't open. They've tried even shooting the lock, while the screams swiftly subsided. Finally they've broke in to find something that resembled a slaughterhouse, except that the parts of flesh that decorated it were horrible familiar. At the top of a blood stained leathery table, Kain stood, feeding on the blood of his victim. He dropped the corpse and glared malignantly at the shocked men that just entered.
Red light started spinning and sirens to howl in the chemistry room, informing Raziel that he has overstayed his welcome. He waved to his ward, and broke trough the door with a strong kick. Moving trough the corridors, he stumbled to a group of men in green clothing armed with black metal rods and sticks. He was a little startled, and they… well they were frozen :
" You'd better stay out of my way if you know what's good for you. "
They all looked at each other searching for answers on their colleague face.
" Perhaps you'll understand this; … ROARRRR !"
He spread his wings and pointed the reaver and his claws out. In that moment one of them yelled something loud, and their weapons started to spit smoke and flame, that made Raziel jump back. The loud noise and flashes terrified and shocked him, but than he realized that their bravado was wasted. They were shooting small grovel that simply passed trough his body hardly causing any wounds worth noticing. He leaped back at them slaughtering the first few with the reaver, and than the rest with his claws.
He was lost in his work, when suddenly the fresh bunch of guards burst in flames right before him. Kain joined him :
" Our work here is done. "
" Have you found what we need ?"
" And more !"
Kain placed his claw on him and transported them both away.
George swiftly paced the underground chambers of Section, alone, with busy thoughts displaced in his mind. He was summoned to the criochamber, about some important, so important that he had to cancel some other important meetings to attend this one. The door opened with a silent steaming noise and the faces of Madeline and Operations greeted him with a hidden scorned smile.
" Glad you could make it George. "
" I'm not, Poll, so get on with it. "
" Certainly. "; Operations pushed the button and a crio-pod ejected it self, exposing three green dry corpses. They seemed like they've died a few centuries ago.
" We found them at the edge of the New-York, newly dead. "; Operations begun :" Now, they are like this. We are unable to stop the decomposing. "
" Is it a chemical reaction ?"
" There appear to be some kind of radiation braking their molecules apart. With all our efforts, they will be atom dust in approximately 36 hovers. "
" They are radiated, and they aren't hazard !"
" It is somehow contained only to their molecules. Our teem have brought back a tone of reading from the impact sight… "
" The impact sight ?"
" You don't know ! "; Madeline asked surprised.
" My position is a demanding one. I can't watch all the time. That's what the Section is here fore. "
" Of course. "; Operations continued, activating the screen :" This is the location two hovers ago. "
George viewed the satellite image with an iron attention.
" The reading that was brought in… ?"
" Static, electromagnetic, gravitational distortions… we have difficulty to put the puzzle back together. Than in the middle of the scanning, it all vanished as if it was never there. Like somebody pooled the plug on the other side. "
George polled his black gloved finger over the green skin, and scooped green floury dust on it. His sharp eye caught two red holes on the neck of the body.
" Is this the source of the infection ?"
" Yes. All of their body fluids were drawn out trough here. "
" I'll need a copy of your data to take it to oversight. This cold figure… "; George said, watching the screen :" He seems to be the carrier. The entire city must be sealed. The risk is too great. "
" We'll relies the word of a possible contagion, and have it quarantined. "
Suddenly Biercof entered running in the room. As He saw the tree in, he froze, and gathered his thoughts :
" E… excuse me ser… but you should take a look at this. One of CIA sub-cells was invaded. "
He inserted a data-card in the slot and played the video. It displayed Raziel and transparent, phantom like Kain, hacking the guards and than disappearing in a flash of white light.
"Have you verified this video ? "
" I've run it trough filters 12 and 15. We are still waiting the confirmation from 13. Ser; this white one was almost invisible on the original video, and I had... "
" That would be all, Biercof. "; Madeline. ordered
" Yes ... "; he left calmly and obediently.
" I consider this the highest priority. We must be careful. Maybe someone wants us to chase Aliens over the city. "; George said
" We'll take care of it, George. "
He left in a hurry. Operations glanced at Madeline :
" What are you thinking ?"
" He knows more than he's saying. "
" Naturally. But fortunately, we too can keep secrets. "
Kain and Raziel appeared on the tall roof. They were in a different part of the city, which made Raziel feel somehow lost and disoriented.
" I want to know what have you found out !"
" Quiet. "; answered Kain with his eyes closed. His ancient mind was processing data like a machine. Finally he opened his eyes and a cunning smile shined on his dark face :
" There is one way ; There are no devices here that could provide for our needs, so I shall build one my self !"
" Well, that's not the most insane thing you've ever done. How long !"
" About two mounts. "
" TWO MOUNTS ?"
" If you could think of a better way, I'd love to hear it. I'm as eager as you to get back on course, but the fastest way takes that amount of time ! "
Raziel's head would be spinning now if he'd have a pulse. Kain continued :
" It won't be easy now that our presence has been detected. It will have to be done in strict secrecy and to a certain deadline. If we miss this chance, we'll be stuck here for the next 300 years… one of us at least. "
" What are you saying ?"
" The planets, Raziel ! Cosmos moved to block our passage, and must clear our path first before we could travel. The only gap in the next 3 centuries will open within two mounts. And we need a portal generator too, but that is all my concern. You only need to get out of my way… "
" … and when the time comes you'll take me along ? Why ? What's my role in your grand design ?"
" If you know me, you'll trust me. "
"You once clamed that you were most proud of me, that I was your favorite, your equal ! And, as it turned out, you have a sick twisted way of showing your affection ! Give me one good reason why I should !"
" How about, you have none other but me ? Is that good enough for you ?"
" Well now that the trap is already triggered, I don't have much choice, do I ? But this is only a temporary silence between me and you ! And it could still last shorter than two mounts ! "
" And so reason dominates the emotion, just like I always taught you… You haven't changed as much as you think, Raziel. "
" Watch it, Kain !"
At once light flashed again, and Kain transported them away to a dark and prodigious underground cave. ( Of course they could see in the dark ) It was like a web of square tunnels and room blocs connected in a maze. The cave was abandoned, except for some insects and rodents.
" We are now in a forgotten underground complex about 2 miles west of the city. "; Kain said :" It was man made, to store powerful weapons here once long ago. I have chosen this place to be my sanctuary, and our base of operations. As soon as you make yourself comfortable, I'll start to gather my followers. "
" You mean infect humans with your vampiric gift ? I can barely put up with you ! I won't put up with your demonic thrall as well !"
" I grow tired of swallowing your insults, Raziel ! If you don't want to be the work labor, you'll shut up, and let me do what's best for both of us !"
" Hrrmh… Very well Kain, but my patience is VERY thin !"
Kain wasn't listening. He went his way, wondering if these polluted humans could be the seed of his superior blood. In any case he was eager to experiment…