Chapter two ; killing humanity

She awoke in darkness so thick it seemed like she was wrapped in it. A strong stench of mold and damp was piled in her lungs and before her next breath she strongly coughed it out. Her eyes were slowly adapting to the soft and scares dancing light of old candles but trough her drowsiness she felt a thin arm over his chest. She took it and realized that it was a dead thing, a bone with traces of ancient dry flesh rapped in dusty ragged fabric. Its sharp gray fingers dangled above her face like a hand of death and forced the scream out of her troth. She jumped up dropping the gruesome artifact and rubbing her palm on her now torn cape.

" Shhh… "; Kain's voice came to her

He was standing before a wooden pedestal with a torn brown book, reading it with his back turned. It was so old the gray pages were turning to sand as he would flip them, making cracking sounds that echoed the tomb. It was a tomb. Its walls were filled with burial holes and gapes from which the stench of rotting bodies emanated. Ancient gray bones filled every inch of the flour and cracked slightly beneath her feet.

" The dead value their silence… "; an ancient vampire spoke to his guest again

" Why have you brought me here !"

" To serve me. "

" I'll never serve you !"

" Never is a long time. "

Kain closed the book and faced her :

" I crave your understanding of this age, amongst other things. "

" I demand that you take me back at once !"

" Now it's you who isn't in the position to demand !"; Kain said strongly, forcing her back :" But I'll give you the same choice you gave me. Serve me willingly, or try to find your own way out. "

" I am educated in survival techniques ! I can find a way out easily !"

" Be my guest. "

She slowly and in a large arch passed Kain and reached the dour step, but than Kain spoke again, stopping her :

" Be warned ; there are boundaries you aren't suppose to cross, but once the step has bean made, there's no going back. "

" Be warned your self ; it won't be long until me and my men come knocking at your dour. "

She left, and the dour closed behind him.

This underground chamber was a labyrinth of graves and forgotten history. Trough cracks on the flour and stone, small creatures emanated emerging only briefly to catch a glimpse of her torch. Determined and competent, she marched the dark empty tunnels, minding every turn, but the cavern was too big to be mapped sole by mind. So she would flip dead bodies and skeletons to mark her previous passing, having no respect for the privacy of the dead.

At once she reached a dead end. It was a wall before her. She had to go back, but as she turned she saw a group of her markers standing before her, decorated with countless ages of rot and decay. Red ghoulish light emanated from their empty eye sockets and their burial robes ragged from their naked bones. Before she could come to, they started to approach her with outstretched arms and limpy pace, and than they threw themselves at her as an army or a mob. She screamed and tried to protest, struggling to free form their sharp pinching grips, but there were too many and she was thrown down on the dirty flour. Even more skeletal arms came over her, making her unable to move, and than the ceiling scraped and begun to drawn closer. Sand leaked off of it as it descended closer and closer meaning to crush her. Closer and closer as she screamed in terror and pain of grips, stranding every muscle to the point of snapping. But she couldn't get out. She couldn't break trough their hold. As much as she tried, they only squeezed stronger with their eyes shining all around her. Closer and closer the stone ceiling descended and the first bones started to crack making the most horrible sound she'd ever heard. The bodies of her jailors crumbled before the pressure braking like glass in clouds of dust, but their grip remained. There was no escape. There was no end. Just that horrid stone ceiling approaching. And just as it reached her skin, it stopped. The light of her torch still barely burned and her fast and long breaths were the only thing that was braking the silence. The grips were gone and now only a bunch of broken old bones lied there with her. And suddenly numerous spikes hungry for blood hurled at her from the stone stabbing so close around it cut her skin in various places. She screamed forced by this sharp pain, and the spikes went back up. The ceiling started withdrawing, and with the first chance she got, she dug her way out from under it trough a pile of crumbled bones.

She ran shaken beyond comprehension now without the torch, trough the thick dark that seamed to grow thicker and thicker. And than a silent sound froze her on the spot. A tiny sting on her skin marched into her awareness, and she grabbed for her injured arm but the cause was gone. Suddenly an entire hoard of unseen vermin flushed her body, banging the air and plunging their tiny jaws into her flesh. The pain was impossible to endure, and she desperately tried to clean this infestation off of her, but in wane. Their needle like teeth were pining and releasing every inch of her skin, not leaving an empty space anywhere, despite all her efforts to defend before the scourge. It hurled her on the flour in screams and kicking, shoving no mercy. An army of tiny fangs poked and vanished, poked and vanished, until she was reduced to a desperate animal. Finally, she managed to activate her electric suit and to chase the bats away, but it sizzled shortly after leaving her alone in the dark again, or so it seamed…

There was light up ahead. With all her speed she ran to that room and found hooded figures around a large hole, an opened grave. She approached slowly, not knowing were they friend or foe, but something, some force was making her feet go step by step closer to them and the object of their observation. One of them looked at her, and gave her room to pass on, and than the others, making a strait line by which she treaded. Finally she reached the howl and saw into it. It was her whole life, in one dead body. It was her dead body, filled with wrinkles and traces of age, but still recognizable. She backed away, and found the hooded figures closing around her, forcing her into the howl. Finally she fell over the edge and down the dark pit to her grave. She was dead of hope and will, with broken body and demented mind. Crouching in the corner, she sobbed mad with fear and pain, and than to her broken being, Kain came trough the hooded men. She looked up to him :

" Make it stop… please make… it stop. "

" Your soul now belongs to me. "; the vampire said coldly :" Say it !"

" Yeas !... Yeas… anything… just make it stop !"

Kain slowly glided into the grave, and his fangs came upon her…

She awoke on a cold surface. As soon as she opened her eyes, everything was different, like she was awake at last, and her whole life was just a dream. The thick darkness, that terrified her before, now became most appealing, and the chilly tomb was at once calming and relaxing. Against these pleasant sensations, a pain she bore in her lungs made her feel ill. But she reached for the sweet smelling bowl next to her, and guided by pure instinct, drank deeply. The sweet blood extinguished the pain instantly, and gave her the sense of pleasure, like addict's drought. Kain came to her sight.

" What has happened to me ?"; she asked him calmly

" You have paid the price of your incompetence. What is your life's goal now ?"

" I… to serve you… I know it now… I will serve you, my lord and master !"

" What is your name, daughter ?"

" Adella, my lord. "

" Come than, Adella. "; Kain gave her his hand and lifted her of the stone table :" You have much to tell me. "

For the next few hovers, Kain was asking questions about the fate of vampires after him. It seems that the Hylden have entered Nosgoth again, some time ago, and in the ultimate battle, Desmond and his vampires collided with them. They were never heard for since. Kain has tried to reach in touch with them trough his thoughts, but he tried in vane. Ether they were dead, ether they were hiding, and did not believe it was him. Now that he commanded Adella's obedience, he was educated in the new layout of the cities and the technology that was there. Kain didn't bother with techniques, only with limits of these machines, and the way to bypass them. And than he asked the main question :

" Where is the soul reaver ?"

" We dug it up along with you, my lord. But its fate is unknown to me. "

" And who would know its fate ?"

" Grand-marshal Larevos, my lord. It was he who ordered us to dig on that sight in the first place. "

" You were ordered to look for me ? Why ?"

" An ancient device was found in the northern mountains of the continent. It appears to be some kind of a portal trough time. World leaders craved that kind of power. "

" This world is led by idiots. Time streaming chamber is too dangerous to be wielded by a human. But if this Grand-marshal, has my reaver, than I'll need you to get me to him. "

" Yes my lord… But… I don't know how to do so. I only communicate with him. I've met him of the com channel just a few times… except that he would occasionally stop by to check the progress of his research facilities… He will definitely send someone, or come him self to my cruiser, to check the damage. And resume command. "

" Than the first thing we must do, is go back to your ship. You must take me there in secrecy. "

" Yes my lord. "

Kain led her out. As she came to the outer night a smile of amazement came on her lips. Every shade was alive now and whispering to her in a sweet tone. She could feel the life of the rock and hear the song of leaves, and the moon was feeding her will like its thick golden rays are poring in her very spirit. An ancient power streamed trough her flesh. Sent in the air became strong and intoxicating, and from the distance came the mesmerizing call of the wild; a beastly urge to hunt.

" It… it is amazing !... beyond my wildest dreams !"

Kain sighed with certain amount sadness. It was long since he'd felt this call. Over the long centuries it became the usual thing and finally faded out of his awareness. He'd give anything to feel fresh and new again like this young. But he too had a pleasant surprise, for the world of Nosgoth was rich and filled with clean green life that testified of strong balance in the land. The waists and swamps were transformed into lush green forests and fields, purged of demonic deformations and inhabited with perfect creatures of natural order.

Adella looked at him with eyes of gratitude, but he didn't answer in kind :

" Do you think they've send someone after us ? Someone to retrieve you ?"

" I doubt they have my wellbeing in mind, but they've definitely send someone after you, my lord. "

With his sharp senses, he started to monitor the land near the crashed shuttle pod in which they've landed. And really, soon after he felt human's sweat, the sound of their steps and the smell of their blood. They were on their trail, but a mile of forest was between them, and Kain made sure, they don't find anything else than the craft. Suddenly he had a taught.

" What are their orders if they find us ?"

" I guess, to bring you back by any means necessary. "

" Is that so… Than why not let them ?"; he said cunningly

As the unit moved trough the forest trees, Kain and Adella came close to them. From the height of the tree branches they've watched them pass underneath, slowly and cautiously. At once there was a silent TUP, and the last amongst them fell unconscious. The others hardly noticed. Adella took great pleasure in drinking out of his pierced neck, and than took his uniform and com-link. Silently and unnoticeably, the unit lost one member and gained another. And than the first one of them came face to face with what he was hunting for…

Kain sat casually on the rock paying no heed to the men who surrounded him slowly and on a great distance. He was busy toying with a small bat that flapped from one of his claws to the other. As they were done circling, he spoke, not turning his eyes off his black pet :

" Do you see how pointless it is to force your will on me ?"

" You are going back with us. I have orders to… "

" Your orders ?"; Kain said in a loud laughter :" Your orders are nothing more than fade advice of how to prolong your expendable lives ! Do you really think, even hope, they can protect you from me, on my ground !"

All of them were pointing their weapons at him, but their hearts were beating so insane, their hands shivered. The leader continued :

" Where is captain Adella ? Is she alive ?"

" Interesting…"; Kain noticed as the bat flapped away :" She was under the impression that you wouldn't care. "

" Answer me… Creature. "; the young human said boldly, but the fear in his blood was an obvious aroma to Kain.

" I took her life... And all she had to offer me. "

A spark of sorrow flashed in man's eyes. Seeing it Kain said, almost comforting :

" Do not mourn for her, Human. The flame of every life must eventually burn out. Rejoice in your success. You've haunted me down ! ME; The king of hunters. "

" You're saying that… "

" I'll come with you quietly. I'm curious about certain things, and besides, you have no cage that can hold me. "

They suddenly fired at him from all sides, and the pain knocked him out. As he arose he was in another shuttle, lifting the ground. They've placed him in a small space surrounded by some kind of an energy shield, and a large part of the retrieval unit watching him. Again he crossed his legs and contemplated his next moves, while the craft flied higher and higher out of gravity's reach.

They've docked with the chaotic battle cruiser, still disoriented by Kain's departure, though all the damage was fixed. Cautiously and carefully they conducted Kain still within shields to a similar holding cell as the last time. As soon as he was comfortably secured a tall and potent man entered the room that seamed to demand respect from others by his very appearance. He had a shrouding coat and a white hat with a big metal badge on front. His shoulders were also decorated by metal strips in red and gold color and his voice was cold and demanding :

" You wouldn't allow us to find you if you do not have the means to escape again. "

Kain opened his eyes and observed him :

" You aren't this Grand-marshal Larevos. "

" I am your current concern, vampire. "

Kain closed his eyes, clearly disappointed but with a fade smile :

" I'll speak to him alone. "

" He and I are equal. Anything you have to say to him, you will say to me. "; his dark eyes gained a certain spark of hate but only for a moment. Kain closed his eyes again and asked :

" Why did you dig now ?"

" Why now ? This is a very important time. A turning of an age. It is only fitting that you be here to witness it. "

" Ages come and go. I have seen many of those. Why should you and I care about this one ?"

" Leave me alone with him !"; he ordered the guards

They bowed and left. Kain tossed a questioning gaze upon the human that was now alone with him :

" What makes you so brave, mortal ?"

" Your foolishness, vampire. There is much here that is hidden from you. Mysteries of forgotten destinies lurk in shadows that cloud your sight. You think, you play your games with lower creatures, and you don't even know who's on the opposite side. But I'll tell you this much; you are the last obstacle stone on my road to glory. "

Kain smirked, and the man continued :

" I see that you are as the scripts describe you. Now you have that look " I'm not a stone, but a mountain " on your face. But the ages have reduced your mountain to a little more than a hill. Tell me ; How are your telekinetic powers ? Or other of your dark gifts, vampire ?"

" I'd like to know your name before I make you choke in these words mixed with your blood. "

" You shall know my name, but not yet. My first name is Atrexal, and the rest you'll know before you die. "; he summoned the guards back in :" Although I can't wait to start questioning you, I must first attend some things. Duty is before pleasure. "

He left the room. Kain began to wonder of this one. It was an interesting human, to say the least, and he was intrigued by him. But he wasn't planning to stick around any longer. The reaver wasn't brought here and that was enough. Focusing strongly, he pierced the shield around him with his whisper and contacted Adella :

" It is time, my child. Come to me. "

She was actually quite close, just outside the prison dour, guised in the mask of a simple guard. She opened the dour and marched in. One of the guards spoke to her :

" What are you doing here, private ? Return to your… "

Instantly, Adella dropped her pretending and exposed herself to them all.

" My god ! She's with him !"; they've yelled

A battle followed, with Adella in the lead. Her strength and speed beyond theirs, and she started to drive them back before her attacks. With a pulse weapon in one hand and skilled claw that was the other, she soon killed most of them. Finally only one remained. She dropped the weapon and started to close in on him :

" Adella… Don't you recognize me… ?"; he said to her. Kain noticed that it was the same one who asked about her when he allowed them to recapture him.

" Of course I do, Raniret. "; she swiftly hissed at him displaying her teeth :" I fear that this must be the end of our relationship. "

" Don't you remember all those nights we had ? How much I cared… How much I love you ?"

" Oh, please ! You were nothing more than entertainment on lonely nights. You might serve the purpose again, but right now your sniveling made me too hungry to give you the chance !"

He tried to shoot her, but she jumped high above and stabbed her long fangs in his neck. But something happened to her at the taste of his blood. Kain felt her braking inside, and before he could realize it, she fell in a continuous shock. Still draining Raniret, she wasn't responding to him, lost in some inner madness of unknown cause. She was shacking and squeezing him, draining him like an insane vampire who hadn't have any meal for a century, and finally, they've both fell down on the flour.

" Adella !"; Kain yelled concerned both for her and his relies :" Adella, wake up !"

She opened her eyes with misunderstanding :

" What… ? Where am I ?"

And than she saw the dead body of Raniret beside her, drained of blood and with terror frozen on his face. The blood was still on her lips, and by the smell she knew it was his. Her eyes suddenly started sparkling, filled with crystal water overfilling them.

" … no… No !"; she took him in her arms, and screamed :" NOOOO !"

Kain was confused. In all his lifetime he'd never seen a vampire cry, but she did. There she was, right before him, shedding tears over her blue skin and the acid sting of tear drops didn't pierce her grief in the slightest.

" Release me now !"; he ordered her poring all his will in these words

For a moment she stood up and seamed like she heeded him, but suddenly stopped and said :

" You did this to me !"; she started to breed hissing silently trough her teeth :" You did this… I killed him because of you !"

" You pity him !"; Kain almost jumped :" You are a vampire ! Pity is something we can't afford !"

She touched her face, her fangs, and saw her sharp dark claws

" I remember now… I remember everything… You turned me into a monster !"

" Be careful, whelp, less you angry me !"

Her eyebrows came close in a mad rage directed to him. She was steaming with hate that boiled in her blood and reached Kain's smell :

" You !"; she yelled and, took a weapon :" I'll kill you !"

But before she could use it, an unsuspecting guard entered the prison and to his surprise found himself before her. She tried to look as his superior, but the carnage around her was acting against all her authority :

" He used me… "; she started to explain, but the guard reached for the alarm. It was too late. The ship's sirens screamed, flashing in angry red and she knew her fate will now be the fate of a monster or other dangerous animal.

Still unable to think of anything that would reason with her former soldiers, she almost begging called to the guard :

" This is still me… Don't make me hurt you, please !"

But the guard shot her. Fortunately, her senses were amplified by the alarm and she saw his finger squeeze the trigger before it activated the laser. Dodging the shot, she received only a minor burn on her hip, and than she returned fire. She fired at his direction, but she missed and he fired again. He also missed, but it was the last of his shots, for it hit the cell-control button and the energy field that was holding Kain at bay, suddenly dropped. Like a lion, Kain hurled at him and smashed his body in the wall, braking bones like dry sticks.

Adella shot him. Her pulse weapon started frying his skin and the pain begun to paralyze him. To her great surprise he didn't fall, but slowly started pacing towards her, shielding his eyes with both of his arms. He screamed trough clenched jaw marching trough the broad ray of light, like he was walking against the storm, and finally, despite she powered it up to maximum, he clawed it out of her hand and crushed it under his foot.

She threw her self at him. With one arm cowering the black burn on his chest, and the other, blocking her attacks, he was backing away to the corner the best he could. But as soon as the pain slightly subsided, he grabbed her by the arms and hurled her away. They were embraced once more at the dour, when suddenly a group of men ran around the corner and started firing at them. They fell on the opposite sides of the entrance :

" Stop shooting at me, you morons !"; she yelled from behind the dour edge, but they didn't have the slightest intention to obey her

" Something tells me you are not the popularity quean any more… "; Kain said trough his pain clenched jaw

" Shut up ! This is all your fault !"

Kain took a look at the metal dour he was reclined on :

" Be ready to run !"

" What !"

He stabbed his claws in the metal and ripped the dour out of its hinges. Using it like an enormous shield he begun to walk towards the attackers. Adella watched as the metal plate grew orange black in his claws, but he wasn't letting go. In the end they had to start running not to get pressed, and he lunched the hot metal at them, clearing the way instantly.

" Now !"; he yelled to her

She would rather see him dead, but she wasn't looking forward to sharing that experience with him and so they've fled trough the corridors together, running so fast not even the sensors could catch them. Back in the crypt, Kain learned from her how to avoid these machines and now he was using the lore masterfully. But the corridors started to seal them in, and they've had to make a detour to reach the shuttle hunger. This detour took them trough the arch hallway with windows but it was crawling with guards. With one claw, Kain grabbed for a certain tube, and with the other punched the nearest one towards the glass. As soon as he hit the window it started cracking. It burst creating the vacuum, and sucking the others out. Before Adella managed to get a hold of something the enormous force of the air caught her tiny body and was about to fly away into nothing, but Kain reached and caught her and clawing the metal walls, reached the dour before it sealed the corridor.

" You saved me !"; she asked, catching her breath

" I won't sacrifice my children again !"

" I'm not your… "; but he grabbed her and ran for the hangar.

Finally they've reached the shuttle bay. Adella was still disoriented with various shocks she endured for such a short time and now she followed him just because she was unable to think what to do on her own. The craft hangar was patched up except for the entrance dour that were still broken trough by Kain's claws, leftovers from his last passage and they easily reached the shuttle bay, but there, standing alone on the center of the hangar was that high ranking human lord, Atrexal.

" You've made her into a vampire ? That was your ticket out ? You've shamed me, Kain. I should have foreseen it. "

She jumped in front of Kain facing her superior and bowed before him :

" Regent Atrexal, I am not his servant ! He mutated me into this, but my… "

" Silence !"; he cut her of :" Now you are nothing more than an abomination, ex-captain Adella !"; he than tossed a look at Kain :" Me and Grand-marshal Larevos had a little chat. We agreed that you are more trouble than gain. "

" Glad you are catching on. "; Kain said politely

" You and this creature of yours, "; he said glancing at Adella for a moment :" are to be terminated. "

Kain smiled :

" Who is the unfortunate one, to try such a task ?"

" To my great honor, I was selected by the current circumstances. "

Adella backed away behind Kain who stepped closer, and malignantly said :

" You and what army ?"

" I've told you that you shall learn my name before you die, so that you know what vengeance I harvest from this ; My name is Cha-Atrexal !"

Suddenly he dropped his long coat and transformed his form to a familiar white appearance of a Hylden. Adella was shocked. She'd never seen such a creature. Its anatomy was completely unique and green flames shined from his eyes. Kain was unpleasantly surprised. He had that " not again " look, but deep down inside him, he was disturbed. This was a foe that was not to be underestimated. The Hylden spoke, with his echoing voice :

" My birth brother, Cha-Zallanor led them, my birth brother who faced you, who's head you've sliced off, and who buried you nine hundred years ago. Today I avenge his failure and his death !"

He jumped on Kain and they fell down wrestling like beasts. Kain managed to kick him off of him, but as he flied trough the air he hurled some kind of an energy plate at him that knocked him away too. The Hylden had the power to compress energy into mater harder than metal, to create blades of it and to hurl them at Kain. He also could use that ability to make shields and force-fields with which he would demobilize his opponents, and protest himself. Kain had to pool all of his skill strength and speed to keep up with him.

Dodging one such razor sharp flying blade, Kain tried to kick the Hylden away, but he blocked and his claw stabbed it self in Kain's foot. It was a bad and deep scratch, but the fresh pain made Kain move like lightning and strike a mighty blow in Cha-Atrexal's shoulder. He flied across the room, landing on one of the shuttles, but he jumped up again and ripping a peace of its hood, threw it at Kain, who had to dodge it. The next moment his foot landed on Kain's chest, lunching him to the opposite end of the room.

The battle raged between them endangering the cruiser's structure with its fury, but they didn't care. Just as Kain would manage to get close enough, the Hylden would bounce him off, or would jump away again, resuming to hurl his flying energy blades at him, and Kain was slowly loosing speed. Since he couldn't outmaneuver him, he had to gain some time to think his options, and he jumped behind one of the shuttles. Cha-Atrexal lunched his razor knives at the craft and started to cut it apart with his magic, laughing at Kain's need of a hiding place. But just as he stopped to muster more magic and form new razors, Kain lifted the entire leftover of the dissected shuttle, and hurled it at him. Cha-Atrexal managed to form an energy shield around himself, but the mangled machine knocked the entire protective husk of the spot, lunched it together with the Hylden and crashed into a wall. Kain leaped at him, but Cha-Atrexal used his pulse weapon at him forcing him back in pain and burning. With it, he started to advance against him, leaving Kain to defend him self with a peace of broken metal. Finally, the blast of energy broke his balance, and Kain fell on the ground all burned and exhausted. Cha-Atrexal was cowered in his own blood, bruised, and was limping on his left leg, but a smile of triumph danced on his face :

" Finally, vampire, after all the long eons, your end has caught up with you !"

Just as he was about to strike the final blow, a weapon of one shuttle fired and blasted him away to the entrance. It was Adella in the pilot seat of the pod, and Kain leaped for the dour. As he entered the craft he still heard the raging Hylden yelling curses to him.

" You saved my life, "; Adella said :" and now I saved yours. We'll settle the rest once we reach the ground. "

" If we manage to reach the ground, before the cruiser shoots us down !"

" Never fear. "; she said with a nervous smile :" I didn't get to be the captain by writing paperwork !"

The cruiser started to fire at them, but the small shuttle was too swift for their mighty cannons and before they've send the other shuttles after it, they've lost themselves in Nosgoth's clouds.