Amanda--
There was no light when I came to. One of the demons - the Hylden - had knocked my senses into pieces the moment I'd arrived. I remembered anger such as I'd never felt before, fighting and biting for all my worth until their filthy blood made me sick. Filled with a grim satisfaction, followed by another bout of helpless anger as I fumbled my way in the dark, I called out Kain's name. Wasn't I supposed to see better at night? Where were my vampire senses now?
The agony between my shoulders was more than I could bear. That, coupled with my hatred for the Hylden, gave me reason to rage against the door once I found it. A single beam of light had begun to flow from beneath it, and there I hit the wall with fire, lightning, until the room smelled thickly of smoke and magic.
Exhausted, I fell to the floor and pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes, feeling them wet with bloody tears. I gave myself up to sobbing until there wasn't any more energy even for that. Then I fell to sleep, a wicked thirst overcoming me. All I could see in my sleep was Torrent's face as I crushed it or burned it or cut it apart with knives.
When I came awake one more time, I was immediately aware that there were demons around me. They plucked at my clothing and touched my hair, silent until one of them spoke with a little simper.
"Pretty. So pretty. Little vampire bat."
Then another voice joined him, deeper, and no less unpleasant. "I wonder if the Lord will let us keep her. No matter - vampires are our enemy and they must all perish."
"No, no. Said to watch," the first replied. "Lord said 'no hurting'."
"More specifically, he said don't kill her. I have not had fun in so very long. Surely he would understand if we--"
"No, no, no!" the high-pitched wail came. "I know what Master said! No hurting!"
"Get out of my way!"
Amanda scuttled back, immediately alert, and watched in the dim blue light as the two demons - a large goat-like beast with the deep voice, and a small dog-like creature with six twisted legs and only one working eye - began to fight each other. The big goat demon, with one broken horn, threw the other against the wall and made it crack. The first squealed as the goat plucked him up from one leg and threatened to swing him around some more.
"Stop!" Amanda cried, quickly formulating a plan. "One of you should go ask him. I don't think he'll mind if you ask..." She trailed off, realizing she had the undivided attention of both of them, even though the six-legged one was still dangling in the air by one of his scrawny legs.
"What are you talking about, vampire?" the goatling spat, dropping his companion.
"You don't want him to get angry if you hurt me without asking him first. I'm a prisoner of war and I could be valued if I was intact."
The goatling, obviously the one of bigger brains for one so bulky, smiled crudely. "You speak truly, baby bat," he said thoughtfully. "But while my companion is a babbling idiot, I am not a muddle-brained fool. I am not going anywhere. But I will see to it that you are not harmed, for I know the wrath my lord can bring upon lesser beings such as ourselves. One condition - you will stay over there just where you are."
The six-legged one scuttled away into the shadows where he felt safer away from his big friend. I could only clench my hands before I responded in a thick, anger-laden voice. "Can't you see... that I'm thirsty.. and I'm in pain... and wouldn't it be better that I not die?"
"I'd kill you myself if such an act was now permissible. Why should I make you comfortable?"
"What are your names, then?" I said angrily, looking away.
The Hylden goat said, "I am Baltan. That sniveling mass of failure is Sharim."
"H-Hi," said Sharim, waving two of his little arms at me from the shadows. At least he tried to sound friendly.
I clearly hadn't considered the millenia old enmity between the vampires and their adversaries. Clearly I'd get nowhere trying to get help from them - and I absolutely refused to cry in front of them. So I kept my hands neatly in my lap, looking blankly at the wall as I felt my flesh squirm and writhe beneath my skin against my back. The pain was excruciating, but my madness lent me some numbness to it. But even that shell of protection was melting away, and my lower lip trembled and my mouth filled with blood from inside me.
--Kain--
Simply put, Janos would not let me out of his sight. He could not take the sword from me, much as he tried. I killed any Hylden scum who came close to trying. But somehow I ended up being escorted in front of Janos everywhere we went in the Aerie. The Hylden Lord gloated, but inwardly I knew that somewhere the gentle creature, Janos, was responsible for my proximity to the Hylden being. Once Janos's body had to be nourished, Janos would become powerful enough to overtake the Hylden Lord for a short time, and then I would have to kill him.
We walked to the tallest spires. I watched Janos stare angrily toward the horizon where the white Pillars were newly raised. He knew that each Hylden was valued for their prowess. No more of them would emerge from that hell that had twisted their bodies into sick, ungainly shapes.
Aside from worrying when I would get my chance to destroy this monster for the second time, I was desperately sick with worry for my daughter. The Hylden Lord told me she was safe, but how could I ever be sure?
"I want to see her," I whispered fiercely. "I want to see her now. And then we'll talk."
"We're not on speaking terms, vampire filth," the Hylden Lord replied coldly. "Every moment you waste worrying about her, you give me more ammunition to hurt you with."
I cursed silently. What would stop the demon from hurting her? Aside from handing over Soul Reaver, I would have done anything. But I could never give up the sword. The wings of Janos stirred as he stared at the Pillars with hatred. "They are not whole," he said to me. "As long as there are no more guardians, those pillars are still vulnerable to destruction. But you knew that, didn't you?"
It began to rain. The sky was heavy with clouds and the Pillars vanished into them like beams of light, turning the clouds pink and grey. The day had gone on so long I had no desire to make it any harder than I had to. Because of Amanda, I knew I would do anything he told me in return for her safety - or almost anything.
I remembered the human, Torrent, and my gut burned with hatred. We had been betrayed, thought we had the element of surprise when in fact Torrent was leading us straight into the Hylden's arms. I bit my lip, fiercely overcome with hatred. Torrent would die by my hand and his soul would find no solace in the devouring madness of Raziel's soul.
"You know you're going to lose, Kain," the Hylden Lord continued quietly, as if consoling me on my loss. "And you know that you will never truly take up the mantle of Scion of Balance. You were meant to die, and all of those efforts of changing fate only delayed your death. You wasted your own time by tarrying in that other world with your new childe."
"It was not purposeful. I will not stand here and try to justify my so-called short-comings!" I snarled, reaching for the Soul Reaver again. The guards inched closer, and I bared my fangs at them in amusement.
Suddenly the Hylden Lord, Janos, lurched to one side and gave a low moan of discomfort. In turn, I drew closer and waited. The guards didn't know what to do - most of them probably were unaware that Janos Audron still existed in the fragile balance within his own body.
"Kain!" Janos wheezed, leaning against the wall. "Come closer. YOU! Stay away from us!" This last was directed at the guards. They obeyed, but their eyes had grown hard and cold. Green smoke unfurled from their eyes like endless banners.
I drew as close as I dared, brandishing the Reaver which thrummed for violence. Raziel would never fully be sated, for whatever agonies were tormenting him in the blade no amount of blood-bathing would assuage. "What is it? Speak, Janos!"
The next words struck me like a blast of cold wind. They came fast and all in one breath, as Janos clutched my shoulder. "He has the stone!" he hissed, and before I could ask him who he meant the Hylden Lord returned and flung me away against the wall. I snarled simultaneously with him. "Just you try getting it from him!" he sneered, before he paused and cursed again, silently fuming that he had given it away so easily.
I smiled. "What will you do? You can't go near the human, because he has it. It's touch scalds like fire... it kills your kind, like it once did mine."
"What do you mean?" the Hylden Lord whispered, weakened. He signalled to one of the guards, who rushed away.
"You're looking quite pale," I purred, stroking the Reaver's hilt thoughtfully. I could have killed him then, but I had better plans. "You should go hide in the dark before the sun rises, my most beloved enemy."
I slew the first Hylden guard that came close as I dodged in a mist too thin to grab onto. The Reaver was solid enough as it cut through its flesh, filthy blood gouting from a split throat. The guard wavered for a moment, reaching up curiously to touch skin, then fell over stunned. A blow like that couldn't kill a demon, but it gave me time to escape from its comrades. I didn't care how fast I ran, as long as I called out to Amanda.
Amanda
Sharim crept closer and sat almost out of arm's reach. He obviously liked me, which didn't exactly improve my mood. Then I heard my father calling to me.
Amanda, tell me where you are or escape, because I'm going to find the human!
Not before I do, responded I, who, given the chance, would have laughed and spit down the jugular of that wretched human the first moment I saw him after tearing off his head. I don't know where I am, but I'm in a chamber with two demons named Baltan and Sharim. One of them is dumber'n a box o' rocks, and the other's pretty level-headed. I don't like Baltan, the level-headed one.
"You know," I whispered, "if I don't eat soon, I'm gonna be in bad shape... and Kain wouldn't like that, and he probably won't do what the Hylden Lord wants." I knew I was counting on his stupidity, and the obvious boredom of Baltan was making the goat demon sleepy, so I whispered as loud as I could without gaining Baltan's attention.
"What should I do?" Sharim simpered, looking desperately toward the door.
"Let me out. Where do you keep the blood that feeds your master's body?"
"It's...It's... I'll show you!" Sharim lurched up, politely excusing himself, before going toward the door. The moment it opened I slammed into Sharim's back with all my strength, then scrambled over his twitching body through the open crack, feeling it nearly close on my ankle.
"I'm out!" I shouted, and dashed away. Victory filled my every heartbeat - I'd tricked them! As I ran, I nearly skipped and fell, but I refrained from such indignity.
I rounded a corner, then fell back as though blown away. My flesh began to burn nearly instantly, for I was standing fully-facing the terrible sun.
