A Powerful Adversary

"I know you, old one. You where thought to be dead. Tell me, how did you escape your punishment, betrayer? You, who forged the sword to kill vampires...You who forged Vukodlak," Lessa asked while walking forward and drawing her sword. "Ha ha ha. So one knows of me. I'm honored. Do you really think you can hurt me with that? Really, little one, you know nothing," the ancient replied, mocking her. "I can try," Lessa remarked.
Lessa leapt forward and clashed with the ancient. She was knocked back as if she was nothing. She twisted in midair and smiled with satisfaction as the ancient's arm was on fire. The Ancient looked up at her, his lips drawn back in a snarl, "You will pay for that!" He leaped forward and Lessa blocked, but the force knocked her arm back. She was going to die. The ancient raised the blade for one last blow...and met flesh. There was a roar of pain and Seth fell to the floor in front of Lessa, impaled.
"NOOO!" Lessa cried, tears forming. Lessa leapt forward full of rage, swinging madly. The ancient's blade was stuck, but Lessa could not do this alone. "Jessie, HELP me, your blade can do more damage." Jessie leapt forward and joined the fray.

Abel drew in a sharp breath at the sound of clashing metal just inches from him. As the weapons drew away, the kindred took Izael by the shoulders and beat his black-flecked, white wings to propel them both backward and away. He knew this ancient, he knew this ancient too well.
"Lamediel! You are blinded by the very evil that you have fought so hard to banish, open your eyes!" "Silence, traitor. You have forgotten all that I had taught you!" the ancient barked, his focus unfaltering from the others who had wished to do battle and interfere. "I could never, even after your banishment," Abel answered, almost ashamed of being a childe of the beast that hovered before them. "Then why do you not follow your sire?" "Because I learned from you what not to become."

Abel raised his staff's head to the crying sky, the droplets of warm rain drenching the glowing crystals that swayed from the spiral's curves. The diamond cut stones began to pulse, accepting the snaking beams of light that slithered around them from the very air and illuminating the fashioned ash wood. "Shield your eyes! Flamgra'in Ssussun." With a mighty swing, the vampire slammed the glowing spiral against the ground and sent the gathered energy across the ground and up, encasing the possessed Ancient in a pillar of light that sparked and flashed like heavenly thunder.

From behind the arm drawn up to protect her face, Jessie saw the light of Abel's attack. When the brightness had subsided a bit, she lowered her arm to take in the scene. Lamediel was suspended in the pillar of light, paralyzed and being destroyed by its cleansing warmth. Jessie looked over to Lessa, who was kneeling by Seth's fallen form. Seth still had Lamediel's blade lodged in his chest, but at least Seth was still alive. Jessie walked over quickly and examined Seth more thoroughly.
Jessie began to speak to Lessa, "Be thankful for Seth's unique physiology. The sword doesn't appear to have pierced any vital organs. We can save him, there is still time." Lessa got ready to remove the blade as Jessie prepared a healing spell. In one swift motion, Lessa was holding the blade away from Seth and Jessie's hand was covering the wound as she began the healing ritual.
When she had done what she could, Jessie stood up and faced Lessa. She said, "It's up to Seth now. Um... about before... I'm sorry I let this happen. I didn't mean to just stand there, but the Nerayan saw my preoccupation with Lamediel as the perfect opportunity to resume their assaults on my mind. I was mentally blocking them out and didn't even know you were here until you called my name. I hope Seth recovers."

Novanus stumbled back from the area he had been thrown to, feeling as if he had been struck by a mountain. Never in the last millennium had he been hit so hard. His right arm felt numb and was hanging limply at his side and his mouth was bleeding. Staggering and stumbling, he made his way over to a nearby tree and braced himself while slowly counting to five. On the last number he threw his right shoulder into the tree trunk and, with a sickening crack, his harm relocated itself. It still felt sore but that would subside in a short time. Novanus walked back to the others, following the trail of felled trees and broken branches that his body had made as he had flown through the wood. A droplet of blood fell from a small cut above his eye. He licked it as it hung from his lip, even as the cut slowly began to get smaller.
In the clearing the Ancient vampire hung within the warm glow of Abel's spell. For some reason its glow filled Novanus with a great sense of well-being, despite the fact that his body felt as if it had been under a meat cleaver for several hours. He looked up into the eyes of Lamediel. Novanus could not and did not want to hide his contempt for this vampire. He was an abomination. Novanus spat blood on the floor in front of the dying vampire. "Defiler. You are not fit to return to the wheel of fate." The vampire laughed and then grimaced in pain. "You cannot succeed, Novanus. Your quest will only bring misery and will ultimately fail. The Nerayan are too strong for the young one and Nosgoth will fall." Lamediel laughed even as his body seemed to shrink in on itself. His laugh turned into a maddening cry of pain while Novanus watched with a great deal of satisfaction. The pillar of light faded and Novanus turned back to the rest of the group. It was then that he saw Seth lying on the ground.
Novanus walked over and laid a caring hand on the shoulder of Lessa. Seth's beautiful black mane was matted with blood, as was much of the hair all down his right side. With a shimmer, the mirage which hid Seth's true form disappeared and the demonic steed lay on the ground in his true form. Lessa let out a gasp. "It's ok. He's probably just trying to conserve his energy." In truth, Novanus didn't know how the dark mount would fare. He looked to Jessie for some reassurance but found only a shrug of the shoulders and a slightly bewildered look. Clearly the wraith had no idea of how the horse would fare. Lessa put her head down gently next to her companion. Novanus looked into Seth's eyes. There was great pain there, but also a fiery desire to live. Seth's life was in the balance still.
The party decided to rest in that small clearing for the day. Under the thick canopy of the trees the vampires would be able to sleep protected from the sunlight. There was a general feeling of unease amongst them all. Novanus could not tell whether it was because of Seth's condition or the impending struggle. His own thoughts dwelt on the actions of that night. His body was still sore but the worst of the pain had subsided. What truly troubled him was that his company had killed an ancient, albeit a traitor and a heretic, but none-the-less one of his lords had been slain this night and now the race may have been truly extinct. It was an upsetting prospect. Novanus had always believed that there may have been a glimmer of hope, that some ancients had not died. Had they killed the last of that once proud race? Novanus looked over to Abel. He sat huddled against a felled tree, his great wings enveloping him. That poor wretch had done something that no vampire would ever wish to do – he had killed his own sire.
Izael could find no rest, the vampire's words ringing in his mind, "Humans were never meant to become so powerful..." Was he nothing more than a member of a race born to slavery? The vampire had been mad, true, but the Sarafan Lord had said the same. Izael's faith started to shake. Then how could he have a sword with which to kill almost anyone who dared to oppose him? And had all his friends simply lied all along, catching him in a web of half-truths? And Lent had said that Kain was not... No, Izael refused to think like this. This was a poison, a web meant to catch him and turn him to darkness, a web no doubt created by the Nerayan. He walked into the rain, letting its cool touch wash away all the pain. He simply stood there and surveyed everything around him through the Sword. He even managed to smile for a while. Izael felt truly alive for a moment. He walked to a nearby hill, watching the landscape, smiling for the life itself. Then they were upon him, a dark web clouding his thoughts. Izael fell to his knees. The Nerayan...impossible! The Sword...was meant to...protect...him. "No...no...NO!" Izael struggled but was losing the battle, being caught unaware. How could this be happening?

That was his last thought, as he was swept away by the relentless tide. The body that once was his stood up and smiled with mad gleam in its eyes. The Sword's beautiful white glow dimmed, and then turned to twisted purple. Izael looked behind him, into the camp where the others were resting. Then he walked into the night, making sure he didn't leave any tracks.

Lent was walking behind them all. He felt the need to separate himself after the incident with Abel, like his responsibility for Kain had some how put him on the outside. Still, he wasn't about to leave his companions alone, he felt as if he had more to play in this drama. Perhaps Abel would earn his trust and he could see two brothers reunited, perhaps...
In the distance he had seen the pillar of light stretch to the heavens. Lent began to run, following the tracks of snow until he came upon them. The group was crowded around Seth, who was injured. Lent slowly made his approach to them. The group seemed well knitted together, and he felt he would only be a disturbance. Walking off to the side, Lent inspected the area where the light had been. It had melted the surrounding snow, and a hint of its energy could still be felt.
"Lent, don't stray so far from us," Lessa called out to him. He couldn't help but smile. Out of this group, he only felt close to Lessa, and appreciated that she wanted to include him. As he made his way to the group, a spark of energy fluxed behind him, and a portal burst open. Lent turned and was surprised to see an ancient vampire emerge. He could barely believe his eyes.
"I'll destroy you all, one by one if I have to, starting with this one!" the vampire said as he flew to Lent. The vampire grabbed him and soared off, carrying Lent. They were moving at a brilliant speed, and the vampire hung Lent so low that his feet dragged against the cold snow. He cried out in agony, his feet felt as if they were frozen and on fire at the same time. The vampire took great pleasure in this.
He first tried to free himself from the vampire's grasp, but in moments they were too high. Should he fall it would mean his death. His only option was to try and take the vampire with him. Lent turned to face his foe and drove his dagger into his lower chest. The vampire groaned a little and laughed. This fueled Lent's rage and he plunged his knife deep in the vampire's chest and took hold of his heart. The vampire let Lent go, but he held a firm grip to his heart. "I'll rip your arm off, human!" "Not before I take this with me." Lent lifted his legs to the vampire's chest, and pushed with all his might. The sound of ripping flesh filled his ears as a feeling of weightlessness surrounded him.
Lent began to fall, and the vampire fell as well. Falling down, Lent kept a firm grip on the heart while the cold wind beat against his eyes as tears froze to his cheeks. When his body hit, he felt no pain, nor the still beating black heart he now held. All he felt was death.

Lessa saw Lent fall. She ran over to his body on the ground. Blood came from his mouth and his eyes were closed. Her mind screamed at the waste of it. No, it could not be, after all he had done: protected Kain, drunk of Vorador's blood, the pain he had suffered at her own hands. To die like that...Lessa placed her hand on his head, giving him the blessing to return to the wheel, where the god would welcome him. She then rose and walked away, back to Seth, and sat down beside him. She would have to tell Vorador. "Father. Your servant has fallen," she whispered to him. "How, my child?" came his response. "We ran across the foul traitor that made the sword Vukodlak. Lent fell at his hands." "And the traitor?" "Lent tore his heart from him before he fell to his death." "I see. Kain grows stronger and soon he may rise. Do what you must, my child. You head to Dark Eden, I know. Be careful, the blade is there and you know there is no cure for its touch for us," Vorador told her in a quite concerned voice.
"I will, father, but I will do what I must, or nothing will matter. If I do not come back...be well, my lord and sire," said Lessa, sending all her love to him. "Go well, my child, but you will return. I would miss you too much." With that, Vorador cut off the whisper, he had tried to give her hope but she knew how dangerous and suicidal this task was.
Novanus walked over to her and sat beside her. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly. "Yes. There is something you must know, Novanus. It would be better to tell you now in case I do not survive this endeavor. Vorador lives. He has Kain. That is where Lent went when he left the Temple. There is still hope. Kain will live and walk again if Vorador has anything to do with it."

The thing who once had been Izael froze in its tracks. It let out a piercing scream which could be heard miles away. The glow in the Sword turned to pale white again. Then the body of Izael fell to the ground. When Izael awoke again, the sun was rising. He tried moving and started laughing when he realized his movements were no longer controlled by another. It had been that ancient vampire...Lamediel, not the Nerayan, who had caught him and intruded his mind. Izael's freedom meant that the vampire was finally dead. He was free…and lost. Izael looked around. He had covered his tracks all too well, he couldn't tell a way back to the camp. Worse, he had no food. These woods were completely strange to him. But he would not give up. Izael stood up, looking grim, and started walking. Staying in one place would mean certain death.

Jessie was alone in the darkness, surrounded by voices. "Come, Jessie, return to us. You belong with us. Together, we will be complete. Come..." the Nerayan kept up an endless chatter of requests for Jessie to give in and join them. She would not do it. She would not allow herself to betray her friends to such a horrible existence. However, the Nerayan refused to accept that. They kept tearing at her mind, trying to wear her down.
With a burst of energy, Jessie was able to expel them from her thoughts, at least for the time being. The world slowly came into focus around her. At first, she couldn't make sense of what she saw. Then it hit her: Lamediel had killed Lent. She couldn't believe it. She didn't know how to react. She walked over to his body, almost hoping she had been mistaken, but she couldn't detect any traces of life. 'At least he made that bastard pay,' thought Jessie as she looked at the heart firmly clasped in Lent's hand.
Jessie thought over the last few times the Nerayan had noticeably increased their assaults against her consciousness. They seemed to try to get hold of her right when they were planning to do something to her friends. Perhaps they didn't really expect for her to ever join them and they were just trying to distract her. Now she really didn't want to join them. Ever. But she would need to find a way to block them completely if she was to be of any help in the future.

Izael collapsed in exhaustion, unable to continue any longer. He had been walking in these woods seemingly forever. Despair gripped his heart. He could never get out. He would die here. "No, you fool. Think! What have you been taught by Gad and Novanus? The Sword can help, it won't let me down now," he yelled at himself. And then he remembered: teleportation! With desperation, Izael merged his mind the Sword, calling it out to bring him to...where? Where were the others? He did not know. Izael understood he had only one choice: go to the Dark Eden and survive long enough for the others to arrive there. With a sigh, he focused. For a heartbeat Izael feared it wouldn't work, but then his form dissipated into shards of light.

Lessa sat looking at Lent. She looked at his face and body. Her eyes followed the line of his body until they came to rest on the heart he was holding. Of course - the heart. Lessa jumped up and ran to his body. She knelt beside Lent and pried the Heart from his fingers. Then she plunged her other hand into the chest of Lent, pulling out his heart and throwing it to one side. Taking the heart of the Ancient vampire, she plunged it in the hole she had just made in Lent's chest. Lessa then cut her wrist and dripped blood on the heart. It began to beat and knit itself into Lent. Lessa stood up and stepped back. The rest was up to Lent.
Novanus had watched what she had done and he walked up to her. "Do you think this is wise?" "He has the right to it. He has done so much for us, for both of us, as you well know. He took Kain to Vorador, and even after what we did to him he came back to us. He should be given the dark gift," replied Lessa, crossing her arms and sitting back down next to Seth. "What will Vorador say to this?" Novanus asked, sitting next to her again. "I think he will find it fitting, but why don't you ask him yourself? I know you have missed him and Kain," she said while stroking Seth. "He will be glad to hear from you."