New Circumstances, Same Goal

Lent awoke to the pain of a new existence. His body felt cold and tight all over, his muscles ached, and his vision blurred. The only sound he could make out was a groan as he lifted his head. He rose quicker than expected, but his head fell to his hand. His head was pounding, but his heart was pounding more. He didn't feel right, but inspecting himself he didn't find anything wrong with him, either. "I should be dead," he said to himself. "You ARE dead," a familiar voice said to him.
Lent had not realized someone else was there until he heard her voice. He looked up to see Novanus and Lessa. They looked so different, he could smell Lessa's blood tears, but it wasn't the fact that she had been crying. He could see clearer, hues he had never seen before. "What do you mean, I'm dead? If I didn't survive the fall then I couldn't have been turned. You can't turn a dead man into a vampire."
"You can if you have the heart of an Ancient," explained Novanus. "You put that vampire's heart in my body?" He didn't need an answer, he knew that's what had to have been done. And if he needed further proof, all he had to do was feel his new fangs. "You know, as a fledgling I might just slow you down." "No more than before," Lessa said playfully. "If anything," Novanus said, "you've probably got it better. That heart will always restore your vampiric unlife. You'll be damn near impossible to kill. Just like your master." "Just like him, I can never have children either..." Lent stood up, his whole body felt lighter.
"Thank you," he said to them both. "Don't thank me, thank Lessa," said Novanus. Lent smiled, "Thank you Lessa." She didn't say anything, just walked over to Seth. Novanus went to follow, and Lent grabbed his arm, asking, "Still have that blood chalice?" Novanus handed it to Lent, and Lent drank for the first time. He wasn't sloppy like most fledglings, but respected the value of blood. Not even a drop gathered on the sides of his lips. "Today is the first day of eternity, Lent," he said to himself, "and with the knowledge you carry, the locations of ancient blood fountains, vampire relics and spells you hold, you could be a great vampire indeed." Lent pondered this, and hinted a smile when he thought he might one day see Kain walk the earth. As a human, he would have been long dead when Kain was healed, now he could stand by his god and serve him. In the mean time, they all had to survive this ordeal. With Izael gone, the party was loosing hope. They had no choice but to continue on to Dark Eden, perhaps Izael would be waiting for them there.

Jessie watched this whole ritual with a detached attitude. She was busy trying to think of a way to shield herself more effectively against the Nerayan, but she allowed herself a small moment to reflect on Lent's return. 'If we all survive this, things will certainly be interesting,' she thought to herself. She was curious how Lent would react to being a vampire, but she was strangely certain that he would handle it well. The party began walking towards Dark Eden, hoping to find Izael there waiting for them, and Jessie followed along while she thought.
She examined her memories of her recent near-possessions by the Nerayan in order to determine how exactly they were able to reach her. After a considerable time, Jessie kept finding her thoughts drifting back to Lamediel. What was that shield he had cast earlier, during her battle with him? It had blocked her attacks, her wraithen attacks. Maybe she could adapt it to block out the Nerayan. It definitely warranted looking into. She looked over her memory of the battle very closely to try to mimic exactly what Lamediel had done to cast the shield. After a little while longer, she felt confident that she could do it. Just as she cast the anti-wraithen shield around herself, the group came to the top of a small hill and found themselves looking upon Dark Eden. Would the shield hold? There was only one way to find out. Jessie was eager to reach Dark Eden and get this over with. The sooner she knew her friends would be safe, the better she would feel. However, between now and that moment of relief was possibly one of the biggest battles Nosgoth had ever seen.

Where Jessie watched, Abel listened. Though he was happy for their companion's return, the prior event still had him upset. And now Lent had the heart of his sire? The Lords know what knowledge might be bestowed upon him in later time. The kindred simply stood with his clawed hands clasped around his precious staff, feeling the last of the spell he had summoned fade away. Not even he knew that he could conjure up magic as he had displayed. What next, flight?...Not if he could help it.
Abel approached Lent after all had calmed down and the party prepared to get on the move again. "Lent," he began, keeping his hands upon his staff and hoping just his voice would gain his attention, "I wish to apologize for the way I approached you before, 'twas untimely of me."

Izael looked around him. It was dark, although it was not yet even noon. Around him were twisted trees that looked like they were whining and bleeding in eternal agony. He raised the Sword and ventured deeper. Shadows seemed to dance and whisper around him, mocking him, laughing at the foolishness of coming here alone. Suddenly hands grabbed him and forced him on his knees. Izael dropped the Sword in surprise. A dark figure appeared in the shadows before Izael. "So, the Messiah is here at last."

Novanus sat alone staring into the fire. Dark Eden was a truly horrific place. All manner of evils lurked there and the prospect of walking through that cursed place only to confront the Nerayan was truly harrowing. Lessa came to sit by the lone vampire. "Busy night," she said. "My dear, busy does not even come close. The last few weeks have been some of the busiest I have experienced in my life." Lessa smiled. "You never seemed to suffer from thoughts like these in the old times." "I'm surprised those even sit in your memory. You were quite young before I met you. Not even turned then." "The memories of seeing you and Vorador in the mansion together are some of my most vivid. Sitting in the throne room watching you and him enjoying yourselves or simply just talking by the fireside with me curled up on the hearth in front of you." "Happier times," Novanus sighed uncontrollably. They had indeed been happier times. An age had passed since that time, but now, without Admar in his life, Novanus felt strangely drawn to them again. The pressures of the upcoming struggle had only been a glimmer in his mind's eye then, now they dominated everything.
The flames danced within the fire, casting shadows across everyone and everything. Lessa leaned back to look at the sky. Novanus abruptly stated, "I'm sorry to cut this conversation short but I need to do something." Novanus stood up and walked over to the newly fledged Lent. "Mind if I have a seat?" Lent glared up at Novanus. Clearly past events were still fresh in the memory. "Lent, I'm sorry about how I've treated you in past weeks. The importance of what we are doing had consumed me. I didn't consider anything other than this task and in doing so I acted unbecomingly." Lent looked up at the vampire. "You think an apology like that can just wipe away what happened?" "No," Novanus replied, "but I hope that we can overcome what has passed between us." Novanus cautiously knelt down.
"You're quite fortunate, you know. I was a seer and a spell weaver and I was more enhanced than a normal fledgling. What you'll be able to do with your original power and the heart of an ancient will be incredible. You are no mere fledgling and you will never be any mere vampire. Anyway I just wanted to let you know that I am sorry." With that, Novanus turned and walked back to Lessa and the fire.