Chapter XIV

I sat on the stone ledge, my legs dangling in the air beneath me. Music flowed from my interesting instrument: an ocarina with a wheel-like appendage on one end that altered the pitch of the notes when turned one way or the other, sharper one way, flatter the other. I played a haunting song that lingered in the stones and rode on the wind. It was probably for that reason that Kain came wandering into the pass. He was following my music. I smiled and rose, still playing. He did not see me, but he looked. Deciding to have a little fun, I slipped further into the mountains, Kain following all the way, having no idea he was being led like a sheep. I kept playing, luring him on to where I wanted him to go. At last I came upon it: the Tomb of the Sarafan. I stopped playing and started humming, cooing a wordless song, projecting my voice into the tomb. Kain followed, curious, and stopped when he saw the tomb. I stopped my song then. I had fulfilled my purpose; what Kain did with the knowledge he now possessed was for him to decide. Smiling impishly, I disappeared into the mountains.

"Ah!"

I shook my head, trying to clear it. What had I just seen? That wasn't me…was it? Was that a memory? I groaned and shook my head again, unable to think. Raziel put his hand on my back, concerned.

"Soul, what is it?" he asked. "Soul, tell me what you see."

"Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to," I whispered. "I remember hating the Sarafan, always. They tried to justify their cruel slayings when they were as bloodthirsty as the vampires. I wanted to punish them. And so I led Kain to the Sarafan tomb. I knew him; I knew his sense of humour, his irony. How could he resist? He's becoming too predictable. I didn't realize the magnitude of what I was doing." I couldn't look at Raziel. How could I have done that? How could I have given Raziel and his brothers-in-arms to Kain? I always hated the Sarafan, even when I was only playing the games, but I didn't realize just what that meant. Raziel put both hands on my shoulders and I looked up at him, ashamed.

"I don't condemn you for what you did," he said gently. "If you hadn't, balance would remain unrestored, wouldn't it? If I've learned anything at all in my travels, it's that I have some part to play in the restoration of Nosgoth." I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I knew full well what Raziel's part was; I just couldn't stand to tell him, not yet. Later. After he had learned more about his destiny. Or destinies, as it were. Even I didn't understand it completely. I sighed, trying to relax.

"What just happened?" I asked quietly.

"Your memories are trying to resurface," Raziel explained. "This may happen more and more frequently, the longer you stay here, especially if you see something that was once familiar to you. I'm afraid all you can do is get used to it." I nodded.

"Where were you going before you saved me?" I asked. I realized I was still holding Moebius's staff and looked at it curiously. "And why isn't this affecting the Reaver?"

"Because you don't want it to," replied Raziel. "You haven't activated the staff. As for where I was going, it actually had nothing to do with the Pillars. I just knew you would be there. I was chasing Kain again, to Avernus Cathedral. He has the Heart of Darkness, and I need it."

"To resurrect Janos Audron," I completed for him. Raziel nodded, gazing into the distance, a determined look in his scleral eyes.

"Then let's not waste time," I said. Raziel opened the way out and I followed him. I knew resurrecting Janos was folly, but I had an idea, and if I were right I would need the Heart of Darkness. A part of me dearly longed to see my old friend, but I knew better. Janos had to stay dead, just like Kain said. But Raziel never heard that caution. "Your Reaver…what elements does it possess now?"

"All," replied Raziel distantly. "I making my way past the Earth Forge and the murals when I sensed the temporal distortion through which Kain brought you here."

"And where is Kain, I wonder," I muttered. "He dragged me out of my world, dropped me into his, and left me to deal with that thrice-cursed Time-Streamer. Why not stick around and prevent our meeting?"

"I have no idea," said Raziel. "And I don't care at the moment." I followed him quickly and without question, too lost in my own thoughts to speak to him. If I was right, then where…I nearly ran into Raziel, having not noticed him stop. He was looking at the blazing cathedral. I though I heard him mutter, "There's no sense stopping now," but I wasn't sure. He took my hand and hurried me inside and through the caliginous catacombs. I grimaced; the smell was awful. But I didn't stop, not wanting to hinder Raziel. He stopped, however, when we heard the cries:

"Hash'ak'gik! Hash'ak'gik! Hash'ak'gik!"

"Great Hash'ak'gik, we hear you."

"We tremble and we obey."

"We offer this sacrifice upon the altar of the world."

"The blood of our first born do we sacrifice to you."

"May this blood nourish you for all eternity."

"Avert your wrath from us, great God."

"The wrath of Hash'ak'gik has once more been averted. Depart now, as ever, in his service."

"We tremble, and we obey. Praise to Hash'ak'gik, and ever praise! Hash'ak'gik! Hash'ak'gik! Hash'ak'gik!"

"I think I'm going to be sick," I muttered, scowling at the cenobites as they passed. Contemptible creatures, the lot of them. Pathetic. And how could they possibly offer the blood of their firstborn, or any child of theirs? It was disgusting, but oddly familiar. I remembered vaguely my dislike of Turel intensifying into pure burning hatred after he destroyed Raziel without question or hesitation. I wanted to punish him, and so I did. But what did I do to him? I could almost remember…

"Stay here," Raziel instructed me quietly. "I want to see this."

"Uh, Raziel, wait, you don't-" I tried, but he didn't listen to me. "Raziel! Damn it, man, listen to me!" I hissed, but he didn't.

"What is it that these deluded humans worship with such fervor? Is this the dreaded 'Unspoken' that Vorador warned me about?" he said to himself, crouching on the edge of the pit, trying to see into it.

"Three…two…one," I said to myself. Just after 'one', a telekinetic blast hit Raziel in the back and sent him tumbling into the pit. I sighed, rose, and went to the edge of the pit. "Are you all right?" I called calmly.

"Never better," grumbled Raziel. I smiled.

"I did try to tell you," I said sweetly. Raziel just gave an agitated huff and looked for a way out. "Uh, you're going to want to watch out."

"What? Why?" he asked. I pointed to the shadows and Raziel looked. The monstrous Turel was emerging. I knew Raziel wouldn't recognize him. Intrigued, I sat on the edge of the pit and watched what transpired.

"I smell no blood," Turel growled. "Throat cut first, blood gouting, then it falls into the pit...the sacrifice is rejected. You will know my wrath-" He growled and moved forward, sniffing at Raziel. "Not possible," he hissed. "No. It could not be-"

Raziel summoned the Reaver and menaced Turel with it, saying, "Stand away, monster.

Agitated, Turel said, "No. That voice…not possible. I know that voice...but he fell. The Abyss, he ended there."

"I did not fall into the Abyss," Raziel said angrily.

Turel gave a sick, mocking version of a laugh and said, "Oh, it remembers that, does it?" with utmost sarcasm.

"I was thrown in, by my own brethren," said Raziel, by way of an explanation.

Again, Turel gave that twisted mockery of a laugh. "I heard what you did to them...and now, you have found me at last." At these words, Raziel dispelled the Reaver in shock.

"...Turel," he gasped.

"He's beginning to understand," I said softly to myself.

"Turel," sneered the monster, laughing. "Yes. That was my name then."

Raziel was still stunned. "The others were grotesque, but…" He backed away, circling. Turel followed.

"Yes…I am changed," Turel agreed. "I have become a god. Greater than you ever were, Raziel. You were never a god. Greater even than Kain!"

"It is to you that these humans offer their blood sacrifices?" Raziel accused.

"'Hash'ak'gik...Hash'ak'gik...' Yes," answered Turel.

"But how did this happen?"

"I was summoned. There was darkness, and great hunger. And then I was...found."

"Why do you stay in this terrible place?"

Turel was infuriated by the question. "Why stay? Would I stay if I could get out?" He lunged forward, then stopped. "While they hound me and tear at me and-" He was abruptly taken with some type of seizure. When he recovered, his eyes were glowing green and the cadence of his speech had changed completely. There seemed to be several entities present, speaking through him:

"The hour is at hand."

"As it was foretold."

Confused, Raziel watched him. "Turel?" What was confusing me was why Raziel seemed to be showing concern for his deformed sibling. That, and why I felt I was responsible for this…and why that thought delighted me.

"We use his voice to command the disciples above."

"We demand offerings to keep the host alive."

"He has been a durable vessel, but he can take us no further."

Turel broke free from his possession for a moment, but then succumbed once more:

"You must prevail."

"The champion of our enemy draws near..."

With a momentous effort, Turel regained control of himself. "No!" he roared. "I must have blood…bring me blood, or feel the wrath of your god." Suddenly Turel turned on Raziel. Sneering, he said, "You…yours…yes…it will strengthen me against them…" Raziel summoned the Reaver again.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, backing away as Turel advanced on him.

"No…no more questions," said Turel. "No more worship. Time to run…time to scream…time to die..."

"Oh great," I sighed. If Raziel had grown up – or at least had sixteen years worth of memories of growing up – in my world, doubtless I would have heard a loud "Oh shit!" by this point. Instead, Raziel battled Turel without a word. I watched him fight, fascinated. Again, his swordplay was like a perfectly choreographed dance, graceful and almost sensuous. Something tugged at my mind, and I frowned, wanting to ignore it. Suddenly I realized it was another memory, and I opened my mind to it. When it all rushed in, I was shocked. This new memory explained Turel's…predicament. I shivered at the revelation. Ohh, too wonderful!

Finally, assaulted by sound and Raziel's attacks, Turel roared and collapsed. Raziel approached warily.

Turel groaned and gasped, "Yes, now..."

As Raziel prepared to finish Turel, Turel once again came under the Hyldens' influence:

"Go…speed your endeavor…"

"Face him…and kill him…"

"Destroy the Binding at last..."

"We shall all be..."

The green glow faded from Turel's eyes as he uttered he last word: "Free..."

As Raziel absorbed Turel's soul, I noticed a tendril of green mix with it. When the process was complete and Raziel opened his eyes, their glow was stained green. I knew this was bad, but I could do nothing about it. With his telekinetic ability enhanced, Raziel made it out of the pit. He looked at me, and I flinched. I actually flinched.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I know what happened to Turel," I said. Raziel cocked his head, intrigued.

"Really? What?" he asked. "And how?"

"I did it," I said quietly. Without knowing what I was doing, I reached out and took hold of Raziel's arm, pushing at the memory, willing it into him.

I knelt by the edge of the great platform from which my dear Raziel had been so unjustly cast. Tears burned my eyes as I cast down the most beautiful of the roses from my garden, cut only that morning just for him. Raziel had always liked my roses. I sighed, sitting back on my heels and gazing into the angry water. A Charybdis all its own, it churned and swirled, daring all to just try and survive its mighty embrace. And my poor Raziel was lost forever in its unforgiving grip. I wiped my eyes, sighing again.

"He wouldn't want you to go on like this, you know."

I frowned, angry that anyone would dare disturb me here. Not here. I didn't even need to look behind me to know who it was. Only two voices I knew were that arrogant, and Kain had a different accent. That only left

"Turel," I said calmly. "Go away."

"Galadriël (my name in Nosgoth's language) you can't keep doing this to yourself," said Turel in a voice he tried to render gentle.

"I'm sorry, you've obviously mistaken what I just said for a request," I said icily. "Leave now, or you will join Raziel."

"I know you don't mean that," replied Turel. His arrogance was usually a source of amusement for me, but not now.

"You don't know much, then," I growled. I rose, clearing my dress, and turned to him. "Turel, I'm going to make this as…monosyllabic as I can: I loathe you. You disgust me. I will not forget what I cannot forgive. I will never pardon you for what you did to Raziel. I hope you choke on your own filth someday." Having given him something to think about, I brushed past him brusquely and started on my way.

"Kain only allowed your affair with Raziel because he was Kain's first lieutenant."

I froze. Slowly turning around, I said in a deadly low voice, "What did you say?"

"You heard me," said Turel. "He was going to make you Raziel's bride. However, since I am now his chief lieutenant, that honor falls to me." He was smiling at me. No…smirking. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's people smirking at me. I knew he was lying, of course. Kain was arrogant, but he wasn't unfeeling. My rage grew and built within me, and burst out in the form of the most powerful spell I had ever cast:

"Earth for strength

Water for clarity

Air for speed

Fire for power

I call on the power long banished from this world

Take this fool for your will to be done!"

Who says all spells have to be in verse?

Fury blazing through every particle of me, I thrust both hands out at Turel and bellowed, "GO!" at the top of a voice I never even knew I possessed. Turel was struck with a great blast of energy and hurled back into a forming portal with a great cry. The portal swallowed him, and I relaxed slowly. Smiling grimly, evilly, I turned and walked away as calmly as though nothing strange had happened. Turel was never seen again.

"Raziel, don't look at me like that."

Raziel was staring at me in shock. After all he'd seen, I thought such a thing as this shouldn't have rattled him, but it did. "You?" he asked me. "You gave Turel to them?"

"And why should I have not?" I snapped, as though I were the one possessed by a residual essence of the Hylden spirits. "Don't say that his presence made any difference in this world! He deserved it." Raziel just looked at me and shook his head. "What?"

"I'm amazed," he said. "I never knew you possessed such power. You possess it still, and that may work well to our advantage in this sordid little game."

"Do I possess it," I said softly, realizing how insane I had been acting, "or does it possess me?" Raziel embraced me gently.

"You'll be all right," he promised. "Now come. We have to find the Heart."