Kain walked from the room, with Galen and Mizariah following step side by side behind him. He had pardoned this strange vampire. Time would tell if the Vampire would adapt to this. They came to Kain's chambers the doors opened as if by Magic but Galen and Mizariah knew it was Kain using his ability of TK. The room was elegantly furnished. And Kain's banner adorned the walls. The couched were of red satin. In fact the prevailing colours were red, gold and black. Kain walked over to the couch and sat upon it, resting the soul reaver by the armrest. It had been a long night and his sleep had been interrupted during the day. So he felt a tad annoyed.
Galen came forth and picked up the reaver with reverence. He turned to carry it to its stand on a table that was against one wall. Mizariah saw Kain raise one eyebrow, but not in displeasure of Galen in the act of daring to touch the reaver. No. It was the fact that he did not quite fully understand why the reaver did not try to harm him. Indeed Mizariah could not touch it. Nor any one else or that matter bar Kain. But the reaver seemed to tolerate Galen's touch. Galen returned with a Goblet of blood in each hand. He gave one to Kain, who nodded his thanks and one to Mizariah who was sat beside Kain on the couch. Galen took the single matching seat opposite them both. Galen regarded his daughter as her and Kain drank. She always strove to be as near to Kain as possible. Kain seemed not to mind this and even seemed to enjoy it to a certain extent. Though he would never say so. But Galen knew that his daughter was Kain's confidant in some cases. She could go with her dark gift, un-noticed where even Galen could not in shadow.
Galen sipped at the blood and delighted at the feel of the sweet liquid flowing down his throat. He looked up as Kain began to talk.
"Galen. I would have you keep an eye on Anissina. It will take time for her to adjust. And you have always seemed to be good with fledglings." Kain looked at Mizariah when he said this. Galen had only ever sired one child, and that had been at the behest of Kain.
"Me? Good with fledglings? If you recall. I tended to get all of Voradors killed." Galen said with a smile. As an assassin he had always worked alone. Infiltrating and killing before anyone knew he was there. That had changed when Lent had come on the scene. They had fought side by side in the Great War. But he had been gone 50 years now. Sent on a mission by Kain and never seen again. When Galen asked Kain about it. Kain always gave the impression that he still lived. But he never answered Galen whispers. When he had sired Mizariah, she had come with him once. To kill her mother, a Vampire hunter. But she had never gone on missions with him. Kain preferred to keep her near, to be his eyes in places he could not be. And in truth Galen knew she preferred it that way.
Kain smiled at Galen's remark.
"That is true. But Voradors fledglings do not count. They were fools. Like him. No I want you to help her should she need it."
"As you command my lord" Galen replied bowing his head in allegiance.
They talked for a while. Enjoying each other's company. Kain in a rare state of rest. But as with all things they must end. Galen was just winding Mizariah up, when a knock came at the door.
"Come!" Kain called and the door opened to reveal Raziel's first Born Suzannah.
"Forgive me my Lord. But Lord Raziel asked me to give this Galen."
She came forth with a scroll of parchment sealed with Raziel's symbol. She handed it to Galen, who broke the seal and began to read. After a time he smiled.
"Oh well. No rest for the wicked" he said with a sigh. Kain by this time had raised an eye ridge, indicating his interest was gained. Galen handed the parchment to Kain. Which he read. And he too smiled.
" Ah. He wants you to kill some troublesome leader of the feral humans. Well. That should lighten your night."
"Oh yeah. Sitting in the night for hours trying to find out if you have the right target to kill. Yes. My idea of fun"
"Oh come on father. You love it really." Mizariah said with a playful smile.
By this time Galen was at the door, he turned
" Oh yes daughter. Just like you like Zephon try and make you do an eye dance"
Mizariah picked up a pillow on pure rage and threw it at Galen. It hit him on the side of the head. Mizariah then became embarrassed that she had done this in front of her lord. She turned and to her surprise saw a smile creasing the corner of his lips. She turned back to see Galen do a mock badly hurt faint, then do a over regal bow to Kain and slip out.
"Show off" she whispered to him.
"Always"…
Anissina felt safe now. Palmer and Koria had. She feared Kain, his power but he had pardoned her so it she would follow him. But one Vampire had scared her more. The one in the black robes, the one who had slipped through the very shadows. She had heard tales of him. It seemed like yesterday. But in truth was two hundred years ago. Her parents had told her of a demon Vampire that worked for Kain. There was no way to tell where or when he would appear. He had killed so many they said, using their own shadow against them. She feared this one. She had always been told to fear him. She turned to Palmer.
"Palmer. Who was that Vampire with Kain?"
"Who? The female? That was Mizariah. She is Kain's eye's as it were" Replied Palmer with a small smile.
" No. The other one. The one who hid himself in those black robes"
"Oh him. That was Galen"
" Why does Kain keep one such as him near? He's Evil"
Palmer and Koria looked shocked by this.
"Evil? Galen is not evil. Where did you hear such a thing?" asked Koria
" He killed so many, without mercy. How could he not be Evil?" she said shaking
" Anissina. Galen will not hurt you. Yes he killed many. For Kain. In Kain's name during the war. And yes he still does kill at the behest of our Vampire lords from time to time. But it is not evil. Humans killed us in just the same manner, maybe even worse. Galen is has more mercy than most. Which is surprising after what he went through. He grants a swift painless death. No torture. Just death."
"I don't trust him" she gave a look that would broke no argument.
"Very well" Palmer said with a sigh. "Just don't let his daughter hear you speak ill of him"
"He has a daughter?"
Galen slipped through the underbrush in the moonlight. He could see the camp ahead. He decided to watch for a while. The place was made of rushed dwellings made of mud and logs, atop the largest round structure was a battered Sarafan flag. Galen laughed. Where in the name of the pillars had they dug that up from? So they were trying to revive the Sarafan. Stupid fools. Galen watched as a heavyset man came from the large dwelling. All seemed to bow down to this one. He stayed still making sure this was his target. When there could be no doubt. He tried to decide how to kill him. Knife? No in truth Galen's heart wasn't into this. So he decided to use flay. He called it up and threw it. The disc sped towards its target and made his flesh burst from his bones. Galen smiled as the skeleton toppled backwards to the shocked faces of his followers. Suddenly he heard a scream of rage then a weight crashed into him, followed by a sharp pain in his shoulder as the mans knife sheathed it's self in his flesh.
"Getting clumsy in my old age. Should have known he was there," Galen thought to himself. He turned to kill the foolish human…
Mizariah was still with Kain when she jolted from the pain in here shoulder. Kain looked to her
"What is it child?"
"Father. He has been hurt somehow." She replied concern tinting her voice.
"Do not fear Child. No feral human will kill Galen"
Mizariah relaxed a little as she felt the pain receded. She felt Galen return to the sanctuary and begged her lord his permission to check on him. Kain gave it to her. So she rose to find her Father….
Galen had turned and snapped the mortal's neck like a twig, drank him dry and quickly shadowed away. He retuned to his quarters just as Mizariah walked in.
"Father are you ok?"
Galen waved his hand in an annoyed dismissive way as he went for a clean robe.
She saw the blood and hole in his robe where his shoulder was. But she said nothing
He sighed deeply.
"Father. What is wrong?"
"I'm getting sloppy my child. Maybe I'm no good at this anymore. I just seem to be collecting dust about the place"
She walked forward and hugged him, he leaned into the embrace. Him being taller that her. He rested his head on her shoulder. She had known he had been in a depressed mood of late. But had not know it to be this bad. He hid it so well.
"Oh father. Your still needed. You are to watch that vampire are you not? And you train fledglings still. You hold much respect." She said holding him tight. She did not know what she would do if she ever lost him.
They stayed like that for a while, then Galen broke the embrace, he looked no better.
"Come. I had better see how Palmer and Koria are doing with this strange one"
He turned and left the room Mizariah following behind.