Galen
awoke to darkness. But more than usual. He felt he was bound to a
wall. He tried to move but could not. Then he tried to shadow. And
pain shot through him. Those kinds of bindings were rapidly annoying
Galen. Her heard a sound and in walked Ani. His Assassins blade in
his hand.
"Ani? What are you doing?"
"You are all the
same. You punish, you are evil. The Sarafan were right about you all
along."
"What are you talking about?"
"Your daughter
punished me harshly. For trying to help you"
"Is that what
this is about? My daughter is very protective of me, very close to
me. Your reckless act endangered me so that he anger was
roused."
"Reckless? I tired to help you"
"And nearly
got us both killed. You will have to learn to obey orders child. If
Kain had seen to you himself, it may have been much worse. The reaver
has no mercy. Once it gets a taste of your soul. It will clam you."
Galen replied eyes narrowing
"SHUT UP!" Ani roared, she ran
forward and stabbed him with his own dagger in his side. Galen
grunted then laughed.
"Hahaha. You must do better than that
child. I have suffered worse from mortals long before your birth."
"I
think what your daughter told me was a lie. You have not suffered.
Not like I have."
"I have sympathy for you child. But do not
try to tell me what I have suffered. At the hands of the mortals you
now so love."
"Where is the proof of it? They only hurt you
when you were a Vampire. As a mortal I bet you had a good
life."
"Heed me well child" Galen said in a dark tone "
yes I have suffered as a vampire. But never as much as my masters
paid to me as a mortal in service to the Sarafan. If you seek proof
of this the scars are plain to see. Look for your self"
Ani came
forth with the blade, she removed the top of his robes. She gasped at
the sight she saw in the firelight. A multitude of scars crossed his
back. Whips, burns so large it made her shiver, blade cuts, and
others that she had no idea to what had made them.
"No…. you
lie. You were a Vampire when they did this"
"If that is true
child. Why do the scars remain?"
Ani could not deny what she
saw, Vampires healed quickly leaving no mark. So any scars you bore
came from your mortal life.
"Let me down child"
"Oh. I
don't think we will. My dear Galen"
Galen looked up as Ani
spun round. There walking into the chamber was one who should not be.
His soul consumed by the reaver. Sepheli
"No, no no no no."
Ani wept, dissolved into a weeping heap."
"Your dead"
snarled Galen
"My dear Galen. After you taught me all about
distractions. I'm surprised you fell for such an old one. That was
not I. But one I controlled to look like me. For you see. I had this
planned all along. Just to get you here."
"I'm honoured."
Replied Galen in a very sarcastic tone.
"You should be. For you
see. With your dark gift of Flay. You can kill Kain"
"Me? I
will not do your bidding"
"You have no choice"
The being
concentrated, delving deep into Galen's mind. Changing his will,
Galen cried out as the pain shot through him, he tried to resist. He
would never kill Kain. But he lost the battle. Blackness took his
conciseness, leaving his body a puppet to his new master. Sepheli
laughed into the dark as Galen's eyes turned black and he walked
forward to claim his dagger off a now petrified Ani.
Mizariah
was with Kan. She was feeling more worried, after the pain to her
stomach she had felt him somewhat, the pain had ripped through her
head and then she felt nothing. It was like Galen was dead. A cold
space replaced the feeling of confidence that her father always gave
her. She slumped to the couch, shocked. Tears starting to fall. Kain
turned upon hearing her; he crouched in front of her.
"My child.
What is it?"
"I think my father is………dead" tears began
to fall. Kain eyes showed shock, then just for a moment deep loss,
then an Anger that blocked out all. He rose and went to claim the
reaver. Ready to kill those that had killed Galen. But then a shadow
walked out of the wall, in the dark corner. It was her father; He
walked to stand in front of the reaver. Mizariah rose, ready to rush
at Galen, to hug him. But she stopped when she saw the eye's that
looked back at her from under the rim of his robe. They were Pitch
black. No iris, no white bits, just black.
"Father?"
"He
will no longer answer to you my dear" Sepheli walked from behind
Galen. A smug smile on his face. Kain snarled
"You. Your soul
was claimed by the reaver."
"Oh Kain. You are really quite
dense. That was a mortal that looked like me."
"Then this time
I will make sure"
"Oh I think not. For Galen here will kill
you."
Kain laughed.
"Galen would never harm me"
Sepheli
just smiled and indicated to Galen. Before Kain could react a dagger
was in his side. Mizariah was so shocked. As was Kain as he pulled
the blade out with a grunt. She ran forward.
"Father?…….Fathe…."
she was stopped from finishing her sentence as Galen's claws closed
round her throat. She gasped in pain as Galen lifted her off the
floor with one hand. Kain came forward to stop Galen, to Galen's
discs stopped him short.
"Now Kain. Watch as I have total
control. As I tell Galen to kill you and his own daughter." Sephli
laughed long and hard as Kain stood at his end……
Ani
had followed through the shadow with her master and his new slave.
She looked at Galen. She had been wrong about the others. For as
Galen held Mizariah aloft, she saw such hurt and betrayal in her eyes
at what Galen was doing. That Ani knew now how much she cared for
Galen and why she acted as she had. Then she heard a whisper in her
mind. It was Galen.
"Child. You must act"
"What can I
do?"
"Now is your time. To free yourself of your past, to
redeem yourself."
"But Galen. After what I have done. To you,
to your child"
"Do it know child. Use your skill, kill your
master. Free me, and more importantly. Free yourself"
Ani clung
to the knives Galen had chosen for her. She pulled them out just as
she saw Galen's body take out his own, to kill his child. Tears
were running down Mizariah's face. Kain was shouting at Galen.
Trying to make him stop. Ani got up and Ran At sepheli. She dug her
knives deep into him. He cried out. Losing control on Galen. Galen
Called off his dark gift and dropped the blade from Mizariah's
throat and placing her to the floor in one fluid motion. In that same
motion he grabbed the reaver and threw it to Kain. Ani saw all this
before Sepheli's hands grabbed her head….and snapped her
neck.
Galen was incandesant with rage; he flew at Sepheli as
Ani's dead body slumped to the floor. Such a waste. Galen hacked
and slashed at him with such ferocity that he lost his footing and
fell helpless before Galen. He used flay and ripped off Sepheli's
right hand that had the gantlet. It seemed to be to source of his
power. He turned halfway to Kain.
"My lord?"
"I have
time. Do what you will."
Galen dragged him down to the dungeons.
Flay could be quite useful at half power. It would be a long time
before the reaver would release him. He would beg for it. But Galen
had decided to pay Sepheli back for every pain he had inflicted on
Ani. Two fold…
