Yes, I am doing another meeting chapter, but I have to finish this chapter first.
N.B. Sorry for the rant about the cushion
Kain
Kain teleported from Dumah's hall to the roof of Turel's stronghold, knowing this last brother would allow himself to be saved. He had seen it in the Chronoplast portals, but had tried the others in a futile attempt to defy destiny. Its claws still held firm, it seemed. He was pleasantly surprised when he tried to enter the fortress undetected, and found the guards extremely vigilant and alert. Not having had a testing challenge for some time, he amused himself for a time, trying to avoid the guards, before remembering his time was short and announcing himself to the guards, who had apparently been even more vigilant than he'd seen, as they unconvincingly feigned surprise. Two escorted him to Turel, their undisguised reverence another surprise. Not fear, reverence. Turel had maintained discipline even through Kain's personal neglect. Despite himself, he could not fail to be impressed.
He was escorted into Turel's presence by his-what? Honour guard? Escort? Chiding himself for wasting thought on such a pointless subject, he gestured for Turel to rise. Unlike his brothers, Turel hadn't bothered to evolve much over the centuries. His clan could deal with any threat barring Kain, and if Kain wanted him dead, he'd die. In any case, none of the other clans encroached upon his territory, which was too remote for any human to reach, so why evolve? He now looked not unlike Vorador as Kain remembered him, and the resemblance was startling enough that Kain was uncomfortable seeing him kneel. When he rose, Kain began to speak.
"As you might have noticed," he began dryly, who could miss two of their brothers dying on the same day, as another brothers life winked back into existence," Raziel has returned, and he has already killed Zephon and Melchiah, and is on his way to kill Rahab as we speak. I have been to see the others, before their demise, and they are either unable or unwilling to flee him. I thought perhaps you might like to escape?"
"Escape how? Raziel was always dogged, and surely there is no safer place in Nosgoth than this fortress? He will find me, and unless he is more forgiving than he was to Melchiah and Zephon, kill me. I cannot mask myself with your skill. I was the one who cast him into the depths. He is extremely unlikely to forget that. Even if I flee, he can find me." There was a touch of sarcasm in 'He is extremely unlikely to forget that' as could be expected.
"There is one place beyond his reach. The chronoplast. He and I will travel it soon, but not to the era I can place you in."
"However you place me, I have evidently not survived to this day, or I would have sensed myself."
"How does one sense yourself? Perhaps you learned to mask yourself in the intervening years. Who can say? Time is short. You will not come?"
"I did not say that. I will come. But demolish the path to my territory lest my clan follow."
"As you wish. As to you surviving until the present day, I plan to send you forward, not to an era where you merely delay death briefly. Explain to your clan and come."
Turel explained as quickly as he could, but many of the Turelim had qualms. Especially about the garrisons scattered around Nosgoth. And the rarity of food in the primary territory. Losing his patience, Turel ruthlessly quelled any interruptions and allowed Kain to carry him via hundreds of bats. He reformed briefly to destroy the pathway, as promised, then continued. Reaching the Chronoplast, Kain set it for a hundred years time and Turel stepped through. Watching him go, Kain automatically reset the dials and slunk into the shadows. Changing his mind, he exited the chamber and looked into the portals. They hadn't changed. Raziel awakening, revived by an entity not shown clearly, each of the brother's deaths, the Reaver breaking over his back, etc, etc, Kain being struck down at Williams tomb, Kain not being struck down. That last at least was encouraging, but he had to go elsewhere to find an insight.
Teleporting to the sanctuary, he sat down on his throne. He glanced around furtively, then reached down and touched the base of his throne in a pattern known only to him and a human craftsman who had been covered with gold and exiled. The compartment slid open. Reaching inside, Kain drew out an embroidered cushion. He had made it himself. Any enemies he might have would certainly see it as a point of weakness, but he sat on that throne for long hours every day. It had taken him three years to make, but the end result had been worth the wait. Three talons easily held a sword, a spear, a torch, even a pen, but sewing needles? Only with great difficulty. Especially when the weaver had vampiric strength and kept breaking the needles every few minutes. That, and having to hide the evidence anytime someone was in the room made for slow progress. Even so, the 'vampire lord' factor had kicked in, and the cushion was embroidered with clan symbols mounted on nine pillars, on a field of blood. Sitting down again, Kain waited. In that time, Rahab winked out. Pressed for time, Kain sifted through the memories he'd stolen from Raziel upon his re-emergence after being struck down. Charm was a mostly redundant talent, but he could pick up surface thoughts in his sons when they were in a highly emotional state. Raziel had been consumed with rage over Ariel's fate. Acting on a hunch, Kain picked up his cushion and threw it at the center of the circle. When it made contact, Ariel materialized-in his lap. She screamed and quickly floated away. Kain, just as startled, but somewhat more amused, quickly began to speak, for fear of Ariel vanishing again.
"What was the 'another of Kain's creatures, come to taunt this tortured spirit' about? Much as I miss it, I haven't had time to taunt you in centuries, and I never gave another the honour."
"You know what I meant! I have been hiding from your wraith for over sixty years, and only my pillar allowed me to last this long!"
"A wraith took the time to taunt you? They normally favour the more...direct approach."
"Ha! He tried to goad me out, naturally. He even tried flying up high so I wouldn't notice him. And Raziel killed him. He blames everything on you. I played along. It's vital he hates you enough to follow you through the chronoplast, then begins to doubt so that he can be-"She cut off suddenly. Kain leaned forward, suddenly interested. But she would not say another word beyond one slip after he pressed unmercifully hard, but it might mean nothing. "Why did you release me to sit through this?" before another sudden cut off of speech. Pressing her was getting him nowhere. He let her vanish, but she remained to deliver a last warning, not as cryptic as what she would normally give. "Raziel isn't the one you need to fear. Granted, he is very dangerous, but beware that creature that raised him on his quest."
"Delivered with your usual ominous tone, Ariel. I am inclined to believe. But what is your motivation for allowing me to live? When last we spoke, you wished me dead somewhat emphatically. In any case, I have not forgotten that entity. But, for now Raziel is much more important."
Ariel shrugged. "Disregard my warning at your own peril." She vanished. As usual, not so much as a farewell. And a warning more frank than usual.
He mused for a while, then teleported to the chronoplast. He set the dials for a few hours before his birth, then retreated into the shadows to wait. And muse. He had considered retreating to his fortress to wait for the end, then decided against it. Better to gain a chance to win with a chance to lose utterly, than to lose with a small loss to his opponent. And his sons would not die for nothing. He would not allow it. Dumah flared in his consciousness. So...Dumah had had to be revived before he could be killed. Wondering what they were talking about, he absentmindedly scratched his feet. They were healing fast, but he hadn't had time to feed when bringing Turel to the chronoplast, so he would face Raziel in a weakened state. He half considered killing one of the Turelim outside, but, bizarre as it sounded, he never killed his children unless they attacked first. So he dozed, recuperating.
He awoke with a start, to hear Raziel's distant footfall. So soon...but then, he did not know how long he'd been asleep. As Raziel entered, Kain stepped out of the shadows, saying mockingly "At last..." Mocking him, as though he'd arrived late to a clan meeting. "Tell me- did it trouble you to murder your brothers"?
"Did it trouble you when you ordered me into the abyss?"
Aha. Some guilt, defensiveness. A good sign
"No- I had faith in you. In your ability to hate. In your self righteous indignation."
And yet... It did trouble me. But it had to be done.
"Lies. You cannot have foreseen all this."
And you are the only one who can see into the portals? I had expected better of you, Raziel
"Eternity is relentless, Raziel." As I am all too aware. When I first stole into this chamber, centuries ago, I did not fathom the true power of knowledge. To know the future, Raziel...To see its paths and streams tracing out into the infinite..."The strain is beyond your comprehension, yet. "As a man, I could never have contained such forbidden truths...But each of us is so much more than we once were...Gazing out across the planes of possibility, do you not feel with all your soul how we have become like gods? And as such, are we not indivisible? As long as a single one of us stands, we are legion...That is why, when I must sacrifice my children to the void, I can do so with a clear heart..."
"Very poetic, Kain- but in the end, you offer no more than a convenient rationalization for your crimes."
Haha...You didn't understand a word of it. So now confusion blunts anger. Yes.
"These chambers offer insights for those patient enough to look- in your haste to find me, perhaps you have not gazed deeply enough. Our futures are predestined-Moebius foretold mine a millennium ago. We each play out the parts fate has written for us. We are compelled ineluctably down pre-ordained paths. Free will is an illusion." Except for you...
"I have been to the tomb of sarafan, Kain. Your dirty secret is exposed. How could you transform a sarafan priest into a vampire?" So... your anger blunted, you try to sharpen it with a recital of my crimes
"How could I not? One must keep his friends close, Raziel...and his enemies even closer. Can you not grasp the absurd beauty of the paradox? Sarafan and vampire-we are the same. With our holy wars...Our obsession with Nosgoths domination... Who better to serve me than those whose passion transcends all notions of good and evil?"
Raziel still defended the Sarafan. And yet... you knew of them before you discovered your past. You think yourself so righteous?
"Don't be simple...their agenda was the same as ours."
And Raziel mocked him. Before saying "What game are you playing now?" I will have problems if Moebius gets his claws in him. Do not think it will be easy.
"Destiny is a game, is it not? And now you await my latest move..."
Sorry, but I just had to have that line the conclusion. If I made Raziel idiotish, sorry.
N.B. To all you cushion manufacturers out there, I have no idea how to make a cushion.
To all you people thinking 'Turel fanatic', the worst is yet to come. Raziel fans, he's absolutely demonized in the next chapterif it mollifies you, remember it's Turel's point of view. So.. Any comments? P.S.I probably should have made this the last chapter.