Disclaimer: I don't own LOK or POP. Elizabeth was a stock sue-type until she lost her grip on reality.

20060605 - I would have taken this out for viewing yesterday, but the hotel's wi-fi was down.

When I typed this out, I had chapter 1, 2, 10, and 15. I only properly chapterized as I uploaded.

"Raziel," Elizabeth called softly.

Raziel turned to follow the voice through a gate, which closed behind him. There, he found Elizabeth, cornered in an alcove.

Raziel grabbed Eliza and pinned her against the wall. "You expect me to run around with you, play your games, and then return to Nosgoth as if nothing has happened?" He growled.

"You're not supposed to hurt me," Liz complained as she tried to squirm out of Raziel's grip.

"I won't play," Raziel insisted. He brushed against Elizabeth's neck, scenting the blood just below the skin. "I'm thirsty."

In desperation, Liz reached into the fountain that Raziel had somehow failed to notice. "Drink water!" she spat, flinging a handful into his face.

As Elizabeth broke away, she figured that at best the Gamester had granted Raziel Rahab's immunity to water and she had merely startled him. With that thought giving her speed, she dove into a narrow crack near the floor.

The crack merely passed through the wall into an adjoining hallway, allowing Liz to turn around and look back to Raziel. She gasped as she saw a mass of blood covering half of his face.

"Raziel, I'm sorry," Elizabeth sobbed.

Raziel tentatively reached to his face and wiped away some of the blood. He stared at it for a moment before hesitantly licking it off his claws. Curious, he reached toward the fountain again.

"It doesn't hurt me," Raziel said. He lifted his claws, the liquid streaming from them. "It's blood."

After Raziel had drank his fill, he crouched in front of the crack that Elizabeth had crawled through. "I'll grant you safety in exchange for answers. Why did you bring me here?"

"I'm sorry that I didn't warn you about the sword," Elizabeth whispered.

"I know about it now," Raziel said. "Vorador can help me, if can find him."

"Vorador can't help you, Janos can't help you, you won't let Kain help you," Elizabeth sighed. "Stay here with me."

"In yet another crumbling castle filled with hostile monsters?" Raziel asked.

"That dagger can undo all of this. We just need to get to the hourglass," Elizabeth said. "Meet me in the reception hall."

"Why don't you come with me?" Raziel asked, ducking to peer through the crack.

"This way is safe," Elizabeth answered. "Look out."

Raziel jumped up just in time to defend himself against a small swarm of scarabs. Inwardly, Raziel granted that Elizabeth could be right. As he fought his way through traps and pitfalls, monsters and giant bugs, Raziel was at least glad that he did not have to protect Elizabeth as well.

When Raziel finally made it back to the reception hall, he saw Elizabeth trying to fend off a pack of sand creatures with only a bow and arrow. "Eliza!" he called before jumping into the fray. Raziel knew that Liz was capable of being defended.

Raziel recognized one of the sand creatures. The dreamlike trance he had arrived in had portrayed this man as Kain. Raziel figured that this was the character's father; he was familiar enough with the emotional connotations. What Raziel did not realize was the love that King Sharaman had for his son.

When all of the sand creatures were destroyed, Raziel stepped into the column of sand. He had become addicted to seeing ahead. Though most of the visions were inconsequential, one lingered in his mind. Though viewed from behind, the form of the Visser was easy to distinguish.

Raziel awoke slowly. The aftermath of a sand vision reminded him of awaking from the state of change. His joints ached and his vision swam. Raziel was glad that the effects only lasted a moment.

"I saw creatures taking the hourglass to another place in the castle," Raziel began.

"The Tower of Dawn," Liz nodded.

"I suppose that you have your own route," Raziel muttered bitterly.

"No, I'm coming with you for now," Elizabeth said, shouldering her bow.

"There was a lunatic that would not let me pass until I helped him activate the palace's defense system," Raziel shouted angrily. "I should have let him live as a sand creature."

"Actually, the sand creatures are fairly dead even by undead standards," Liz pointed out.

Raziel gave Elizabeth a scathing look. He tentatively poked at the pool of water at his feet. The water obligingly turned red and viscous around his claw. After he drank his fill, the water slowly cleared again.

"Why haven't you turned into one of those sand creatures?" Raziel asked.

"Well, this is only a guess, but I think that this pendant and the dagger both protect their owners," Elizabeth said. "I think Jafar knows some spells to control the sand, but he still needs the dagger to really use them."

"I wouldn't worry about him. Your 'Gamester' seems so intent on the game itself that he doesn't mind losing," Raziel sneered. "Are you here through your own decision?"

"I chose the game, but the Gamester took care of the details," Liz admitted. "I wish I had thought of that trick with the water."

"You seem to know your way around these games," Raziel pointed out. "Tell me where we are to go now."

"This way," Liz said as she leaped through the window.

Raziel followed, and he was surprised the Eliza could now move at a reasonable speed and jump a good distance. He remembered that the last time he had to game with her, she had been larger and taller, but she had also been weaker and completely defenseless.

"I can only wound them," Elizabeth said as she drew her bow in answer to a pack of sand creatures in the plaza below.

"Then put that away," Raziel said. "I don't want any accidents."

Raziel leaped down into the plaza, sword and dagger drawn. He cringed as an arrow sailed past his ear; obviously Eliza did not listen to him. At least she had stayed on the ledge.

Raziel had just about cleared the area of sand creatures when Elizabeth decided to join the battle. "I had credited you with some intelligence," Raziel angrily yelled at her.

"You know how I feel about being left behind," Elizabeth insisted.

"That is not a close-range weapon," Raziel insisted, "and I told you not to fire."

"I have faith in your abilities," Liz argued. "Have a little faith in mine."

Raziel didn't comment as he stepped into the sand column. He knew that Elizabeth could likely tell him more than the sand could, but he didn't want to show too much reliance on her.

"You are going to be left behind," Raziel said as he walked across the plaza.

"I know. The ledge is going to collapse," Elizabeth said, confirming Raziel's suspicions. "I'll wait here."

Raziel quickly traveled the long way into the castle. On the way, he encountered a strange hallway. A cool breeze blew from it, and the end disappeared into darkness. A compelling odor wafted around Raziel, and so he followed it.

Raziel emerged into a large and softly lit cavern. In the center, standing on a stone column, was a fountain. Blood flowed from the mouths of four skulls. "The Blood of Ages flows so sweet," the skulls called to him. "Come, drink from us."

Raziel cautiously sipped from the Blood Fountain, then gasped as a red haze filled his vision. "Our blood enhances," echoed through his mind as he blacked out.

Raziel's vision cleared, and he was again standing at the opening that lead to the Blood Fountain. Only now it was merely a blank wall. Raziel remembered that Kain had spoke of the Blood Fountains of Nosgoth, how they dried up after being drank from, but Raziel wondered what they were doing in this world.