Disclaimer – I do not own Legacy of Kain. The only characters I own are Lucius and Infernum.

Authors Note – I'm sorry I haven't updated for a long time. I've been practicing audition music, filling out college applications, learning piano, going to the guidance counselors, and all the other fun stuff seniors do. Sorry about any errors on the fight section. I've heard shoulder armor is a paladin so if I screw up I'm sorry. Umah's sword is in the concept art for Blood Omen 2 if you don't know what it looks like. Thanks to all reviewers.

Sissy Samurai – Thanks. I had a bit of fun modeling the throne room after a room in Defiance. It's the one where you get the hub of the reaver.

Elly McGregory – Thanks. Hope you feel better soon.

Two with Wings

The sparring chamber quickly came into view as Umah flew through the halls. Today would be the first time that she fought any of the vampires in Kain's army. Her first opponent would be the intolerable whelp Lucius. A smile crossed her face as she thought of him defeated.

Quickly her sanguine thoughts vanished as she struck something. She heard a groan and realized it was a someone. The form on the ground was that of Raziel, her favored son. She quickly extended a hand to pull him up. It wasn't right of him to look this hurt. Or this scared.

"Oh sweet mother of Nosgoth that hurt." Raziel muttered

"I didn't know that was my new title Raziel." Umah joked

"No it's not" he snapped "My shoulders just hurt incredibly from the stress of running my territory."

"Then take a break sometime, just for a while. You could tell me more about this time that I'm in." she replied

"You don't know about the time we live in?" he asked, intrigued

"No I don't Raziel, I came from a different time and place. I have to be at the sparring chamber now. Regrettably, I must leave you. " she quickly answered

She stretched out her wings and flapped them a bit. She hovered as she watched him retreat down the corridor. Raziel had taken to wearing his tabard strangely as of late. He fanned it out to cover his back, usually it was casually draped over one shoulder. It was like he was hiding something. Her eyes flew immediately to the strange curve by his waist. After staring for a moment she realized his secret, he had wings! They looked like they were membranous like a bat's. So that was why he was afraid of her. He thought she would tell Kain. Well his secret was safe with her.

She flew to the chamber with no further delays. Lucius was standing around doing nothing while the other vampires were cleaning or sharpening their weapons. The vampires noticed their empress and quickly cleared the chamber. Then they circled around Lucius and Umah. Lucius drew his short swords and Umah drew her weapons. She fought with her bullwhip and a strange sword. Her sword was long but had a right angle at the top. It turned to the right and then had another right angle that turned down. Her bullwhip had an amethyst spire at the tip. Her weapons were meant to do maximum damage.

Lucius lunged towards Umah but she sidestepped him and flared her wings. She blocked his strike with her sword and twisted his dagger away from him. He lunged again this time striking her left shoulder. His blow was shielded by her paladin. She swung her sword up and scratched his left arm. She quickly sheathed her sword. She flew up ten feet in the air while uncoiling her bullwhip and lashed out. The bullwhip snapped and hit Lucius's wrist making him yelp. He looked at her with pure malice in his eyes. He was really pissed now, but that was alright. When you were furious you tended to make mistakes.

This fight had to be over and over soon. The other vampires were getting worried, what if their queen couldn't defeat Lucius. They'd have to tear Lucius off of her queen or no queen. Lucius was clearly out for blood. It would have to be his blood and not hers.

Lucius jumped up towards Umah and struck at her left arm again. She was barely able to dodge the blow. She struck his back knocking him to the ground. Her whip flew at his neck and made a deep crimson river. She flew up even farther and struck him again and again, but he wouldn't give up. He jumped and threw a short sword at her. She lashed out knocking him back down and folded her wings. She dropped just to the left of him and pinned him to the ground. She proceeded to scoop him up and fly up fifteen feet. He struck her left wing and left a deep scratch along the middle of it. Umah screamed in pain and Lucius grinned.

"Surrender Lady Umah. I am obviously the one in better shape right now. You can barely fly." Lucius sneered

"Never would I surrender to the likes of you Lucius." She replied

"Then I guess it's a stale mate." He replied

"No it's not!" she yelled as she threw him to the ground

Lucius hit the ground hard and Umah snapped her whip once. Then again, and again, and again until his body bore bruises from head to toe. Then she let herself down and flared her wing to check the damage. She would have to get to a healers quickly. She excused herself, dismissed the army and flew to the main corridor. Now she was bleeding steadily and felt as if she would faint. She knew she shouldn't fly but it was the quickest way to get to Kain. Kain would tell her what to do. She turned right and flew down another corridor.

Raziel had noticed a faint aroma in the air. It was blood but whose blood was it? He noticed the trail on the floor and followed it, running when the trail got bloodier and bloodier. He spied a shape ahead of him with black wings. It was also bleeding steadier. He ran faster and got to Umah just as she collapsed onto the floor.

She was clearly unconscious as he picked her up. She was limp in his arms, like a corpse. She had to be bandaged now, and it was too far to walk or fly to a healers. There was only one thing to do then. He would take care of her; he would bandage her and inform Kain of her injuries. Then that insubordinate bastard Lucius would get what he deserved. Perhaps a night in the rain, or maybe a flogging with Umah's whip.

He stood at the door for a moment struggling to get the door open. He pushed the door open with a cloven foot and bumped a wingtip on the doorframe. He silently cursed at the doorway and crossed the room. He gently laid the empress on the bed and opened one wing. That one was unharmed thank the pillars. The other one was the only wound he was worried about.

He laid a cloth under her wound as he searched for bandages. He found them in the midst of his cluttered closet. He also had a healing salve to accompany the bandages. He would need to be careful with her; he didn't know how old she was or how much she could take. For all he knew she was a youthful millennium old.

He debated how to best wrap her wing and decided that he would wrap it horizontally. He rolled the bandage around her marveling at how beautiful and smooth and soft her wings were. Not like his wings, they were membranous and firmer. They were still soft, but not as soft as hers. He spread the salve and noticed how she hadn't flinched in her current state. Cautiously he spread a bit more on and kept wrapping.

He tied off the knot and tucked it under the bandage. It looked like her bandage would hold for a few days if she didn't move her wings very far. He looked down on her and thought that she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. He had plenty of female companions through the years. Some of them were or had been very dear, but not one of them had been this beautiful. He brushed some dust off of her wings and thought again how beautiful and soft they were. He bent down and kissed the inner curve of her wing. It was a human tradition that supposedly made wounds heal faster. He had been right, they were very soft.

He straightened up and covered Umah with a tabard. She looked relatively comfortable there on her back. He would leave her here and return with some blood. Maybe by then she would have woken up and he could escort her to Kain. He was unaware of the pair of eyes that had been watching him for the past half-hour or so.