Disclaimer:- The Legacy of Kain series and it's characters is owned by crystal dynamics and originated from silicon knights. I get no money from typing this up. This disclaimer is owned by me, and no-one can sue me for copying and pasting it from myself.

Subconsciously Rouge felt herself being lifted up and moved yet she was still too tired to so much as open her eyes to find out why, and went back into a deeper sleep. She could hear voices, calling out some chant but even that didn't rouse her until she felt what had at first been a pleasant warmth grow painfully hot. It was enough to wake her up after so long and her eyes flew open in alarm, then confusion as she tried to figure out what was going on. Around her was a crowd of humans still chanting something hateful and looking down she found out what the source of the heat was, the rope she felt around her wrists confirming the situation; she was being burnt at the stake.

"Ah drat." Rouge scowled, wrinkling her nose at the stinging scent of smoke and trying to lift her legs up away from the flame. Though she was stronger than the average human the ropes seemed to be strong enough to stop her from simply breaking them apart... Or perhaps with her position the angle was all wrong to do that. Rouge couldn't tell, beginning to panic unable to think of what to do. The fire was going to leap up any second and burn her to a crisp... And even a vampire couldn't survive that. The heat and the constant chanting of "Kill the demon" was giving her headache, and the other ropes holding her to the stake was getting to constricting with her struggles.

She didn't know what caused it, whether it was some sort of survival instinct or her racing mind finally noticed the changed, or maybe her rage triggered it somehow... But as the flames began to creep higher while the humans cheered, she felt another set of appendages stretch under the back of her shirt, the pair of them stretching out and ripping the fabric on the back and the rope binding her along with it. She quickly grabbed a hold of the stake to stop herself from dropping down into the fire with both her legs and her still-bound hands, the latter she tried experimenting her new appendages on by seeing if they could be used on those ropes too. It took a moment of awkward maneuvering but in the end she managed. Through the smoke that surrounded her blocking her from the view of the humans she once again braced herself against the stake, then she sprung out and over the fire, diving forward into the crowd beyond. She quickly used her claws to deeply slash the chest of the first human she reached then landing to kick another one back. Like she had hoped, the crowd of humans began moving away, and she barreled through. She didn't bother fighting so many, not that she could have. Besides, she simply wanted to get away.

Rouge was able to make her way through it when the mob stopped avoiding her and turned to give her chase. Rouge turned to see the mob charge after her. Groaning she began to run away, when she remembered the appendages on her back that saved her from the fire. She glanced behind her as she ran and found a pair of bat-like wings, both pale with blades at the end of each finger with a couple lining the outer edge. She didn't have much time to ponder more on them as the roar of the mob chasing her loudened, moving closer. She pushed herself on, trying to outrun them when she stopped.
"Hang on, what am I doing?" She asked herself. She then took off into the air now no longer concerned with crowd that had been chasing her, laughing with relief.

Black against black, branches blocked Raziel's view of the sky as he waited for something to appear from there. He was beginning to get impatient, nervous, and guilty, even. The fire in front of him helped both to keep him warm and give him some light allowing Raziel to see... As his eyesight was not as good as the vampire he was expecting to turn up, although the light made him feel insecure... Exposed... Allowing him to be seen by anyone who might decide to spy on him... Not that he knew of anyone who would... But you never knew. In any case, Raziel gave up craning his neck upwards, and looked forward in time to see a blue, ancient vampire in front of him, stepping into the firelight and revealing itself to be Janos Audron.
"Oh, there you are!" Raziel relaxed a bit, hoping he could get the meeting over and done with.
"You weren't followed, were you"
"I don't think so. Then again, your senses are better than mine, so you tell me"
"I couldn't see anyone nearby"
"Good." Raziel nodded. "Now to business"
"Are you sure about this?" Janos asked dubiously.
"What? You're not telling me you're having second thoughts, after being so determined to do it yourself"
"No, not me; you"
"Me? Are you kidding? This is the best opportunity to finally give that jerk his comeuppance"
"You hate him that much?" Janos raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"You have no idea." Raziel muttered under his breath.

'Wait a moment...' Raziel wondered to himself. 'Since when do I side with that devil?'
Slowly, Raziel stirred form his long slumber, disorientated, trying to wrap around his mind on what he last remembered. What was that?
"Maybe it was me while my mind had been taken over." Raziel thought to himself. "But Janos would be dead then. Wouldn't he be? He creased his brow in puzzlement, before reaching a conclusion. "It was a dream... Not a memory, a dream. And that doesn't have to make sense." Raziel shrugged, the got up, stretching, putting the dream out of his mind. He really didn't want to know, although at least it was a welcome change to the vampiric ones he had been having so often.

Shrugging it off, he looked around the dark room he had been resting in. Fortunately he didn't need a torch to see, though he grimaced at the thought. Apparently he had made his way into some large library, and a familiar one at that. He could have sworn that this was the library not to far from Mobius' cavern. Then again, priests weren't supposed to swear anyway.

He walked up and approached one row of shelves, the books that were so familiar triggering memories that stood on the edge of his mind. He knew many of the books, yet during his life as a mortal, no matter how much time he spent getting to know the place, he never got the chance to read so many books. The place looked long disused, in shambles, with many of the shelves knocked over. But it was still a place that was a welcome link to his long lost past, making feel like he was at home after so long. Tracing a talon along a row of covers, he reached randomly for one book but stopped when he heard a noise. Turning he saw a female vampire, the same one that had been chasing him for so long, step out of hiding, though this time she looked different somehow.
"Raziel? Is that you"
"Damn you demoness, won't you just leave me alone?" Raziel snarled. So much for the library being a sanctuary. At once he turned to leave.
"Wait!" She called after him. Raziel simply ignored her and began to run at a faster pace. The female kept up.
"Raziel"
"What, not 'Lord Raziel?'" The priest-turned-vampire sneered.
"Huh?" She asked, puzzled, then shrugged it off. "Listen, I have to tell you something"
"...And I won't listen. Go away!" Raziel began speeding up again. He was surprised when the vampiress suddenly dropped down from above right in front of him.
"How?" He should have seen her run past him, his eyes were good enough to do that. But he only pondered on that for a moment. Snarling again, he shoved her to the side. "Get out of my way"
This time the vampiress didn't follow after him. She stood there and watched him go.
"Just look behind you." She called to Raziel's retreating form.
"...And turn into a pillar of salt"
"...On your back" She corrected. Raziel frowned and kept up his pace, trying to get as far away as possible from her. When he felt certain he was far away enough from her, he stopped, frowning again and doing his best to look at his own back. He didn't see anything but the black hood he had been using still to hide his form from so many, as well as giving him more conservative clothing. But then he noticed something. He didn't see much, but he did feel something. Hesitantly he peeled the hood of, craning his neck to look behind him.
"Oh Good God..."

Rouge shook her head as she saw Raziel run away from her yet again. Sighing, she gave up on trying to chase him down. She had been gone from her own home long enough. It was due time she went back. Her clan would have wondered what happened to her anyway and she would be able to tell them what happened to Raziel too. Though it would not be pleasant to tell them that she had given up. Looking around the area though, she saw all of the books scattered around. She knew that she really should head back now, but her curiosity got the worst of her, and she picked one up and flicked through it, but did not find it interesting. Her nose wrinkled when she found out who the author was; Mobius, the manipulative time streamer that she had heard Kain talk so much of. She tossed the book over her shoulder. She was about to take off again when another though crossed her mind. 'Hang on, Mobius lived a long time ago. A really long time ago... Probably about the same time that Sarafan Raziel would have been 'alive.' 'Maybe, just maybe... I can find something here about his past... Something that can help snap him out of it'
"After all, knowledge is power." Rouge mused. But she had to get back first. She could start her research later. With that settled, she unfolded her wings and lifted off...

"Watch." Janos nodded, indicating the battlefield below and before them.

Kain watched triumphantly as Melchiahim began springing out of the ground, now outnumbering the hylden forces of possessed vampires. But he wasn't going to get cocky, no matter how likely it seemed he might win. He had no idea what the hylden would pull next. A backup of vampires could come pouring out from the cathedral, or from behind him. Whatever situation Kain prepared himself for though, it wasn't what happened next, though once it happened, he felt that he should have known all along.

Yes, Melchiahim now populated the battlefield, outnumbering the hylden two to one. The odds should have been for Kain. But as the possessed Zephonhim looked around hesitantly, looking defeated, the Melchiahim did not move to attack them. Everyone just stood there, facing each other. "Well, what are you waiting for? Attack!" Kain ordered. But the Melchiahim didn't do as he asked. Instead, one by one, they turned to glance at Kain, then turned to nearby Dumahim or Turelhim that Kain knew weren't possessed, and began to raise each of their weapons... Against them.
"It couldn't be..." Kain began to back off, shocked. Was all of the Melchiahim possessed now too? If that were so, then his present army was now the one that was outnumbered. Kain looked around, weighing his options. He could stand and fight still, but even he, with his amount of strength, wouldn't be able to hold up against that many vampires. As much as he hated to admit it, it was time to retreat. Besides, it wasn't like he hadn't done that before, what with his battle with the nemesis and all.
"Retreat!" Kain called out his order. He stood ready to help those who could go to escape, brandishing a very bloodied sword. But no matter who tired to leave, another vampire would run off and cut him or her off. A few managed to reach Kain, but for the most part the majority was trapped. Kain knew he couldn't waste too much time, and turned to go himself, only to run into Zephon and Melchiah, standing calmly by a rock wall where Kain was going to leave. "Just where do you think you're going, 'father?'" "Get out of my way or I'll cut through you too!" Kain threatened them, standing at the ready.
"Awww I'm hurt. I thought you wanted to help us." Zephon feined shock.
"Here's a better idea, why don't we help you?" Melchiah offered.
"What?" Kain asked. He was about to attack, but stopped when a Turelhim, still free, dashed past him and tackled Melchiah to the ground, surprising him. As he struggled to get the Turelhim off, Kain took the moment of opportunity to leap forward and knock Zephon down, then raised his fist to punch Zephon hard in the gut, leaving him on the ground in pain. Kain raised his sword to finish Zephon off, damned if he was going to let him live, whether Zephon was his lieutenant or not. He was stopped when something grabbed his raised talon, stopping Kain from attacking the downed Zephon. He saw Melchiah kick the Turelhim off of himself, the vampire hitting the opposite rock wall and falling down in a crumpled heap with a trail of blood marking where the Turelhim was thrown too. Kain struggled to move his wrist, seeing Melchiah get up to fight another pair of free vampires approaching him. But then Kain turned to see who was stopping him from attacking. There, in the flesh, was a sight he had never thought to have seen again; Janos Audron. And yet, not really Janos Audron.
And that was the last thing Kain saw before "Janos" knocked him out with a knock from his own head.

Elsewhere. . .
Dumah kept a constant vigil over the Razielhim territory. He doubted anything would happen here; everyone was at the battle. But Kain had told him to guard the area as well as the slumbering Razielhim, so guard them he did. He didn't have to like it though. If anything, it was boring, even if he was the one in charge. He would have preferred that Kain would realize that he was of better use in a fight, or at least better than Melchiah. Maybe even a match for Kain, or so Dumah liked to think. 'It's probably because they don't trust me. They probably think I'm another one who's possessed.' Dumah thought to himself, scowling. He wasn't though, but there wasn't much he could do in a way to prove that, except do as he was told. 'Or maybe Kain is still angry with that all that kerfuffle with Raziel'
Dumah yawned. Then wondered why a vampire would yawn if a vampire didn't need to breathe. Yawning again as he pondered this he spotted a Melchiahim walk by. He didn't think much of it... Most of the Melchiahim around the place now were under his command. He ignored the fledgling and tried to recall what he was thinking about before.
'Oh yes, it was yawning'
Dumah, deep in thought again and paying no heeds to the Melchiahim sneaking around behind him and picking up a vase. The vase smashed into the back of his head knocking Dumah down, but not out. "What the..." Dumah asked, surprised at the attack. He turned to look behind him only to feel something much heavier slam into his back, this time knocking him out proper, only to be dragged away when a mass of Turelhim began to pour into the Razielhim clan territory.

A/N: Yep, Janos Audron is in this story. He was the 'mysterious winged figure in the shadows' in the earlier chapters.