Kain walked out of the mansion, relieved. It will be dawn soon. He have walked the earth for nearly seven centuries, since his murder on that fateful night in this very town, possibly the very spot he was standing on. He has withstood the circle's corruption, he had changed the flow of history to prevent the Nemesis, he had out fought the wicked Sarafan Lord, and now, he's very close to his ultimate ascension. But, there's always some minor interruption, thrown in by the all unseen forces of the world. Tonight, was truly the dawn of the new age. New vampires were once again bought into this world. Before he raised his generals, only Nathaniel and himself were the last vampires on Nosgoth. It wasn't meant to be this way, if Vorador was willing to rule Nosgoth with him. But at last, out of Vorador's whole brood, only his last son was wise enough to join Kain. The rest perished. There was no regret for Kain, what's done is done.
Kain gazed around the streets, already there were some peasants ready to start the day. Everyone who saw him bowed to him without making any eye contacts, afraid that they might be mistaken for contempt.
'Including my generals, we are the last eight vampires on Nosgoth. I may have increased our numbers by many folds, but we're still ultimately out numbered. As long as we keep the humans in their place, all should bold well.' Kain thought to himself. 'But there's still a small unwilling fractions remaining, and whoever that is guiding them, haven't shown themselves yet.'
The sky start to lit up slowly as the sun climbed in the sky.
'I will need to plan my moves carefully.' Kain thought as he strolls onward, toward the direction of the pillars. The sky is now fairly bright; any other vampire would have burst into flames from the deadly sunrays. However, Kain who was originated in a different matter wasn't affected at all.
'The pillars, once the most majestic site of all Nosgoth, now but a pile of toppled rubble.' Kain stood in front of the fallen pillars, partially surrounded by half build walls and scaffolds. 'Was it really my fault that they have corrupted so?'
"Pondering your own doings again, Kain?" Said a voice from among the pillars.
"I know you are here, show yourself."
"I will always be here, bound by your selfish decision." Ariel, the previous balance guardian, now a tortured soul, and haunts the pillar ruins for an eternity.
"My selfish decision?" Kain laughed. "Why not blame your own selfishness? You led me blindly throughout Nosgoth and had me wreck havoc on the circle. Only, to release your own damn soul from these pillars."
"Silence vampire!"
"Had I realized sooner I was the next balance guardian, I would have played it differently."
"You would have done the same thing, being the corrupted fiend that you are."
"Ariel, whatever you say will have no meaning to me any longer. The rest of the circle has been dead for years. Along with the rest of Nosgoth, the Pillars belong to me now. And I will enclose these Pillars and set my throne room upon the very base of it, here."
"Why, Kain?" Ariel cried out.
"Considered it as my final conquest over the Pillars, and my own fate." Kain slowly walked away and turned one last time to Ariel. "And should you so much as to lead my new generals into doing your own dirty work," Kain emits a sudden bolt of red lightning from his hand and struck Ariel with it. Ariel screeched in pain. "I will be watching." Proudly, Kain walked away, towards Ziegsturhl.
Feeling hopelessly depressed and lost, Ariel fades into thin air once again. There's nothing she could do, all she can is watch, and wait.
As Kain leaved the pillar complex, he saw someone that was waiting for him, someone he was expecting to be approached by, sooner or later.
"My lord." Ezra greeted him respectfully. No longer cloaked, she exposed her bronze colored skin, jewels twinkling as she bowed her head. Like her hazel colored eyes, her brown silky hair reflects the sun like a dark mirror. Her scantly clad outfit barely hanging to her hips, any man would have been captivated by her charm, but Kain was no longer an ordinary man a long time ago.
"Have Nathaniel led them to the lower chambers?"
"Yes he did, my lord."
"Surely, you did not follow me to the pillars just to tell me this."
"You speak the truth."
"Then ask me." Kain slowed down his paces.
"My lord, I have been puzzled by your choice of generals." Timidly, she trailed besides him.
"How's so?"
"They were Sarafans…"
"Yes." Kain nodded slightly. "And?"
"You do know about the Sarafans, don't you?"
"I do."
"And you know they were sworn by oath to kill vampires."
"Ezra, if you meant to give me a history lesson on the Sarafans, I suggest you cease now, before I lose my patience."
"I wanted to know why were you willing to turn centuries old vampire hunters into your own fledglings. When there are thousands of humans here, ready to serve you, at any cost."
"Like yourself?" Kain asked her tauntingly.
"…" Ezra didn't dare admit it, although it was true.
"I had my reasons."
"I had looked into glimpses of your future, Kain. And it won't be pleasant."
"We each unearth our future, Ezra." Kain laughed to himself. "But don't ever looked into parts of my history without my consent ever again." His facial expression suddenly changed from an indifference to simply tyrannical. With that said. He walked away from her, leaving her by herself.
Heading into town again, Kain knew the real answer of why he choose the Sarafan generals, and not Ezra, nor any of his top ranking human officers. The Sarafan were once fanatical warriors, they were bind by a common devotion that transcends all notions of good and evil. He had fought some himself in his days. And besides, thousand-year-old corpses won't remember anything, thus, they would be easy to manipulate. And lastly, the sere irony of it all amuses him, Sarafans serving the vampires, how the cycle of fate turns.
As for Ezra, being the only living apprentice of the Seer, to keep her alive and well was merely paying back a favor for giving him his telekinetic powers. But no, he will not have Ezra as a vampire, and further more, not his queen. In fact, he might never again choose someone to be his queen. He thought of Umah, and of the betrayal he once suffered for trusting her too much.
'Power is not to be shared, it is best served alone.' He thought to himself.
Kain walked into the Sanctuary, and paced towards the strategy room. It was still daytime when he returned. Gazing at the map of Nosgoth, he realized how little his conquest was compared to the world. The only places that bore his banner so far were the Pillars, Ziegsturhl, and Meridian City. Indeed, there was much to discuss with his clan, and much to conquer.