Ch 8: Rise to Divinity

            As we entered the inner sanctum once again, Kain stopped in his tracks. He sniffed the air carefully, and said:

            "Come out, traitor, I can sense your foul magic miles away."

            Out of the shadow behind the king's throne, a hooded figure materializes from the darkness and revealed himself. It was Nathaniel! I knew it, the sword skills of the enemies looked so familiar from his own, with minor variations.

            "So finally, you know, Kain." Nathaniel addressed him, his expression no longer calm.

            "That puppet reeked of your magic of animation. If I have known how much you hated me, I would've killed you along with Vorador."

            "For nearly four hundred years, I led the Blood Hunters and worked with the gypsies to disrupt your conquest." Nathaniel pointed an accusing finger at Kain.

            "Your plans have fail, your purpose was a pathetic imitation of your own father's."

            "No Kain, I have ambitions of my own. Vorador's gift of siring fledglings was rightfully mine! If you have not taken his essence and sire your own hell spawns, I would have been leading my own legions of vampires by now. This world does belong to vampires, but to 'real vampires', and not to the likes of you and your necromantic kind."

            "I applaud your cunning for concealing your true purpose from me all these years, but treachery deserves no reward. You will suffer a fate worst then death, this I promise you."

            "That may have to wait, Kain. But you have not heard the last from me." Before Kain can attack the traitor, Nathaniel drew a circle around him with his finger and disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

            Shortly afterwards, we claimed Willendorf, the banners of the Lion was replaced by Kain's clan symbol. As for Nathaniel, that was the last time we had seen him. In his contempt for the traitor, Kain ordered us to break into his chamber and search for clues as to where he may be hiding. Knowing him to be a cunning serpent, Nathaniel have left us no trace as to his whereabouts, any clues he 'carelessly' left behind were just traps. 

            Nearly four and a half centuries came and went. Still, we weren't able to find Nathaniel, and after so long a time, we were suspecting that he might as well be dead. Nosgoth was no longer the world I was born into. Kain's giant smoke stacks near Dumah's territory have completely blocked out the sun. Vampires were no longer obligated to hide during the day. The human population began to decline, but we kept a small portion of them as food and slaves.

            During this passage of time, Kain have once again gone through a stage of change. His facial features no longer looked human. Gone was the fine black brows that lined above his eyes, in there place, he grew a set of thorns like a king's crown. His skin turned eventually from gray to pale yellow. My brethren and I had also gained our own evolutions to divinity. Like Kain four hundred years ago, we each developed cloven hands and feet.

With Nosgoth under his rule, and our six armies dominating the land, Kain no longer needed his own forces, thus, he divided it evenly among us. The Pillars now decorated with the full glory of our seven-clan banners. Half a century ago, Kain ordered humans to built him a personal retreat on top the snowy mountains near the Oracle Cave, up there, he pretended as if he was the omnipotent god of Nosgoth, overlooking the world. Ezra, now almost 800 years old, continued to look as beautiful as the day I met her. Lately, Zephon took interested in her female apprentices, and have invited them frequently into his domain.

            Seated on my command chair, I watched as our human slave girls entertained me with a cultural dance. I was interrupted when Nicholas came in with two of his own fledglings. They were badly wounded. One was even unconscious.

            "Sorry to interrupt, my sire."     Nicholas bowed to me slightly.

            "State your business."

            "Two of my fledglings have gone on explorations as you asked, they have encountered some strange events."

            "My lord…" one of the young vampires speaks. "We were leading a few slaves near the Lake of Lost Souls, to the north of Willendorf."

            "Please, go on."

            "We were attacked by dolls!" He exclaimed.

            "Really?" I sat up, interested.

            "They were wooden men, hurling knives at us. We tried to fight them off, but our swords couldn't inflict any wounds on them!"

            "Were there any thing else you see?"

            "No my lord, the lake itself was frozen, but that's all I saw. I barely escaped, one of the dolls took Thomas' soul…" The vampire gestured at his comrade.

            "Soul?"

            "I saw them pulled it out of him and trapped it inside another doll of their own." He hung his head in shame. "I couldn't save him my lord."

            "I will look into this. Nicholas, take them to the infirmary and guard the castle while I visit Kain. "

            Shortly afterwards, I journeyed to the northern region of Nosgoth, past Dumah's territory and was granted an audience with Kain. Kain's retreat, a magnificent spiral structure, which sat upon Babel's Peak, the summit of Nosgoth. On the most upper level, I greeted my maker at the large dinning room.

            "My lord, my fledglings have reported strange events near the Lake of Lost Souls."

            "Yes, I was aware of these events."

            "It seemed Nathaniel has not died as one would hope."

            "No.  Nathaniel was my second in command before I sired you. Out of Vorador's broods, he was the most vicious and devious vampire I have ever encountered. I would be disappointed to find him dead not by our hands." He got up from his chair and walked slowly to the dining room balcony, over looking the Dark Eden. Vorador's ring dangled on his left ear as an earring. "Tell me, Raziel. Do you believe in fate and destiny?"

            "No. Fate is what we choose when we are given choices, and destiny is the result of the choice we make."

            "And if your choices are not really your own?"  Kain looked at me, concerned. "If the choices you make are forced by unseen powers?"

            I thought for a while, and came up with an answer.

"Many ages ago, when I first walked the earth as a fledgling vampire, you told me we were the highest form of divinity on this world. What could possibly be a higher power than us?"

            With that answer, Kain didn't say anything else. He just lightly pats my shoulder, and walked back into the dining room.

            "Come Raziel, I have something to give you." He gestured me to follow him. Across the white marble halls of his retreat, I entered his study room. Decorated with a fireplace, and lined with books along the wall. On the opposite side of the door, were mounted two of Kain's most prized swords, the Soul Reaver, and the Flame Sword. He unfastened the Flame Sword and slowly approached me with it. "In my youth, I have journeyed from Willendorf to the Lake of Lost Souls. At the time, Elzeviar's perverse creation, his army of living dolls weren't vulnerable to any ordinary weapon, except for fire. I'm sure you know that yourself since you set a blazed the last puppet you have encountered at Willendorf's last stand."

            I took the sword from him, and swung it at midair, as the edge of the blade sliced the air, it engulfed itself in flame.

            "I thank you, sire. I will gather my forces."

            "I wish for you to go alone for this journey, Raziel."

            "Should I not summon my best generals as always?" I looked at him puzzled.

            "Nathaniel may be a strong opponent. But you are stronger still. There may be secrets for you and you alone to discover, Raziel. Monumental secrets." He paced towards the hallway. "Consider this the final test of your destiny."

            "I do not know the purpose of all this. But, if you wish for me to go alone, I will not disobey." With a final bow, I left Kain at his retreat. I did not know at all his true purpose for sending me into enemy's ground without company, nor did I understand why he asked me about fate and destiny. But Kain's words are laws, and it is best not to ignore them.

            From Babel's Peak, I head towards Willendorf on a horse I took at a nearby village. At a steady pace, the steed galloped towards the east on the dirt road in the forest. At Willendorf, I took a short time to rest, and on the next night, head northward to the Lake of Lost Souls.                             

            As I rode deeper into the forest, the scenery changed. The tall evergreens that dominated the place grew thicker as I advanced onward. Eventually, the wide dirt path surrendered to the thick vegetation. The horse was of no use to me, so I let it go. Trekking among the bushes, I noticed that the trees have grew so thick that it was harder to see where I was heading. It was a pains talking process, as I cut down the foliage inch by inch to reach towards the lake. At daybreak, the lake was within sight. Yet, I still haven't been attacked by any 'doll,' as the fledgling has described earlier. I was starting to wonder if it was just a hoax.

Until suddenly I felt a sharp whistling sound as cold steel cuts swiftly into my exposed shoulder. A few more small silver knives flew at my direction, quickly I ducked into the bushes and observe my surroundings. I heard footsteps slowly approaching my way. As the sound of the footsteps grew louder, so did my own heartbeat. I was used to leading armies into battle, but not facing an army on my own.

From the bushes came a set of leather-clad legs, marching to the very spot I was standing on. The figure slowly reached down to touch the soil and observed my footprints. As its head came into view, I saw that this figure was indeed a wooden doll, dressed in human's clothes. At once, I dislodge the Flame Sword and quickly strike at its torso. At contact, the doll burst into flames as its body caught fire. Once the doll started burning, more of its kind became alert and more knives were threw in my direction.

I saw that my presence have been detected, there was no point of remaining in stealth. I ran towards the lake and into the clearing. As the fledgling said to me before, the lake was frozen solid by the cold. As more dolls emerged from the foliage to pursue me, I had no choice but to retreat onto the ice. Carefully, I backed from the edge of the lake. Every knife that was thrown at me was aiming for my head. If it weren't for my shield, I would have been dead a thousand times over. As I backed towards the center of the lake, I bumped against a solid wall. I turned backward, and saw that nothing was there, but yet, I could feel something solid with my own claws. Frustrated, I struck the Flame Sword into this invisible barrier with full force. At the moment of my attack, the invisible wall cracked, and slowly, the crack reaches skyward. As I stepped back, I stared in amazement as the giant invisible dome dissolve and revealed a huge wooden mansion, untouched by time. This must be Elzeviar's mansion told in Kain's journey.

            I looked for the entrance of the house and kicked open the door. Inside, I saw what was once the living quarters of the doll maker. Barrels and barrels of stuffing material, piles of wooden pieces carved into the likeness of     human arms and legs. I ran towards the back of the mansion, cutting down any doll that would stand in my way. And at last, I have found the vampire I was looking for, Nathaniel.

            "Raziel, I was expecting you." Nathaniel said to me, a sinister smile on his face. "Kain have sent you here to die?"

            "Kain didn't bother to dirty his own hands on your blood, traitor."

            "Is that so? For a moment, I thought he had tricked you into your own doom. Where is your troop? Where are your trusted generals?"

            "…" I couldn't answer him, for I really didn't know the answer myself.

            "You see, Kain wanted your demise. He sends you here to die. Nosgoth is finally his, and with no more oppositions in the land, you are of no use to him."

            "…" For some reason, what he said at that moment seemed horribly real.

            "Join me, Raziel. Together, we can overthrow Kain and take Nosgoth as our own."

            "I will not join the likes of you, you were treacherous to Vorador, and you were treacherous to Kain. I will rid Nosgoth of you before the day is done!" I launched my sword at him. Instinctively, he dodged out of the way. Then, he withdrew his own sword and rose into the air!

            "You were a fool to decline my offer, Raziel. I am the true vampire god. See that I have developed vampiric flight, and with Elzeviar's ancient soul stealing magic, I will steal your soul and infuse it into one of my own army!" He laughed manically as he shot blue lightning from his left hand.

            I dodged out of the way and duck for cover as he shot another bolt of lightning at me. I held up a nearby barrel and hurled it at him, effortlessly, he countered it and blew it into a thousand pieces.

            "Come out, Raziel. You are in my domain now. You cannot hide from me."

            I ignored his taught, and thought of a way to defeat him, but I couldn't think of anything!
            "Stop hiding like a dog, Raziel! I didn't train you to hide!"

            I stood up, and at once, a bolt of blue lightning came my direction. I blocked it with my shield, and was almost knocked back by the impact. Slowly he landed on the floor. Tediously, I inched towards him as bolt after bolt of magical energy struck at me. When I have at last come within reaching distance, I took the chance to attack him, but as the skilled swordsman he was, my attack did not prevail.

            He unleashed a greater bolt of energy. Even behind the shield, at close distance I suffered the full force of the blast, and was send flying backwards. The shield was broken. I cast it aside and looked for another way to avoid his next attack. Sneaky Nathaniel tried to keep his distance from me, so I couldn't even make a single attack with the Flame Sword. And suddenly, I realized the answer was in my hands all this time. The Flame Sword! Quickly, I ran towards the nearest beam that supported the mansion, and hacked at it with full force. The beam was sliced in half, and both ends were caught on fire. The fire traveled towards the ceiling and started to eat away at the adjacent beams. I ran to another support beam and did the same thing.

            "What are you doing?!" Nathaniel screamed. "You'll kill us all!!"

            I ignored him and ran out of the room. On my way, I struck at every support beam I see that was maintaining the mansion. Smoke and fire started to fill the air. Vampires are especially vulnerable to fire. I had to act quickly if I don't want to die along with that traitor. 

            As I ran out of the mansion, I heard the frantic scream of Nathaniel, like the angry roar of a trapped beast. And finally, as the roof of the house collapsed, the bloody scream receded. The army of dolls that was swarming around the mansion all drop to the floor when their master died. The frozen lake started to melt slowly by the heat of the fire. I was worried I may suffer a different fate than Nathaniel's when I was relieved that the mansion was originally built on a solitary block of land. As the house burns, I waited.

            At dusk, the fire died down by the cold kisses of the northern winter breeze. Among the wreckage, I walked, searching for the remnants of the traitor. To my surprise, he still lived. Lying on the floor like a broken rag doll, his robe burned, his skin blackened. His silver hair was now gone, consumed by fire. Weakly, he opened his eyes and stared at me. Green eyes still filled with hatred and contempt. Possibly his hatred for Kain and my brethren for not being 'real vampires.' Hatred for not being the ruler of Nosgoth. Hatred for me. Slowly, he raised his right cloven claws at me. Callously, I took his own sword, and beheaded him. Exhausted, I raised my right arm and drew out his blood. As his blood soared through the air into my mouth, I sensed the power coming from him, the power of a god, now as my very own.  

            The sky began to darken as night approaches. Leaving the Lake of Lost Souls, I head toward my sanctuary.