The Sarafan gestured out to either side with his sword and the shades around him obeyed his whim, flying out in an arched line to completely surround the fledgling vampire. Acting on new instincts and impulses William spread his wings and tried to take to the air. So unused to the new muscles and limbs he found his efforts to fly completely useless, his own brain had simply now caught up with the new attachments yet.
"My name is Swift." The Sarafan announced holding his sword up to his eyes height. It had arcane runes inscribed down its length and their lines were glowing a fierce blood red light that highlighted the shadows of his face. He had a pencil thin moustache and a triangular black beard on his chin. He was bald apart from a ponytail at the back of his head, tied back by a red ribbon. "I am one of the eight elite under Lord Sabre and your challenger at the time of election."
"Challenger? What do you mean?" William asked, finding his path blocked on all side by these creatures, made from the darkest shadows; a triad of glowing violet eyes set in the centre of their near formless heads.
"You don't know?" Swift sounded most surprised; he lowered his sword in mute awe as if stunned by the fact. Then he rolled his head back and laughed and as he did his long black clock flowing back over his shoulders to reveal his armour. "Then Lord Aurora was correct, your side really doesn't know… even the master thought you should be at least 'aware' our intentions." He seemed barely unable to control his laughter. "But it seems even the mighty Scion of Balance is in ignorance." He leaned on his sword as if it were a cane, the tip poised perfectly on the ground in front of him and the hilt in his cupped hands. "Well, personally I can tell you that makes me most happy."
Swift bowed shortly. "Your majesty, you are being used by the forces of darkness for their own selfish gains. The vampires have defiled your holy corpse and tried to turn our greatest hero against us."
"Hero…" William repeated looking confused. He glanced down at his hands. The skin was near bleached white and he could see the veins and arteries through it. His new wings folded in, curving around himself protectively. "I…no… no stay away!"
"Do you see? Even in purgatorial un-life, your divine nature tries to manifest itself." Swift continued, slowly walking forward with his sword in hand. He gestured with his blade to the raven black angelic wings, clearly himself in awe at their beauty. "You, dragged from heaven by the actions of the devil himself; a saint forced back into his corpse. You are an angel profaned, your majesty. You must be set free."
"Please…" William began, backing away as much as he could without being within reach of the shadowy creatures. "I don't want to die!"
"You already have." Swift replied without looking up as he ran the tip of his blade along his hand; the metal sword scrapping loudly against the gauntlet. "This existence is not life, merely entrapment. I shall return you to the wheel of fate and to the spinner, god himself."
The two dark creatures behind him lashed out and grabbed him by the arms, pulling him out. Another two pinned his legs to the floor and the others grabbed his wings and with all six limbs immobilised, they dragged him down to the ground and pinned him there. William struggled but despite being near formless, the hands pinning him down possessed strength greater than his.
"Do not fret sire." Swift began. "I will make it mercifully quick." Unable to watch the blade, William closed his eyes and looked away. Confusion more than fear was ripping through him and tearing at his very concept of reality, memories from an unknown origin pumping into his mind.
Again he was thrown back in history, back to that throne room that was so familiar and inviting. He saw himself, standing alone there waiting; the hilt of a claymore sword in his hand. The sword itself was a strange design, a blade that constantly curved back and forth right up until the tip. The hilt was a fanged skull with a pair of curved horn like protrusions panning out either side.
Suddenly the doors at the far end of the chamber were flung open and another figure advanced into the room.
"Ahhh yes.." William found himself saying in that distant memory as he turned to confront the intruder. A tall man with pale skin and white hair, and hard set red eyes directed towards him. His armour was mostly black, with red chain mail underneath. "The vampire." In his grasp was a sword that was a complete mirror image of the one he held. The two were completely indistinguishable from one another. As the two swords neared the room around them seemed to pulse with a new found energy, but so fixed on the intruder William had no noticed. It was only by looking back now that he was even observed. "Moebius told me you would come."
Without a word in reply, the intruder lunged forward and swung his sword down in an arch. William blocked it with his own blade and when the two blades met in the air, everything around seemed to ripple and bend as if it might all dissolve into liquid like a melting oil painting.
Then that horrible instant came when they clashed close enough for William to get a good look at his opponent's eyes, those familiar eyes. In that sickening moment he realized he was fighting the younger version of his master. Suddenly, the young Kain brought his sword down so hard that it broke the blade William himself was holding. Before anything could be done, the vampire flew forward and sank his fangs into William's neck.
"Master…" William began, now completely designed to death. This existence confused him and despair was close behind, filling him to the brim. "Why?"
"You mustn't die." A voice whispered to him, gentle but brimming with strength. "Not yet dear prince."
"Who… who are you?" William asked glancing around through the memory as it faded and the image of a creature appeared in its stead.
It was a wolf of some kind, larger than any others of its kind with a thick black shaggy mane hanging out behind it. The fur was a shining silver and in the light of the full moon above shone like the surface of a lake. Behind it the looming presence of coming snow fall hung waiting to fall, the outline of a ruined castle half buried in the drifts. It was silent, staring down at him with wide and almost glowing blue eyes. Slowly it raised its head and stared away into the ether.
"Come to me…" It's voiced echoed out of oblivion, spreading out past the fledglings own mind and body. "Come to me elected nine, come to me. Come to Midguard."
Williams' eyes snapped open as he felt a connection the likes of which he had never felt before lance through the land. Eight others scattered throughout Nosgoth felt it as well.
In Malek's Bastion, Vorador and Janos heard the voice speak into their heads and at once knew it for a telepathic message but neither of them could determine the origin. Sally, still recovering from the development of her first dark gift felt the message sting into her brain, but that was quickly forgotten when she felt the connection to one who held her heart.
"Sally…" Ewoden began, standing up so sharply it surprised the larger Seroli, Obelisk who was sitting beside him.
"Ewoden?" She muttered, her eyes widening. She could feel his presence across that indescribable link. She embraced it, throwing her mind in his direction.
Lying within the chapel of the bastion, Umah had remained lifeless for years now, her body slowly healing from the wound that had almost taken her life. Suddenly her eyes snapped open and she sat up, sharply inhaling as if it were a chore.
"Kain!" She cried out reaching for the ceiling with her eyes wide, her shrill cry echoing out through the corridors of the fortress.
"Midguard…the summons." The Hylden Seer repeated, glancing out eastwards towards the rising sun. Her eyes shining with relief and hope, she was almost on the verge of tears. "So… I am worthy…" She had not been sure if she was right, that perhaps it had been wishful thinking. She was, after all, a Hylden and considering what she was being called for it was a tad hypocritical. But still this was her destiny, and that of the others. "Kain… we shall meet at Midguard and I will tell you want you wish to know there. Our destines rush towards us."
Hearing the Seers distant whisper through this link, Kain slowly opened his eyes and glanced up towards the sky. This link was burning into his mind and he was forcing it out. The vampire did not wish to be linked to any of those people and forced it out. The last thing he wanted was someone inside his soul, let alone eight of them.
"Midguard?" Raziel repeated, hearing the phrase through his own telepathic communication in my head. "What is Midguard?"
"I do not know." Kain replied. "But I intend to find out."
The Princess of Willdendorf, Alicia Ottmar, glanced around rapidly in confusion trying to find out what was happening; unable to determine where the voice was coming from or why she felt connected to people she had never met before; scattered across such a distance. It was unlike anything she had felt before, an emotional and even spiritual link with eight other beings.
She stood up and found that her heart was bleeding for one of those in the link, one in deadly peril and about to be struck down. She could feel his fear and utter confusion and despite her steadfast and ambitious nature, the Princess called out to him through that wonderful link.
Feeling that strength and compassion of another running through him William looked up to see Swift's sword blade coming down at him with the sharpened tip ready to pierce his heart. Before it could breech his skin, he tore his arms free from the grasp of the shadow and slapped the blade away so it lanced off to the side and all Swift ended up impaling was the ground by William's shoulder. Before the Sarafan could react, William drew his hand back and landed a punch across his face. Sent flying backwards the man slammed into the ground and rolled a short distance.
In the confusion, William spun his body around in a 360 degree flip and clawed at the shadows. While these beings were mostly darkness, he could feel his claws striking something solid. They howled out at the strikes as if wounded and flew backwards as Swift picked himself up.
Blood was running from the corner of his mouth and he appeared angry. His shadow creatures flew around him like a protective shield.
"I am William." The young fledgling began spreading his raven wings out either side. "I do not wish to die. I will not die!" He looked Swift straight in the face. "No matter how much you wish it, I will not die!" He raised both hands and arcane runes began appearing as light in a circle around him, incantations William had never heard before on his lips. Magic's flowing through him from beyond time surged through his veins. Light manifested between his fingers, forming itself into a ball before slamming forward. In the presence of illumination the creature howled once before they were silenced, melting away and vanishing. Swift was left without anything at his flank.
"Vampiric fool!" The Sarafan hissed, wiping the blood away with the back of his gauntlet. "I offer you a return to the divine and you spit in my face! So be it!" Fuming with rage he picked up his sword, before sliding it back into the sheath as his side. His cloak folded around him becoming an impassable barrier of black. "I wished to spare you the humiliation of judgement, but since you have thrown in your lot with the evil then you will not escape your fate. We shall meet, 'your majesty', at the election time. And then it will not be to heaven I send you!" Slowly, his form melted into the darkness of the background and disappeared, fading away into nothing.
William was left standing alone, breathing hard. He collapsed to his knees, wings still spread heavily on his back.
Suddenly a pair of hairy paws appeared in his line of sight and glancing up he saw the wolf sitting there in front of him once more. Its glossy coat shining in the moonlight, the eyes still a powerful blue.
"Very well done sweet prince." It told him without its lips moving at all. "The fates were, as always right, you have earned your place in the elected nine here this night." William just folded down, tired and still very confused.
"I don't understand…" He admitted.
"I know." The wolf replied. "But you will, soon you will." William was just looking at his hands, the memory of that instant where he had called upon magic he never knew he had within him.
"How did I…" He began.
"All will be explained once the nine are united, come to Midguard William the Just. Come and realize your heritage." The image of the wolf faded away and an imprint was left with the young fledgling, a sudden desire he could explain to travel east; to the mines of the city province.
The link he had shared with the others began to fade, the connection slipping away bit by bit. Before it vanished completely, he called out to the one who had given him the compassion to fight. He could not see her face but could feel the soul alongside his. He could feel her attention on him.
"Thank you." His message passed through. A reply was coming, but before it could arrive the link dissipated and it died within.
The Princess had been glad it had, her reply had been a foolish thing to say especially considering she did not know who she was replying to. But through that link she had seen his soul and marvelled at its innocence.
"Are you alright your majesty?" A voice asked. Alicia glanced back to see a serving maid standing there waiting for a reply. A silver tray with a tea pot and a few pieces of cutlery were in her grasp.
"Yes… yes I'm fine." She replied, running a hand back through her hair. "Go and tell my father I will be absent from the castle for I wish to go on a short trip." The maid bowed low and left.
"Someone wants us to go to the Provincial Mines?" Vorador asked out load stating the obvious.
"Apparently so." Janos replied looking thoughtful. The need to go to the mines was still fresh in the both of them. Was this an elaborate trap of some kind?
"I do not understand sire." Vorador sighed. "Just what is Midguard?" Before the ancient could reply, the door to their private chamber flew open and Sally flew in, tears of happiness flowing from her eyes.
"Sire, he's alive! He's alive, oh sire he's alive!" She cried; throwing herself at Vorador's feet. Neither of them needed to ask of whom she spoke.
"We know; we felt his presence as well." Janos replied. "He was one of the nine the link was shared with."
"Nine." Vorador repeated looking distant. "Nine, again that number…" He reached across his desk and picked up the scroll that Ewoden and Sally had brought him. The Lupine Gospels, the ancient prophecies made by the Seroli seers. "One wielding blood and soul shall rise and be one and not of time." He began reading off the passage which he had underlined. "Right companions she he have and they shall be one and not of time. Overcome deception of time and guise of death shall he, Scion of world's hope. Lies and treachery shall he slice through with blade of first born soul.
Warrior of neither demon nor angel, but liberator of all shall be he."
"Kain without a doubt." A voice added. All of them looked up to see Umah leaning against the doorframe, unable to support her own weight and using it to steady herself. Her eyes were half craned open and her hair was let out of its pony tail, flowing down past her shoulders.
"Umah…" Vorador began. She staggered forward into the room and collapsed. Janos darted forward and caught her in his arms.
"Please, take me to Midguard…" She begged. "Kain will be there… please take me to him."
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