LEGACY OF KAIN: BLACK HEARTS
CHAPTER 6: LOSING YOU AGAIN
Raziel and Kali walked down the path towards the Sanctuary. Kali had so many questions for him. She didn't know where to begin, but she was hesitant to ask. Raziel had a sense of sadness within him. He had been observing the landscape, and seemed to regret it.
"Raziel," Kali finally said. "What was it like…? The Abyss?"
Raziel sighed, "Are you sure you want to know about this?"
"I'm sure," Kali said.
"Very well," Raziel said reluctantly. "Once Kain destroyed my wings, I knew that there was only one possible outcome: My eternal damnation."
Kali noticed that his tone was full of hatred. If Kain was really at the Sanctuary, he will not be there for long.
"I, Raziel," He continued, "Was to suffer the fate of traitors and weaklings, and burn forever in the bowels of the lake of the dead. Tumbling, burning, with white hot fire, I plunged into the depths of the Abyss. Unspeakable pain. Relentless agony. Time ceased to exist. Only this torture… and a deepening hatred for the hypocrisy that damned me to this Hell."
Kali listened to him describe his agony. She almost felt bad for not having the same weakness.
"An eternity passed, and my torment receded," He continued, "Bringing me back from the precipice of madness. The decent had destroyed me, and yet, I lived."
Suddenly, a vampire jumped from the rocky wall, and tackled Raziel. Catching Raziel off guard, the Dumahim fledgling was able to pin him down.
"Get off of him!" Kali swung here sword at the vampire, knocking it off of Raziel. Raziel jumped up, and grabbed a large rock. He held it with one hand, though Kali knew it would've taken her both of hers.
Raziel smashed the vampire's skull with the rock, and it fell limp.
"It's a fledgling," Kali said.
"That's what I was hoping for," Raziel said.
He picked up the body, whose head was beginning to reform, and threw it into the sunlight. The body burned to a crisp, and Raziel devoured the soul.
"Now," Raziel said, "Shall we proceed?"
They continued down the path. Once they arrived at the sanctuary, Raziel approached the bars that lead inside. They were sealed shut, but Raziel noticed it could be opened from the inside.
Once again, Kali was left alone when Raziel inexplicably disappeared. He reappeared on the other side, and threw the switch.
"How do you do that?" Kali asked him.
"I'm not entirely sure myself," Raziel explained. "It has something to do with what I have become. I am able to will myself into a spirit world, and return to the physical world."
As they turned a corner, they were met by several Dumahim vampires standing on a bridge surrounded by water.
"Too easy," Kali smirked.
"You took the words right out of my throat," Raziel said.
They both charged the vampires, and simply knocked them into the water. The vampires screamed in pain as steam rose from their melting flesh. They became nothing but scorched corpses floating underneath the gentle waves. Raziel quickly devoured their souls.
"Come on," Raziel said. "Kain must be here."
"Sweet vengeance," Kali snickered.
They found their way to the door that lead to Kain's throne room. Raziel hesitated, but then quickly pushed the door open. Within, the toppled Pillars of Nosgoth appeared even more desolate than before.
Both Kali and Raziel jumped when the door slammed and locked behind them.
"Raziel…" A voice murmured.
Raziel and Kali spun around to see him casually sitting in his throne, which had been built into one of the Pillars.
"Kain!" Raziel and Kali said together.
"The Abyss has been unkind," Kain said as he arose from his seat.
Kain and Raziel approached each other, and met at the center of the circle. Kali stayed close to Raziel.
"I am your creation, Kain," Raziel said with a deep hatred. "And now, as before, you your own work. What have you done with my clan, you degenerate? You have no right."
Kali thought she saw Kain chuckle, "What I have made, I can also destroy, child."
"Damn you, Kain!" Raziel shouted, making Kali jump. "You are not God! This act of genocide is unconscionable!"
"Conscience?" Kain glared at Raziel. "You dare speak to me of conscience? Only when you have felt the full gravity of choice, should you dare question my judgment! Your life's span is a flicker compared to the mass of doubt and regret that I have borne since Mortanius first turned me from the light. To know that the fate of the world hangs dependent on the advisedness of my every deed; Can you even begin to conceive what action you would take, in my position?"
"I would choose integrity, Kain," Raziel said.
Kain laughed at his response, "Look around you, Raziel. See what has become of our great empire. Witness the end of an age. The clans scattered to the corners of Nosgoth. This place has outlasted its usefulness… as have you."
Kain drew his ancient weapon, the Soul Reaver; Far older than any of them, and a thousand times more deadly. Raziel knew what it meant when he drew the sword in anger. It meant you were dead.
Kali stepped in front of Raziel, and drew her sword, "Then you'll have to kill us both!"
"Oh, believe me, child," Kain said, "For the last Razielim, there are fates worse than death."
Hearing this caused Raziel to be filled with blind rage, and he lunged at Kain with his claws slashing. Kali also jumped towards him. Kain had been able to defend himself from most of their attacks.
Kain pushed Kali with telekinesis, and she was knocked onto the floor. Raziel slashed Kain with his claws, and he stumbled backwards. Kain defended himself with a telekinetic blast that caused Raziel to collapse to the ground.
Kali stumbled trying to stand. Kain's attacked had broken one of her legs. However, it would heal in a matter of minutes. But minutes were something she did not have.
Kain lifted the Reaver above his head, and slammed it onto Raziel. The impact created a bright light, and pieces of the sword flew in multiple directions.
When her vision cleared, Kali saw Raziel motionless on the ground, and Kain standing triumphantly above him.
"The blade is vanquished," He said. "So it unfolds… and we are one step closer to our destinies."
"No!" Kali screamed to her lungs limits as Raziel's form disappeared.
Kain lifted Kali with telekinesis, and pulled her towards him.
"Now, now," Kain said. "There is no need to throw a tantrum."
"Put me down!" Kali demanded, "Let's see how you fight without your precious sword!"
Kain put his hand on her shoulder, and they both teleported away from the sanctuary. Kali found herself in a large circular room. There were multiple levels, each lined with levers marked with strange symbols. Kain set Kali in the middle of the room, then went to the upper levels, and began configuring switches.
Kali waited for her leg to heal, and as it did, she slowly stood and lifted her sword. She sneaked to the upper levels while Kain seemed puzzled by the switches, as if they held some form of riddle for him to solve.
Kali jumped behind Kain, and slashed his back. Kain yelped at the pain, which made Kali feel a grim satisfaction.
"You've taken Raziel from me again," Kali said. "I will make you suffer."
"Stop this nonsense!" Kain shouted as he spun around, whacking Kali with his claw.
Kali fell to the ground, and she lost the will to stand back up. The sadness of losing Raziel again had begun to overwhelm her. As she opened her eyes, she noticed strands of hair falling… Kain's claw had severed several strands of her last memory of her mother.
"No…" She said standing up. "I'll kill you!"
She charged Kain again, who simply grabbed her by the throat, and took her sword.
"I don't have time for you, half blood," Kain said. "Our time is very limited. Now you just go over there and stay!"
Kain threw her to the other side of the upper level. Kali stood up and prepared to jump.
"No way," Kali shouted. "I'm going to avenge my love!"
"This is not a debate!" Kain yelled, throwing her sword. The blade went through Kali's vest, pinning her to the wall. The sword had gone more than half its length into the wall.
Kain phased into mist, and reappeared next to her, "Did you just say 'love?'"
"Yes, Kain," Kali growled, "A concept that you wouldn't understand!"
Kain narrowed his eyes, "Oh, this is precious. Now I understand why Raziel wanted to spare you. That's why he chose to turn you with such an old method. Raziel fell in love with a human."
"Do you find that funny, Kain?" Kali asked coldly. "Does the idea of love humor you? Perhaps you should try it sometime."
Kain raised his hand to strike her again, but slowly lowered it instead.
"My time for romance has passed," Kain said. "If you think for one moment that I never loved, you are terribly mistaken. Now you remain silent. I have a task to complete."
Kali didn't say another word. She watched Kain move back and forth to multiple levers. He adjusted each of them to a different symbol. Kali didn't notice any patterns in his selections.
This process went on for several hours until, finally, Kali heard the doors of the chamber open.
"Ah," Kain said quietly, "Our guest has arrived."