LEGACY OF KAIN: BLACK HEARTS
CHAPTER 7: A MATTER OF TIME
Raziel pushed the doors open, and stepped over the threshold. Within was a large circular room with several levels lined with switches.
"At last," Kain's voice echoed, "I must say I'm disappointed in your progress. I imagined you would be here sooner. Tell me, did it trouble you to murder your brothers?"
"Did it trouble you when you ordered me into the Abyss?!" Raziel retorted as he slowly descended down the staircase.
Kain only responded with laughter, which surprised Raziel.
"Eternity is relentless, Raziel," He continued as he moved towards one of the switches. "When I first stole into this chamber centuries ago, I did not fathom the true power of knowledge.
Kain threw the switch to one of the strange symbols, and a machine overhead began to spin. Its technology was beyond Raziel's understanding.
"To know the future, Raziel," Kain proceeded. "To see its paths and streams tracing out into the infinite… As a man, I could never contain such forbidden truths. But each of us is so much more than we once were."
Kain walked down to the middle level, and walked around to reach another switch. Raziel saw no pattern in his process.
"Do you not feel with all your soul," Kain went on, "how we have become like gods? As such, are we not indivisible? As long as a single one of us stands, we are legion. Our futures are predestined. Moebius foretold mine eons ago. We each play out the parts fate has written for us. Free will is an illusion."
Kain activated another switch, and the machine's turning became more complex, and it started charging some form of energy.
"I found the tomb of Sarafan, Kain," Raziel gestured to himself. "How could you profane a priest by turning him into a vampire?!"
Raziel jumped at Kain to attack him, but Kain simply grabbed him by the neck. Raziel struggled to break free, but Kain's grasp was too strong.
"How could I not?" Kain said, chuckling. "One must keep his friends close, Raziel, and his enemies even closer."
With little effort, he threw Raziel to the lower level. Raziel looked up and saw a familiar figure. Kali was on the upper level, struggling to remove her sword from pinning her to the wall. Clearly that was Kain's doing.
Kain jumped down to meet Raziel in the middle of the room, "Who better to serve me than those whose passion transcends all notions of good and evil?"
"The Sarafan were saviors," Raziel broke his gaze on Kali, and glared at Kain, "Defending Nosgoth from the corruption that we represent. My eyes are open, Kain, and I find no nobility in the unlife you rudely forced on my unwilling corpse!"
Raziel whacked Kain with his claws, and kicked him across the room into one of the switches. He jumped after Kain, and pinned him to the wall by his throat.
"You may have uncovered your past, but you know nothing of it," Kain said. "You think the Sarafan were noble, altruistic?"
Kain pulled Raziel arm from his neck, and blasted him with telekinesis to the other side of the room. Raziel launched into one of the stone walls, causing it to shatter.
"Don't be so simple," Kain said. "Their agenda was the same as ours."
Kain threw the final switch, and the machine fired a beam of energy at an archway. A portal whirred to life from the blast.
"You nearly had me, Raziel," Kain said as he faded away into mist. He reappeared next to the glowing threshold. "But this is not where, or how, it ends. Fate promises more twists before this drama unfolds… completely."
Kain disappeared into the light of the portal. Raziel stood, and jumped to Kali.
"You came back…" Kali said.
Raziel pulled the sword from the wall, and handed it to her, "Of course I did. Now let's get Kain."
"I'm right behind you!" Kali cheered as they jumped to the portal.
Raziel hesitated before the portal. He summoned a spiritual blade that seemed like mist around his arm.
"What is that?" Kali asked.
"The Reaver," Raziel answered. "This is what it became when Kain destroyed it."
Raziel stepped closer to the door, and Kali stayed close to him. They grasped each other's hands, and leaped in. Everything around them turned white, black, and then white again. Until finally, they found themselves in a small chamber, with the infinity symbol of time engraved into the floor.
"Raziel," a voice called. A man wearing a purple robe and holding a staff came into view. "Redeemer and destroyer; pawn and messiah. Welcome, time spanned soul. Welcome to your destiny".
Kali didn't have the slightest idea of who this man was, but already knew she didn't like him. She noticed Raziel glaring at him, not saying a word.
Raziel knew this man as Moebius the Time Streamer. Kain told stories of him deception and cowardice.
"'Where am I' is the usual question," Moebius said. "In your case, 'when' might be more apt."
Raziel raised the Reaver, only to watch it fade away. Moebius's staff glowed brightly, and he looked at it with an astonished look. Kali felt a heavy weight on her chest, and she slowly collapsed to the ground.
"Very well, you old snake," Raziel sneered. "If you'd prefer I use my bare hands…"
Raziel lunged towards him and grabbed him by the throat, slamming him into a wall. Moebius's expression became worried, but Kali almost thought he was faking it. She tried to stand, but failed.
"This is completely unexpected!" Moebius exclaimed. "This orb disables our vampire enemies, leaving them helpless and incapacitated. Strangely, it seems to have the same effect on that peculiar weapon of yours. But you must believe me… I mean you no harm."
Raziel tightened his grip, "You can drop the benevolent façade, Moebius. I know who, and what, you are. I should kill you where you stand."
Suddenly, Moebius's attitude changes, sending a chill down Kali's spine. He went from a helpless old man, to confident and completely in control.
Moebius laughed, "Perhaps you should, my boy. But you don't."
Raziel's grip tightened. Kali was surprised Moebius was still breathing.
"Are you so sure of that, Moebius?" Raziel said.
Moebius appeared hardly intimidated by Raziel's threats, "My role as Time Guardian affords me a certain level of omniscience, Raziel. No, you don't kill me. That honor belongs to your maker, Kain, some thirty years from now."
Raziel reluctantly released his grip, "You two are a pair. You're just as fatalistic as he is."
"Death comes for us all, Raziel," Moebius chuckled, "It is only a matter of time."
Raziel turned to see Kali struggling on the ground.
"Kali," he said. "What is it?"
Kali motioned towards Moebius, and Raziel looked at his staff.
"Do not worry, Raziel," Moebius said. "She will be fine once I depart. I have no control over the influence of the orb."
"How is it that you know my name?" Raziel said, kneeling next to Kali. "We have never met."
"On the contrary, Raziel" Moebius said. "I know you very well. And it grieves me to see how cruelly Kain has used you. I knew you when you were one of the Sarafan brotherhood. We were even close."
"Oh, please," Raziel snickered.
Raziel picked up Kali (bridal style for a visual), and slowly followed Moebius as he exited the chamber.
"Fortunately," Moebius continued, "You need not love me now to be my ally."
They entered a large chamber, with several sealed time streaming chambers around them, and in the center, a large basin filled with misty water and marked with arcane symbols. On the walls were depictions of the slaughtered Pillar Guardians.
"Are we in the Stronghold of the Sarafan Priesthood?" Raziel asked.
"Yes," Moebius answered. "But the glorious days of the Sarafan have long since passed I'm afraid. This is a more… cynical and indecorous age. My mercenary army now inhabits this stronghold. We strive to honor the memory of the Sarafan with our own humble crusade."
Raziel looked at Kali in his arms. If she didn't seem like she was struggling to breathe, he might have found this situation cute.
Raziel turned from her and studied the murals on the walls. The Guardians were seemingly defenseless, and a vampirical creature slaughtered them without relent.
"Is this the vampire Vorador?" Raziel asked.
"Yes, the scourge of the Circle," Moebius said, "The most depraved and decadent example of his whole degenerate race. He slaughtered six of my fellow Guardians as the cowered, defenseless in this room."
"And somehow you survived this massacre?" Raziel said.
Kali still struggled in Raziel's arms. Her heart was in so much pain, she was unable to speak.
"I, and two others," Moebius corrected, "The circle was devastated; only three were spared."
"How convenient," Raziel disdainfully said, "You will forgive me if I don't naively devour every scrap of information you toss at me. You have a reputation for deceit."
"And who has slandered me so?" Moebius asked. "Your malefactor Kain? The one who betrayed and destroyed you? Our common enemy? Consider the source, before you judge me too harshly. We'll forget about rekindling our old friendship, then. But consider an alliance based on our common ground. We both want Kain dead. I can help you do it."
"You don't want to meddle in this, old man," Raziel warned. "I know all about your sordid little schemes, but you're simply out of your depth on this one."
"You underestimate me Raziel, let me show you…"
Moebius walked to the basin in the middle of the room. As he waves his hand over the mystical water, an image begins to form. Raziel sees Kain at the Pillars of Nosgoth.
"Even now," Moebius continued, "Kain is lying in wait for you, unaware that I've snatched you out of the time stream and brought you here to me. See how he lingers at the very pillars he is destined to destroy, foolishly confident that he has eluded your grasp."
Raziel was astonished, "The Pillars are still standing in this time?"
"Yes, Raziel," Moebius answered. "They are the embodiment of the divine force which preserves the life of our world. We who serve the Pillars maintain their delicate balance. And Kain is destined to be the fulcrum upon which that balance turns. I believe you have already endured the wasteland wrought by his terrible, selfish decision. Kain's very existence is a cancer upon this world. As long as he lives, all of Nosgoth is in peril."
Kain's image fades away.
"You may never again be human, Raziel," Moebius said with an ironic sympathy, "But you can re-embrace the essence of your humanity, and the nobility of your Sarafan heritage. Go to him, Raziel, and end this. But first you will need to find your way out of the Stronghold, and in this, I'm afraid, I cannot help you. My soldiers will not understand your appearance here; they will try to kill you. You needn't fear them, of course. They're no match for you. Try to keep the casualties to a minimum, but do what you have to do. All great movements require a few martyrs."
Moebius vanishes before Raziel's eyes, and as he does, Kali regains her breath.
"Kali," Raziel said, "Are you alright?"
"Yes," Kali said as Raziel slowly set her in her feet. "Now that he's gone…"
"Kali…" Raziel said, appearing confused.
"What?" She responded.
"Your hair…" Raziel gently moved his claws through her severed strands of jet black hair.
"Kain," Kali answered, "In fact, let's get back to hunting him."
"As you wish," Raziel said.
Together, they exited the chamber to explore the stronghold.