LEGACY OF KAIN: BLACK HEARTS
CHAPTER 12: HISTORY AND DESTINY COLLIDE
As Raziel left the Elder's chamber again, Kali woke in his arms. She looked around, and noticed the ancient door sealing behind them.
"I don't know why I keep fainting," Kali said. "But I have to say, I like the idea of waking up in your arms."
Raziel chuckled, "There's something about that chamber. I think it is toxic to vampires. But since you are only half vampire, it only causes you to faint."
"So," Kali said. "Where are we going?"
"The Sarafan stronghold," Raziel answered, placing Kali on her feet. "There was a door nearby that had the same elemental symbol of Dark as those ruins."
They continued up the path that they had travelled previously from the stronghold. On their way, they approached the blackened Pillars of Nosgoth.
"They're still impressive," Kali said in awe, "How high do they go?"
"I have no clue," Raziel admitted. "I suppose only the Ancients knew the answer to that."
Kali thought to herself. The Ancients must have been brilliant architects. No other creature in history that Kali knew of could construct something as monumental as the Pillars.
While walking away, Kali thought she heard a woman's voice, and spun around. No one was there. Just the corrupted Pillars standing tall.
She turned back around to follow Raziel. An eerie feeling surged through her spine.
They pressed forward until they saw the stronghold.
"There," Raziel said, pointing out the door with the dark symbol engraved onto it.
"There's our door," Kali agreed. "Let's go."
Kali dived into the Sarafan Lake. Raziel watched her impact the water. Her swift dive barely made any ripples in the water. When she poked her head out of the water, she gestured for him to follow.
When Raziel hit the water, it wasn't nearly as graceful, but still stealthy. The river seemed calmer than before. It made Raziel feel unsettled. But he tried to ignore the feeling, and swam towards the door. They resurfaced onto a small piece of land in front of the door.
Raziel summoned the Reaver, and it was still imbued with dark power. As before, Raziel inserted the blade into the door as if it was a key. The door responded with a flash of light, and slowly crept open.
"This day can't get any stranger," Kali said.
"You're telling me," Raziel said. "Come on."
As they entered, the door closed behind them. Raziel observed the door, but there was no lock. Instead, there was a glowing crystal at the top of the arch.
"I've seen this before," Raziel said.
"I was just about to say the same thing," Kali said. "There's one just like it above the door of the Sarafan stronghold."
"Yes," Raziel agreed. "And above Moebius's time streaming chambers. Now that's interesting."
They traveled through the ancient halls lined with more murals of the winged race and the Reaver. Kali's interest was drawn to a depiction of another race. Clearly not human nor vampire, they appeared hideously deformed.
"What are these?" Kali asked.
"I haven't the slightest idea," Raziel admitted. "But it appears that the Pillars banished them somehow."
"And no doubt that these winged beings constructed the Pillars," Kali continued.
"Indeed," Raziel agreed. "But why, and what do these creatures have to do with it?"
They continued through the corridors, and found another Reaver forge, this one decorated with the symbol of Light. As before, the Reaver was drawn to it, and Raziel plunged the blade in.
The forge's energy was drained, and the once brightly lit room fell dark. The only source of light was the blade coiled around Raziel's arm.
"Are we done here?" Kali asked.
"I believe so," Raziel answered. "Let's get out of here."
As Raziel had expected, the crystal responded to the Light Reaver. The door opened to let them out, which meant that they now had a way into the stronghold.
The crystal on the door reacted the same way as the one in the ruins, and the doors opened. Raziel and Kali swam into the stronghold, and were met by Moebius's soldiers.
Kali and Raziel battled the soldiers until there were none breathing. They then helped themselves to a meal to sustain their energy.
"That was fun," Kali said.
"Yes," Raziel replied. "But almost too easy. It seemed as if they merely gave up. I don't like this."
They proceeded to the hall where William's chapel was. Raziel and Kali noticed fresh bodies of Moebius's guards lying on the ground.
"What happened here?" Kali asked.
"I think I know," Raziel answered. "Show yourself, Kain!"
"Here, Raziel," Kain said from where William was entombed.
Raziel stepped towards him with Kali following behind.
"We should've known," Kali whispered to Raziel, taking his hand from behind.
"Everything is decided here," Kain said. "You cannot comprehend the magnitude, the rapture and the tragedy, of this moment… And yet you must if Nosgoth is to be dragged from the wreckage of its damnation."
Raziel became irritated. "I understand only this, Kain: that you and Moebius have impelled me to this moment simply means that I can trust neither of you. I don't know whose pulling the strings, but it no longer matters, because I'm cutting them. I set my own course from here."
Kain chuckled. "If it were only that simple."
"Your fatalism is tiresome, Kain," Raziel said.
"And annoying," Kali added.
"...and profoundly ingrained, Raziel and Kali," Kain finished. "You must understand, our presence here doesn't alter history. You and I meet here because we are compelled to; we have always met here. History is irredeemable. Drop a stone into a rushing river - the current simple courses around it and flows on as if the obstruction were never there. You, her and I are pebbles, Raziel, and have even less hope of disrupting the time-stream. The continuum of history is simply too strong, too resilient. Except...then how do we explain William, here?"
Kain gestured to the stone casket behind him. Raziel didn't like where this was going. Kali felt his discomfort in his hand, and also had a bad feeling.
"The beloved boy-king turned tyrant," Kain said, picking up the Soul Reaver, and flourishing it to Raziel and Kali. "In my youth, I witnessed William's rise to power, and his transformation into the 'Nemesis' who laid waste to Nosgoth."
"Keep your distance, Kain," Raziel said. Kali felt him tremble. Fear wasn't a usual thing for Raziel, which made Kali feel afraid as well.
"Years later, I stumble upon a chance to journey back in history, unaware that the entire affair has been orchestrated by Moebius." Kain slowly walked towards Raziel, with the Reaver in his hand. "In my wisdom, I seize this opportunity to murder the young king before he can ravage Nosgoth and thereby provide the catalyst Moebius needs to ignite a genocidal war against our race."
"I warn you," Raziel said. "No further."
"This one reckless act unravels the skein of history," Kain continued. "The Nemesis never becomes the Nemesis; William dies a martyred saint. I, the vampire assassin, become the author of my own species' destruction. And Moebius profits from it all. I destroyed a tyrant only to create one far worse."
Kain raised his hand to the stained glass mural above, which depicts Kain and William battling, both wielding the Soul Reaver.
"But how can it be so?" Kain asked. "How, if history is immutable?"
Raziel's muscles tensed up. Kali hated knowing that he was full of so much fear.
"Stand back, Kain," Kali said, drawing her sword.
"The answer is here in this room, Raziel," Kain said, ignoring Kali's threats. "Moebius propelled William and me together, but ensured first that we were both armed with the Soul Reaver. The Reaver is the key. Two incarnations of the blade meet in time and space... a paradox is created, a temporal distortion powerful enough to derail history."
As Kain took one final step, Raziel's version of the Reaver summoned itself with its own will.
"Is this your sorcery?!" Raziel demanded. Kali stepped back, her own spine trembling from this horror.
"Not mine, Raziel," Kain said, "yours. You have nothing to fear from me, Raziel. You hold all the cards."
Kain turned the sword in his hands, and offered the hilt to Raziel. Raziel took it from Kain, and the wraith blade wraps around the sword, embracing its twin.
"Then perhaps I should test your sincerity," Raziel pointed the blade at Kain, and he backed up, which made Kali feel a little better about the situation. "If what you say is true, you should be terrified. I could kill you here and now."
"And so you do, Raziel," Kain said. Kali thought this was too easy. There was something wrong.
The blade began to tremble, and with its own will, surged itself towards Kain. Raziel used all his strength to hold it back.
"What's happening?!" Raziel said, confused.
"We are hurtling toward our destinies, Raziel." Kain answered. "What you feel is the pull of history rushing to meet us. This is where history and destiny collide."
Raziel tried to grip the sword as it lunged towards Kain. Kain was ducked to the ground, and was pinned up against William's sarcophagus to avoid the blade.
"If you truly believe in free will, Raziel," Kain said. "Now is the time to prove it. Kill me now, and we both become pawns of history, dragged down the path of an artificial destiny. I was ordained to assume the role of Balance Guardian in Nosgoth, while you were destined to be its savior. But the map of my fate was redrawn by Moebius, and so in turn was yours"
"This is madness!" Raziel shouted. Kali's heart began to race. Raziel was under so much stress, and she couldn't find the will to move. Maybe it had something to do with what Kain said about history.
"Fight it, Raziel..." Kain urged. "This moment does not have to be an ending. It can become a prelude."
"I can't…" Raziel said.
"You can, Raziel" Kain insisted. "Look inside and see that it is so. You have the power to reshape our inevitable futures."
Raziel raised the Reaver above his head. Kain turned away and prepared himself for an impact as Raziel violently brought the sword down. Instead of hitting Kain, the sword broke into William's sarcophagus, splitting the stone. Raziel let go of the sword, overwhelmed with shock. Kain stood next to Raziel.
"Poor William," He said.
The room was filled with a moment of disturbance. The world seemed to shake around them.
"What is this?" Kali asked.
"History abhors a paradox, Kali," Kain answered, then turned to Raziel, "Even now, the time-stream strains to divert itself, finding its old course blocked by your refusal to destroy me. The future is reshuffling itself to accommodate your monumental decision. This is where we restore ourselves, Raziel, and reclaim our intended destinies. It may yet be possible for me to assume my role as Balance Guardian and return the Pillars to their rightful inheritors…"
"…To the vampires," Raziel interrupted. "And this is the destiny you urged me to discover? I don't know what game you and Moebius are playing, Kain, but I refuse to be your pawn. Unlike you, I still revere whatever shred of humanity I've managed to preserve. You will not use me as the instrument of your messianic delusions."
"Very well, Raziel," Kain said. "I'll not ask you to trust me. Your truths are for you to discover alone."
"Humble words for one who presumes to teach me a lesson at every turn," Raziel said.
"Then continue your journey and learn your own lessons, Raziel. Remember," Kain warned. "Moebius led you here, but you walk away unfettered; a champion of free will, and conqueror of false histories."
Raziel turned away from him.
"There is much more for you to unearth," Kain continued. "If you have the heart for the truth and the will to see it"
He vanished, and Raziel's eyes met with Kali's. Kali walked towards Raziel, and they wrapped their arms around each other. None of them said a word, for they were still filled with shock.