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Realms Converge	By : Candice Category: +G through L > Legacy of Kain Views: 3563 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Legacy of Kain, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.Don't get to Nosgoth itself til chap 5

Chapter List
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Okay! Here's chapter eleven folks! I do hope everyone is enjoying the story.
Chapter Eleven: Back to Sanctuary
On the way back to safety, I found that many of the Ward Gates that had previously been inactive in my initial exploration of the city were now up and running. The light from the gates bathed the city streets in a sickly light. Because of that, it took me far longer to get back to the Blue Lady than it normally would have if the Gates had still been disabled. Several times I had to wait for an area to clear of people before I could dart through the Gates and force my Gift back up once I was on the other side. I found myself cursing almost constantly at one point after nearly stumbling into a wall and I forced myself to shut up when two humans nearby started to look around wildly while they tried to figure out where the voice they were hearing was coming from. One more thing to know about my Gift, the more drained I became, the less my ability blocked sound. I had to wonder if the same would prove true for my scent. I noticed that Nikolai had passed out at some point during the long trek, but I refrained from panicking as I could still hear his heart beat loud and clear.
I wasn't entirely certain what kind of a reaction I was going to get from Kain, or even Vorador, once I returned with the injured human. Though, I knew it was likely that both of them might well have a 'who the hell cares' attitude about helping Nikolai since he was a human and not a vampire. To them the Vampiric race was the superior race. In Vorador's words, and later in Eldar Kain's as well, humans were nothing but 'cattle' to be fed upon and tended to like a shepard might tend a flock. I wasn't sure how much help I would really get from either of them due to that... entitled mindset, yet at the same time I was hopeful as there were several human Cabal members that had been previously vouched for by other vampires. If I needed to, I would see if I could vouch for Nikolai, he did just save me and in the process prove his value and his word after all.
Nikolai shifted a bit as he regained consciousness up. He stayed silent for several steps and then suddenly tried to move out of my arms in an attempt to walk on his own. I gave a faint hiss of annoyance as his movement almost knocked me off balance. I stopped and shifted him a bit so he could at least stand on his own feet, but I did not release my grip on him. Thankfully we were in a darkened alleyway so I carefully let go of my Gift in order to conserve some of my energy. He shook his head a bit to try to clear his thoughts and pulled away from me in order to lean against the wall closest to us. He gave me a brief, weak smile at the worried look I shot him.
"Do not worry about me," he groaned out in a rather pitiful tone. "It's all right. I'll be alright. T-the arrow missed my heart. Go on, I can get it out... by myself. I've dealt with worse wounds while out h-hunting boar."
"Are you crazy?" I hissed softly as I looked around. With my Gift inactive, anyone might stumble upon us. My wings twitched with my unease at the situation and I turned back to face Nikolai with a growl. "If a thief doesn't run across you, another, unfriendly or hungry, Vampire might. You would be easy prey for either right now!"
I decided not to say anything regarding my disbelief regarding the 'he'd dealt with worse' comment, but only because I'd never hunted boar myself. Then again, they did have fairly dangerous tusks. So... maybe he had? He smiled again in an attempt to reassure me but the pain he was in was obvious. He leaned sideways against the alley wall. He braced his shoulder against the wall and wrapped one hand around the shaft at the base of the arrowhead. He then reached back and grabbed the arrows back portion where the fletching was and a sharp snap filled the air as he broke off the end of the arrow. He stopped and panted softly for a moment before he started to ease the rest of the arrow's shaft from his body.
I let out a faint hiss as I watched him with another nervous twitch of my wings, unsure of how I could help or even if I could help. I did not want to accidentally make the wound worse than what it was, so I made no move to aid him. He held up the arrow once it was freed from his body like a bloody trophy, and then let it fall to the ground. He still had a pained smile on his lips despite the fact that his actions had left him gasping painfully for air. The arrow had either nicked one of his lungs or that had hurt a whole hell of a lot worse than he had made it seem. I leaned closer to him and listened to see if I could hear the odd whistling sound that a punctured lung made and then relaxed a bit when I heard no whistling. I shook my head, partly in relief, partly in exasperation and then gently took his arm to have him lean against me once more. He issued no complaint and I let out a worried hiss of breath as I led him to an open building with a rusted sign hanging from the door. The sign had what looked like a stylised 'R' carved into it that meant it was an old wagon shop. I glanced around the area to ensure no one was around and then moved him inside to find a place for him to rest.
"At least you'll be safer in here for the time being," I said as I tried to make him comfortable. "This is far safer than leaving you out on the streets. Look... I'm going to go and try to send some help for you. It may take some time so keep your head down and stay put."
"Thank you," he answered with a groan of pain. "And don't worry about me. I will be fine... you're the o-one in the most d-danger. If you stay here worrying about me... then the Sarafan will catch you. I don't... I don't want you to get caught because you were looking out for me. Go... please. G-get yourself to safety and make your r-report. That's the i-important thing here..."
I looked at him for a long moment before I turned away from him. He seemed like a good kid, especially as he had just taken an arrow for me when he didn't have to. He was the first person, human or vampire, that I'd met and actually wanted to have the chance to call 'friend' for so long and... well... I really didn't want him to die. I'd like the chance to have another ally, and actual friend, at my side. Hell, even Kain and Vorador had fallen into the 'potential allies' category when I'd first awoken. Though I was still unsure of how to properly term the odd relationship I now had with Kain.
"You... you are a fool, you know that?" I said softly. "Following me, trying to watch out for me. Especially when I was on a scouting mission. I'm not human like you are. I can survive quite a bit more than you can."
"I know that," he said with a small sigh. "I still wanted to make sure you returned safely."
I glanced back at him over my shoulder and wondered briefly if I reminded him of any of the people he had lost to the Sarafan. It would make sense considering how strongly he seemed about his insistence in helping me when he could. I stood there a moment in contemplative silence before I shook my head. I decided that I shouldn't poke along that particular line of questioning.
"Stay hidden," I said instead. "I will try to send someone..."
I pulled my weakened Gift around myself as I ducked quietly out of the building. I looked around for a brief moment to ensure no one had followed us before I moved on and headed back toward the safety of Sanctuary. I desperately wanted to stay by Nikolai's side and find some way to tend to the wound myself, but he was right. I wasn't going to be able to maintain my Gift for much longer, not with my being as tired I was. I needed make my report, needed to feed and then rest. It also didn't help that I did not really know how to go about treating a wound such as his beyond a little bit of basic first aid. I hoped both that I could get someone out to Nikolai swiftly and that Kain would not make me go back out soon. I wasn't sure what good I'd be given how exhausted I was. I knew that I'd at least be physically able to function for a good while longer given my past and the extreme situations I'd been put through that had built my endurance, but with exhaustion came reduced mental capacity and if I was to be a scout I would need my mental acumen to be at peak capability.
As I neared the Blue Lady, I made sure that I was not being watched before I let go of my hold on my Gift. It was a relief to eliminate that draw on my energy reserves. I moved inside the building as swiftly and silently as I could. I eased down the steps that led deeper into Sanctuary then immediately started to look around for Kain and Vorador instead of stopping by the 'kitchens' for a blood vial. Kain had wanted me to report to him immediately upon my return and I was not going to consciously do anything to earn his ire this soon, not when I wanted to make a good impression and earn my place as thanks for the aid he and Vorador had provided me. Neither of them had had to help me. Kain could have easily left me to die or to be captured. Vorador could have turned me out on my ass as soon as I had recovered my strength. Instead they took me in and Kain had even left his Mark upon me, a sign of protection and more. Though he had yet to elaborate on the 'more' aspect of the Mark.
I found them in another of the many rooms within the underground, it had been modified into library of sorts... and the pair were arguing again. I wasn't sure what it was about seeing them trying to verbally flay each other, but I had to contain a sudden, tired giggle.
They fight like an old married couple, I thought to myself.
I let out a small sigh as I tried to pull my wits together and managed to keep myself from having a bit of a minor break-down after both the nerve-wracking flight as well as the worry that I was going to lose someone that I was just beginning to see as a friend. I moved carefully into the room as I steadied my thoughts and cleared my throat to catch their attention.
Kain and Vorador broke off their argument and turned to look at me expectantly. It was obvious from their expressions that they had only broken off their fight to hear my report. My wings twitched with my unease. I was not well pleased with myself considering the fact that I had almost been caught. I hadn't been caught outright but the fact that the young Lordling had somehow known that I was there had left me decidedly shaken. Vorador was the first to speak and he waved a hand in a small welcoming gesture.
"You've returned," he said. "Well, have you learned anything about what we should expect from this new enemy of ours?"
Kain shook his head slightly. He also rolled his eyes and bared his fangs briefly in annoyance. Knowing Kain, he was likely thinking the same as I; 'what a waste of breath and words'. I had gone to gather information and that is what I would speak of, I did not go out shopping. I took a slow breath to calm my nerves and started to go over what I had witnessed.
"I... was able to do little more than observe the new 'Sarafan Lord,'" I said with a shrug and a twitch of my wings. "His physical appearance seems to be that of a young man around sixteen or seventeen year old at the most. He seems younger in a way. Despite his youth, the Sarafan warriors are following him readily and obediently. It was a little strange."
Kain raised his eyebrow at me, obviously taking note of the facts I was sharing. He sat down in the chair that he had been standing next to, his attention focused fully on me as I spoke. He waved his hand at me in a small motion for me to continue. I bit back the impulse to take another deep breath and focused instead on quelling my nervousness caused by the adrenaline rush fading from my system. It did not help that my wings kept twitching, expressing my unease with unconscious movements. I grabbed onto the edge of one wing to pinch it slightly in an effort to quell the small vibrations that were running through it.
"I listened in on one of his speeches," I said with a frown, "and I believe that their willingness to follow him might have to do with the fact that I felt some kind of energy that was almost like a vampire's Aura. It filled the surrounding area as he spoke. It was as if he were somehow enthralling them, forcing them to listen to him and obey. He really did not look like much physically, yet he held an... odd sense of power to him."
Vorador tapped his talons lightly against his chin, deep in thought regarding what I had said. Kain continued to look at me, he knew there had to be more to the report, but instead of signalling for me to continue or verbally telling me to, he leaned back in the chair. I watched as he unsheathed the Reaver and moved to hold it in his hands across his legs. He idly tapped the skull hilt with his claws.
"It would seem," he said slowly, "as though this child has a mage behind him or is a mage himself and uses an artifact that enhances his own powers."
Vorador nodded his head at Kain's words. He seemed to actually agree with Kain for once, much to my surprise. What memories I had regarding the stories of this world told me that it was rare indeed for these two to fully agree on anything. Their near constant arguing since my arrival had done nothing to disprove that belief. The green skinned Eldar turned to face Kain and his yellow, cat-like eyes seemed to narrow as he spoke. The tone of the Eldar's voice made it clear that he was still mostly lost in thought.
"Yes, it could be that or perhaps this new Sarafan Lord, as has happened before, is of another race entirely. One that ages slowly," his gaze turned to me again and he searched my expression with a critical air. "Could you tell if perhaps he is was vampire, a young one simply trying to grab for power and hiding his nature? If he is as such then that may explain a few things, especially this apparent 'Charm' ability of his."
Kain looked like he did not entirely agree with the Eldar, but did not voice his opinion. He instead turned to look at me once more as he ignored Vorador and he nodded at me in a nearly imperceptive manner as if he was telling me to continue with the report. I nodded slightly in return but before I could continue, a thought flitted through my mind. I decided to answer Vorador's question instead of simply ignoring it. I had been around enough vampires in Auron's... mansion and the vampires of Nosgoth had the same 'sense' to them. With that Aura sense, Aura pulse if you will, I could tell a vampire from a human easily enough.
"No, he in no way appeared to be a Vampire and even if he were a fledgling I think I would have been able to tell. I can pretty much 'see' a vampire's Aura," at that point I rubbed my neck under my right ear in a near idle move. Kain raised a brow at my purposeful gesture and a flash of amusement filled his gold-blue eyes for a moment as he realized by my words that I could actually 'see' the Mark he had left. I let my hand fall to my side a moment later and shook my head. "What was odder still though..."
I frowned and shook my head slightly as I felt the beginnings of a headache. I had to resist the sudden urge to start pacing about the room. I did not need the two of them following my movements as I knew they would do if I did such a thing, which would make me feel as if I were being tracked. To add to my nervousness, I felt like I had somehow forgotten something important, something that I needed to remember, but what? What had I forgotten? Something about... what the boy had in his possession perhaps? Maybe? I just... could not remember. I became so lost in thought that Kain's next words made me jump a bit.
"You are certain that this boy is truly the new leader? Was he wearing anything gaudy or ornate?" Kain flashed a small, fanged smile along with a derisive chuckle before he continued. "We know humans like to make themselves seem more important with fancy and often overly colorful garbs... hmm... even the Dark Gift cannot take that desire away from some of them."
Kain's eyes turned to Vorador, making the target of the last comment obvious as he tightened his grip on the hilt of the Reaver. My eyes widened abruptly as I saw Vorador's gaze flash solid white for in instant in response to Kain's not-so-veiled insult. I quickly moved forward, not exactly getting between the two of them, but close enough to put their combined attention back on me instead of each on other. I did NOT want to be in the middle of a full out fight between these two and they both thrummed with enough contained power that they each gave off the sense that they were waiting for just the hint of an excuse to fight.
"I don't think he was wearing anything too gaudy. Nothing overtly flashy," I said quickly before I frowned again and tried to remember what exactly it was that the Lordling had been wearing beyond a basic set of mage robes. I shook my head and continued. "Honestly what stood out the most was..."
Again I paused with a frown and rubbed at my head as my thoughts began to scramble once more. Apparently I was quiet for far too long, because Kain snapped at me.
"Out with it!" he barked.
I jumped and just barely managed to keep myself from letting out a yip of noise. I shook my head and shivered as I looked up at the two full vampires in front of me but my thoughts seemed to stabilize as I remembered something of importance.
"What stood out the most was his eyes. I think they were supposed to be a natural blue, but they were glowing, kind of like your eyes just did," I nodded at Vorador for a moment before I looked back to Kain, "except that they glowed black, not white, and only around the outer edge of the iris. It felt wrong."
I frowned again as I tried to remember what else I had noticed while watching the Sarafan Lord, but for the life of me I could not remember anything else and the headache was getting worse as I rubbed at my temple. I noticed that Kain's eyes had narrowed on me, but he waved his hand slightly and spoke in a curt tone.
"Is that all you have to report?" he asked.
I shook my head and took another deep breath before I continued. I managed not to burst out with any kind of an apology, though I know I was blushing suddenly with my embarrassment. I had been foolishly cocky...
"No, I... not wanting to be seen, I kept my Gift active as I moved after the Sarafan Lord. He was not travelling with ant kind of a guard and I thought I might be able to dispatch him myself without being seen," I shrugged and tugged at the edge of one wing again, "thus ending whatever plans he had tonight. I tracked him to what I assumed was his quarters and yet there was a barrier that I could not see, a barrier far stronger than the Ward Gates. It blocked the doorway completely. It was like running into a brick wall at full tilt even though I just barely bumped into it. I do not believe that even another human could have gotten past the barrier. As for the Lordling himself, it... was as if he saw me, or could sense me or something. He spoke as if he knew exactly where I stood in the hall. The entire time I was in his presence he never seemed to take his eyes off of me and I had shifted my position at least once. It was as if I hadn't enabled my Gift active at all."
Kain glanced over at Vorador briefly before he looked back to me. He seemed lost in thought for a few moments and his frown seemed to deepen. I knew he was contemplating the importance of the new information. He muttered to himself, though it was loud enough for me to hear him.
"It is seeming more like a strong mage or an artifact of power assisting the boy with each passing moment," he said. "That boy, no matter his natural talent, is not the only one at work here."
Vorador must have heard him as well, but then again, with those ears it would be hard for him NOT to have heard the silver-haired vampire. I had to bite back another giggle at that wild thought and I looked down as I tried to hide the fact I was about to burst into inappropriate laughter. I really needed rest and food soon... I looked back up after I had taken a few deep and steadying breaths. Vorador turned his gaze back to Kain and spoke.
"Do you think it is the Hylden again?" he asked.
I shot Vorador a look and I raised a brow slightly when I saw Kain stiffen and scowl out of the corner of my eye. I spoke before Kain could make a comment. The tension was still thick in the air between the two and was steadily getting thicker with that last comment.
Please don't fight, please don't fight, I kept thinking to myself.
"I doubt it," I said quickly. "From what I've heard, Kain sealed that enemy away."
I let out a faint sound of annoyance as I tried to think of what else had happened and I knew that my sudden confusion had to have shown on my face. I started to pace back and forth as I rubbed my temple, no longer able to contain my agitation as I thought about what I had seen, what I had recalled and what that... man-child, had said to me. I no longer cared at that moment that I was being watched by the two older vampires. I mumbled to myself softly, lost in thought.
"'The one with wings stained with blood'. How did he know that I was there? Maybe he knows how I got here...?" I stopped and rubbed my forehead again with a grumble of noise. "Or is the cause of it...?
I noticed Kain looking at me and saw him shake his head in response to my words. I almost kicked myself for having actually said all of that out loud. I should have known that at least one of the two would have heard me, should have realized they'd pick up on my anxiety. I felt my wings twitch again and I rubbed at the back of my neck. How embarrassing.
Kain waved his right hand at me while his other hand remained upon the hilt of the Reaver. He had moved the blade at some point in order to lean it against his left leg. His grip on the blade tightened bit as he leaned forward to speak to me.
"No, you were not brought here by him," he said firmly. "The manner in which I found you proves that. His dogs would not have been trying so readily to kill you had he wanted you here, they would having been working to capture you instead. Though I do not doubt that he may have something powerful that spies on this realm for him."
"True enough, I suppose," I said with a shrug. "But that still doesn't tell us what he is. He appears to be human and the energy I sensed coming from him was... not Vampiric from what I could tell but it didn't feel human either. Perhaps... I should find a way to observe him further?"
Kain stood and leaned over the table in front of him to look into my eyes, the Reaver hilt held firmly in his left hand. "I believe that you have learned all that you are capable of... for now."
There was a grin upon his face that screamed that he had a plan that he intended to set into motion, soon. He straightened and paced around the table to stand just behind me and his claws startled me as his hand came to rest on my shoulder. I could feel his gaze upon me and I kept my own eyes carefully away from his as a sudden flash of instinct pushed at the back of my mind. An instinct that screamed 'Alpha' and 'do not offer challenge'. Vorador remained silent as Kain trailed his claws over the back of my neck. Perhaps the Eldar had already heard Kain's plan through the Whisper. As for Kain himself, he seemed to be focused solely on me. Maybe, I don't know, judging me, weighing my worth to him and his cause? Either way my vampiric senses were all but screaming and I realized that his energy, his Aura, was pushing against my own in testing waves that were not helping my growing headache. I grimaced briefly in pain but made no noise to indicate the pain I was in.
"You have not met all the forces that live in Nosgoth Little One, so how can you possibly know if this boy playing at being a Lord is otherworldly or not?" Kain said as he slowly turned me to face him.
I let him shift me around and the warily met and held his gaze when the pressure of his Aura eased up. The only part of me that moved beyond that was my wings as they twitched and trembled with my unease. He ran a claw through the feathers of one wing in an idle caress and I let out a soft, wary hiss of noise. He knew already how tetchy I got when he touched my wings but he had taken to ignoring the warning hisses I made. It was as if he was trying to force me to get used to his touch.
Kain smirked with a light of dark satisfaction in his eyes before he moved away from me. I could still see his intense gaze in my mind's eye and it made me shiver. There had been something there in Kain's penetrating look that had promised... danger. I had wanted to prove that my assistance could be of value, but suddenly I felt very, very worried for some reason. My racing thoughts were stopped by Vorador, who had started to point out several spots on one of the many maps that littered the table amidst all of the books.
"We know that the Sarafan have outposts in these locations," Vorador said, "and that this young Lord makes personal checks upon them regularly."
Each camp had been marked with a small scratch. Kain reached out and added a few others that I believe Vorador may have overlooked. Kain's actions caused Vorador to frown in annoyance and I swear I could see a hint of embarrassment in his eyes for just a moment. Kain examined all of the marks, all the while his normal scowl grew deeper and deeper.
"All of this information is useless to you, Little One," he looked up at me suddenly, a dark smile on his lips. "Not only that, but as Vorador has been stressing so very much, you are a half-blood. Go. Feed and rest."
He started to turn back to Vorador, intent perhaps on finishing what they had been arguing about earlier.
"Ah, Kain? I... would ask something?" he paused and I quickly spoke into that silence. "Nikolai, the human? He was injured helping me get back. Took an arrow for me. I left him hidden in an abandoned building just a few blocks away. My Gift wasn't going to hold much longer for the both of us. May I ask for you to send someone to get him and bring him back here for healing?"
He leaned over the table, shifting so that the Reaver blade was leaning against his left leg and he turned his head over his shoulder to respond to my request. His tone was filled with a dark, cruel bit of amusement.
"Perhaps," he said. "Rest and we will speak more at a later time. Now... go."
I nodded and left the room swiftly.
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