Adult-FanFiction.org : Games

Realms Converge	By : Candice Category: +G through L > Legacy of Kain Views: 3562 -:- 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
- 19
- 20
- 21
Edits done as of 04/2016

Hope everyone is enjoying the story!

Chapter Twenty: Defensive Measures.

I woke up with a start and looked around tiredly. I realized that I had been draped at some point over the stone 'throne' that lay in front of the Pillar of Balance. I yawned and then stretched lazily like a cat just waking from a nice long nap. I felt a deep-seated tremor course through me at the pleasant aches that ran throughout my body. I could not quite remember exactly what had happened, but with how entirely sated I felt, I was fairly certain of what had occurred after Eldar Kain and I had finished speaking.

Horny bastard, I thought to myself in amusement as my wings gave a lazy half-beat at the air.

I curled back up with my wings still partly stretched out over the arms of the 'throne'. I then closed my eyes and tried to sort out my thoughts. I could remember only bits and pieces of our conversation, just as Eldar Kain had said that I would. The gaps in my memory regarding our talk were a bit jarring, especially considering that the conversation had just happened, but that it was Kain that had the placed blocks on my memory eased the level of discomfort that I felt.

I frowned as I recalled that odd glint that I had been seeing around Auron's neck in the 'dreams'. The glint had to be the 'mate' to the necklace that the Sarafan Lordling wore. I really hoped that the artifact that my present time Kain was endeavoring to retrieve would work to halt the dreams or at least protect me somehow from those nightmarish attacks. I was getting quite tired of never knowing when he might strike again and even more tired of waking up wracked by pain.

The most important thing at this point though, was figuring out if there was a safe way to remove the necklace from the Lordling's possession. Both because of the link that allowed him to gain power from Auron and because that very same necklace would be the best bet for me to traverse back to my home realm when it came time for me to go. I did not want to do anything without performing a series of extensive tests on it first though. It would do no good to land right back in Auron's lap and it was possible for that to be a literal risk, regardless of if Kain was with me or not. Still, Eldar Kain had told me that I would be able to remain on Nosgoth for four hundred years. That was plenty of time to do such research. Plenty of time to grow in strength and skill.

Wing beats filled the air and moments later I heard the click of taloned feet as they hit stone. I lazily opened one eye and looked up to watch Janos as he walked over to where I lay. He was mindful of the pile of glass that I had collected and avoided disturbing the glass shards. I yawned again, naturally mindful not to bare my fangs in the process, and sat up as he paused next to me. His expression was both worried and bemused as he looked me over to ensure that I was unharmed.

"You had me concerned when you did not come back to Sanctuary after a few hours Childe," he said after a few moments. His tone was soft, yet held a near-scolding note to it that made me flinch.

"I... ah, sorry about that Janos," I said as I stood.

I wobbled in place briefly. I could use the excuse of 'just waking up' if need, but that was definitely not the reason why my legs still felt shaky and were unable to hold my weight properly. I tucked my wings close again after I had regained my balance and I shrugged my shoulders helplessly.

"I did not want to go back right away and..." I blanked and scrambled for some kind of an excuse. "The... weather... was nice enough tonight for a small nap?"

That sounded like a weak excuse even to my ears and I had to fight back a wince as my wings twitched with my obvious nervousness at the poorly constructed lie. My social skills were rather stunted at this point. Most took my resultant silence during conversations to be a degree of shyness, but it was more that I was observing the conversations around me and... relearning social niceties. It did not help that the social skills that I recalled from my youth would not help me in this world with its' near-Shakespearean ways and the vampires almost pack-like structure. I knew when not to say anything to avoid being too blunt concerning my opinion, but outright lying was... not something that I could do well even after having been on Nosgoth for near to eight months now. Kain had even made an idle comment one day that he found my inability to lie... or at least lie well... refreshing of all things. Vorador thought it was 'cute'.

As it was, Janos did not look well pleased with me.

"Out in the open? Not wise Childe. If you were any younger, I'd be tempted to bend you over my knee for the blatant danger you've put yourself in this eve," Janos said with an upset shake of his head.

I blushed and looked away from him. I felt a gentle touch of amused laughter brush against my mind a moment later and I knew from that mental touch that Eldar Kain was still close by... and listening in on my conversation with the blue-skinned Eldar. At least Janos had bought the rather inept lie. It helped that he had just found me just waking up from a state of slumber.

~Asshat,~ I Whispered at Eldar Kain as I pinpointed his Aura.

The laughter grew louder in my mind and then the sense of Eldar Kain cut off abruptly. I had the distinct impression that he had left the area via teleportation magics. One of these days I would kick his ass. Not in the sense that I would fight him and win, no. I just owed him a single, solid kick to the rear end at some point.

"Why did you leave Sanctuary so abruptly at any rate Childe?" Janos asked and the blush that had been fading from my cheeks flared back into being with a vengeance.

"Yeeaaah," I started slowly with a shake of my head. "Any chance you could tell Vorador to... keep it to his rooms...?"

"Excuse me?" Janos asked with a blink and his wings flared with his obvious confusion.

"Kitchens," I said with gritted teeth as I moved past Janos.

I began to slip the shards that I had found into my bag. It took Janos a few seconds to put things together, but the understanding 'Ah' of noise when he did so made me relieved that I would not have to clarify any further what I had meant by my words. I picked up and then held out the largest chunk of the glass basin pieces to him.

"This is part of the basin the Sarafan Lordling was using when he opened the portal," I said. "I honestly cannot believe I did not come out here sooner to see if anything important had been left behind. Do you recognize the markings at all?"

He took the piece from me and examined it closely. He nodded his head after a few minutes spent looking it over.

"These are Hylden markings," he said to me. "If you have all the pieces then I can put this back together and translate the markings from there to see if they bare any importance."

"Oh, good," I said as I took the piece back from him and tucked it into my bag. I indicated the other shards even as I started to pack them away. "I'm fairly certain that I found all of the pieces."

"Then let us head back," he frowned at me. "And this time if you must go out again Childe, do not take a nap where you can be easily found by those who hunt us."

I winced again and nodded my head at his words. "Yes sir."

He smiled at my soft tone and nodded his head as he accepted my apology. He could easily hear the contriteness and embarrassment that laced my tone at having been found in such an exposed state. Eldar Kain had been there to watch over me and keep me safe from harm, but Janos did not known that. Nor would I say anything about the time-travelling Eldar to anyone but his younger self.

"Shall we fly?" Janos asked me in a gentler tone.

"I..." I shifted my wings and realized that they felt a bit sore. I shook my head at his question. "Can we walk for a while?"

"Of course my dear," he gave my shoulder a light pat and we started down the overgrown path that led back toward Meridian and Sanctuary.

As we walked in amiable silence, I rubbed lightly at the Mark upon my neck and wondered at how exactly it worked. As Janos was an Ancient vampire, I figured that it wouldn't hurt to ask him about the whole process. I wasn't about to ask Vorador of all people. Not about something that seemed like it might be a private subject.

"Janos?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes Katrina?" he responded as he looked my way.

"How... do the Marks work? For humans and for vampires?" I paused and shook my head with a small sigh of frustration aimed mostly at myself. "I mean, well, if it works on both that is?"

"It does," he said with a kindly smile. "For Humans it is referred to as a 'Master's Mark' and clearly Marks the human in question as belonging to a particular vampire. For Vampires it is a 'Mate's Mark' and works in a similar manner."

"But what is the difference between the two and how does it work exactly?" I asked in a curious tone. "I... don't know these things like the others might and would like to learn."

"I understand and would be glad to teach you Childe," Janos said with another gentle smile and his voice changed to a gentle, lecturing tone. "A Master's Mark links the human to their vampire Master mentally. This allows the human to be a more effective servant, as they will be able to sense their Master's needs more easily. A vampire can have numerous humans Marked to their will and those humans may not even be fully aware of each other. The detriment lies in that if the vampire is killed, the human will waste away slowly if not immediately upon their Master's death. Only a strong cause can keep the human alive past their Master's unfortunate end."

I twitched at his words, as it handily described how my mother had deteriorated and stopped caring about things after Father's death. Perhaps she had been Marked by Father? It made a painful amount of sense. Janos continued his explanation, unaware of my upset.

"For Vampire's, the Mate's Mark also allows for an stronger sense of each other's needs. It makes communication through Whisper ability shared by our kind easier, allowing for greater range of communication. You could most likely communicate with Kain even now, as far away as he is," he said. "There are limits of course, but the extended range between a Mate Marked pair has saved lives and time in the past."

I filed that bit of information away for later and decided not to try to contact Kain for the time being considering the Eldar Kain was about somewhere. It would be a bit confusing to end up having an unintended 'three-way call' between myself and both versions of Kain. Though... it actually that might be amusing... perhaps, or confusing if I was the only one to hear them and they couldn't hear each other. An idle thought.

"There is also the benefit that the loss of one's Mate does not necessitate the death of the one who survives. A Mate's Mark does not have to exist on both parties either, but the bond is far stronger if the vampires in question have Marked one another," Janos looked at me with a raised brow as he continued. "As far as any age difference between vampires, an older vampire may well Mark a younger one if their instincts call for it. Normally though, that only happens if the younger vampire has gone through some sort of trial that makes them seem an ideal Mate to their elder. An event or tragedy that shapes the younger vampire, but does not break them. The elder will feel the need to protect them and help them grow stronger still after having survived such an event. Oft times the younger vampire may also feel the intent of their Eldar, even when they are not fully aware of said intent. They may even find themselves submitting easier to that call if it is made by someone they feel they can actually trust. If there is no potential for trust then the younger vampire will be able to resist that subconscious call to submit."

I blinked in surprise at that last part and realized that that last bit of information explained why Kain had so readily pounced me barely a week after my arrival. It also explained why I had capitulated just as readily to his advances. Vampiric instinct acting within us both. Kain had offered me his protection and I had subconsciously accepted his offer.

"Mind you my dear, that multiple Marks can be present on a single person, as well as the fact that one vampire can potentially have multiple Marked Mates, but only if all previous parties are aware and approve of the Marking," he finished.

"Alright, that makes sense," I said with a nod of my head. "But how is this process triggered?"

"Both types of Mark must be activated in the same manner; a spell that can only be cast during willing sexual activity in where the one to be marked submits fully to the person, or person's, casting the spell," he said plainly.

I stumbled with a surprised sound and I blushed at the bluntness of his tone. He flashed me a bemused look as I regained my balance. Sometimes it was hard to remember that he was fairly opened minded and sometimes could be blunt to the point of embarrassment as his monk-like and genial attitude belied the truth of his age. I came to a halt however as his words fully sank in.

"Well... fuck! It all makes sense now!" I yelped out as anger filled me.

"Pardon?" Janos asked me as he shot me a concerned look.

"Auron, the fuckin' bastard who kidnapped me," I growled out as I clenched my hands. "He wanted me to willingly give in to his attentions in order to make the torture stop. He always pushed for me to submit to him. He had to have wanted to Mark me before he killed me!"

For the first time since I'd met him, Janos growled in rage.

A sense of his Aura, as strong and old as Eldar Kain's, filled the air around us. I had never sensed the blue-skinned Eldar in a state of anger before. Even when he was upset with Vorador or Kain, it was a mild anger. I froze in place as my head whipped about and I stared at him in surprised shock. He had stopped walking and had his hands clenched tight at his sides. He had his wings half spread open in a threatening posture and his golden eyes had bled to that solid, hunter's white.

I trembled where I stood as he seemed to fight to control his rage. Eldar Kain hadn't been upset with me when he'd prodded at me with his Aura back at the Pillars. In fact, I would almost have called the prodding gentle had it not been so strong as to all but knock me off my feet. This though, this was an Aura that exuded pure hostility and a ringing call for vengeance. Janos' Aura pulsed again with that powerful rage and I found myself stumbling beneath that second wave of energy. I all but fell to my knees out of pure instinct with a small whine of breath. I bared my throat to him, even though I knew that the anger was not meant for, nor directed at, myself.

Janos heard the frightened noise that I made and sharply turned his head to look at me. His eyes flashed from gold to white and back as he took in a slow, deep breath in through his nose and let it out. As he took another slow breath, his Aura started to pull back, the dangerous power reigned in with a colossal level of control and willpower. I gasped for breath as that rage-filled power withdrew and I slumped against the ground unsteadily. The next thing I knew, Janos had drawn me into his arms and had started to pet at my hair with a gentle, soothing touch.

"Hush now Childe," he said softly as I began to tremble in his arms. "Hush now. I did not mean to frighten you so. I knew from what you told myself and the others that you had been through hell and back, but I had not realized quite how extensive a hell that was. That any of our kind would take the Marking spell and use it in such a fashion is beyond wrath inducing. The Marking spell, either version, is supposed to be an ultimate gift of trust and faith on behalf of the one who is submitting. Never a source of pain. Never."

His voice was just as vehement as it was mournful and I found myself leaning into his comforting grasp as he continued to run his talons soothingly through my hair. Because of how thoroughly shaken I was from the onslaught of his energy, I couldn't fight the tears that started to wrench their way from me. I panted for breath as I shook with those silent tears and Janos continued to hold me and offer me comfort. I tried to pull away when I heard the sudden sizzle of flesh burning and his gentle grip tightened to hold me in place.

"Hush my Childe and stay," his voice was a soothing thrum. "It is no crime to cry and I can bare this little pain for you. Easy now."

I eased further into his arms at his words and simply let him hold me. For a brief instant my mind flashed back not on a painful memory, but a childhood memory of being held safe within my Father's arms after I had fallen from the tree outside our house. I had 'escaped' from our home to go on a 'grand adventure' by climbing said tree. I remembered that he had extended his 'angels' wings, something that I had long forgotten after his death, and he had held me wrapped in arms and winged limbs after he had tended to my bruised knees and scraped elbows.

That memory, triggered by being held within comforting arms and wings more then anything else, had me crying harder against Janos' chest. To have a Father again, even now. To have someone feel that kind of protective rage on my behalf. To have that soothing touch of a trusted parent once more. I wanted that again and I had not honestly realized how much I had missed it.

As my tears slowed, I realized that Janos was humming a soft and soothing melody in my ear. A sub-harmonic rumble also echoed in his chest and eased my frayed nerves further still. I shivered and twitched a bit as I uncurled from the ball that I'd formed in his arms. I let out a faint sigh as I listened to him hum that strange melody. After a time he fell silent once more and ran his hand up and down my back in a light, fatherly caress.

"Are you alright now, my Childe?" he asked softly.

"I... will be okay," I said as I quickly scrubbed the tears from my cheeks.

"Then let us head back my dear," Janos offered me a small smile as he stood and then helped me to my feet. "At this point I am quite sure that Vorador is starting to worry about the both of us."

I snorted out a disbelieving huff of air at the thought of Vorador worrying about me more then Janos. I hesitantly wrapped my arms around Janos in a small hug. He returned it and wrapped his wings around my smaller frame as he did so. He pulled away a moment later and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"Come along now Childe," he said as he started back down the path once more. I moved to trail after him.

"Janos...?" I asked hesitantly after a few minutes of silent travel. My instincts thrummed within me to ask a question of the Eldar.

"Hmm?"

"Can... would I be able to... um... " I nipped my own tongue after those stumbling attempts to speak. I finally managed to ask what I'd meant to. "May I call you Sire? Maybe? You've... been so kind about things since I arrived and your own recovery."

"I would be honored to have you refer to me as such my dear," he responded with a kindly smile. He held out a taloned hand to me.

I reached out to take his hand and smiled shyly as I walked next to him.

"Thank you... Sire," I said softly as my vampiric instincts hummed in contentment.

-*-/-*-

Once back home at Sanctuary we were confronted by a worried Vorador. The green-skinned Eldar had indeed been worried about the both of us, which was a bit of a surprise to me. I had not realized that the Eldar could be concerned with my well-being to such an extent. I ignored his questions about where I had gone and stood on tip-toes to kiss Janos' cheek. I then darted off for mine and Kain's room with a call of 'Goodnight Sire' to Janos as I left. Vorador's upset questions broke off completely as he stared after me with a surprised look upon his face.

For the most part I did my best to avoid everyone for the remaining week that Kain was gone. Oh, I still went to my reading lessons with Janos and Vorador and still had sparring practice with a few of the other female vampires in the Cabal but really... I had just wanted to be left alone for a time. Part of it was that I missed Kain being around. I missed his lessons on tactics, our sparring sessions and I wanted to share what I recalled from the visit with his Eldar self.

The other part of it was pure melancholy as the weight of past memories tried to overwhelm me. It had been the scent of cinnamon that had set me off for some reason. The vampire cook had gotten fresh supplies and spices in that week and had begun to bake a number of delicious treats, up to and including his rather popular cinnamon rolls. I adored those sweet treats but for some reason the sharply sweet scent had mixed with something else that he had received and the mixture of scents had left the treat tasting like ash upon my tongue as flashes of torture and torment filled my mind.

I'd fled the kitchen common room without finishing my roll and could not help but feel a bit guilty at being unable to finish the rare treat.

I only really managed to fight off the feeling of melancholy and the memories both when Nikolai found me sharpening my sword. He had asked me if I would let him draw my image. By then there was only supposed to be a day or so left until Kain was to return so I was already in a slightly better mood then I had been. I raised a brow at him and quoted a reference that I was sure he would never get.

"What, you're wanting to draw me like one of your French girls?"

"My what now?" Nikolai had asked me, askance and suddenly off balance by my question. I laughed and waved my hand at him.

"Nothing, just a silly little reference from my world," I stood and set aside the sword I had been sharpening. "Where at?"

"Here is fine, like you were when I came in? Please Kat?" he asked as he held up a pad of parchment and a piece of charcoal.

I blinked at him with a raised brow and then shrugged as I picked the blade back up and started to sharpen it once more, this time at a slower pace. He moved a little ways away to sit on a bench across from me and started to work. I chuckled and Nikolai let out a sudden 'ah ha!' sound.

"Please keep smiling like that! It will work wonderfully!" he said to me.

"Are you sure it wont just come off as creepy? What with the fangs and all?" I asked with a laugh.

"No no! It's perfect! Just that wistful little smile that lights up your face," he said as he went back to work on his drawing.

I shook my head with another soft laugh and could not fight the small smile that curled my lips. I worked on tending to the blade in my hands as he drew my form. Janos and Vorador wandered into the room hours later and Janos let out a relieved sigh when his eyes landed on me. I looked up at him and started to ask him a question when Nikolai let out a groan.

"No, no! Don't move yet! I'm almost done!" he cried out.

I laughed as I moved my head back so that I was focused on the blade in my hands once more. I looked over at him without moving my head this time.

"I am seriously going to chuck this whetting stone at your head," I threatened in a joking tone.

"OooOooh," Nikolai said as he flicked charcoal stained fingers at me. I rolled my eyes and looked back at my blade. "All scared now, I am. Look at me shivering."

He gave an exaggerated shake of his body when I glanced up again and I had to laugh again at his childish antics.

"Asshat," I said to him in a fond tone.

"Ah, but you love me, my friend. You do and you cannot deny it," he wagged a finger at me and then flicked the piece of charcoal in his hand elaborately across the parchment in his hand. "All done!"

"Bloody well about time," I said.

I set aside the sword and did indeed chuck the whetstone very lightly in his direction. He dodged the stone easily with a laugh and I stood up to walk over to his side.

"Come now, there is no rushing art you know," he said to me with a grin. "And a vampire is the perfect subject to draw. You lot can hold still for hours when you want to."

I thwaped him lightly upside the head even as I leaned over his shoulder to look at the drawing. I blushed as I looked over the well done piece. The drawing was an intricate thing for a charcoal drawing He had drawn me sitting just as I had been and he had caught the motion of the whetstone sliding along the sword's edge near perfectly. The braid of my hair seemed to shine brightly under the captured torchlight and if I looked close I could tell that he had even caught the small details of the spikes braided and hidden within my hair. My wings, held out loosely to my sides, were heavily detailed, each feather an intricate thing. The smile upon my lips revealed just a hint of my fangs and the look in my eyes... damn near made it look like I was some kind of glowing warrior angel.

"That is a very nicely done drawing!" Janos' voice came from behind me and to the right.

I jumped as I had not heard Janos' approach.

"You are skilled," Vorador said to the left of me.

I jumped again with a meep of noise and moved out from behind Nikolai rather then be pinned in from behind by the two Eldar's that were suddenly at my back. Janos offered me a gentle and bright smile even as Vorador nodded his head his head to me in a silent greeting.

"It is good to see you in good humor again my Childe," Janos said.

"I... just needed some time to work through a few things," I said with a shy shrug. "I bounce back pretty quick, always have."

"Hmph," Vorador made a soft noise as he suddenly started past me. He reached up before I could stop him and mussed my hair with his talons as had become recent habit.

"OI!" I shouted in annoyance. "Quit doing that you asshat!"

He turned to look over his shoulder at me and smirked.

"No," he said as he left the room.

I growled and threw up my hands in annoyance as he left. My wings twitched rapidly as my back and revealed plainly my agitation. Janos and Nikolai both burst into laughter at my reaction. I rounded on Janos and pointed a finger at him.

"Blaming you," I said to him.

"And what did I do?" Janos asked as he laughed.

I was about to light into him playfully when I felt Kain's Aura close by. I let out a soft sound of relief and moved out of the room and down the halls toward that potent energy. Janos trailed after me while Nikolai wandered off somewhere else. Vorador had apparently already sensed Kain's approach and had gone to meet him as I could sense that the green-skinned Eldar was next to Kain.

I rounded the corner and paused briefly at the sight before me. Kain looked to be a bit worse for wear after his trip. His armor was dirty and coated with with spider guts and human blood, but otherwise he seemed to be hearty and whole after his trip.

"You are back earlier then expected," Vorador said to Kain.

"You mean to say that I was successful in my quest faster then you had hoped me to be," Kain said with a small sneer as he held out an item for Janos to take. "Here, it seems to lack power and you are the best one here to figure out what needs be done in order to charge it."

"Ah, yes," Janos said as he shifted the object around in delicately in his hands. "I know just what to do with this."

I leaned a little closer in order to get a better look at the item Kain had found. It was a metal bracelet made of small rings linked together in a what I recognized as a Celtic labyrinth weave. The metal rings locked together with a toggle clasp and it was the clasp itself that caught my eye more then anything. It looked to be made of jade and there were fine carvings throughout the circular portion of the clasp. The bracelet seemed to glow with an ethereal light as Janos held it in his hands. The carvings themselves both drew my attention towards the bracelet and forced my eyes away from it. It was a dizzying experience.

"That's an odd effect," I murmured to myself as I looked away from the bracelet.

"Indeed," Kain growled out as he turned to look at me with a small frown.

He reached out and lightly brushed a claw over the edge of my wing. I started to open my mouth to ask him if we could go somewhere to talk in private, when a frantic sounding shout rang out through the halls.

"KAT! A LITTLE HELP?! PLEASE?!" came Nikolai's yelping voice.

I looked in the direction of the shout and reached out with my Aura pulse. Alma was right at where Nikolai's room was located. I let out a low growl of frustration and darted swiftly towards his room. I could feel the others following after me, curious as to what would happen this time around. It was not the first time that I'd had to stop Alma and the three males behind me always trailed along to watch the confrontation if they could.

"Damn it all Alma! How many times do I have to... WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" I yelped out as I entered the room and came to an abrupt halt.

Nikolai looked like he had been in the middle of changing his clothes when Alma had pounced him this time around. He was pinned up against the far wall of his room and had only the neck and one sleeve of a tunic on. His breeches had been tugged open and Alma had a firm and blatantly obvious grip on his bits. She let out an annoyed sigh at the sound of my voice and turned to look at me with a put upon expression.

"My dear, if you are not going to claim him properly then stop interrupting me when I go to do so," she said in a prim voice.

I stalked close to her and let out a snarl as my wings flared out in a threat-gesture. I grabbed the back of her neck firmly in one hand and squeezed tight.

"Let him go," I growled into her face. "He's not fucking interested in being in your bed!"

She did something with her hand that made Nikolai whimper in pain and I tightened my grip on the back of her neck at the sound. I could hear Janos ask Vorador softly if they should interfere but did not dare turn my head to look at the males. Both Kain and Vorador 'hushed' the older vampire.

Asshats, I thought with a mental growl.

"You are always busy playing with Kain," she purred out as she leaned into my grip, her nose close enough to almost touch my own. "If you're not going to play with your human toy then let the rest of us have some fun."

"He is not a toy," I growled out. "What he is though, is under my protection. Now release him."

"No," she hissed softly as she bared her fangs in threat. "I tire of this game. You either claim him properly for your bed or I will have him for myself."

I opened my mouth to snap at her but Nikolai's sudden and high-pitched shout caught everyone's attention.

"Dammit all woman! I am not interested in being in either of your beds. Katrina knows this!" he yelped out. He waved a hand at the three male vampires that stood by the doorway. "I would rather be in one of their beds, for god's sake! I DO NOT LIKE WOMEN!"

I jerked my head back at his shout and then smiled at him. A simple quirk of my lips that did not bare fang.

"Nikolai," I said softly, the pride obvious in my voice.

Alma turned her head to look at him with a raised brow and then let out a soft, slow groan of frustration. She pinned me with a glare and I raised a brow at her.

"You could have said something!" she growled out.

"It was not my place to say anything," I snarled back at her. "He trusted me with that information and I was not about to betray that trust until he was ready to speak of it. You know as well as I that some habits get ingrained too deep and take time to come to terms with as far as speaking of it openly. Even when one is amongst open-minded individuals. Now let him go."

"Oh, very well," she said as she released him.

Nikolai was quick to fix his breeches and then his shirt as he moved to stand safely behind me. Only once he was at my back did I let go of Alma's neck. She rolled her shoulders and let out a soft sigh. She glared at Nikolai, though it was a mild glare that held no real heat to it.

"Next time, put aside those foolish human sensibilities and say something sooner," she said as she fixed her hair. "You might have saved the lot of us from going through this horrible misunderstanding."

"Maybe next time you will learn that 'no' means 'no'," I said to her with a growl.

"Perhaps. Hmmm," a wicked light entered her eyes and she started past the three male vampires with a bow of her head.

I blinked in surprise and then turned and shared a look with Nikolai once she had left the room.

"That look did not bode well," I said slowly. "I swear I recognized it, too."

Nikolai nodded his agreement as he frowned at the door. We both groaned in realization a moment later and spoke at the same time.

"She's going to play matchmaker," we said together.

I rubbed at the bridge of my nose even as Nikolai let out a sigh and hit the heel of his hand against his forehead. He let out another sigh as he dropped his hand to give my shoulder a light pat.

"Thank you for the rescue... again," he said as he reached down to tug at the hem of his shirt. e started for the door a moment later. "I am... going to go try to reclaim some of my dignity. Elsewhere. My Lords."

The last was said with a bow to the three male vampires and, as I watched Nikolai leave the room, I noticed that Janos was... he was...

"Bloody buggering hell. Do I need to have a talk with you too?" I said in not-quite-frustration as I slapped my hands against my hips and flared my wings outwards just a touch.

Janos turned to look at me with an innocent expression upon his face and I waved a finger at him.

"You don't fool me for an instant, Sire," I said firmly even as I fought back a smile. "You were quite clearly checking out his ass."

Janos put a hand to his chest and fluttered his wings. His face stayed innocent, though his eyes sparked with sudden mischief.

"Me? Why would I do such a thing?" he asked in a bland tone of voice.

Vorador snorted at the older vampires antics and Kain rolled his eyes as even as he smirked at the Eldar.

"Your tastes have never run towards the female persuasion, Sire," Vorador said dryly. "I would stop while you are ahead. Though, I must admit I was hoping for a little more intense confrontation between the pair of you."

The green-skinned Eldar let out a wistful sigh. I face-palmed and let out a pained groan at his words. Of course the son-of-a-bitch would have been hoping for a 'cat-fight' or something similar to have happened between myself and Alma over Nikolai.

"I swear, I am surrounded by perverts," I said in a dry tone.

I shook my head as I laughed and let my hand drop to my side. I looked at Kain and nodded my head toward the door as I firmly ignored the two older vampires and their antics.

"Can we talk in private?" I asked.

"Yes," Kain said. He swiftly shouldered past the other two males.

I moved to catch up to him and fell in step beside him as he led me down towards where the blood pools were located. Kain said not a word as he entered one of the empty bathing rooms designed specifically for vampires and their water sensitive flesh. He set the Soul Reaver on a raised dais that lay next to the edge of the pool. He then started to tug off the grimy armor with a grimace of distaste. I moved to assist him and he let out a soft sigh as he lowered his hands and allowed me to remove the armor for him. I unbuckled the leather belts that held the armor in place. I frowned as I took note of a few belts that had been damaged and would need replacing before he wore this set of armor again, never mind the cleaning it would need to get rid of the spider ichor that coated the plated armor.

Once I had the chest plate, vambraces and greaves removed and set aside, Kain was swift to tug his tunic off and then slipped swiftly out of his leather pants. It was rare to see him so eager to bathe. I had learned early on though, that he enjoyed being clean nearly as much as he enjoyed a good, bloody battle. There were times like this when he reminded me of nothing more then a heavily affronted cat that had been out in the rain and needed attention even as it rebelled against said need for comfort. I had to fight back a smile at the thought as he eased into the magically warmed blood and oil mixture. He let out a pleased groan at the pleasant heat and he closed his eyes as a near-to content expression flitted briefly across his face.

"You want me to clean your hair?" I asked him as I lost the fight and smiled at the picture he made. If only Nosgoth had cameras...

He let out a faint grunt but otherwise did and said nothing as he reclined in the warm fluid. I took that as a 'yes' and moved to grab the specialized oils that vampires used to clean their hair. I coated my hands liberally with the oils and then knelt behind him as I began to comb my clawed fingers through those silver strands. I carefully began to work out the tangles in his hair as gently as I could even as I rubbed the oils in and cleaned away the filth of the road. He let out a pleased sound when I finally got the last of the tangles and filth out of his hair and was able to start massaging the cleansing oils directly into his scalp. After several silent minutes, he grabbed my right wrist in his hand and gave it a small tug.

"In," he ordered with a soft purr.

I let out a soft chuckle at the order and swiftly stripped down. I paused for a moment as I bit my lower lip and then drew my wings back into my body before I hopped into the warm fluid. He frowned as I slipped into the pool and I shook my head as I gathered my courage.

"Part... of what I wanted to talk to you about," I said to him.

"Hmm," he gently grabbed my hand and pulled me in close in order to nip at my neck. "If you need to say something then say it my Little One."

I nodded my head in response and then started to tell him about what had happened almost a week ago, or more precisely what I remembered of what had happened. The Eldar version of himself almost knocking me on my ass with his Aura. How I would, and did, remember only pieces of the conversation. What he had told me about having to go back to Earth, back to Gaia, both to take care of Auron and to somehow remain safe while Kain worked to complete a large chunk of his quest.

He stopped me at that point and pushed at me with his Aura. I shuddered under the pressure but it was less potent then his Eldar energy. He relaxed and withdrew his Aura after several long moments and then had me continue my report. I then advised him that, from what I could recall, he would find the Cronoplast and then use it to see potential future paths that might be taken to restore and save Nosgoth as we as the fact that I only knew that there would be complication upon complication while trying to achieve that goal.

"Hmph," Kain grumbled as he turned me around. He grabbed the oils that I had left by the edge of the pool in order to clean my own hair for me. I fairly purred under that firm yet gentle touch. "Wheels within wheels. You know what this enemy looks like?"

"Sorta, kinda?" I said with a shrug of one shoulder. "It kind of looks like a giant, multi-limbed squid with eyes all over each of its' tentacles. But that's only the bits that you can see in various places. I have no idea what the 'main body' of the parasite might look like. Bastard eats the souls of the dead which is why Nosgoth is... kind of fucked as long as it exists..."

Kain's hands paused in my hair and I went still beneath his touch, wary of his reaction. He growled low and then continued his ministrations. I relaxed slowly and let my eyes fall shut.

"Nosgoth is mine," he said after a few moments. His tone was possessive. "I'll not allow some parasite to feast on her flesh if I can stop it."

"I know," I said as I opened my eyes and glanced at him over my shoulder. I offered him a faint smile. "You're a stubborn SOB. Just... keep in mind that while a coin has two sides, there is also an edge for it to land on."

"An impossible third option?" he asked me with a raised brow.

"'Nothing is impossible, just highly improbable'," I quoted to him. "I know you can do it."

"Very well, what else was discussed?" he asked.

I told him what he had/would share with me about the necklace that the Sarafan Lordling used and how Auron had the other half of the pair. He'd growled softly at that though his fingers remained a firm and gentle pressure as they massaged my own scalp.

"We will have to get that necklace from him swiftly if the bracelet I found fails to work," he said. "That will do for your report. Now... what has you hiding your wings from me? I have been working to break you of that habit and will not tolerate a backslide."

I glanced over my shoulder at him and saw that his eyes had gone dark in warning. I swallowed heavily and could help but tremble under his hands at the sheer enormity of what I was to share. I had managed to protect that particular pressure point from being hit during sparring practices where I had my wings tucked away. No one yet knew that weak point and... I was afraid to share it with him. The fact that his Eldar self knew of it gave me some measure of calm to hold to but... I was still scared. He frowned at my reaction and I offered him a weak smile. I looked down as I raised my hands from the blood pool. I watched the rivulets of red fluid drip from my claws and took a slow breath.

"Place..." I swallowed heavily and took another, deeper breath and shook my head. "Wait, no... I'm doing this wrong."

I turned and pulled away from his touch in order to lean against the edge of the pool. I leaned halfway out as I tried to make myself as comfortable as possible for what was to come. I looked at him and saw that his frown had deepened as he noticed the unease in my gaze and it was also likely that he had caught my fear-scent underneath the scent of blood and oils.

"What has you so frightened?" he asked as he rested his hand on the base of my back.

"A... weakness," I said softly as I fought not to twitch at his touch. "It is supposed to be a Draconian-blooded vampires greatest weakness and why they almost always keep their wings out. This is the one thing Auron told me about that I... never doubted."

His eyes narrowed darkly at Auron's name and his lips curled to bare fang. I tilted my head a bit to expose my neck to him in appeasement but kept talking lest I loose my nerve and try to bolt.

"Move your hand up along my spine slowly," I said in a shaky voice. "S-stop when I say to."

He tilted his head as he looked at me and then nodded after a moments silence. He followed my prompting voice until I told him to stop with his clawed fingers right above the 'pressure point'. It was a spot that was difficult to reach myself but I knew that the area was slightly 'raised' on either side of my spine. They weren't visible bumps per say, it was not something that one would see but more what someone might feel when they probed the area. I licked my lips nervously and could not control the growing tremble that began to rock through my body. I took a slow breath and continued to speak.

"Right there, where your fingers are... t-that's a pressure point. If you hit it or jab at it when a Draconian's wings are within their body it will force their wings out against their will," I took another deep breath that shuddered through me as I exhaled. "It... will also paralyze the Draconian in question for up to f-fifteen minutes as the pressure point is connected to the central nervous system. The pain of the process will overwhelm the body and leave the individual... helpless."

I looked up and met Kain's now near-blank expression. His fingers were very carefully feeling around the spot as he noticed those slight 'bumps' under the skin. I swallowed again and then let out a sigh as I looked away from his blue-gold eyes.

"This pressure point is why I was never able to keep my wings safe," I said in a soft voice. "He would always force them from me, regardless of if they had healed in full or not. He used the knowledge that he had regarding this pressure point to cause me naught but agony."

"And you think it wise to tell me?" Kain asked in a soft and dark voice that made me shiver even though there was no malice hidden in his tone.

"I trust you and I follow you of my own free will," I whispered in a soft and small voice.

I licked my lips and dug my claws into the stone before I forced myself to relax as much as I possibly could. Tensing always made the pain worse. I needed to relax.

"You'll have to push hard..." I said with a slightly stronger tone.

"Katrina," he growled slowly.

"Do it," I hissed softly as I trembled beneath his hand. I fought to push down the need to force him away and flee the room. I barely succeeded. "I need you to see what this does to me, the extent of what I am trusting you with."

He was silent for several long moments. His claws trailed a slow circle over that spot. He finally spoke.

"Very well," and he pushed down hard.

I let out a choked cry of pain as my entire body jerked violently as if I had been shot. My wings burst from my body only to land in a useless heap on the stone to either side of me. As it always did, it felt like fire had been poured directly into my veins. All I could do was bite into my bottom lip to keep from crying out any louder then I had to. I felt Kain shift me around and I hissed at him weakly as he forced my mouth open and my fangs out of my lower lip. I couldn't help the faint keen that escaped as he pulled me back into the warm pool to rest upon his lap. The fluid was almost soothing to my body as it twitched with uncontrollable spasms.

"Do not hurt yourself," he ordered with a growl as he licked at the wound I'd made with my teeth.

"Habit," I responded with a weak laugh. "K-keeps me from screaming too loud. He l-liked forcing me scream."

He snorted softly in response to my words as his fingers rubbed over my cheek.

"Stubborn and willful," he said. He tilted his head as he looked down at me. "But that is what kept you alive, isn't it?"

"Never give up, never surrender," I murmured weakly as my body continued to twitch.

"Hnn."

He frowned after a moment and moved to push his thumb against his Mark under my ear. I let out a choked yip of noise as the pleasure that usually accompanied that touch just barely flickered through me. My body jerked at the jolt and I couldn't fight the soft, near begging keen for cessation that escaped me. He moved his thumb away from his Mark almost immediately after I made that noise. The jolt of pleasure did help me, at least a little, but my nerves were already far too raw from the pain for me to properly register the pleasure that he had tried to offer me. He let out another hum of noise and then dipped me a little lower into the blood pool, until the fluid was up to my neck. He kept a firm grip on the back of my neck and held my head propped up above the fluid even as he shifted me in order to rub firmly at my wings and shoulders. All told, under his ministrations it took a little under ten minutes for my body to stop trembling and, once I could move without causing myself more pain, I shifted to curl up against his chest.

"Thank you," I murmured softly against his neck as I took in his scent.

"You are far too used to pain when it comes to your wings," he growled in annoyance. "I would rather you associate my touch with pleasure at my hand, than pain at his. I would have that habit of flinching fear broken."

I felt something shift within my mind and I abruptly remembered Eldar Kain biting into the base of my wing whilst also pressing a talon against his Mark. The mix of pleasure and pain that had rapidly transformed into pure bliss.

"Huh," I said with a blink as I sat up. I pressed a hand against my forehead. "Eldar you time-locked the memories or something."

"What do you mean?" he asked with a curious tilt of his head.

I told him what I had just suddenly remembered. His gaze flashed white briefly even as a dark and satisfied expression filled his gaze. I meeped loudly as he spun me around in order to pin me back against the edge of the pool and I shuddered with a high whine as he licked at the very base of my wings. His tongue tickled over skin and feather and sent jolts of sensation along my spine.

"You horny bastard!" I yelped out as his fangs scraped against the base of my left wing.

"Indeed," he responded with a dark laugh before he bit down.

Suffice to say, actual rest was abandoned that night.

End chappie! please review!

As a side note; it may sometimes seem as if Katrina's moods may shift suddenly. Please keep in mind that she went through over 100+ years torture(exact amount of time will be revealed later). She actually has a severe level of PTSD and only her hardy vampiric nature is really keeping that at bay. She'll have breakdowns of course but tends to think that those breakdowns are signs of weakness. The 'Father' role that Janos is stepping into is designed to help her deal with her past instead of just ignoring it as it isn't healthy for even a vampires psyche to keep that kind of shit buried 24/7 and I hope to portray that properly as the story progresses.
- 19
- 20
- 21
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Realms Converge