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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
- 28
- 29
- 30
Edits as of 05/2016

You two are seriously being mean... This chapter is long as hell because of you two...*author pouts and sighs as a talon is pointed firmly at the computer screen* Fine...

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Past and Present...

*-*/-Eldar Kain/Raziel POV-**-*

Eldar Kain had led Raziel back toward the city of Steinchencroe just in time for the pair to watch as the city was taken over by Kain's younger self. The claiming of the city was brutally efficient. Both males tensed though, when they saw Katrina dart after a Sarafan guard that had targeted a home near the edge of the city and had started to take his rage out on the lone woman within. They relaxed only when she exited the home unarmed and alone. The look of raw grief on her face lasted only for a few moments after she left the building before pure rage passed over her soft features. She disappeared from sight a moment later and Raziel tilted his head.

His Sire nudged his arm at that point with his elbow and Raziel turned his head to look at his Sire. He raised a brow when Eldar Kain pointed up at the sky.

"Watch," Eldar Kain ordered with a satisfied smirk.

Raziel blinked and then looked to the sky as his Eldar had instructed. His eyes widened as a human form suddenly appeared as if from nowhere and the male fell screaming toward the ground. The scream ended abruptly when the male impacted against the ground and a wide splatter of blood and gore suddenly covered the surrounding fighters. The moral amongst the Sarafan guard force plummeted at the sight and the younger Kain's troops took full advantage of the opening that Katrina had caused.

Raziel found himself shaking his head in bemusement when his Sire burst into outright laughter at the gruesome sight. The pair watched the continued carnage from a distance. Once the fighting was over and the human civilians calmed, Raziel noticed the change in his Sire's scent as the older vampire's eyes narrowed on the largest building in the city. He shifted uneasily as he eyed his Sire. A low rumble escaped Eldar Kain when he turned away from the view minutes later. He held out his taloned hand to Raziel.

"Come along," the older vampire ordered. "I have something that I need you to do."

"As you will," Raziel responded calmly as he took his Lord's hand.

Teleportation magic wrapped around them both and then faded moments later. The uneasiness caused by the transportation something that had long ago been mastered by both males. Raziel raised a brow as he realized that they had appeared directly within the Chronoplast.

"Another temporal jump?" he asked. "I was under the impression that we were remaining here for the moment. What has changed?"

"Katrina will be safe enough for some time as she will have Alma at her side during those times that my younger self is not with her. Hopefully there will be no further incidents at all, yet there is always the chance of something happening later this year. What that could be remains to be seen, if it even happens," Eldar Kain rumbled out as he moved to adjust the settings of the delicate time-chamber. "As it is, we have something more pressing to do."

"And what would that be?" Raziel asked in a confused tone.

Eldar Kain snorted softly and glanced back at Raziel with a raised brow. The high-handed bemusement on the Eldar's face made Raziel bristle, if only slightly. His capricious Sire only shot him such a look when Raziel had missed something that was blatantly obvious, but the winged vampire could not think of anything immediately apparent.

"Come now Raziel," Eldar Kain drawled softly when Raziel's face remained impassively blank. "You have not thought once to question why Vorador is alive after having lost his head to Moebius' mob?"

"I..." Raziel blinked and he then slowly face-palmed. He let out a sigh that clearly expressed his annoyance with himself as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "No, it had not crossed my mind to ask about the specifics of Vorador's revival..."

Eldar Kain let out a soft chuckle of amusement as he turned another dial within the chamber. A heavy clanking filled the air for several moments as several various gears shifted within the room. The noise settled moments later and his Sire looked over the various dials for a long moment before he spoke again.

"I had thought that I would need to handle this myself when you initially made your sacrifice," his Sire started to explain, "yet the Guise ability makes me look too much like my younger self for what needs be done. Appearing as an Eldar would also be far too difficult to explain. Your being here, intact as you are, will allow this to be done swiftly and without unneeded questions."

"I do not know how to cast the Guise spell," Raziel reminded his Sire as the older vampire continued to move about the room.

"That will not be a problem," Eldar Kain said firmly another switch flicked and the sound of smaller gears turning filled the air briefly. "We will have the time needed to teach you the spell and it need only fool a human, and an Eldar who is recovering from an unfortunate case of death, for a few minutes."

"A human?" Raziel questioned with a raised brow.

"Yes," Eldar Kain frowned and there was a note of regret in his tone. He flicked one last switch to engage the Chronoplast and the temporal path opened before them. "Magnus."

The pair stepped into the portal and time spun around them dizzily before it settled as they arrived at the appropriate place in Time. Eldar Kain then took a brief amount of time to teach Raziel exactly how to wrap the Guise spell around his form and mask his obvious vampiric features, such as his taloned claws and feet. The spell could do nothing to hide Raziel's wings without aid, so they had to find a cloak to wrap around Raziel's shoulders as well as a bag in which to carry Vorador's head in. With his wings furled, the tips peaking through the cloak were twisted by the magic of the spell to appear as if Raziel wore twin swords sheathed at his back.

Satisfied with the illusion, his Sire then directed him to make his way to the Sarafan Stronghold in order to reclaim the green-skinned Eldar's head. Raziel would then to head straight North from the fortress to the old vampire's mansion lay hidden. There Raziel would find the green-skinned Eldar's human servants that yet survived, concealed within the bowels of the mansion's hidden, and some not-so-hidden, basements.

It was a strange thing to experience, but like Eldar Kain, Raziel had been affected by the strange shifts in time as things were rearranged when he had refused to allow the blow meant to kill Kain. Only in this instant of temporal realignment, most of Raziel's memories included new stories being told during 'history lessons' when he and his Brother's had been fledglings. Magnus had been as Raziel was now during Kain's first attempt at rising to power; Kain's right hand, his Champion.

Raziel's early memories as Kain's Firstborn now included lessons that had involved learning a loyalty to his Lord that would match, if not outright surpass, the loyalty that Magnus had proved to have in the end. Those lessons also included strict instruction to each of the Brother's to not allow one's pride to surpass one's sense. Magnus had foolishly sought, in his pride, to end the war at the time quickly and had paid horrendously for his hubris. Kain's Champion had thus been defeated alone and without any backup and was then sent to endure hell for over two centuries whilst Kain lay recovering from his wounds. Only Kain's hand had restored Magnus' mind and granted the wounded vampire's last request; the compassionate mercy of a swift death to end the torture that the loyal vampire had been forced to endure and to prevent the vampire from falling once more into mindless madness.

The shift in Raziel's memories had only shown that these new stories had solidified his loyalty to his Lord at an even younger age. The fledgling desire to prove himself capable had only thrived under those new stories and had made the eventual, needed, betrayal all the more bitter. For what but the strongest of loves can turn into the most vicious of hatreds and yet still leave one longing for some kind of reconciliation even as one raged against the apparent futility of it all?

Raziel shook off his bitter thoughts. Melancholy would not suit him during his meeting with the human version of his predecessor. What was done, was done. Raziel could no longer follow Kain out of a blind sense of loyalty, duty and love, but that did not mean that he could not yet follow the Eldar with his eyes opened. The dynamics between the two males may have changed, but the end result was the same even though the scars might never fade.

Raziel was Kain's First-born, his Lieutenant, his Right Hand and, sometimes quite literally, his Sword. There was no longer any doubt of that.

He wrapped the cold shadows of his Dark Reaver Gift around himself as he neared the stronghold and he landed roughly on the rooftops of the building. Keeping to the shadows, he made his way into the Stronghold's depths. He had to fight back another wave of bitterness as he passed through the same areas where he had slain not only the human versions of his brother's, but his own human self as well. How self righteous he had been until confronted with the true barbarism of his human-self slaying the kind-hearted Janos.

If anyone that had ever existed truly deserved the title of 'Saint', it was Janos.

He shook his head again to clear his thoughts and continued on to the main 'display' chamber where he had slain Rahab and Dumah. Armor and weapons were carefully stored in display cases and showed signs of loving care. At the center of it all, past the guards standing at the sword-styled gates, was a display case that held Vorador's head, the Eldar's face trapped in a rictus scream. Raziel moved swiftly through the shadows to the case and, with a vampire's speed and skill, lifted the glass case and purloined the fallen Eldar's head without being noticed.

Raziel placed the head in the bag given to him and bolted silently out of the Stronghold. He had no desire to raise the alarm any sooner then need be as the humans would need the time to evacuate a revived Vorador. As soon as he reached the open air of the rooftops, he leapt into the sky and took flight. He immediately turned and winged his way toward the mansion. He sent of a quick Whisper to Eldar Kain, having a better sense of where to project his thoughts at a distance to ensure that he communed only with the Eldar, and not the Younger, version of his Sire.

~I have Vorador's head,~ he said. ~The humans were none-the-wiser when I left the Stronghold.~

~Good, make haste mine own, my younger self is currently making his way to Vorador's mansion to peruse the tomes there,~ Eldar Kain laughed softly in Raziel's mind. ~With all this time jumping, the memory of shock at finding the hedonistic vampire alive is still somehow fresh in my mind.~

~I find myself surprised that you do not end up with more headaches then what you do,~ Raziel quipped in an amused tone.

~More that I have merely gotten used to the headaches you cause me,~ came the dry response.

~Surely I can not be responsible for all of them?~ Raziel asked.

~A majority of them,~ his Sire responded with a dark, dry laugh. ~Do you think it has been easy reaching this point even with all of Katrina's assurances that this, my edge of the coin, could be found? All the assurances in the world could not clearly reveal the exact path that needed to be taken my Childe. Even the visit to her Gaia could not reveal the path that needed to be walked. The 'dreamers' who saw my story, Our story, had seen the results of the choices made up to a point and even all of what they wrote was not completely accurate. Indeed, which of us can truly recall our dreams as they fragment and fall away to dust upon waking?~

Raziel went silent for a few moments before he sent of a burst of bitter, yet no less affectionate, sense of resolve and loyalty toward his Sire, ~I will not apologize for being a pain in your neck all these centuries.~

~Must you be vulgar?~ Eldar Kain responded with a more amused mental laugh and a sense of acceptance of the loyalty Raziel had mentally offered.

Raziel laughed softly to himself as he neared the mansion. He circled the large building once from his high vantage point and then moved to land a good distance away. He landed and let out another soft burst of laughter. As a true feeding for a vampire, fangs buried in another's throat to perform a slow draw of blood and not simply tearing open the throat of one's prey and lapping at the resultant gaping wound, was at the least a sensual if not outright sexual experience, Raziel's use of the turn of phrase had indeed bordered on the crude as far as vampiric culture was considered.

Raziel was quick to bury his amusement as he looked around the wet swamp. He toed a large area of water with his taloned foot and smiled a bitter, sad smile. Imbued as he was with his brother Rahab's essence and the essence of the Water Glyph, the water was no more threat to him then to a human. Less in truth, as it had no power to drown him for lack of air. He tucked his wings closed, wrapped his cloak about his shoulders and then wrapped the Guise magic around his body before he let his Dark Reaver Gift fall away. He walked brazenly, openly, toward the mansion as he ignored the water around him as it splashed underfoot.

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye but kept moving without turning his head toward the sound. A human would not have seen the movement, thus he would not react. His superior hearing caught the sounds of eight humans following him. He could easily hear as two of them broke off at a run, separating from the rest to report his approach. As he was alone and with no one following him, hopefully he would have the tepid welcome that Eldar Kain had suggested that he expect. He remained wary however, years, nay centuries, of battle ready instincts were on edge at being surrounded so.

A single, young looking human of no more then twenty-five years met Raziel at the large, ornate doors of the mansion. The human was already bald, his blue eyes defiant and strong. The human stood at least a foot taller then Raziel, perhaps an inch or so taller then a younger Kain but not the Eldar. He stood at the ready with his hand resting upon the hilt of the sword at his waist. It was an 'at ease' posture that was never truly 'at ease' and one that Raziel was used to seeing amongst his own men. The posture instead gave off the sense of something that was ready to move at a moments notice. A flick of the human's thumb and the sword snicked loose in the sheath, ready to be pulled free in an instant if need be.

"That is close enough traveler!" the human called out in a commanding tone that almost made Raziel smile even as he came to a respectful-seeming halt. "State your name and your business here!"

"I merely wish to return what was forcefully taken from one of the noblest of beings to walk this land," Raziel said as he employed his silvered tongue.

He then held out his hands in a gesture meant to show that he meant no harm. He had to forceably remind himself to hold his hands out with his palms forward instead of back and his illusion covered talons spread wide instead of curled under and against his palms. Thankfully none of the humans had noticed the small hesitation when he changed how he held his hands out to them in apparent supplication.

Even as he held out his hands, he could clearly hear the other humans as they scuttled about upon the damaged battlements that surrounded the mansion. Arrows were being nocked into bows and the creak noises of crossbow's being made ready were easily noticed to his ears but again he made no move that he had heard said sounds. He did not even spare the flicker of a glance in the directions the sounds came in, for no human would have heard those sounds. Only the human in front of him, whom he recognized from his Sire's descriptions as Magnus himself, seemed to hold his full attention.

"And what would you return traveler?" the human asked in a cold voice.

"If I may be allowed?" Raziel asked with a small indication of the pouch at his waist. He kept his voice mild, kind and unassuming.

It was several wary seconds before Magnus responded, not with words, but with a wave of his hand which was a sign that Raziel could move. Carefully. Raziel was slow to take the bag that held Vorador's head from his belt. He then carefully pulled the head from the bag and let the bag itself fall to the ground as he held up his pilfered prize toward the human male. Several gasps filled the air and the sounds of more then one crossbow hitting the ground sounded as well. Those sounds were rapidly followed by the impacting sounds of greaves hitting unyielding stone. Magnus himself looked to be in shock as he looked from the head, to Raziel and then back.

Magnus approached Raziel warily after several long moments of stunned silence. With hands that shook as if the human male were suffering from palsy, he took the head reverently from Raziel's grasp. Raziel let go only once he was sure that the human's trembling grasp would hold true. Magnus took a slow breath and then let it out slowly as his hands steadied around the Eldar's head.

"Traveler... this... is a boon that we cannot repay," Magnus said in a breathy voice. "Mine own grand-father had been one of Vorador's most loyal of clerics before our Lord was taken from us. I was charged with the retrieval of our Lord's head before my father's death. With the strength of those within the Stronghold, I had begun to fear that the task appointed to me might well have to be passed on to my own children. To have his head be returned by one not of our number..."

Raziel acknowledge the human's awe with a bemused sense of causality and a small bow of his head.

"I am only doing my duty to restore one of the best to have walked our world," Raziel said. That he had been the one to restore Janos had been one thing, that he also the key needed to restore Vorador was... amusing to him. "But I would suggest that we restore him swiftly. Those within the Stronghold did not notice my immediate theft, but this is the first place that they will search once they realize that their ill-gotten prize is gone."

Not that they would reach the mansion as fast as Raziel had. They had plenty of time to complete their task.

"Of course. This way please," Magnus said as he turned away and started inside swiftly. "You should be present for this, perhaps Lord Vorador will be able to offer you some boon for this momentous feat."

Raziel followed after the human with a bemused expression. The sounds of at least a dozen or more humans scuttling through the mansion filled the air as they moved deeper into the bowels of the building. They moved through to the basement levels and, after a hidden series of glyph's and metalwork were activated and had revealed a hidden path, they headed deeper still into the secondary basement levels that Eldar Kain had told him about. It was here that Vorador's body was stored, as reverently as Janos Audron's had been and in just as preserved of a state. Magnus moved to place the head against the body whilst several of the other humans moved to gather blood vials that had been stored nearby. With a nod and what seemed to be perfect timing, Magnus aligned the head with the neck and the other humans both poured blood from the vials around the neck wound itself and down Vorador's open mouth.

As with Janos' revival, whatever magic sustained a vampire Eldar took time to reactivate once all of the 'pieces' were reunited. Had the humans truly wanted Vorador to remain dead, they should have burned his head, only then would the body have either rotted away like any other corpse or collapsed into dust. That prideful, trophy taking nature of the Sarafan now worked against the fanatical humans and in the favor of vampire kind and those who would follow them. Raziel watched as several of the humans seemed to loose hope when nothing happened immediately and he found that had to speak into that tense silence.

"Give it time," he said softly, gently to ease their obvious fear of failure.

Magnus spared him a glance but did not move otherwise as he was focused on keeping the Eldar's head in place. Barely another minute later a blue-white glow seemed to wrap around Vorador's neck wound. Raziel was positive that he saw the Eldar Vampire's soul with his spectral enhanced sight as it returned eagerly, almost possessively, to its' body. Vorador's body arched much as Janos' had and the Eldar let out a inhaling roar of noise, not pain, not rage, just shock at the fact that he was once more alive. Vorador jerked up to a sitting position and held a hand to his throat as he took in several harsh, deep breaths that he did not truly need. A blood vial was held out to him almost immediately and he took it without word or glance to the human who had handed him the vial. Instead he focused on downing the restorative draught of blood and magic.

It took a few moments before Vorador could focus enough on those around him and he frowned as he took in the sight of the few, very few, human servants in the large room. Magnus moved to kneel in front of Vorador, hand to his chest, even as Raziel took a few respectful steps back.

"My Lord," Magnus said softly, whole-heartedly. "Welcome back."

"You," Vorador gave a rough cough to clear his throat and then reached out to tilt Magnus' head up. "You look like Brandt."

"My grand-father," Magnus said with a small nod of his head. Raziel was impressed that the human did not flinch back from the sharp talons. "You have been lost to us for near to a century now."

"That much time?" Vorador chuckled bitterly and he let his hand fall away from the human's face. "And still some of you yet remain here?"

"Fifty of us remain, my Lord," Magnus answered. "Myself, Sebastian; get of Perseus and Faustus; get of Auriel currently lead the others in our continued duties."

"And which of you loyal children retrieved my head?" Vorador asked as he stood.

"If only I could say that any one of us were successful in completing an endeavor that we have long striven for," Magnus said with another low bow of his head. "But it was not we who were successful stealing into the Sarafan Stronghold to reclaim you, my Lord. This traveler risked all to restore you and he is not even one of our rank."

Vorador turned to look at Raziel as Magnus indicated the illusion covered vampire. Raziel gave a low bow of his head, doing his best to supplant vampiric instincts that called for the subtle baring of one's throat to an Eldar. Only another vampire would do such a thing, or a human who had long known vampiric cultural norms, and Raziel was playing at being the simple traveler. Vorador eyed Raziel warily for a long moment before he nodded his head.

"It seems I owe you my life traveler," Vorador said slowly as he continued to eye Raziel. "Did you do all this with a particular boon in mind?"

"Merely to set things to rights," Raziel responded with a shake of his head. "I will be leaving shortly and I would suggest that you and yours do the same."

"Indeed," Vorador said with a bitter chuckle. "The first thing the Sarafan will do is come here when they realize that their prize is lost to them."

"As you say," Raziel said as he fought down a smile.

"Allow me the courtesy of escorting you out of the mansion at the least," Vorador said as he took another vial from one of the human servants and downed it.

Vial drained of its' contents, Vorador led Raziel back up toward the main doors. Magnus trailed at their heels at a respectful distance. Raziel slowly started to relax as he realized that Vorador did not seem to recognize him under the Guise spell. Not that the Eldar would recognize him considering that the last time he had talked with the green-skinned Eldar he had been a blue-skinned wraith. A little girl's voice, no more then five, suddenly echoed through the rooms as they approached the main hall. The noise drew Raziel from his musings and he raised a brow at the small form that came darting down the hall. Magnus rushed forward with an embarrassed sound to intercept the small form and rapidly picked the girl up in his arms.

"Br'ther! Br'ther! Lukas t'ld me!" the small form fairly squirmed in the larger man's arms in order to peek over his shoulder at the now thoroughly amused green-skinned Eldar and a bemused Raziel. "He's awake?! L'rd V'rad'r is awake!"

"Umah!" Magnus growled out in embarrassed annoyance. The growl was impressive for a human. He struggled to pin the squirming girl in place and barely managed to pin her under one arm for a few moments. "Will you mind your manners, you unruly child?!"

Raziel felt a brief flash of surprise as he looked at the small human child. This girl would grow to be the one to tend to a younger Kain during his wound-induced torpor, injuries that had been caused by the Hylden Lord. She would be the first female that would catch Kain's eye as a possible Mate, until she betrayed, would betray, him and thus died, would die, due to her own foolishness, going off alone to face the Sarafan troops after playing the thief. Raziel frowned when he realized he was developing the beginnings of a headache and found himself suddenly sympathizing with his Sire regarding Timeline induced headaches.

A startled sound from Magnus drew Raziel's attention and he raised a brow when he realized that the little spit-fire girl had managed to accidentally knee her brother during her struggles. Magnus had gone pale as a result and his grip had loosened just enough. Vorador himself let out a soft chuckle at the males pridicament. The girl wiggled free of Magnus' weakened grasp and she raced over in order to come to a halt in front of the taller vampire, only to issue a proper, lady-like curtsy.

"Welc'me back L'rd V'rad'r!" the small thing said with a bright smile as she looked up at the tall Vampire Lord.

Vorador gave her a light pat to the head and gently turned her back toward Magnus.

"Thank you for your kindness child, now attend to your brother," he ordered in a soft tone.

The girl nodded happily and rushed back over to Magnus, only to be carefully shuffled into the waiting arms of another, older human female. The female bowed her head low to Vorador before she darted off with the little girl in hand. Magnus let out a soft sigh and rubbed at his forehead with a long suffering look upon his face.

"That girl will be the death of me," he murmured, soft enough that a human might not hear but still loud enough for vampiric ears to pick up.

"You said she is your sister?" Vorador asked as they started once more for the door.

"Not by blood. We rescued her mother from a group of bandits," Magnus said calmly. "The woman died in childbirth and only remained alive long enough to name her. We have taken care of Umah ever since. We are, all of us, her brothers and sisters."

"You have done well to survive this long together without me here," Vorador said slowly. "I find myself... surprised that you remained."

"We are family, My Lord," Magnus stressed with a firm loyalty in his tone. A loyalty that would one day be transferred to Kain. "We stay together and stay true. For all that we are human, you are our Lord and Father."

Vorador paused at the large doors with a contemplative look on his face. Raziel knew that Magnus, Sebastian, Faustus and Umah would all be turned to vampires at the very least. Perhaps even the entire lot currently within the mansion might find themselves thusly rewarded as well for their continued loyalty and attention to duty whilst their Lord 'slept'. Something had changed in Vorador after his resurrection, Raziel knew, perhaps this was part of that change or at least the start of it? Vorador turned his head to look toward the gates and a small frown came to his lips.

"Wont this be a surprise for the whelp?" Vorador muttered softly to himself. "Come to raid my tomes no doubt."

"My Lord?" Magnus asked with a blink of confusion.

Raziel knew what the Eldar meant however, even if the human male did not. He could feel the energies of the younger version of his Sire as he approached the run down mansion. Raziel had overstayed his welcome without meaning to. Raziel bowed his head to the two in front of him and pulled his cloak up to hood his face.

"I must be on my way," Raziel said as he turned toward the door. "Please excuse me my haste."

Vorador's hand lashed out before Raziel could do more then move a single step and he froze. The Eldar's taloned grasp that now held his own, likewise taloned hand. Though Vorador did not look away from the form approaching in the distance, his talons ran smoothly over Raziel's, easily feeling the Wraith/Vampire's own taloned hands through the visual illusion that surrounded the shorter male. Vorador slowly looked back at Raziel and raised a brow at him as he brushed his mind against Raziel's.

~You are different then the wraith that I first met,~ Vorador said. ~Are you restored in full under this illusion of yours Raziel?~

Raziel winced almost imperceptibly, yet he responded in a calm voice, ~I am. Again, I must go.~

~You restored me,~ Vorador's mental voice was grateful. ~What would you ask of me?~

Raziel let out a soft huff of breath as the Eldar finally let go of his hand. ~If I must ask anything of you then I would ask one thing; Help Kain.~

~Oh? You would have me help the whelp who would be King?~ Vorador raised a brow at Raziel.

~Yes,~ Raziel responded.

~Very well then,~ Vorador crossed his arms and looked back out toward the approaching form.

Raziel took that as his cue to leave and started out of the mansion at a swift pace. It was too late to avoid passing the Younger Kain so Raziel simply moved past his young Sire without a glance. Young Kain frowned as he passed Raziel but otherwise ignored the cloaked figure as his own steps faltered. Young Kain's approach toward the mansion slowed to something more of a wary approach then the previous stride that had shown the confidence of one not expecting any trouble.

Raziel had to smile at that as he headed back out to meet Eldar Kain at the Chronoplast. It was sometimes amusing when something threw his Sire off kilter, even if it was just the Younger version to be so affected by the vagaries of life.

*-*/-Katrina POV-**-*

I woke with a small start from yet another 'shadow' dream where Auron was stuck stalking around my shielded form. Thanks to the bracelet he could not touch me. The unfamiliar surroundings caused me to panic momentarily and I went deathly still. I blinked at the darkened room without moving my head and tried to settle my racing thoughts. Only Kain's familiar cold-fire presence at my back, with his right arm wrapped tight around my waist while he spooned against my back and my wings firmly pinned between us, helped to settle my nerves regarding our location. Our new room in the mansion he had claimed. I relaxed and let out a soft sigh.

I then squirmed a bit and I yawned quietly. I rubbed at my eyes and let out a soft groan. I may likely have slept for hours, but with Auron plaguing my sleep I had not been able to experience true 'rest'. I still felt exhausted. Kain's cold-warm tongue suddenly trailed up along the right side of my neck. I shivered and gasped softly at the wet touch. Fangs sank into my throat a moment later and I let out a soft moan as he started to feed from me. He had just begun to rock against me and his hand had slowly started to trail down my side whilst he moved to shift the angle that I lay at, when a knock sounded firmly at the door to interrupt us.

"Out with you two," Vorador's voice called out in an amused, and knowing, tone. "You can mark your new territory all you wish later. We have work to do this eve."

Kain snarled softly at my throat but he lifted his fangs away. He licked briefly at the pin-prick wounds as they healed before he braced up on his left arm and glared toward the door. I hid my face in my hands and I knew that I had started to blush brightly despite the drain of blood. Sometimes a vampire's superior sense of smell could be annoying to the extreme.

"Leave old fool," Kain growled at the door. "Or do you need me to coddle your every step as the others set up my new headquarters?"

"As if I needed aid in such endeavors. Such matters have already been organized," Vorador scoffed with an amused tone. "Now, if you wish to leave us open to attack from the North, then that is your business, but I would rather we take the remaining cities nearby before they have a chance to band together against us. Coorhagen is still hunkering down for the moment, but how long will that last if Vasserbunde is successful in their negotiations for aid from the larger city?"

I rolled onto my stomach even as Kain propped himself up on one hand with another dark snarl of breath. I shifted a bit closer and I rose up on my hands. I started to nuzzle at his neck in an instinctive gesture that I somehow knew was meant to sooth. I did not speak aloud to him and instead opted to keep my words to him private through a tightly controlled Whisper.

~You have an empire to build,~ I reminded him in a soft and caressing mental voice. I flicked my tongue out to lightly lick a trail against his neck. ~I am not going anywhere where you cannot find me once your plans have been set into motion. We have the time.~

Kain shifted me abruptly to where I sat straddling his waist and I blinked at him in surprise. I braced my hands on his bare shoulders and he abruptly tugged my head back by my hair. I let out a hissing groan at the movement, but otherwise I remained silent with him pressed hard against my mound as I straddled his waist. I blinked at him and struggled to keep my breathing even and calm. His eyes were dark and hungry as he met my gaze. He spoke again to the green-skinned Eldar and his voice remained a steady, if still angry, tone. He was not well pleased with Vorador's untimely interruption.

"Away with you Vorador," Kain called out. "I will handle the rest of it when I am good and ready to."

"Whelp," Vorador growled out in a tone that was both equally bemused and annoyed as he stalked off.

As the sounds of taloned feet faded, Kain sat up and again sank his fangs into my neck. I let out a low groan at the pleasure that poured through me due to that bite. His free hand teased gently over the base of my wings for several moments before I suddenly found myself freed from his grip and pushed firmly, almost gently, against the bed next to him on my back. I panted softly and blinked up into the mirror above the bed. I was surprised to see that with my wings spread out the way they were, I looked almost like some kind of spiritual being that had been reduced to a thoroughly debauched state. I blushed brightly and looked at Kain rather than continue to look at the mirror's reflection.

He stood a few moments later, a dark smirk upon his lips as he looked over me whilst I worked to slow my breathing. I pushed up so that I was sitting and he chuckled as he moved to gather up his armor. Most of it, including his leather pants, had ended up banging against the same wall and had landed in a rough pile. My own clothes and armor had been strewn about the room willy-nilly and even a quick glance did not show where each piece had gone. It would take time to find all of the pieces. And to find a new top...

"Assist me with my armor," he ordered suddenly.

I looked over at him and noticed that he had just finished putting on his leather pants and boots. I started to cast about for something to slip on before I got off the bed, a shirt or maybe a torn portion of the sheets. He let out a dark rumble of amused noise and I looked back at him with a raised brow.

"As you are now, Dear Katrina," he said with a purr.

"I... a-alright," I murmured shyly.

I blushed a bit, but stood and moved over to help him. I picked up his greaves and belted them into place around his booted shins. Clawed fingers reached down and carded lightly through my hair as I moved. I shivered at the gentle touch even as I tightened the final belt of his greaves into place. I then moved to grab the hardened leather cuisses for his thighs and started to belt those into place. He threaded his fingers back through my hair whilst I worked. He shifted his legs slightly after I buckled the final belt around his waist, testing the bindings and his hand tightened in my hair just slightly.

"Tighten the upper belt for the left cuisses," he ordered in a dark purr.

I felt the faint blush from earlier return as I moved to tighten the strap in question. As the strap was at the inside of his thigh, it put my hands and face very close to his groin. I finished tightening the strap and glanced up at his face. He shifted his left leg again and then let out a purring sound of satisfaction. I started to move so I could gather up his vambraces and pauldrons, but he tugged my up gently by my hair in order to kiss me soundly. I pulled back from the kiss with a small growl a moment later and reached back to swat at the hand that was still tangled in my hair.

"Tease," I hissed at him. I knew damn well what he was doing.

Kain simply let out a dark chuckle as he let my hair go and he watched me with darkened eyes as I swiftly grabbed up the rest of his armor. Once everything was buckled in place to his satisfaction, he again grabbed me in his arms and he gave my rear a firm smack when I tried to squirm free. I yelped at the firm blow and my wings fanned wide as he tugged me in close to his body. His fangs abruptly sank into my throat and I let out a groan as my body slumped bonelessly against his. My wings drooped low to brush and twitch against the ground and I panted for breath under the onslaught of pleasure that his bite sent through me.

He kept his feeding slow and measured, not enough to force me over the edge but just enough to leave me further exhausted and yet needing more. He eased me back to toward the bed after he had pulled his fangs free. I slumped back against the soft mattress with a low groan and curled up on my left side. He brushed the back of one claw along my right cheek and I turned my head enough to nip at that digit whilst I let out a soft grumble of noise. I closed my eyes a moment later as sleep tugged at the edge of my mind.

"I will send Alma to tend to you later," he said with a purr of laughter, amused by my nip more than anything else. "Remain here my Little One."

I peaked one eye open to pin him with a weak glare at the unnecessary order, what with my being drained the way I had been. He let out a louder burst of laughter as he moved to leave the room. There was a small pulse of magic before he left and all of my own armor suddenly gathered near the foot of the large bed. I let out a soft noise of gratitude before I let my eyes fall shut again and I curled up on the bed in a small ball with my right wing draped over me like a blanket. The door closed with a soft click and I listened to the sound of Kain's fading footsteps as he moved down the hall. I felt a small smile of content curl my lips as I drifted off.

I felt a hand shake my arm what felt like hours later. I opened my eyes only to blink up at Alma's smirking visage. She held out a blood vial to me and I took it with a low growl, suddenly very aware that I was hungry. I kept my wings angled just so in order to keep my form covered and then drained the vial quickly. She handed me a new long-sleeved top, designed as the previous one had been to clasp closed at the neck with four hook clasps and then at the base of my back with eight hook clasps. I took the top from her carefully, glad that I would not have to wear just my armor.

I turned my back to her as I slipped the top on. I froze and twitched warily when I felt her hands move to help me with the hooking clasps both at my neck and back. Her hand then moved to brush lightly at the base one wing and I buffeted my wings backwards with enough force to knock her backwards several feet. I turned around swiftly and let out a soft hiss at her as I bared my fangs in warning. She smirked at me in amusement as she stood back up.

"Do not touch my wings," I said to her firmly.

She let out a soft laugh but held her hands out, claws curled against her palms, in near-mocking supplication. I grabbed up my underwear and pants and slipped those on swiftly. I used my wings to conceal as much of my lower body as I could from her view. with my pants fastened and held in place with a belt, I then moved to slip on my steel-toed thigh-high boots. Another special order request that I'd had done recently. Once my boots were on, she moved to assist with belting my greaves into place much as I had done for Kain.

I frowned at the intimacy of the movement and had to fight down the embarrassment I felt as I looked at the far wall. She then helped me with the leather curiass and the pauldron, but I waved her away when it came to putting on my vambraces. I had to put the left one on in a specific way in order to prevent the bracelet that protected my dreams and body from chafing. Vorador had included a kind of hollow rim along the inside of the vambrace and the bracelet tucked into that hollow comfortably if it was put on properly. I then bent over to slip my daggers into their boot-sheaths.

"Ready now deary?" she purred at me as I straightened. "I have a possible donor waiting for you. Better to get fresh blood rather then just a vial."

I perked up at the thought of fresh blood and followed her out of the room. She led me down to the second floor kitchen and to one of the healthier looking females that we had rescued not even a week ago now. The woman, short haired and blue-eyed, curtsied as we approached and smiled at us as she straightened.

"M'ladies, I wanted to thank ye again for savin' us," she said in a soft voice. "Is there aught I can do to repay ye other then servin' as a maid?"

"Of course my dear," Alma purred. She walked over to her and let her hand fall to rest on the woman's shoulder. "Our Lady is feeling a bit peckish. Would you be willing to offer up a pint of blood to ease her hunger? You will be able to have the rest of the day off as long as you remember to drink plenty of fluids and eat some meat."

"Anything rich in iron actually," I murmured softly.

I eyed the woman's throat for a moment before I shook my head to clear it. I was hungrier then I had thought if I was that focused upon feeding. I looked at the pait and found that they were both looking at me in confusion. I had to smile faintly as I explained what I had meant.

"Spinach, red meat, fish, poultry, beans, raisins, nuts and peanut butter," I said in a voice that just above a murmur. "All of those items are iron rich and will help the body recover from a blood donation faster. Have you had water recently?"

"Aye m'Lady," the human woman nodded. "Had my break not ten minutes ago and had a few ladles full of water then."

"Good, that will help," I said and I again glanced at her throat. I noticed that her pulse had spiked due to my intense gaze. "You will want to drink at least... three or four glasses of water or juice if you... donate. No alcohol for at least a full day and night cycle. No donating again for at least a... a month and a half, I believe? Otherwise you will get sick easier."

"You are just full of advice today, aren't you deary?" Alma said in a bemused tone.

"Donations of blood help more then just vampires... where I'm from," I responded with a soft huff of breath.

I did not want to confuse the human girl with my otherworldly origins. It was bad enough that Alma knew and oft pestered me about fashion of all things. Zippers were already becoming a 'thing' amongst Alma and her sisters thanks to the remains of the pants that I had been wearing upon my arrival.

"Interesting," Alma said with a flick of her hair. She turned back to the human woman. "Well deary? Will you help our Lady?"

"Aye m'lady," the woman gave a nervous curtsy. "If'n it please ye."

I let out a soft purring growl at her words and moved closer. Alma pulled back to lean against the wall and looked away in order to keep watch on the area. I tilted the woman's head to the side with one finger. Her hair was short enough not to be in my way and I leaned forward to take in her sweet scent. I pressed my fangs against that soft throat and felt her pulse jump. I slowly sank my fangs into the flesh over the major pulse point and fed slowly. The woman gasped at the sudden onslaught of pleasure that I knew had started to invade her senses and I caught her before she could fall to the ground. My wings shifted to encircle our forms and mantled closed above our heads as I fed gently.

Her blood had a smokey flavor to it and I suddenly found myself wondering if the difference in taste had to do with blood-type. Another thing to figure out when I returned to Gaia for a time. I stopped swallowing when I felt her heart give that first half-stuttering skip that signaled that I had taken just over a pint of her blood and pulled my fangs free from her neck to lap at the wound. Whatever it was in a vampire's saliva worked quickly to help the blood coagulate and seal the wound until she could heal it naturally. My wings fluttered a bit with my satisfaction and I let them fall back to rest once more on my shoulders.

I kept the woman braced in my arms as she came back to herself with a soft whimper of bliss. Her eyes were dulled with pleasure and her scent left no doubt that she had peaked at some point during my feeding. I blushed faintly at the thought. Previous times, my feeding from a human had proved to be merely a sensual thing for them. Even Nikolai had not peaked from my bite, though he'd needed to fight the pleasurable pull. I shared a look with Alma and she laughed softly at the discomfort on my face. She moved to help the human sit down and then called over another servant and gave the man my modified instructions on how to tend to the female.

"I... thank you for the donation," I murmured.

I then cleared my throat lightly, more out of nerves then anything else, and then spun on my feet to walk away. Alma caught up to me moments later and, with a small touch to my arm, guided me to where Kain, Vorador and Janos stood pouring over a map in the larger library. The map had several markers upon it and it was plain that they were planning the next assault. Vorador looked up with a smirk when I entered the room and made my way over to Kain's side.

"Someone fed well," he drawled out in a teasing tone. "We heard the cry from here."

"Indeed," Alma chimed in behind me with a soft chuckle. "I do believe that this was the first time a human reacted like that for her."

I snarled in Alma's direction even as I blushed, "Must you be a constant pain in my neck?!"

Everyone looked at me with varying degrees of incredulity. Even Kain had raised a shocked brow in my direction. I rapidly found myself blushing brighter under their combined stares as my upset melted into confusion. My wings instinctively drew a little tighter around my form as if to shield me.

"...what?" I asked with a growing sense of unease. "Did I say something wrong...?"

Alma huffed from behind me as she stalked close and leaned in to be nose-to-nose with me even as I turned to face her. I had to fight down the meep of confusion that wanted to escape my throat at the enraged look in her eyes. I fought not to back up, as I would bump into Kain if I did so, though my wings tucked in as close as physically possible to my body.

"I am hardly inept in the bedroom deary," she growled out in a near-threatening purr. "Should I prove it to you at some point?"

"I didn't say that!" I yelped out as I held up my hands defensively. "The hell!? I was just... fuck, shit and damnation woman! How in the hell did you take what I said to mean... to mean THAT of all things!?"

Alma eased back a moment later with a thoughtful look upon her face. When I flashed a wary and confused glance in the direction of the males, I saw that they each wore expressions that were now amused. Even Janos looked to be fighting off both incredulity and laughter. I felt my wings droop a bit and looked back and forth between the lot of them.

"Little One," Kain said with a sighing, bemused growl. I looked at him with another confused blink. "What does that phrase mean to you on your Gaia?"

"'Pain in the neck?'" I asked in clarification. He inclined his head and I shrugged. "Same thing as 'pain in the ass' really. I... just meant that she was being exceptionally annoying... not... not anything that has to do with... skills in the bedroom."

Alma let out a soft sigh and she rubbed at the bridge of her nose. Again the males shared bemused looks and I bristled. My wings ruffled and the feathers puffed up a bit with my growing unease.

"I have neglected to go over what is considered insulting amongst vampiric culture, haven't I?" I looked back to Alma and tilted my head. "Deary, that phrase when said in the tone that you used is something meant to imply that one's skill at a proper, pleasurable, feeding is lacking. It is near abouts the same as saying one's overall skill in the bedroom is poor indeed. It is a very crude insult or, if said in an entirely different tone, a very crude way of saying one intends to be... hmm, recalcitrant, later in the bedroom to the benefit of both partners."

"I... I..." I stuttered for a few moments as I paled. I then blushed deeper than before and my wings twitched, practically vibrated, with my upset. "Not what I meant!"

Vorador finally gave up on hiding his amusement and started to roar with laughter. Janos face-palmed and tried to stifle his own amusement at the situation. I suddenly felt like a child who had been caught swearing without knowing what the words spoken actually meant. Sadly, it was not an entirely inaccurate analogy all things considered... and I did not well like the feeling.

"I understand that now deary and forgive the unintended insult," Alma said soothingly.

Kain let out a faint huff of laughter and he reached out to grab onto my belt. He then yanked me closer to his side. I let out a surprised yelp and tried to pull away from him. He issued a scolding nip to my ear and ignored my hiss of displeasure at the reprimanding bite. He glanced at Alma over my shoulder and raised a brow at her. Vorador had finally quieted his laughter, though he still shook his head in amusement and he shared a bemused look with Janos as Kain spoke.

"I would suggest tending to her lessons on vampiric culture more in depth woman," he grumbled.

"Of course, Lord Kain," Alma said with a formal bow of her head and a slight baring of her throat.

"Why didn't you start by teaching me what would be insulting?" I hissed softly at Alma. "I would have liked to avoid putting my foot in my mouth!"

"Hush Katrina," Kain issued another nip to my ear and then turned me to look at the map. His hand remained an idle weight at the base of my back to keep me from moving. "Look at the map and tell me what you see."

I frowned at him and realized that this was another of his lessons in tactics. I turned and looked at the map with a frown as I looked at the areas around Vasserbunde. Two bridges led across the River of Tears to the city, one which led straight north/south over the river and one that led to the west across the tongue of land that was overlooked by Nupraptor's Retreat. I frowned as I looked over the bridges. Too obvious to attack from there it seemed to me, as the humans could easily destroy the bridges and send any of our forces into a watery grave in the process. Instead... I bit my lip lightly and then tapped at the map.

"Decoy troops here and here at the bridges," I said slowly. "Draw the cities attention to the expected attack points to distract them."

I then tapped along that tongue of land and circled a path up and around Nupraptor's Retreat to the canyon path that led toward Coorhagen.

"Send the bulk of the troops instead around this way to attack from the North," I said a little more confidently. "They will think at first that we are troops from Coorhagen sent to help shore up their defenses and will be ill-prepared in defending from that front."

"And where to cross the river?" Kain purred out in a satisfied tone against my ear.

"Here looks to be the thinnest point in the river," I said and I tapped the map again where a small jut of land was marked at the northern part of the middle of the river as it led to the Lake of Tears. "I'd want to scout that area first to see if it is of the same height on both sides of the river for a temporary wooden bridge or, if one side is higher then the other, a rope bridge of some sort. I... am unfamiliar with that area..."

"Very good my Little One," Kain said with a smirk.

He shot a satisfied glance at Vorador. The green-skinned Eldar huffed softly and crossed his arms. I had the distinct feeling that I had just helped Kain argue his point.

"I still say that circling the east side of the river and going over the mountain would be best," Vorador grumbled.

"If we had just vampiric troops maybe," I said with a shrug as I looked over the map. I saw Kain's smirk widen out of the corner of my eye as I spoke. "The cartographer has these mountains drawn at a sharp angle. I'd want to take a scouting look, but first glance makes it seem as if human troops wouldn't be able to follow that same route. Most of our forces right now are willing human warriors, archers and mages, each being led by a vampiric captain and a handful of other vampires to keep them in line. We don't want to break our forces into too many groups and the two decoy forces we'd want to put at the bridges would have to make themselves appear to be more numerous than what they really are while the real fighting force circles around the back route."

Kain let out a pleased rumble at my understanding of the tactical situation. I felt his hand dip to brush over my rear end briefly before he moved a few of the markers around. I felt a blush start to flare and ignored the effects of that touch as I watched Kain move the markers about as I had suggested. I continued to talk to Vorador after I made sure my tone would remain even.

"The route you suggested would leave us with the bulk of the army at the bridges with their thumbs up their arse's instead of at the enemies backs," I said as I twisted my voice a mildly sarcastic tone and I glanced up at Vorador, "'big brother'."

A low growl escaped the Eldar and I ducked my head down even as I flashed a grin in Kain's direction. Kain chuckled darkly and he finished placing the markers at the very spots that I had indicated.

"As I said earlier Vorador," Kain purred out in a dark tone. "Even one still learning the art of war can recognize the obvious attack route we need to take based upon the forces that we have available to us. When will you learn that I know what is best for MY army?"

"You have been defeated once before Kain," Vorador growled out and he turned his attention to the white-haired vampire next to me. "Do not think that you are invincible just because you rose from the jaws of defeat to fell the previous Sarafan Lord."

"Ah, but in learning what I could about the Nexus Stone, did I not defeat the Hylden Sarafan Lord soundly once that knowledge was in hand?" Kain growled out in a low voice. "These humans have no new tricks to use against me or my troops."

"We know not what that Path Stone from Gaia might be capable of," Vorador growled out in annoyance.

"The Path Stone simply seems to be a way to link worlds," Janos pipped up suddenly. "And only if you have something that originates from that particular world. I do not believe we have anything to worry about on that front my Childe."

"Sire," Vorador sighed softly as he let his arms uncross and he leaned against the table. "As you say. Very well then Kain, let us see how your tactics fair."

end chappie
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