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

Chapter List
- 41
- 42
- 43
Chapter Forty-two: Hear no Evil...
Thank you again for the kind reviews! I am so happy that the story is being enjoyed!
Thank you as well to AssassinAngel92 for the kind review!
Here we go!
*-*/-Katrina POV-**-*
My shoulder shifted against Kain's and we moved as one in instinctive steps born of centuries of fighting back to back on the battlefield together. Kain growled faintly as the rotating movement I had initiated put me between him and that raised near-Colt that had been aimed for his heart. I bared my fangs in warning and pushed my Aura toward the winged vampire in front of me that held the gun. My Aura still wasn't as strong as Kain's, never would be given the extreme age difference that would face us by the time I returned to Nosgoth, but I had gotten better at stream-lining my Aura in order to focus it on a single person and enforce my rank.
"Drop the gun," I said in a low and commanding tone of voice that would normally have had my soldiers back on Nosgoth wondering what the hell they'd just done to piss me off. The press of my Aura combined with the tone would usually send my men to one knee with their necks bared.
The gun did waver briefly at both tone and Aura, but was raised moments later to aim over my shoulder at the back of Kain's head since the male no longer had clear aim at my Mate's chest. The other nine vampires had their hands on their own respective weapons, swords drawn and held loose at their sides or guns held low, muzzles pointed at the ground. Each looked ready to move in an instant of blinding speed, yet they waited and made no direct move as they watched us. I had the sense that the young looking vampire, half-blooded like myself most like given his hands, was older then he looked. They all seemed to be following his lead and there was also the sense of age behind his anger filled Aura. He felt older then I but younger then Kain. I half lowered my blade and held out my hand with a calming pat at the air even as I shifted my Aura to give off a more calming press of power as if I were trying to calm a fellow vampire that had ended up trapped in a rage-state or fear-state due to injury or incident.
"Drop the gun," I said in a soothing, yet still commanding, tone.
One of the others spoke up instead of the half-blood in front of me. A low growl filled the male's tone. This one had a British accent. I wondered briefly how many accents would be represented in this small group alone but pushed the thought away.
"You were stolen in the middle of the night and have been missing for over one hundred and fifty years," the male with the British accent growled out. "If this man is in anyway aligned with the ones who took you..."
"Do not insult my intelligence!" I bit out with a growl even as I kept my gaze locked on the male in front of me. "Do you truly think I would travel with one who harmed me?!"
"We do not mean any insult," one of the female's said in a soothing tone. Canadian accent for her. "Merely that we worry for your state of mind. If your mind was broken, you would know not..."
Kain cut the female off with a snarling exhale of breath and I could see him pointing Malice at the woman out the corner of my eye.
"She has survived horrors you could not begin to imagine with her mind and will intact," Kain said with a low, threatening growl. "Do not speak of things you know nothing about as if you know her. You do not."
One of the other human-handed vampires visibly twitched, his wings flaring at Kain's voice, but otherwise the male made no other move. I shifted just enough to bring that particular male more into my line of sight without looking away from the one with the raised gun and again Kain shifted with me to keep my back covered. I did not want to miss seeing any sudden moves from a twitchy soldier. Twitchy soldiers could be far more dangerous then their elder counterparts as you never knew when they might break the rank and file.
"You can keep your damned mouth shut," the male with the raised gun snarled at Kain. "Until proven otherwise, you'll be considered a part of the guilty parties who took our clan-mate from us. If anyone here is lowering their weapons, it is you."
"Your intelligence is severely lacking if you think for a moment I would relinquish my weapons to you," Kain snarled in return as he stiffened at my back.
The male growled and I saw his finger tighten on the trigger. I couldn't, wouldn't, take the chance that he was planning to just fire a warning shot at Kain. I spun around to yank Kain to the ground even as I extended my wings from my body to act as a shield. With my Torpor, the feathers had grown strong enough to deflect arrows and crossbow bolts fired at a distance. Not something that was tested a purpose mind, but something that had been learned in the middle of several battles. I had to take the chance that the bullet could be deflected or at least slowed by my wings, though the firing speed could be beyond what I knew of. I braced myself against the potential for pain. The gun went off within seconds of my twisting around and grabbing Kain. It helped that he didn't fight my tug as I yanked us down as fast as I could.
Brief pain flared along the upper edge of my wing, clipping against the bone, yet the familiar sound of a ricochet rang through the air seconds later followed by the dull thud of an impact against wood. My wing had held, if barely, against the brushing impact. It felt like the bullet had just skimmed over the surface of my wing to clip against the bone, which changed the angle of the bullet enough that it pinged against the statue behind us to then end its' trajectory in one of the trees. A straight-on impact would definitely have been ill advised. I grimaced as I shifted my wings to keep the both of us covered as best I could manage even as Kain shifted to a low crouch beside me. His deep, sub-harmonic growling filled the air in response to the obvious attack and the growling thrummed against my skin. I carefully peaked from under the edge of my wing and watched as the other vampires took shocked steps back, horror and rage plain on their faces and in their stances. It took me a moment to realize the cause of their reactions as I had long gotten used to the reddened color of my wings. Their own wings were all still brilliant white, white and silver or solid silver in comparison to the blood ruby and silver of my own.
The Aura's of the male and female winged vampires around us flared with intense rage. Our own Aura's flared in challenge and my own sub-harmonic snarl rose to echo Kain's in dual warning for those around us to back off. The weight of the groups combined Aura was strong, at least two of them felt as if they were twice Kain's current age, but we were both stubborn creatures and refused to back down from the threat that surrounded us. We started to rise up in tandem in order to strike out and break free of the circle that surrounded us when another's Aura suddenly slammed into all of us. An Aura as strong, if not somewhat stronger, than Eldar Kain's Aura. The ring of winged vampires around us instantly fell to one knee, weapons now held loose in their hands. Even the one who had seemed to lead the group lowered to the ground with his head bowed. A strange pull echoed at the back of my mind at the heavy weight of that Aura and I had to work to fight off the urge to bend knee myself. I will only ever bend knee to Kain, I thought to myself with a soft snarl of defiance.
"Enough!" a commanding voice snapped out. The accent was tinged with hints of some middle-eastern country, but only tinged as if it was rage alone that made the accent audible. "Lower your weapons, calm yourselves and sense her Aura! Can you not feel the willing link between them? She is Mate Marked and obviously trusts this male."
Kain and I forced ourselves to our feet despite the pressure of the Aura bearing down on the area. We remained wary with our own weapons yet held at the ready even as a finely dressed vampire landed just outside of the circle around us. His outfit was a strange cross between robes and a finely tailored suit that somehow just worked despite the fact that it should have looked ridiculous. His eyes were a solid gold, hair a dark, curly brown spun with silver and a face that looked equally young and worn by time. His skin was toned the light brown of those who were born to desert life yet had spent most of their lives out of the sun. Similar to Eldar Kain, bone structures had grown in a way that left this Eldar with a horned 'crown' that had a single point on each side of his brow compared to Eldar Kain's twin pointed 'crown'. He held a crystal of some sort in his left hand and it pulsed softly within his grip.
I frowned as I eyed the new male carefully. I did not recognize his face but the Aura tugged at the very edges of my memory.
~Kain, I believe that this male might well be Altair,~ I said in a tightly-beamed Whisper.
~Perhaps,~ he rumbled back, anger yet suffusing his tone. ~But what gives you that impression beyond their reaction? They could merely be showing respect to a commanding officer.~
~It's his Aura,~ I said thoughtfully as I rolled my shoulders. Kain and I had stood up such in a way that we could both keep this newcomer in our sights yet remain back to back with my wings half spread. ~It tugs at the edge of conscious memory. I don't recall ever actually seeing him, yet my instincts still seem to recognize him all the same.~
~What do your instincts tell you mine own?~ he asked.
~Nearest I can tell?~ I mused as I tilted my head as I looked the male over whilst he eyed me in turn. ~'Former Alpha or Pack Leader'.~
~Hnnn,~ he still sounded upset yet I knew he was pleased by my saying 'former'.
~Proprietary bastard,~ I murmured to him.
~Yes,~ he Whispered in an amused tone before he continued in a more thoughtful tone. ~Most likely you were presented to him as a babe and that is why your instincts recognize him. A birth such as yours is rare from what you read, thus it is reasonable that your father's Liege-Lord would wish to be present at such an auspicious event. Even with your vampiric nature slumbering at the time, those buried instincts might well have imprinted on him enough to recognize him in the future.~
~Possible,~ I responded.
Kain's Aura pressed lightly against my own in a subtle, soothing caress and I had to fight the shiver that wanted to shoot down my spine and keep my frown in place even though I wanted to smile at the metaphysical touch. The male that had just arrived stepped slowly into the circle but stopped a good distance from us when we both tensed at his approach. He rolled the crystal in his hand and I frowned faintly as I eyed it. I slowed my breathing in order to slow my heart beat on a hunch and the crystals pulsing did seem to waver briefly but did not slow to match my heart beat exactly. I let out a thoughtful hum of noise and was about to ask something when the male who had fired his gun spoke up.
"Father, my apologies," the male said softly even though he continued to glare at Kain. There was something else in his eyes now, a different kind of anger. "I did not sense the link between them. Yet this male is still an unknown quantity and should be watched."
Kain bared his fangs in a brief warning at that statement.
"Enough son," the male said firmly as he tucked away the crystal into a robe pocket and his golden gaze focused on Kain. "Do we have you to thank for our clan-mates rescue?"
"Hmph," Kain's sneer returned in full as his eyes narrowed on the Eldar. "Again you are operating on the assumption that she needed rescue. She saved herself from torture and torment over four hundred years ago."
"That is not possible!" the younger male snarled as he surged to his feet. The Eldar clamped a hand on the younger male's shoulder to keep him from lunging forward even as his own eyes narrowed in thought. "She had not been missing that long!"
~That's one way to lead into telling them where I was...~ I Whispered to Kain, both amused and exasperated with him.
~I find myself lacking the patience to deal with pointless banter after being attacked,~ he growled.
~Understandable,~ I responded soothingly.
"I would ask that you explain what you mean by that statement," the Eldar said slowly even as he kept a firm grip on his son's shoulder.
"First, what is your name?" Kain growled. I felt another wave of amusement flash through me. First he was upset at the idea of pointless banter and then he had to take control of a situation by making demands which might well result in the pointless banter he wanted to avoid. Ah, Kain. Madness suits you at times, I thought to myself. "I will not speak to one who remains nameless before me."
"I apologize for my rudeness," the Eldar said dryly even as he bowed his head, though his gaze did not drop from Kain's. "I am Altair, King of the Draconian clan of vampires. And yourself?"
"Hnn," Kain's eyes narrowed and I knew he was debating briefly on how to introduce himself. Play the Pauper or the Price? His eyes flickered white for a second and I had to fight a smile as I knew pride had won out. "Kain, King of Nosgoth."
Altair's brow rose and at the same time the male vampire that had twitched at hearing Kain's voice earlier fell out of his kneeling stance to fall flat on his ass. We all turned to eye the male with a raised brow and he shifted into a respectful sitting position even as he flushed under our combined gazes. I might be a lenient commander myself, but even I did not tolerate such a break in decorum during times such as this. His mouth opened and closed a few times before his gaze finally landed on me.
"Never mind how you ended up there! How in the hell did you end up Mate Marked by Kain of Nosgoth?!" he blurted out after a moment.
I blinked in surprise and shared a brief look of amusement with Kain at the reaction before I turned my attention back to the male.
"Honesty really is the best policy with him," I said with a soft chuckle, though I would not clarify further. "I take it you know his story?"
"Y-yes ma'am. I was born a year after you were..." he shrugged. "Still enjoy those kinds of... stories... even now."
I smiled faintly before I turned my attention back to Altair. He had tilted his head as he looked between Kain and I before he finally shook his head.
"Everything you are saying... should not be possible," he said slowly. "The time you say has passed...? Travel to another world? I do know of artifacts that will allow such dimensional travel. Point in fact, the Four Great Clans had to use said artifacts to escape our original world when our sun was in the process of dying. Those artifacts were hidden away however and should yet remain hidden even now. One I hid personally and the other was hidden by one that I trust."
"Artifacts," I repeated slowly and then tilted my head as I held up my fist. "Would those artifacts be called 'Path Stones'? An amulet about this big, part of it a deep sapphire in color that looks like a jagged crystal, the other part a deep red that looks like a large drop of blood?"
"Yes," Altair said with a dark frown. "Those are the artifacts in question, the Path Stone amulets. They allow for travel between dimensional realms. It takes a very specific spell to open a path to another dimensional world, especially one that is habitable. That or a very lucky set of circumstances."
"Massive magical and chemical explosion count?" I asked in a dry tone of voice.
"It could at that," the Eldar shook his head and spoke thoughtfully. "Still, travel in such a manner should not have been possible, though... it can explain the tracking crystal's sudden fluctuation two years ago. As I said, one of the Path Stones was hidden away by my own hand and another was given to one of the original half-blood survivors from those dark days. A veteran of great honor. No one should have been able to obtain them both."
Kain and I shared a brief look before Kain looked back at Altair.
"Obviously your protections of the Stones were lacking," the others all stiffened and Altair's eyes narrowed. Kain continued to speak as if he hadn't thrown the insult. "You said a half-blood? Male?" Altair nodded silently at Kain's question. "Was the male's name Auron?"
"Yes..." Altair responded warily.
"Auron is the name of the one who took me," I said in a dark tone. "I am certain at this point that he was a half-blood, as he felt old enough to have talons yet still had human-like hands."
The others stiffened further at my own words and several let out angry hisses of threat-denial at my words. I felt my wings flare in warning and I let out a low growl of my own. Altair held up a hand to silence the others and I maintained my growl just long enough to make a point that I was not obeying him, merely giving him a chance to speak. Kain shifted his arm and his elbow brushed lightly against the bend of my wing in an approving touch. The only one I would submit to was Kain and I wanted them all to understand that while they might be my Birth-Clan, I was not bound to obey any of them. We'd work on subtle ways to show that fact first and if they didn't get it, well...
"That is a hefty accusation," Altair said slowly. "As I said, the Auron I speak of is a man of honor. The years before our migration to this world were dark indeed. The radiation from our dying sun killed the humans so easily if they remained above ground and caused rapid death even below. This caused the half-bloods to become the primary source of blood for the Clan's that survived the panic and madness. We were forced to turn our half-blooded children as young as fourteen and no older then twenty-five, else the radiation would poison their minds or kill them. The Auron that we know is one of the few half-bloods that yet live and survived those dark days. There are only a handful of vampires, Full-Blooded or of the Breed with that name, and only one half-blood."
"Auron the half-blood is reclusive," Altair's son said in a firm voice as he eyed me. "Yet he is respected as all others from those days for the sacrifices made. I would be mindful of just whom you accuse, clan-mate."
I stiffened and bared my fangs faintly in warning at Altair's son, "I am merely stating what I know. The male who took me called himself Auron. All of those that he broke called him Auron and I long lost count of how many pets he had twisted to his will. Stands roughly six-foot-two or -three. Human like hands. Hair a dark silver and his eyes were a darker green than my own, like a shadowed forest canopy instead of a bright emerald. Spoke fluent French and had what I now believe to be a strong Charm Gift."
I could see the recognition in the eyes of those around us even as they fought visibly to deny my words. Most of them looked at their King with concerned or questioning expressions. Altair's son reacted the worst of the lot as he shook his head violently and slashed his hand downward.
"You lie!" he hissed at me.
"Armon! Silence yourself! She is only stating what she knows of her attacker. Do not deny her that right," Altair said as he cuffed his son upside the head.
The younger male snarled and backed out of range of his father's corrective hand and out the circle as a result. He glared at me with eyes dark with rage and denial. Even Altair had said that there was only one half-blood that bore the name of the one who had captured me.
"You insult one of our most honored clan-mate," he said the last words with a sneer on his lips and in his tone. "To think that... Bah!"
He turned and was air-borne a moment later. Kain and I both glared after his retreating form, insulted by the male's reaction. We then looked back at Altair who had started to rub at his forehead and begun to mutter faintly in an Arabic dialect. A small growling rumble escaped him after a moment and he signaled two of the others to follow after Armon.
"Keep my son out of trouble," he ordered softly and the two nodded and leapt into the air after the younger male. He turned back to us with a bow of his head. "My apologies, over a thousand years old and he still has the temper of a fledge at times."
"It is difficult when the blinders are pulled from one's eyes regarding one's personal hero's," Kain said thoughtfully before his tone hardened. "But the boy's rage will not deter us from our goal."
"What is that goal if I may?" Altair asked warily.
"I intend to kill the one who captured and tortured me," I said firmly in response. "To free those who might yet be salvaged from his grasp and to grant a merciful end to those who are beyond help. As I said, I was not the only one caught by him. There was an entire castle filled with slaves and victims bound to his will. There were children within as well, kept as blood slaves... and possibly worse."
A cold silence filled the air for several minutes at my words as the others left behind glanced at each other.
"We will help you find your tormentor, though I yet doubt that we speak of the same Auron," Altair asked softly after he processed my words. "After we have brought your kidnapper to justice though? Will you stay? Regardless of where you have been, this is still your home world. You are welcome here, despite the appearances caused by my son's foolish temper tantrum. You have a Clan who will welcome you home with open arms and wings. 'Fly safe, fly high...?'"
"'And may no arrow mar your skies'," I finished softly as I recalled that long ago phrase that my Father had taught me.
I looked away for a moment and wondered briefly what my life might have been like had Auron not taken me captive. I frowned and squared my shoulders, my wings twitching faintly. It would do no good to dwell on the unchangeable. I had been forged, willingly, by Kain's hand to be an effective Commander and Queen. My past could not be altered nor did I wish it altered. I was more than content with what I had.
"I... understand what you offer," I said a few moments later even as I shook my head in negation of the offer. "Yet I intend only to stay as long as it takes to learn a few things to help Nosgoth recover from the cancerous parasite that infects her. I have no intent to stay here overlong myself."
I did not yet believe that those here could be trusted with the knowledge of my hopeful intent to bring Janos, Nikolai and the others through to keep them safe and away from the Parasite's grasping tentacles. Time alone would prove if that was to be a viable option to keep some of my Chosen Clan safe. I could only hope that my home world would prove to be a safe haven for my adopted Sire.
"What could this Nosgoth offer you that we cannot?" one of the female's in the ring that yet had us partially surrounded asked suddenly, breaking my train of thought. "A Mate Mark does not mean you are bound to remain by this one's side indefinitely. You would not waste away like a human claimed by a Master's Mark. You have a home here. A Clan here. Your Father's Liege-Lord and King are here on Gaia. You inherited a high rank due to your father's lineage, My Lady, enough to even be considered as a potential Mate to the King's own son. What can this one offer you, this self-proclaimed 'King of Nosgoth' of another world? Merely to be his Consort? One amongst many?"
She indicated Kain with a wave of her hand and Kain sneered at her even as he shifted his grip on his axes. No one had yet sheathed their weapons and neither I nor Kain yet felt safe enough to put our own weapons up. Kain shifted a step forward toward the female and I curled one of my wings up behind him similar to how one might wrap an arm around their partner's waist even as I frowned at the female whilst my grip tightened on my own sword. I was angered at her words, her audacity in seemingly trying to buy my favor with potential rank and status were I to remain. Altair had tilted his head and was watching our reactions closely while the female spoke, though he did not interrupt her presumptuous speech. She was correct in the fact that Kain could Mark others as his own whilst I would need his permission. He was not the Marked one in our relationship, I was. But that had never been an issue for us and I would not ask him to allow me to Mark him. I was no jealous creature that was so unsure of herself as to request such a thing of him. If he ever offered it I would take it as the gift it would be, just as Janos had taught me.
"Katrina has a home on Nosgoth, an adopted Sire, an Eldar Brother and a strong Clan," Kain said in a low purr that held a subtle warning in the undertones. "She follows me willingly, serves as a Captain in my armies and is not my Consort but my Mate-Marked Queen. I would not deny her the right to choose to remain here should she decide to do so once I have defeated the parasite that infects Nosgoth and send for her to return, but that is not for any of you to decide. You will show her and I both the same respect you would any other visiting monarch couple."
The last was meant for Altair even though Kain's gaze did not leave the females. Said female swallowed heavily and looked down several moments later when his glare and my own did not abate. Altair's wings twitched and drew our attention back to the Draconian Clan Lord.
"A Queen in your own right? Soldiers at your command?" he asked in a thoughtful tone as he shook his head. "It seems you have done well for yourself indeed, if you both speak true. You are... happy then? On Nosgoth with this male you allowed to Mark you?"
"'Happy'...?" I echoed and then offered a half shrug even as I smiled faintly. "Nosgoth is my Home now, just as Kain said. He is the one I chose to trust, to follow, to..."
I shook my head again as my wing tightened slightly around the edge of Kain's form. He shifted his own arm against the inside of my wing so that his elbow briefly brushed against me, unable to touch the inner feathers with his talons what with his hands being full, but the intent was there. Centuries later and still I could only act on my own feelings, not voice them. Still, actions spoke louder then words and I had devoted myself to Kain, loyal to him even when we fought as all couples do. Cillian had not been the only jealous traitor to attempt to do me harm or drive a wedge between myself and Kain with darksome rumors during those times that Kain and I had fought over the centuries. All of those fools met a painful fate at the end of the Reaver.
"The only reasons I meant to return was to destroy an enemy that could potentially do me further harm, to find a place to bunker down until it was safe to return and, after reading an article, to let you and the others know that I was safe and no longer needed to be rescued," I said firmly as I shifted my grip on my sword and shot another glare at the female who had insulted me. "I would in fact prefer that our arrival here be kept secret if at all possible so that my attacker does not go to ground and make my hunt that much harder."
"I see," Altair turned to eye Kain for several long moments before he flicked his hand at the others and they all sheathed their weapons.
Three took to the skies moments later and left, following the same path as Armon and the other guards, while four remained behind. Those that remained moved to flank Altair, obviously his personal guards. I found myself briefly amused when I saw that the young male who had reacted so strongly to Kain's presence stood at the far left of the guard. I slowly sheathed Kindness while Kain moved Havoc and Malice to hang once more from his belt. Altair's wings spread faintly before he moved them to rest on his shoulders. He took a few steps toward me and both Kain and I bristled at the approach. The Eldar stilled briefly as he watched Kain warily for a moment and his attention turned to me a seconds later. The Eldar slowly knelt in front of me and I felt my wings twitch in surprise when he tilted his head to expose his throat though he kept his gaze on my own.
I... suddenly had the weirdest sense of deja vu for some reason...
"I had promised my former Right-hand, your Father, that I would ensure that you had a normal human life. That you would be watched over from a distance and kept safe until you could choose for yourself to accept or deny the Awakening of your vampiric blood," Altair said softly. "I could do nothing for your Mother, though I tried. Master Marked as she had been the Mark would have continued to affect her, drive her to further madness, even if we had turned her. Only your Father could have turned her and changed the Master's Mark into a Mate's Mark. But I could still do my duty to you, keep a guard over you. Yet I failed in that duty..."
"I will not dispute that fact," I said coldly as I tilted my head and drew my wings to rest on my shoulders. I knew he spoke true of my Mother thanks to Janos' lessons. "There was no one to even witness or sense when I was taken, was there? Was there supposed to be a constant guard and that guard became lax in their duties or did you merely have people check in on me once every so often?"
"The former," Altair responded with a soft growl. "Believe me, daughter of my dearest friend, the rage felt when I found out that your guards lackadaisical attitude led to the theft of your person was absolute."
"Does that former guard yet live?" Kain asked thoughtfully as he rubbed thumb and fore-claw together.
"No," came the cold-voiced answer. "When it was proven that he was not involved directly with the one who took her beyond his blatant carelessness, I handled his punishment personally. The longer she was missing the greater his punishment. After the tracking crystal nearly went dark several times, I had him slain as the crystals darkening meant she had been near death."
I was silent for several long moments as I stared down at the kneeling Eldar's form. As much as my human side felt uncomfortable with him kneeling before me, my vampiric instincts were just as equally satisfied by his supplication. He had failed me, even if I had been unaware of his duty to me at the time. I had lost count of the amount of times Auron had driven me to the edge of death only to bring me back. I shook my head finally and took enough of a step back that I was once more shoulder to shoulder with Kain.
"I know you continue to doubt my words, my descriptions, of the one who took me. I say to you this, Altair, King of my Father's Clan; Help me slay the one who took me, the one who captures and tortures human and half-blood alike," I said finally in a dark tone. "Even if the one who took me is proven to be the very veteran you speak of so highly. Only then will I forgive you your failure."
Kain's mind brushed mine in a brief, approving touch even as Altair bowed his head in thought. The Eldar nodded his head and stood moments later.
"As you will, Katrina Eklund. You have my word that I will assist you within the full power available to me, even if your tormentor proves to be whom you described," his wings twitched and he nodded his head. "First, I will need to confirm that the Path Stone that I hid personally is indeed missing and if there are any signs of a thief left to be found. In the interim, I would offer you all the comforts that the Draconian Clan can provide. Will you allow me such?"
I glanced a Kain and he nodded once.
"We will accept the offer of such comforts," Kain said firmly. "Though neither I nor Katrina will allow you to teleport us anywhere."
I chuckled faintly at Kain's words even though my expression remained hard. "I agree with Kain on that. We will fly ourselves, walk or find a car to any destination you might lead us to."
"Ah?" Altair raised a brow at Kain. "You have a Flight Form?"
"Bats," Kain said simply.
"I see. Allow me to call a limo then. The flight to the nearest mansion would be a long one, especially for one whose Flight Form takes the shape of a Cloud of bats," Altair said with a wave of his taloned hand.
"A limo will be fine," I said with a nod of my head.
Kain's expression remained the same, a darksome if somewhat bored look, but his mind touched my own in a questioning brush.
~Think of it as a high quality carriage,~ I Whispered to him.
~I see,~ he responded.
Altair nodded to me before he moved off to the side and pulled out what looked like the glass screen of a smart phone. I felt my wings twitch outward with my surprise and tried to shift faintly to watch him as he used that thin piece of glass or plastic as it suddenly went opaque. He was using it just like one would use a smart phone when I was younger. The younger vampire from earlier nudged one of the older guards and took out a similar item before he nodded his head toward me. I raised a brow at the pair and the older guard let out an amused sigh before he waved the younger male away toward myself and Kain. Kain frowned at the males approach and the younger vampire froze for a moment before he bowed his head.
"Ah, pardon but... I am Lucius, the youngest of our King's personal guard," he held up the small piece of clear glass/plastic that had a small chip at one corner like the 'newspaper' toward me. "These... you looked interested in this...? Yes..?"
"Yes actually," I said as my wings twitched again with my curiosity. "These... replaced smart phones?"
"Ah... yes mis... ma'am..." he blushed suddenly. "My Lady. I... apologize. Today has been a... bit of an intriguing day. Dimensional travel is discussed in theoreticals, historical fact from ancient days... not..."
"Actively practiced...?" I said in an amused tone.
He nodded to me even as he handed over the small object. It felt like plastic and looked like glass as was barely even a quarter of an inch thick. Lucius took it back and tapped in a short pattern, then twisted the thing back and forth briefly to show the devices flexibility before he handed it back to me.
"It's very durable and flexible," he said with a smile. "Hard to break. Have to be considering how easily we could damage them. There are other kinds of designs, more solid and some shaped like crystals and... oh! There are even a few retro old-school designs from when we were younger! With the technological advancements there is a lot of variety."
"I can imagine," I murmured softly in amusement at his enthusiasm even as I started to work out how to use the interface.
It had been so long since I'd used anything remotely like the object in my hands so it took me a few moments to figure out the basics of the blasted thing. Many icons were the same or similar to what I had been used to in my youth but there were a lot of things I didn't recognize. Kain reached out a talon and lightly tapped the edge of the device.
"With the way Altair is using his own... device... this is your world's version of a communication crystal?" he asked.
"Communication crystal and a... kind of mobile library," I said as I flicked through a few screens and managed to find the yet familiar Chrome icon. I blinked in surprise. "Google still exists?"
"Vampire owned company ma'a... My Lady," Lucius said with a nod of his head.
I eyed the younger male out of the corner of my eye.
"You said you were born a year after I was? You're around a hundred and fifty then. How did you manage to end up as part of the King's Personal Guard?" I asked.
"Some positions have a hereditary advantage," the older guard said suddenly, "and are permanent outside of death, betrayal or willing retirement. I myself currently hold the position that your Father did as our King's right hand. It was meant to be a temporary placement as this was the very position that you would have had the potential to be groomed for had you been able to make a choice in your Awakening. This young pup is being groomed to replace his Mother. So far he has proven adept... decorum is yet an issue for him however."
"Mother is a half-blood like us and is expecting again," the younger vampire said in explanation as he scratched the back of his neck and blushed due to the Eldar's words. "She is going to pursue other interests now that she has the option available. She will be getting back into the space programs that are available. Once my new sibling is born she will be working in mechanical engineering and, once my sibling is old enough, she'll be focusing on joining the international space station as a crew member."
"Foolish," the Eldar grumbled. "Too many things can go wrong even for a vampire and she does not have a teleport ability to rely on should something go wrong."
"How can you keep saying that?" the younger said with a frown. "You were a part of the more recent programs!"
"Enough lad," the male growled as a Scottish burr snuck into his accent. "I need not explain myself to you."
I raised my head in confusion and blinked at the pair. I had only explained some of the basic of space travel to Kain, mainly because I only understood the basics myself. While I knew it could be dangerous, I imagined that vampires might have an easier time of it... unless...
"What other dangers does a vampire have to worry about with space exploration other then the norm?" I asked, my tone curious. "Is there a greater risk due to direct sun-light or something?"
"No, My Lady," the Eldar guard said even as Altair walked back over to us. "The unfiltered sun-light is not a major concern for older vampires or half-bloods. There is even the benefit that a full-blooded vampire does not need an oxygen supply and a half-bloods air tank can last four to five times longer then a humans. It is merely the usual dangers of space travel during launch and re-entry... for most at least. I lost my taste for space travel shortly after the Unveiling."
"Why? Was there another Challenger incident?" I asked with a frown.
"Ah... no," Altair said slowly. "A tragic event that and yet something of that nature... might have been preferable in a way."
"How could another Challenger incident have been preferable?!" I asked in an incredulous tone.
Kain raised a brow at me, uncertain of what I was talking of but he stayed silent as he listened to us. He even plucked the cellphone-like object from my hand to fiddle with it briefly himself.
"It has been a cloudy night til recently..." Altair said softly. "You have not noticed the moon yet, have you?"
"No...? Should I ha..." I broke off as I looked upwards and felt myself pale even as the clouds shifted enough for me to get a good look at the moon.
There was a huge, very much visible crater on the moon. I stiffened at the sight and when Kain looked up to follow my gaze he let out a shocked hiss of breath at the obvious, unnatural, damage to the pale surface.
"What the hell happened to the moon?!" I shouted in shock.
end chappie. pls review!
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