For my transgression, I earned a new kind of reward… Agony. – Raziel; Soul Reaver

"You thought yourself a king when in fact you were a pawn! You have served me well, Kain."

"I serve no one!"

"Indeed. Such narrow vision. Don't you see? My silencing of Ariel, and its calculated repercussions, is but the first act in my theatre of Grand Guignol. Of which you are the tragic 'hero.' Play on, little vampire, play on…"

"Vae Victus!"

"Sire."

A hand suddenly clamps down, hard, on my left arm, causing me to jump out of my skin for a second before I regain myself. I glare at the hand, then at the person who the hand belongs to. Turel. I glare at him and begin to lean forwards, in some hope that this will intimidate him. It did. He quickly releases the grasp he had on my forearm before turning back to face front. I carry on glaring at him.

"Turel. What do you want?"

He carries on staring at the floor, starting to mumble to himself. "I thought something was wrong sire, you were just staring at nothing. Sorry I bothered you, it will never happen again."

I lean back and grin to myself. "Very good Turel." I look around at my other sons before I spot Zephon laughing to himself. What insolence that boy has. "Zephon!" The smile now wiped off his face, replaced by the look of fear. He looks at me reluctantly. "How much longer must I wait for Rahab and Raziel? I grow tired of this waiting around."

He clears his throat before replying. "Not much longer sire, I'm sure they will be here within a matter of minutes. Maybe it would help if you became a bit more patient sire?"

I, and my sons, stare at him, shocked. How dare he even think to tell me to be more patient! Has he forgotten who I am! I shake my head and rise from my throne, angered once again. "Zephon, child. Have you seemingly forgotten who you are talking too?" I walk towards him, quickly and aggressively, as he starts to tremble a little bit with fear. Coward. I get to him and stand in front of him, towering over his pathetic quivering figure. How has one of my sons become so fearful? I raise a hand to strike him with, to teach him a lesson, when the ebony doors at the end of the room burst open. I turn to look and see Rahab and my first son, my perfect vampire, Raziel walking towards my throne. I turn back to Zephon, and roughly place my raised hand upon his shoulder and whisper to him. "Saved by your brothers. You won't be so lucky next time Zephon." I shove him and he topples to floor, my other sons stifling laughs at his idiocy, before returning to sit at my throne.

As I sit, I look up to see my two sons. Rahab, now finished with recovering Raziel, returns to stand next to Dumah and Melchiah while Raziel approaches my throne, looking around with the same arrogance as usual. Reminds me of myself when I was a younger vampire. I stare at him, slightly confused as to what he wishes to speak to me about, and I expect him to speak. He doesn't. Instead, he kneels in front of me, as if in surrender. I stare more confused at his bizarre antics.

That's when he showed me.

I cannot believe my eyes. My first son, my perfect son, who has stood by me through every small fragment, has surpassed me. I stare; anger once again flaring inside me, more intense than before, as Raziel extends his wings. Wings. The boy, my pride of the vampire race, has been blessed with the gift of flight. The gift that only the ancients had. How could this be?

I stand, and walk slowly towards him, anger, jealously and confusion racing through my head and body as I approach him. I walk around him, mesmerised by his wings. I stand behind him and touch them, almost caressing them. They were soft and silky to the touch, not leathery and hard as I expected them to be. I carry on running my claws carefully down them, longing to be able to have this gift. Longing for the ability to fly. Just like Janos Audron.

That was when my decision was made.

I grab hold of the bone at the top of his wings, feeling the smoothness of the bone, jealously flaring up more intense than I have ever felt in my life, before I rip them from their gracious owners back. A scream pierces the silence of my kingdom as Raziel collapses to his hands and knees, writhing in agony.

As he lies there, writhing and screaming, I look at Dumah and Turel and nod. They return the gesture and approach Raziel, knowing what fate awaits their elder brother.

***

We finally come to the Lake of the Dead, a place that only few see more than once in their lifetime. This place is where the traitors and weaklings are brought, to suffer the ultimate torture and suffering for their crimes. Burning and madness are the price that these pay for their transgressions. Unfortunately, this is the fate that my young Raziel must suffer too. I hoped he would die with honour and pride, not with humiliation.

We walk across the bridge, the sounds of Raziel's whimpers and the dragging of his body along the bridge seem to echo all around Nosgoth for all to hear. How embarrassing indeed.

I stop, ahead of all the others, and look over the side at the mouth of this endless pit of agony. I stand back up and turn to see Dumah and Turel holding Raziel, the others stood behind them, waiting and watching. I nod and begin to walk back towards my younger sons, before stopping and briefly looking behind me. "Cast him in." Another scream leaves Raziel's lips as him plummets downwards towards the fiery depths of the Lake, to forever suffer at its hands.

Death comes for us all.

***

1000 Years Later

Raziel P.O.V

My eyes open, an eternity passed by. An eternity of suffering over. Confused, dazed, I rise from the ground and stand, observing my surroundings. What is this obscure place? I then turn my gaze to my body, taking in every detail. I realise that I am nothing more than a walking corpse, disfigured immensely from my former self. I look at my hands, not much difference, then I touch my face, realising I have no lower jaw. I then reach to my back, feeling what is left of the shambles that were once my wings, now nothing more than mere pieces of ragged cloth. I look to my right shoulder and see the flag of my people, the Razielim. I wonder what has happened to my people after my sudden death. Were they too persecuted because of my transgression? I shake my head, not wanting such dismal thoughts at this time. I then grab the flag and wrap it around my face, hiding the most obvious disfigurement.

Why have I been brought back as such an abomination? I did not ask for this. I did not want to come back as a walking corpse! A sudden burst of anger consumes me, frustration and confusion being the main source of this.

"Raziel… You are worthy."

I spin and look around, on defence, scanning for the person who just called to me. I then look up to see a giant eye staring at me. Confused at such bizarreness, I look around and see that this, thing, is nothing more than a giant squid wrapped around the foundations of this place. I relax slightly, not wanting to relax completely in case something does go wrong.

"And is it you that has brought me back as this travesty? Death would be a release compared to this!"

"I have spared you from the brink of oblivion Raziel. I would think you would be more grateful to me for your rebirth."

I shake in anger. How would this, thing know what I would want?

"I would have rather chosen oblivion over this existence."

"Raziel, that is enough of your insolence. I could take away this new life as easily as I have bestowed it to you. You have been given this new life for a reason, not because I took pity upon you. I know you Raziel, and you are worthy, you are pure, I know that you will do Nosgoth well."

I fold my arms, impatient. "So what is this godforsaken reason why I'm in this sad excuse for a body? What possible good reason must there be for this?"

"In time Raziel, you will become grateful, but that must wait. I cannot provide you with this information, because I will not. But there is another who will. It is a vampire you must look for. Only they will tell you your purpose."

"You wretched old fool, you expect me to now do your bidding and listen to you?" No answer. And he has the nerve to say that I'm insolent?

I would do the opposite to what this squid has said, but I need answers. I need to know where I am and what my purpose is. This is just unnecessary hassle when he could've just told me.

This is where my adventure into this unknown world begins.

***

Exhausted. I'm amazed that my body even feels this. I collapse to the floor, and give up. I have walked for so long, and nothing. Everything just looks the same in this goddamned place. I sit and put my head in my hands, hoping that some opportunity would present itself soon. A noise suddenly makes my head bolt upwards, and I look to my right to see a figure. I widen my eyes with shock, as I never would've expected the vampire to come to me.

"You must be Raziel. I have been waiting many thousands of years for your arrival."

The vampire extends a hand to me, and I see that this vampire is of the older generation. Of Kains original generation before his evolution to the new race. I look at the vampires' hand, amazed at the fact that it has a normal hand, not that of mine and my brethrens, and that it has some sort of amethyst and blue tinge to its skin. I reluctantly grab the vampires' hand and with great force, I'm pulled to my feet. Only when I am stood in front of this creature do I realise that it is a woman. She puts one hand on my shoulder and with the other, gestures to the place we are in.

"This Raziel, is the Spectral Realm. Your new haven."

***

Disclaimer: I do not own Legacy of Kain in anyway, all rights go to Crystal Dynamics and Edios. I only own this fiction.