By Sharon Westbury
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Her head was swimming and her eyes bleary as she lifted herself up onto her knees to look around. She was in a forest, that much was obvious. What wasn’t quite so obvious was which one? In all of Nosgoth there had to be miles and miles of green, and she had no idea which one she had been dumped in. Why had she agreed to come to this place? Her powers were diminished here, and besides, she didn’t like being corporeal. She had to walk. She grabbed onto a tree and pulled herself up onto her feet. She felt wobbly and quite ridiculous. How could humans wander around for so long like this? Being tied to the ground was a depressing thought. Still, she had a job to do, and no one else could do it. Who else could find the bearer of the Heart of Darkness, if not a force of nature? She liked the sound of that. Finding her feet, she began to walk stiffly towards a narrow dirt path. She reached down her dress and pulled out a necklace. The green jewel was glowing faintly. At least her master had furnished her with a way to find the wayward balance guardian. Otherwise she’d be at it for all eternity. The jewel seemed to glow a little brighter when she turned towards the left. She smiled and hid it once more. She assured herself this would be easy. The Vampire Citadel was a cold and lonely place; even when it had been filled with Vampires. Its unforgiving, cold atmosphere further deepened Kain’s depression. What was the next move? The Elder God was dying, despite what he claimed, and so was Raziel. That noble fool. All this time he’d strived to kill Kain, and ended up saving his life. The Soul Reaver was still glowing brightly, and stained with green slime. Kain sighed heavily and made his was down. His thoughts were in turmoil. There had to be something else at work, aside from the Hylden. What could it be? Once Kain was free of the Citadel, something caught his attention. It was not a scent, as such, more a feeling. Something was calling to him. There was a crackle of energy from the Soul Reaver. Kain replaced it on his back and followed the unfamiliar magic. Perhaps this was the next move. She was utterly exhausted by the time she reached a settlement. She regretted ever coming to the material realm. Its only redeeming feature was all the greenery. The minute it lost that she’d be done with the place, and forget trying to help it. The tiny village was nearly deserted. There were at least thirty Vampire Hunters prowling the darkened streets. She studied the humans carefully, and decided to avoid them. But, her path lay through the village, and she didn’t want to traipse over any more muddy fields in the black of night. Taking a calming breath, she crept into the village and took cover behind an upturned cart. Her heart was pounding, a strange sensation, and sweat was beginning to bead her forehead. “Did you hear something?” she heard a soldier ask. She held her breath and pressed even closer to the cart. “You’re paranoid, you could hear a field mouse fart three miles away.” Said another far more tired voice. “I’d rather be able to hear the Vampire scum creepin’ up on me, than get slaughtered in my sleep.” Snapped the first soldier. “We’ve got thirty men out here, one peep from us and they come running, relax Jeram.” Said the tired voice. “I can’t, and I won’t.” said Jeram tartly. Her interest was piqued now, and she wanted to see this mysterious Sarafan. She peeked out from behind the cart and saw the two burly soldiers in shining armour. She noticed one was enjoying a drink of some kind, and some food. It had been a millennium since she had ever had to eat to stay alive, and the gnawing hunger in her stomach was hard to ignore. If she played her cards right, she could get a free meal, and some attention. She leaned right around the cart. “Hello?” she said in a meek voice. The two Sarafan turned on her with swords drawn. She cowered back from them. “Don’t hurt me!” she cried. “Relax Jeram, it’s just a girl.” Said the drowsy soldier. The younger Jeram was still regarding her suspiciously. “She looks like a Witch to me.” He growled. She had to say something. “Me? A Witch? No! Of course I’m not! I just really like green. My name is Jade.” She said, outstretching her hand. Jeram didn’t move. “Jeram? Will you leave her alone? I’d rather have a Witch in our company at the moment than a Vampire. Sit down, and have something young Miss.” Said the older soldier. “Why thank you, err…” said Jade. “My name’s Alaric, here, you look hungry.” He said offering her some kind of stew. She was too hungry to argue or be finicky. She gratefully accepted the bowl and started inhaling it. “Why were you prowling around here at night? Surely you know everyone has gone to the stronghold, everyone that’s left.” Said Jeram, still staunchly scanning the darkness. “I was on my way, the news only reached me recently.” Said Jade. “They might not have let you in, many believe that Witches are the same as Vampires.” Said Alaric in a softer tone, staring daggers at Jeram’s back. “I did say I wasn’t a Witch.” Said Jade. “It’s quite plain to see that your are, but that doesn’t matter now. We’re here for the night before we head on to the next village.” Said Alaric. Jade looked puzzled. “Why are you out here?” she asked. “We’re looking for survivors, and killing fledglings. Hell, we’re just killing all Vampires.” Said Jeram, a grim satisfaction in his voice. “Tell me about Vampires, what do they look like? I’ve never encountered one before.” Said Jade. It had only just occurred to her to ask what they look like, as she was trying to find one. “They look like a corpse before it rots, pale as the moon with shining eyes. Some of the older ones had changed funny colours and grown fins and other disgusting things. You’ll know them, because they’ll be charging at us, hissing and screeching into battle.” Said Alaric. Jade shivered and stopped eating. Suddenly, finding the most powerful Vampire of them all seemed a bad idea. What could possibly be in a deserted village that would call to a Vampire? Kain moved silently through the dark streets, slipping mist like past drowsy guards. He came to the village square, and saw two guards sitting with some kind of Witch. The feeling was stronger in her presence. Kain studied her with his sharp topaz eyes. She was no mere Witch. Her features were sharp and regal, like that of a Vampire, but her strangely large, pointed ears and almond shaped eyes looked like something more predatory. Kain caught her scent on a breath of air and realised she was some kind of animal. And yet, she looked so innocent. As if she didn’t even realise it. He decided to test her, to see if she knew anything. He focused his thoughts, making them as small and gentle as a whisper and concentrated on her. At first, she just dismissed it, paying more attention to the Sarafan. Then suddenly, her back arched and she looked wildly around. Kain could read the fear in her eyes as plainly as the stars. She wasn’t in league with Mobeas or anyone else he knew of. There was something else at work here. The Sarafan were milling around, searching for him. Kain knew he had plenty of time to escape before they found him. The girl stood up, and started scenting the air. Kain was puzzled. What manner of creature resides in human form, but doesn’t drink blood? Kain retreated as the Sarafan drew closer. His business with her was not complete. There was yet someone who might know what she could be. The Seer was still alive in this time. Kain hoped he could get there before the other Kain did. Jade lost the scent suddenly, as if it had never existed. “You see Jeram? I told you Witches weren’t that bad. She helped us!” said Alaric triumphantly. Jade was still trying to fathom what she had felt. The pulse of that black heart still throbbed faintly in her ears. Whoever had the heart had been only a few feet away, and she failed to pick him up. She knew when the time was right, that she would have to use what power she had, and recruit some soldiers of her own. It was shame too, she rather liked Jeram. The Seer’s house was nestled somewhere in the cliffs of Nosgoth, and after all the years Kain had not thought about her, he still remembered the exact location of her house. He entered without knocking and found her standing by the fire, her feathery ears catching the light, and shining with unnatural iridescence. “I know you are Kain, but which one?” she asked as she turned languidly to face him. Her violet eyes sparkled in the low light. “You want to know about the girl?” she asked. “Yes, why is she here?” asked Kain, remembering how cryptic her answers could be. “She is here to restore balance. Since you did not do it when you had the chance, she is going to do it for you.” Said the Seer playfully. Kain smiled sarcastically. “What is she?” he asked. The Seer thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. “She is what you could call Nature incarnate. She is a servant of the natural forces that govern this world. Nature wants you dead.” Said the Seer. Kain still looked at her expectantly. Everyone wanted him dead. “What else is new?” he asked. “The way in which she’ll accomplish this. She may look weak, but underneath she is an animal, a beast that is stronger and faster than a Vampire. She can turn humans into such creatures, and at an alarming rate. One bite can turn a human almost instantly.” Said the Seer, a certain amount of fear in her voice. “What about Vampires? Can she turn them?” asked Kain. This was getting worse by the minute. “No, once a body is dead it cannot be turned. You’re safe Kain.” Said the Seer reassuringly. “I wasn’t worried about me receiving a bite, I was worried she would find and bite another Vampire, which would proceed to mutilate me.” Said Kain. “You actually have little to fear, as long as the Soul Reaver remains imbued with that soul, you should be able to kill her minions.” Said the Seer. “What about her?” he asked dubiously. “Oh, she cannot be destroyed, at least…I’m not sure.” She said reluctantly. “Outstanding, I managed to catch you on an off day.” Said Kain dryly, and left the house, before his other self arrived. |