By Frank Löning
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Darkness surrounded him. Darkness so concentrated it seemed to be an entity itself. Here he felt good. The forest and darkness shielded him. He loved the silence. It was not quiet here, but the energies of this place were smooth and soothing. Here he sat, not moving, completely relaxed. Wolves passed him, he could see their eyes giving off light by themselves. And then slowly, a growl, first distant but coming closer, grew louder and louder. A deep, scratchy growl no human could possibly bring forth. And soon he could see the red-glowing eyes. Predatory eyes nearing right next to a tree. The creature seemed aggressive. It was not an animal of this forest, he could sense it. His primal senses were never wrong, and they told him clearly. And then a streak of light cut through space, splitting the creature. The light-blue glow emanated from an arm-long apparently non-material thing. Its bearer quickly vanished with it. “How strange...“, he thought. By breathing the cold forest air he recovered his energies and then vanished into the forest. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Raziel was on predator-hunt. Silently he flew, ran, and jumped
through the forest. Red eyes were his signal to strike. This was Dumahim
hunting territory, and since Dumahim were rather weak most of them had
been easy prey. There! He spotted another one. Swift as the wind he ran,
jumped up a tree, and then soared from a branch. He unleashed the Soul
Reaver and struck – only once. He had split the creature in half, a straight
cut through the entire body. Only then did he notice the other person...
Somebody was sitting in the darkness behind him. Since he was certain,
that this was no vampire, he decided to leave him alone and jumped to the
next tree, to continue his hunt and think about it later. He had an eternity
to ponder things..
Turel sat on his throne, deeply grieving what had happened in
the last few weeks. Raziel, once one of his brethren, ventured through
Nosgoth, killing any vampire he encountered. The Melchiahim were so decimated
that even the humans could spell their demise. Any Rahabim not living in
the waters of the drowned abbey was dead. The Dumahim, already few after
the humans had attacked them, were now by Turel’s count not more than a
hand full. Zephon an his broods were completely wiped out of this world.
Only the Turelim gave some resistance, but not even they could withstand
Raziel. Such was the situation of the once six vampire clans of Nosgoth.
Now only four were left, and apart from Turel and Kain no still living
vampire had the knowlegde and strength to create new vampires. Now all
Turel could think about were Kain’s last words to him, “The ones with great
fates are unstoppable and will do as they see fit. Raziel is a great one
even among these creatures. We can not stop him, but will have to hope
he discovers his true fate before the vampires’s complete demise.“ But
Turel’s hope had eased from him, and he could already picture his clan’s
death – and his own...
Kain stood in the Chronoplast. He watched what has been, what is, and
what may yet come. Seeing the time of his powerful and most beautous empire
made him wish these times had never passed. Then, seeing Raziel slaughtering
entire vampire clans could only evoke a small sentence one could detect
as hope-decreasing, “Oh Raziel – you are too overanxious killing your brothers
for you to discover the role destiny has laid out for you.“
He has sitting in the night again, re-channeling his energies.
He was sure that the blue light would come here again. Predators don’t
change their hunting grounds each day. This time something came from
behind. He could feel it in the ground. First the vibrations were near
to non-existant, but they grew more distinct with each step. The creature
was apparently fleeing, for the steps were fast and caused strong vibrations
of the ground. Finally in full power of his strength he slowly turned.
Indeed, this was a monstrous Turelim, but wounded, his face a pain-stricken
grimace. What luck it was that he could see in the dark! It was time to
act. With a short but strong movement of his wings he shot toward the vampire.
He shredded it into pieces in merely a few seconds. A wounded Turelim was
no enemy for him. He had fought enemies that had a multiple of the strength
and resiliency of this Turelim. But then something in the woods broke the
silence. “I see you are strong, but who are you, what are you, and what
are your intentions?“
The performance had been quite impressive, but Raziel didn’t care.
Either this creature was on his side, or he was an enemy and
would die. “I am Beliburas, gargoyle guardian of this region, and I intend
to destroy those that defile the woods.“
Word spreads fast in the demon realm, and soon many had heard
that Raziel was on his way to save Nosgoth. The strongest and most brazen
of demons took off to hinder him; now that they had this paradise, they
would not give it up so easily!
Raziel suddenly had a déjà vu... These demons were
the same he had met infront of Janos’ Retreat. Not even listening to what
they said, he let the ravenous hunger of the Soul Reaver feed itself on
the souls of these creatures and passed on. He had no time for this.
Raziel floated in the air. The Reaver was deactivated and
hi thoughts could travel to the most distant parts of this realm. In thought
he ripped the figure of Kain from within the pillar.
Raziel watched as the power fixed itself into the body of the
gargoyle. But to his astonishment the body of it seemed to change as it
happened. He grew bigger, stronger, and darker. His eyes took on a dark-red
glow and his body turned entirely black until Raziel realized to whom he
had given this power. “Hash’ak’gik!“, he exclaimed as he deciphered the
creature, and a deep scratchy growl, coming from deep within the creatures
torso answered, “yes, little Raziel! My plan worked, and so I will rid
myself of my pawns and enemies alike.“ With that he vanished, leaving Kain
and Raziel alone in the sanctuary...
Hash’ak’gik was now abe to go from dimension to dimension and
open gates between them. Quickly he found the demon dimension and opened
a giant passage between these worlds. It did not take him long to find
his allies, the Hylden. He led them to the portal and left it open, for
more to come. Yet he did not realize his big error. But he would soon see
it.
Janos Audron had gone throught hell. First captured by the Hylden
and sadistically tortured and experimented with, then free, for he made
it to escape one day, but still not living good by any means. His only
food was disgusting demon blood, and he had to fight hard to get even that.
After one and a half millenia of captivity however, he found a rift. Being
sure that it couldn’t get worse he stepped through and emerged in Nosgoth....
“So Hash’ak’gik was behind all of this! What a fool I’ve been!“
Raziel yelled into the empty hall, more to himself than to Kain, who answered
anyway, “No Raziel, it isn’t your fault, but you must help me get this
mess straightened out.“
Turel was completely surprised and delighted to see Kain and
Raziel rejoiced. In the old days, these two were unstoppable, and they
were even stronger now. But what of Kain? Had he lost power, as he was
no guardian anymore?
Once again he was striving through the spectral realm in search
of souls. But this time not to devour them, but to fuse them into bodies.
He was creating Razielim, and many. He was a ghost, and therefore had the
endless power of the underworld to make vampires. Kain and Turel helped
him, but it was hard work for them. Creating vampires, that would instantly
morph into the adult state took much more energy, for the essence instilled
into the body with the soul needed to be much stronger, but it had to be
done in order for them to have a chance against the Hylden. Yes, the Hylden,
Kain had told him about them, for he knew abou them from the Chronoplast,
but a great light lay on the near future, and it was too blinding for Kain
to forsee much more than the coming of the Hylden.
“Ah Hash’ak’gik, you have done good work!“
From the portal, Hash’ak’gik then led the Hylden oversea with
the battleships of the humans of ages long past. The vampires had
not touched them, for they detested the water and would not travel on it.
Vast armies poured through the portal, into the ships, and eventually onto
Nosgoth’s main continent. The Hylden were ready for battle, after all this
was their chance for revenge after all this time...
Janos Audron knew this place; it was the city of Hylden, rebuilt
and filled with warriors. Knowing the path home and that he could not escape
from the Hylden’s sight forever, he took off in flight. He was sure, that
there were vampires left. He must warn them, and help them in the oncoming
war. Thankfully his wings could relentlessly carry him over the ocean.
“At least these are not such walking corpses as the Melchiahim.“ Raziel
said to Kain, knowing full well, that these fledgelings weren’t much more.
“Tyrus, do you feel the old presences in the land below? It seems
as though new ones have arrived. I sense a relative.“
Days have passed since the vampires were last reported of - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “Good Kain, the forces are well-fed and their numbers are greater
now, but I fear the Hylden are still far stronger“, Janos said. “Yes, the
sentry-killing has been rewarding“, Kain replied, deep in thoughts, “but
the Hylden seem stronger than when I last encountered them. Some power
greater than Hash’ak’gik must be fueling them with energy.“ Turel entered
into the room. “We have scouted a large sentry troop near the boundaries
of the old Zephonim territory. Shall we attack them?“ Kain thought about
it and then answered, “Yes, we will all go!“ And so they set out, to kill...
The Hylden were wary of this area. Although it was plain for
miles it was somehow hard to see more than five to six meters ahead. And
then it struck... suddenly, strong, and undodgeable, the vampire attack,
and in a few wailing cries the group of Hylden died quickly. The vampires
fed on their corpses too joyously too realize the danger they were in...,
but then, “Kain! I sense a fellow guardian!“, Janos exclaimed. But the
realization came too late. The Hylden swarmed at them from all sides, and
Hash’ak’gik was in the battle too.
The Fire Soul Reaver was ready on Raziel’s right arm. Let these
bastards come! One to the right! Shattered. Another one, shred to pieces.
Behind! “Ahh!“ A hit in the back! Enraged Raziel flung around and the Reaver
feasted on souls of Hylden too slow to get out of it’s reach. He undid
the Reaver, grabbed a Hylden weapon and fought on. At least these enemies
didn’t have to be impaled. Damn, to the left! “Ohhw!“ Split him, next one.
It wasn’t until then that Raziel realized only foes were standing around
him, and the vampires could not hold this flood much longer. He knew a
portal was near, so he switched to the spectral realm. Ghosts and souls
were springing up all over the place. Even before he devoured a soul the
thought crossed his mind, “the Sluagh will feast on this...“ He found the
portal and re-animated his physical form.
Janos was most delighted to be in the presence of his old brethren
again and hear the Younger’s voice was truly wonderful. How long had it
been? It must have been an eternity. But now for Hash’ak’gik. He called
Kain and Raziel mentally, found the Unspoken, and they surrounded him.
The demon saw in terror how his minions were brutally slaughtered by this
unknown force. And now they had him. Not only that his three strongest
adversaries surrounded him, but light was all around him and his army was
being completely destroyed.
Kain had longed for this “reunion“. Now he would die for good!
“Go!“, he yelled, and the three of them attacked. As behind them the last
Hylden tried frantically to shield themselves with Glyph-magiks of this
unknown, yet so familiar, foe, the warlord of these was under attack. The
guardian power flowed through him, but he was no match for those three
anyway. He dodged, swiped, jumped, beamed, shot, and hit for all he was
worth, and placed some pretty good hits, but under the numerous, and seemingly
strengthening, attacks he broke down. As his strength withered from him
a growing fear of the Reaver overwhelmed him. And then, in one long moment,
he saw Raziel coming towards him. Raziel ripped away his clan garment.
Everything seemed to happen so slow.... Small wisps of green began flowing
towards Raziels mouth, he felt a pull toward it, and as sound dropped out
of his thinking Hash’ak’gik saw Raziel’s eyes widen in fury, catch a tint
of red and the Reaver.... The power of the Reaver was tremendously increasing
by the second. He could even feel the presence of it, as he saw it rotate,
burn, and fume in the fury of it’s bearer and, even more, it’s own. And
then the strike came down upon him, and he could feel his existence being
erased...forever....
As the battle and war came to an end, dusk was near and the light
of the angels slowly faded, as the last Hylden was destroyed. Great losses
had taken place on both sides, but there was a big difference. While the
vampires were strongly decimated, every last Hylden had been killed. The
ground was soaked red with blood that had been spilled today, but this
land was destroyed to the core anyway. A slight mist swayed through the
air and as the angels put aside all their glory and light one thing was
clear: The Hylden would never again pose a threat, for in their lust for
vengeance none had stayed in the dimension of demons and all had perished,
or would so in the cleansing the vampires would make in the following days.
“Janos, how wonderful to see you again. The time we have been seperated
can not even be counted in millenia!“ “Tyrus, my old friend, I see you
lost nothing of your strength.“, Janos responded, embracing his old companion.
When backing off a little Tyrus said, “Yes, how sad that it had to come
to this massacre in order for us to re-unite. I wish there would have been
different circumstances.“ “Oh I do too, but now all evil has been shattered.“
“ALL evil? No, you forget the source my friend.“ “He poses no significant
threat without any minions.“ “He must be destroyed anyway!“ “Who?“, Raziel
interrupted. “The old, strong, and earthbound creature that is called the
Elder.“, Tyrus replied. “What is the problem with that? Just kill him.“
“We angels can’t. Alone his presence would shattered our bodies.“ “Is that
so? Well then, I shall go and destroy him.“ “You can not kill a god, Raziel.We
must heal the pillars. Then our lord can vanquish him for losing the war
and free the vampires of their curse. But we can not build new pillars.
We have to somehow heal the old ones. But these are seemingly beyond redemption.“
“They are reedemable.“, Raziel said, brightening with the memory and almost
growing ecstatic. “Follow me to the sanctuary and bring eight of the most
loyal and true with you. We shall heal this land....“
Kain stood infront of the pillars. No sight had ever touched him
as this one. As he watched Raziel unlocked and re-assigned each of the
pillars. One by one they were healed. But not only healed. They were whiter
than Kain had ever seen them, and the true power flowed through them once
more. When the last pillar, the pillar of balance, was assigned to Tyrus,
the presence of this power shook the sanctuary for a moment and Tyrus explained,
“The pillars are sign of the bond between the Elder and the Younger, reaching
from the innermost point of the earth to the highest point of the heavens.
When the Hylden were banished, those of us affected by their curse stayed
here as vampires. But now all past shall be forgotten.“ And then a source
of power brighter than light in it’s purest form came down through the
pillars and fought with the Elder. And in this one decisive fight the Elder
was destroyed. The power that the Hylden had needed to cast the curse was
broken and the land was flushed with life, emanating from the pillars.
As Kain watched, Janos Audron changed into an angel once again, but with
brown wings. “He, who has wandered the earth!“, came the Younger’s voice.
Then Kain himself changed, and his need for blood was replaced by hunger
for food, just like in the days when he was a human. “He, who has preserved
balance!“, the Younger’s voice sounded a second time. And then Kain looked
to Raziel, hoping this gift would also be given to him. But Raziel seemed
to dematerialize. “And he, who shall be free of his burden at last!“, the
Younger’s voice echoed through the halls a third time. With a rush of power
the other vampires were freed of their curse, but Kain was, for the first
time since being a vampire, on the brink of tears. Was this what Raziel
had deserved for all his sacrifices? And Raziel spoke to him, “Kain, I
am finally free! I can stay in this spiritual form, become a ghost, or
re-establish my body at any time I want to. And now I will rest, rest from
all the pain and grief and then we will meet again. Good bye....“
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