Eons ago, and serveral millenia before the nobleman Kain would stalk the nights of Nosgoth as a vampire, before his fateful decision would damn the pillars and all Nosgoth to eternal decay and corruption, two great races battled for the supremacy of all Nosgoth. The war between them raged for a thousand years...

  "Janos, my first-born. You have been my closest lieutenant for many years. I trust your judgement."
"Father, we are facing defeat. The Hylden have almost twice our numbers. Our armies are but a dying remnant of their former glory."
Janos let out a tired sigh. In his century long life he not known even one day of peace. In a way he almost longed for defeat if it would mean an end to this endless conflict. After a millenia of war no one could even remember how the war began. The scriptures said the hylden did, and the secrets of history were known only to the high priests of the vampires. "It is the Will of the Oracle" the priests would profess. "The Wheel must turn." He hoped in death atleast he would find peace. Or answers...
    "My Lord". The words snapped Janos out of his musings before he realised the human was addressing his father, King Audron. An elderly man who may well have been nearly as old as Janos himself. Of course, Janos was still in his prime. His species, like the hylden, were long lived. Not immortal, of course, even that which is divine is not eternal, for all souls followed their path along the Wheel. The vampires merely endured longer than mortals.
  "My Lord," continued the servant, "Hylden forces are gathering in the Black Forest. Scouts estimate their numbers to be in the tens of thousands. It appears they are preparing for a final assault."
  "Thank you, that will be all," answered King Audron. The tone was authorative, and commanded great respect, but there was kindness in it. King Audron's compassion and devotion for his people had made him well like amoung his kind and the humans aswell as greatly respected by the legions. Even in war there was a time for compassion. A war that had raged since time immemorial and in that time, had driven both great races to the very brink of extinction. 
  Talk of strategy and tactics became the topic of the day and went on long into the evening. The twelve council members, headed by King Audron of course, sat in this highest chamber of the ancient citadel looking out to the west, to the Black Forest, where their enemy's forces gathered.
  Weary of the debate, Janos excused himself from the Council and retreated to the sanctity of his own private chambers. Relieved to be alone with his thoughts, he felt a sense of resolution that this war would finally be over. He greeted the prospect of his own death with a mild acceptance. In the end, all souls returned to the Wheel. It is only ever a matter of time.
  He removed his intricately decorated battle armour, which was customary to wear at a military council meeting, and adorned simpler and more comfortable, but no less beautiful garments.
  He was handsome, even by the standard of his kind with their angelic appearences. His silky jet black hair starkly contrasted with his bright, yellow eyes and in the fading twilight his pale blue skin took on a subtle luster. His most distinctive feature, one that was common to all his kind, were his wings. Great feathered wings that when outstretched, spanned twice his height.
  As he stepped out onto his private balcony the first chill of winter was in the air. He stretched his wings out to their fullest and most impressive. Allowing the cool breeze to caress his feathers. From the citadel of the vampires he could see Nosgoth in all her glory. A land rich with life and beauty. 
  A world worth fighting for.
Below him the rivers ran with pure, cool water and the land thick with trees whose leaves were now shades of red, amber and brown. The last of the setting sun's rays peaked out over the northen mountains bathing the land in a soft orange glow. It was a truly spectacular sight.
  With a sigh, Janos closed his eyes, and with one powerful flap of his wings he felt his cloved feet leave the cold firmness of the balcony and he was soaring high above the land of Nosgoth. Flying was not an ability he used often and not in the presence of others if he could avoid it. For the feeling of flying had always felt deeply personal to him.  The freedom of it.
  Understand that the power of flight, although unique to his kind among the sentient beings of Nosgoth, was a natural ability, not a magical one. Though his kind did possess an understanding of magic, their wings were a mark of their divinity. A gift from the Oracle.
  As the dying light breathed its last and darkness descended on the land, Janos flew higher into the cloudless sky. His emerald green feathers glinting in the star light. From his vantage point in the heavens        
he could see for hundreds of miles. The mountains to the north and the sea to the south, and to the west, the Black Forest. Where the foul hylden gathered.
  His kind were god-like, divine servants of the Oracle. They were a plague upon the land of Nosgoth. If only there was a way to be rid them from the land once and for all time. It was the Will of the Oracle. But then, maybe there was...
  He rushed back to the citadel of his kind as fast as his angelic wings could carry him.
 

"Banishment?" asked his father incredulously, "Is such a thing even possible ?"
The king turned to his high priest, Talon. Who appeared to ponder the question very seriously and, aware that all the eyes of the Council were focused on him he replied warily, "It has long been possible to travel between dimensions but to banish an entire army forever would require the darkest of the dark magicks", trying to keep his voice neutral to neither inspire hope nor extingush it.
  "I believe it would be possible to open such a rift. But keeping the hylden imprisoned there would be another matter entirely. The binding magicks would require all the powers in Nosgoth." 
"So it is possible ?" ventured Loki, the youngest and most niave of the kings sons.
"Perhaps," answered Talon, cautiously but there was the barest hint of optimism. "If it fails, then we are doomed, for as we speak the hylden are gathering the single largest force this war has ever seen."
"This attack is an act of desperation!" interrupted Loki with a slight quiver in his voice.
"That does not alter the fact that they have far superior forces," stated Janos, clearly annoyed with his youngest brother's naivity.
  It was King Audron who was the most understanding and sensing the fear in his youngest son, passed a few comforting words; "Never fear my son for death is not the end. It is merely another step as we trace our paths along the Wheel. All souls are redeemed in the purifying cycle of life, death and rebirth."
"It is the Will of the Oracle", Loki finished for him, seeming more composed.
  A short silence fell over the Council, as if in contemplation or reverence of what had been said. It was King Audron who was first to break the silence.
"Talon, you must do everything in your power to find a way to banish the legions of the hylden. We must all have faith in the Oracle."
A moment of respect passed between the two aging vampires, for Talon had been King Audron's advisor for nearly two-hundred years. He knew he could trust him.
"Yes, My Lord" answered Talon as he turned and left without another word.
"Agathon," addressing one of the generals of the Council "you are to prepare the legionnaires for battle. We must be ready to make our last stand." King Audron stood and acknowledge his trusted consorts, "Dismissed." 
  As the Council members took their leave and Janos, who sat at the king's right side, also stood to leave,
 "Janos..." he heard his father's voice behind him.
"Father ?"
"Walk with me, son."
 
As the two walked in silence through the deserted corridors of the citadel, Janos was unwilling to be the one to break it as he was sure his father had requested his presence for a reason.
"I'm dying", stated King Audron matter-of-factly.
At first, Janos was lost for words. The vampires embraced death but he was not ready to lose his father.
"You have lived long enough to see the hylden defeated" said Janos, fighting to keep his composure.
"That I have son. Which brings me to my next point."
Janos was at a loss. This was just too much information too quickly and he struggled to remain calm while his father talked so casually about his own death.
"I wish for you to remain here. I will lead the final march to the Black Forest."
This Janos would not tolerate for he had been High Commander of the legions for most of his life, second in command only to his father, who he would one day succeed. 
"Father! The legions are mine to command! You have not commanded a battle field for a hundred years it is up to me to lead the assault.", Janos ranted, more concerned for his father's safety than losing command of his soldiers.
"Janos this is a suicide mission, those who enter the Black Forest will not return and I will not send my first-born son to his death. I have nothing to lose, you must survive to rule once I have returned to the Wheel. You must rebuild Nosgoth."
"Atleast let me go with you!", cried Janos, fighting back tears.
"This is not open to debate, Janos", said his father sternly, clearly resolute.
"No it has already begun!" 
"Enough! We shall speak no more of it."
As he watched his father leave he struggled to think of something, anything, to say. But there was nothing to say. Back in the privacy of his own chambers, he cried.
 

  Talon desended deeper into the labyrinthian catacombs beneath the citadel. The feeble glow provided by his torch barely held the threatening darkness at bay. His cloven footfalls on the cold, stone steps carried for miles through the endless maze. This place always had a haunted feel for Talon. He imagined it must be how the deer felt in the forest. The unplaceable yet undeniable feeling of being...stalked?
He knew it was merely his imagination but it did nothing to dispell his uneasiness. He quickened pace, deeper and deeper into the bowels of the catacombs. 
  Having walked this path many times and found his way with hardly an upward glance, and quickly found himself at the enterance to the Sanctum of the Oracle, the towering stone doors rising up into the darkness. The doors were made to be impenetrable, teams of horses could not have pulled them open for they were sealed with blessed magick. Engraved on the doors themselves was the symbol of the Oracle, the universal symbols for infinity, the mobius strip. For the Oracle was infinite in all ways. He was the engine of life, the hub of the Wheel of Fate, now and forever.
  Talon would bring the plan he and his fellow priests had devised before the Oracle for his blessing. He kneeled on the damp stone, soaking into his ceremonial garments, but could pay it no heed. He began the chant in the ancient tongue of the vampires known only to the priests and noble families,
  "In nomen of deus patefacio is ianua. In nomen of deus patefacio is ianua. In nomen of deus patefacio is ianua!"
 He felt more than heard the magical locks lift and as the giant doors parted a stream of divine light shone on him. Relievd to be out of the pressing darkness he hurried into the Sanctum of the Oracle.
  In the brilliant white light he was forced to shield his eyes and as his vision adjusted, the caverous chamber came into focus. The light seemed to come from all directions but with no descernible source. He strode to the centre of the emerald green marble floor and kneeled, head bowed.
"Oracle, I come in need of your wisdom.", he quickly explained, keeping his gaze of the floor.
"My good servant."

  Janos paced from room to room. It was easier to be angry at his father than afraid for him. But it could not be helped. Janos was no young one, he had long since left his childhood behind him, taken his seat on the Council and become High Commander of the legions. A figure who commanded great respect and wielded great power. But he was not ready. He was not ready to lose his father. He was not ready to be a King , but then again who ever is. Suddenly he felt very claustrophobic and stepped out onto the moonlit balcony.
  Here he felt he could breathe easier and took a moment to compose himself. He felt the weight of the world on his shoulders, and he was not ready.
  "Janos ?", Ariel's soft voice came from behind him as she gracefully stepped out onto the balcony besides him. He did not turn to greet her, trying to keep his expression hidden knowing she could read him just a little to well. 
"Janos ?", she repeated imploringly as she laid a hand on his shoulder.
This time he did turn, genuinely glad to see her. Seeing her eyes full of concern.
"Whats wrong, my love?", she coaxed gently.
He sighed, not wishing to burden her with his concerns, but he could not lie to her. "My father has ordered that he lead the army. I am to remain here while we deal the final blow against the hylden," he said a little furious, "what kind of a leader does that make me ?" He did not tell her about his father dying for she too was very close to the old king and he did not want to cause her yet more pain.
Ariel met his eyes firmly, " I never wanted a warlord. I wanted a companion to share my long life with. Some who would make a good father", she said softly as she placed one of his hands above her womb, "your son will be the first in a thousand years to be born in a time of peace."
They embraced under the stars for what was, unbeknowest to either of them, the last time...

In the depths of the Sanctum of the Oracle, Talon explained the Council's plan...

"...we shall erect nine blessed pillars summoning each of the nine principles of Nosgoth, sealing the hylden in a dimension from which there is no return. Nosgoth will finally be rid of the hylden forever and we shall at last have peace." Talon was fighting to keep his excitment under control. The plan was an ambitious one but it was genius. Surely the Oracle, in all his wisdom, would agree.
"Talon", the ominous, disembodied voice that had been mostly silent throughout, finally spoke, "Hear me now, for the sake of all Nosgoth, these Pillars of Nosgoth must not be raised..."
Talon listened intently as the Oracle spoke of events yet to come. Of corruption, of darkness, and of a man who would one day spell the damnation of all the world.
 

  As dawn rose over the land of Nosgoth, the Council members convened to finalise their strategy for their attack against the hylden. King Audron was the first to enter the room only to find Janos already there and looking a little worse for lack of sleep.
  "Son, have you been here all night ?", asked his father, concerned
"A couple of hours." replied Janos off-handedly, not looking up from his maps "I wished to ensure that everything was ready."
King Audron was about to speak when the rest of the council members entered and took his seat at the head of the circle. One by one they took their respective seats, Loki being the last one in and looking out of breath. Janos could not supress a small smirk for he knew all to well about his youngest brother's conquests. He also noticed that Talon was missing. So did his father.
  "Where in the hell is Talon?", whispered his father in a hushed but clearly agitated voice.
Janos was just as confused but kept it hidden from the other council members, not wanting to damage the morale. He and his father exhchanged worried glances before King Audron realised that all the eyes in the room were looking at him expectantly.
  King Audron stood and addressed the Council, "Shall we proceed."
It was not a question of course but there was a series of nods from the Council members. None seemed to have noticed Talon's absence. 
  The meeting went predictably enough. They would launch a preemptive strike against the hylden at the borders of the Black Forest. The open ground would provide little cover for the enemy and the vampires had the advantage of their wings. Talon and his priests would open a portal behind them large enough to engulf their armies and they would be drivin back into its waiting, swirling vortex. At which point the rift would be sealed, trapping the blasphemous hylden in a hell dimension. Forever.
  Once the military tactics had been finalised there still remained one crucial aspect. How to seal the rift?
As if on que Talon quietly entered the Council Chambers. King Audron was furious at this display of contempt but said nothing, for there were far more pressing matters at hand.
  "Talon, how kind of you to join us." said King Audron.
"Forgive my late arrival My Lord." Talon replied hastily.
The Council sat quietly but impatiently as Talon took a moment to compose himself for the whole outcome of this final battle hinged on him and his priests and above all else, the Oracle's blessing.
 Talon was finally ready to speak, "My brothers," he said proudly, raising his arms as if for dramatic effect, "the Oracle has given us His blessing. We shall erect nine towering pillars of the purest marble each summoning to itself one of the nine principles of Nosgoth. With the full power of all the world we shall seal the hylden's banishment."
  "Such a edifice would possess great power. How would you prevent it from falling into the wrong hands?" asked Janos, skeptical and even a little suspicious. Talon was not his usual reserved self. He seemed full of joy and anima, more like a performance than a solemn presentation.
Talon was quick to answer and in no way offended by Janos' tone, "Why, we, my priests and I will bind ourselves to the pillars in a perfect circle of guardianship."
  Janos' keen mind quickly realised a darker side to this perfect solution. If the principles of Nosgoth could be summoned, embodied, then they could also be manipulated, distorted,... corrupted...
The Council it seemed, could barely contain their collective excitement. The Oracle had given their plan His blessing and he would not do so lightly. It was destined to succeed.
It was King Audron who stood first, resuming his control and leadership of the Council, "Talon, my loyal friend. You have indeed given us all hope." 
  Cheers of approval rose from the Council. Only Janos remained silent, contemplative. 
As the meeting adjorned, Janos approached his father privately, away from the other joyous Council members.
  "Father, are you sure this is a wise course of action?" he asked, imploringly.
King Audron regarded his son for a long moment, trying to understand were his son's doubt was coming from.
  "You need not worry, my son. The Oracle has given his blessing."
Janos did not dare say what was really in his heart at that moment.
"Yes father, forgive my mistrust." 
Janos loved his father too much to confide his true fears in him so did not press the matter. But it would not leave him alone. Something is missing pondered Janos, though he could not place it. The Council has let their desire for peace cloud their better judgement. 
The Council members were taking their leave when two human servants half fell through the chamber doors.
"Lord Audron." exclaimed one of the humans, who quickly realised that four of the Council members shared that title.
"My Lord Janos," corrected the servant. Janos, who had been deep in thought and had not acknowledged the servant at first now turned to face the stricken man. The servant seemed afraid of Janos though he could not think why. He knew the servant by sight as he had served in his father's citadel for many years. Janos had never been a cruel master, why should this human fear him now?
"Lady Ariel has been taken."

In his private chambers Talon sat, silent, unblinking. He had betrayed his king, his brothers, all Nosgoth. Indeed the Oracle himself. He had done what had to be done. A single tear ran down his cheek.
"Forgive me."
 

  Janos sat staring mutely into space. Ariel had been taken in the night by the foul hylden. How was such a thing possible? To kidnap the princess from the very stronghold of the vampires. It no longer mattered. Not the war, not his legions, not loyalty, not his own existence. For she had been stolen from him.
  He did not look up to acknowledge Loki's presence as he entered the room. Usually Janos would have been glad to see his brother, but nothing could reach him now.
  "Janos", Loki approached slowly, almost cautiously. "Janos, look at me" he repeated more forcefully when he still did not look up. Loki would not be detered however.
"There may still be hope", he stated with false confidence for he knew there was none.
Janos also knew. There had been no doubt in his mind that she was dead for the hylden would not hold her to ransom. The war had passed the point of such compromises centuries ago.  
But being the youngest and most niave Loki persisted, vainly trying to awaken his mute brother.
"The legions are armed and ready. We attack at dawn," Loki lowered his voice, "they have not been told of Lady Ariel's fate, only the Council knows of that, for now atleast.
  "Janos they need their commander. Will you not lead them? They will follow me, but their loyalty lies with you!"
  Loki was beginning to get angry, he could feel his rage building. How could he just sit there in silence. He would have felt better if Janos had ranted and raved and cursed and cried. Loki could understand that but not this dreadful silence.
  "You are right", said Loki, his voice becoming very distant, his words calculated "its too late to save her but it is not to late to save yourself! Or your kin! Or Nosgoth! They can still be saved all you have to do is lead them and they will follow you into the Black Forest or into the depths of Hell itself."
  Janos sat as if frozen in time. Loki's rant was useless. He wanted to strike him if only it would rouse him from this waking coma.
  "Avenge her death", said Loki quietly, turning his back on Janos, "Banish the hylden from this world...or you can wallow in grief."
  As he left Janos turned to speak but it was too late. He was already gone.
 

  King Audron led his armies in a solemn march across Nosgoth towards the ominous Black Forest. For many this plain would become their graves, but death was part of life and the inexorable cycle of the ever turning wheel and held no fear for a true servant. Although they had wings and could fly across the rough terrain far more easily, they needed the element of surprise against the hylden's far superior numbers. So they marched like mortals on their cloven hooves.
  The sun was setting now, the bright blue skies and relentless sun giving way to the cooler dusk, basking the land and clouds in its red glow. Blood would be spilled this night. Despite the omen, in his four hundred years in this flesh the old king had never seen a sunset so beautiful, today was a good day to die.
 As the first of them reached the top of the rise they could see the Black Forest in the distance. It had earned its name, thought one lone legionnaire, for it seemed to absorb the sunlight like some ever hungry monster. Reuel took one last look and then fell back into line. Ahead, the old king reflected on the memories of what might aswell have been a past life...

  The priceless vase shattered against the wall as Janos fell to his knees. Face in his hands he sobbed 
"Why, why, why her", he repeated over and over as if it would bring her back from the dead. The death of a loved one was a joyous occasion for the vampires for they have not died, they have been freed from the flesh and their soul must rejoin the Wheel as all souls must. Janos felt no joy. Only pain. For one unbearable moment he wanted nothing more than to throw himself into the Wheel...but he was afraid.
  Is this the legendary Janos Audron? First born son, leader of legions, heir to the throne of Nosgoth!? A trembling coward wallowing in his own self pity. He felt disgusted with himself. He prayed to the Oracle for strength, for a sign, only to realise it was not half a wing span infront of him. His ceremonial battle armour stood proud on its stand, almost as if it were mocking him. He stood defiantly, feeling a glimmer of his old pride seeping into his bones.
  "Avenge her...", Loki's worded echoed now in his mind. His guilt evaporated, replaced by rage and hatred of the foul Hylden who had stolen from him everything he had ever cared for. His mate, his child, two brave brothers and Nosgoth itself. He donned his armour and took to the air as fast as his wings could carry him.

  "Janos. His name is Janos", answered Queen Audron, exhausted from her ordeal, cradling the newborn in her arms. The midwife seems to nod in approval of his chosen name, a fitting name for a prince. King Audron stood the proud father as he looked down with loving eyes at his first born son, who despite being only minutes old seemed keenly aware of his surroundings as he looked up at his father and smiled.
  "My son", said King Audron, a tear rolling down his cheek...

  King Audron did not realise he was weeping slightly, luckily he was the head of the march so no one saw. He remembered that proud day so long ago when Janos was born. He and Oenone had been blessed by the Oracle several times more before she passed into the Wheel after a long and difficult birth with Loki. King Audron loved his son more than all Nosgoth but he had always felt that Loki held himself responsible for her death.
  "Do not worry my son. Do not mourn for those who have returned to the Wheel for death is only a another step which we must all take as we trace the path laid out for us", he used to say to Loki as a youngling.
  The Black forest now dominated the horizon and he could see Hylden gathered on the fringes. In the six decades since her death he had missed her terribly...
  "See you soon, my love."
 

  The hylden lord watched from the trees as the vampires marched towards their forest stronghold. Ten thousand by his estimate. Is that all the old king could summon? The hylden lord sensed victory for he had at least twice that number of hylden warriors hidden just inside the forest's borders. At last, the wheels of justice were finally beginning to turn in his favor. The vampires had declared their "holy war" against his race over a millennium ago for they refused to submit to their so called "wheel of fate".
  The war had been a bloody one with terrible losses on both sides and as their numbers dwindled it seemed only to strengthen the vampires resolve to achieve their ultimate goal; the complete extinction of his race.
  And he knew all too well who's influence it was that gave them such unwavering resolve.
He stalked back from the forest's edge, back through the ranks of waiting hylden to his high priest, Nelek.
"Nelek", he approached the priest, his tone authorative.
"Lord Nemesus".
"How are the final preparations coming along?"
"Finished, my lord", Nelek lowered his voice "though if I may say so my lord. I do not follow your logic. Will this not make the vampires almost undefeatable?"
"This is merely a weapon of last resort old friend. Although try to see the poetic justice of it."
Nelek got the point immediately. Poetic indeed.

  The darkness fell across the land as the clouds began to rumble, and the first droplets of rain struck the ground. Nemesus paid no heed, his gaze fixed upon the advancing army. In the open the vampires would have the advantage of their wings, so he ordered the archers to hold back, then took the first defiant step towards his destiny as thousands of hylden poured from the forest behind him.

  The rain drenched the legions as King Audron watched helpless as armies of hylden flowed from the Black Forest like a raging torrent. This must be their entire remaining army he thought, the hylden had known they were coming. Seeing no other option the old king charged forward, swords unsheathed. The two armies clashed with the sound of thunder and metal as swords were shattered and armour was crushed and bodies trampled under cloven feet. King Audron was past his prime but he was a veteran of many battles and hacked and slashed his way through hylden with an ease that defied his age. Then he spotted the being that had haunted him for centuries; the hylden lord, Nemesus. They seemed to spot each other and a moment of recognition flared between them, along with something much, much deeper. King Audron fixed upon him as the two circled each other, the battle raging all around them was forgotten.
 "Nemesus", hissed King Audron, who pronounced it "nemesis". Nemesus wondered if the old king knew that his name actually meant "protector".
"Audron", said the hylden lord with equal distaste, "I always hoped it would come to this."
"I do not fear death as you do, hylden.", said Audron flatly.
Nemesus did not fear death, nor did he relish it like the vampires. Although he hoped that perhaps she would be waiting for him.
"There will be no rebirth for you foul hylden, she will not be waiting."
Nemesus was stunned. How could the old king have known, although it made sense. One must keep his friends close, and his enemies closer. Something he taught his soldiers often. In a way, they were as close to each other as any loved one. Brothers in bloodshed, fated to meet at this moment and destroy the other, or be destroyed.
"Lets finish it.", said Nemesus , a hint of weariness in his tone.
King Audron nodded, and their swords clashed.
 

  The rain soaked Janos's feathers as he hurtled towards the Black Forest. Never in his life had he flown so fast, covering miles and miles in mere minutes. Although he was all too aware he was going against his father's wishes he felt he had no choice. There was nothing left for him in this life. All he could hope for was a glorious return to the Wheel that would make both Ariel and the Oracle proud. As he came within sight of the Black Forest, Janos felt as though he had been struck. Hundreds, thousands of vampires and hylden alike lay dead or dying. It was also clear to Janos from his vantage point in the skies, that the vampires were losing. Is this how the thousand year war would end? The noble vampires wiped from the face of Nosgoth, and the hylden on the brink of extinction. As he flew over the carnage he could feel his hatred deepening and as he came in closer, he could just make out two distinctly familiar figures. One clearly a high ranking hylden who stood victorious over a kneeling, wounded vampire. It was then that he realised,
"Father...?"

  King Audron felt his left side go numb and as he looked down, saw himself impaled by Nemesus' blade. He looked back at Nemesus who seemed to be studying him with an almost empathetic stare. The old king fell to his knees, mortally wounded as Nemesus pulled the blade from his side. Staring blankly ahead he remembered that proud day long ago when Janos was born. As he closed his eyes he felt at peace for the first time in almost four hundred years.
  Nemesus looked down at the old king of the vampires and felt no sense of victory. They had both been consumed by this war and in a strange way he felt as close to King Audron as any being he had ever known. He would end this now, and with a powerful swing of his sword he took King Audron's head off.

Reuel had fought bravely and defeated many hylden, but blood loss had taken its toll and he could feel his life slipping away and darkness begin to overtake him. As he fell all he saw was the bodies of vampires and hylden alike, he wondered by the Oracle, a being so ancient and wise beyond measure, would condone such violence? Are we all merely born to die to keep the Wheel turning? Or maybe, the Wheel is a lie...
  Then Reuel's thoughts ceased and he became just another anonymous casualty on the battlefield.

"No!", screamed Janos as he saw the beast cleave his father's head from his shoulders. He charged the foul monster with like a great winged demon with no other purpose than to tear the hylden lord limb from limb. As the two collided both were sent sprawling. Dazed, Janos looked skyward only to see his kin dropping from the sky like fallen angels. The battle was lost and the vampires who took to the air were mercilessly shot down by the hylden archers. Is this the last turn of the Wheel that would spell the end of the world? Janos regained his senses and rising to his feet, realised the hylden lord was already facing him. 
  The war was lost and it seemed that Talon and his priests had failed them. If this was the end then he would ensure his father's murderer met his also.
  As the rain died Janos could sense something building like electricity in the air. Magic. Talon had not failed them after all. The magic would open a portal to a nameless hell dimension from which there was no return. The pillars they would erect would harness the principles of Nosgoth and serve as the lock that binds them. Sealing the portal forever.
  "Prince Janos", said the hylden. It was not a question, it knew exactly who he was.
"Fight me, hylden", said Janos, unsheathing his sword.
"I hope you last longer than your father", rebuted Nemesus, deliberately provoking Janos. The vampire was a respectable warrior and leader. Nemesus wanted to end this quickly.
"You have already lost, hylden. My race will see you banished from Nosgoth forever. You can kill me, but you will never stop the Wheel from turning."
  Nemesus had felt it too. The steady build up of intangible energy. Then such a thing was possible, his spys within the vampire citadel had told him that much. But damn them if they ever tried to use it. No being was meant to wield such sway over Nosgoth.
  "Then you have left me no choice, vampire", he said flatly.
With only a wave of his arm four hylden towed a cart from within the forest. Sprouting from the center was a giant stake and as Janos looked closer he was torn between hope and pure horror. Tied to the stake, bound and gagged, but alive, was Ariel.
 

  The walls of the citadel shook and rumbled with the building power of the magic they were summoning. Talon and thirteen of his priests stood in a wide circle as they invoked the principles of Nosgoth. As the chanting grew louder the magic grew stronger and the room seemed to get hotter and the air heavier. Talon's head began to hurt and he realised his nose and ears were bleeding. As the pressure built Talon felt like he was being dragged to the bottom of the deepest ocean and he feel to his knees in pain but he would not stop. He was aware enough to see that many of his fellow priests had also fallen to their knees, bleeding, but like him they would not stop. They would banish the hylden from Nosgoth, even if it meant their lives.

  Janos was about to charge the hylden lord when the battlefield seemed to split apart and all were thrown backwards like dry leaves. Rising to his feet Janos watched in horror as the fabric of reality ripped open in front of his eyes. It was not so much a portal as a great wound in space and time. He could see a barren, volcanic, nightmarish landscape. A world black and charred. Although the details were obscured by a mysterious green glow Janos' vampire eyes could pick out minor details; long dead trees under a perpetually  black sky polluted by the sulphurous atmosphere. Already he could feel a sense of vertigo, as if the portal was creating its own gravity, pulling everything into its gaping maw. The majority of the hylden forces were much closer to the portal than the vampires and Janos could already see the unfortunate individuals at the rear being pulled from the ground like insects and swallowed. 
  Janos' sense of victory faded quickly as he realised the portal was still growing, indeed it seemed to be accelerating and as it did he could feel its pull strengthening. Panic broke loose on the battlefield as both the vampires and hylden moved to escape the portal's gravity. Many of the vampires took to the air, easily out pacing the hylden who fought vainly against the tide. As the portal continued to expand trees were uprooted and broken like twigs, while many of the vampires had reached a safer distance, the hylden were being devoured by the hundred, some were torn apart by the forces that held the portal open.
  Janos turned back to the hylden lord. In the confusion both seemed to have forgotten about the other's presence.
  "What have you done, vampire?", said the bewildered Nemesus as he watched the world tear itself open. How could the vampires have been so foolish. He could barely contain his rage any longer, grabbing his sword he swung with all his might to Janos' head off. The vampires had doomed them all. Curse them!

  Janos evaded the heavy blade just before it severed his head. He felt the blade cut deep into his cheek.
"You are not so handsome now, prince of Nosgoth", hissed Nemesus.
Janos could feel the blood pour down his face as initial sting had given way to steady agony. Janos charged the hylden with all his strength, knocking the sword flying from its grip as he carried it higher and higher into the air. The beast scratched at him before wrapping its hands around his neck.
  "Your coming with me, vampire!", it spat at him.
Janos' vision was beginning to blur when he felt himself accelerating, the portal was pulling them in together. The hylden lord was about to gouge out his yellow eyes when Janos broke free and tossed the hylden into the wind. But it did not fall, instead it did what Janos had intended and went tumbling towards its prison.
 Nemesus' face became a contorted visage of pure hatred, "I hate you, vampire! I hate you! One day I will return and I will bring an army the likes of which this soft world has never seen! And I will see you thrown into a hell of your own making. I swear to you...!"
  And he was gone.
 

  "Ariel!", in his rage Janos had almost forgotten about her. From his vantage point he could see the cart which to was tied to begin to roll as it too was being pulled in. There was still time. As he soared low over the battle field a few skirmishes still ensued and he spotted another familiar figure, Loki. He was badly wounded, and surrounded by five hylden. Janos could see that Loki could not take flight as his left wing was horribly mutilated. Loki, the mischievous one, the trouble maker, the joker, the guilt ridden. Now, he was just a frightened child. And then he saw Janos. He looked to his older brother for salvation and Janos could see the look in his youngest brother's eyes all to clearly, "save me". He turned back to Ariel and it was clear there would not be time.
  Loki watched as Janos turned his back on him. 
"Janos!", he called to his older brother before a hylden warrior drove his sword through his heart.

Janos did not turn as he heard his brother calling to him. He felt sickened but what choice did he have? 
As he landed with a crunch on the muddy wooden boards of the cart it was already picking up speed. Janos realized he only had a few seconds. Ariel stood bound to the pole as she looked at him with both hope for her own life and horror that he was risking his. Janos could not break the ropes that bound her. The strength of ten mortals could not have broken the bindings. Frantically he searched for his sword and realized he had carelessly lost it. He looked into her eyes with a shameful hopelessness. He could not save her. Then they would go to hell together for he would not abandon her. He did not see the hylden archer take aim. As the arrow tore through his shoulder he was thrown spinning from the cart and into the muddy ground. He looked up to see the cart and Ariel ripped from the ground and sucked into hell. 
  He ripped the arrow from his shoulder and sent searing pain down his arm and side. As he stood he felt a crunching pain in his wing. He knew would never fly again. As he was about to throw himself into oblivion after her the portal seemed implode on itself and outwards with a blinding flash and he was thrown backwards faster than an arrow from an archers bow, and then it all went dark for the prince of Nosgoth.

Talon felt the unimaginable power flowing through him. It was almost intoxicating. Why, with the power they now wield they could reshape Nosgoth as they see fit. In the name of the Holy Oracle they would bring  the truth of the Wheel of Fate to all of Nosgoth. And destroy those who dared oppose the one true god. The cost had been high. Five of Talon's head priests had died during the summoning and now only nine remained. Each had summoned a particular principle to themselves. Talon himself had taken on the role of balance creating a perfect circle of harmony. As he looked out the window he could see in the distance nine pillars of the purest marble erupt from the earth and spiral ever higher into the clouds until it seemed they went on forever.
  "Behold, the Pillars of Nosgoth. At last the binding is complete."
And I have placed fate of the world in the hands of one man, he thought to himself.
 

  Janos awoke on the battlefield. The dawn was breaking and he looked up in awe at nine pristine marble pillars that stretched into the clouds. They had done it. Banished the hylden for forever. He realized that also meant she was gone, forever. There would be no coming back from that other place. He scanned his surroundings, a few straggling hylden remained but they were set upon and defeated by the vampires who still lived. Something was wrong though, emotionally he was wretched, but physically he felt, good? He stretched his wings and felt no pain. In fact he felt a new found strength course through them. He reached up and touched his cheek. It had completely healed, not even a trace of a scar. Impossible. 
  As he stumbled dazed and confused across the corpse ridden battlefield he saw all too late the hylden charge him and run his sword through his torso. Janos looked down in bewilderment as the hylden withdrew his sword, and instantly the wound healed. The hylden also looked amazed, and afraid. Janos retaliated with a blow to the hylden's chest and his fist went through the beast like wet papyrus. Impossible strength. Janos let the hylden fall to the ground forgotten as the implications began to set in. 
The sun rose higher and Janos had to use his wings to shield him. It burned! Scalding hot against his skin. As he reached the cover of shadows he realised the other vampires were doing the same. What in the name of the Oracle have they done to us?

  Talon stood precariously on the cliff's edge. He had brought this curse upon them. As the hylden fell they laid a curse upon the vampires. Talon knew already what that curse was; immortality. 
  He had known from the first moment. His heart no longer beat in his chest. The faint dawn light made his skin itch and burn slightly. The moisture in the air here was like acid to his lungs. They were the antithesis of the living. Only that which is dead can live eternally. For them it meant separation from their god. They had banished the hylden from the world, and the hylden had banished them from the Wheel. The cycle of birth, death and rebirth. They would go on and on. He could see why the hylden would call that poetic.
  He looked over the cliff's edge. This was the confluence point for four major rivers in Nosgoth. Creating an eternally churning whirlpool. Talon knew what it would do to is now undead flesh if he dared touch it. The sun was rising higher and Talon's skin was beginning to singe and smoke.
"What have I done?", he uttered, and he threw himself into the Abyss.

  Janos burst into the citadel. Glad to be out of the sunlight. His flesh was charred and his wings were blackened but as soon as he stepped into the cooler air of the citadel he could already feel himself healing. He had to consult the Oracle at once. Something had gone terribly wrong. He found the entrance to the sacred stairwell that lead to the Oracle chamber. The Oracle will have the answers. It will know what to do.
As he approached the massive stone doors marked by the mobius strip he struggled to remember the tongue of the the ancient ones.  
  "In..... nomen...of deus....patefacio is ianua. In nomen of deus patefacio is ianua. In nomen of deus patefacio is ianua!"
There was the sound of a bolt being unlocked from the other side and the huge stone doors opened silently.
Yet the chamber was dark and empty. It looked as though it had been abandoned for years.
"Oracle!", demanded Janos, his voice echoed from the barren stone walls, but there was no answer. "Oracle!", he called again.
He fell to his knees. They had been abandoned by their god. They were no longer part of the Wheel of Fate.
He had lost his father, his brothers, his mate, his son, his soul, for nothing...