It was over.

            The war for the domination of Nosgoth was finally completed.  Although the Sarafan warriors had fought valiantly against the 'vampire menace', without the aid of the alien Hylden, the battle had gone swiftly against them.  In under a hundred years, Kain and his army of vampire foot soldiers had conquered.       

            Now there was nothing left but the deaths of their captives.  The remaining Sarafan warriors had been rounded up in chains.  But there would be no executions.  Instead, a tourney was arranged.  The Sarafan captives were partitioned into teams, and sent out to a makeshift arena to fight each other to the death.  The prize: one more day of life.  Or perhaps the prize was a swift death.  It didn't matter.   In the stands, vampires wagered for their teams and collected their bets.  Humans were also there:  these were the allies and servants of the vampires, and apparently, every bit as bloodthirsty.  For they cheered with every drop of Sarafan blood that spilled to the white sands beneath them.

            Kain and his sons were seated above the white sands in the place of honor.   It afforded the best view of the killing ground. A red banner with gold letters hung above.  It bore Kain's battle cry:  Vae Victus.  While the literal translation was "Woe to the Conquered,"  Kain himself preferred his own translation:  "Suffering to the Conquered." Which was the purpose of this tourney, to inflict suffering upon those who opposed him.  Despite the merriment all around him, the Vampire Lord seemed neither amused, nor enthusiastic.  His attitude seemed to be tolerance bordering on annoyance. He sat stonefaced, his eyes fixed on the crowd.

            A team of Sarafan was greeted by a deafening roar.  They were hardly the feared vampire-slayers of old.  Bedraggled, dressed in what remained of clothing, they were shoved and herded out of the corral.  The humans who orchestrated the combat were handing them the bare minimum of weaponry: swords and shields.

            One of the Sarafan, a tall woman with short cropped brown hair, refused to take a sword.  The armorer angrily thrust the hilt into her hand; she responded by running the sword into his belly up to its guard.  An angry roar erupted from the crowd.  Clearly this defiance called for punishment.  A large vampire seized the woman and hauled her into the air.  He began to strike her savagely, to the cheers of the mob.  Finally, she was thrown to the ground and the vampire finished her humiliation by standing upon her neck and spitting on her.  This seemed to satisfy the crowd.

            The tourney began.  Former allies descended upon one another, their desperation and pain raising a whirl of white sand beneath the pavillion.  The vampires bellowed their approval, the wagering continuing.  The sons of Kain themselves were enjoying the combat, pushing each other and rooting for their favorites.  But Kain himself kept his thoughts to himself.  His eyes seemed not to follow the combat at all, but stared fixed at a distance.

            Along the sides of the arena, the lone woman, now ignored, dragged herself along the  circumference.  Her own blood stained her lips,  and her features were sunken from privation. But she seemed to be on a mission, and would not be denied.

            "Lord Kain."

            Long since slouched in his chair,  the brooding vampire sat up when he heard his name.

            "Lord...Kain...."  The voice whispered again. 

            He looked around.  His sons, the others, were fixated on the bloodshed occurring before them.  They had not called him.

            He leaned forward, towards the edge of the pavillion.  "Yes?"

            A woman's voice answered.  "I...need...to speak...to you."  The voice was breathless, a whisper of agonized determination.

            "Very well."

            A vampire guard on the field saw what was occurring.  He strode up and seized the woman.

            "Don't trouble yourself about this wretch, Milord.  I'll take her back to the pens."

            A dagger whizzed past her ear.  The vampire released her, staggering backwards, trying to grab the hilt to remove the blade from his throat.

            "The woman asked for an audience.  I have decided to grant it."

            She was lifted from the sand, as the audience emitted another roar, whether approval or disdain, she couldn't tell.  The vampire lord gestured, and the woman found herself gently floating towards the stands.  She was settled in the brightly colored pavillion, before the seated vampire.

            "Now, woman, speak your mind."

            "Lord Kain....as you know, I am a Sarafan priestess.  I took an oath upon my eighteenth birthday to eradicate the vampire menace."

            Kain nodded in acknowledgement.  She looked the part, despite the hard usage that he imagined she'd suffered.  The muscles of her arms were corded and hard.  Her body seemed to be lithe and quick, and he could see the chaffing patterns of armor upon her shoulders and neck.  And then there were the 'other' bruises, along face and  body,  and the dullness in her eyes.

            "My people and I have fought you now for many years.  But now I have come before you to ask for a boon."

            "A boon?  What favor have your people earned from me?  What favor have 'you' earned?  Your lives are not mine to barter."

            The woman didn't respond right away.   She gave a long, slow shiver.  "I... have not come to beg for our lives."

            She carefully stepped to one side, no longer blocking Kain's view of the tourney, and yet still facing him.  "Do you see that man?  The one in the purple tunic?"

            Kain looked out.  A human in a purple tunic was pinned to the ground.  A man in an orange tunic had him by the throat.   A quick slashing motion ended the man's life.  The woman's body convulsed.  "That man was a neighbor of mine.  He was from a tiny district called Coorhagen.  Do you know of it, my Lord?"

            "Yes." Kain answered.  He watched as the man's body was quickly trampled by the other combatants.

            "He has...had the most beautiful garden.  Lilacs and roses.  Purple and white were his favorite colors."

            A huge man in white ran into the fray and began savagely hurling the bodies of his former comrades.

            "Impressive."  Kain murmured.

            "Yes.  That's...that's my commander.  He was...he was always a very powerful warrior.  He was our inspiration, even when things were...difficult." Another man  seized him from behind and grabbed him in a headlock.  The woman gasped.

            "Another friend?" Kain inquired.

            "No....not of mine.  That man is his brother...they are the best of friends."  A sudden twist ended the combat.  The man in white slid to the ground, his face up, his chest down.  The woman flinched.  Perhaps she wept, but her tears were indistinguishable from the sweat which poured down her face.

            "Lord Kain, do you know why I joined the Sarafan?"

            "Because you hate us." Kain answered.

            "Yes.  I do.  Vampires are cruel, bloodthirsty degenerates.  Savages, whose sole purpose in life was to kill, destroy and violate the human race.   I still believe that."

            The mob was howling as the victims were dragged around the arena, their bodies pelted by filth from the stands.

            "Vampires have nothing to offer this world.  Except the wanton shedding of blood.  What will you do when there are no more of us left?  When you have reduced humanity to the level of cattle, content to sit and chew their cud until you decide to slay them?"

            Kain said nothing.

            The woman began to tremble and sway.  Kain rose, and put her into his seat.  A fresh current of blood spilled onto the sand.  The woman stared in horror.  Then her eyes fixed once again upon the vampire Lord.   "You were a nobleman!  How can you do this?  How can you pit brother against brother?  Father against son!  As a Sarafan, I slew vampires.  I killed them quickly, by stake, blade, and flame.  They died but once.  While I...."

            She rose to her feet.    Her voice was soft, but it burned like fire."I  have been slain, too!  Not once, but over and over again.  I died when my home was burned!  I died when my parents were fed to your butchers!  I died when my husband's head was shorn of his body!  I died when your sons forced my commander upon me!  How many times must I die to please you?!"

            Raziel was no longer watching the combat.  His sharp eyes now fixed upon the distraught woman and his Master.

            Kain's voice was also low, but the growl in its tone was unmistakable.  "Do you think that your piteous tale will move me to spare you?"

            "No.  No, I told you that I did not come to beg to live!  Shall I live beneath your rule, and watch as humanity sinks into scum?  While every noble art created by mankind vanishes without replacement?  While you and your 'kind' lord it over the world, like the parasites you are, creating nothing, returning nothing?    I came here but for one reason, so that I could beg you---let us die!  You were a nobleman--- grant us mercy!  Let us die like men and women, even as you once were!"

            She had run to the end of her strength.  She stood swaying before the vampire Lord for half-a-second, then collapsed against him.  Her salt-water tears burned him, but not nearly as much as her words had.  Was this Kain's Empire, this blood-thirsty mob?  He had destroyed the Sarafan in the belief that he could rule the world better than they....but was that true?

            Still holding the woman against him, he reached out, whispering with his mind to Raziel, his first Lieutenant.

            Raziel.  Call the tourney.  Suspend it for a fortnight.

            The most handsome of Kain's sons, was also the most reliable.  Without question he rose and called the tourney officials. 

            "The tourney has been called."  Raziel's voice boomed.  "We shall resume within a fortnight!"

            "A fortnight!" exclaimed Turel.  "What of our wagers?"

            "What of them?" Raziel snapped.  "Kain said to call the tourney, I have done so." 

            The largest and most beligerent  of Kain's sons turned to his father.  "Why have you called the tourney?"

            "I have my reasons,"  Kain said.

            "So I see!"  Turel sneered.  "These people are condemned to die!  Or is the will of Kain made of snow, that it melts at a woman's tears?"

            An unexpected blow to the throat caused Turel   to double over.  Raziel followed it with a swift kick across his chin.  "Made of snow, or made of steel, Kain's will is our law!"  He snarled.  "Or do you want to join those participating in the tourney?"  Raziel turned to his other brethren.  "You've heard our master!  Return to the Sanctuary!"

            Kain grinned as vampires and humans took flight.  "A capital idea, Raziel."

For three days, the woman tossed and turned in fever dreams.  But all dreams eventually end.  She woke to a different reality, a reality of servants and food on demand.  A reality with fresh clean clothing, wooden floors  and fireplaces stocked with wood and kept stoked all night. 

            The armor fit snugly and the weighted sword felt good in her hands as she practiced before the mirror.  Once more she was a priestess of the Sarafan, a servant of God, scourge of the vampire plague.  She reached behind her and tugged the snood down through the hole in the armoured headpiece.

            A pale hand rested upon her shoulder, reacquainting her with another aspect of this new reality. She glanced up at the tall vampire Lord.  "Is everything satisfactory?"  He asked.

            "Yes, Lord Kain.  It is---satisfactory."

            "You and your bretheren have a week to regain your strength and practice before the tourney resumes."

            "You are too kind."  She said, her voice a monotone.

            "You realize, of course, that I wouldn't have done this for just anyone.  But a woman of your standing, who was bold enough to approach me the way that you did, Lady Harrington, deserves respect.  It is out of respect for who you were that I have decided to grant you a death in honest combat.  Nosgoth's greatest swordswoman deserves no less."

            "And our opponents...?"

            "My vampires, I have discovered, tend to be an arrogant and lazy lot.  They think that merely because you are defeated, that you are no longer a threat.  I wish to prove them wrong.  So I am going to let the worst of them fight you."

            She turned to the vampire lord.  "You will use us...to chastise your minions?"

            "Yes.  Come...walk with me."

            The two foes walked along the battlements of the impressive  castle.  The sun was setting, spilling red and orange hues throughout the sky.  Kain paused in their walk and stared down into the canyon which led to the castle's entry.  "Your words, the other day, impressed me.  I had no intention of...destroying mankind's noble arts.  My desire is merely to control humanity's baser nature.  Warfare, you would agree is not simply a vampiric trait?"

            "Yes.  Our legends tell us humanity fought many wars, without the presence of the vampires."

            "And you would agree, that people suffered and died, because of them?"

            "Yes."

            "My proposal was simply to use my vampires to keep humanity's desire to spill blood in check.  However, no one willingly surrenders control of their lives.  Mankind must be tamed for its own good.  Does it matter by whose hand that domestication comes?"

            Lady Harrington said nothing.

            Kain sighed.  "However, I had forgotten that vampires themselves are human, in a way, and you, Lady Harrington reminded me of that.  We too, are governed by the same lusts as the humans we would replace.  I wanted to see if they could still prove their superiority over you, if you were not simply a ragged band of captives. Anyone can dominate a captive.  But battle-hardened Sarafan...."

            "...Would be a different story."  She nodded.  "I understand."

            "I have to admit that I like a wager as well as the next man.  And I'm certain that you do, as well.  Therefore, to add incentive to this combat, I come to you and your brethren with a proposition."

            Darkness was beginning to settle around the castle, torchlight flaring around them, its golden color catching in Kain's translucent hair, its fire reflecting in his eyes. "A proposition?"

            "Yes.  Will you hear it?"

            "If it is a fair one."

            "Oh, it is...."  The vampire smiled, light outlining his sharp canines.  "If you can kill one or more of the vampires I set against you...."

            "Yes?"

            "You and your companions may live.  In fact, I will set you free."

            Free.  The word echoed in her ears, reverberated through her mind, and quickened her blood.  But this was a vampire.  And vampires were nothing if not the masters of deceit.

            "'Free'?  How?  Not free... 'among' you?"

            "No."  Kain shook his head.  "My scouts have discovered a land, in the west, over the sea.  Nestled in a mountain range is a fertile valley with many animals and plants.  It is graced by a river,  flowing out of a small lake.  A perfect place for a village. Defeat my vampires, and I will send your bretheren there with maps, a year's supply of food, seed, and tools.  And we will never again meet."

            Lady Harrington's mind raced.  Freedom.  They would not have fulfilled their vows to free the world...but they would live.  Humanity would survive.  And with the fullness of time perhaps, the Sarafan might rise again, to challenge the vampires.

            "Make it five years of supplies and we'll have a deal."

            Kain stared at her, one eye squinted.  "Do you seek to haggle with me, Madame?"

            "Five years of supplies, vampire."

            For a moment, Kain said nothing.  How dare she barter with him?  He was no seller of goods.  What would they do, refuse to fight?  He looked at her.  There was an eager, strangely hopeful light in her eyes.  The first such he'd ever seen.

            "Two."  He said.

            She couldn't help it.  The corners of her mouth turned up into a smile.

            "Four."  She added, hesitantly.

            "Three."

            "Done!"

            She extended her hand and almost jumped when the vampire took it, turned it and kissed the air above it.  He was a gentleman, after all.  Kain backed up two steps and vanished.

            Now all she had to do was convince the other Sarafan.

            "But why must we fight them at all?" Dumah growled.

            "Because your behavior at the tourney was appalling."  Kain said.  "I took over Nosgoth in the belief that vampires could rule the human cattle better than the Sarafan.  And yet every single one of you went out of your way to prove my enemies' point."

            "Their point being...?" Raziel asked.

            "That vampires are brutal, savage, parasites with nothing to offer this world except more bloodshed."

            "We were just having...a little fun with our captives." Zephon said.  "After all, My Lord, you were the one who arranged the tourney."

            "Indeed I did,"  Kain said.  "I did 'not' arrange for you to beat helpless captives.  Nor did I arrange for their dead bodies to be dragged violently around the arena.  Those who were strong could have been reborn.  Nor did I arrange for you to participate in raping captives, or..."

            "You see,"  Turel laughed.  "There she is again.  That woman.  Rahab, obviously you didn't teach her enough to keep her mouth shut."

            "I?  Don't blame this on me, Turel.  It was you, who...."

            Kain snarled.  A blast of energy slammed Turel and Rahab together, and caused their bodies to indent the wall.  "I ...don't... care WHO is responsible!  You are the sons of Kain! And you are my representatives to my people, both human and vampire alike!  I will not have you dishonor my name with your puerile antics! Is that UNDERSTOOD?!"

            All of Kain's lieutenants fell to their knees.  Power radiated from their master like an angry halo, bright with fury and stinging like a swarm of angry bees.  Kneeling usually mollified him, but he wasn't finished.  "Each one of you is responsible for his brother's behavior in this instance, because the punishment will fall on all of you!  If I cannot have your obedience, then I will have your corpses!"

            His lieutenants subjugated, Kain relaxed a little.  "Now go.  Find those among your followers you wish to stand with you and prepare for the tourney's start.  This will definitely be a valuable lesson for all of you!"

            Lady Harrington didn't have to persuade her fellow Sarafan.  She could tell from the look in their eyes that each one of them understood what this meant.  Freedom.  Survival.   A chance to escape.  It didn't matter who Lord Kain was or how this promise came to be.  Each and every one of them were going to do their damnedest to kill one of those bloodsuckers.  Training began in earnest.

            From a distance, Kain watched the Sarafan train.  He and Raziel perched near the castle, observing their sometime foes.

            "It appears that they've taken your offer seriously."

            "They should.  I meant it seriously."

            "Will you give them more time for training?"

            Kain said nothing, merely choosing to watch the Sarafan.  After a while, he said, "I think not.  I want them to kill perhaps one or two of our brethren, not all of us."

            Lady Harrington stared at the metal ships.  Seed was being loaded, and livestock,  stores and provisions of many different kinds.   Then it was real.   It was all real!  Kain was planning to keep his word after all!  The Vampire Lord himself was down on the deck, still signing for many of the supplies that the Sarafan would need to live in their new land.  When the white-tressed head lifted, shaded by a broad-brimmed hat,  the priestess knew that he saw her watching.  Within an instant, he appeared on the catwalk beside her.

            "Eager for tomorrow's tourney?"

            "Eager for our departure?" she shot back.  "I didn't know you had this much confidence in our skills."

            Kain chuckled.  "A true gentleman is always prepared to honor his debts."

            She nodded once.  "Yes."

            "And if your fellows do not win...are you prepared to honor your debt?"

            She looked up at him.  His eyes were indifferent....almost aloof.  Yet he'd asked the question with a purpose.

            "I am.  But I will fight to the end.  I will die, if I must, on my enemies' blade, for I will not give him a choice."

            "Well said.  But...what if I offered you...another choice?"

            She looked out at the loading ships.  And waited.

            "You and I, are the last of rare breed, my lady.  Men and women who value honor above life, above all else.  I felt that it would be a shame to lose such a valuable asset."

            "Your point, Lord Kain?"

            The vampire said nothing, at first.  Then, he turned towards her.  "I was thinking along the lines of a personal challenge."

            "A personal challenge, my Lord?"  She turned and found herself staring at the dark velvet of Kain's breastcoat, her eyes going up the the collar to the set jaw.

            "Yes."

            She tried to fathom what the vampire meant, but he wouldn't look directly at her. 

            "I was thinking that perhaps your fate need not be tied to that of your fellow Sarafan.  That your fate should depend upon your own skill with the blade."

            "What do you mean, Lord Kain?"

            "I challenge you to a duel.  A personal combat, one on one, just you and me."  The vampire finally tilted his head down, a wry, almost shy, smile softening his usually hard features.

            For some reason, his expression almost made her blush.  Lady Harrington gulped.  "The stakes?"

            "If you cut me, even once during our duel, no matter how lightly,  I will release you to your fellow Sarafan, to take your chances in the new lands."

            "And what are the terms of 'my' defeat?"

            "You will fight until you can no longer stand.  If you are unable to continue, then you have lost."

            "If I fail---"

            "If you fail,  if I defeat you, then you stay here, in Nosgoth, with me.  For all eternity."

            "You would... make 'me'... a vampire?!"

            "Why not?   I find you better company than my vampires.    Definitely more honest.  Your fellow Sarafan would still be free to go, or die, depending on their performance."  Kain glanced almost casually towards the sun.  "I fear I must rest. Think carefully about what I've said."  He vanished from the catwalk.

            The crowd roared once again as the tourney approached.   The betting was subdued but still lively as Kain and his sons were now part of the action.   Lady Harrington performed a few practice moves, marveling.  Despite everything that had happened,  she felt strangely confident.  At least she felt that they had a chance.

            The gong rang.

            She watched as her fellow Sarafan formed ranks, and marched out.   She did not intend to watch; she trusted them to hold up their end of the bargain.   A subtle shimmer appeared in the darkness next to her.

            "Lord Kain."

            "Lady Harrington."

            "I thought you'd be out there with your sons."

            "No.  They are no strangers to battle.  I trust that they can conduct one without me."

            She regarded him, in his rather simple gladiator's attire.  He looked back at her.  Through the far away arena door, they both stared at the  white sands.  "Nervous?"  He finally asked.

            "Yes.  And you?"

            "No.  Not at all."

            Of course not.  Why would he be?  Only flame and stake could kill a vampire,  not plain, unblessed steel.  She turned again and looked at the vampire.   His arrogance was rankling.  "You could always change your mind," he said.  "Stay with me."

            "No.  I will not.  I will fight with every last vestige of my will.  I am a Sarafan Priestess."

            Kain chuckled.  "Well said."

             A loud booing broke their verbal sparring.  The vampire lord stiffened suddenly and disappeared.

            What had happened?  Lady Harrington ran towards the door and peeked out.  Kain stood in the midst of armed men.  His head disappeared for a moment.  Then he rose, a grim smile upon his face. 

            What was going on?  She counted.  One, two, three....the tourney had started with twenty-two vampires and thirty five Sarafan.....now there were only eighteen vampires and 24 Sarafan!

            Four vampires had been successfully killed!  They were free!

            Lady Harrington felt as if her heart would burst with pride.  Damned bloodsuckers!  She would stand on that ship and wave farewell as the "Lands of Kain" receded into the distance, as she and her bretheren sailed towards a new future!

            Kain didn't return.  Instead, an underling appeared.  "Lady Harrington!  It is time!"

            Of course.  She'd forgotten.  She must win her personal challenge against Kain.  In Kain's eyes, this was the real 'Main event'.  The combat for which he'd been saving himself.  Kain was a powerful combatant with the Soul Reaver, she knew.  But the slightest touch from the Reaver was deadly.  And Kain, she knew from his own words, had no intention of killling her.  So it was likely that he would be armed with a regulation sword.

            Vampires could take the form of bat, wolf, or mist.  Mist she had to beware of, for no blade could touch in mist form.  She would have to get him while he was solid.

            Solid.  As solid of the hand which had rested upon her shoulder.

            Solid.  As solid as the arms which held her as she wept.

            As solid as the castle which had kept her safe.

            Lady Harrington shook her head for half a moment.  She was determined.  She had to win this.  All she needed was a single cut.  Anywhere.

            A single cut.

            She took her blade and ran it lightly across her arm.  Not deeply, just enough to draw blood.  The scent of blood would prove a distraction for the vampire, she hoped.  The only other thing she had to remember?  Not to let him lock blades with her.  One good hard blow and he could either shatter her blade, or push her helplessly to the ground.   

            There was no help for it.  Uttering a silent prayer, she followed the vampire out to her destiny.

            The remainder of the Sarafan had been removed: the arena was as still as death.  Before her stood Kain, the sun behind him. He carried a regulation sword.   "I'm gone for five minutes, and you've already injured yourself?  That doesn't bode well for you.  Shall we begin, my Lady?" He asked.

            She readied her sword.

            Lady Harrington was Nosgoth's finest combat swordswoman, and she didn't disappoint.  Her eyes never left her opponent, and she ducked and wove around him, trying not to let him tag her, not to lock swords with his.  Kain remained motionless for his part, deflecting her blows.

            After 15 minutes, she  assessed the combat.  This isn't working, the priestess thought to herself.  He'll just stand there deflecting, until he tires me out.  He isn't trying to hurt me, just wear me down until I can't fight anymore.  I have to do something!!

            She did a backflip, pulling herself away from him.  "Are you running, Lady Harrington?"  Kain chided.  "I thought we were having a duel!"

            "Oh, we are, vampire, we are.  I just have to find a way to make you fight!"

            She had an idea.   She ran towards the vampire, sword in one hand,  imagining herself springing into flight.    At the right moment she leapt, praying that her muscles still responded to years of training.  If things went well, she would land behind the vampire, with a direct shot at his unprotected back....

            The ground struck her hard.  The vampire's swiftness undid her plans as he snatched her down by her veil.  She swung her legs, hoping to catch him in an awkward stance, knock him to the ground.    Instead it was she who cried out in pain, as her ankles struck the bronze leg guards.  Kain laughed.  "Are you ready to quit, or shall we continue this dance?"

            Lady Harrington snatched herself from between his legs, her veil coming off in his hands.  Kain turned to face her yet again,  his sword also at ready.

            Arrogant prat, the priestess hissed mentally.  She stared at him coolly, though, not about to let him see her rattled.  He hadn't even broken a sweat.  If he ever did.  She was roasting from exertion, sweat pouring down her back.  The sun was still high, this day, baking her...

            The sun!

            Despite the clouds which protected the new vampire Lords of Nosgoth, the sun was still bright.  Vampires, with their night-tuned vision were not able to look at it, and even Kain needed shade to protect  him!

            She smiled at the vampire Lord.  This was going to be easy!  She charged him again.  Only this time, she didn't even try to vault over him.  Instead she went for height.  She wanted him to look up, up, up... at the sun!

            She knew she would only have half a moment before her body came back down.  She would have to strike Kain before she came down---

            Instead of using her sword, she kicked, using all the strength in her leg.  She caught him, too, right under his chin!  The vampire staggered, surprised.  He'd actually been counting on her trying to come down with her sword, and had hesitated, timing her downward stroke against an upward counter.  Lady Harrington landed in the sand, then rolled quickly to her feet.  For an instant, she thought she saw blood and bone, as Kain withdrew his hand from his chin.  "A fair blow, Lord Kain," she called out.

            Kain nodded, a  smile crossing his face.  "And a painful one.  But not made with a sword."

            "I'll rectify that, my Lord, before tourney's end."

            "We'll see."  The wound healed almost instantaneously.   Kain rolled the sword over his hand and back into his grip.

            The priestess now was almost sorry she'd used the sun so soon.  Kain was too much a strategist to allow her that advantage again.  And it had worked:  unable to see her, she'd been able to wound him.  But she had to use her sword.

            Again the battle went to stalemate, as Kain began to press her hard, to keep her from making her gravity defying leaps into the sun.  Again she did a backflip, to try and shake him, get some distance from him, only to have him stay on top of her.  He followed her move for move, a sinuous beast attempting to lock her in a death grip.

            A death grip.

            That was the clue.

            She had to convince him this was a battle to the death.  Get him into the game.  She began to press him again, this time giving everything she had.  And she surprised the vampire lord, as for the first time she didn't try to back away, or avoid locking her blade against his.  She fought as if it no longer mattered that she had a chance to escape, as if it no longer mattered that he wasn't trying to kill her.  She fought as if this were indeed life/or death.  Her back was, quite literally, to the wall.

            Kain himself had changed tactics.  At first, he'd thought he would wear her down, his vampire stamina easily outlasting any human.  But with her first successful blow, he began to realize that she could live up to her reputation. However, there was more than one way to wear down an opponent without killing her.  He would see how the priestess would cope with her blood being shed.  He would press.   Over and over, he would tag her.  Bloodloss would take its toll, and soon...

            He began warming to the game, becoming visibly excited by the prospect of her defeat.  The light cut she'd made on her arm earlier was bleeding again, wafting her bloodscent to him.  And the priestess was tiring, a little.   Slowing, a little.  He could smell her exhaustion.

            The vampire lord smiled again, this time fully exposing his sharp white teeth.  "Vae Victus", he chuckled.

            She had to wait.  Wait for the opening....wait.

            Kain moved left, she feinted right.....

            Kain's sword thrust  into her waist, pinning her momentarily.  It wasn't a fatal blow, nor was it meant to be...but it was what Lady Harrington was waiting for.  She raised her sword, and scratched the heel of his hand with the tip.

            Kain's mouth fell open.  It was over.

            He stood there.  And she stood there.  It was almost as if they both couldn't believe it.

            The remaining Sarafan poured past their vampire guards and onto the field.   They surrounded her and carried her off in triumph,  cheering loudly.

            The sun set as the last of the convoy boats pulled away from the docks.  The Sarafan were cheering, singing, and toasting their liberation.  Hours later, on the dock, Kain could still hear them,  even though they were well past the visual range of even a vampire's keen eyes.  He felt odd.  Sad, but happy, too.  If anyone else had fought so hard for their freedom as they had, he would rejoice for them, as well.  And yet he felt that he'd lost something, something inexplicable, that his sons would never understand.

            Lady Harrington stood on the deck of the lead ship, unable to see anything, due to the heavy fog.  Despite the smell of burning fuel, the fog felt clean, as clean as their new freedom.  Yet she also felt lost.  Everything she was, everything she had been, was back there.  Who was she, without the vampires to fight?  Without the hate which had been meat and drink and life and breath? What if...she'd accepted Kain's offer?  Why had she even considered it? She saw again the  torchlight on the translucent hair, the half-shy smile.  The powerful build with the comforting arms....

            No.  This was right.  Everything was as it should be.   It had to be. She shook away tears.

            She looked  back towards the Lands of Kain.  What were those words he'd spoken?

            Vae Victus.