Kain had left the pillars.  Ariel didn’t know where he had gone, nor did she care, she was left alone with her pain.  What possessed the pillar to choose him? she wondered.  Perhaps in life, he would have chosen the sacrifice, but in death. 
      “In death, he was as poisoned as the rest of the circle,” Ariel whispered.  Poor Mortanius.  He was the first instrument of chaos.  Hash’ak’gik wanted the circle destroyed, he wanted chaos in Nosgoth.  He succeeded, but he didn’t survive to rule as he wished.  “And now the world will belong to Kain,” she sighed.  “I can see only destruction ahead.”

      The spirit roused herself from those musings and stretched her awareness out beyond the pillars of Nosgoth.  Nothing had changed.  The humans lived and worked in the same manner they always had.  The world’s decay had not progressed as of yet.  She looked for Kain.  Across the ruins of Avernus and Nupraptor’s retreat she searched.  From one end of Nosgoth to the other, until she located Kain’s mind deep in the bowels of Mobius’ domain.
      Somehow Kain had found the time-streamer’s machine.  Ariel could see the vampire peering into the streams of time.  Her awareness hovered behind Kain, looking into the portals.

    The stars swirled.  Kain stood in a mausoleum; an aura of power flowed from his fingertips, into the stone coffins around him.  Slowly, the stone lids lifted, six newly-made vampires emerged from the sarcophagi.  Kain smiled.

      The stars swirled.  Kain stood at the crest of a hill in the darkness, his six lieutenants beside him.  They looked down on a battlefield. 
      Vampires fought side-by-side against an army of humans.  They were outnumbered six-to-one, but the vampires cut through the human army like a scythe through grass.  Kain stretched out his hand, calling on the lightning.  His sons looked on in awe, as it cut through the human ranks.  A cheer rose from the vampiric horde. 
      His sons descended into battle, urging their troops on.  One of his lieutenants, a handsome young vampire wearing a red mantle, presented him with the human’s leader.  Kain favored the vampire with a smile and grasped the human by its neck.  Kain drank of the fear in the human’s eyes before slashing its flesh and drinking its blood.  With crimson-stained lips, Kain smiled.

      The stars swirled.  Ariel turned away, a tear trailing down her right cheek.  The scenes grew increasingly bloody.  Kain watched, his eyes lighting with an unholy fire.  It seemed he watched forever. 
      A snarl startled Ariel into looking back at the portal.  It had gone blank.  Kain reached out to touch it, jerked back in pain.  He turned from the portal and walked away.
     Ariel’s mind stayed, drifting nearer the portal.  She looked at it curiously, started when it suddenly came to life.
 Ariel gasped as a vision of Mobius appeared in the portal.  The time-streamer smiled at her, blind eyes narrowed to slits.
      Tranquil one, a voice spoke within her mind, these visions are for you alone.  The vision seemed to ponder a thought for a while.  Perhaps you can guide the next pawn as well as the first, he smiled, but unto a different outcome, if it is possible.

      The stars swirled.  The vampire in the red mantle strode into a grand hall.  In the center of the room stood the pillars of Nosgoth.  Kain reclined in a throne built around the base of the pillar of balance.  The young vampire knelt, bowed, and carefully unfolded a pair of leathery wings from his back...

      Kain flew from the oracle’s cave and made his way to the Termogent forest.  Glimpses into the time streams had told him much, but he needed more information.  The flock of bats descended and reformed into the vampire.  Kain looked up at Vorador’s Mansion.  He supposed he could go back to the pillars and ask Ariel his questions, but he did not think she would be very responsive.  Kain grinned and entered the mansion. 
      Kain walked softly through the darkened passageways.  Thanks to Mobius and the vampire hunters the place was deserted.  Kain mused over the visions he had seen.  The cadre of vampires, the purging of humans, he had considered these paths to domination. The currents of time had only confirmed that he would carry them out.  But who were the six he had seen?  What souls had he called from the spectral plane to serve as his sons?
      Kain found himself in Vorador’s library.  He called up a sphere of light and pulled a heavy, leather-bound book from a shelf.  When it yielded no useful information, he put it back and took another.  Kain read through half the books before finding one of any interest.  Leafing through it idly, his eyes fell upon a particular passage.  “Of the Saraphan, there were seven.  Leader and strongest of them all was Malek-”  Kain’s eyes narrowed slyly, a smile stretched his pale skin.  Six Saraphan, Malek the seventh. 
      Of course, he thought.  What better revenge could I take upon the circle than to resurrect their pet soldiers as my favorite sons?  The irony of the thought was staggering.  Kain shut the book and replaced it on it’s shelf, barely containing his glee.  It is a paradox, a beautifully absurd paradox.  What other souls have the passion I seek?  The self-righteousness?  He left the mansion.  Now to find them.