I can always hear his voice echoing in my mind.  His eyes, filled with a feeling that I could not touch upon, fixed at a distant point somewhere that I could not reach.
"You know what you are Raziel."  I can remember it like it was yesterday.

     I was young, a mere fledgeling.  I had only been through the basic stages of my vampiric evolution.  It was in the middle of the Wars, when the humans were mortal enemies of my race.  I was outside the Sanctuary of the Clans, after coming out from a court assembly in which Kain informed my brothers and I of the upcoming events, and the importance of trust and teamwork.  It was the same as always.  As I walked out of the great doors, the familiar smell of the great burning braziers by the entrance filled me. As I stood there, reveling in the comfortable heat of the braziers and looking up at the stars in the night sky, I heard a noise in the distance. As I looked around to see where the source of the noise was coming from, I saw men.  Human men.  A huge gathering of them, bearing torches and walking towards the direction of one of the human cities.  They were crying out something which was inaudible to my ears because of the distance between them and I.  I had always wondered what went on in the mysterious human
villages.  Of couse I knew a little, having been on raids and the like, but I wondered if they harboured the same feelings, shared the same past-times.  I knew that I was mortal once.  So, I deduced, they must have something in common with the vampire legions of Nosgoth.  There was only one wasy to find out.  To go after them, but this was risky, as Lord Kain forbade any vampire to go into the human cities without his consent.  The penalty was almost always severe.  I gazed over at the band of humans for a while, but my curiosity overpowering me,  I looked around to see if there was anyone there to see me, but there was no one.  With one final look around, I slipped out into the night in pursuit of the humans.

     As I followed these humans along rocky roads, ducking behind nearby bushes or trees in case they should see me.  All the while my heart pumping with fear and adrenaline.  As I watched them talk between themselves, I wondered why they were out here in the cover of darkness, without fear.  I decided that humans must feel safety in numbers, and that no self-respecting vampire would dare feed on any of them while they were in such a large gathering.

     After walking a little distance, the men led me to the entrance of a great city.  There were lots of humans, milling around, performing their daily rituals.  I was terrified of being seen, and then killed at the hands of the humans.  In desperation, I looked around and spotted an alleyway in which I could hide.  When I ran into the alleyway, there was only some piles of refuse and a mange-ridden stray cat.  Nothing to worry about I thought. I spotted a foothold in the wall of the house on my right.  I climbed up, and nestled myself into the thatch of the of roof of the cottage.  I now had a clear view of the town, and directly below me, was the Town Square.  There were now hundreds of humans carrying torches, jeering and shouting.  I wondered why they would all assemble here in such a crowd. It must be an important event I thought. After a while, an immense roar errupted from the crowd below.  I peered over the edge of the building and I witnessed a fellow brother in chains, being dragged onto a platform before the screaming crowd.  Then a man dressed in robes started to address the crowd.

     " This, my brothers is the scourge of Nosgoth.  The vermin of our fair world.  They should be eradicated without mercy.  If we rise together my friends, we shall be rid of these vermin from our fair world." The crowd was now baying for this poor vampire's blood.
     "Kill the vermin !!!  Kill the vermin !!!"
     "Then it shall be done as you wish my friends."
     They proceeded to tie the vampire to a stake, all the while the crowd screaming and shouting.  The robed man started to speak again.
     " This torch represents the fire cleansing the earth, to make way for a new beginning."
     I did not know what he was going to do with the torch, but I had an idea. What I was about to see, I was not ready for at all.  He knelt down before the immense pile of straw and wood and set the pile on fire. The crowd were now resembling not more than that of a pack of wild dogs, howling and screaming and spitting at the young vampire.  The flames were slowly making their way up around his ankles.  I can still hear his deserate cries of agony as the flames licked at his body.  His pleas of mercy seemed to only encourage the crowd to scream louder.
     "The time has come my fellow humans, to rise against the scourge of Nosgoth, these unholy abominations.  We shall carry on what our great fore-father Malek could not accomplish, rid our world of them."
     The crowd gave an almighty roar, and then threw their torches into the inferno, almost ceremonically.  As the flames engulfed his body, he was still crying in agony.  I did not want to see anymore.  A burning anger grew inside of me, a slow, firey anger which I knew that would not pass.  A sickening feeling came over me, the feeling of my own impotence.  I had not been able to save this poor soul, but I swore from that moment on, I would not succumb to these self-righteous biggots.  It was not fair, for he did nothing wrong, except trying to survive in this miserable day and age. It was not fair. It was not fair. These thoughts ran through my mind in an irregular jumble, but came out in one crystal clear conclusion.  After seeing that young vampire die at the hands of these barbarians, I would never bow to them.  The way I was feeling then, no man or beast would dare fight with me.  I did not want to stay here any longer. I jumped down into the alleyway in which I came.  I started back the way I came from.  At that moment, I did not care if any human noticed me, and God help any of those who tried to stop me.

     When I reached the familiar area of the Sanctuary of the Clans, I was ragged and out of breath. I needed to rest before starting home.  I walked over to a huge rock and slumped down on the ground and put my head in my hands.  It was then that I heard his voice, sharp and full of menace. 
     "Where have you been child ?  On a little escapade to the village without my consent.  You of all people should know better Raziel."
     It was Kain, my master and my creator.  He was towering over me, a formidable looking figure, even then.  I knew that I was in trouble, and I knew the rules well enough.
     "I-I am sorry Kain," I stuttered.  He cut in.
     " Didn't you think that I could see you, that I am stupid. That you can go off on your little trips to the cities without me knowing.  You must think me foolish child."
     "I didn't know. I will never do it again. I pledge thee my word."
     "You know the rules Raziel"
     As Kain said those words, the feeling of anger and sympathy rose up in me again.  The feeling of wrong that I harboured for the young vampire overtook my fear of Kain.  Kain had to know the suffering of the young vampire.  I stood up in front of Kain, all my fear now gone.
     "It is not fair" I screamed at him. " They burned him.  He was screaming in agony while they laughed at his pain.  His death was no more than a show for those bastards."
     What I said next to Kain took him by surprise.  I think that I only said it to test his reaction. It worked only too well.
     "Then, if that is how vampires are treated in this world, like scum, like freaks for some little sideshow then, Kain ,  I would rather be mortal."
     Kain stared at me.  His eyes at once filled with surprised dissaproval.  Then he spoke slowly, his voice filled with anger and passion.
     "You will take that back child."
     I looked into his eyes, and he understood the message that I was not.
     "Very well. You will learn the hard way," he snarled.
     He shot out his fist, and grabbed me by my shoulder drape.  I tried to resist, but it was no use. Kain was much stronger than I.   He then unsheathed the Soul Reaver, his mystical deadly blade.  I thought that I was finished,  but then he forced me to the ground, still hanging on to my shoulder drape.  He proceeded to draw a familiar shape in the ground with the tip of the blade.  As he drew, the ground glowed with white hot fire, I followed the movement of his blade and watched as he drew every curve of the shape.  It was my clan symbol.  The sign of the Razielim.  My clan.  I wondered what Kain was trying to say.  He let go of my shoulder drape and knelt down beside me. His gaze was somewhat vacant, and had changed form the firey intent gaze from moments before. Now it seemed distant, far away.
 
     I will never forget what he said to me that night.
     "This," he gestured, pointing to my clan symbol drawn in the ground. "This is what seperates you from the peasants and slaves, the humans and the ordinary vampires Raziel.  You are my first born lieutenant ." He paused for quite a while, not looking at me.  I was beggining to think that he had forgotten, but no. He looked directly at me and said,
     "You know what you are Raziel."
     He slowly stood up, and walked away from me, leaving me kneeling on the ground, staring in fascination at my clan symbol.  I realised with an overwhelming feeling that Kain was right.  I was never more proud of my vampiric heritage.  We were the superior beings, and it was about time that the humans knew this.  I would defend my clan and my race until the last.