"At my whim, the world will be healed or damned...At my whim"

        Kain smiled as he realized the absurdness of the choice, the circle did not wish him to live, neither did the humans who he had saved- in fact, they couldn't care less if he died!
        "Perhaps the world SHOULD suffer," Kain mused "They are already miserable and dejected, I think that they should exist like this only once..."
        "Kain, you must decide Nosgoth's fate," Ariel said "You must restore balance if you are to be given peace."
        "I have decided," Kain replied "and here is my answer!"
        Kain sheathed the Soul Reaver, the sword with which he had slain the unspoken, and began to walk away. 
        "Kain!" Ariel exclaimed "Why do you do this? Do you not seek a `cure`?"
        "What!?" Kain replied in disbelief "a cure for this new power? My lady Ariel, you and the other members of the circle have opened my eyes!  Do you think that I would let you and your precious plea for salvation change my opinion of the rest of humanity?" Kain scoffed "Vorador was right, we are gods, DARK gods and it is our duty to thin the herd!"
        With that Kain shifted into bat form and flew off. 

        Kain landed in Malek's bastion, the automatons that had been animated to kill Kain by their master Malek stood cold and lifeless in the evening light. 
        "Now to begin creating a true empire, one worthy of Vorador and his legion." 
        Kain went to the throne room, here he had fought Malek to a standstill before being attacked by a magical barrier that had threatened to wipe him of the face of this diseased planet. 
Tossing aside the stuffed corpse that had ruled court for an eternity, he sat on the dusty throne and began to plot.... 

        Kain stood up and concentrated.  It was difficult trying to force the changes to his body, but soon he had begun to change -- His white hair was hidden under a cap, his black and red armour changed into a simple woven tunic and dark brown breeches and his face became pink and healthy as the transformation spell took effect. 
        Kain approached the man and coughed loudly to get his attention. 
        "Oh! hello!" the startled man replied "Who are you and why have you come here, may I ask?"
        Kain examined the man, for the first time he noticed that this man appeared healthy and fit.  He stared at the man's neck feeling the strains of hunger approaching. 
        "I'm...Here... To....Mourn my brother," Kain replied struggling to contain his blood thirst "He died....Against the horde of vampires at Willendorf....But I cannot gain entry to the tomb."
        "Well, that is an interesting tale," Replied the man "As for getting in, I think that I can arrange that -- stand  back!"

        Kain obliged as the man shouted "EXCLMAUS, OUVRUS, KILSAM REVELANTI!!!"
        The gate rose and the unmistakable sigh of air rushed into Kain's ears.  Kain laughed as he stared at the cavernous maw that stood before him. 
        "Thank you sir and now for your reward" Kain smiled as he shed his disguise
        "Not necessary" replied the man with his back turned to Kain. 
        "Oh, but it is," Kain replied and swung the man around "Your reward will be to join me in eternal servitude to me and my kind....Now and forever!"
        Kain bit deep into the man's throat and as he drank the blood he began to murmur the rite of rebirth, a spell that every vampire, be it fledgling or elder, knows the minute they are turned from the light. 
        Suddenly, Kain stopped, something was wrong.  Normally, the body would have died by now, ready to become a vampire in eternal service to it's creator.  But this time the body was still struggling and Kain could feel the man's heart beating wildly as he fought against Kain. 

        "What manner of being are you?" Kain asked "You should be dead by now!"
        "Fool! you do not realise who you have tried to kill!" The man replied "I am Celdar, last of the Gatherers!"
        "the gatherers!" Kain spat "I have never heard of your kind!"
        The man broke free, his face was pale and his neck was covered in blood. 
        "I'm not surprised.  We are the worshippers of the Pillars, it's disciples.  We worship the Circle and all it stands for"
        "Then why are you not dead?" Kain asked "I just drained all your blood and performed the rite of rebirth, you should be kneeling at my feet!"
        The man smiled, "You have forgotten vampire that anyone who is not fully dead before the spell is cast will be reborn as they were before they were bit," the men laughed.  "In other words, you wasted your time feeding on me and now I will send you to hell!"
        Kain laughed and drew the Soul Reaver, feeling it's energy flow through him, infusing him with it's unholy energy. 
        "VAE VICTUS!!!" Kain yelled as he pierced the man's heart "I've fed of you and now you shall serve me"

        The man groaned as he fell.....

        .....It seemed that hours had passed before the man rose, his face now pale and his eyes feral. 

        "Your name little one" asked Kain
        "Mordractus, your majesty, " replied the newborn vampire "you made me and I serve you"
        Kain's eyes flared and he uttered a terrible laugh...

        Kain stood at the portal to the tomb of the Serafan with Mordractus, the gatherer that he had recently turned to his cause. 
        His eyes glowed red in the darkness of the deepening night, his armour glistened with the wash of blood that had spilled over his mouth and his spirits soared with elation as he stared at the gaping hole that represented his first step in the formation of his empire. 
        "What can you tell me about this tomb Mordractus?" Kain turned to his new servant. 
        "Not much my lord," the young fledgling answered.  "The tomb was built after the first vampire wars, when our kind was first hunted by the Circle.  After the defeat of Malek at the cathedral at Avernis, the tomb was sealed to prevent the desecration of the bodies here interred, however the secret of the tomb was disclosed to the Nine...."
        "Nine?" Kain interrupted "But with Malek defeated wouldn't that make it eight with one journeying to become the replacement of Malek?"
        "You have forgotten my lord that Malek was not killed in battle but merely rendered unconscious by Vorador's attacks, his body was destroyed but his spirit was fused to the armour, where it stayed until his true death at the hands of Vorador at Dark Eden."
        "Ah, but does that mean that Ariel still would have been the guardian of the Pillar of Balance had I not been born?" Kain asked with interest. 
        "I do not know my lord," The snivelling vampire replied "I know little of the history of you and your destiny, but I do know that what you seek is inside - the corpses of the Serafan warriors known as the Angels of Hope."

        Kain walked into the vast structure, staring down the dark corridor that was the approach to the main burial chamber, his eyes flared with anticipation as he sighted the object of his quest.  The six sarcophagi that represented the warriors of hope. 

        Kain knew that this next part would not be easy, In order to convert the purest, most noble warriors of the Sarafan, he would require something more than the rite of rebirth. 
        It would cost his soul....
        Kain closed his eyes and focused on his innermost thoughts, His body began to glow with a dark luminescence that began to split and form into six separate auras, within minutes, the auras had attached themselves to the mouldering corpses that lay within the sarcophagi.  Soon Kain fell to his knees, feeling as though every particle of his body was screaming in agony. 

        At first nothing happened.  Then an arm began to emerge from the sarcophagus that marked the tomb of Raziel, the arm then was followed by a body wearing armour of the darkest red, a red that reminded Kain of congealed blood, Soon the body climbed out of the sarcophagus and kneeled at Kain's feet. 
        "My lord, are you ill?" The vampire asked, concern covering his youngish face. 
        "No," Kain gasped trying to rise "I have just expanded on the rite of rebirth, I have fused my very soul with each of your bodies, reviving you and transforming you into my very sons. 
        Soon all the vampires stood before Kain, Each wore dark parodies of the ceremonial armour that each had been adorned with when they had died.  Kain gazed at each of the vampires with what could only be considered parental love. 
        "Each of you are my children, my firstborn son is you," Kain pointed to Raziel "The rest of you will respect my decision and then Raziel's, Mordractus is my personal advisor and as such will be given the same respect as me and Raziel."
        Dumah stepped forward, Kain studied this lumbering hulk feeling that perhaps he should make Dumah his personal bodyguard, seeing that his bulk would easily stop any warriors who might challenge his authority. 
        "My lord, what of the rest of us? We will follow your orders of course but perhaps we should be given some responsibility as a sign of your love?"
        Kain's expression changed to one of pure, unyielding rage.  He grabbed Dumah's neck and lifted him off his feet with a snarl. 
        "How DARE you demand such things from me, Your father!" Kain thundered "I'll personally make sure that you regret your rashness!"
        "Wait father," Raziel interjected "Dumah might have a point, You cannot take responsibility for all the empire that you dream to create.  We can give you help but only if you let us."
        Kain lowered Duamh and released him.  Turning he regarded Raziel with a mixture of fury and understanding, as if what Raziel had said had made sense while still being angry at his firstborn son's decision to intervene. 
        "You speak the truth my son," Kain replied after much thought "Very well, each of you must claim one region and maintain it.  The Pillars of Nosgoth and the surrounding territories are mine and as such are not to be challenged by anyone.  If you so much as try to destroy me and my base, I will destroy you as easily as I created you."
        "But, what of the humans that live in our chosen territories?" A dark skinned warrior asked stepping forward to address Kain. 
        "Your name, vampire?" Kain asked pointing at the newborn. 
        "Zephon, my father" 
        "Kill them and then turn them," Kain answered "you will need troops for when we begin the final assault!"

        Kain stood at the Pillars which rose up to heaven and represented the physical state of Nosgoth. 
Many of the Pillars had begun to deteriorate again - due to Kain's damnation of the world, the Pillar of Balance- Kain's Pillar- had now turned jet black and gleamed with the malevolence that Kain now represented. 
        Kain studied the amassing army each with it's respected clan leader at its head, he felt a swell of pride in his six `children` each one had managed to raise itself an army of  lethal proportions, stepping forward, he addressed the crowd. 
        "You are our future, no-one will oppose us as we begin our domination of Nosgoth - The only remaining thorn in our side is the remaining Sarafan and they will soon fall to our superior power."
        The crowd cheered at this statement, Kain felt the strain of anticipation run through the crowd and though back to battle against the Legions of the Nemesis and thought "Unlike then, I will not fail my kind!"
        "We will first need to create a bastion that will stand against any resistance that may occur," He continued "I feel that it is fitting that we built it here, at the site where I began my quest and where I will rule Nosgoth with an iron fist"
        Suddenly, Kain doubled over, he felt pain in every crevice and joint, the pain was incredible, he felt that every atom was screaming for release from its position in his body.   Kain looked at his hand... or what was left of it!

        His hand had changed... Where his fingers had been, there were now talons!
        Kain remembered that this was normal, vampires often went through this change - Vorador had called it evolution but...  Kain had never thought that it would be so painful!

        Kain turned to the crowd, noting that his sons wore concern over their faces like a shroud, was it real? Kain wondered or were they simply showing a facade of loyalty as inspiration for their troops?
        "I must leave now," Kain said with difficulty " I leave things in the hands of you Raziel.  Ensure that the sanctuary is built soon and that it is most defensible against infidels. 
        Kain shifted into bat form and took to the dark skies above the Pillars. 
        He was seeking shelter....

        Dawn rose above the twisted trees of the Termogent forest, feebly  attempting to bring life to this dilapidated land.  Kain rose from his slumber, feeling different, feeling stronger than before.  He headed for Vorador's library, hoping to discover what the pain that had overcome him was and why he felt different now. 

        Among the tomes, Kain found one of Vorador's ancient diaries, written before the formation of the Sarafan and after his transformation to the godly form he had become before he was cruelly beheaded by a lynch mob, eager for vampire blood.  Kain opened the book and began to read from the pages of the dusty tome.....

        Janos has begun his plans for destroying Meridian and the surrounding cities. I only wish that I could take part but Janos has told me that as his fledgeling he will not allow it. 

        "So, Janos Audrun had created Vorador," Kain mused "How fitting that the greatest and most infamous of all vampires created the second most powerful vampire!"

        Felt strange today, my hands and feet seem to hurt and I want to sleep. Have not told Janos yet but I feel that I must or he will find out some other way and destroy me for not telling him!

        Kain skipped the next section which dealt with Vorador's concerns over this malady and read on a few pages later. 

        Janos has explained it to me, this is called `Hasaka'l Torada` or `the rebirth`, the time when a vampires body begins to change to a more... divine form.  We grow stronger, better, deadlier.  Soon the pain will fade to be replaced by dark power....

        Kain stopped reading, he had learned what he needed to know, this ritual was natural, well, natural for a vampire at least. 
        “Very well then,” Kain thought “then let the ritual of Hasaka’l Torada begin!”

        Raziel was nervous.  But then again he had the right to be nervous after being in command for so long.  When Kain had left he’d had no idea of what would occur or how things would turn out 
        “I must maintain my faith in our father’s plans,” Raziel muttered “After all what kind of second-in-command would I be if I had no faith in our master?”
        Turning he saw Rahab and Melchiah coming towards him, Raziel had never liked Rahab preferring his youngest brother’s sense of twisted humour and justice over the sneaky and repulsive methods of the other member of the duo that approached him. 
        “Hail Raziel,” Melchiah uttered the customary greeting that each member of the clans was supposed to give the leader of another “How goes the construction of the fortress?”
        “It is completed,” Raziel replied “If you had attended the meetings of the clans as you were supposed to....”
        “Do not proceed to lecture me in my affairs, brother,” Warned Melchiah “Kain may have put you in charge, but don’t forget that we stand as equals in all other matters!”
        Raziel growled and grabbed his younger brother’s scrawny neck, his face showed rage while maintaining a calm facade. 
        “Listen to me little brother, the meeting that we form are vital if we wish to rule Nosgoth at our father’s side”
        Raziel lowered his brother and turned to face the sanctuary of the clans. 
        “Anyway, if you had attended them you would know that the Sanctuary is ready, we only await our lord and father to re-emerge from his seclusion.”
        “Then wait no longer!”

        The three leaders turned and gazed upon the new form of their creator. 
        Kain had changed indeed, his hands and feet were now claws, each one was adorned with a red leather gauntlet. 
Kain’s hair was now long and snow white and tied into a tight ponytail.  His armour was gone and replaced with a flowing robe of crimson and black.  His face was now craggy and displayed less of the human features that he had once had.  He looked less human and more demonic. 
        Raziel knelt before him and kissed the shiny talon held before him. 

        “My lord, long have we awaited your return to us.  The Sanctuary is complete, all we need is your blessing and the place will sing with the cries of humans suffering inside its walls”
        Kain looked down at his favourite son and smiled. 
        “Well done my child, I think that I know of the perfect way to `bless` this place”

        Drawing the Soul Reaver Kain walked over to the door of wrought iron and steel and touched it with the twisted blade.  The doors moaned and from within, a narrow scream could be heard - or at least Kain could hear it. 

        Inside, Ariel screamed as the dark magic of the Soul Reaver filled the room, polluting her, twisting her apart as the dark energy flowed from the unholy weapon and bound her to this chamber until Kain's death or the destruction of her trapped soul. 
        Kain turned and smiled at the three lieutenants. 
        “It’s time......”

THE BEGINNING OF THE END