Chapter 3

---------------------------------------------------------
    Raziel ran forward unthinking and full of rage. Janos Audron was dead and Raziel was running through the Sarafan Stronghold to avenge the death of one of the few alies he had had in Nosgoth's past. At that point, Raziel did not care if any human noticed him, and God help any of those who tried to stop him. He was out for blood, and he wanted the five Sarafan brothers to be the first on his list. Four of them where already gone, and Raziel had come to realize the irony of Kain's sick private joke. The Sarafan brothers he himself had killed would be raised into Kain's vampire leutenants centeries from now. The physical soul reaver clung to his grasp wanting the soul of the last brother.. and Raziel was so eager to give it its request.
    "So, vampire - here we are, you've destroyed my bretheren and now you've come for me?" The Sarafan laughed, his voice full of hate, "You'll find I'm not such easy prey."
    Raziel looked at eye level to his former Sarafan self, emotions boiling through his viens like hot coals. "I don't want to kill you, but I will if I must. Return Janos' heart to me, and we can end this now."
    The Sarafan Raziel laughed putting his hand on his hip and arching a brow. "So, you've come to avenge that filthy parasite, and reclaim his foul heart?" He laughed again crossing his arms over his chest. "You're a righteous fiend, aren't you?"
    Raziel looked back at his former self with discust. All the ideas about the Sarafan being noble and just now put behind him. The Sarafan were no more than cruel, heartless, bastards, and he would take much pleasure in teaching his former self what a bastard he truely was. "Apparently I am."
   "No, vampire, this is where it ends, but you won't be leaving this room alive. Now.. let's finish this - I'll make it mercifully quick."
    "As you did for Janos..."
    The Sarafan laughed coldly, "No, that beast had eluded us for far to long. It would have been a shame to end him to quickly." He chuckled, arms still resting in that over cocky stance. "It's ironic, really - the 'great Janos Audron' turned out to be no challendge at all." He waved his hand at Raziel with a smug expression that made Raziel want to kill him even more. "Thanks to you." With a smirk he pulled his sword from the sheath at his waist and pointed the blade at Raziel. Raziel, unable to contain his rage, raised the soul reaver and lunged towards his former self so eager to give the reaver a new soul to chew on.
    Metal clashed on metal, both Raziel versions seemed matched in both strength and skill and both not giving a damn if the other lived through this. With a laugh the Sarafan blocked Raziel's advance and turned to make his own.
    "It appears I seem to know just exactly what your planing before you do." Sarafan blocked Raziel's advance with a laugh and turned to make his own.
   Raziel blocked and smirked, "And I know what your planing before you do."
    Advancing and blocking again, the Sarafan grunted, "It's a shame I have to destroy you.. I'm rather currious of how this is possible. It's as though we share a common mind.."
    This time is was his's turn to laugh, giving off the same vibration and pitch as the Sarafan's laugh which sent a shiver down the human's back. "That's because we do." Sencing an opening Raziel took it, but instead of a side attack, he swung around in a tactic that his human counterpart would not beable to expect. Kain had showed him this centeries ago and always Raziel had made the mistake of blocking from the side. "I was you." Pulling the reaver behind him, Raziel jabbed the blade forward and through the gut of his former self. "But I renounce you." Gasping and choking for air the Sarafan's corpse slid free of the reaver and collapsed on the floor in a bloody mess. Raziel sighed inwardly as if a page in a book had just been written and the book closed. "And so it ends," He whispered into the silence, "My history comes full circle." As Raziel's anger left him the wraith reaver uncoiled itself and wound lovinly around its twin, its power returning and glowing brightly as ever. He could feel the grip of the physical reaver loosen and leave him, the feeling chilling him to the bone, leaving a sense of emptiness and loss in its place.
    With all other foes exhausted the conjoined blades shifted power upon eachother and turned themselves against him. It was then Raziel realized why he had felt nothing when Janos before had offered him the blade. The Soul Reaver had never been forged to be a soul-stealing weapon.. the soul-devouring entity trapped in the blade was - and always had been, Raziel. With that the Reaver twitched and plunged itself deep into Raziel's chest. That had been why the blade was destroyed when Kain had tried to strike him down with the blade so long ago. The reaver could not devour its own soul. With a gasp he realized this, his arm still bound to the blade and attempting in vain to pull the Reaver from his chest. He fell to his knees, the power of the reaver draining his life from him, his ears picking up the sound of foot falls to his side.
    "You! Are you enjoying this, Kain?!"
    Kain stood there, his eyes tranfixed on Raziel's delema, his eyes wide with shock. This was Raziel's part in the creation of the Soul Reaver?! Idea's flashed through his head. Despite Raziel's hatred towards Kain, Raziel was still Kain's first born 'son' and even in Kain's black heart held some love towards his former leutenant. "Don't fight it, Raziel.. give into it..."
    Raziel cried out in agony, the blade shifting in his chest. "Was this your destiny for me, all along?"
    "Please Raziel," Kain begged "Trust me"
    About to reply Raziel choked in pain. He felt his strength leaving him, unable to hold on any longer, his consiousness draining from him. He wanted nothing more then to simply let go of his spirit, but if he did he would be forever spun in this endless circle for all eternity. But what was the other option?
   Kallin... she knew.. Ariel knew.. they both knew and Raziel hadn't paid attention. The thought made him sink deeper into despair, he was going to die, never to return to her..
    He felt his head going light, his vision blur as his twin soul hovered both outside and inside the Reaver blade. The reaver was to strong, it was going to win.
   Unable to watch any longer Kain ran forward and with a masive history-defying effort ripped the Reaver from Raziel's chest as he howled in agony falling forward to the ground in pain. The Reaver flew across the room and landed several feet way. With a groan Raziel attepted in vane to stand, wondering still if he were going to die. Pain took over his whole body.
   "Now you are free to claim your true destiny, Raziel." Kain paused as history reshuffled itself to accomidate Kain's decision. Behind his eyes, past events were blooming and dying and the dawning horror that perhaps he had strained history too far and introduced a fatal paradox. Kain fell to his knees clutching Raziel by the shoulders shaking him lightly. "Raziel! Janos must Stay dead!"
   But Raziel didn't hear him, his body to drained almost to the point of annihilation, was losing consiousness. Kain's words were lost with another moan as he fell to his knees, wavering out of the Material Plane into the Spectral Realm where the reaver, the wraith blade.. Raziel's own soul was waiting for him. It was then, he realized, he hadn't excaped his destiny.. he had mearly postpond it. On the other side, in the Material Plane Kallin's former self would just now be running into the courtyard to see her lover sprawled across the ground and Kain, left standing above him with the Reaver beside them. With a painful moan he fell forward onto his stomach as his conciousness finally left him.. he fadded into darkness.
------------------------------------------------------------
   Raziel woke with a moan, he heard faint sucking noices as if Sluagh were in the area. He didn't want to open his eyes, it hurt to much to move, but the Sluagh were getting braver, soon they would be upon him, picking at what was left of his battered soul. With a painful groan he rolled onto his side and saw them, hovering a few feet away, in a devensive possition as if they hadn't expection him to move. "Be gone with you jackels," He grunted and slowly and unsteadily getting to his feet, "I'm not about to let you destroy what little soul I have left..." He wobbled a few times, attempting in vain to stand straight. The Sluagh could tell he was in no condition to fight him, but Raziel didn't want to take the chance, he had to get out of there as soon as he could and back to his own time... back to Kallin.
    Half limping, half dragging himself Raziel managed to hobble back through the doors that led him here. Since he had been in such a hurry comming in the doors along the way had still been flung open. Even the doors to the time streaming device were opened, which ment Moebius was near, only he and Raziel seemed to beable to open those doors. Finding the blue portal to the Material Plane in the corner, Raziel shifted and found himself face to face with the Time Streamer, who seemed overly supprised to see him alive.
    "Y-you? You're alive?" Moebius studdered, backing up from Raziel towards a women who stood almost five feet from the both of them. She, Raziel noticed, seemed to be dressed as a Sarafan priestess, her hair was almost as dark as his, her robes a soft redish brown. She looked almost as old as Raziel, perhaps a bit older. They both looked rather shooked to see him. "How is this possible? You should be dead."
    Raziel ignored the babbling old fool and his assistant and turned his attention to the time streaming device, in less than a day the man would be dead anyway.. no sense playing with history anymore than he already had. Ambling over to the door and flinging it open Raziel walked into the doorway and looked back at the old man. "You forget, Moebius.." He said slowly, "I am behond death." And with that he shut the door behind him and walked towards the time device leaving Moebius and this pre-fallen Nosgoth behind him.
   Although he didn't exactly know how to work the time streaming device, he had a feeling he could find his way back if he tried hard enough. Flipping switches rather at random and walking into the center of the room, taking hold of the levers infront of him, Raziel felt the room around him spinning, the floor glowing faintly.
    When the room darkened again, Raziel toosed his head flipping his hair from his face and walked towards the door. There was no idea what time in history the time streaming device had dropped him, but he was hopeful, and he hoped with all his heart he was in the right time.
    Walking to the door again he opened it slowly and gave a heavy sigh of satisfaction. The Orical's cave stood infront of him, but there was no way of telling what time he had actually walked through. Behind him there was a moaning noice as the empty room filled with bluish smoke. Raziel backed up from the time device into the caves and realized to late what he was doing. As his foot was pulled from the doorway the room fadded and dissapeared leaving onto a twisting portal in its place. Raziel cursed loudly, now he was stuck in this time whether he liked it or not. With a sigh he walked around the top balcony of the room and towards the enterance he had used so long ago in his pursuit of Kain.
   Again Raziel sighed as a pain hit him squarly in the chest.. it was going to be a long walk home.
------------------------------------------------------------
    It was nearly sundown when Raziel hobbled into the clearing around the cabin. He was panting heavily and every mussel had nearly given out. As soon as he found Kallin, Reanna, and Tynan he was going to take a long, long nap.
    As soon as he walked up to the door and put his hand around the handle he knew something was wrong.. something was very wrong. Raziel flung the door open wide and choked in horror at what he saw. There, laying on the floor in the middle of the room, was Kallin. Her dress had been nearly torn from her and her neck was broken into an odd angle. Beside her were Reanna and Tynan, their necks broken as well.
    Raziel fell to his knees as he felt tears stinging the corners of his eyes. Kain had risked throwing Nosgoth into a paradox by saving Raziel's live.. but at what cost? Kallin, Reanna, and Tynan, Raziel's entire life, were gone. Shivers ran down his back and moved to his arms and legs making him painfully aware of the shape he was in. With a sob the area around him shifted and he found himself again in the Spectral Realm where he fell onto his side in pain, hurt, and depression.
    ...Raziel..?
    Raziel lifted his head nearly slamming it into a chair behind him. "Kallin?" Raziel's eyes scaned the area wildly. Had he been dreaming? It couldn't be...
    Raziel? Where are you?
    Raziel stood slowly, his legs about to collape under him, but he had to know. Walking unsteadily out the doorway into the front yard he saw her, the ghostly figure so close to Ariel's appearance, but it was her. "Kaly? ye gods what did he do to you?" His legs giving in underneith him he sank to his knees.
    Kallin shook her head slowly her ghostly brown hair swaying lightly. It was not Kain this time, but Turel, your brother.
    Raziel tried to summon the strength to get angry, but could not find it. "Gods, Kaly, please forgive me, I'm sorry. I should have listened to you and stayed here.. all of it was for nothing."
    Again she shook her head, floating just above the ground and only an arm span away. She lifted her hand cuping it against his face. Raziel shivered under her ghostly touch. It was not your fault, we all had a part to play in destiny... but you returned to me as you said you would.
    He shook his head, "But I was to late, I couldn't save you and now the time streaming device is broken, I can't undo what my bastard brother has done." He moved his claws up to her deathly cold hand.
    Kallin smiled faintly, but the smile was distant and not at all like the smile she would have had she been alive. We all play out the part fate has writen for us. She sighed, Someone once told me that, but I did not want to believe him... now I think I understand.
    Raziel clenched his fists together with a snarl. "The Elder... it's his fault.. he knew all along that Turel would murder you and he didn't tell me. He knew I would have stayed behind and not followed Kain into the past...that.. bastard
    I suggest you not take that tone when refering to me, Raziel. It will do you no good at all. Kallin flinched back from him. She could hear the Elder's words and it frightened her.
    "YOU!" All at once Raziel felt his strength returning as emotions boiled inside of him. "How dare you show yourself now after what you've done to me!" He could feel the Elder stiring, but he didn't care.
    I gave you a chance to avenge your cruel, unjust execution.
    "How?" Raziel interupted, "By giving me an un-life I never asked for? For using me to do your dirty work? Work that you cannot accomplish because you sit forever in the underworld as the giant squid you are?"
    I would not take such a tone with me little one, I may not have been able to destroy you in the past, but here in the present I can make your un-life exceptionaly unplesant.
    "So be it... destroy me and let me die once and for all.. if this is how its going to be, one lose after another, simply kill me and get it over with."
    The Elder chuckled coldly, I have something far worse for your punishment.. little one. With that Raziel felt his body go limp as if he were loosing control of himself. He could feel the Elder taking control of his body, as his hand moved to the edge of his cowl. Perhaps this will teach you not to disobey me again.
    Realizing just a little to late what he had done Raziel began to struggle with all his might, but he knew it was hopeless, the Elder was thousands of years older than he.. and a thousand times more powerful. "Please, I beg you.. anything but that...please, destroy me, end my life, leave me here in this god awful realm for eternity.. anything but that!"
    Perhaps this is the only way to truly destroy you.. I warned you before there were far worse things than death, but each time you ignored me thinking yourself more powerful than I.. foolish one, I am older than time itself. I was here at the begining and I will be here in the end. I will not be threatened by the likes of you. Raziel continued struggling to strain and fight the force of the Elder. all his remaining energy devoted to struggling his own arm as it pulled down the cowl revealing his fanged upper jaw and the vacuous abyss inside. "Kaly.." He begged, "Please, forgive me." Tears stung his eyes, he was loosing the fight.
    Kallin nodded slowly, her soul winding its way towards him, I do...
    Raziel shut his eyes tightly, tears streaming down his face. "I'll love you.. always."
    And with that she was gone and the Elder's influence left him just as quickly. He fell to his knees, the cowl left where it was; drooped over his shoulders. He could feel her mind inside of him, just as his brothers had when Raziel had devoured their souls. With a moan he toppled over to his side and lay there. Somewhere off in the distance he could hear the Sluagh's slurping noices. Let them come.. Raziel sighed. He didn't care anymore, he just wanted to join Kallin in the other realm, but he couldn't die even if he tried.
------------------------------------------------------
    The Sluagh were getting closer, he could hear their slurpy sucking noices as they neared him.. and Raziel didn't care. Like a pack of jackels they swarmed to him, draining off his strength and will to fight. Just as he felt his weakest and hopeful that he would finally die the area around him blured and shifted and again Raziel found himself back in the deep caverns of the underworld. With a weak shiver he shut his eyes and lay still.
    "A sad, sorry excuse for a vampire you've become."
    Raziel hadn't even flinched, mostly because he didn't have the will for it. "If your here to teach me sometime I refuse to listen.. let me just lay here for the rest of eternity and go boast to someone who cares.." His voice was low and barely audible, his tone defeated and uncaring.
    Kain sighed leaning back against the hard rock wall of the Elder's domain, crossing his arms over his chest. He'd been sitting in the underworld for sometime now waiting for Raziel to follow. "I didn't come here for anything aside to check on you.. I was beginging to worry you didn't make it back."
    For the first time in his life Raziel was rather shocked at Kain's words. Painfully he rolled onto his other side to face Kain expecting to see his usual sarcastic smirk. Instead he found pity and remorse which made him thoroughly confused, but his hatred for history, the Elder and Turel were growing out of control by the moment. His voice still low and pained he said, "You knew didn't you? All of it. Janos, the Reaver, me... and Kallin."
    Kain nodded his head slowly. "I've known since the beginging, but I didn't know about her until it was to late. Turel, it seems, is trying to claim power for himself. That's why he's been in hiding since you were..." He paused not knowing how to finish the sentance.
    "Sarcrificed to the Abyss?"
    Reluctantly Kain nodded. "He knew we would both not be returning when we entered the Orical's Cave." He paused, "With you and I gone there would be no one to stand in his way of ruling Nosgoth alone." He sat thinking a moment, "He's always been jealous of you, you know."
    Raziel blinked, "Turel? Jealous of me?"
    "Don't be simple Raziel, think! You were first born, had unlimited power and were the first vampire since Janos Audron to gain wings! All of your brothers were jealous, but it was Turel who seemed to take it to an extreem...Which is why he killed her. To get back at you." Frowning Kain looked off to the side, "He's still out there somewhere. Ploting to destroy me, and when he finds your still alive I suspect he'll want to kill you as well."
    Raziel snorted, "I'd hardly consider my current condition as 'living'.. but ..here I am." He finished quietly.
    Kain sighed, "I know saying I'm sorry wont fix things, but.. I am.. .. and I have a feeling that won't account for much at this point either."
    ".. your right.. it won't."
    They both sat there in silence a moment, both not knowing what to say to other and both not knowing what the other would say.
    Kain cleared his throat, gaining some of his old humour back in his voice, "At nightfall I'm going searching for Turel and flush him out of his clan territory.. I thought perhaps you may want to first... but if I have to kill him myself I will."
    "Do what you will, just leave me be..."
    Standing Kain sighed, his tone becoming harsh, "I thought after all we've been through, you and I, that perhaps you might have learned for youself what destiny is truly about... but apparently not." And with that Kain was gone, leaving Raziel alone in the Underworld.
    Unmoving Raziel closed his eyes, drifting into a deep dreamless sleep.

    Again Raziel woke, only this time he woke to silence as he was being proded in the side by someone standing over him.
    "Come on, get up.. you've been down here for far to long now.."
    With a moan he opened his eyes slightly as he woke old pains and rolled over to his other side. "I told you to leave me be.."
    "And I'm telling you to drag your carcass off that floor now."
    "Aren't you supposed to be out there somewhere murdering your last born?"
    Kain grunted with a small snort, "I was.. it seems Turel is a lot more powerful than I first believed." With that he walked away from Raziel's still form. "It will take more than me to kill him.."
    Raziel turned his head to see Kain sitting on a nearby rock, a rather large, newly healed, gash mark on his right side. "Getting old are we?"
   Kain snarled, but it didn't seem to faze him. "Perhaps..." He shook his head and looked to Raziel, "But no one - not even Turel - should be this powerful..." He paused, "If you care at all for the fate of Nosgoth, please help me destroy him."
   Raziel snorted, "how is Nosgoth to be restored then after his life is no more? I cared for Nosgoth once.. and look where it got me.. killing Turel won't restore the ballance to the land, nor will bring the pillars back to their former selves. "
   "Probably not...
   "So what then?"
   Kain shook his head slowly. "I don't know.. now that I look back.. I never wanted it to go this far. I truly would like to see Nosgoth be as splended a place as it was back then.. but as long as Turel lives I don't see that happening any time soon. He has become a mad man bent on corupting the land further." Raziel lay silent. "If you wont listen to me, then use your own judgement and decide for yourself. If Turel isn't stopped Nosgoth will become worse."
   For a moment Raziel sat silent then he nodded with a moan. "Alright.. alright.. fine.." With that, slowly Raziel sat up from the spot he had not moved from in over a week. It hurt to move, and gravity was hating him so much at this moment. He slouched over resting his hands in his lap. "I'll work with you on this once, but when its over and we go our seperate ways I'm going to find my own path.. and if that includes kill you to restore ballance, than so be it."
   Kain nodded slowly getting to his feet with painful wince. "Need a hand getting up?"
   Raziel considered a moment then nodded slowly. He didn't think he could get to his hands and knees if he tried. Kain walked over catching Raziel by the wrist and jerked him to his feet rather quickly. Unsteadly, Raziel felt his legs wobble under him, but tried with all his might to stand straight. "I feel like Sluagh droppings.."
    "Not to make things seem worse than they already are, but you look like it too."
   "Gee, thank you.." Raziel mumbled under his breath.
    Kain chuckled to himself as his mood lightened considerably. "What's say we get out of here and talk somewhere a little more hospitable, hm?" As he finished his sentance the both of them disapeared in a white light. Raziel felt the area around him spinning and at first he thought Kain had led him into a trap. Just as he was begining to form ideas into his mind the area cleared and opened to a small room with one bed against the wall and a table beside it. Against the far wall was a fireplace and a door next to it. Raziel, who appeared near the corner fell backwards to sit on the edge of the bed. He hadn't been in this room in centeries and the whole place smelled moldy and closed up. Dust covered almost everything and bookselves that appeared to be ransacked eons ago left books along the floor. Kain appeared a few feet away next to the fireplace. Sniffing an ale glass that had apparently been there for quite sometime, he sighed at the condition of his former leutenant's former sleeping quarters and began making a fire to ward off the chill in the room.