Chapter 5

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    Standing on mountain side Raziel could see all of the empty valley around Janos Audron's former retreat. It had been so long since he had been here, and yet it was only a few short weeks ago. The empty valley which once was filled with clear flowing water lay stagnant now and only a shell of its former self. The water apparently had run dry ages ago and the valley was now nothing more than dirt and rock. The trees must have died when the water left. He was so far from the clan territories now, but still even here Kain's influence over the land was strong. He looked up to the ruined figure carved into the mountain side infront of him with an unsteady sigh. It had been his fault Janos had died trying to save his life. Raziel had simply stood there in shock too afraid to do anything to stop his former Sarafan self from cutting Janos' still beating heart from his chest.
    With a shiver Raziel dug his claws into the soft rock wall and climbed towards the fallen enterance of the high blooded vampire.
    Pulling himself over the ledge Raziel gave a grunt and turned around to look over the valley. From this high vantage point he could see the small town of Uschtenhiem in the distance and faintly on the horizon Vorador's abandoned mansion. Raziel had seen the condition of the area that once held flowing rivers and waterfalls. The water centeries ago had been sludge-like when Raziel had seen them, now they were a thousand times worse. The decay of the land had reached even that desolate area. The trees of ancient times were dead and decaying, the mansion crumbling or sinking into the quicksands around the buidlings. The time streaming devices that once were there were now gone. Whether they had disappeared into the sludgey waters of the swamp or they had been destroyed after Moebius had been assasinated, Raziel couldn't tell, but they were no where to be found.
    With an unsteady sigh Raziel turned, clearing rubble out of his way as he made his way into Janos' sanctuary. Apparently he had been the last one to even see the walls of this area since its colapse. Memories of that day flooded into his mind. Memories of the past and words Janos had told him. Janos had claimed the Reaver was forged for him alone and that it was a form of 'key' to the pillars. Days ago when Kain had convinced him to murder his last surviving brother Kain had said the Reaver was something neither of them could imagine. When Turel had been destroyed and Kain and Raziel had parted ways, Raziel was determined to learn just exactly what the Reaver was capable of.. and the best place to learn of anything was here at Janos' retreat. The ancient vampire had known him, known who and what he was... and Raziel wanted to know why.
    Walking into the dimmly lit room a sense of wonder crept over him. The room looked just the same as he had left it, books had fallen from shelves, stones from the ceiling had fallen about, and everything was covered in dust. Walking pasted the bookcases Raziel ran a hand over the shelves looking about the titles on the spine of each book. Everything was written in a strange characters that he couldn't desifer. Raziel frowned.. There could be info in any of these books or none at all. And there was no way of learning the language either... it was probably ancient Nosgothic, a language that parted the world even before the rein of Vorador. Janos' was probably the last person who knew of how to read it.
    Raziel sighed again, picking out a random book from one of the many bookcases and flipped through it. There were a few miscellaneous pictures of both men and women, but the whole book was written in that odd text. It would take years to pick through all of these books, and there still was no guarantee there was even a mention of the Reaver in any of them. Sticking the book back in its place Raziel walked from the bookcases along the wall towards the table in the middle of the room running a hand over the edge of it. It was here that Janos was murdered... fadded, dried blood still marked parts of the table. As he touched the edge of the table a shiver ran down his spine, the ancient vampire had seen something in him that Raziel himself couldn't see. He had called Raziel a sort of vampire 'Messiah', and the meaning of that word made him sick to his stomach.
    He looked towards the bookcases, again feeling drawn to them and ran a clawed finger over the spines of each of the books once more. Continuing to look about he found a book laying by itself on one of the higher levels of shelves. On the cracked, leather cover was an embossed outline of the material Reaver blade. Raziel leaned down to pick it up and opened the front cover, leaning against the bookcases behind him. More pened, ancient text was scattered throughout the book. Flipping through the pages he noticed a small sketchy drawing of the winged beings he had seen in Nosgoth's past scattered about the land and more images off the Reaver and the unknown enemy they fought against. Continuing to flip through the book in awe Raziel didn't noticed the dark shadow creaping about in the dimly lit room until it was almost upon him.

    "I suppose you have a valid reason for infiltrating this unholy place and ransaking these shelves of forbidden knowledge?"
    Nearly dropping the book in supprise Raziel looked about the room franticly trying to pin point the source of the voice, but it was no where to be found.
   Stuffing the book under his cowl and summoning the Reaver, Raziel walked forward to look over the balcony and jumped to the ground landing on his feet. "Show yourself creature and face me the proper way."
    The female voice laughed, dark and rich as old honey. "Who are you to speak to me about 'proper' when you have done everything aside from the task destiny has layed out for you?"
    Raziel moaned inwardly... gods not this again. He was begining to despise that word with all of his heart. "How am I to understand what is required of me when everyone up to and including the Elder, Kain, Moebius, and even Janos Audron have given me nothing but a flicker of hope to finding what my destiny truly is?" He replied rather huffy.
    "Perhaps they have told you all they think you are ready for, boy. Your task is not an easy one to go jumping into."
    "And you believe yourself knowledgable of my destiny then?"
    Again the voice laughed, "Mmm.. I have known about you since the days long before Vorador.. your comming was fortold even before the first vampire came into this world."
    "If you claim yourself so knowledgable then show yourself so we may talk and discuss this properly instead of me having to talk to an empty room."
    As he spoke a figure appeared in the dark shadows of the room. The figure smiled, her face catching what little light there was. White pointed teeth shone out of the depths of a cowled hood. She stepped out of silhouette slowly, the dark outline resolved itself into the figure of a women. Young?-Old? Impossible for Raziel to tell. She was certainly strikingly beutiful, wearing brown flowing robes showing off her ever shapely form. The brownish green cloak she wore, was cut along the back to let a set of crimson and navy feathered wings show through. She lifted a long-fingered clawed hand and pulled back her hood. Her eyes were unusually large, and the irises glowed an eerie greenish yellow.. A wave of midnight blue/black hair fell down about her shoulders and around a perfectly sculptered face and hard expression. Something about her apperance reminded Raziel of the drawings of the ancients scattered throughout Nosgoth's past. "Are you quite satisfied now?" Raziel blinked in surprise and fasination. He could not muster enough words to ask who she was. "Well, just don't stand there like a bafoon gapping at me.. atleast say something."
   He shook his head in short little bursts. "F-forgive me, m'lady. I-I didn't.."
   Frowning lightly the women walked closer to him laying a clawed hand on his cheek with a sigh. Her gruff features fading into pitty. She really was beutiful. "You used to have such a handsom face.. now look what they've done to you.." She sighed.
   Stepping back a few paces away from her touch something inside of him was practicly screaming at him to leave now. Fighting it off as best he could he looked back at her closing one eye slightly, studying her appearance. "Do I know you? How is it you know of me?"
   She smiled with a faint chuckle, "I wouldn't exactly say I know of you Raziel... but yes.. I know you better than you know yourself."
   "How is it possible? I've never met you before, how do you claim to know me so well when I don't even know who you are."
   Crossing her arms over her chest she snorted lightly leaning back against the table in the middle of the room. "I know more about you then you will ever know..." Her voice sounded pained somehow as if she didn't like what she was remembering.
   "I've had it up to here with people bringing up my past and using me because of it... and if your here to tell me you were some sort of betrothed to my former self leave now and spare me the pain..." He began walking past her towards the exit.
    The women didn't even bother to look back to watch him     "No.. I was never your lover, nor am I here to use you.. in all honesty I don't care about your past," She paused, "But your future."
   He walked slowly to a hault without looking back. "My future," He said slowly, "Is for me to decide...." And with that he was gone.
   Without little more than a sigh she dissapered leaving the empty room and its memories behind it.

    Landing softly on ground Raziel began walking back to the clan territories of Nosgoth, then stopped himself and frowned. He had told Kain that he was going to leave Nosgoth and go somewhere far, far away from the desolate land, but where would he go? Nosgoth had always been his home and he was shamed to say he knew nothing about the 'outside' world. Taking a seat on a near by cliff he looked out over the valley surrounding the former human city. Uschtenhiem had been vaccent for centeries now, the human's of the city had either left for the Citadel or simply left Nosgoth entirly to seek more fertal and hospitable grounds to raise families. Raziel sighed heavily, again he was left without anything to do or think of, which ment his mind began to wander; thinking of things that he shouldn't be. His eyes set on the small houses below. Kallin had told Raziel alot about his former life, but for reason's unknown to him had never said much about his parents, not even what their name's had been. She had said his father was killed in a battle against the vampires before Raziel's human self had become a Sarafan. That was the whole reason he had become a Sarafan; to avenge the cruel death of his father and wipe the vampires off the face of Nosgoth. Each time Raziel had pressed Kallin further for more information she would simply shake her head and say she didn't know what happened to them. He had always had a feeling she did.
   So many questions now bubbled in his mind and he didn't know a soul that could answer them. Kain, most likely didn't know much about Raziel's former life either.
   He thought more of Kallin then.. her still form on the ground when he had walked into the cabin, the little bodies of Reanna and Tynan, the feeling he had felt when the Elder took control of him and made him devour her spirit. Tears stung his eyes again. He felt her presence on the edge of his conciousness like a tickle at the back of the throat. She was trying to comfort him, but her presence was so weak now it only made him feel worse. In another week he would loose her completly as his adapted form 'digested' her.
   Attempted to do anything to keep his mind occupied, Raziel reached under the cowl pulling out the book from its place against his neck and ran his thumb claw over the outline of the Reaver on the cover. Something in this book held information of the Reaver, if only he could read the ancient Nosgothic text. He thumbed through the book idily looking at the pictures on almost every other page.
   "I don't believe you're going to find anything useful in there.. not unless you can decifer that language."
   "I have a feeling you can." He didn't even look up to see the women behind him, but continued scanning the pages with his legs hanging over the edge of the cliff.
   Sarcasticly, "You catch on quickly."
   Raziel snorted. "Why must you follow me? If you are here for the safty this book then you have nothing to fear from me using it against you or sharing it to anyone.. I simply want to know more about that acursed thing that I have."
   "The origin of the Reaver is indeed in that book.. but after the soul of a foolish boy was trapped in it, it changed and became a blade of power and destruction. Any information in there about the blade no longer is relevant."
   Raziel winced at the painful memory, he -had- been a fool. "Then tell me, why was the blade forged and why was it forged for me?" He turned in his seat to face her. The brownish green hood covered her face from what little sunlight shone through the greyish clouds. Her wings were folding around her shoulders like a feather-like cloak. "And while were being so open for questions.. who are you and why are you following me?"
   Sighing she answered reluctantly. "I am known as LoN.. for now that's all you need to know about me." She chuckled coldly sliding each of her arms into the other sleave of her robe. "I'm afraid I can't answer your other questions... you have to find out on your own."
   "Why?" He asked sharply.
   "Because there are forces who want to prevent you from discovering them."
   Raziel frowned, "I think I've already discovered that.. care to try for another?"
   "Will you stop being so sarcastic and know-it-all a moment so I can explain?" Raziel fell silent. She sighed heavily and continued, "Most likely if I were to tell you everything now something unforseen and terrible might happen to either of us." Raziel quirked a brow, half in humor and half in pure disbelief. "Don't give me that look... as horribly overdone as it sounds, its true. The powers that govern the universe have been and always will keep you from knowing what your destiny is. As badly as you want the information it must be given to you in small amounts, both to keep you alive and to sustain your curriousity until the time is right, or no one will be alive to tell the tale of your life."
   Raziel snorted in discust, "Why should anyone care about my life? Besides I'm immortal women.. I cannot die, I could just as easily tell the story myself..."
   "Hmph.. perhaps you cannot die now.. but Fate tends to have a sense of humour."
   "I think I've had all I can stomach from Fate.... but.. Indeed it does.... Fine then.. if you can't tell me anything useful, what can you tell me?"
   "Aside from saying that Kain was destined to destroy Nosgoth and you were destined to save it?... not much."
   Raziel shuddered.. Kain had used those exact words before in the tomb of William the Just. "Then your no more help then Kain is." He stopped himself with a frown. "The more I listen to you the more I think Moebius is somehow behind this."
   Now it was her turn to snort, "Moebius was a fool and a coward who deserved to die. I was so glad to hear that bastard finally got what was comming to him." She chuckled, "It was the one time I was truly glad Kain had been created."
   "Am I to believe you're as old as Kain then?"
   She laughed gaining some humour in her voice. "I am far older than the Time Streamer himself."
   "You? Older than Moebius?" Raziel blinked, the old man was hundreds of thousands of years old when Kain had beheaded the ranting fool centeries ago.
   She quirked a brow comically, "How many other Time Streamers have there been in history?" Raziel shook his head silently. "Two as a matter of fact. Moebius and Doirimer." She smiled at the memory of the young women who had been the first guardian of time.
   "How is that possible?"
   "You know that the pillars were once surved by vampires, correct?" Raziel nodded. "Well, this is because not only do they live longer - therefor bonding to the respective pillar for a longer amount of time - they also can contain the knowledge of what the pillars truly are therefor containing the magic around them."
   "What magic around them? The magic to keep the balance of the lands?"
   She chuckled, "No, the pillars do much more than that."
   "What do they do then?"
   "That dear boy.. is another thing I can't tell you.. not just yet."
   "Stop calling me that.. I'm neither your child nor young enough to carry that title."
   LoN sighed as a sense of longing to tell him everything about his life grew in her heart. She would only have to whisper to him and his life would truly be destroyed. And all her existance would have been for nothing. "Perhaps.. but you are still far younger than I. I have the privalage to call whomever I want 'boy'."
   "Call me anything but that then.. 'child, whelp, fool..' anything..."
   "Fool and whelp are hardly fitting for you child."
   "It might as well be... I have been a fool.. all my life I've been a fool... and somehow I have a feeling I'm being a fool now."
   She smiled lightly, "Aside from your wreckles temper getting you into trouble you're the farthest thing from a fool." She walked over to sit beside him, curling her legs underneath her. It was now that Raziel saw her feet which where hidden beneith her flowing robes. They were large and claw-like, but in an odd sort of way. Almost like they were forever stuck in mid-evolution. The vampiric hooves looked more like talons than the cloven feet Raziel and his kind had. Heavy leather wound around her 'toes' and legs to surve as a form of boots. She laid a hand on his shoulder, her voice soft and soothing. He felt nothing interesting about her, even her touch did nothing to suggest she had any vampiric ability at all. "You need to have faith in yourself, Raziel. The task ahead of you will be difficult and dangerous... but dispite what you believe you truly do have alies in this world who are willing to help you. If only you let them"
    "They have an odd way of helping."
   She laughed, lightening the mood a bit, "They show themselves every now and again.. you just have failed to see them as they truly are."
   "So, what now?" He sighed looking over the town again.
   "This part is for you to decide, child."
   He quirked a brow, "You mean I really do get a choice in this?"
   "To an extent..." She smiled, "There are three possible outcomes that could occur from your decision. One, you become the saviour of Nosgoth and restore it to its former beuty. Two, you refuse to believe me, leave Nosgoth and find your own path to follow for eternity. Or three, you continue with your mad quest to learn about the Reaver, ultimatly sacraficing your destiny and thus damning Nosgoth and most likely the rest of the world."
   "Hmph.. some choices.."
   LoN shook her head, "I never said they would be easy decisions to make."
   "Indeed.." They sat there in silence a few minutes both not wanting to say anything to offend the other. Finally Raziel looked down at the book in his claws and offered it back to her. "Teach me then.." He said hopeful. "I realize something is keeping you from telling me my destiny, but .. I will place my full trust in you in hopes that someday I'll be ready for this destiny everyone seems to taunt me with. Until now I've been running blind without even an idea of what I'm doing. Please...teach me."
   Smiling brightly LoN accepted the book laying it in her lap, her clawed fingers grasping it tightly. She nodded, a hopeful smile on her lips. Raziel knew after this moment he was caught... he now had to play out his destiny and follow someone else's will ..again. but what other choice did he have? LoN seemed to know much more than she was letting on and it frightened him. Despite that, Raziel felt safe around her, she hummed with so much power he was almost afraid not to listen to her, she gave off a powerful ora of protection, and that alone made Raziel want to know more about her.
    Chuckling faintly at Raziel's thoughtful expression she looked at him with a smile. "You have so much of your father in you.. I would have no doubt you were his son if I had met you for the first time."
   "How dare you say that.. Kain is a monster..I refuse to be anything like him."
   She laughed lightly, "Ah, yes, Kain. Hm.. perhaps you have some of his unadmirable qualities in you.. but that wasn't the father I was refering."
   Raziel blinked, "You knew... him?"
   Cocking a half smile and looking out over the town she stood uncurling her wings from her shoulders, the book tucked neatly under an arm. "Well enough I suppose."
   "Wait, please.. tell me, who was he? What was he like? Did you know my mother?" Millions of questions flowed through his mind.
   "Easy child, easy. I can tell you as much as I can on that I suppose.. I guess it wont interfere with Fate.. and a lad has a right to know who his parents are, correct?" She didn't seem to be adressing Raziel. "Hmm.. I thought just as much." She smiled to herself offering a clawed hand to Raziel to help him stand. He took it and stood up awkwardly. "Let us find somewhere more hospitable shall we? This land depresses me."
   Raziel hadn't even the chance to answer before the world swayed and he found himself standing on a lush field of grass in the center of what appeared to be a small town. Tree's abundant and rich with fruit were scattered about in odd directions and flowers bloomed everywhere. There didn't appear to be any life anywhere except for birds that chirped happily around them. The sudden, brightly shining sun made Raziel squint, covering his eyes with a hand. "Are we outside of Nosgoth?"
   "We're still in Nosgoth, but this isn't truly Nosgoth either."
    "I don't think I follow."
   "In all reality we're in the Subterranean Ruins long since locked and abandoned."
   "The Ruins? How is that possible? We're above ground."
   "Magic Raziel, magic can do anything if you will it to." She smiled as his attempted to shade his eyes. Waving her fingers in small motions clouds began to gather in the sky blocking out the direct sunlight just enough for Raziel to to lay his arm down. "Better now?"
   Raziel nodded slowly following her into one of the small houses. He couldn't help but wonder what the area really did looked like without the mirage. Did it look the same as he had left it?
    "The caves normally look the same," She said closing the door behind her. Raziel shivered slightly. She either knew his mind very well, had noticed the odd expression on his face, or had been reading his mind. She smiled warmly, which made Raziel believe it was more leaning towards the third option. "Some areas have caved in and others were rebuilt, but they remain about the same." She removed her cloak and hung it on a hook by the door, stretched out her wings and took a seat in one of the large fabric chairs against the far wall.
   Raziel stood awkwardly there in the room of blues and soft purples. The room was dimly lit from some source he couldn't pinpoint which made the darkness of the walls seem even darker. Wall hangings covered nearly all four of the walls and hundreds of throw pillows were scattered about in no pattern at all. A small bed stood in the corner, against a fireplace, its sheets neatly made. "I see."
   "Don't stand there gaping at my room.." She said slowly, "Sit." Raziel did as he was told, taking up a spot among the pile of pillows and leaned into them. Sighing she looked at him. "You wish to know about your parents then?"
    Raziel nodded, "Anything about them would be more than I know now.."
    "Your father would have been proud of you.." She smiled, "You sound just like he did at your age.... Anyways.. Azraile was born to a family of Sarafan, just as his father before him." She chuckled. "I believe Sarafan runs through your family back to the days of Doirimer. Azrail married a women named Fate who in turn gave birth over the years to six boys." Raziel nodded. "One harsh winter the Brotherhood had heard word that the vampire clans were on the move again and the Sarafan were sent out to wipe them out. Azraile was one of the men sent out to battle, unfortunatly as you know, he didn't return."
   Raziel shook his head slowly not wanting to have interupted before. "He was a Sarafan.. I saw what they did to our kind in the past.. why should I care about a father who would have killed his 'son' had he lived to see.. me?" He frowned slightly down at himself, he'd never thought of that before.
   LoN shook her head as well. "Azraile was never a full part of the Brotherhood, the Elders didn't trust him. They believed he was alied with the vampires.. but they had no proof to throw him out... or destroy him."
   "And I should be thankful of that? He was still Sarafan."
   Cracking one of her usual sarcastic smirks LoN replied, "He was alied with the vampires, Raziel. Azraile was a halfling who infiltrated the Sarafan in hopes of stopping them."
   "One man stop the Sarafan?"
   "We all stood behind him.. if it wasn't for your uncle Rahar the brotherhood would never have learned of the migrating vampires and neither of them would have died." She sighed slightly as if the memory pained her.
   "And Moebius never knew he was a halfling?"
   "I'm not entirely sure. If he knew he was using the information to some advantage, I'm sure."
   "But why would the vampires kill him if he was alied with them?"
   "Vorador didn't think so.." She trailed off.
   "So, Vorador killed him then?"
   She nodded, "Vorador believed Azraile had turned traitor and took his and his older brother's life."
   "Was Rahar a halfling too?"
   "No, he was human. The .. circumstances of his birth were different." Raziel arched a brow. LoN sighed and continued, "Your grandfather Aril had two wives in his life. Ra'li was the first who gave birth to Rahar and thus produced a human child. Ra'li died the night she gave birth. Aril would eventually marry Relin and bring Azraile into the world. Relin was a full vampire who gave up her unlife for the mortal man she loved."
   "I see."
   She continued, "Azraile would eventually marry and thus created you and your brothers."
   "Who did you say Azraile married?"
   "A women by the name of Fate. She loved you the most out of your five brothers." She smiled warmly.
   "I wish I could remember them..." He looked down at the floor infront of him. "They were not at all what I was expecting."
   Chuckling LoN stood going to the fireplace to scoop a cup of water from a larger pot and warmed it in her claws. The water bubbled as a trail of steam curled neatly out of the top. "Indeed they weren't."
   "What happend to her?"
   LoN shrugged adding a few crushed leaves into the water, "After Azraile was murdered she left the Stronghold and was lost to history." She sipped her tea and sat back in the chair again.
   Raziel watched her move about and cocked his head to the side slightly. Without much thought he asked, "Are you a vampire or something else? You remind me so much of Janos, but I cannot feel the blood line that runs through you."
   LoN laughed plesantly to herself. "I was wondering when you were going to ask. I knew you were thinking it, but didn't know if you would actually come out and ask." Raziel looked off to the side a little... what else did she know he was thinking?
    "Far more than you can ever imagine." She answered for him, "Janos was my younger brother. While Janos was a full vampire who sucumbed to the blood lust, I am more of a halfling who does not need blood to survive."
   "Then how is it you have lived for so long? Even halflings are mortal."
    "I am imortal in all the sense of the word, but how, dear Raziel, is another secret I cannot tell you." She smiled and sipped again at the tea.
   Raziel moaned lightly, "How long will it take before I can learn these things then?"
   "Time, Raziel... everything will become clear in time."
   He sighed heavily with a faint yawn. "...I do not want to intrude, but would it be to much to ask to spend the rest of the evening here? I've not had much sleep in the last few days and I'd rather not go back to the clan territories for a while either."
   LoN nodded finishing off the last of her tea. "Of course. Your welcome here as long as you like."
   Settling himself against the pile of pillows Raziel leaned his head against them. "I've so many questions and I can't think of any of them right now."
   Chuckling failtly she smiled, motioning her hand in a closed manner. "They can wait until tomorrow." Raziel felt his eyes close and slowly faided to sleep.