Chapter 6

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    Raziel woke slowly to the sound of chirping birds outside. Opening his eyes slowly he sat up and scratched his head with a yawn. He wondered what time it really was, was the time here in this illusion world consistant to the time above? Standing he looked about the room, it was still as dim as it had been the evening before. LoN's bed was still neatly made and didn't look as it had been slept in.
    Going to the door he opened it slowly and realized that again the sky was cloudy and dull... almost as grey as it was on the surface. He looked around the area with a plesent sigh, if only Nosgoth could be this wonderful. Off in the distance he could hear two voices arguing faintly somewhere behind the house. Walking idily towards the voices he could pick out more of their conversation.
    "You're insane women, it's still to early to prepare him for this.." The voice was Kain's. That explained why the sky was so grey, Kain's eyes didn't much like the sunlight either.
    "I don't think so.. if he isn't shown how to control his hatred towards you and the Elder all will be lost." The other was LoN.
    Raziel stopped at the edge of the building and cocked his ear closer so he could hear. Kain sighed heavily, "If I hadn't have been so damned cruel to him he would have had a clear head to begin with."
    LoN chuckled, "We all play out the parts Fate has writen for us. I believe you said that once." Kain snarled. "We did what we had to do," She sighed, "You saved his life and restored his true destiny.. that's all you had to do. I'll do what I can from here."
    "So, there's not a damned thing I can do then.."
    "Give him time.. he'll come to understand."
    "What I don't understand," Raziel said slowly stepping from behind the side of the house, "Is what the two of you are planning for me.." The Reaver showed itself crawling around his arm as it entered the Material Plane. Kain looked generally shocked, while LoN stood there with her arms crossed over her chest as if she was expecting him to show himself sooner or later. Kain glared looking towards LoN and grumbled under his breath. "Damnable women..." And then was gone. LoN looked towards Raziel and laughed to herself, shaking her head with a smirk.
   "Ah, if only Kain could see what I do." She smiled and walked towards him with a grin.
    "That's far enough, LoN.. or are you known by another name? The current Time Streamer perhaps?" The Reaver crept its way into view. "I don't know what the two of you are planning, but I'm stopping it now." He held his right arm with his left hand ready for whatever she could throw at him.
   LoN haulted and glared at him with so much hatred it made Raziel wish he had stayed behind the wall, "You think I didn't know you behind there all this time?" She snarled, "I was hoping hearing Kain's words would atleast make you think."
    "I am thinking women.. and I think I'm being used again in some twisted plot.."
    "Twisted plot?.. mm.. perhaps.. used?.. no." She sighed, her tone going back to the way it had. She held her chin in her claws stroking it lightly. "Even with your history already written for you, you never sease to amaze me how you can side step it."
   "What?"
   LoN shook her head looking off to the side idily.
   "Tell me.. now! You do know more than your letting on and I want to know WHY!" A snarl erupted in his throat as he swung the Reaver once in a threat.
   "Raziel, child, please.. don't do this..I beg you." She closed her eyes slowly and opened them back up looking at him in the eye. Again Raziel felt a shiver run down his back, but attempted in vain to keep his composure.
   "Why shouldn't I? Because of this accursed destiny of mine and this unforseen damnation of Nosgoth?" He snorted, "I fail to see how me learning anything will cause Nosgoth to fall off the face of the map.. look around women.. it couldn't possibly get any worse."
   She sighed slowly and leaned her back against the tree crossing her arms over her chest to hug her shoulder, leaning her head to look down towards the ground infront of her. "Do you remember when Janos told you the pillars were a lock and the Reaver the key?" She turned her head to look at him. Raziel nodded slowly, "The Reaver was forged hundreds of thousands of centeries ago long after the pillars were created. The Reaver served as a lock to imprission something of great power that could not be destroyed... As the pillar guardians died, or were murdered, the magic around the pillars became weak and the creature became more powerful... but still trapped. If you were to end Kain's life the magic seal would be broken and it would escape, thus destroying Nosgoth and most likly the rest of the world in the process. If you go up against it now at your state it would surely destroy you." She sighed deeply catching her breath.
   "So, the Reaver is the key to opening the layer to this 'enemy'?" She nodded. "How is this unknown creature not causing Nosgoth's decay now?" He asked sarcasticly. "If I were to destroy Kain new pillar guardians could be born and thus hold this thing in with their combined powers."
   "...If Kain were to die now the decay would most likely spread acrossed the world." She said slowly looking back down at the ground and closing her eyes. "Because Kain is alive the corruption is contained only to Nosgoth. If he dies there will never be new guardians, something is preventing them from being born, and its not Kain."
   "Then what am I to do? You said yourself the Reaver isn't what it used to be, would it still unlock the pillars?"
   LoN nodded slowly, she looked drained as if telling him this pained her very much. "Whether it be a physical or wraith blade it is still esentially the same Reaver.. only changed."
   "So..." He said slowly, "My destiny is to destroy this creature, restore the balance and thus restore the pillars and Nosgoth.." He didn't have to form it into a question.
   She nodded again begining to shake inside. The colour on her face was paled consiterably.
    "And this is what you could not tell me before?" Raziel asked slowly.
   "Yes.. I would have told you tomorrow when we parted ways, but as I said; you seem to side step what Fate has written for you...The timing was off considerably." She took an unsteady breath putting her hands flat against the tree trunk to steady herself.
   Suddenly realizing LoN's horrible physical state, Raziel took a causious step forward, "Are you feeling alright?" Raziel banished the Reaver and took another unsteady step towards her.
   LoN replied slowly, "It wants me dead.." She smiled weakly, bitting down on her upper lip, her mind was begining to become fuzzy. "It doesn't like me telling you these things because he's afraid its true." Giving a small moan, LoN's eyes closed as she fell forward to lay silently in the grass. Raziel ran forward attempting to catch her, but had been a moment to late. He put a claw against her neck.. atleast she was still alive. Scooping her up into his arms awkwardly trying to keep her wings out of the way he stood, the beutiful landscape wiggled once, blurred and dissapeared completly to show the darkly lit caves of the Subterranean Ruins. Walking towards where he believed the house had been he found a small cave off to the side and walked into the open enterance. The interior of the room was just had it been with the illusion. Pillows everywhere, chair in the center, fireplace and bed against the wall.
    Pulling the blankets to the end of the bed as best he could, Raziel lay her gently on the bed, pulling the blankets over her. She must have warn herself out telling him all of this against whatever this unknown's wishes.
    Wetting a cloth in the bucket of cool water he wipped beads of sweat from her forhead, wet the cloth again and layed it aross her forhead. Looking about the room with a sigh Raziel busied himself idily in hopes that she would wake soon.
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   LoN moaned lightly moving a clawed hand to removed the cloth from her forhead.
    Raziel ran quickly to her side and knelt beside her. It had been so long since she had fainted it felt like days to him. "LoN?"
    Another weak moan, "Azraile..? Is that you?"
    "No.. its me.. Raziel."
    "... Raziel? Gods, I thought I'd lost you too." She said weakly. She still hadn't opened her eyes.
    "I've been here since you ..fainted."
    "I did?.. what happend?"
    "You were telling me things about the Reaver and the pillars and you fainted."
    Silence.
    She moaned, "Nn.. I remember.." Opening her eyes LoN looked at him with a sigh. "You managed to do it again."
   "Do what? I don't understand."
   "Side step Fate.." She smiled up at him, her face was still horribly white. "When I was to tell you, I was supposed to die. You were to gain my soul in the process."
    "W-what?"
    "You were to ingore my weak state and continue pressing me with questions.. until he destroyed me fully. Apparently your heart won over your temper." She sighed taking a moment to catch her breath. "I have been using my magic to keep you safe since you left the clan territories days ago. It doesn't like me keeping you from him, nor telling you these things, but it could not get to you without destroying me first."
    Raziel looked at her, blinking slowly. "I still don't understand."
    "It no longer matters, Raziel." She shook her head on the pillow, "Because of your thoughtless act you've re-written my destiny as well as yours."
    Raziel frowned, "You're her.. aren't you? The women? Fate?"
    LoN closed her eyes with a sigh nodding slowly and reluctantly, "I wanted to tell you, truly I did. But if I had, what would you have done after it killed me?"
    "Gone after this.. thing and destroy it?"
    "You would have gone head long into another fit of revenge.. and most likely gotten yourself killed in the process." Raziel nodded, he knew he would have too. Weakly she cupped her claws around his cheek and smiled. "I'm sorry..."
    "I should be apologizing, not you. You told me I had alies in this world, but I didn't listen."
    LoN's arm fell back on her chest as she coughed again. She closed her eyes a moment then spoke, "You remind me so much of Azraile. Everything about you..." She sighed again happily and settled herself in the bed falling to sleep.
    Raziel stood there a moment looking at her and wondered why he hadn't noticed the 'family' resemblance before, heaven only knew she'd been throwing enough hints around. He sighed walking to the other side of the small room and flopped in the pile of pillows he'd slept in the first night he arived here. Curling his legs against him Raziel leened into the pile on his side, supporting his head with his arm. LoN or Fate or whatever she prefered to call herself was safe for now and for the first night in days Raziel fell asleep without any trouble at all.
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   Raziel woke again slowly, scratching at his leg and then stuffed his arm back under his head. He wasn't ready to wake up just yet.
    Chuckling, "If you going to spend the entire day sleeping I might as well go get something done."
    Raziel snapped his eyes open to see LoN standing over him with her hands on her hips and her wings folded neatly around her shoulders, a smug smirk was on her face and she tapped one food impatiently.
    Raziel rolled onto his back putting his arms behind his head and smirked. "You're starting to sound more and more like a mother everyday."
    LoN snorted playfully, "And you're starting to become an ungratefully upstart." Raziel laughed lightly and sat up as she walked slowly to the water pail to make herself a cup of tea. She walked with a hand on something at all times to keep herself steady, but seemed to have gained most of her strength back. Apparently she had restored the illusion outside as well, as he could hear birds chirping faintly outside the door.
    "How're you feeling?"
    "Better I suppose," She added a few leaves to the water and slowly took a seat in her unusually large chair and sipped her tea. "I still have that god awful headach."
    Adjusting his gauntlet-boots Raziel then stood and crossed his arms over his chest with a sigh. "Well... now what?"
    LoN lifted the cup to her mouth blowing on the warm water. "Well," She said taking a sip, "Now that I'm alive I can help you a little more and assist you on the final battle."
    Raziel didn't like how that sounded, it was a little too final. "What about .. it? Couldn't it still try to kill you to get to me?" Raziel looked down at the floor, he didn't think he could deal with that again. He just found out who she was and wasn't ready to loose her just yet.
    "It may try, but as it's power grows, so does mine. I don't think it would be so foolish as to try that again, however."
    "It sounds like the two of you know each other very well."
    "Mm.. in a way. We've.. worked together before."
    "So... you're free to tell me whatever I ask then?" He asked hopefully.
    LoN nodded, "Within reason of course."
    "..Of course." Raziel mumbled.
    She chuckled. "What would you like to know now?"
    "What would you like to tell me?" He looked down at the pillows and sat back down propping himself against them. "I'm tired of asking all the questions."
   "Well," She said slowly, "I guess I should tell you a little more about myself now that I'm free to talk." Raziel nodded as she sipped her tea and spoke, "I was born to full vampiric parents over seven hundred centeries ago and showed my unusual abbilties even at an early age."
    "Unusual?"
   She nodded taking a moment to drink her tea once more. "As I told you before I do not need blood to survive as Janos did. I live and feed just like anyone else. But, because I was born from vampiric parents I evolved just as they had and am imortal... until such time as my promise to the gods is fulfilled."
   "Promise?"
   She nodded slowly, but didn't look like she was going to tell him anything further. "My destiny was written for me long before I came to be. A prophecy passed down from elder to elder long dead before even my parents were born."
   "..It sounds more like a curse from the way you describe it."
    "Mm.. perhaps." She said sadly. "I long to see my family again even if only for a moment."
   Raziel nodded. "I don't know whether I should be glad or sorry."
   "Hm? For what?"
    "If I hadn't stopped you that day you would be with them now."
    LoN smiled lightly and distant. "I do not blame you, nor am I mad at you. You re-wrote my story, Raziel.."
   "Am I am too loose you later then?.. just as I have everyone else."
    LoN sighed reluctantly, "We all pass on, Raziel. Everything eventually dies and fulfills the destiny they have written for them. I've lived longer than you ever will and seen many things in my day. Things that would make a grown man weap and a housewife brutally kill. In a way I long for death... but I cannot."
    "Why were you the one chosen for this destiny? Because of the lack of blood thirst?"
   She nodded looking down into her empty cup. "I was the only full blooded vampire to been born that does not need blood to survive. I can travel easier and stay hidden without having to 'feed' every so many nights. That alone is why I haven't evolved much over the hundreds of thousands of years. The vampiric blood that flows through me is the only thing that forces me to evolve into a more elivated state."
    "I see.." Raziel said slowly, he'd never thought the blood thirst was what caused the evolution. "I'm guessing your not going to tell me what this task is either..."
   She shook her head and stood slowly to wander back to the water pail and make herself another cup of tea. "I think you already know."
   Raziel frowned in thought at the pillow infront of him. LoN had said she was to be devoured by him after she died that day. Was her fate to be devoured and thus giving Raziel another ability against this unknown demon?
   LoN chuckled at Raziel's thoughts and sat back down in her chair, "Think, Raziel. You changed my history then, that destiny no longer exists."
   "I was always told destiny can never be changed, only altered and reshuffled."
   Again she nodded, "It has been altered. I still die in the end, but I get a little longer to walk these lands."
    He sighed lightly....How much longer?
   "Long enough to help you."
    Raziel shook his head quickly to attempt to stop himself from thinking, "Please stop doing that, I like having my own thoughts to myself."
    LoN looked off to the side with a sigh of her own. "It's something that's not easily stopped I'm afraid. It's another one of my 'unusual gifts' I discovered when I was young. I hear thoughts just as clearly as I would have if someone were to talk into my ear."
    "That must get annoying.. especially if you were in a croud of people."
   Looking down into her cup again she warmed the water in her hands. "I've gotten used to it over the years, but yes.. at first when the tallent showed itself I went half crazy until I learned to control it a little. I can't be stopped unfortunatly, but it comes in handy sometimes, that's how I knew you were behind that wall listening."
   Raziel had nearly forgotten about that. He sighed unsteadly and closed his eyes. "Does Kain really mean what he says, or is he using the both of us?"
   She quirked a brow quizicly. "What do you believe?"
   Raziel shook his head, "I thought I knew, but now I'm not so sure."
   "You thought you knew more then than you do now as well."
    Raziel nodded slowly and sat a moment in silence with a a sigh. "What do I have to do to prepare for this, 'final battle' then?"