Chapter 8

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    Dispite LoN's pleas for Raziel to follow her, Raziel again found his own path and had followed Tallania into the lands outside Nosgoth to help her find even a remote chance that her love was still alive. Tallania had insisted that she go alone, but Raziel wouldn't let her, he felt now it was his responsibility to keep her safe. Over the several days hike it took to get to the small town Raziel and Tallania had become rather close friends. Raziel seemed to becoming happier by the day and seemed to be dwelling less and less on Kallin. He could finally begin to let her go and for the first time since Kallin's death he found someone to talk to who didn't flee in fear at Raziel's appearance.
    Crouching on a near by boulder Raziel stayed hidden on the hillside as she questioned people around her small village if any of them had seen or heard anything from either Darken or Nathaniel, all of them said no. Comming back to lean against the boulder Raziel was crouched on she sighed with another tear in her eye.
    "I give up, Raziel.. he's not comming back.." She twisted the wedding ring around her finger thoughtfully.
    Raziel nodded slowly and absent mindedly. "I'm sorry.."
    She shook her head smiling lightly down to Richard who was tugging gently on her hair. "Don't be... life goes on."
    Sliding off the rock Raziel looked at her with the faintest of smiles and stood beside her lifting her chin with a clawed-finger. "You can't give up hope just yet. If he's out there you'll find him. I'm sure he wouldn't give up looking for you, you shouldn't either." Removing his fingers he crouched down to look over the town.
    "I know he wouldn't...but I doubt he'd bother if he knew I was dead.."
    "Knowing a believing are two different things." He swallowed hard looking back at her. "If I were in his possition I'd never stop looking. Faith and hope are the two things that intertwine around our lives... if nothing else you should always have faith."
    She sighed slightly. "I do, Raziel. I do.. but...my faith is slipping away slowly."
    He stood balling his hands into fists and layed them over his chest. "Keep it close to you.. grip it with all your might and anything can be possible."
    She smiled weakly. "Thank you Raziel.." She began walking farther up the hillside.
    Cocking a little half smile without realizing it Raziel cleared his throat awkwardly and looked back following silently behind her.
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    Nightfall fell as Raziel sat perched on the mountainside, the sun setting slowly on the horizon. He yawned faintly and looked back to watch Tallania and Richard sleeping peacefully on the ground. It had been almost four days since they had come to the town and still there was no word or sign of Darken. Today she had gone to town again asking anyone if they had any information that could be of use to her, but again no one said they did. Tallania had begun to sink deeper and deeper into a depressed state and nothing Raziel could do would cheer her.
    Richard began crying lightly. Tallania yawned faintly and sat up conforting the child as best she could, he apparently didn't want to sleep outdoors anymore than she did. "Come now... hush."
    Again Raziel yawned and stretched walking to two of them and flopped down to sit beside them and watched silently. Richard continued to cry. "Could I.. er." He stopped himself sort of making a fool of himself and blinked at her as she turned to look at him.
    "Hm?"
    Raziel scratched the back of his neck again, he'd become rather close to her, but never had gotten to closed to the boy before. "Could I hold him? Just for a bit?"
    "Of course." Tallania laughed faintly and slipped the youngster into Raziel's arms with a yawn, she was so very tired, she'd been pushing herself harder and harder each day and it was begining to wear on her.
    Cradling Richard in his arms he looked down at the boy with a smile.. Ah, to be young and not have a care in the world... Richard giggled up at him.
    "I'm going to have to raise Richard on my own now and still find some way to avoid Nathaniel." She sighed looking out into the distance of the setting sun. "I just want a family...Someone to love and care for..someone I can raise Richard with...I don't know what to do now...I'm lost." She paused. "Is that to much to ask?"
    Raziel shook his head slowly, "I wished the same thing once.. It didn't get me very far."
    She looked down to the side slightly, "I'm sorry."
    "Atleast you enjoyed what little time you had."
    She nodded slowly watching Richard pulling gently on the edge of Raziel's cowl with a smirk. It seemed the two of them were getting along well enough, and perhaps Richard liked Raziel more than he let on.
    "Is he always this full of life or does he never tire himself out?"
    She laughed suddenly and shook her head looking at him with a smile. "He's a baby, Raziel, he's always full of life. It's just how he is."
    Tugging on the cowl himself Raziel snorted, "I don't know whether I should be thankful or dissapointed."
    She cocked her head to the side a little, "How so?"
    Raziel sighed a bit, "He'll most likely out grow it when he gets older.. and have to fullfil his own destiny." Just like I have to fullfil mine. Again Raziel sighed, LoN was probably cursing him loudly somewhere for leaving and staying away for far too long.
    She shook her head slowly again laying down on the ground. "He's a Rahl.. he wont."
    Finally just giving up Raziel sighed and let Richard tug on his cowl. "I still don't understand that fully.."
    "The Rahl's are an ancient family that ruled the lands of D'Hara..they were all wizards. Not just any wizards..but wizards that have both Additive and Subtractive magics. Some were good and some .. weren't."
    "..Oh." He sighed lightly at the boy, it was amazing to think the small thing could be powerful enough to do anything aside from attempt to agravate him. "It seems none of us are what we appear to be at first."
    She looked back at him, a soft expression on her face. "I'm really not what I appear to be either, Raziel."
    He looked up at her again and blinked lightly not following her words.
    Tallania shook her head sitting straight up. "You see me as a person - a normal, breathing, living person...I'm not."
    Raziel quirked a brow quizically looking back at her. "I... don't think I follow."
    "I'm just an animation...I'm a spirit. A soul." Raziel blinked, "Would have never thought, eh?"
    "Er..honestly no.." He mumbled, "I usually have a nack for finding something like that. Your.. rather well animated for a spirit."
   She smile lightly reaching out to touch his face. Raziel shivered slightly her touch was cold as it swept over him, but it was solid. He flinched back just a bit at the cold feeling.
   "And.. Richard? Is he.. too?"
   "No..Richard is real..I'm real..to an extent." Raziel quirked a brow again. "I'm a living breathing person..until i pass incorperal..I'm just a soul thats been brought to life. Not a soul within a person. I am the person."
    Raziel blinked at her, "I.. see."
    Chuckling lightly she leaned back a bit on her elbows, she knew he didn't understand, but she couldn't think of a better way to explain it to him.
    Yawning again Raziel let the suddenly squirming child down and let him crawl around the area around them. He sighed lightly curling on of his legs to his chest and leaning his arm over it, his other leg outstretched infront of him. "So, what now?"
    "I don't know.." She knew he ment what they were going to tomorrow. "Darken's gone..."
    Noding reluctantly he sighed looking out at the dark sky. "I have to return to Nosgoth soon." He said slowly, "I have a task to accomplish and there's no getting out of it either." He looked back at her. "Do you have anywhere to go? Family? Friends?"
   She shook her head, "Any family left alive wouldn't take me in and I refuse to stay in this town, there are to many people out there that know Nathaniel and could let him know I'm back."
    Raziel frowned lightly to himself thinking outload rather oddly. "I can't promise much, but you could stay in my 'domain' until you found a place to settle yourself. I hardly need it and no one would bother you."
    "I couldn't ask you to do that." She yawned sleepily.
    "You don't have to ask," He smiled down at the small boy curled up on the ground asleep. The little thing, it seemed could be worn out sometime or another. "I'm offering it to you." Her eyes blinked sheepishly. Raziel smiled lightly. "We'll talk about it in the morning then."
    Tallania nodded and lay herself down next to her son, wrapping herself in a blanket. Raziel stood and stretched walking a few feet from them and propped himself against a tree to watch over them in the night.

   It wasn't more than a few minutes until he heard LoN's somewhat gruff, but gentle voice beside him. "You have no idea what you're doing do you?"
   "Not a clue."
   "Hmm.. I figured just as much." She sat beside him with a chuckled. "You make an interesting pair.. soul and devourer of souls."
   "I don't find that funny." Raziel said rather huffy pulling a leg to his chest again.
   Again LoN chuckled faintly putting a clawed hand on his shoulder. "I didn't expect you too. I just find it interesting, that's all." She paused for only a moment and then cleared her throat thoughtfully before he could ask anything further. "Planning on comming back to Nosgoth then are we?"
   Raziel groaned with a nod leaning his forhead on his knee. "Yes, yes.. I plan on heading back tomorrow."
    LoN smiled releasing her hand from his shoulder. "Good. I was hopping you hadn't forgotten."
   With his forhead still resting on his knee he snorted lightly, "How could I possibly forget? Everyone makes it a point to remind me."
   "It wont be much longer I promise. I'll be out of your hair before you know it."
   "As much as I would like you to be 'out of my hair'," He said slowly, "I don't know how much I want you 'out of my life'... atleast not now that your back in it."
   She leaned her shoulder against the tree. "I know," She said softly, "But I have to. Just as you have a destiny, I have one as well."
   Lifting his head to look at her he sighed faintly.
   They spent most of the night in silence, both of them watching the stars, Raziel watching Tallania.
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   Tallania woke slowly and opened her eyes to see Raziel crouching not far from her looking over the side of the mountain in silence. She yawned deeply and stood walking to stand beside him.
   He looked up to her as she walked closer and continued to look over the side of the mountain at the valley and the sleeping town below. "G'morning." He smiled warmly, refreshed for another day ahead of him. LoN had left earlier in the morning and Raziel had slept while she watched over the three of them. She said it was the least she could do, she claimed he needed sleep just as anyone else did. Raziel had simply nodded and fallen asleep.
   Tallania yawned in response with a little grunt of agreement. "What time did you want to leave again?"
   "As soon as possible if I could, it's going to take another day or two to get back and I have to catch up with LoN as quickly as possible."
   "LoN?" She flattened her dress out and sat beside him, leaning into his shoulder lightly.
   Raziel swallowed deeply and looked towards her with the faintest of smiles. "A very dear friend of mine." He wasn't sure how he could explain to her about LoN being his mother, he still had yet to get used to the idea himself. She ment so more to him now as a friend, than she did as a relative, but he knew the bond was there in her heart.
   "The one I heard last night talking to you?" She yawned again, fighting off sleep.
   Raziel nodded, "She's become some what of my guardian angel I suppose."
   "I see." Tallania nodded and stood slowly to gather Richard into her arms. "I guess we'll leave now then."
   He looked around to face her, "You don't want to take another chance down there?"
   She shook her head slowly and sadly, "Darken's gone, Raziel. I have to move on with my life.."
   "Then you've considered my offer? To stay with me until you can find somewhere more.. hospitable?"
   She nodded with a light smile hugging Richard closed to her, the child woke slowly, yawned and fell asleep against her again. It was amazing at how quickly he was growing. Perhaps, Raziel thought, it was because of this magic his heritage seemed to possess. "I don't see any other options open for me, and as you said.. it's the safest place for now."
   Standing to stretch out muscles in his legs and arms, Raziel wandered towards her as they both headed slowly back to Nosgoth and it's clan territories.