The Request

Chapter 11

I lay in Kain’s arms gazing up at the ceiling above me. Behind me Raziel shifted in his sleep and moaned slightly. I relaxed listening to the sounds of the early evening. The window was open and I could hear a bird singing it’s evening song before it settled down to sleep and us night creatures got up. Not that the day was bothersome for us, the furnaces that burned constantly, billowed smoke into the air blocking out the harmful rays of the sun and making it much easier to raise fledglings.

At the thought of fledglings, my body gave an involuntary shudder. I was plagued by nightmares of those terrible hours when I had been at the mercy of my own fledgling. She had been so beautiful, but jealousy for mine, and Kain’s relationship had made her attempt to kill me and give me plenty of torture before she did. She had not succeeded and here I was a mere few months later, making preparations for my long slumber after which I would emerge transformed.

I often found myself wondering what would happen. Though Kain and the brothers had all told me you slept right through, I was still apprehensive. Would it be painful? Would I feel different inside? Would Kain still love me? I knew the answer to that. He would always love me no mater what but the other two questions plagued me when I rested. Kain would somehow sense this while he slept and would wrap his arms round me tighter as if to reassure me.

Raziel was due to retire for his evolutionary sleep today and I was due in a few weeks. Kain had complained to me that what was he going to do for all those months while we were both gone? I felt for him then. It would be very lonely until we awoke.

The three of us had had a very long drawn out time together talking and teasing each other as well as making love very leisurely. Raziel had looked very tired by the end as was the way for a vampire about to enter the long sleep. For a good few weeks beforehanatigatigue and a lack of needing to feed so often would affect them. This was the way in which a vampire’s body prepared itself. During the hibernation, there would be no feeding at all and so the body slowed itself down in readiness for it.

When a vampire awakened they would easily drain eight or nine humans of their blood to regain lost strength and would be fatigued for a few days following. I had started to feel the first signs of my body preparing over the previous few days and had needed to feed less than normal. Now however, I was feeling the thirst and decided to leave my lover and my best friend for a while and seek a meal.

I dressed and descended to the dungeon and the guard bowed low as I entered.

‘My lady, we have fresh prisoner’s who were brought in last night. Would you care to inspect them?’

I inclined my head in acceptance and followed him down the corridor to where the new prisoners were to be found.

Having regarded them all and deciding what should be done with each one (The strong ones were put to work and the weaker ones kept for our food.) I selected a young male and drained him.

Leaving the cell, I returned to my chambers and found Kain and Raziel still sleeping peacefully. The two of them looked so beautiful together, I prayed nothing would ever separate them or myself.

I seated myself on the bed and stroked Kain’s face softly. He stirred and gazed up at me. He then turned to see Raziel still sleeping. He nudged him gently.

‘Raziel, wake up, you have much preparing to do today for your evolutionary sleep.’

Raziel opened his eyes and smiled. ‘Yes’ he murmured, ‘I have a lot to do,’

They both rose and dressed. After Raziel had teleported away to his own stronghold to leave instructions with his first-born to run his clan while he was absent, I turned to Kain. He embraced me, holding me close and kissing my hair. We stayed there like that for a long time. I needed to feel his strong arms around me as a reassurance that he wasn’t going to leave me.

Ever since I had been held captive, Kain had not left the Sanctuary to go on any business trips. He sent his underlings instead and declared that if any of his sons had a serious problem, then they were to come to him and he would deal with it from here. He was not going to risk me again he told me and I was more than happy for him to stay here. I did worry though, that he might feel trapped by his obligations towards my safety. He had chuckled then and told me not to worry he would rather stay with me anyway as my company was more, should he say ‘interesting’? He’d winked at me making his meaning clear. We had tumbled onto the bed and showed each other then, just how ‘interesting’ our own company was.

We were still embracing when Raziel returned.

‘Father I am ready.’

‘Very well then, the room is ready and we will go there now.’

The three of us left the bedroom and departed to a little used area of the Sanctuary. It was on the north facing side and rooms were kept here in pristine condition for vampires to hibernate in peace and safety.

Unlocking one door, we entered to find ourselves in a room, decorated wth Raziel’s clan banner above the bed, which had been made with fresh sheets. These rooms were almost air tight, preserving whatever was within until the door was opened again after the hibernation ended.

We walked over to the bed and Raziel undressed. Climbing under the sheets he lay down and closed his eyes. Kain leaned over and kissed his forehead.

‘Sleep well my beautiful son.’

I in turn bend my head and brushed his forehead with my kiss. I was going to miss him though not for as long as Kain who would have to endure long lonely nights without either of us to give him comfort. I hoped he would be all right.

Raziel lay perfectly still under the sheets and his skin turned slightly grey, indicating that the long hibernation had begun. We exited the room and after locking it we headed back to our own apartments.

I felt exhausted and lay on the bed to rest. Short excersions were tiring for me now that my own hibernation was so close. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

A few weeks later saw myself and Kain trekking the same route to the northern wing, where my own room awaited me to occupy for the long months ahead. This room was decorated with Kain’s clan banner and one had been draped over the bed. Taking me over to the bed, Kain undressed me with tenderness and laid my clothes on the only chair in the room. He guided me round the side and laid me in the bed. I could feel my eyelids becoming heavy as I fought the sleep to gaze on my Lord a little longer. His claw stroked my cheek and he bent to kiss me on the lips.

‘Good night my Queen, and when you awaken, I shall be waiting.’

I finally gave in to the sleep and let it wash over me until I was floating away into sweet oblivion.

My eyes and head felt heavy as I struggled to arouse myself from the darkness of my long sleep. The air around me smelt musty and unused. I slowly opened my eyes and tried to orientate myself with my surroundings.

It all came back to me in a rush and I remembered. Looking around, I noticed that a few humans had been shackled to the wall. Shaking off the groggy feeling. I rose from the bed and suddenly the thirst was upon me like nothing I had ever known before. I became a virtual wild animal, darting from one victim to the next tearing at their throats to gain the sweetness I desired. I drank greedily from then and after they were all dead, I sat back on the bed.

My hands were the first thing I noticed, three claws now extended at the ends and I turned them over inspecting them closely. Lethal weapons, I thought. I was going to have to be careful for a few weeks wth them as I might accidentally do Kain more damage than I intended!

Then my feet caught my attention, which had become cloven like my sire’s. I bent down to feel them. They were hard to the touch like hoofs and I knew that like Kain, I would not be needing boots anymore. I realised with a jolt then that the most obvious change had gone unnoticed by myself until this point.

My skin was green.

This puzzled me. Why was my skin green? The rest of Kain’s sons had retained their paper-white skin throughout their evoloutions and yet, here I was with green skin exactly like my master’s. I then recalled that Kain had stolen souls from the Abyss to reanimate corpses that had been long dead. After he had given each a soul, he’d breathed a little of his own into each one. Melchiah being last, had only a tiny amount compared to that of his brothers and was always the weak one.

When Kain had created me, he had done it the traditional way of feeding me his blood to pass on the dark gift. This I realised, must be why I had shared the same evolutionary traits as he did.

Remembering something suddenly, I tentatively reached my hand up and gasped in surprise amazemazement. There protruding above my eyes, was the same bone structure that Kain had. I smiled in satisfaction. He would be pleased for me I was sure. He had murmured to me that a crown would be fitting for me and so it was with eagerness that I now dressed and, taking the key that had been left for me in anticipation of my awakening, I unlocked the door and made for our apartments.

Opening the door I stepped in to see Kain sat in his favourite chair, looking out of the window over the wasteland that we ruled.

‘Kain?’

He started having not heard me enter. He rose up and moved towards me, circling me, taking in the various changes, and running a gentle claw over my newly coloured skin.

He completed his circle and came to a stop in front of me. He drew me into his arms then and kissed me fiercely as if possessed.

He picked me up and carried me to the bed where we sated our long-awaited passion what lasted for many hours such was our desire and need for each other. We finally fell asleep in each other’s arms. I was blissfully happy and contented even though I sensed he was not as happy or contented as I was feeling. Something was niggling at him, I could tell and deciding to ask him about it later, I drifted off to sleep.

I awoke much later to find Kain gone and a message waiting for me from Turel asking me to meet with him and the other brothers as soon as I was able.

Dressing quickly, I set off for Turel’s quarters where he stayed when visiting.

I knocked on the door and was greeted by five of Kain’s sons looking worried see seemingly with a great burden on their minds. My evolution seemed to go unnoticed and I realised this must be very serious. Turel spoke first.

‘My lady, we feel you should know the outcome of our eldest brother Raziel’s evolution….’ He faltered then and sat down heavily with his head in his hands his body shaking with internal sobs. Melchiah stood up and went to comfort his brother. A great sense of dread rose up within me and threatened to overtake me.

‘What happened?’ I needed to know. Please, please, I prayed silently, don’t let anything have happened.

Rahab spoke next.

‘My Lady, our brother evolved wings.’ He sat down again though he didn’t cry, the sadness on his face told me all I needed to know.

‘No…’ My hand went to my throat and I sank to the floor, my legs no longer able to bear my weight. I knew what those six words meant.

Raziel was dead.

My beautiful vampire who had loved me so well, was gone. Executed for the betrayal of surpassing his master by evolving before him.

I buried my head in my hands and wept. Wave after wave of intense sorrow washed over me. I could not bear it. ‘Raziel.’ I wept. My anguish so strong I felt as though I would drown within it’s depths. Rocking myself backwards and forwards I stayed for a long time like that, until the sobs subsided and I was able to look up at the brothers still seated round me. ‘Tell me.’ I whispered. Zephon spoke his voice heavy with emotion. I had never heard Zephon speak with any sort of emotion like this and the sound of it moved me to tears again, but I had none left to cry and so I listened in silence.

‘Raziel had awoken from his hibernation and was summoned by Lord Kain to display before him any changes he might have made. We were all waiting in the throne room when he arrived. He walked up and knelt before Kain spreading his newly formed wings for our master to inspect. Lord Kain rose up from his throne and walked behind Raziel. I saw jealousy in his eyes my Lady and…and….’ Zephon paused a minute to fight back the emotion that threatened to surface and engulf him, ‘He grabbed his wings and tore them from his back.’

He slumped to the floor on a heap, unable to hold it back anymore his body shook as the tears flowed between his fingers and dripped onto the floor making a bloody pool below him.

As his words sank in I stared in horror and from deep within my soul rose a new emotion.

Anger.

I turned and fled from the room. Rage consumed me and urged me on faster. I mentally searcSancSanctuary for his whereabouts.

He was in the throne room.

‘YOU MONSTER!’ I screamed as I tore through the door and charged him full on. So shocked was he by my sudden appearance and speed, he was knocked flying, crashing into a pillar.

Quick as a flash I was in front of him my rage making me temporarily stronger than him.

‘How could you?’ I demanded ‘He was so devoted to you and for something that was entirely not his fault you saw fit to kill him!’ I released his throat then and pummelled his chest with my fists. He let me carry on for a moment before grabbing my wrists and forcing me to the ground.

‘Please don’t make this any worse that it already is for me.’ His voice was so full of unutterable sadness that is quashed my anger instantly. Kan bent down and lifted my bloody tear-stained face up to meet his own.

‘Please understand I had to do it for Nosgoth, though I was jealous yes, I will not deny that, but please believe me when I say that it was a necessary evil to aid the future of Nosgoth.’

He stopped and I couldl hil his sadness like a cool breeze blowing over me and my heart ached for him. ‘How was he executed?’

‘The Abyss.’

A hand shot to my mouth in disbelief.

‘You didn’t, please tell me you didn’t, He was your son!’ anger rose again within me at the unfairness of it all. From somewhere deep within, more tears found their way to the surface. I couldn’t live with this, with a vampire who could willingly throw his own son into the Abyss for the so-called future of Nosgoth. The agony built within me and my whole feeling towards my Lord changed in that moment.

I couldn’t look him in the face and I knew that never again would I be able to give him the love and affection he so craved from me. Despair washed over me in a great tide and a sorrow so great it weighed dow me me and I struggled to stand up.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted something. Kain had turned away from me, gazing unseeing at one of the pillars.

As if in a trance I moved to the object I had spotted. I picked it up and examined it feeling it’s smooth cold surface. I turned it the opposite way up and poised over it for a moment before letting myself fall onto the serpentine blade of the Soul Reaver.

At that moment Kain turned and saw me.

‘MIZARIAH NO!’ He cried out and was at my side in an instant catching me as I fell.

I felt my soul begin to be drawn into the blade as it began to devour it slowly, as if knowing that I needed longer than it’s normal victims. Kan cradled me in his arms and sobbed openly now his tears running down his face and onto mine.

‘No my Queen I can’t lose you too, please don’t leave me.’ He rocked me as I lay dying in his arms feeling the pull of the powerful Reaver drawing out every last part of my soul.

A faint sound escaped me in the shape of two words.

‘I’m sorry’

I closed my eyes and felt the last part of my soul drawn away from my body into peaceful, blissful oblivion.