Raziel poised over the edge of a rooftop, staring down. His thin body was coiled, muscles wound like springs, ready and waiting for the command to pounce. He watched below, watching as humans moved about, licking his lips slowly as he picked out ones he wanted. Of all the juicy morsals below, he watched as one favored one walked away from the group. He smiled and lept to action, moving towards the chosen human, sticking to the shadows until he was upon her.

“What is a pretty lady like you, here in such a nasty alley?” Rasiel asked just momentws after landing on his feet silently.

The woman drew a gasp, whirrling around, a hand going to her mouth as she backed off. “What do you want of me?”

“Oh nothing much,” Rasiel said casually, a smile upon his dark lips. “Nothing much beyond your blood.”

Before the woman could scream, Rasiel was upon her, jaw gaped open and baring his long fangs. In but a couple minutes, she was dead, another life lost. He licked his lips free of the prescious last few drops, one claw elegantly scooping up a dripple from his chin and licking it off. He smiled down at her before walking away, jumping back up into the shadows.

Back in his home, the shadows, he relaxed. One more tonight and he would have to call himself a glutton, he thought, watching the unwary humans below yet again, carrying on, the woman not even missed. Of course, they didn’t even miss the other three he had already gotten within the last couple hours. Oh perhaps he should get one more, he thought, sitting back. One more because it seems his father was doing poorly on this night, having picked a part of the city that seemed vacent. He could sense Kain’s hungar. Or, he grinned, He could take one more for himself...return with the body and...

His dark lips spread again in a grin.

Kain mulled over some rubble, a few rocks, looking burned around the edges and pieces of wood. He plusked though them, hoping to find something, one thing he had been wanting despirately. It had been years since this place had burned down, set a flame by humans so long ago now. It was a couple centuries later from that horrid day. The ache from it dulled only slightly, the rage still remaining. But now, with this opertunity, he purchessed the right to search this lot before some company would pave it over and build atop of it.

He sighed, pulling aside more boards from the ashen dirt. He looked at one board, charred, ruined, one pannel from a former door, its grandeur long gone. He sighed again, digging still. He was right over where he wanted to be, he could sense what he wanted below, it was merely getting to it.

Frusterated, he focused his thoughts downward, locking onto the tiny thing and attempted to teleport it to himself. He recieved the box it was in, along with some clods of dirt. One pale eyebrow went up, then he worked to carefuly open it, the hinges and latch rusted shut. He proed at it carefully with his claws until it finally came apart. Inside the box lie a few things, ones he recognised. The ruby jewel Vorador had often worn, along with a few other things. He lifted a necklace he hadn’t seen before. It was a silver chain, tarnished now, and on it was a pure crystal, so clear it was like captured water like he would have seen centuries ago in a river. he carefully palced it back, wondering where could have gotten such a jewel. And next to it was what he was looking for.

He gently lifted it from the box, looking at it. The ring he had been given shortly after he had just met Vorador. He gently brushed at it with his hand, seeing it was oddly free of tarnish and dirt form being in the box, then closed his hand around it.

The ancient Vampire arose from his lavish dining table, to walk over to him. Compaired to the other, he was but a infant in years, a ruffian in mannor. However he neither backed down nor poised in an attempt to stand toe to toe with him. He reguarded the other, watching him move as he drew closer.

“Meddling with the affairs of man can do us no good.  Sarafan witchhunts are much too tedious to concern ourselves with.  Am I understood Kain?”

He nodded, slightly, barely inclining his head.

“Good.  Take this ring.  If you ever need assistance it will summon me.  Despite your youthful arrogance, you amuse me, Kain - it would be such a pity to lose you to the Abyss. Now be gone!”

Kain looked in his hand, turning ehe piece of strange metal, carved with runes in his hand. Not one for jewerly, he pocketed it, securing it away until he would need it.

Kain held the piece of carved metal in his hand, that same hand shaking some as he gripped it. He still wasn’t one for jewerly. Never considered it before, nor was it ever a part of his personality. But this...this was different. He remembered the day he gave it back, when he began to stay in the former mansion. With the humans in such disarray he felt he didn’t need it anytime soon. So Vorador took it and put it back in its proper storage place until he felt like handing it out again.

He turned it in his hand a few times, looking it over and over absently. Then, without thinking, his hand went to his left ear, his claws piercing though pale skin and cartilage, tearing the lobe in half. That same hand then picked up the ring and pushed into the torn flesh, forcing himself to heal around it. Within less than a minute his near non decision was done, the ring now imbedded in his ear, the only tribute left to a great man who once lived on the ground he walked on now.

He had also come here with new knowledge. Some he had paid well for from an imformant. It had taken him a very long time to figure out why. Why his friend, no mroe than that, mentor and was a better father to him than his mortal one had been, had died so much sooner than he shoudl have. The land wsas well enough, Gaila still lived, though she grew weaker year by year, no where as raipidly as Vorador had. He growled at the angered thoughts flashing in his mind, all things e wanted to do to those responsable.

“So he took you in too?”

Kain’s head shot up, staing at where hte voice came from. He drew back a alittle when he was presented iwth a young woman, a vampire, who possed firey colored short hair, wearing near robes, and had olive skin. She flicked one long ear, then walked closer to him.
“So why are you here?”

“Who are you?”

“I’m Dynasty. I am, was, his first fledgling. Why are you here?”

“He was a good friend...”

“I think more than that,” she said, pointing to hsi newly healed ear. “I just watched you do that.”

“Really?”

“Yup. Both of them are gone now. I’m the only old one left.” She kicked gently at a few rocks. “So what are you going to do now?”

“I have six fledglings to raise and a vow,” Kain said, straightening up. “Two now really. His death will not go unavenged.”

“What do you mean?” she asked looking up at him with her head tilted curiously.

“I don’t wish to speak of it here, in the open. Come, you are welcome in my home”

Dynasty bounced a little over to him, grabbing him by the waist and hugging him tightly. Kain chuckled and lead her on, the box tucked in his free arm. “How did one so young as you-?”

“An accident.” She looked up at him, her crimson eyes sparkling. “it was one of Vorador’s first hunts. He found me and felt bad about eating a kid. So he took me home with him and Janos fixed it. It’s not so bad, but it sucks being perpetually little like this. Everyone thinks me a kid and I’m lots older than they are.”

Kain chuckled, watching he walk closely to him. Elder yes, but still her mind was on the edge of a child.

“Hey! You think of me as a kid too don’t you!”

Kain chuckled again. “It is hard not to.” He scruffed her hair a little.

She sighed and giggled, swatting at him in return. “Fine! Then I get to scribble allover your stuff!”

With a laugh, he opened the door and walked inside. Dropping right behind them , and alerting both older vampires, Raziel landed with a smile. “Good morning.”

“You have to stop doing that,” Kain said. “Get inside where you belong.”

Raziel smiled and did so. “So how faired your hunting tonight?” He asked with a grin.

“I found what I was looking for, and then some,” Kain said, his hand placed in the middle of Dynasty’s upper back, leading her along. “Meet Dynasty.”

Rasiel smiled, giving her a small bow. “A pleasure young miss.”

“Hey!” Dynasty jumped up and graed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him down. “I maybe little but I’m older than you are buster!”

Rasiel blinked, startled by her reaction. “Father...?”

“She’s right, Rasiel. She was one of Vorador’s fledglings.”

Rasiel blinked again, then seeing some of the similaraties in traits between the two of them he then smiled. “Then I beg forgiveness.”

“It’s alright,” Dynasty said, letting go of his shirt. “Just beware next time,” she said with a grin.
 

“You may rest here tonight,” Kain said,

“Thank you!” she chirped, seeing the smallish but comfortale looking bedroom that was offered to her. Kain had purchessed a decent sised house in a nicer area of the city where people seemed to mind their own business which was endlessly handy considering the occupant’s diet and palor. All the bedrooms were like this one except the master bedroom, which he took for himself.

He smiled at her, handing her a borrowed older shirt to use to sleep in, which she took, seemingly used to having to wear such things. Though he imagined one of Rahab’s shirts would fit her better than anything Vorador would have given her. He then left her to rest, after recieveing a halfsised bear hug around his waist.

He walked down the hallway, chicking on each of his childer, seeing that they were all soon goingn to turn in with the breaking of daylight, seeing that they were well and fed. Interestingly though, Rasiel’s roomw as empty, though he knew where his eldest was at. All he had to do was go to his own room...

And there Rasiel was, louging out on the bed, still mostly dressed, his jacket off and his shirt unbuttoned enough to show the lean muscles of his chest. As Kain walked in, Rasiel undid more of the buttons, one by one, revealing more ivory flesh, rosily tilted from a good night of hunting. He crept closer, looking at his eldest questioningly. “Any what occasion brings this?”

Rasiel smiled, a misvevious tilt to his lips and shining in his golden eyes. “I sensed you hadn’t fed at all so I caught some extra for you.” His fingers trailed down his abdomen, tracing a slightly out curving path; bloated a little from being over-fed and easily explaining why his skin was so pink with life for he had stolen many on that night.

“I see. You are growing strong. More so than your brothers to always feed so well,” Kain said with a smile, sliding up next to him.

Rasiel’s head tilted back, his lips parting to recieve the kiss that soon came. He smiled lightly, feeling Kain’s fangs scrape at his lips as he drew away. “Are you still hungary?” Rasiel asked, smiling.

“Quite...” He moved over the young vampire, moving up and over him. He slowly lowered his head, meeting Rasiel’s slightly parted lips, building passion slowly in the locked kiss. Kain’s hand came up, fingers delicately stroking across the other’s chest, teasing, pausing to tickle across the surface of a nipple then over, to the middle of his chest, tracing the shallow valley there.

He pushed Rasiel’s head back, tilting his hear more to the cealing so he could start under his jaw, laying small kisses along it, folowing it to his neck, just under his jaw and down the line of his neck, folowing the stong muscle there to go along further, along his collar bones. He nibbled upon them, smelling so much blood behind his skin. It smelled sweet behin his skin, fresh and pulsing, the only life to Raziel’s undead body. Hsi fangs dragged slong ivory pale skin, scratching and drawing a tinny well of crimson, which he licked away, eyes fluttering in the extasy fo the taste.

He opened his mouth, leaning down for more. Until a hand firmly planted itself on his forehead, twisting in his hair and stopping him. Kain’s eyes opened in a flash at the other. Blind bloodlust made him preform those last actions. “Not yet,” Raziel whispered. He leaned up and clsoer, until their lips nearly touched, “Not yet. There’s so much more.”

Raziel smiled, now knowing he had his sire’s full attention, for both physical lust and bloodlust. Both of them were at his command and he would sate each to his own will. He knew Kain hadn’t been feeding very well these recent days, too busy brooding over something or other while he was gorging himself well upon the blood of the living.

Raziel leaned up, licking the outershapre of Kain’s ear, nibbling upon the point before he moved back, to whipser to him again. “You have been stressing yourself. You’re so pale now from not feeding one would wonder if you were a ghost. So pale...” Raziel’s fingers gently stroked over Kain’s face, over his sheet white skin. Kain was already an albino of a man, but form not feeding, he was so pale, oh so pale...Raziel wondered if a sheet was a god comparison. There was no rosy tinge to his skin like there was after he fed well. None. The area areound his eyes had darkened, giving his eyes such a hallow look. “You look so ill...”

Kain closed his eyes, leaning into Raziel’s touch slightly, sucumbing to a more primal nature, simply wanting to feed and wanting the affection he was also recieving. Raziel leaned up and kissed each of his eyes lids, then around his face, slowly, like a lover rather than a childe. Raziel slowly returned the gentle kisses, down the elder’s throat and to his shoulders.

“Lie down, please,” Raziel said gently.

With a light purr, Kain obeyed, moving to lie on his back upon the soft bed. He watched the younger vampire move over him. Kain could feel the warmth from the other, feel that the blood within him hadn’t cooled yet. So much of it it warmed his otherwise cold body. The unfamiliar heat teased his skin, making Kain shift under him, a soft sound came from his throat. Kain withered as Rasiel ran kisses down his pale chest, nussling the flatter plane of his stomach. His hand drifted down, lower, over the soft lower area of the elder’s stomach. He undid Kain’s pants, slipping his hand inside and tickled around his straining lenth. He peered at it, seeing pale flesh push up against dark cloth. It wasn’t as flushed as it should be, supposed to appear living but instead was still very pale. He tested it, the lack of blood making it spongy still, unable to spare the blood needed to power his alter ego; a bad sign as far as Raziel was concerned, bad for Kain’s health and his own desires.

Raziel moved away from him. With a whimper, Kain’s head rose, eyes tracking Raziel as he moved, stripping away his clothes. The elder’s eyes never blinked as he watched. First the shirt, the last couple buttons ocming undone, white silk sliding from his shoulders, over flushed, ivory pale skin, slipping ot the floor. Raziel paused near him, slowly unfastening his pants and sliding them from him. He stepped out of the mass on the floor. Kain smiled a little, seeing his dear childe was as bad as himself when it came to underthings. Inpatient, Raziel used his claws and cut the little bit of cloth that kept the thin bit of briefs on him.

He contined to track the other, watching as the younger moved over him, stradeling him. Rasiel moved high over the other’s body, did a small, teasing dance then flipped over him, to lie at his side if Raziel hadn’t grabbed hold of him and pulled him up at the same time, switching their positions again. Raziel then pulled him down, until his head met his throat.

“Feed...you need it more than I relaised...please...”

Kain looked up at him, his golden eyes dark with lust, then he continued what he started earlier, traveling down Rasiel’s body, licking along where veins were close to the skin, dwon his stomach and paused, just above his risen gorge, licking the artery that lie there above it.
Rasiel shifted under him, gently pushing his hips up, wanting, seeking more of the other’s cooler tongue upon his skin.

Kain smiled, peering up at the fledgling, and bit into his flesh. Raziel yelped in pain, then conceded to the other’s whim. He lie still, feeling lips and a cool tongue work at the wound, suckling the blood from him so close to where it would have truly hurt more. He felt his skin cool, then a chill as Kain continued to drink. Slowly, Raziel returned to his normal ivory pale tones, dusted with alittle pink for he had still fed quite a bit. He looked up at Kain, smilingsome, now seeing faint lines under his sheet white skin, lines of veins of red and blue.

Sated, Kain finally withdrew, the wound finally healing. He licked away all the prescious excaped droplets as it healed and looked up at Rasiel, a slight, but somehow near drunken smile on his face. He moved lower, licking up the underside of the other’s lenth, then kissing he head. He had been teasing Rasiel the whole time he drank, keeping him painfully arroused as he dined on his blood.

Rasiel grabbed handfulls of sheets, withering and gasping as Kain’s tongue kept working over him, his lips suckling and teasing him more. Rasiel’s head lolled about, propped on his arms to watch when he could as the other worked though the long silvery white hair that spilled upon his skin like sheets of silk. He groaned in abandon as he felt the other’s mouth envelop him, his hips thrusting up into it. Then suddenlly as soon as he groaned, the familiar builtup tightness in his groin releasing, he felt that mouth disappear. A hand replaced it, grasping him tightly around the base. Very much so.

Rasiel’s eyes went wide, his head thrust back and a howl of pain ripped loose from him as he felt his climax be driven back, its natural course blockaded and forcing back to where it came. Whimering, he fell back, flopping down, body twitching some. Kain chuckled, moving up higher over him, enough so to look him directly in the eyes.

“While I appreciate the meal,” his tone started pleasently, then turned sharply angry, “Do not ever attempt to overtake me again. You are the fledgling and I am the master. Remember that.”

“But Kain I-” Rasiel’s voice was horse from his pained sceam.

Kain’s hand tightened painfully around his now flaccid lenth. “Do not assume anything. You will obey me.” He straightened, pulling away from him to sit stiffly as he spoke. “I’ve watched as you’ve gained the guile and will to act on your own. While this is good that you have your own mind, never assume me so weak you can simply overtake me. From now on for your actions, you have to earn your rewards. And your punishments.”

Rasiel’s eyes went wide, his body twisting and bending to move closer to Kain, to beg mercy. He thought himself innocent, relaly just wanting to be a bit adventureous in this room but instead everything backfired onto him. “Sire I-”

“No. My work is final. I know you and your brothers are growing stronger, wilful. You have your places, all of you. You will be the first example of the new era dawing upon Nosgoth. That no one, not even my childern will escape my rule.”

“Please no...” pinkish tears welled up in Raziel’s eyes, everything suddenly turning to the worst for him.

“Hush childe,” Kain said, raising the feldgling’s chin. “You will have a chance to redeem yourself soon. For now, you will be punished. Stand up and go over there.”

Raziel looked, to the side, near the closet is where Kain pointed. With the barest of whimpers, he slid away and followed the order. He stood and watched as Kain moved and dug into a dresser drawer. Beneath the soft shades of clothing he seen a glint of something metallic. He pulled it free, shuffling he clothing back into place and turned. to him. He walked over, untangling it a little.

Kain gently stroked Raziel’s cheek, pushing back some of his hair. “With how I’ve treated you in the past, thus far this will be both the harshest and easiest punishment I have given you thus far.” He shifted the younger vampire to his liking and began to fasten it about his lower half. Raziel plucked it at a little as Kain pulled away then looked at him sadly. “What is it?”

“It is a chastity belt. You will wear it until you redeem yourself. If you break it, something far worse will take its place.”

Raziel figited a litlte, unsure. Kain had never done something like this before thustly, perhaps things were indeed changing. “Go to your room and think about it, if you can, otherwise rest. You will need it.”

“But-”

“Shhhhhh.” Kain spoke softly, as if to an upset child. He leaned forward, gently kissing Raziel on the forehead. “Go...rest.” He turned and watched as Raziel picked up his clothing, quickly slipping into his pants and leaving to the next room over, to his shared room with Turel.

Kain slowly walked over and sat down on the bed. He tugged at the sheets, absently pulling them back to relatively where they belonged before he climbed beneath them, lying there for a while before finally resting.

Kain sat back in his seat. Though the passage of time, and secretly a tutor, he cinally picked up on somehting he had been missing for a long, long time. Thustly, he could see more than a bunch of scribbles on the blueprints that lie before him. His future Bastion. The Sacntuary of the Clans. One of soon to be fortresses that will mark his rule. Now to get there.

He looked out the window. Again tonight he didn’t bother to go out and feed. He was too busy reading over these blueprints. He had then drawn recently by an arcitect working in conjunction with himself to lay out hte plans of a massive fortress that would be perfect for a last stand, able to hold on its own for a great deal of time if nessicary. But first he need workers, slaves even to build it. He had onlly but the few housekeepers and grounds keepers, all paid to keep quiet about the house’s inhabbitants, and his six children. Hardly an army much less work force.

Thustly, he concluded, it was time to see if they could go out and finally create spawn of their own. Again, he would have to start with Rasiel, teach him a different sort of hunting and selecting each of his own offspring. Then problems would arrise. The house was not large enough to hold an extended family for long. It was large, like those of his neighbors, but suspiscious would rise very soon if the death rate sharply rose. He needed something and fast.

He frowned, sitting back in his seat and twirrling a pen delicately between his clawed fingers. That would have to be something to overcome when it came. He winced, lips twisting in an expression of pain, his hand moving to his stomach, the source of the ache. It peaked, spikes of pain driving from his stomach outward, causeing him to bed forward some. He frose like that for a minute, until it passed. It also caused him to worry; the pains that had wracked Vorador started that way as well. What worried him hte most was his own children; although they could survive ont heir own now, if it ever came to that, they would most likely be more harm to themselves first, then humanity, something he did not want.

When it passed he forced hismel to stand, shaking those feelings. He strode over to pick up his jacket and put it back on before he ventured out to find Raziel.

Raziel sat, perched at another favorate spot. From the chimney he was perched upon he watched below. He was just over a school. The perverted bits of his mind enjoyed it greatly for reasons easily quessed and said. More so since he was perched right across from where htey changed their clothes for some exercise activaties they did every so often. And the wavy glass of the window just wasn’t wavy enough at this angle. He also was never going to tell his brothers about this place either. Oh how he loved the night classes.

He peered down, trying to restrain himself, watching, waiting. Then the time became right. The others had left except a single female, one who was straggling behind and he leered at this opertunity like any great predator, devourers of the strays and weak. He licked his lips, considering the posabilaties, the pure opertunity of being able to play with this particular victim. He lept across the way, and quickly started down the stairwell from the rooftop. Using his senses of direciton and smell, he seroed in on fresh prey. Of course in the end, he would have to remove her from this place. He could hardely leave her here with the tell tale signs of her death, not could he wisk her off home. He cursed having to share his room. So he guessed it would be an alley for her, and yet another setup to make it look like a mugging gone fatal.

He reached the door. Inside was danger to himself and to her. The water upon the floors and such. Water was acid to his kind. the thoughts of such fresh blood and more however drove him inside. He peered around the stalls, watcching as she dried her hair, poised oh so delisciously. He purred softly, watching as she moved, dressing some in her most under things. Then she caught him. For some reason, she turned, perhaps somehow feeling his presence, and drew aback, gasping. Luckily however, she did not scream.

“How long have you been there?” she demanded, sounding upset as he expected her to be.

“Not long child. Although, I have seen enough,” he replied with a smile, leaned back against the wall, arms neatly folded over his chest. “And I wouldn’t mind seeing more.”

She gasped again, drawing back more. She grasped a towel to her, clinging to it. He chuckeld quietly and stepped forward. “No need to be frightened, miss.”

“Sir! Please no! Don’t hurt me!”

“There now child...” He said, his voice gentle, sliding up to her in a very inhuman manner, suddenly there in front of her without having taken more than a couple steps. His hand had rised, claws splayed unthreateningly to gently grasp her by the chin. “No need to ever be frightened...”

She stared up at him, eyes wide, frightened witless. Raziel slowly leaned forward, kissing he gently int he middle of her forehead. With her now captive to his wims, she calmed some at his silent mental indication. “There...it’s not so bad now is it?” his hand slowly slid down her face, stroking gently over and over her cheek.

“Nuh-no...”

“Then please, no need to cling to that old towel...you’re a big girl and don’t need that right now...”

She slowly dropped it, letting the terrycloth thing slide from her fingers to the floor. His clawed fingers continued to gently stroke over her skin as he continued, “That’s a good girl. Is there anyone else here? Other than you and me?”

“No one, Sir. All the rest are gone home.”

“Ahhh...perfect. So no one is going to interrupt us now is there.”

“Sir...?” her voice quivered, her will coming to though her fear.

“Yes child?”

“A-are you going to hurt me?”

“No child. I won’t hurt you.” He raised her chin, making her expose her pale throat to him and he watched, mesmerised at the gentle pulse beneath the skin. He ran a claw gently along the artery there, up and he cradeled the back of her head. The dampness of her hair stung his hand, but he ignored it while he gased there.

“Sir?” she asked, her voice questioning. “Are you one of those night people?”

“Hm?” he asked in return, his dase broken. “Night people?”

“I heard stories...from my father about long ago, about people who are as pale as you who come out at night. He helped some organisaiton they had a relaly long time ago. He said they saved us from the Sarafan,” she replied. “Are you one of them?”

Then Raziel blinked, surprised utterly by the girl. She spoke of the Cabal, the organisation held centuries ago by a group of vampires, working with some humans to rid Meridian and ultimately all of Nosgoth, of the Sarafan and their heavy handed rule. They had been a threat to both humans and vampire alike, his sire, working under Vorador, had eliminated them as a threat.

“You mean vampire?”

“Yes sir, that’s what they were called,” she said, nodding a little.

“Yes...” he said, uncertian. “Why...?”

“I-I just wanted to be sure....my father said after serving well they would grant the dark gift...give us imortality...”

“You want to be one of us?”

“I-I guess so...”

“Do you know what it means?” he asked, puling her closer, leaning her against him, her head against his chest. “Do you know what we eat?”

“Nuh-no sir...”

“We feed...on humans. Your kind are our food. We live...but never to see the sun....it is the price of living forever...Do you really want something like that?”

“I-I don’t know...c-can you show me...?”

“You want this? You want to feel this? Do you even know why I came here origionally?”

“Y-you wanted to eat me?”

“I wanted your blood,” he answered planely, as if it were nothing at all.

She drew back some in his arms, looking up at him with wide eyes. “M-my blood?”

“Yes. That is what we feed upon. Blood. Day after day we thirst and feed as any creature. But we are not just anything creature. We are killers. We devour the lives of families and thier children as if they didn’t matter and how can it? It was a hard lesson for me to learn, for my brothers, to learn that we mustn’t care about the lives we take daily for we are one and the same. No human feels regrets for slaughtering pigs for meat. No human feels for the crops they spend time raising then rase come autumn for food. No vampire feels regrets for taking human lives for their own sustinence.”

“Ssso...it’s not that different...”

“No. Except feelings of constant hungar, for blood and pleasures of the flesh puling one’s mind constantly. The boredom of day to day living, little to do but sleep, feed...fear...Fear the hunters that seek to take our lives in return for having taken human ones...”

He watched into her eyes, into them as he spoke of the truthful tragity of his immortal life. And seen that in the end, she neither pitied nor feared him. He watched into those same eyes for a while, her watching back and neither of them moved until she finally reacted. Her hands slid up his chest, up and to rest upon them as she pulled herself up straight, leaning...

Seeing what she saught, Raziel put an arm around her waist to support her, help her up to meet him face to face. He stroked the side of her face softly. “You want this still don’t you?”

“It’s so sad...”

“There is no need to pity us. No one else does.”

“Take me with you...” She said, looking up at him.

Rasiel drew aback some. “What?”

“I said take me with you.”

“No...yes...are you certian this is what you want? You will loose family...your life here....”

“So? From the way everyone has always talked, it would be a great honor to become one of your kind.”

“Why child? Why give this up?”

“I have no life here. No hope. Why live in it when there is no hope?”

“And you would have more as the undead?”

“It can’t be that bad. Certinally no worse than what is here. My family is nearly breaking apart and I fear I will have no whe-”

“Shhhh...” Rasiel said gently, lying her against his chest and stroking her hair gently. “It’s alright then.” Memories came to him, memories of how his own sire treated him. The careing he did not show directly, but he felt it was there. He looked down into her eyes there, seeking. He could see the ache, the pain of her existance. He had been taught that to kill, ones pained as this, was a mercy. That in the end vampires were merciful dark gods, ending the lives of wretches and wrecks that lived in the streets. But was it not also merciful to bring in such cases into their ranks? Was not that mercy as well?

He decided it was time to find out. He had seen, watched secretly as Vorador took in the last couple fledglings he had chosen. How he turned them, and whitness to that, he was sure he could do it himself. Only that he noticed it hurt them at first. This dear girl had enough pain in her life.

“It will hurt child...”

“I don’t care...it can’t hurt more than I have before...”

“I won’t hurt you childe...” His head dipped, lips grasing her skin. “If you will let me...”

“Please....”

“Alright...” His voice was a soft purr, gentle. He tipped her head back again, his lips traveling down it., across her flesh. One hand, the delicate claws, ran across her breast deftly, teasing her as his lips slowly worked down her skin. Her lips parted, soft moans coming from him as his lips locked onto one nipple and suckled it, then moving to the other. His hands cupped and gently stroked her breasts, lips moving down again.

He gently lifted her, and sat her ont he bench behind her so she could rest there, and so he
attend her better. He gently eased her legs apart, nussling his way though the patch of curls to her slit. There, his tongue lapped at her slit slowly, his hands stroking her thighs. She watched down, hands at her breasts stroking them idily as she watched him move.

Her head lolled back, his tongue diving into her folds, exploreing slowly. As her mind rolled with the extasy he gave her, he finaly fed, sipping from her from below. He supped her blood as she withered around him. He heart her fluttering heart slow, and he pulled away. He moved up over her, cradelign her to him.

“This is the worst part childe, this part hurts the most,” he said to her, his voice soft, comforting. With a claw he split his own skin and held her to it. A few drops fell upon her lips and she licked it away. Then slowly, she moved to it, licking at the wound and then, suckling from it. “Shhhhh...” he crooned, “it’s alright...just drink...I’m here...”

A short time ater she began supping his blood in return, she withdrew on her own, clutching her midsection. She groaned, doubling over in pain. Rasiel leaned forward, scooping her up again and drawing her closer. “Shhhh....it will pass...shhhh....”

After a few minutes she sat still lying against him. “Better?”

“I’m cold...and thirsty...”

“It’s alright. Come on, get dressed. We have to get moving. I’ll make sure you’re fed soon.”

“Alright.” She moved from him and swiftly dressed herself with a little help from him. She moved towards her bag of books, then looked at him. “Do...I need those?”

“You can no longer see the light of day or you will surely burn. Your life as you knew it is over. Come, I will take you to your new one.” Rasiel extended his hand invitingly. She looked up at him, eyes sparkling, then she took it, walking out of the building with him.

Kain wandered the streets, feeling ill of late. He was unsure of its cause. He remembered changing before, slight changes, the growth of claws, the tips of his ears, the usual that a vampire went though during their life. Then there were other changes, ones that bestowed some dark gift that proved useful in their daily lives. He sometimes wondered if there was a way to control the changes, add oh say, something that would round out his abilaties a little more. He had plenty of power to attack with but he was lagging behind on sorcery. He would have preferred to be more rounded in abilaties purely because he did not want to be caught out if one failed. He coudl tear an enemy more ways than he could count between all the gifts he did have, though but a few anymore he could use to shread them from a distance. Somedays, he just didn’t want to stain his clothes to the point of ruin after all.

Then there was the other thought, reoccouring. Vorador’s illness...It had taken the ancient vampire slowly. He had to rip himself a few times from his fledglings and their care to help him. But now that was all different he finally remembered. A slow grin spread across his features. Those responsable would pay dearly just as soon as he regained his own health. Of course for all he knew as well that the same beings could have done the same to him for discovering what he had. But then, the symptioms were entiresly different, which gave him little relief.

He walked as fast as he could, down the streets to where he knew Raziel was. Raziel....and another...?

He cursed himself and took the next level of lively step until he could see Raziel and the mystery being, running towards him. Another pain and he faltered, suddenly collapsing against a wall with a pained grunt. “Father!” Raziel yelped, shocked. He picked up speed, leaving the other behind until he was at Kain’s side.

“Father! What ails you?” he asked, alarmed, picking the other up fomrthe wall with all the care of a curator handeling pricesless artifacts.

“No childe...I cane to find you...need to teach you next lesson...”

“No...no...lets get you home. You should rest. I will see to it you are fed and the house is stilled so you may rest,” Raziel said. “Whatever it is you want me to learn can wait for your health.”

A soft smile crossed his lips as his first born helped pull him to his feet. “Who’s the girl?” Kain asked, his eyes falling upon the girl that ha followed Raziel.

“Um..I didn’t catch her name unfortunately...”

“Jacque”

“Jacque?”

“It’s short for Jacquealin. Is he alright?”

“I hope so...” Raziel put an arm around his elder, supporting him. “We have to get back. Keep up with me as best as you can.” She nodded and they were off.

Upon returning, Raziel was asailed witha barrage of questions from his brothers as he hefted Kain into his arms and took him to his bedroom. He lie him down as Melchiah slid up on the other side of him to help his older brother. Between the two of them, they loosened his clothing and removed what wasn’t nessecary. Then the youngest sat, trying to access the health of their sire to come up with nothing. They worried more for him.

“He has a feavor,” Melchiah said, “and for some reason he feels weak.” He looked up into the concerned faces of Turel and Rasiel, the two eldest. “He is resting now. I don’t know what is affecting him.”

“Perhaps whatever he has been plotting has gotten to him?” Turel asked. “He seems to be stressing himself over somethng a great deal lately. What, we have yet the liberty of discovering much less being told.”

Raziel nodded in agreement. “I guess the best we can do is let him rest and hope.”

“Who is he?” Jacque asked, coming up behind Rasiel, “I heard you call him father...”

“He is our sire,” Turel replied. “Raziel, where did you find a girl and why did you bring her here?”

“She is one of us now,” Rasiel said. “Or at least I hope.”

“You dared-” Turel started angerly.

“I dared nothing. What little I know of what our father is planning would need more than just us six. Perhaps it will become his will to take more under our proverbial wings to accomplish whatever he plans,” he straightened as he spoke, muscles coiling in defense of the girl. “She is my child. You will not harm her.”

“How do you even know if you did it right?” Turel asked, his tone changing some, less viscious. “How do you even know if it is what he wants?”

“I’m sure he would approve of my decision. It is not like I have turned an entire city block, Turel. She has no other life even amongst what was her own. She has family now.”

“You have perverted ideals,” Turel replied then stalked off.

Raziel looked over at Melchiah who shrugged. “I guess he’s just mad that there will be three in that room now.”

Raziel shrugged. “It is not like I ask him to sleep on the couch from now on.”

Melchiah chuckled. “Then where will she rest?”

“With me,” Raziel replied with a smile.

The world swam around me, driven mad by my own fervor. I half recognised people around myself, shapes, almost ghosts hovering, talking words sounding slow, though the individual sounds blended together to form almost infantile sounds. Is this how an infant feels inside its mother? The world muted, so close and yet so far away?

At least now, the feelings of illness, of the nausia and heacaches have faded, muddied in this odd mix. I know not what was happening to me. More so since it blackened out a few minutes ago. Or was it days? I can’t seem to remember, my sense of time obliterated. This is a strange feeling place really...I find myself dreaming every now and then. Or at least I thnk it is a dream. I recall the day fate took an...interesting turn. Then death. So many deaths laid in the path I have walked for so many years.

Then there was the day I raised my dear first childe. Raziel...so helpless I could not help but go soft for him. Something that was truely mine and for the love of whatever gods that were, he was not swept away from me on what felt like a hundred occasions before I arrived at Vorador’s home. I cannot begin to convey how greatful I am that on that night he did not kill the dear fledgling. It was never like me to tell much of any feeling I was expereincing. That, not being my fault really.

Needless to say, I am proud of them, whatever happens to me now, or is happening, I wish I coudl tell them that. They have all survived this long and done so well under my weighty hand and I know poor, and far from loving care that Vorador gave each of his chosen offspring. One thing I could always say about him. He genunely cared about our own kind. His own kind. I’m not sure how much longer his kind are going to exist. There is little I can do for any of them. Surely most of htem by now have befallen to human socieity and it’s ever expanding nature. Perhaps someday I sould errect a memorial for them. After all, I am inheriting what was theirs and now has been passed to me and my kind.

Then the whole purpose of what I was doing came back to me. At first raising my childer was but a game, a cruel game to play. See if I coudl do it. Then see then as new soldiers for a grander army. One that would not turn one me for I would have personally raised it myself from beings I selected myself. But then...I softened. They actually earned a place in the cold lump of lead I have for a heart. I swore long ago that no other would even beging ot move in there much less take up permanent residence. Then they changed all of that. They will never know really...but then, hopefully I won’t have to tell them. That they already know...

Then I recalled that plan I had started...a plan to re-take Nosgoth for a slightly different reason entirely. This time, myself dominating the whole land fr myself was not my entire goal nor priority. Rule it yes, but more as a gift. I want to literally give them a gift of the whole world. It seem so off if anyone knew this right out. but it is the pure truth. My cause is no longer a entirely selfish one. They’ve changed that much in me. Oh Sebastian...Marcus...even Faustus...how each one of you would laugh in my face if you heard those words rol off my lips. I can definetly see one of you suggest I take up wearing dresses and chase tea rings on end tables after them. I would not go so far as that. I do so my way... after all...it’s the only way I’ve ever known...

Some times passed andas fast as ithe dark dream state seemed to overtake me, it lifted and finally...I could see the world once again....

“Father?” Raziel asked, apparently having stayed close the whole time. “Father?” he prepeated, not knowing if he was heard the first time.

“R-Raziel?” Kain’s voice was horse form disuse. He blinked, ttrying to clear the drowsiness from his eyes.

“It is me. Are you well?”

“Yes...I think I am now...” Kain slowly sat up and looked around. He looked around himself and found an odd powder and chunks of some off substance everywhere around him. He frowned at it, wondering why in Nosgoth had any one of his children decided to throw dirt on him, much less to do so while he was on a bed. “What is this?”

“It was what was left fo the thing that covered you. I can’t quite explain it, but it had. You struggled some before you awoke and it broke appart like dried mud.” Raziel lifted a piece so he could look it over better.

Kain did so as well then dropped it, eyes wide. “Rasiel!”

Raziel jumped as well, seeing his elder alarmed. He looked at the same thing Kain stared at so facinatedly. His hands had changed. In the place of five clawed fingers were not a trio of cloven claws. Flexable as if merely skin but so much toucher. Fascinated, Raziel touched one, feeling the changed texture as Kain stared at this large change. Then he started to look Kain over more, for mroe obvious changes.

“I think your boots aren’t going to fit anymore...”

Kain looked down and his feet matched. He pulled away the torn cloth that once had the right to be called socks and looked over the similar state they were in. Two tough claws in palce of his normal toes. He half smiled. “At least that damned end table will no longer be such a problem.”

Raziel laughed. “In that case, I cannot wait until the day this comes to me.”

“I mean it...I was about ready to toss that damned thing.”

“That is the first time I’ve heard you laugh in a while,” Rahab said, walkign into the room with a goblet in hand. “Here father, drink.”

Kain took the offered goblet and sniffed it. Smelling the fresh blood inside, he drank it down quickly. “What is wrong?” he asked Raziel as he handed it back to Rahab. “Thank you...how did you know?”

“A guess,” Rahab answered, then looked at Raziel along with Kain.

“It’s Jacque...she’s been having toubles ever since I turned her...I fear I am a failure,” Raziel said, eyes cast to the floor.

“I doubt that childe,” Kain answered. “Did you see how Vorador turned his kind?”

“Yes...and I though that was how it was done...”

“Not our kind. Ourselves are different from Vorador and his kin. I had to raise all of you differently than Vorador did his. Come...let me see her...” Kain said, carefully getitng off formthe bed.

“Is that wise sire?” Rahab asked, walking over ot support him incase he fell.

“I feel quite fine, Rahab. Now, let me see the girl.”

The two younger vampires lead the elder one to the fledgling whom waited in the shared room of Raziel and Turel’s. Kain walked over to her, putting a now cloven had upon her forehead in a gentle gesture. Jacque, unfortunately, looked rather half rotted and very ill, even for vampire standards.

“You merely exchanged blood, but you did not gift her properly,” Kain said. “Each of you posses a piece of my own soul. It is what she lacks. Come,” He walked Rasiel over. “It may take a couple tires, but try it Raszel. She shares your blood closer to you now than she does mine.”

Raziel looked up at him, suddenly giving the look of a fledgling. Kain waved him on,encouraging him again. Raziel bent down next to her and put hsi lips over her’s, breathing into her mouth, little more than a rush of air. “Try it again and concentrate,” Kain said.

And he did try it again. And again until he finaly figure it out, breathing a bit of his own soul into her. Jacque gasped, her body shuddering and then slowly, she began to heal. “She will be well now,” Kain said. “Remember htis the next time you raise a feldgling.”

“Then...you want us to...raise childer?” Turel asked.

“Yes. First the gift of blood, then a bit of soul. Only then will any of you be able to turn a fledgling. As of now...things are going to change around here....”

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