Very Very nice. I have not played any of these games, but I am enjoying hearing the story told and such. Keep it up.
The nearby set of doors led to the main antechamber of the Silenced Cathedral. The once-exquisite floors, ceilings, and pillars were covered with a strange form of spider web. The substance had the size and thickness of rope, and stuck to my hands as I tried to remove it. My attention soon turned to various mounds in the mess, all held seperate from the regular webbing. I approached one of the hills and pulled the strands back.
Inside was a human corpse, drained of all its blood. It was no doubt one of the foolsih vampire hunters that had been such a nuisance. The fact that they had managed to get through the front door was a testament either to their advance of skill over the years, or to the foolishness and lack of intelligence in Zephon’s evolved offspring. I was leaning to the latter.
Zephon’s degenerated offspring slowly climed down the massive webs, their eyes glistening madly for blood. The Reaver glowed in my hands, prepared to strike down my enemies. The first monstrosities finally reached the ground, with more following right behind. I quickly dispatched the first with one blow, and immediately jumped onto the next and ran the Reaver through its back. The next three Zephonim charged forward. Once again, I jumped into the air, this time grabbing onto one of the strand-covered pillars. The former vampires ran into each other, and in their bloodlust, tore at each other blindly. When the carnage had ended, the three Zephonim were dead.
I dropped down and started up a nearby flight of stairs. The sound of chatting slowly reached me from the above floor, accompanied by screams of pain and agony. It was like music to my ears, and had I not remembered where I was, I would have sat on the steps and continued listening. Insteasd, I continued my ascent, the Reaver poised for action.
At the top of the stairs, I learned the source of the sweet screams. A mob of robed humans gathered around an altar, which was completely untouched by the Zephonite webbing. The smell of freshly-spilt blood reached my senses almost immediately, as the humans continued their chanting. A figure in a large bone headdress stood at the far side of the altar, a bloodstained dagger in his hand.
“Oh, mighty Kain!” shouted the human. “May you and your sons grant us your favor! With this blood may your hunger be satiated! With our own lives of servitude will you be merciful! Lord Kain, hear our prayers!”
There was no doubt in my mind now: these were the human vampire worshippers. The humans that did not hide from us or try to hopelessly fight back accepted the vampires as their true masters, as Kain had ordained. By spilling the blood of themselves and any huamsn they had captured, they would be spared for another short while. It seemed they were still practicing these beliefs, even with the new monsters that had replaced the vampires.
“Halt, brothers!” shouted another human. “Look, in the shadows!”
The cultists turned, their eyes fixed on my grotesque form. They drew their weapons and advanced, hungry for my blood.
(to be continued)
Enraged at the absurbity of these humans, I threw myself at them, the Reaver tearing through their bodies like a blade through a child’s skull. The sickening sound of their bodies, broken and shattered from the force of my blows, echoed through my mind. At last, the battle had ended, and my enemies were dead before me. I gladly consumed their souls, and continued through the next door.
I was inside a long hallway, connecting to the highest level of the Silenced Cathedral. The number of human corpses suddenly rised, along with the lingering scent of vampiric blood. I was examining one of the bodies, trying to estimate as to how long they had been there, when I saw a strange object portruding from the webbing. I grabbed the portrusion with both hands and pulled hard, finally snapping it free from the webs.
It was a long, tube-like object, with a wooden handle and strange canisters on top. An assortment of strange nobs and switches adorned the canisters, while the handle had a single switch. Curious at this contraption, I pulled the switch. A brief burst of flame was expelled from the end of the tube, then dissapeared. I examined the canisters much more closely, and saw that my attempts to force it free had broken them, causing a hissing sound. If this weapon were still operational, it would have caused untold harm on hordes of vampires. The humans of this era were much more ingenious than those before, but desperation always brings innovation.
Discarding the weapon, I continued farther down the hallway, finally reached the large antechamber of the Cathedral. Inside was a gigantic insect, scaling the entire length of the far wall, with webs covering the rest. Giant eggs adorned the ground, broken and infertile. The insect looked at me through its many mucus-covered eyes, its large mouth revealing its hunger for blood. It was anchored to the wall not because of the webs, but because of its monstrous size. My encounter with Melchiah had sharpened my senses; I recognized this monster as my former brother, Zephon.
“Ah, the prodigal son.” Zephon’s voice was as monstrous and disgusting as his appearance. “There is no returning for you.”
“Zephon, your visage becomes you,” I said. “It is an appropriate reflection of your soul.”
“And you are not his handsome Raziel anymore. His precious first-born son, turned betrayer. You have missed so many changes, little Raziel. Look around you! See how the humans’ weapon of destruction has become my home; nay, my body! A cocoon of brick and granite from which to watch the world pupate!”
“A crevice in which to cower, only scuttling from the shadows to devour a victim already ensnared in your cowardly trap! But you’ve made the mistake of leaving me unbound, and it is you who shall submit to my will!”
“Will…instinct… Reflex…action… The insect mind finds little difference… I warn you, brother, as my stature has grown, so it is matched by my appetite. Step forward…morsel!”
(to be continued)
Disgustingly good. Le shudder.
My insect of a brother struck at me with his massive spindral legs, clawing desperately at my small form. I jumped back, barely dodging the deadly, scratching claws. Zephon roared, and plunged his head forward, his mouth revealing a massive set of fangs. Once again, I stepped back, the monster’s mouth stopping centimeters from my body. Its hot breath steamed on my body, its mouth drooling with slime and mucus. Disgusted, I struck the monstrosity with the Reaver, creating nothing more than a scar on what was most likely its nose.
Zephon drew back, snarling and screaming in pain. Strangely, however, it seemed not to be from what my attack had done, but from what I could see, from some deep, inner pain I had dislodged. My former brother continued to roar and screech, as something slithed from inside his body and down his thorax. Finally, a massive hole opened at what was most likely his rear end, and an egg flew from the hole. I rolled to the side as the egg landed, covered in the same sludge the insect had used.
I looked back at Zephon. “…What’s this?”
“It’s an egg, you fool!” shouted Zephon. “An unfortunate side-effect of my…ascension. These are merely infertile shells, a reminder of our eternal sterility.”
“…You have indeed fallen, brother. Killing you would be mercy.”
“Maybe, brother,” said Zephon, “but I still hunger. And your little stunt caused so…much…PAIN!”
Zephon threw himself back at me, the entire cathedral shuddering under his massive weight. He screamed and roared, his legs clawing at me, his mouth chomping. I knew I had to stop him before he brought the entire building down around me.
I looked around the chamber, and found yet another of the strange human weapons, still bellowing flame. The weapon, unfortunately, was badly damaged and under many layers of thread, making it impossible to directly retreive it. Then I looked back at the egg, and came up with an idea.
I grabbed the mucus-stained egg and carried it over to the fire. Zephon continued to pull forward, causing even more destruction to the cathedral. Closing my eyes, I inserted the egg into the flames. My hands burned with searing pain, the Reaver leaving me yet again. Finally, I pulled free of the flame, and saw the egg was now burning, the mucus having ignited. I calmly walked up to Zephon, his mouth still snarling.
I threw the burning egg into the monster’s mouth. “May this sustain you, insect.”
My brother drew back, screaming and bellowing as the egg tore through his body. What was once his torso suddenly exploded, flinging exoskeleton, green blood, and organs. The flames spreaded over the rest of the monstrosity, consuming it completely. Zephon let out a final, grief-filled scream, then collapsed against the wall. Its weight was the last straw for the wall, and it started to fall. My brother’s soul flew from its body seconds before Zephon’s corpse fell into the moat below.
Although filled with grief yet again, I consumed my brother’s soul. My master’s voice once again returned. “Consuming Zephon’s soul has bestowed on you a new gift. Like his vampire spawn, you are able to scale certain walls. This power, however, can only be used in the physical realm, as these structures are insubstantial in the spiritual world and will not hold you.”
I recovered from the shock and jumped from the hole Zephon had created. I grabbed onto the side of the wall, my claws sinking in perfectly now. I quickly scaled down, until I was at the same level as the cliffs. I jumped off the cathedral wall and glided over the moat, looking at what little remained of Zephon on the way.
I landed by the gate leading back to the Sanctuary of the Clans. My master returned yet again. “In the mountains beyond the Pillars, an ancient crime has been revealed. Endowed with Zephon’s soul, you may now pass where your progress was obstructed, and discover the truth…”
My master’s last words seemed to have more meaning than he was telling me. Resigning myself to his control, I returned to the Sanctuary of the Clans.
(to be continued)
Chapter 5: The Tomb of the Sarafan
The Sanctuary of the Clans was as empty as I had left it. Kain was still missing, leaving only Ariel at the Pillars. Her disfigured head turned to me as I entered. “You have returned, child. Does Kain still elude you?”
“Do not mock me, spirit,” I said. “I am merely passing through the Sanctuary. I have no intention of disturbing your rest.”
“I am here to offer my support,” said Ariel. “Remember, I want Kain dead as much as you do. Even bound as I am, I will be of some aid; if not today, then maybe tomorrow.”
“I have no need for promises,” I said. “Remember, you misled Kain, refusing to reveal his true destiny. Do not assume that I will be your friend because our goal is the same.”
Ariel sighed. “Very well then, Raziel. Just remember, someday, you will see the truth.” Her spirit vanished, leaving the chamber abandoned yet again. I dug my claws into the far wall and climbed onto a high alcove, where I jumped through a massive hole in the wall, landing in ankle-deep hot sand.
In front of me was the one structure I had not expected to see. A small, outlying crypt stood out against the wasteland, older than even the Sanctuary of the Clans. This was the infamous “Tomb of the Sarafan,” where several Sarafan were buried millenia ago. Kain had told us tales of the Sarafan; none were positive.
The Sarafan were murderers, humans who spent their entire lives hunting and killing vampires. The order died when Vorador killed several members of the Circle, and had defeated the Sarafan captain, Malek. Kain claimed that he himself destroyed Malek in a brief battle, along with two other Circle members. The tomb was forbidden, and all but Kain were not even able to locate the evil monument.
The front gate was still intact. I shifted into the Spectral Realm, phased through, and re-materialized again just outside of the tomb’s door. After some effort, the heavy stone door came crashing down, disturbing thousands of years of dust. The interior was filled with seven massive coffins, all with runes inscribed on the side.
With trepidition, I entered the dark chamber, a few recently-lit torches lighting my way. I leaned towards the nearest coffin, and wiped the dust from the runes. I stepped back in horror at what they said.
“Melchiah.”
The next coffin beared the name, “Zephon.” The others beared the names of my brothers: “Rahab,” “Dumah,” and “Turel.” The sixth belonged to Malek, but had apparantly never been used. The seventh, however, beared the most horrifying message of all.
“Raziel.”
My mind reeled with this new knowledge. Thinking this was a sick joke of Kain’s, I threw the coffins open. There was nothing inside but tattered armor and burial clothes; the bodies had been taken. There was no denying it now; my brothers and I were the Sarafan Kain had taught us to despise.
(to be continued)
It’s good to see this project is still alive and kicking! Go get 'em Raziel! :victoly:
My master chimed in again, at this most troubling time. “Yes, Raziel, you were Sarafan. Before the rise of Kain’s empire, you were chosen. Kain, Nosgoth’s solitary, self-declared monarch, plundered these tombs and breathed his cursed gift into your bodies. You were reduced from martyred Sarafan to Kain’s generals, his favored sons. What better way to strike at an enemy than to make them your own?”
My master’s words ringed true in my mind. In transforming my brethren and I into his undead minions, Kain had achieved a victory over the Sarafan hunters, his vengence against the warrior Malek and the Circle of Nine. The vampires I had admired were the true evil, the true destroyers of Nosgoth, and the humans I had despised were who I truly belonged to.
My rage grew as I pondered my most recent actions. Kain had destroyed me, and waited patiently as his empire crumbled. My brothers were transformed into monstrosities, far worse than the vampires they had become. I had already hunted down Melchiah and Zephon, and murdered them. The brothers I had once despised were really my comrades, before Kain bastardized us all. I had murdered my brothers, all in the name of a false edict.
My thoughts were interrupted by a snarl. “Heretic! You have no right to be here!”
I turned to an adjoining passage, and saw a most bizzare vampire. It seemed to be vaguely normal in appearance, but also possessed a gargoyle-like appearance, with a massive head, long ears, and horns. It looked at me through its maddened eyes, but unlike the others, it seemed to still possess its intellect.
“And who might you be?” I asked.
“I am Moloch, of the Turelim,” said the vampire. “Turel has chosen me to guard this place, to kep those that would oppose Kain from trespassing! Now, leave, or I will destroy you!”
The monster wandered down the hall. When I was certain he was gone, I followed, scanning for a chance to strike. The passage emptied onto a large platform, which was surrounded on all sides by a deep pool of water. I had barely stepped into the passage when a massive howl erupted from behind me. I turned, and saw the passage behind me collapse. The small shockwaves left behind indicated this was no mere magic; it was a telekinetic attack.
Moloch suddenly appeared before me, his mouth open in hunger. “You were warned, traitor! In the name of my master, Turel, I will destroy you!”
“Such loyalty, to one who has you guarding this outpost like a chained dog?” I said. “Do you prosper on the scraps he throws you?”
“Your insults will not blunt the agony of your demise,” said Moloch.
“Kain destroyed me once,” I said. “Behold the result. I have nothing to fear from you!”
I charged forward, but was suddenly seized by some force. Moloch stood still before me, his arm rising as I myself was lifted off the floor. The monster threw waved his hand to the right, and I was suddenly thrown away. My claws instinctively reached out, grabbing the side of the platform mere seconds before I flew into the water.
I pulled myself up, only to be blasted back by another bolt. I was imbedded into the wall, the Reaver vanishing as I crashed into the side. I quickly pulled myself out and glided forward, barely dodging another bolt of telekinetic energy. Moloch continued his assault, throwing constant bolts of energy at me. By this point, however, I had managed to understand his pattern, learning how to analyze the attacks. I finally managed to get close enough to strike, digging my claws into his stone-hard skull. I managed to lift the shocked Moloch, and threw him off the platform. Lacking my agility, he was unable to grasp the side, and fell into the deadly liquid below, quickly dissolving into nothing. I waited for a soul to appear, but found nothing.
I spied another passage, this time leading out of the Tomb of the Sarafan. I jumped into the doorway, and walked out of the tomb, onto a massive balcony. Before I could even look over the edge, however, my eyes were drawn to a strange artifact lying on the ground. It was a circular object, made of several strips of iron bended together. Curious, I touched the device, only to watch it dissapear upon contact. My mind was seized with a strange power, which soon moved through my entire being.
My master spoke yet again. “This relic has given you the power to compress and manipulate space. As your symbiotic weapon, the Soul Reaver is also thus enhanced. You may focus and project an orb of kinetic energy to strike objects that are otherwise beyond your reach.” I now possessed the same power as Moloch, only on a weaker scale.
I walked to the end of the balcony, and was amazed at what I saw. It was a series of buildings, jutting out of an ocean of water. My master returned yet again. “Once a sanctuary against the vampire menace, this abbey has been drowned by the deluge spilling from this wounded land. Your brother, Rahab, fascinated by the nature of water, moved his own sad kind into the abbey centuries ago. As a result, they have evolved the ability to withstand water, but at a great cost; they can no longer withstand any sunlight, and even the few flimsy rays that break Kain’s wall of smog will destroy them. They are prisoners of the power they sought to control.”
(to be continued)
Chapter 6: The Drowned Abbey
I stared at the waters below, watching them ebb and flow for countless hours. Within the liquid were schools of small fish, all swimming to and fro in the ancient ruins. The sight was strangely relaxing, giving me a sense of ease and well-being.
Suddenly, a ripple tore through the peaceful waters, leaving a trail of blood behind. What few fish remained saw for cover, as whatever had just attacked darted back. I watched the thing with a mixture of fascination and revoltion, and once I was certain it was gone, I returned my attention to my current situation; I was surrounded by deadly water, against vampires that could survive this very element.
To my right, I saw a series of small roofs, no doubt originally the spires of guard towers, before Kain’s war had flooded the abbey. Sighing, I jumped from the balcony to the first roof, then to the second. As I jumped for the third, however, my claws slipped, and I plummeted into the water.
The instant I struck the liquid’s surface, I felt myself being pulled into the Spectral Realm. My slow fall quickly turned into a fast plummet, and I landed with a thud at the bottom of the abbey. A pair of Slaughs converged on me, but they were destroyed quickly. After feeding on their souls, I looked around the bottom of the abbey, finding that a nearby set of ledges was my only way back out. Groaning, I climbed up the ledges, and found another conduit.
After phasing back into the Material Realm, I began my leaps, this time gliding farther onto the third ledge. From there, I jumped to a covered balcony, this time landing perfectly.
The first thing to greet me was a growl. To my horror, I now stood before a cross between a vampire and a fish. Its naked sin was green and scaley, its claws little more than webbed fins with points at the end. Its mouth was elongated and sharpened, with fins sticking from the back of its head. It was no doubt a Rahabim, one of Rahab’s degenerated brood.
(to be continued)
I journeyed further into the Drowned Abbey, my eyes scanning every inch of the structure. The remaining Rahabim continued their swimming, darting around underneath the grimey surface of the water. I carefully made my way across each and every platform, the Rahabim continuing to ignore me. I could not gather if this was out of fear, or because they did not regard me as a threat.
Finally, I reached what seems to be a large antichamber, filled almost completely with water. The building’s small mass did nothing to dispel the danger held within; the only solid ground was the top of pillars, having long since lost their connection to the ceiling. The walls held six stained-glass windows, designed to carefully block every last ray of sunlight.
This was obviously the lair of Rahab. As if in answer to my thoughts, a large creature, with the upper body of a vampire and the lower body of a fish, swam to the surface. It tilted its head, as if acknowledging who I was. “Raziel.”
I nodded in return. “Rahab. You have adapted well for one so maladjusted.”
Rahab’s expression soon turned to anger. “Do not mock me! You, of all of us, should respect the power bestowed by a limitation overcome. Kain said you would come…”
“You speak with the murderer?”
Rahab became even angrier. “You would do well to mind your blasphemous tongue!”
“What more did he tell you?”
Rahab growled. “He said you would kill me.”
If I still had a mouth, I would have grinned at his answer. “Indeed, I will. But tell me, before I rip the soul from your pathetic body, did Kain tell you what we were in life?”
Rahab’s expression became even sourer. “Human.”
“Sarafan, Rahab.”
“That matters not,” said Rahab. “Kain saved us…from ourselves!” With that, he dived into the water, and began swimming faster than I could track him. Before I even had time to plan properly, Rahab emerged from the waters and spit a ball of venom at me, slamming into me with enough force to send me flying into the water.
After my spectral form had rested at the bottom, I climbed up the pillar and shifted back. Rahab was still there, completely unsuprised. “Kain said you would use that trick. He said nothing I could do would destroy you.”
“Then why do you resist?” I asked.
“Kain may be a god, but he is far from perfect,” said Rahab. “If he was, he would have known of your heresy long before you committed it!”
“Heresy?!” I shouted. “I merely evolved before him. And now, I will show you the result of my destruction!”
I raised the Reaver and fired a tk blast at the window across from me. The blast shattered the window, letting a beam of sunlight in. Rahab winced slightly, but remained unfazed otherwise. He fired another blast, which I dodged by jumping to the nearest pillar. I fired at the next window, letting even more light into the small chamber. Rahab began to shudder slightly in pain, but still stood strong.
Rahab leaped out of the water and towards me, intent on shoving me into the deadly liquid. I quickly dodged the attack, and fired another bolt at one of the windows. Even more light ripped into the chamber, this time burning Rahab’s hide. Desperate, my former brother continued his assault, hurling every last bit of venom he had. I continued to dodge, and smashed the fourth window. This time, smoke began to rise from Rahab. Before he could continue his attack, I threw a pair of bolts, ripping the last two windows open.
The combined sunlight finally became too much for Rahab to handle. His skin began to split, almost melting off his very bones. As his body began to fuse with the water, he muttered out one final cry: “I am undone!” At long last, his body dissapeared; all that remained was his soul, which quickly flew into my body.
(to be continued)
Personally, I would probably have included a few scenes with Raziel falling off certain annoying platforms during the trek through the abbey and doing some cursing, but this is pretty good, nonetheless.
My master’s annoying voice reached me again. “Infused with Rahab’s soul, you have overcome your former vulnerability to water. Immersion in water will no longer dissolve your physical body, enabling you to swim to areas otherwise beyond your reach.”
My eagerness to try this new ability was balanced with my still-overwhelming fear and distrust of water. Rahab seemed to be unharmed by the liquid’s effects, but I had fallen in several times, with each instance requireing me to find another conduit. With no other choice, I jumped into the liquid.
The instant I plunged through the surface, I realized that there was no burning sensation, no agonizing pain, no feeling of my body being torn apart. Instead, I only felt a cooling sensation, along with the pressure of the substance. I threw my hands apart, trying to propel myself forward. After a few seconds, I managed to move myself hap-hazardly through the water. I found myself actually enjoying swimming; I could now see why Rahab was so obsessed with the water.
After a few minutes of simply adjusting to the new environment, I looked for an exit from the tower. Finally, I found a smashed hole at the base of the tower. I propelled myself through the water, finally exiting the tower and returning to the Drowned Abbey. A small bit of climbing later, I was back at the entrance to the Abbey.
Once again, my master called me, destroying my sense of accomplishment. “Centuries past, your brother Dumah retreated with his clan into Nosgoth’s northern wilderness. Empowered by the gift of Rahab’s soul, seek out his mountain stronghold. But tread carefully. The frozen wastes have mysteries yet to disclose.”
(to be continued)
Are you going to include stuff like the hidden Glyphs, and the Fire Reaver?
Chapter 7: The Dumahim Stronghold
I journeyed from the Drowned Abbey, passing by much of Nosgoth’s ruined landscape, until I reached the Lake of the Dead. The pain of my damnation, having layed dormant for so long, finally returned, and my hatred of Kain and his deranged empire grew ever deeper. Towards the bottom of the still-dry cliffs, I could make out a small passageway. I did not need my master to tell me that this was important.
I glided down to the cliffs as far down as I could, and slammed my claws into the cliffside. I looked down at the water, and would have smiled if I still had a lower jaw. I jumped down from the cliff, and dived into the abyss. I waited for the burning to begin, but felt nothing. Irony had triumphed once again; I was now immune to the device of my demise.
I climbed out of the water, and began my long march through the passageway. Finally, the halls led to a large, snow-covered plain. Kain had often warned us of snow, and how the water content it held was just as harmful as traditional rain. I stretched out my claw, and felt nothing; Rahab’s soul had granted me immunity to even the snow.
I jumped into the powdered ground, surveying my even bleaker surroundings. Before me was a massive fortress, seemingly a thousand years old, slowly crumbling and decaying from the massive powers of the elements. The massive gate had long-since been shattered, as if from a human battering ram. Despite the appearance, I did not believe it; the architecture was obviously vampiric, and no vampires could fall to human hunters.
My doubts were crushed when I entered the massive courtyard. Surrounding me were hundreds of mutated, vampiric bodies; I recognized their features from before as the mutated Dumahim. Their corpses were long-dead, their skin starting to rot around the spears, arrows, and other pointed weapons sticking through their bodies; they were indeed killed by human vampire hunters.
“This was the stronghold of your brother, Dumah,” said my master. “In his arrogance, he perceived himself to be indestructable, and brought his brood to this isolated location. His egotistical actions, however, doomed him; he was unable to defend against a coordinated strike from the humans. He was killed, and what little remained of his clan was scattered throughout Nosgoth. This was the last major human victory. Still, this place has much for you to discover. But remember; these vampiric souls are centuries dead, and still haunt this place.”
(to be continued)
A slight sense of dread in my being, I entered the remains of Dumah’s ruined fortress. The crumbling walls were covered with faded murals, depicting what appeared to be great battles; memories of a glorious age that had long since abandoned Nosgoth. The front hall alone held dozens of Dumahim, dead for centuries, impossibly killed by human hands.
I stepped out of the hallway, and into what seemed to have once been a courtyard. The layers of snow baried even more bodies, vampire and human alike. A great iron fence stood at one end, its spiked bars holding the bloodied bodies of many a foolish warrior. Seeing no alternative, I approached the fence and shifted into the Spectral Realm.
The moment I arrived at the dead realm, I realized something was amiss. The screeching of tortured souls, a sound that had greeted me with every other trip to this realm, was strangely absent. Suddenly, a series of cloaked beings, no doubt Vampire Wraiths, flew from the balconies and past the fence, converging on my location. I lashed out with the Reaver, trying desperately to stave them off. The monstrosities, however, continued to close in, trapping me between them.
As they prepared to strike, I gave one more thrust. A handful of the wraiths fell back, their forms slowly fading from view. Taking advantage of the situation, I leaped past them, devouring their forms as I passed. Renewed, I diverted my attention back to my cloaked attackers, tearing at them with the Reaver. Soon, I had consumed them all, and was safe once again.
I passed through the fence, and looked for a conduit; there was none to be found. Despair welled up within me; without a conduit, I was trapped inside this accursed realm. I had no desire to see any more Vampire Wraiths, but it seemed I had no choice.
(to be continued)
Ohhhh, spooky.
Now I want to find that game again so I can finish it. 
The remained of my journey through the accursed stronghold were of little importance. I was attacked by the degenerate Vampire Wraiths at every turn, forced to navigate the horrifying reality that was the Spectral Realm, left with little choice but to follow the cryptic messages of my master, seemingly radiating from every wall. The only area of note was a massive funace room, filled with a strange device that still smelled of flame and smoke. Why such a deadly device would be in a vampire fortress was lost on me; it all seemed too convenient. Kain was right: if coincidence seemed too convenient, it was better to call it fate.
I pressed on, passing even more wraiths, before finally reaching a conduit, this time in what seemed to be a throne room. After I passed through the realms, I found that I was indeed in a throne room. Before me lay none other than an ancient wooden throne, on which lay the enormous, hulking corpse of a vampire, the like of which I had never seen, its body held in place by three stakes the size of tree trunk. My previous experiences revealed the nature of this monstrosity immediately; it was my brother, Dumah.
I approached his body; in his current state, he could very well have crushed me to a fine powder. Fortunately, he was dead, destroyed. I had saw no sign of his soul in the spectral realm; I believed that his soul had long-since passed on. I climbed onto his body, enraged that my revenge was taken from me. Of all my former bretheren, Dumah was the one I held the most hatred for; he, along with Turel, had thrown me into the Abyss, and was as guilty as Kain in my eyes.
Before I could rationalize my actions, I grasped each of the stakes, tearing them free from Dumah’s body and throwing them the length of the room. I could feel the hardness of his body; it was now like iron, virtually impossible to break through. Once the last stake was removed, I jumped down from his massive form and began my trek out of the fortress.
I was about to step through the throne room portal when I heard a strange rumbling from behind. I turned, and saw, to my horror, Dumah’s massive form rising from the throne, his eyes as sightless as mine. I could feel the lack of physical form in his body; he was now the same as I. In my lust for revenge, I had only created a worse monster.
Dumah’s voice rumbled from his monstrous body, grave and sullen. “My brother, I owe you my life.”
I drew back, still seething with anger, at both my brother and myself. “Your thanks are premature, Dumah! I have not forgotten whose hands bore me into the abyss!”
Dumah’s massive mouth turned into a slow grin; as horrific as he was, he was the most humanoid of my bretheren so far. “The centuries in limbo have honed my strength. Not even Kain is my equal.”
“Even the strongest vampire is vulnerable.”
Dumah rose to his feet. Now standing, his form was even more imposing. “We shall test your thesis, Raziel!”
Dumah raised his hands and pounded the ground before me, sending shockwaves about the chamber. I jumped back, barely escaping the rumbling destruction before me. Where there was once stone, there was now little more than a crater. When my feet once again touched the ground, I commited the one act I hated most, and yet had no discourse but to initiate…
I fled.
(to be continued)
I scrambled out of Dumah’s chambers, finally scaling over a partially collapsed wall. My brother merely smashed through, his footsteps echoing against the ancient stone walls. I ran through a doorway and slammed the portal behind me, barring it as I went. I was less than five steps away when Dumah crashed through the wall.
The chase continued, with Dumah drawing closer, and I barely escaping his incredible strength. Finally, we were in the furnace room; as we entered, Dumah slowed considerably, as if in fear of the device within. Seeing fear from such a being revitalized my resolve; I had a way to kill him now.
I climbed onto the furnace and flipped a switch. The hissing of gas emerged from vents beneath the device, implying that the machine was now set. I leaped to the ground, my eyes still on the approaching Dumah. Desperate to attract him, I fell to one leg, clutching my knee as if I was gravely injured. My brother, filled with the confidence of his new form, charged right between the devices. At the last possible second, I jumped onto the ledge behind me and flipped the master switch.
Dumah’s eyes were filled with horror, just before the flames exploded around him, covering his massive girth in a ball of fire so enormous it threated to engulf everything around it. Dumah screamed a blood-curling death scream, before finally collapsing to ash. Sure enough, his soul emerged from the remains, enfusing itself within me, and calling my master:
“Dumah’s soul has granted you a new gift. You can now use your movements to bind and control objects. Simply create a perfect circle around the device, and it shall be yours to command.”
(To be continued)