Fan Fiction ❯ The Soul Reaver and The Spirit Shield ❯ Vorador's Mansion ( Chapter 21 )

Chapter Twenty-One

Vorador's mansion: the center of the vampire allegiance. It lay secluded deep within the poison swamps of Nosgoth, where no human dare to explore. This is where Raziel and Jenise currently found themselves; at the threshold of the vampire lord's retreat. Quietly, they walked up to the tall wooden doors, and with a great heave, they gained access to the foyer within. A musty odor devoid of life filled the air within, but was much more pleasant than the smell of the boggy swamp.

Raziel and Jenise entered the main hall, Jenise a few steps in front. It was quite dark inside, with only two torches lit. Vision was minimal and it was deathly silent. The duo approached the center of the foyer, struggling to find anyone within. Raziel had summoned the light reaver, but that did not add much to the poor lighting.

"I don't think anyone is here anymore," Jenise replied disappointedly, as she turned to Raziel. Guilt that she had uselessly led him here began to plague her.

Suddenly, from out of the depths of darkness, a hand reached out and grabbed Jenise from behind her neck. Raziel and Jenise exchanged expressions of shock, before the priestess was yanked backwards into the darkness and out of Raziel's vision. As he was about to chase after Jenise, Raziel found himself under attack by several figures shrouded in darkness.

The reaver of souls took a defensive stance, preparing for his assailants' attacks. Carefully listening for the attackers' movements, Raziel noticed the sounds of a struggle in the background. `Good. Jenise is managing to hold them off,' he thought. Distracted slightly, he almost didn't notice the claw aimed at his face. He grabbed the would-be attacker's arm and twisted it behind his back, forcing it upward into a painful hold. Hearing footsteps attempting to surround him, Raziel forced the hostage between himself and his allies.

The maneuver holding off an attack for now, Raziel quickly deduced that he was dealing with vampires, and only fledgelings at that. His eyes beginning to adjust to the dim lighting, and with his acute hearing to aid him, the former vampire counted three more vampires around him other than the one he was holding prisoner. Their lack of strategy displayed their inexperience in battle. They could have easily surrounded Raziel, but fear of injuring their ally kept them grouped together at bay.

Listening for the other conflict, Raziel could here several landed blows and grunts of pain, none of which belonged to Jenise. She had, by Raziel's best guess, three assailants, all of which Jenise was holding off. `More fledgelings,' Raziel concluded. The sound of an unsheathing sword caught Raziel's attention, hoping that it was Jenise who had drawn the weapon and not one of the vampires. Before Raziel could discover the answer, the great hallway was illuminated, all the torches along the wall simultaneously igniting in flames.

Raziel blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the sudden light. Indeed, he noticed, that he had a total of four vampires around him, all of which held the small, fragile characteristics of a fledgeling. Looking over his right shoulder, he confirmed Jenise's well-being. She stood in the middle of three fledgeling vampires, each attempting to rise to their feet. She was crouched defensively, with her sword withdrawn, ready to defend herself.

"I would think kindly of you, if you were to refrain from slaying my fledgelings," came the sound of a female's voice from the far end of the foyer. Jenise and Raziel's heads snapped up in the direction of her voice. Emerging from the shadows, accompanied by a half dozen more experienced vampires, was Umah. Recognizing the vampiress, Jenise rose out of her defensive stance and sheathed her sword. Raziel followed suit by releasing his hostage, shoving him towards the other three vampires.

"And I would think more kindly of you, dear Umah, if you were to keep better control over your fledgelings, so that they don't go attacking their allies when they arrive," Jenise replied scornfully. Raziel's head spun with Umah's spoken name, trying to remember why it sounded familiar to him. Slowly it came to him, almost as if a new memory was rekindling itself within the back of his mind, and he could hear Kain's voice.

"After awakening from my two century slumber, the vampiress Umah was there waiting for me. She would aid me during my quest for revenge whilst I regained my lost strength. She would have been my queen, if not for her naivety and her selfish motives. For that, she died by the hands of the Sarafan."

Raziel shook his head, ridding himself of Kain's monologue, wondering where that memory had come from. He never recalled Kain mentioning Umah before, but this memory was real, like it had always been with him. He quickly dismissed it as a side effect of Kain's meddling with time, brining himself back to the current situation.

"I must apologize for the actions of my fledgelings," Umah offered an apology. "We have all been on edge as of late. With Lord Vorador elsewhere, and the near encounter with the entire Sarafan army, the atmosphere has been a little…tense."

"The Sarafan army came by this way?" Jenise wished to confirm.

"Yes. Within a kilometer, in fact. Fortunately for the thick bog and vegetation, they turned off towards the south. Otherwise, they would have arrived right on our doorstep and we would have had to flee," replied the vampiress.

"Where has Vorador gone?" Raziel inquired, walking up to Jenise's side. Umah eyed him carefully. She recognized his vampire characteristics, but had never laid eyes on a creature such as he before. As such, she was a little weary of his presence. She turned her attention back to Jenise.

"He has gone to the city of Meridian. He wishes to relocate to the great city. We have allies within the city walls and our current residence has become too small for our growing numbers," explained Umah.

"Meridian! But that's where the Sarafan Lord was heading!" Jenise interrupted.

"Not to worry," a masculine voice interrupted. All heads snapped over to the open doorway of the mansion. There stood eight vampires. The one in the front being none other than Vorador himself.

"My Lord, you have returned safely," Umah welcomed her master with a bow, followed suit by the rest of the vampires present.

"Of course, I have," smirked Vorador, with a bit of cockiness. He then turned his attention to his guests. "Ah, Jenise! You live! And I was beginning to think that the rumors were true…" he trailed off, but his voice gave way a hint of already knowing the truth.

"They weren't rumors," admitted the priestess, not noticing Vorador's knowing grin. "I was, in fact, murdered by the Sarafan Lord. My resurrection is the result of the good deed performed by my accomplice-" Jenise attempted to explain, but was cut off by Vorador.

"Ah, yes! Raziel! It's been quite the many years since we last met. Tell me, were you able to find Janos?" Vorador inquired the former vampire. Raziel blinked in surprise, wondering how Vorador knew he had traveled to the past to meet said vampire, let alone his name. He never gave it during their previous encounter.

"Yes. Indeed I have. Unfortunately, I had arrived just in time to witness the Sarafan murder Janos," Raziel confirmed.

Vorador nodded, his thoughts seemed to be elsewhere. "I see. You have visited him only once then?" His voice sounded a little…disappointed.

Raziel raised his eyebrow questioningly. "What do you mean `only once'?"

"Raziel, I'm afraid we cannot join forces as of yet. You see, there is much you need to learn and accomplish at this point of your travels. I probably should not be telling you this, but you have yet to travel back to the time before the Sarafan. Doing so will unlock a great many truths for you. Only after you have done this, then I will accept your aid," informed Vorador.

"Then I shall go. And when I return, I shall end this once and for all," promised Raziel as he turned to leave. He stopped after a few steps, noticing that Jenise had not followed. "Are you not coming?" he asked of her.

"No. My place is here. Vorador needs my assistance."

"Jenise, my child, you must go with Raziel," Vorador instructed. "You, too, have much to learn as well."

"But what about the Sarafan Lord? You can't relocate to Meridian! That's where the Sarafan Lord was headed!" insisted the priestess.

"Do not fret, Jenise. I was in Meridian the entire time the Sarafan occupied the city. They simply passed by, remaining in Meridian for a few days before moving on. After traveling around the harsh swamps, they needed to replenish their supplies before moving northward," Vorador affirmed.

"But the Sarafan in the stronghold told me their Lord planned on centering the Sarafan movement in Meridian!"

"It was but a ploy, child. Meant to assure the Sarafan left behind that the remainder of their forces were but a day away, when in reality the army was several days' travel from the stronghold."

"So that's why Mobius fled," Raziel interjected. "He knew that the entire Sarafan army would be in the far northern regions of Nosgoth, leaving the stronghold vulnerable to attack. That coward!" Raziel fumed in anger over Mobius's abandonment.

"Do not over burden yourself with Mobius," came words of wisdom from Vorador. "He will get what's coming to him. Right now, you must go to the distant past."

"Come, Raziel. We should do as he suggests," Jenise urged.

"You're right. There is a streaming chamber within these swamps that I discovered some time ago. That's our quickest route to our destination," agreed the former vampire. The duo departed Vorador's mansion, Raziel leading the way. After the short trip through the bogs, they arrived at the time chamber.

Raziel and Jenise descended the long stairway into the alcove below ground. Raziel immediately ran over to the device, which dictated the user's direction and distance through time. Jenise slowly walked up beside him, watching his actions.

"Are you sure you know how to operate this?" she inquired.

"Not exactly," Raziel replied with a bit of annoyance, as he studied the dials. "If only I could understand these runes…"

"Let me see," Jenise suggested, getting a good look at the dials herself. After a brief moment of inspection, she happily chirped, "I know these runes! They are just like the ones in the temple next to my village! They represent numbers! The elders made the children learn these symbols when we were young. Now I'm glad I was forced to sit through their boring lectures!"

"So you're saying you could set this to a specific point in time?"

"Yes, well, down to a specific year anyway. How far back do you want to go?"

Raziel thought a few moments, calculating the time frame before replying, "Nine hundred years."

"Nine hundred years!?" Jenise repeated in shock. "Are you crazy?"

"No. You forget, I've already been almost as far back and I come from almost two millennia in the future. Putting us back nine hundred years ensures that we arrive before the Sarafan have been formed by about thirty years," explained Raziel. `Thirty years before I unknowingly led the Sarfan directly to Janos,' he guiltily thought to himself.

"Alright, fine. Nine hundred years it is," the priestess sighed defeat. She turned one of the dials back several clicks, then pressed another dial, activating the device. The chamber hummed to life. She and Raziel went over to the center of the chamber where the propulsion devices lie. Giving Jenise a reassuring glance, they both grabbed hold of the device and turned it ninety degrees. The result caused both to rise up into the air, as gravity gave way. In a flash of brilliant light, the duo vanished through the sands of time.