This will be Kain’s run through the now watery battlefield as the Rahabhim fight the water-burned Melchahim. They will attack him when he draws near, but the Rahabhim are more of a concern for them. The trick will be avoiding the flow of the water, which will slowly eat away at the ground underneath Kain, so time is of the essence. Once or twice there will be a need to actually wait for the water, where cutting the rope on wagons full of boxes will allow stepping stones. Eventually reaching a highpoint along the path, the Melchahim Cornel Ahikam will be waiting in anticipation for the battle with Kain. His form will be mummy-like; leather skin, shrunken abdomen, long black hair, and glowing green eyes.
Ahikam: “So Gedaliah was right. The great warrior Kain has returned to reclaim his empire. This is a treat for me, as I have never before seen you in person. Melchiah thought it best not to claim me outright, as a way to keep secret his magic wielders.”
Kain: “Really? I would have guessed he did so out of shame. Tell me, why do you defy me?
Ahikam: “Why not? I am the Corpse-Raiser Ahikam. There is not a tiny flick of rotted flesh that I cannot bring back from death. You’ve always been a distant, if not absent ruler. It’s unfair that you now take a direct approach to ruling when the Great Arising is almost complete.”
Kain: “And what is this Great Arising? Can it stop me from stripping you of your flesh?”
Ahikam: “I’ll be able to stop you all on my own. The Great Arising’s secret will not be unveiled before its time. You will have to see it with everyone else in Nosgoth, well as a spirit anyhow.”
Kain: “You have no idea how right you are.”
Ahikam’s defensive moves will be an invisible shield he’s conjured around himself. No matter what moves Kain might have, simple attacks will do nothing. Ahikam does not only raise whole zombies to defend himself but individual body parts too, they being harder to hit. The Player must kill off all whole zombies, move away from the individual zombie parts, and use the Necromancer’s Staff. Before being attacked, the raised zombie must be moved over to Ahikam and through his shield. This will confuse him long enough for Kain to momentarily pass by the shield. Remember there are puddles of water to avoid while all this happens.
After half of Ahikam’s life is gone, he conjures magical runes that circle around him and glow a spectral green. Corpses are pulled from the ground and combine with his form, making a beast somewhat resembling Melchiah’s from the Soul Reaver game. The Player must hit certain locations around the target enough times that fused corpses are knocked out of place. While avoiding Ahikam’s fists, the player must use the Necromancer’s Staff again to pull the loose corpses off of Ahikam. Each corpse torn away harms him until he is the last body to stand. At this point, one swipe is enough to kill him, but Kain must travel to the Spectral Realm to finish him off.
Ahikam: “Noooo! How can I finish my work now? I must return to Gedaliah immediately. He will return my physical form.”
Kain: “I don’t think he’ll be able to.”
Ahikam: “Kain! How is this possible? Have you been destroyed too?”
Kain: “Not completely. Now that I’ve removed your body from my path, I’ll make sure your soul can never bother me again either.”
Ahikam’s spirit is stronger than ordinary wraiths, but still relatively easy. His one unique ability is to pull in nearby spirits to feed upon and regain strength. The player must wound Ahikam faster than feeding can revitalize him, then immediately consume him. Once done, Kain’s form shines with a bright light, making him convulse in pain till the light explodes off of him. When its finished, Dumuzi’s face appears before Kain.
Dumuzi: “You have consumed your first errant Cornel, and his aged soul shall benefit you more than simple nourishment. His ability to call forth the spirits is now yours, thus finding them to feed upon should be much easier from now on.”
Kain: (Thinking) “What an incredible sensation! I had already experienced consuming common wraiths, but taking Ahikam’s soul could never be compared to simply drinking blood. I felt all that he had ever been flowing within me, bloating my incorporeal self. Then the euphoria had left me, and the disparity heavy in the dead air was even colder than before. I wanted more.”
Dumuzi: “Careful, Kain. Remember, you must kill only those who will not join you. Otherwise you’ll become a quite powerful yet doomed creature.”
Kain: “Will it always be like this? Heaven followed by Hell?”
Dumuzi: “It worsens depending on the spirit. Hurry, you’ve much more to accomplish.”
Dumuzi’s face fades, leaving Kain to continue up the mountain path.
