Chapter Ten: The Wharves
"Betrayal"
Kain and Umah arrive at the beginning of the Wharves.
UMAH
Vorador has said we must seek out a war galley. We should search the Southern Docks.
KAIN
What are the defenses here?
UMAH
The heaviest of all the Sarafan outposts. They control all trade and all travel to and from Meridian.
KAIN
The Sarafan are nothing compared to what I have faced, and destroyed.
UMAH
Don't be arrogant. Their finest warriors will be waiting within. The Glyph Knights are deadly.
KAIN
We shall see.
Umah stands beside Kain.
UMAH
Tell me one thing, Kain, before we go in. If you do kill the Sarafan Lord and recover the Soul Reaver, what then?
KAIN
You know the answer to that.
UMAH
Tell me.
KAIN
Then Meridian, and all Nosgoth, will become mine.
UMAH
And the vampire resistance?
KAIN
You may do whatever you wish, of course.
Umah moves closer.
UMAH
Of course.
Umah, moving with blinding speed, suddenly rips the Nexus Stone from Kain's breastplate.
KAIN
What!
UMAH
Do you take me for a fool?
KAIN
You dare – !
UMAH
Vorador has told me all your stories, Kain. He said that you would stop at nothing to achieve your great ambition: absolute power. And when you control Nosgoth, are we to believe that you would let us vampires live, and "do what we wish?" We are the only ones who could stand in your way. No, you will have to hunt us down and kill us, and how is that different from the rule of the Sarafan Lord?
KAIN
I will not defend or explain my actions to you, Umah. No one, not even you, will stand in my way.
UMAH
I thank you, Kain, for giving us this chance to defeat the Hylden for all time. But you have done enough. I shall be the one to find and kill the Sarafan Lord, and Nosgoth shall belong to the vampires once again.
KAIN
You fool, you have not the smallest chance of surviving such a battle. Now give me the Nexus Stone, or I shall pry it from your thieving fingers as you convulse in death.
UMAH
Now the beast shows his true nature, and so quickly, too. I wish it had been otherwise for us, Kain. Farewell.
KAIN
eunnh!
Kain lunges at her, just as Umah teleports away in a flash of magic. Kain looks toward the Wharves, and we see a similar flash at the end of the bridge.
"Kain” comes to a closed, guarded gate leading to the docks.
GATE GUARD
No one’s allowed through without the password. The fog’s come in, and no ships will be sailing until they turn the lighthouses on.
A woman haggles with a merchant.
WOMAN
But last week, these were only twenty per kilo.
MERCHANT
That was last week.
WOMAN
Oh, this is robbery!
MERCHANT
Listen, friend, the Seraphan buy whatever they will, at whatever price they please. This is all they left me, and I must still make a living.
WOMAN
You’re not the only one who has to live.
MERCHANT
Take it or leave it.
WOMAN
I’ll give you ten.
MERCHANT
That’s robbery!
A woman speaks to another who is sobbing at the docks.
APATHETIC WOMAN
He drowned then – on a clear day.
DISTRAUGHT WOMAN
He can’t have drowned, I tell you.
APATHETIC WOMAN
But you found his boat, and no one in it.
DISTRAUGHT WOMAN
He never went out yesterday. That I’ll swear!
APATHETIC WOMAN
He went fishing, you said.
DISTRAUGHT WOMAN
He left the house to go fishing with young Plunkett – you know the lad. I went down last eve to see if he was back. His boat was there, but no one’s seen him. Plunkett’s sister hasn’t seen him, either – since he left at dawn to meet my Jack yesterday.
APATHETIC WOMAN
Oh, then they both drowned.
DISTRAUGHT WOMAN
They didn’t go out, I tell you. The net was still rolled up in the bow. I rolled that net the day before, and Jack rolls it different from me. Not so tidy, you see – more seaman like. I tell you, they never reached the boat.
APATHETIC WOMAN
Then what happened to them?
DISTRAUGHT WOMAN
That’s what I don’t want to know. My Jack, he wouldn’t have minded drowning. His brother was drowned, and his dad. They’d be company for him, see. But these goings on these days – it’s more than I can understand.
APATHETIC WOMAN
Hush, say no more.
DISTRAUGHT WOMAN
But my Jack...!
Two Seraphan Knights talk to each other at the docks.
FIRST SERAPHAN KNIGHT
Oh, look at that one. She’s beauty.
SECOND SERAPHAN KNIGHT
Vampires.
FIRST SERAPHAN KNIGHT
Where?
SECOND SERAPHAN KNIGHT
We’re supposed to be looking out for vampires. Not admiring ships.
FIRST SERAPHAN KNIGHT
Well, it could be vampires on the ships. Ooh, look at the lines on that one.
SECOND SERAPHAN KNIGHT
You watch the ships. I’ll watch the dock.
“Kain” overhears a conversation between two men.
FIRST MAN
They won’t let me down to the docks! They say it’s because of the fog, but I need to get to my boat!
SECOND MAN
Just give him the the password, ‘North Star’. He’ll let ya through.
FIRST MAN
Thanks, mate. I owe you one.
“Kain” returns to the closed, guard gate.
GATE GUARD
You again? Password.
“KAIN”
North Star
GATE GUARD
Good enough. Come on, then.
Two shipmates speak at the docks.
MALE SHIPMATE
The light’s gone out.
FEMALE SHIPMATE
No it hasn’t.
MALE SHIPMATE
It has, look there.
FEMALE SHIPMATE
What did they want to go and do that for? The boat wasn’t even fully stocked! Now what are we going to do with all of this?
MALE SHIPMATE
What about the boat? How are we supposed to make it home now?
“Kain” approaches a man in an alley.
CONTACT
Keep your distance.
“KAIN”
Never fear.
CONTACT
Are you Kain? They sent me to help you. We must reposition the lighthouse so that the Seraphan supply ship will dock, and the drawbridge will lower.
Two fishermen converse at the docks.
FIRST FISHERMAN
I tell ya, it was that big.
SECOND FISHERMAN
In your dreams.
FIRST FISHERMAN
I swear.
SECOND FISHERMAN
And you lost it when he light went out?
FIRST FISHERMAN
It slipped overboard – never saw it again.
SECOND FISHERMAN
Riiight…
Within a Seraphan garrison, a Seraphan Guard captain stands watch over cages containing human prisoners.
PRISONER 1
Help! Help me!
PRISONER 2
Let us out! You can’t do this to us!
SERAPHAN GUARD
Silence! No one expects you’ll all get there alive. Anyone wish to die now? Good.
An 'Honor' Killing
Kain rounds a corner and sees Umah, bleeding and backed to the edge of the water. A Sarafan Knight is closing slowly in on her, his sword in front of him. Two other Knights are lying dead on the ground. From Umah's point of view, we see Kain appear from the shadows behind the Knight and kill him. Umah's wounds are dire.
KAIN
We meet again, Umah.
UMAH
Kain…
KAIN
Yes, Kain. I thought you were to bring the Sarafan Lord to his knees?
UMAH
(Coughs blood)
I thought…
KAIN
I know.
UMAH
It seems….I was wrong. I could not carry the fight…alone.
KAIN
You were brave to try.
UMAH
Kain….I'm dying…
KAIN
Yes. You are.
UMAH
I need your blood…please….you can save me…
KAIN
I know.
(He reaches down and takes back the Nexus Stone, kneeling down beside her.)
Tell me, child. Do you see me ruling Nosgoth?
UMAH
Yes…yes, I see it now…
KAIN
And do you believe that Nosgoth rightly belongs to me?
UMAH
…I do….I do believe it, Kain. Please…
KAIN
Then you may die, knowing the truth.
Kain rears his claws back, and plunges them into her chest.
UMAH
No!!!!
KAIN
You should never have betrayed me. You could have been my queen.
UMAH
Kain…
Umah falls back, dead.
KAIN
Now you have left me alone.
As “Kain” finally reaches the Southern Docks, Vorador contacts him, unaware that “Kain” has just murdered his daughter in cold blood.
VORADOR
Kain, you must unleash the demon out of its cage. Then use the empty cage to smuggle yourself onto the ship. Kain, be careful…
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