Before too long, several of Ewoden’s pack managed to catch back up to him; galloping in their lupine forms the whole way. They were breathing hard and exhausted, panting to control their body temperature. Once they had recovered enough to observe who was waiting for them, they were taken aback and one of them even snarled.
Ewoden stepped in quickly with a few sharp words. As the leader of their pack he was the alpha wolf and so his word was law. The others looked between him and Raziel but said nothing in response nor did they offer up any more protests.
“We take him to see the boat.” Ewoden ordered and marched past without waiting for them to agree or argue.
The wolves obeyed and fell in beside them as they began heir journey, their eyes on Raziel and not leaving him for a second as they moved.
It was not a long journey. They rose up two floors passing through more chambers full of the animal cages before coming out onto a large circular stone platform that opened up to behold the outside of the city.
There again were those two abysses, one black one white that outlines each other with the impossible city in-between.
That was not what got Raziel’s immediate attention. Attached to several stone jetties a little above them and some distance off was…
“I do not understand…” The blue wraith admitted, staring at the thing. It was long, very long in fact with a curved roof like underside. He could not see the entire thing as he was looking up at it from underneath but its size seemed out it as being half the width of the city itself. Staring up at it Raziel felt chilled for some reason, as if he were having a premonition of doom.
The werewolves all looked up at it and then changed back to their human forms. Two had red hair like Ewoden but the third had very blonde hair and his eyes were a matching gold. He seemed to be far younger then the others, his appearance being no older then twenty.
The pack leader looked back and then turned again to regard the strange thing before them.
“Ambraxas calls it the Ark.” He said. “It has been in construction since long before we were brought here.”
And then Raziel understood what he was looking at. It was a ship, a ship larger then any vessel he had ever seen before.
.
“The mighty vessel was like no ship I had ever seen, a leviathan that stretched for what could possibly be miles. The ship was elegantly crafted despite being so large, its bow sweeping back like the curve of a swans wing. The vessel was impossible, alien and heavenly beautiful.”
.
If he were to compare it to a familiar object of relative size then it would say it was at least as large as the Vampire Citadel that Janos had shown him; certainly longer then Ishtar’s Ziggurat was tall.
“A ship that flies.” The blue wraith breathed. Even Hylden technology had not attempted something of such magnitude.
“A safeguard for life they say.” Ewoden said, holding his arms. The chains hanging from his manacles clinked. “Soon they’ll start moving the containers from the holding pens into the ship.”
Raziel turned his head to look at him.
“Why? What purpose does this all serve?” He asked. Ewoden also turned his head to stare.
“Haven’t you guessed?” He asked, actually sounding surprised. When Raziel did not immediately reply the Emissary gestured back the way they had come, indicating the large chambers that housed those rows of containers.
“The animals they gathered are to ensure that when their plan comes to fruition, Nosgoth can be repopulated from these specimens.” He managed a distasteful frown at his own words. “I suppose that’s why Ambraxas kept us.”
So far Ewoden had said nothing more about this supposed doomsday scenario. Did it involve this ludicrously large vessel in some way?
“You said drowned.” The blue wraith reminded him. Ewoden nodded once, sharply.
“That’s the word they use most often when talking about the Promised Day.” He said. “Sometimes they say ‘cleansing’ or ‘baptism’. It all amounts to the same thing.”
The emissary curved his hand and turned it about as if running it over an imaginary globe, a gesture Raziel took to mean that what the masters of this city planned would affect the entire world.  “A destruction of all life.”
That might be Ewoden’s interpretation of the plans being put into motion but Raziel was not so sure, or at least felt there was more to it then that.
The Divus were the servants of the Elder and as such any grand scheme would come from him. Raziel knew the mind of his former master well and the apocalypse Ewoden seemed to fear did not fit the motives of the enemy.
Why would the Elder, who fed of the life of Nosgoth, want to destroy it all? Life provided him with sustenance.
“…life.” Raziel repeated softly and slowly, turning to look back down the corridor they had come. Sustenance; that was the apt word here. The Elder’s interest in sustaining life only extended as far as his appetite.
“Something the matter?” Ewoden asked after the blue wraith remained silent for perhaps a minute.
“No…” Raziel said, a dawning realization coming into his mind. All the werewolves looked at him. “No they don’t want to repopulate Nosgoth once it’s destroyed.”
Ewoden raised thick red eyebrow at him puzzlement.
“What do you mean?” He asked.
The scope of this plan was audacious and quite insane. Raziel marvelled at it in that any being, be him a mortal or a god, could conceive of it at all.
“This… ark.” He began, gesturing up towards the ship. “It’s no simple ferry meant to hold what they want until the chaos subsides. It’s a vessel meant for a long distance travel, I can see that from here.”
The lycanthropes still looked confused.
“These examples of life are to go on a journey.” Raziel told them all intensely. “Why else would you need a vessel? They’re provisions. Supplies!”
Ewoden blinked, looked up at the Ark and then back to Raziel all in one moment.
“Supplies?” He repeated incredulously. “You mean they plan to eat them?” His tone was half mocking.
“Your satire might be closer to the truth then you realise.” The blue wraith told him ominously.
.
“The hand of my former master in the purpose of this vessel was unmistakable and insidious. He fed off life itself and so what else would a ship custom made for him contain?”
.
The Keeper, that strange fish like entity he had met only once before, had claimed that the Elder was preparing for his ‘Endgame’. Could this be it? To destroy Nosgoth and then leave with supplies enough to sustain him to some other place?
Only he did not see how this was to be accomplished. Where else could the Elder go and how could he possibly hope to destroy all life on an entire world?
Drown it?
Too commonplace and such an action would not destroy all life either, just that which dwelt on the land; a disaster to be sure but not a clearing of the slate by any stretch of the cosmic imagination.
He could stand here and try to puzzle out the meanings for all eternity but there were no answers to be had at present. If such a disaster were coming then it made his own mission vitally imperative.
Kain had to be found and returned to Nosgoth where some defence, plan or counter attack might be put into play. Kain was good at that sort of thing.
Raziel looked up at the Ark again, this time not looking at the ship itself but rather at where it was ‘docked’ to the side of the city.
It seemed very much like that section had been specifically built to hold the ship while it was being built for the vessel fit there perfectly, almost snugly. It was an area with a great many hanging turrets leading off the side of it, defensive structures no doubt.
.
“The vessel could very well be where Kain might be being held. It was isolated and well defended. If anywhere might be secure to hold him it would be there. Admittedly I was grasping at straws but my hunch was all I had to work with.”
.
What he was about to do would be a gamble to be certain but he had to take some gambles if he were going to find Kain. Wandering around aimlessly hoping to bump into him was going to get him absolutely nowhere.
“I wish to get onboard.” He told the lycanthropes. They all just stared at him, each wearing an expression that said loud and clear ‘are you mad?’
“Why?” Ewoden asked him flatly. Raziel did not meet his gaze.
“That is my own affair.” He replied. The emissary of the lycanthropes was silent a long time but his eyes spoke volumes of his thoughts. He was deep in thought about something quite personal and seemed hesitant, as if he were looking at an opportunity and not sure whether or not he should take it.
“No one gets onto that ship unless they have business being there.” He said, still looking thoughtful and troubled. “It is the most highly guarded structure of Fanum-Divus.”
Raziel didn’t doubt that for an instant. If the ship was anywhere near as important as Ewoden seemed to think it to be then the Elder would have his servants guard it with their very souls.
“No place is impregnable, not even the constructions of heaven.” He said quite firmly. A sacrilegious statement and one meant to fire up his own spirit, to make himself ready to undertake this undoubtedly near impossible task.
“This is reckless.” Ariel said, her voice echoing in the vaults of his mind. She sounded profoundly disapproving of his proposed action.
“If you have an alternative I would be more then willing to hear you out.” Raziel told her back silently.
“If Kain isn’t there you’ll have placed yourself in great danger.” She said.
“But do you have an alternative?”
“No but…”
“Then we have little choice.” The argument seemed quite capable of continuing for some time but Ewoden interrupted the silent bickering.
“I shall be coming with you.” That declaration startled everyone, Raziel and the werewolves both. They all turned to look at him and he scowled back, resolute.
“I will not require a guide.” Raziel told him quickly.
“That is not my reason.” Ewoden said. He pointed towards the Ark with his right hand. “That ship is where Ambraxas resides. He hasn’t left his chambers onboard for what I suspect is a century.”
They all turned to regard the vessel anew.
“The coward fears we might catch him alone in a corridor some day.” One of the werewolves said with a cruel chuckle, the one with long black hair down his back. He had the same odd accent that Ewoden had.
“Aye, it would be a good day for the pack.” The one to the left said; his hair a dirty brown.
“And a day that will never come if we simply wait for him to come out.” Ewoden reminded them without looking back; his eyes fixed on the ship. Raziel saw that the indecision was gone. Whatever his dilemma had been he can come to a conclusion.
The emissary stared his fill at the ship, took a deep preparatory breath and then turned.
“I have sworn three oaths to those who follow our ways.” He said and he was speaking not to Raziel but to his own kind. “By accompanying this visitor into the Ark I will attempt to fulfil the first.”
Raziel did not know what he was talking about but his words seemed to have a profound effective on the werewolves in their human form. New respect shone in their eyes for their pack leader, they all seemed to stiffen in their posture.
“Can we really trust this blue devil?” The one with the golden hair and eyes asked, giving the blue wraith a sidelong glance. “He killed some of our own, let’s not forget.”
“Quiet now.” Ewoden told the youngster quite firmly, silencing him with a very penetrating glare. “We were stalking him. The prey fighting back is fair game and them of ours that died perished by the rules of the hunt. There’s been no crime.”
While the rules of Lycanthrope culture were mildly fascinating Raziel had his mind on other things.
“Revenge?” He asked Ewoden, trying not to sound disappointed for such a menial and petty motivation. He knew first hand it’s pursuit was hollow.
“Can you blame us?” The Lycanthrope emissary asked pointedly. Raziel took in a breath as if about to speak but then simply let it out with a long sigh.
“No.”
Even if did know better now how could he fault someone else for walking his own path?