The werewolf tackled him across the midsection and together they crashed through the opening of one of the animal containers, spilling the water and letting the fish that had been swimming inside flap out onto the floor helplessly. Some of the smaller werewolves, possibly pups, were less disciplined and went for the fish catching them up in their claws to eat.
Raziel hardly noticed, too busy sinking his talons into the werewolf that held him and forcing it off. The creature staggered back as Raziel slashed at it, letting go and giving Raziel a perfect opening.
The blue wraith stabbed forward with his talons, punching a hole directly into the beast’s chest and into the heart. He grabbed the pulsing organ and then yanked it out, blood spraying out the wound and coating him in a thick scarlet liquid. The werewolf gargled and then collapsed down to the ground with a thud.
As its soul began to flee from its body Raziel drew down his cowl with one hand, exposing the glowing maw and drew in the spirit; swallowing it down and using its energy to galvanise his own.
Enraged by the death of their comrade, two more wolves darted in to attack him. Acting quickly Raziel ran right at them and just as they reached him, he slide across the floor and between their legs. He slashed them both across the legs with his talons as he past, cutting through muscle hamstringing them. The two of them stumbled to the ground, howling in pain.
Waiting there to meet him were five of those werewolves in human form, charging at him with swords and axes in their hands. From the way the wielded the weapons it was clear they were not just using old relics they had found but were trained soldiers. One of them swung an axe at his head.
The blue wraith ducked under the swing and kicked the man in the chest; the blow sending him flying up and over the tops of his fellows to crash into the floor with a resounding clatter.
Two more stabbed at him with swords but Raziel spun about, using that same leg to knock their feet out from under them.
“You move fast for a mixed jumble of bone and sinew.” Their leader said, racing up towards him.
The red bearded man was athletic and fast, moving swiftly. His arms were held out to either side and as he moved they began to morph, fingers elongating and nails becoming serrated claws. Fur, the exact same colour as his hair, grew to quickly cover his arms up to his elbows.
Raziel was momentary taken aback. Having not encountered any werewolves before all he had to work with was obviously inaccurate folklore to guide him in his strategy. Nowhere had he encountered stories of them being able to affect partial transformations before.
Their leader stabbed at him with his claws, moving quick enough that not even Raziel’s dodge could stop him to slicing him across the front of the chest. The claws did not strike deep, the scratches healing almost instantly using up some of his surplus of energy.
Raziel parried another strike with his own talons, slapping a hand away as it tried to stab at his eyes.
Each attack the leader made was aimed at what might be considered a weak point in any other opponent but there were little if no vital places on Raziel’s body to strike. His body’s uniform reliance of soul energy was his advantage and he pressed it, allowing himself to take a strike to the mid section.
Giving that blow away allowed him to get in close and bring his talons across the leader’s face.
The human-werewolf was fortunate. Raziel missed his eyes but the talons raked across his nose, leaving long gashes.
He cried out, shutting his eyes as blood spurted into them.
Raziel would have followed up on that opportunity but two more werewolves, one in human form and the other feral, attacked from both sides coming to their leader’s aid.
The blue wraith was forced to back off, sliding away. The two of them put themselves between him and their leader.
“This is our territory and you will not oust us here.” The feral one snarled to Raziel’s surprised. The shape of his jaw did not seem suited to speaking words and he, for the voice was masculine, seemed almost to chew the words in its mouth.
Slowly Raziel looked around, seeing the others of their pack close in to form a circle around him.
Fangs, claws, axes and swords were all at the ready to cleave him to pieces.
.
“I was cornered by creatures with speed and strength superior to my own, trapped in an unfamiliar place with limited resources at my command. Tactically, a strategic withdrawal seemed prudent.”
.
He had already sensed the absorbing field in the city and its negating effect on his telekinesis. In order to break out of this encircling crowd he was going to have to do something more unorthodox.
He darted forward quicker than they expected him too apparently, judging by the startled look on the werewolf directly in front.
He leapt at the creature but not to kill, instead he called forth the gift he had taken from the Hylden house of War leader Shamash. His body flowed into that of the beast and he and it became one.
With startled oaths of utter horror the others drew back from their companion, hissing and snarling.
Possessing the body, Raziel found the feral shape very strong and agile; responding easily to his whims.
Only his natural state was quicker due to its lack of ligaments to get in the way.
“What demonic prey is this!?” Their leader demanded, watching from nearby with a hand held to the wound on his face.
Raziel didn’t give him and answer but directed the werewolf he was piloting into a galloping, passing through the startled pack and down one of the corridors between the stacks of animal containers.
The stunned surprise of the pack helped him as it took them a few moments to collect themselves before they could begin a pursuit.
Over long distances the wolf was faster than he was and with its speed he was able to cover much more ground, darting quickly through the containers evading the creatures and men following from behind.
Suddenly he came across something that might be his means of evading them. Set into the middle of a wider corridor was a sloping ramp of stone leading down into a lower level, the way lit by orange glowing orbs set into the walls.
Quickly he darted down it, feeling the wolf body he was inhabiting begin to decay. That was the drawback to this method of possession. Eventually the host body decomposed and collapsed into dust. Having run this body so hard it was beginning to fall apart far quicker.
The new corridor lanced down sharply and then levelled out; the glowing orange orbs casting long shadows.
Long howls from the end of the corridor let him know they were still trailing him and he forced the wolf to run faster. The act only sped up the decay, parts of the fur and flesh falling off.
Finally in the distance Raziel could see a large pair of stone doors; swung outwards and open.
He forced the wolf on, galloping harder and harder to try and outpace the pack following him from behind.
However his host’s body stumbled as crumbling a leg fell off and it collapsed to the ground with a thud; much of its body breaking off on impact.
With a loud gushing of liquid the blue wraith clawed his way out of the body, bursting out of its back as fast as he could.
He tore his way out and ran on foot the rest of the way to the doorway, rushing through it. Just as he had hoped on the far side there was a stone pad marked with an icon the shape of a hand print. He had seen similar such devices in Vampire ruins so he knew their purpose. He slapped his hand against it, looking back as the stone door began to swing shut.
The pack behind tried to catch the door before it closed but none of them were fast enough and it closed in their faces with a loud crash and a solid grinding of stone on stone.
.
“With the door sealed the Lycanthrope creatures would leave me unmolested, at least for now. But this was their hunting realm and undoubtedly they would find a way around eventually. I had to keep moving and find some way of eluding them.”
.
Turning, Raziel made to get away to find some other way out of this level and back up away from the territory of the wolves. He started, finding himself in another large room full of containers like the one above.
This room was not entirely the same though. The ceiling was much lower and there were less containers although still many.
Passing through them he also saw that they contained not animals this time but plant life, grasses, trees and bushes of all kinds. There was even a section he passed devoted entirely to flowers.
.
“This was no zoo. These chambers contained examples of all types of life, not just animals. Just what purpose did this collection serve?”
.
Just as he was coming to the edge of the chamber, Ariel’s warning stabbed him quite sharply in his mind.
“Raziel, hide!” She said to him, urgently and with great insistence.
.
“I reacted without thinking, darting into the shadows at Ariel’s warning. The instinct proved more fortuitous.”
.
There was a gap between two containers just wide enough for him to squeeze in through and he did so, crouching low to keep out of sight.
There was a gap a short distance away, with a ramp descending down into another chamber perhaps. On the far side of his gap running alongside the wall was a stone platform which a large ornate door leading out from it.
In through this door came three figures, all of them blue skinned and black winged. Raziel’s eyes widened at the sight of them. Ancient Vampires, just like Ajatar and Janos.
One of them was a large specimen with muscles that were overdeveloped and he did not bother to hide it, wearing a white robe that left his chest exposed. His black hair was short and might be oiled for the way it gleamed.
The one to the left was shorter and thinner but his blue skin was of a far darker tone then either of the other two. What really set him apart were the decorative tattoos marked down the right hand side of his face, spreading out from the eye.
The third one Raziel recognised instantly. There was no way he could not recognise him.
It was himself, his first egotistical incarnation; the prime servant of the Elder God, Raziel-Divus.
Seeing him the blue wraith kept very low, willing his own essence to shrink in on itself so he could not be sensed.
“The Ark’s ‘passengers’ are almost all assembled.” The one with the markings on his face was saying as the three of them walked past, glancing over at the containers on the over side of the gap. “A few species are all that remain unaccounted for. But Ophiel manages well on schedule.”
His voice had a silky, rippling quality to it and Raziel could imagine him practising to get that elevated civilised tone.
“Then we are prepared for the Promised Day?” The big muscular one asked. His voice was more rough and deeper as if he was used to speaking only when spoken to.
“I would not go so far.” The first said back with a lopsided grin. “Can anyone really be ‘prepared’ for that?”
He spread his hands and Raziel could see from his hidden position that he had silver braces across his forearms.
“We are as ready as we are ever going to be. I will say no more than that.” The ancient paused and looked at Raziel-Divus who seemed to be looking down at the containers with a distant expression. “Mighty King, you appear out of sorts. Something vexes thee?” He asked and there was a mocking undercurrent to his tone.
Divus set his features into a frown and then spat.
“Ha! ‘King’ the very word is hollow.” He said, turning to look at them both. “You all know my time is finite.”
The little one looked like he was about to reply but Divus cut him off.
“I see my fate approaching with each step that blue ghoul takes. I cannot even find joy in the work of our Lord anymore.”
“You must be strong, sire.”  The big muscular one said earnestly and with deep sincerity. “We all have our part to play and yours is the hardest and the most glorious.”
Divus regarded him with a pleased smile.
“Your words are as soothing as ever they might be, Metatron.” He said with some gratitude.
Metatron, if that was his name, bowed in acceptance of the compliment.
“Perhaps you might look upon the wraith’s persistence as a testament to your own vitality, my liege.” The smaller ancient put in jovially. “After all, while it may not have been intentional, you served the cause well as the cobalt ghost. The Soul Reaver was instrumental.”
Divus shot him an agitated and disgusted look.
“Asmodeus, so far you have not considerably raised my spirits.” He said flatly “The fact remains that I will not live … as I am… to see the coming of the Promised Day. For this I am distraught beyond my words abilities to convey.”
This one, Asmodeus stroked his chin as if contemplating what words to use next to appease his king.
“Take comfort in what you have already accomplished.” He advised then. “As long as the Scion of Balance is disposed of, what else really matters?”
Divus stared him down and then looked away again.
“Your fabled courtly tongue could do with polishing.” Raziel’s past incarnation said spitefully. A flicker of annoyance crossed Asmodeus’ face but it disappeared quickly, hidden by a mask of polite attention.
Raziel-Divus was silent a few moments longer and then let himself relax.
“But you are right.” He admitted. “Kain is gone. I should be content.”
The three of them carried on walking out of sight around a corner, still talking amongst themselves but the words echoing far too much to make out.
Raziel waited until he could not hear their voices anymore and then slowly and silently pulled himself out of his hiding hole, staring after them
.
“To say that this did not bode well for my finding Kain would be an understatement. If my contemptible past self truly believed that he was dead then there might indeed be little hope.”
.
Still, Divus had also thought that he himself had been destroyed after being pulled from inside Kain’s soul. He had been completely surprised and dismayed when they encountered each other in the ruins of his old clan.
.
“No. I had to trust that the Seer had her reasons to believe Kain still lived.  But overhearing this conversation only made finding him that much more vital.”