Travelling north, moving swiftly in the form of the wolf, Kain traced the lay of the land as it slowly curved north east along the mountain range. To the north he could faintly make out the long stretched of flood plains that extended beyond the mainland and all the way to the Polar ice.
The vista from the elevated height was incredible but Kain kept his attention on the ground around him, looking for signs on the ground of travellers. His senses enhanced by the form of the wolf, he sniffed constantly trying to pick up a scent.
It was high noon by now and his shadow shrank to a dark patch below him as he moved and the overhead light did strange things in the valleys and ravines of the mountains. The rocks formed deep patches of shadow where it was impossible to see what lay within.
When Kain cleared a patch of dead trees and moved into these ravines, the tingling and unpleasant sensation that he was being watched ran up and down his spine.
He bounded up to the top of a rocky outcrop and there he paused, sniffing the air.
Sure enough he could smell the odour of lurking observers, many and close… far closer than he was comfortable with.
Quickly he glanced around but could not see or sense anything. Whoever was watching him had stealth far above average and the ability to shield their presence from the minds of more perceptively sensitive beings.
Kain turned and burst into a run, galloping up a sharp incline towards a higher ridgeline. When he reached it, he stopped only to change back into his normal form. Standing again on two legs, he reached back and grasped the Reaver to bring it forth.
Awakening in his grip, Raziel muttered in a questioning anticipation of a possible meal. Kain held the sword ready, level with his head and waited… all senses tightly wound to detect even the slightest hint of movement or sound.
Even so it was only the fluke scrapping clatter of stones that alerted him to the way the attack would come.
Some creatre, wet and covered with fur leapt off the top of the rocks above and came hurtling down at him.
Kain reacted with lightning speed, swinging the Reaver up and running the creature through. Blood erupted from the gaping jaws at the impact and Raziel stirred savagely, screeching as it devoured a soul.
There was a roar, and another of these creatures launched itself up over the edge of ridge followed by another and another, all of them moving fast with large sweeping arms that ended in long black claws.
Kain about turned and gestured out at their oncoming rush with his right hand. The force push he focused through the gauntlet he wore sent them flying, tumbling up into the air like rag dolls before they crashed down on the rocks below.
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“These beasts were the un-natural mammalian spawn Meobius’ Seraphim employed as guard and hunting dogs. The lack of intelligence or rational thought was clear in their eyes as they stalked me and close up, I realised what these creatures were.”
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Two more scrambled up the path towards him, their mouths hung open to show their fang and sharp teeth. Their fur was black and their ears dog like on the top of their head. Their faces were a strange cross between a wolf and a human, with forward seeing blue eyes and wet noses.
Their arms were long in proportion to the rest of their bodies, giving them a longer reach to ensnare prey with their claws.
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“Early werewolves, the first of a short lived species of mutants that I had once presumed came about as a result of the corruption of the Pillars centuries to come. Clearly I had been mistaken.”
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Kain slide through their attack with mist and solidified behind them, his sword sweeping around to slide them both. The first was cut directly in half above the waist while the other, hit at a sharply angle, had its head send flying.
The Vampire kicked the body down the slope in front of him, in time to fend off another attack from behind. These creatures were so skilled in stealthy hunting that even he had been unable to detect their presence until they had been ready to spring this ambush on him.
One werewolf he stabbed through the head with his talons before a focused force burst ruptured the skull causing it to break apart into bloodied fragments that flew off in all directions.
The Reaver screamed in delight as it swung back and forth, devouring the tortured souls of these warped creatures one after another. Blood, as red as any humans; scattered on the rocks and stones around as Kain smashed through them as they came at him.
Three of them attacked at once and he leapt out of the way, flipping over in the air and landing behind them. From his free hand he discharged a bolt of potent energy directly at the nearest one.
The effect was somewhat spectacular as the body fried to a crisp instantly, turning charred black and then ripping itself apart all within the space of a moment.
Undeterred by the death of their pack mate, the remaining two leapt at him with flecks of foam flying from their rapid mouths.
Kain ducked and rolled, avoiding the lunge and when he came back up he smashed another focused burst into the second’s back. It was thrown forward to impact with a sickening crunch against the side of a wall and fell down to the ground unmoving.
The remaining werewolf and Kain circled each other, one with claws held out wide and the other with a sword dripping blood at chest height.
Then the creature lunged.
The Vampire sidestepped, grabbed the wolf as it shot past and using its own momentum impaled the creature directly onto the Reaver.
As the blade drank its soul the body stiffened in convulsing death before growing limp. Nodding once in satisfaction, Kain left it slide off the Reaver and collapse to the ground.
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 “With their deaths, these creatures heeded me no longer. Still, I lingered a moment more to examine their corpses.”
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First he made sure that these were indeed the last of the pack before he knelt down to turn the dead creature over, looking at its form more closely. He frowned at the sight of the large metal collar around it neck, sharply digging into its flesh. There were cuts and the marks of whips all over the body, hidden by the fur.
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“The body was proportionally human and so I felt safe to assume that these creatures began life as men and then had been cruelly mutated to serve Moebius in his uprising. So the Time Streamer’s perversions had been the origin of these unfortunate beings. Perhaps one of these creatures might have hated him more intensely than I.”
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With a snarl of disgust he turned away.
Changing back into his own wolf form, he bounced up the rocks until he was clear past the ravines and out across the wide expanse of an elevated plateau.
From here he could see what appears to be an ancient structure, some sort of cave entrance carved out of the rock. He recognised the style easily enough having seen it before back at the Forgotten Keep.
It was without a doubt construction left behind after the Hylden had been banished; only avoiding destruction by being in such a remote area.
Changing back to this normal form, he approached… fully aware now that he was not alone.
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“Along this trail I saw signs of recent passage. I sensed that I was drawing closer to my quarry.”
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When he reached the cave entrance, as he had expected to find there were indeed figure standing there. Three of them, all winged Ancients. They appeared to be waiting for something, one of them occasionally glancing into the cave.
Their armour was bronze, lined with gold. Underneath this was a long sort of red toga tied off around the waist and wrists. One of them had a sword at his waist, another had an axe and the third a long spear.
Kain smiled to himself.
Instead of avoiding them as might be the wiser course of action, he approached them quite openly.
The first one to see him was the one who kept looking back into the cave, spotting Kain when he turned back again. He stumbled back off his seat in alarm, scrambling quickly to his feet and reaching for his blade at the same time.
The other two looked around and then they two stood up, reaching for their weapons.
No doubt they did not realize that approaching them was one of their own, as in this day and age a human born vampire were nowhere near matured enough to look as he did.
“By the elements what is this animal?” The Vampire with the spear asked with a horrified expression, holding his weapon pointed directly at Kain
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“Standing ready to fight before me were three warriors of what could only be, judging by their grab, the Serioli. At last I had found the original Vampires of the ancient order of supreme weapon forgers.”
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Kain himself stopped a prudent distance from them, not stupid enough to walk directly up to them. He frowned at being called an ‘animal’ especially by one of his own kind.
“Stay your hands.” He told them. “I did not journey here just to start a fight with you.”
The three of them exchanged confused glances but then they stepped aside, allowing a fourth winged ancient to step out from within the cave.
This one was female, with armour similar to their own only with shorter pauldrons down her arms. She wore a short skirt across her waist with a golden buckle on the left side of her hip. Her hair was short and tied back into a petite ponytail behind her head. Across her forehead was a silver tiara with a gemstone directly in the centre.
Physically she was average in height and her body had a great deal of developed muscle. Strapped in scabbards on either side of his lustrous hips where a pair of short blades, with the handles turned up to easy access.
“Then state your business creature!” She said in a sharp tone of command.
Kain narrowed his eyes at the way the others made way for her.
“I come for the guidance and counsel of Ajatar Cadere, grandmaster of the Serioli.” He said warily and was not entirely surprised when she replied;
“Then you find me indisposed to humour you.” She stood there proudly. “I am she and I do not see why I should waste precious time in conversation with…” The female vampire paused to look him over disdainfully. “…with whatever you are.”
Irritated by her manner, Kain held up before him Ba’al’s amulet for them to see, its identifying icon clear.
“I come barring official status.” He remarked as her eyes widened in genuine surprise.
“Where did you get that?” She demanded and her three vampires drew in around her protectively.
“I was given it by Ba’al. He directed me to you.” He tossed the amulet up and then caught it again, putting it away. “Will you speak with me now or will you not?”
Ajatar frowned deeply at him, a frown caused more by irritation than actual distrust. Her eyes darted off to one side and she pursed her lips.
Then the female vampire shrugged.
“Follow me then and we may speak as I work.” She said and gestured to her warriors, who with a great deal of reluctance stood aside and allowed Kain to pass.
He followed the Grandmaster of the Serioli into the cave, seeing that only the entrance had been carved in the Hylden style. The rest of the cave appeared quite natural; accept for a few carved lumps of rock that might serve as a table or chair.  
The air was stick with a strange odour that seemed to seep up from within the rocks themselves; natural gas Kain would hazard a guess.
He held a hand in front of his mouth. While he could handle many an environment it was not wise to breath deeply of impure air.
Kain glanced back to see the three warriors following them, even if at a polite distance.
“It took my scouts many years to find this place so I can not waste the time now that they have located it for me.” Ajatar said as they rounded a corner together. It was then that the Vampire saw the murals, cave painting etched into the side of the rock face… Hylden artwork definitely but more primitive…done with the most simple of tools.
These images were far more abstract than any he had seen before but showed the two circle icons that Kain had seen before in the Forgotten Keep’s temple. Only these had more detail, showing that the upper circle looked now distinctly like an Ouroboros … a snake biting its own tail.
“There is much I need to learn... to understand.” She said softly, placing her hand on the symbol and tracing its outline with a talon.
“Just what is this cave?” Kain asked, keeping his eyes on the mural.
“The ancient hermitage, the site where the Unspoken Seer spent her time in communion with the God of their kind before she went to Ba’al to assist him in writing the Dark Prophecy.”
Kain blinked at this intelligence and looked from Ajatar to the symbol of the self consuming snake and back again.
“The Hylden had a god?” He asked.
Now it was her turn to stare at him.
“You dare speak the name of the Unspoken?” She asked.
“Of course.” He told her abruptly. “Only the simple would favour ignorance over knowledge.”
“You speak recklessly.” But she smiled when she said it. “It’s quite refreshing.”
“I’m glad you approve.” Kain muttered.
Ajatar turned from him to regard the murals again, looking them over almost sadly.
“It was not always so…” She began, clearly changing the subject. “There was once a time when our kind lived side by side with the Hyl…” She stopped and then corrected herself. “… the Unspoken. “Not allies perhaps but cordial enough.”
Her expression turned into a frown.
“Then Raziel came and everything changed.”
Kain started in alarm.
“Raziel?!” He asked with wide eyes. “What does he have to do with anything of this?”
“Everything.” She told him, his voice tinged with disgust. “When he came to our people the Old ways and the study of the Elements were cast down and the Wheel of Fate, his tyrannical faith, was imposed on us all.”
She pointed to the lower circle in the mural.
“And then HIS wars began.”