Bah.
Kain smiled cruelly. He was far beyond caring about his former homeland. His loyalties to those petty, squabbling fools had always been transitory, and the last meager visages of it died with his mortal existence.
He chuckled darkly. While once he prostrated himself for influence, making himself a pawn in their petty games of intrigue. Now all the decedent nobles of Coorhagen were nothing more than sheep for the slaughter, mutton for his table.
"Kain?" Seras asked, interrupting his train of thought, "Are you alright."
"Yes," he replied quite honestly and with a ting of dark amusement in his voice, "Yes I am."
Seras shrugged. "Okay then, lead the way…"
With a nod, Kain began to walk North. Over time his sense that something was wrong increased. He knew that the Lords of Coorhagen despised bandits and had a veritable army of Roadwardens to hunt them, he also knew that regardless of the threat, bandits saw this road as easy pickings, just loaded with arrogant nobles overconfident of their abilities and weighed down with pomp and wealth. If one did not find one, one would inevitably find the other on these roads.
He had seen neither.
"Awful deserted, isn't it…" Seras though out load.
"Yes," Kain replied absently, "It is."
"Are you worried?" she asked him.
"No." Kain replied.
She blinked. "Why not? Isn't this your homeland? Aren't these your friends and family?"
Kain laughed and turned around, smiling grimly at her. "You do not understand the workings of the nobility, do you?"
She blinked. "Wot?"
"Then let me enlighten you. I have no loyalty to my family. My father is a self-aggrandizing coward, my mother is a petty minded whore with a obsession for intrigue, my younger brother a shiftless flop, a closet homosexual with a penchant for young boys, and as for my sister, by now she is most likely the brood mule of a noble of the court of Willendorf." He laughed and continued. "As for my 'friends' as you all them, they were nothing more than useful to me, and I to them. There was no real loyalty, only the simple fact that we found one another to be of use. If throwing me to the wolves would have benefited any of them, they would have without doubt. I know this for I would have done the same… I have no loyalty to any of them, and I know that should any of them, friends or family, see me now they would destroy me, and not because I am a monster, but because I am a potential embarrassment. Do you understand my lack of concern for the fate of those simpletons now, Seras Victoria?" She scowled. "Does that mean I am disposable as well Kain?"
He paused for a moment. The thought had never crossed his mind. That in its own was strange, but he could see why… it was not as if he didn't have other things on his mind.
Now taking it into account, he knew the answer would be a rather surprising no. This lay on multiple levels. He had learned well that one should not consider ones comrades in arms expendable, for in the field of battle your life lay in their hands and vice-versa. One had to trust one's comrades, and if they could not trust you, could you trust them? Also, like every man he sought companionship on some level, and he found Seras's presence to be comforting. With her around he was not alone in his torment, and she was also quite attractive and while he found her naiveté to be somewhat annoying, her beauty stirred quite the bit of animal instinct.
He smirked. Maybe once they were cured, and if her path home was not to be found, he would take her as his bride. Despite her likely peasant birth, she was beautiful and competent both intellectually and in the arts of war. She was a far better match for one such as he than all the fluff brained princesses of Nosgoth.
"No, you are not expendable. I sense a bond between those such as us," he stated, wisely not mentioning his musing about the future.
Seras blinked. "Alright…"
"Good," Kain replied, "Now we…" he trailed off and sniffed the air.
"What is it?" Seras asked.
"I smell… blood." He replied.
Seras sniffed the air as well. "That’s funny. I don't smell anything…"
Kain began to walk towards the scent with Seras in tow, and together after ten minutes of walking through woods and brush, they came upon a hidden cavern.
Inside they saw to very different things.
Kain saw the macabre form of a fountain, illuminated with red light, its bone encrusted marble form flowing with the fluid of life.
She smiles as its siren's song sang through the air…
"The Blood of Ages flows so sweet. Come... drink from us."
Seras on the other hand could only huff and cross her arms in derision.
"Great, another one of those bloody statues."
Kain smiled.
"Bloody indeed…"
Opening his mouth, he drew in the eldritch blood of the fountain. Seras gasped as for a moment she saw the fountain as he did. Brimming to the top with fresh and ever flowing blood.
"Your magic energy recovers more quickly, for our blood enhances."
Seras scoffed. "Great, you get a free meal while I have to sit her and watch you eat…"
Kain smiled and turned to Seras.
"It had increased my magical strength." "That’s nice," she said with a rather adorable pout on her face, "Now can we leave?"
He laughed. "Indeed, let us continue to Coorhagen…" he grinned and continued, "I am sure you will be able to find sustenance there. I know just where to look"
Read the comments on this episode
See other episodes by PsyckoSama
(Posted Tue, 14 Jun 2005 15:28)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.