Holier Than Thou

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad paced the room while Maxwell periodically wrestled him aside for tests.

"Would you please calm your breathing. You're a vampire, not a golden retriever," the doctor muttered as he worked on a blood sample.

Vlad stopped pacing and leaned against the wall, breathing as he chose. His muscles felt tight and exhausted, but he was determined to keep himself upright. Maxwell had agreed, saying it would keep his circulation going and help avoid another bout of paralysis, at least for as long as possible.

* * *

Atul's attention jerked back to the moment as he heard Tenele's voice far down the passage. He knew it was her, but he couldn't make out what she'd said. He burst into a sprint down through the tunnel until he came to the huge cavern that formed Verin's shrine. He didn't see Tenele. "Tenele?" he called. "Tenele!"

[Emora Deen]

Tenele groaned. Her eyes blinked open slowly to a stone ceiling. She sat up slowly, pushing up with her hands and shoving her silver hair from her face. The room was large, and there were two broad grotesque demons standing in the corner. She shifted to her knees slowly.

Tenele wasn't sure how much time had passed, because her clothes were dry. It felt like hours.

The wooden door to the room groaned open and Verin stepped in. He seemed surprise to see her, or maybe surprised to see her awake. "You slept for a while," he admitted, appraising her. "You must have been exhausted."

He approached her slowly, flexing his hands at his sides. When he was standing just in front of her Tenele opened her mouth to speak. He struck her hard across the face, so hard it sent her body spinning off its feet and sliding across the floor.

Dizziness warped her vision and her thoughts. She barely made out his form as he stepped towards her, flexing his hand. "I'm just checking," he admitted. "Did that feel real to you? Felt real to me."

Tenele spat blood on the ground collecting her limbs to stand again.

"You know what I find amusing about all this?" he asked. Tenele fumbled, slipping back to the floor. She focused on clearing the dizziness, pushing against the floor. "You could have easily remedied this situation if you had called on her. But, you were too bitter at your mother to ask for her help, weren't you? If only you knew what I know. Do you know why your mother ignored your existence for the most part, sweet Tenele? Because she couldn't see you. A god can only see those who pray to them. There are far too many people in this world for them to focus on everyone, so they have to focus on the ones they can hear... and they can only hear the ones who pray. Do you know how I could find you so easily? Vlad... I see Vlad where ever he goes, because he is a product of me. And he left traces on you. Its Vlad's fault your in this situation. If it weren't for him knowing you, I would not know your existence."

Verin reached down and fisted a hand in her hair. He drew her to her feet and wrapped and arm around her waist. "But, you can't call her now. She can't hear you here. No one can. You are all alone, Tenele." He tugged her head back and his lips fell on her neck. "No one can save you now."

"Sagra ne reion, Knight..." Tenele muttered, green eyes falling on him.

Verin blinked, perplexed. "That's an old incantation, Tenele. Just who are you calling?"

Tenele smiled. "I was waiting for you to say that... That no one could save me. I figured it was in your script some where," she murmured.

"Who did you call?!"

Tenele laughed at him. He wrapped a hand around her neck and through her back into the wall. The air left her lungs and she slipped to the floor.

[Soran Nightblade]

A flash of light filled the room, and Knight stood a few yards away from them. His long black haired framed dark, mismatched eyes. "Hello, Verin," he said unpleasantly, taking in the sight of Tenele hurt on the floor. "My name's Knight. I don't like you."

[Emora Deen]

Verin turned slowly towards Knight, chuckling. "That's not surprising," he admitted, reaching down a hand and drawing Tenele up to her feet. "Not many people like me."

Verin studied Knight for a moment, trying to get a good read on him. "Who is he?" he sneered into Tenele's hair.

"My protector," Tenele told Verin. "He's going to kill you."

"Oh, is he, now?" Verin asked, stepping towards Knight and drawing Tenele with him. "Well, Knight. Go on. Kill me."

[Soran Nightblade]

Knight smiled darkly at him. "Are you so obsessed with her that you need to clutch her like a blanket to fight me?"

[Emora Deen]

Verin smirked. "You are quite right. Please, forgive me. I'm being overzealous about her arrival." Verin gave Tenele a hard shove, sending her back into the wall hard enough for bone to crack. She collapsed to the floor, whimpering. Black power swarmed around Verin's wrists and he reared back, throwing that energy towards Knight.

[Soran Nightblade]

Knight threw an arm sideways, and the black magic warped and scattered apart. every torch in the chamber flared up, as if fed by his power. "This is not a time for games," he snarled, placing a protective barrier around Tenele. The blood shield was one of Vlad's spells, and a costly one. But knight wasn't planning to drag this out. With Tenele safe from harm, he could go all out against the god, and he was looking forward to it. Long blades drew from his fingertips, glowing with blue fire. "Let's go," he hustled the god, and launched forward to swipe at Verin's chest.

[Emora Deen]

Verin took the hit, surprise rippling through him. He countered, attacking Knight with black fire and magic while the wound closed. "You smell familiar," the god murmured as he glanced between the claws wrapped in blue fire and the red blood shield around a temporarily immobile Tenele. It was then that he placed it, and even the God of Darkness shook his head in disbelief. "My son..."

[Soran Nightblade]

"I'm afraid I'm not your anything. I find your reaction quite interesting, though," Knight taunted while barely dodging the god's magic. He shifted sideways and hurled a blast of azure fire at Verin.

[Emora Deen]

Verin rippled out of existence and reappeared behind Knight, directing a blow to his back. "That's okay. It doesn't matter who you are. When I'm done with you, you'll be whatever I want you to be."

[Soran Nightblade]

Knight laughed, first from right in front of Verin and then behind him. The two teleported around each other in a quick round of teleport tag, zapping out of existence while throwing rapid-fire attacks at each other. Knight was the first to hold still and attempt to grab hold of Verin's wrist as he swung at him. He grabbed the god's arm and pulled it backward while driving his clawed hand up toward the god's stomach.

[Emora Deen]

Verin grunted as the blow struck him. He strained, looking at Knight in a new light. His opposite arm reached up and wrapped around the top of Knights head. He forced his power in, channelling it through the being, seeking control. "Let's see how you laugh, now," Verin huffed, pain creasing his features.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad had come fairly close to withstanding Verin's attempts to control him, and Atul was about the same. Knight's combined strength was enough to see Verin's intrusion as an annoyance, rather than a severe threat. He focused and managed to keep the god out of his thoughts. There would be no playing to his fears or thoughts. It did, however, cut into his concentration to keep his mind to himself. The next strike he made at Verin's heart was just a hair slower, just a thread weaker than before.

[Emora Deen]

Verin drew his hand away from Knight's head and redirected it to block the attack. He head-butted him hard enough to try and knock Knight back to allow for space, enough to recover for another blow. He tossed his hand out, power sweeping from his palm to blast him in the chest.

Tenele blinked her eyes open, watching through the blood-shield as the two beings went back and forth at each other. Shifting she tried to sit up, but the shield kept her hunkered low to the ground. Her body wasn't going to complain, it seemed to like the position on the floor more than the idea of standing.

[Soran Nightblade]

Verin's hit connected with Knight's chest and blew him several steps backward. The strike left a gaping hole in his flesh. He closed his eyes and knitted itself back together. Then he refocused quickly as he dropped low and kicked Verin's legs out from under him. As soon as they were on the ground together, Knight set in on top of him with ripping claws.