The Ancient Vampire Lords, Book III
Attack on Cerberis, Chapter V

Back on the Obsidian Island, the monument to Jihon shatters. Brigid, realizing what this means, tells Tamrissa that the companions have found Jihon. The news finally seems to pull Tamrissa from her dazed state. She gets up and opens a Warp Gate leading to the Upper Umbra. She steps through, intending to help them.

Soul Reaver spots the new-born Warp Gate and, intending to open a path for the companions, charges recklessly at the shades to try and break through their ranks. Thisahon meanwhile takes to the air, while Clutchfiend expends what energy he can muster amidst the Shades to transform into a fearsome dragon and charge towards the Warp Gate.

Brigid steps through the Warp Gate to guard it as the other companions make a run towards it.

Then suddenly, Fei rematerializes. He has changed… somehow, his return from death has made him grow more powerful. He has become a Risen, and the dragon tattoo on his arm seems almost alive now. Tamrissa’s pendant begins to glow once more, and the monument to Fei on the Obsidian Island also shatters.

Brigid forces Tamrissa to retreat through the Warp Gate again so she can concentrate her energies on keeping it open - if she does not leave, the draining influence of the Shades may well cause the Gate to collapse and prevent Tamrissa from mustering the energies needed to create a new one.

Soul Reaver, finding himself surrounded, make a last bid to get to the portal. Calling on as much energy as he can, he hurls a blast of power at the Star Sphere. Moments later, the Star Sphere bursts into brilliant light. The sudden illumination causes the Shades to weaken and cringe, giving Soul Reaver the chance he needs to hurl his badly wounded body through the Warp Gate.

Fei unleashes one more attack against the nearby weakened shades, killing them. However, it quickly becomes clear that he is suffering from amnesia - he does not seem to remember the companions. His return from death apparently was not without cost.

Clutchfiend and Thisahon waste no time and run through the open Warp Gate back to the safety of the Obsidian Island. As the Star Sphere’s light wanes again, Thisahon reflects sadly on what has become of the once-beautiful Upper Umbra.

Halcon passes through the Warp Gate and quickly runs to Soul Reaver’s side, healing his wounds. As he is being healed, Soul Reaver urges Fei, the last one of their number still remaining in the Upper Umbra, to decide if he will trust and join the companions or stay behind - time is limited, as even now more shades are appearing and leeching away at the energy maintaining the Warp Gate. Soul Reaver and Tamrissa struggle to keep it open.

Fei makes up his mind and walks through the Warp Gate, and Soul Reaver collapses from both mental and physical exhaustion. He begins to dream… a terrible nightmare in which Blooddrinker escapes from his prison and wreaks a terrible vengeance upon the mortal plane… and then him…

Clutchfiend addresses the companions, telling them that he has to leave in order to fight against the Chaos Lords, which have evaded defeat so far. He invites the companions to join them. Thisahon is enthusiastic about helping.

Fei in the meantime wonders about Tamrissa’s amulet, trying to remember how she could have obtained an amulet containing his essence. He sees it as proof that he has travelled with the companions before. He reveals that he absorbed some of the slain Akkarajul's essence in order to return from the afterlife - Akkarajul’s death made his resurrection possible.

Thisahon decides to prepare for the coming mission by opening a Warp Gate to the Middle Umbra, where he travels to meet his old friend Stryder… and retrieve the Triton ‘Lidea: Chaos’ that he gave to Stryder for safekeeping. Arriving at Stryder's home and greeting his old friend, Thisahon runs into Rose, Stryder’s daughter. Rose looks like she is no older than 18 - perhaps it is related to Stryder’s own immortality, as he too wears a Mask of Shame. Rose, glad to see Thisahon, and recognizing him as Jihon, gives him a locket containing a picture of him and his late wife.

Back on the Obsidian Island, Soul Reaver awakes and debates about what to do next. He decides that since they have no leads on the location of the next Ancient Vampire Lord, it might be best to join Clutchfiend’s mission for now. The companions use a Warp Gate to travel to the Starblade, Clutchfiend’s ship. Kalana is happy to see Soul Reaver as he enters the ship.

Back in the Middle Umbra, Thisahon has had a passionate fling with Rose… and Thisias’ soul senses that she is now pregnant. Thisahon, smitten, changes the name of the Lidea: Chaos to ‘Rose’.

Meanwhile the Starblade is on-route to Aldrean, the planet being sought home by the Chaos Lords. As they near the planet, Soul Reaver senses something within one of the massive Chaos ships heading towards the planet’s surface… Calrax, the next Ancient Vampire Lord! It seems that he has forged an alliance with the Chaos Lords…

And as this is happening, upon the planet’s surface, Asaki Masako is trying to escape the pursuing Chaos forces, first by plane, then by motorcycle and finally on foot. The Chaos Marines feel that due to her own chaos energy she should be converted to their cause… and Asaki wants to avoid that at all costs. She escapes to a defensive position held by the beleaguered Space Marine forces on Aldrean. There she hunkers down behind some cover, beside a Space Marine soldier who introduces himself as Sergeant Peterson…