"Aha, I knew that this one was here," Melchiah spoke to himself as he laid his eyes on one of Clara's old drawings. The parchment was yellowed around the edges, but the illustration and the colours used remained fresh and bright. Drawn on the paper in a childish hand was a small picture of Lord Kain himself. It was in no way as magnificent as some of the portraits that Kain had commissioned, but Melchiah found that this drawing captured his father's personality better than those so-called artists. It showed Kain sitting down in his throne, the Soul Reaver in one claw and a glass in the other. Instead of the usual scowl he wore there was a ghost of a smile there instead; not intentionally put in but because Kain had actually smiled for this drawing. Clara had made it herself when she had come to the Sanctuary for the first time and had handed it to the master vampire, bashfully smiling the whole time.
If Melchiah closed his eyes, he could remember the fear he felt as he rode up to the Sanctuary with his small entourage behind him. His heart had been beating fast that day even if he did not let the stress show on his face. Clara had only just turned one year old; she could already walk and say a few words and, Melchiah remembered, had been given to go into fits of laughter for no reason whatsoever. He feared for her life on that day, a fear that he was sure only he as a father would of felt for his child and no other. Kain had most likely found out about Clara but waited for Melchiah to step forwards with her. Oh yes, Melchiah had wanted to run away with Clara in his arms, to hide and keep her safe, but his duty to his father was also strong and in the end, duty won out…
* * *
"Uncle Raziel!" Clara shouted, waving her hand, Melchiah holding the other as they both walked down the long hall. Raziel, who had been talking with one of his officers, turned around quickly and gave a big smile as he saw his youngest brother and niece. Melchiah let go of Clara so she could run to her uncle; he gave a wistful smile. His daughter was robed in a simple yellow dress; her fair-hair, which he had let grow long, was braided up and pinned with a few flowers. Clara's shoes beat out a steady rhythm as she made her way to Raziel; for a moment she lost her balance and Melchiah's heart leapt into his throat, but Raziel was there and had picked her up before she fell to the floor.
"Hello, Clara! You have grown since I have last seen you," Raziel said, giving her a hug. "How have you been?"
"Good, good," she chirped. "Daddy has been too!" Raziel nodded and placed his niece back down on the floor and watched her walk back to Melchiah. The youngest of the Lieutenants picked her up and held her easily in his arms as he and Raziel walked down the Sanctuary of the Clans. Raziel waved away his officers when they tried to follow; he wanted his privacy with his immediate family whom he hadn't seen in a long time. Clara still held her precious rag doll in both hands and looked with quiet interest at the new palace she was in. Melchiah pointed out the gardens and large pieces of artwork that adored the halls when they passed by them and while his daughter was wrapped up in her own world, turned to Raziel.
"I am afraid, brother."
Raziel turned his eyes from a dark painting and studied Melchiah. "You needn't be afraid here, dear brother. Clara will be safe here too for while I am-"
"I am afraid for her very life, Raziel." Melchiah's quiet voice took on a tinge of panic. "I have brought her here because I know Kain already knows of her, but that father wanted me to make the first move, which is expected. What if father decides to hurt Clara, to - to kill my baby? What will happen then? I don't want Clara to die, but I cannot do anything if Kain decrees her existence to be harmful to every vampire around here. What if-" Raziel placed a restraining hand on Melchiah's shoulder and calmly took Clara from him and placed his niece down on the ground.
Clara looked up at her father and saw the look of fear on his pale face. "Daddy, what's the matter?"
"Clara, could you do something for me," Raziel asked, kneeling down beside her. The child nodded. Raziel smiled. "I want you to close your eyes and place your hands over your ears and start humming really loudly, okay? And don't stop until I tap you on the head. Start now." Clara did just that, pressing her chubby hands to her ears and humming away the whole time as her father and uncle moved a small way off. Melchiah's breathing had begun to come in deep gasps and Raziel was worried that his youngest sibling was in danger of passing out. It was a dark miracle so far that Melchiah hadn't, considering the pressure and stress he was facing here.
"Melchiah, listen to me and listen well. When I made that pledge over a year ago to protect Clara no matter what, I will do everything in my power to honour it. Even if it means defying Kain. But I am his first-born son and as such I know what he will do even before he does anything. I am sure father will not lay one talon on her; suffice to say that he will not even look in her direction. Clara also has four other uncles who will look out for her; even Zephon and that still comes as a surprise to me. So be still. Nothing is written in stone." Raziel patted Melchaih on the back and watched his breathing deepen and become stronger, less agitated. The father looked back at his child, who was still happily humming away and looking at a few of the human servants passing by her. "Now I think we should go and find the rest of our brethren and let them see Clara before the meeting with Lord Kain."
Clara was singing a song about a cow jumping over the moon when Raziel tapped her on the head. She stopped humming immediately and grabbed onto her father's leg, not letting go. "Daddy," she said as Melchiah picked her up and placed her on his back, "I love you," then gave him one of the biggest hugs and kisses that a one-year-old possibly could give to her father.
* * *
Kain's cold eyes passed over his six sons, standing in a semi-circle about his throne, their backs straight and staring ahead. He held the Soul Reaver easily in one claw and watched it glow slightly for a moment, then turned his sight upwards. The ruined Pillars seemed to look gravely at the vampires, foreboding to Melchiah personally. His gaze kept going to the ruined Pillar of Death until he turned away shivering, only to be drawn back to it once again. The youngest Lieutenant stood beside Rahab and glanced in his brother's direction. The fourth born did not meet his stare but looked at the stone floor instead as if finding something interesting in the mosaic drawings. The silence that filled the chamber was oppressive and Melchiah felt that at any moment he would crack. Perhaps he would, that he would run from this room, grab Clara and make for the safety of his Clan Territories.
Then what?
What would happen after that?
Remember what Raziel said. Nothing is written in stone, Melchiah thought to himself. Be calm, keep your head on your shoulders.
"Melchiah," Kain's voice broke the stillness of the throne room and made the vampire jump. "It has come to my attention that you have, as of last year, brought in under your wing a young human. A baby girl, to be exact, and that you have every intention of raising her as your own. Is this the truth?" The master vampire's eyes, ones that had seen the rise and fall of empires, who had seen people cut down in horrid ways, pierced into Melchaih's. A subtle shift in emotions changed in the room; tension mounted. Dumah, standing next to Rahab, stepped forwards slightly and stopped when he caught himself doing so.
Licking his dry lips, Melchiah nodded. "Yes father, that is the truth."
Kain rested his chin on his claw and gave something of a smile. "How fascinating and amusing. Do go on; tell me more."
Closing his eyes for a few moments to calm the beating of his undead heart, Melchiah reached within him and pulled on that inner strength that he knew he possessed. What he said now could well count for his precious daughter's very life. "About a year ago to this date, I found a newborn child at the doorsteps of my palace. She was near death but…but I took her in and gave her life when I could of taken it from her." Melchiah glanced quickly over in Raziel's direction, and seeing the encouraging smile on his brother's face, continued. "It was my choice and my choice alone to raise this human as my own. Her name is Clara and she is my daughter, if not by blood then by the name, the love and the caring that I have given her over the past year."
"How noble," the musing tone in Kain's commanding voice was unexpected. "Tell me, do you place her above and beyond the rest of your 'children' in your Clan, my youngest son?"
"Yes, Sire," Melchiah spoke quickly, then said, "no. I - I do not know." Kain laughed and stood. Placing the Soul Reaver on his back, the father of all vampires walked around the base of the ruined Pillar of Balance, then towards Melchiah.
"It is not an easy thing to decide; fatherhood Melchiah. I have six sons but I know where to place you all, I know where you all stand. But how can you decide if your human child is above and beyond the rest of your children? She does not bear the Dark Gift; she does not contain any of your essence in her. Think for a moment, reflect on why you call her your child to begin with."
Turel coughed politely and stepped forwards. "Father, I hardly see how this can-" Kain raised a claw and pointed it at Turel.
"You were not asked to speak, Turel. Know your place and hold your tongue until I ask for your opinion." The second eldest bowed his head and muttered an apology, angry at being told to keep mute. Melchiah thought for what seemed to him an eternity; Kain's presence was a constant weight in the back of his mind, an ache that would not go away. And Melchiah also felt the rising panic from his brothers, at their own inability to help him when they wanted to. Zephon shifted and fidgeted uncomfortably. Dumah flexed his arm muscles. Rahab continued to stare at the floor, but his hands were pressed together until it looked like they would break under the strain. Turel was tapping one cloven foot on the floor. And Raziel was staring off into the distance.
Melchiah's head snapped up and for the first time in his life he looked squarely into Kain's eyes; when he spoke there was no quiver of fear, no doubt. The Clan Lord had set both feet upon the path and would walk it until he reached the end. "I am the weakest of my brothers, Sire. I know this and accept this fate for what it is. My Clan is not as strong as the Razielim or the Dumahim, but we always manage to survive no matter what. When I held Clara for the first time in my arms, I felt this need to protect her, to save this being who could not protect herself from death. Some might call this a weakness, a mercy that I should not give to a mere human. But I see this as strength. While I do have children that were once humans but are now much more, Clara is different from them. I cannot raise my 'children' as they are already grown, or give them this love as I have given to Clara. I will raise Clara and she has become closer to me than my vampire children." Clearing his throat, Melchiah spoke the last few words with such emotion that Kain could only nod in agreement. "She is my child, my own personal child that I have raised with devotion and love. Yes, I place her above and beyond my other children and will always do so until the day comes that I die."
Silence.
It was even more repressive than the silence from before. Melchiah breathed out quickly; he had finished walking the path and now all he could do was wait and see what was at the end. Kain walked back to his throne and sat down in it, placing the Soul Reaver across his lap. Holding onto the hilt of the twisting blade, the ruler of Nosgoth snapped his claws.
"Send for the child." The massive double doors of the throne room opened and Clara, standing with one of Melchiah's officers, was quickly led inside. Clara held in her hands her rag doll and some paper, which was rolled up tightly. For the first time in her life she had a serious expression on her face; at such a tiny age it seemed she understood the gravity of the situation she was in. The officer led her quickly over to Lord Melchiah, bowed and then left the hall, careful to close the doors behind him completely. Clara did not look up at her uncles as she passed them, nor looked up at her father as he took her gently by the hand and led her to stand in front of Kain.
"Father, this is my daughter Clara," Melchiah's voice rang loud and clear, the pride evident in his voice. Clara, as small as she was, seemed to be more than she was for a few moments. She raised her cherub face and looked at Kain, the ruler of all Nosgoth, the master of all vampires, and smiled. Letting go of Melchiah's hand, Clara did something of a curtsey as she had seen other women do, and then quickly walked forwards, her shoes beating out the steady rhythm. Kain cocked his head to one side, unsure what to make of this young human. She had at least been taught proper manners. Clara took the paper that was rolled up and handed it to Kain, who took it from her quickly. As he unrolled it, face hidden behind the parchment, the Lieutenants tried to look at what their father was seeing without seeming obvious. Kain lowered the parchment and looked at Clara, giving his coldest face possible. The child only looked at him and continued to smile.
"I made it for you, grandfather," she chirped suddenly. "Pretty, right?" Melchiah tensed as Kain leaned forwards; ready to toss Clara out of harm's way if his father decided to kill her just for saying those words. Instead Kain chuckled and turned the picture that Clara had drawn of him in ink, if rather crudely, for everyone else to see. It showed a small and deformed Kain holding the Soul Reaver in one hand, even if it did look like a stick, and in the other a glass of wine. He was sitting on his throne with a crudely drawn smile on his face. Zephon snickered slightly, and then fell silent from the rough poke he received from Dumah in his ribs.
"Yes Clara, I do believe that this is a very pretty picture of myself." He turned to look at Melchiah. "I hope you know what you are doing, Melchiah. Clara seems like a fine child so far, and perhaps…perhaps she could be the beginning of something new for everyone. This meeting is adjourned." Placing the Soul Reaver on his back, Kain left the throne room and disappeared down one of the halls to attend to other business all the while holding the picture in his claws with something akin to covetousness.
Turel let out a long sigh, as did Raziel and Rahab. "For a moment there, I thought-"
"Well it did not happen," Rahab cut in quickly. "Best to not think such thoughts." He looked at Clara's smiling face, then at the pale and waxen form of Melchiah. "Grandfather?" All Melchiah could do was nod once, weakly, just before he fainted from everything that had happened to him.
* * *
"Grandfather," Melchiah chuckled to himself. "Grandfather Kain; who would of every thought of it?" The door to Clara's room creaked open and Melchiah looked up quickly to see that it was Dumah standing in the doorframe. The massive vampire seemed surprise to see Melchiah in the room, but he walked in all the same.
"I thought I was the only one that came here," he spoke gruffly. Dumah saw the pictures and nodded. He did not get along with Melchiah; their feuding was famous amongst all the Clans, but there were times when they could put it aside and leave well enough alone. Now was one of those times. "Reminiscing?" Melchiah nodded as he rolled the drawings back up and tied the ribbon about the ancient parchment. Dumah walked around the wide bedroom, idly placing a hand on a stack of books or looking in the mirror. He began to quietly laugh at something, arms folded across his chest.
"What is so amusing," Melchiah demanded.
"Oh, I was just thinking when Clara first came to me, to begin her warrior training. By the dark gods, that was a long time ago. Do you remember, little brother?" Melchiah shook his head. He did not remember much of the training Dumah had given her in the arts of war, other than that most days she would come home tired and every fiber in her body aching, complaining that she wanted to sleep and nothing more. "Well, I remember. She had talent, Clara did. From my niece I expected no less." Dumah pounded a fist into his opened hand. "She rose above and beyond my instructions. Do you recall those days, Melchiah?"
The youngest of the brothers smiled and shook his head. "No. Refresh my memory for me, Dumah." The stronger vampire chuckled; already those memories came flooding back to him as if they happened yesterday.
"By the dark gods, those were the days."
If Melchiah closed his eyes, he could remember the fear he felt as he rode up to the Sanctuary with his small entourage behind him. His heart had been beating fast that day even if he did not let the stress show on his face. Clara had only just turned one year old; she could already walk and say a few words and, Melchiah remembered, had been given to go into fits of laughter for no reason whatsoever. He feared for her life on that day, a fear that he was sure only he as a father would of felt for his child and no other. Kain had most likely found out about Clara but waited for Melchiah to step forwards with her. Oh yes, Melchiah had wanted to run away with Clara in his arms, to hide and keep her safe, but his duty to his father was also strong and in the end, duty won out…
* * *
"Uncle Raziel!" Clara shouted, waving her hand, Melchiah holding the other as they both walked down the long hall. Raziel, who had been talking with one of his officers, turned around quickly and gave a big smile as he saw his youngest brother and niece. Melchiah let go of Clara so she could run to her uncle; he gave a wistful smile. His daughter was robed in a simple yellow dress; her fair-hair, which he had let grow long, was braided up and pinned with a few flowers. Clara's shoes beat out a steady rhythm as she made her way to Raziel; for a moment she lost her balance and Melchiah's heart leapt into his throat, but Raziel was there and had picked her up before she fell to the floor.
"Hello, Clara! You have grown since I have last seen you," Raziel said, giving her a hug. "How have you been?"
"Good, good," she chirped. "Daddy has been too!" Raziel nodded and placed his niece back down on the floor and watched her walk back to Melchiah. The youngest of the Lieutenants picked her up and held her easily in his arms as he and Raziel walked down the Sanctuary of the Clans. Raziel waved away his officers when they tried to follow; he wanted his privacy with his immediate family whom he hadn't seen in a long time. Clara still held her precious rag doll in both hands and looked with quiet interest at the new palace she was in. Melchiah pointed out the gardens and large pieces of artwork that adored the halls when they passed by them and while his daughter was wrapped up in her own world, turned to Raziel.
"I am afraid, brother."
Raziel turned his eyes from a dark painting and studied Melchiah. "You needn't be afraid here, dear brother. Clara will be safe here too for while I am-"
"I am afraid for her very life, Raziel." Melchiah's quiet voice took on a tinge of panic. "I have brought her here because I know Kain already knows of her, but that father wanted me to make the first move, which is expected. What if father decides to hurt Clara, to - to kill my baby? What will happen then? I don't want Clara to die, but I cannot do anything if Kain decrees her existence to be harmful to every vampire around here. What if-" Raziel placed a restraining hand on Melchiah's shoulder and calmly took Clara from him and placed his niece down on the ground.
Clara looked up at her father and saw the look of fear on his pale face. "Daddy, what's the matter?"
"Clara, could you do something for me," Raziel asked, kneeling down beside her. The child nodded. Raziel smiled. "I want you to close your eyes and place your hands over your ears and start humming really loudly, okay? And don't stop until I tap you on the head. Start now." Clara did just that, pressing her chubby hands to her ears and humming away the whole time as her father and uncle moved a small way off. Melchiah's breathing had begun to come in deep gasps and Raziel was worried that his youngest sibling was in danger of passing out. It was a dark miracle so far that Melchiah hadn't, considering the pressure and stress he was facing here.
"Melchiah, listen to me and listen well. When I made that pledge over a year ago to protect Clara no matter what, I will do everything in my power to honour it. Even if it means defying Kain. But I am his first-born son and as such I know what he will do even before he does anything. I am sure father will not lay one talon on her; suffice to say that he will not even look in her direction. Clara also has four other uncles who will look out for her; even Zephon and that still comes as a surprise to me. So be still. Nothing is written in stone." Raziel patted Melchaih on the back and watched his breathing deepen and become stronger, less agitated. The father looked back at his child, who was still happily humming away and looking at a few of the human servants passing by her. "Now I think we should go and find the rest of our brethren and let them see Clara before the meeting with Lord Kain."
Clara was singing a song about a cow jumping over the moon when Raziel tapped her on the head. She stopped humming immediately and grabbed onto her father's leg, not letting go. "Daddy," she said as Melchiah picked her up and placed her on his back, "I love you," then gave him one of the biggest hugs and kisses that a one-year-old possibly could give to her father.
* * *
Kain's cold eyes passed over his six sons, standing in a semi-circle about his throne, their backs straight and staring ahead. He held the Soul Reaver easily in one claw and watched it glow slightly for a moment, then turned his sight upwards. The ruined Pillars seemed to look gravely at the vampires, foreboding to Melchiah personally. His gaze kept going to the ruined Pillar of Death until he turned away shivering, only to be drawn back to it once again. The youngest Lieutenant stood beside Rahab and glanced in his brother's direction. The fourth born did not meet his stare but looked at the stone floor instead as if finding something interesting in the mosaic drawings. The silence that filled the chamber was oppressive and Melchiah felt that at any moment he would crack. Perhaps he would, that he would run from this room, grab Clara and make for the safety of his Clan Territories.
Then what?
What would happen after that?
Remember what Raziel said. Nothing is written in stone, Melchiah thought to himself. Be calm, keep your head on your shoulders.
"Melchiah," Kain's voice broke the stillness of the throne room and made the vampire jump. "It has come to my attention that you have, as of last year, brought in under your wing a young human. A baby girl, to be exact, and that you have every intention of raising her as your own. Is this the truth?" The master vampire's eyes, ones that had seen the rise and fall of empires, who had seen people cut down in horrid ways, pierced into Melchaih's. A subtle shift in emotions changed in the room; tension mounted. Dumah, standing next to Rahab, stepped forwards slightly and stopped when he caught himself doing so.
Licking his dry lips, Melchiah nodded. "Yes father, that is the truth."
Kain rested his chin on his claw and gave something of a smile. "How fascinating and amusing. Do go on; tell me more."
Closing his eyes for a few moments to calm the beating of his undead heart, Melchiah reached within him and pulled on that inner strength that he knew he possessed. What he said now could well count for his precious daughter's very life. "About a year ago to this date, I found a newborn child at the doorsteps of my palace. She was near death but…but I took her in and gave her life when I could of taken it from her." Melchiah glanced quickly over in Raziel's direction, and seeing the encouraging smile on his brother's face, continued. "It was my choice and my choice alone to raise this human as my own. Her name is Clara and she is my daughter, if not by blood then by the name, the love and the caring that I have given her over the past year."
"How noble," the musing tone in Kain's commanding voice was unexpected. "Tell me, do you place her above and beyond the rest of your 'children' in your Clan, my youngest son?"
"Yes, Sire," Melchiah spoke quickly, then said, "no. I - I do not know." Kain laughed and stood. Placing the Soul Reaver on his back, the father of all vampires walked around the base of the ruined Pillar of Balance, then towards Melchiah.
"It is not an easy thing to decide; fatherhood Melchiah. I have six sons but I know where to place you all, I know where you all stand. But how can you decide if your human child is above and beyond the rest of your children? She does not bear the Dark Gift; she does not contain any of your essence in her. Think for a moment, reflect on why you call her your child to begin with."
Turel coughed politely and stepped forwards. "Father, I hardly see how this can-" Kain raised a claw and pointed it at Turel.
"You were not asked to speak, Turel. Know your place and hold your tongue until I ask for your opinion." The second eldest bowed his head and muttered an apology, angry at being told to keep mute. Melchiah thought for what seemed to him an eternity; Kain's presence was a constant weight in the back of his mind, an ache that would not go away. And Melchiah also felt the rising panic from his brothers, at their own inability to help him when they wanted to. Zephon shifted and fidgeted uncomfortably. Dumah flexed his arm muscles. Rahab continued to stare at the floor, but his hands were pressed together until it looked like they would break under the strain. Turel was tapping one cloven foot on the floor. And Raziel was staring off into the distance.
Melchiah's head snapped up and for the first time in his life he looked squarely into Kain's eyes; when he spoke there was no quiver of fear, no doubt. The Clan Lord had set both feet upon the path and would walk it until he reached the end. "I am the weakest of my brothers, Sire. I know this and accept this fate for what it is. My Clan is not as strong as the Razielim or the Dumahim, but we always manage to survive no matter what. When I held Clara for the first time in my arms, I felt this need to protect her, to save this being who could not protect herself from death. Some might call this a weakness, a mercy that I should not give to a mere human. But I see this as strength. While I do have children that were once humans but are now much more, Clara is different from them. I cannot raise my 'children' as they are already grown, or give them this love as I have given to Clara. I will raise Clara and she has become closer to me than my vampire children." Clearing his throat, Melchiah spoke the last few words with such emotion that Kain could only nod in agreement. "She is my child, my own personal child that I have raised with devotion and love. Yes, I place her above and beyond my other children and will always do so until the day comes that I die."
Silence.
It was even more repressive than the silence from before. Melchiah breathed out quickly; he had finished walking the path and now all he could do was wait and see what was at the end. Kain walked back to his throne and sat down in it, placing the Soul Reaver across his lap. Holding onto the hilt of the twisting blade, the ruler of Nosgoth snapped his claws.
"Send for the child." The massive double doors of the throne room opened and Clara, standing with one of Melchiah's officers, was quickly led inside. Clara held in her hands her rag doll and some paper, which was rolled up tightly. For the first time in her life she had a serious expression on her face; at such a tiny age it seemed she understood the gravity of the situation she was in. The officer led her quickly over to Lord Melchiah, bowed and then left the hall, careful to close the doors behind him completely. Clara did not look up at her uncles as she passed them, nor looked up at her father as he took her gently by the hand and led her to stand in front of Kain.
"Father, this is my daughter Clara," Melchiah's voice rang loud and clear, the pride evident in his voice. Clara, as small as she was, seemed to be more than she was for a few moments. She raised her cherub face and looked at Kain, the ruler of all Nosgoth, the master of all vampires, and smiled. Letting go of Melchiah's hand, Clara did something of a curtsey as she had seen other women do, and then quickly walked forwards, her shoes beating out the steady rhythm. Kain cocked his head to one side, unsure what to make of this young human. She had at least been taught proper manners. Clara took the paper that was rolled up and handed it to Kain, who took it from her quickly. As he unrolled it, face hidden behind the parchment, the Lieutenants tried to look at what their father was seeing without seeming obvious. Kain lowered the parchment and looked at Clara, giving his coldest face possible. The child only looked at him and continued to smile.
"I made it for you, grandfather," she chirped suddenly. "Pretty, right?" Melchiah tensed as Kain leaned forwards; ready to toss Clara out of harm's way if his father decided to kill her just for saying those words. Instead Kain chuckled and turned the picture that Clara had drawn of him in ink, if rather crudely, for everyone else to see. It showed a small and deformed Kain holding the Soul Reaver in one hand, even if it did look like a stick, and in the other a glass of wine. He was sitting on his throne with a crudely drawn smile on his face. Zephon snickered slightly, and then fell silent from the rough poke he received from Dumah in his ribs.
"Yes Clara, I do believe that this is a very pretty picture of myself." He turned to look at Melchiah. "I hope you know what you are doing, Melchiah. Clara seems like a fine child so far, and perhaps…perhaps she could be the beginning of something new for everyone. This meeting is adjourned." Placing the Soul Reaver on his back, Kain left the throne room and disappeared down one of the halls to attend to other business all the while holding the picture in his claws with something akin to covetousness.
Turel let out a long sigh, as did Raziel and Rahab. "For a moment there, I thought-"
"Well it did not happen," Rahab cut in quickly. "Best to not think such thoughts." He looked at Clara's smiling face, then at the pale and waxen form of Melchiah. "Grandfather?" All Melchiah could do was nod once, weakly, just before he fainted from everything that had happened to him.
* * *
"Grandfather," Melchiah chuckled to himself. "Grandfather Kain; who would of every thought of it?" The door to Clara's room creaked open and Melchiah looked up quickly to see that it was Dumah standing in the doorframe. The massive vampire seemed surprise to see Melchiah in the room, but he walked in all the same.
"I thought I was the only one that came here," he spoke gruffly. Dumah saw the pictures and nodded. He did not get along with Melchiah; their feuding was famous amongst all the Clans, but there were times when they could put it aside and leave well enough alone. Now was one of those times. "Reminiscing?" Melchiah nodded as he rolled the drawings back up and tied the ribbon about the ancient parchment. Dumah walked around the wide bedroom, idly placing a hand on a stack of books or looking in the mirror. He began to quietly laugh at something, arms folded across his chest.
"What is so amusing," Melchiah demanded.
"Oh, I was just thinking when Clara first came to me, to begin her warrior training. By the dark gods, that was a long time ago. Do you remember, little brother?" Melchiah shook his head. He did not remember much of the training Dumah had given her in the arts of war, other than that most days she would come home tired and every fiber in her body aching, complaining that she wanted to sleep and nothing more. "Well, I remember. She had talent, Clara did. From my niece I expected no less." Dumah pounded a fist into his opened hand. "She rose above and beyond my instructions. Do you recall those days, Melchiah?"
The youngest of the brothers smiled and shook his head. "No. Refresh my memory for me, Dumah." The stronger vampire chuckled; already those memories came flooding back to him as if they happened yesterday.
"By the dark gods, those were the days."
