Chapter 6 – Uncie Kain
Azrael and Lonni were charged with the pleasant task of preparing their sire and his daughter for the long journey they were about to face. Kain had made it clear that as the first born it was Raziel's distinct duty to accompany him to inspect his brothers' territories. Kain was in his own, splendid chamber in Razielim, blissfully unaware of his eldest's human daughter and of the fact she would be accompanying them to the different clans.
Mioko was looking forward to the journey with unbelievable enthusiasm. She was so excited she could hardly sit still, constantly jumping around the room, shouting in a sing song that she were going on a journey with Raziel, though he and Azrael suspected that she was more looking forward to meeting the lord of Nosgoth than the actual journey.
The morning of their departure, Azrael found Raziel checking the last minute business of the clan. Azrael approached cautiously, alerting Raziel to the fact that something was wrong. Raziel looked up at his first-born, from over the paper he held, "What is it?" he asked. Azrael looked extremely uncomfortable,
"Well..." he seemed to be struggling to find the words to tell his sire, "It's about Mioko," he began. Raziel looked alarmed so Azrael reassured him immediately, "She's alright...she and Lonni were talking and they decided that Mioko should have some sort of toy to take with her on the journey...to keep her company while you and Kain are inspecting the clans or something like that." Raziel replaced the paper and raised an eyebrow,
"Why are you telling me this, Azrael?" Raziel asked. Azrael flinched and inhaled deeply as if preparing to get a great weight off his chest,
"She had a doll made...well more like a cuddly toy, as the humans call it. Lonni had one specially made to Mioko's wishes," he screwed his eyes up as he delivered the final blow, "it's a doll of master Kain, she's called it Chibi Kain." Azrael kept his eyes closed, waiting for his master's reaction.
"You are not serious," Raziel said, toneless, Azrael nodded, slowly. "She's taking Kain...as a doll?" As if to confirm the worst, Mioko bounded into the room, jumping on the bed and in her arms, she carried an expertly made cuddly toy which looked exactly like Kain though much cuter, almost like a cartoon version. "Complete with mini Soul Reaver," Azrael added softly, seeing the Chibi's cuddly Reaver, attached to the toy's back. Raziel sank to his chair, refusing to believe the evidence before him. He shook his head as Mioko shouted, happily,
"Look, daddy, Lonni made me Uncie Kain!" she squealed, "Chibi Kain! Chibi Kain!" Raziel and Azrael looked from each other to the ecstatic child, then back to each other. Raziel was shaking his head in disbelief, first he had the task of telling Kain that he had a daughter in the first place, then to tell him that she was going with them and finally that she was taking a doll made in his image. Raziel buried his head in his claws, praying this was all some strange, twisted dream, created from anticipation of the coming journey.
Mioko's cries of happiness were cut short as Azrael tried to take the doll from her. "No!" she screamed, pulling Chibi Kain back by the arms, "Let him go! Daddy, make him stop!" she cried. Raziel held up his hand,
"Azrael," he sighed, "Let it go." Azrael let Chibi Kain go, sending Mioko rolling backwards and vanishing off the edge of the bed. She poked her head up and stormed over to Azrael holding out Chibi Kain, "Say sorry!" she demanded. Azrael stared down at her, refusing to apologize to an inanimate doll. "Say sorry!" she shouted, "You hurt Chibi Kain!"
"Sorry," Azrael muttered, but he became totally horrified when she held Chibi Kain out to him, telling him to kiss the doll's legs better. Azrael instead, turned to leave the room, he saw he bring Chibi Kain to her ear,
"Chibi Kain doesn't like you!" she called, "He says you're a meanie!" Azrael let the door shut, loudly behind him and he felt nothing but sympathy for his sire and the lord of Nosgoth who had the misfortune of accompanying the child.
After Mioko had calmed down enough to actually sit with Chibi Kain and tell him about the journey they were about to take, Lonni and Azrael returned to their lord's chamber to inform him; Kain was waiting. Raziel took a deep breath and beckoned for Mioko to join him. He turned to his two servants, "Take care of the clan," he charged them. They both nodded, Lonni embraced the lord and Azrael gave him an encouraging squeeze on the shoulder as he swept past them with Mioko and Chibi Kain in close pursuit.
Kain was waiting with the two horses that would bear them to Turelim territory. He greeted Raziel with a swift nod of acknowledgement before casting his eyes to Raziel's horse, noting that it had two bags attached to it, rather than just the one. "Traveling light, Raziel?" Kain chuckled, then he noticed his son was unusually uptight and anxious and stopped.
"My lord," Raziel muttered, almost stuttering, "There will be another to accompany us," he told the master. Kain raised an eyebrow, curiously as Raziel stepped to the side. Kain looked ahead, but unless his eyes deceived him, there was no-one there. Then he lowered his eyes, almost to the floor. A little human child was looking up at him. She was clutching a small toy, tightly against her chest and smiling up at the master, sweetly and innocently, with a sparkling glint in her eye. Kain frowned on her then looked up at Raziel who was watching with bated breath. Kain waited for him to explain,
"This is Mioko," Raziel said. Kan looked back at the child, "Mioko is my daughter." Kain looked up, quickly at his son,
"Excuse me?" he asked. Mioko was frowning at the intimidating vampire, who towered over her,
"Uncie Kain?" she asked, a grin spreading over her face. She jumped up and hugged his legs, in height she came up to his knee. Kain looked down in fury, then up to his son,
"Get her off me," he said, simply. Raziel picked up Mioko and took her into his arms. "We are not taking that human with us," Kain said, turning to the horse.
"Daddy?" Mioko looked at Raziel, her eyes wide and frightened, "You're not leaving me are you?" she asked. Raziel kissed her forehead and shook his head,
"My lord," he called, "I can't leave her here." The look Kain gave him would have been enough to stop anyone in their tracks and strike fear into them, but Raziel, refused to back down on behalf of his daughter. Kain glared at the child, who carried on smiling up at him. He shook his head, and nudged his horse forward. Raziel took Mioko onto his own horse and they rode next to Kain, allowing Kain to ride slightly ahead as his status demanded.
As they rode, Kain kept glancing over at Mioko, in disbelief; his son had actually defied him to bring a human child with him. Mioko was snuggling into her toy and slept, soundly against her father's chest. Raziel hated long journeys with Kain. Normally they would have made conversation and sunk into an easy silence, but now there was an air of unease hanging over them. Raziel had apologized for having to bring the child, but his master was still irritated.
"Where did you find her?" Kain asked, eventually, breaking the silence that separated them. Raziel sighed a silent sigh of relief, Kain didn't sound angry anymore, and instead sounded genuinely curious.
"She was a slave in Turelim territory. I brought her back with me," he explained.
"When was this?" Kain wondered aloud,
"A month ago?" Raziel shrugged, disbelieving of how fast the time could pass. Kain looked down, back at the child.
"You call her your daughter?" Raziel nodded,
"She is my daughter," he replied with conviction, "I'm raising her as my own." Kain shrugged, he knew his son would never be able to have any children of his own, so part of him understood why he chose to care for the human, even if he didn't condone it. Mioko shifted in front of her father and Chibi Kain was revealed to the master.
"Raziel," Kain growled, "What is that?"
"That is Chibi Kain," Mioko replied, defiantly, taking the lord aback. She leaned against the toy and whispered something, then turning back to Kain said, "Chibi Kain says you're taller than he thought you'd be." Raziel nuzzled Mioko gently; when she looked back he shook his head to discourage her. She sighed, heavily and looked at the land they were crossing.
It didn't take her long to get bored and she jumped from Raziel's horse to Kain's. Kain looked down, furiously as she made herself comfortable in front of the master vampire.
"Uncie Kain?" she asked, "How long have you been a vampire?" He didn't dignify her with an answer; too livid at the face she had joined him. He was used to people running and screaming in terror from him, not leaping from horses to be near him. "Do you like being a vampire?" she asked, not waiting for an answer to her previous question. She went on muttering to herself or to Chibi Kain about what it must be like to be a vampire before she asked another question, "Why is Azrael afraid of you?" At this, Kain actually paid her some attention, looking down on her and raising an eyebrow, "Lonni said that Azrael's afraid of you. She said that all of the vampires are afraid of you. Do you mind?" she asked curiously, before bombarding the master vampire with a series of questions about his nature and his role as the lord of Nosgoth. She stopped abruptly, realizing something,
"Uncie Kain?" she asked, "Why is your shirt open? Aren't you cold?" Kain looked down, indeed his silken shirt had been left open, leaving his well toned chest at the mercy of the cold night air, though he didn't feel it. "Why aren't you cold? I'm cold. Is it because you're a vampire? Is daddy cold? Why..." the never ending wave of questions finally became too much for Kain and he snapped, "Silence!"
Raziel jumped, he had never heard Kain shout before, he had never had to. Everyone was too intimidated and too sensible not to make him angry enough to properly shout. Not just that, Kain had an amazing length of patience, which to Raziel had seemed to last forever, and he had never let his temper show. There was silence for a moment as Kain regained his composure.
"Do horses get cold?"
TBC