Chapter 15 – The Power of Nightmares
"NO! DADDY! DADDY!"
"Wake up, Mioko!" Mioko bolted back to reality and melted instantly into the comforting arms that were offered to her. Raziel held his child close as she woke, screaming from her nightmares yet again. "Was it Wyatt?" he asked, quietly. She nodded against his chest. He sighed and rested a hand on the top of her dark hair, "Mioko, my love, Wyatt will never hurt you again...no one will ever hurt you again." She nodded, sadly but was still trembling.
She looked around. This wasn't Zephonim; they were riding again. Mioko frowned and looked up at her father, "Where are we?" she asked. Raziel stroked her hair out of her face,
"We're going to see Melchiah," he told her, "You looked so peaceful, we didn't want to wake you." Kain looked over at his son. They hadn't wanted to wake her because she had spent most of the night, waking, screaming from nightmares. Raziel had received even less sleep, staying awake in case she rose again. His eyes were heavy and his face was racked with the need for sleep.
"Are you tired, daddy?" Mioko asked, curiously. Raziel yawned as he nodded. Mioko gave a mischievous grin and jumped onto Kain's horse, much to the annoyance of the master. "Now you can go to sleep," she smiled, "Uncie Kain will look after me," she said, nestling herself against the vampire. He looked down at her with a bemused expression. He knew there was no point arguing with her, despite him being the most terrifying vampire in Nosgoth, he knew that in a battle between them she would inevitably win...as she always did.
Raziel gave Kain an apologetic look, but Kain dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Uncie Kain?" Mioko asked. Kain rolled his eyes and looked down on her, "Are you married?" Raziel's head shot up to look at them,
"Mioko!" he snapped, shaking his head behind his master's back, silently begging her to shut up. Kain frowned,
"No," he told her, then knowing he'd probably regret asking, "Why?"
"Who's daddy's mummy?" she asked. Raziel let his head drop forward onto his horse, losing the will to live. Unfortunately the horse was so soft and comfortable, and Raziel was so tired, he fell asleep, and so couldn't save his master from the inquisitive child.
"Daddy doesn't have a mummy," Kain said, "Vampires don't have...mummies." Mioko frowned and shrugged,
"Did you ever have a mummy, Uncie Kain?" she asked Kain hesitated, before he continued. No one had ever asked him about his past, no one except Raziel all those years ago when he was newly sired. Only Raziel knew that Kain had once been human and he had never told a soul. "Yes." Kain said, after much deliberation, "I had a mother once."
"Do you still talk to your mummy?" she asked, innocently. Kain shook his head,
"My mother died years ago," he told her. She looked sad for a moment and turning on the horse, wrapped her arms around him,
"I'm sorry Uncie Kain," she said, "I didn't mean to make you sad." Kain laughed, quietly,
"You didn't make me sad," Kain assured her. She sighed,
"My mummy's dead too," she said, sadly. Then her face broke into a grin, "but if she were still alive then I wouldn't have daddy and Uncie Kain, would I?" she hugged Kain tighter, happily. The happy scene was interrupted by a loud thud. Raziel's horse broke into a run, riding past them without Raziel. Kain and Mioko both looked back. As he had been sleeping Raziel had fallen off the horse and hadn't even woken up when he hit the ground. Mioko burst into laughter, but stopped abruptly as she seemed to realize something,
"Daddy's horse ran away." Kain got off his horse and shook his son back to reality. Raziel looked around, wildly as he was brought back from his heavy slumber. "What happened?" he asked. Kain stood back and folded his arms, waiting for his son to realize just what had happened to him. Raziel stood up and looking around, confused as he scanned the wasteland they were traversing. He took a sharp breath as if he was about to speak, but no sound came out.
"You fell off your horse, Raziel!" Kain told him, after waiting far too long for his son to realize the truth. Raziel looked at his master disbelievingly, but soon realized that this master spoke truly. Kain shook his head in utter disbelief and got back on his horse. Mioko was laughing hysterically,
"What's daddy going to do now?" she asked, Kain. Kain looked back at his son who was still looking around with a confused expression,
"Walk."
TBC