Chapter 5 – Wandering the Wilderness
"She's not in the Razielim or the Rahabim chambers," a vampire said, hastily to an angered Kain. Another approached from the side halls,
"I can't find her in any of the halls," she sighed.
"Where could she have gone?" Rahab asked his master, quietly. He had arrived at the behest of his sire to join the battle in Melchium, but had become rather sidetracked with the disappearance of Mioko.
"The real question is…why weren't the guards doing their duty?" Kain growled, his golden eyes falling on two male vampires who cowered under their master's glare. "Well?!" Kain barked, demanding answers.
"Please my lord," one of the vampires stuttered, "We didn't see her…she's just…"
"Are you saying that she could have got past you?" Rahab snapped, intervening. The guards exchanged nervous glances, trying to think of anything they could say that would redeem themselves, but there was nothing.
"Uh…no…but…" the other mumbled, incoherently. Kain rolled his eyes,
"I tire of this," he muttered under his breath. He drew himself up and holding one clawed hand out he bound one of the guards with his telekinetic powers, lifting him from the floor by the neck. "Could Mioko have passed you?!" he asked, simply. The guard tried to nod, but the invisible force around his throat prevented him,
"Y-yes," he choked. Before he could continue, Kain dropped his body, sending it crashing to the ground.
"I want her found!" Kain snapped. He didn't have to give the order again. The vampires excluding Rahab scuttled away to find the child. Kain walked, casually over to the fallen guards,
"Rahab," he called, fixing the vampires with a deadly glare, "find a suitable punishment for these two."
"Yes sire," Rahab sneered, his lip curled in an unmistakable snarl as he thought of the many ways he could torture the ones responsible for the disappearance of his beloved Mioko. Kain turned on his heel and left, descending to the halls once more in search of the child.
"I think we're lost, Chibi Kain," Mioko murmured, looking around the wasteland she had wandered into. She clutched her doll to her chest, seeking comfort. "Where are we?" she cried, getting frightened. She lifted Chibi Kain to face her, listening to his silent voice,
"You're right," she whispered, planting a light kiss to his cheek, "Daddy's here somewhere."
Rahab returned to his sire's chambers, Kain was standing on the balcony, his eyes darting across the courtyard searching for any sign of the lost child.
"There's no sign of her, my lord," Rahab sighed. Kain clenched his talons,
"Where did she go?" he whispered, "Why?" he demanded suddenly, "Why should she leave the sanctuary?" Rahab stared at a point on the floor and shook his head,
"I don't know," he sighed. Kain turned to his son,
"You must go to Melchium." Rahab looked up, suddenly alarmed,
"But…my lord! Mioko!" he protested. Kain placed a hand on his fourth born's shoulder,
"I will find her, but you must make haste to Melchium. I still need Raziel alive to keep Mioko happy." Rahab chuckled,
"I'll have to bring him back then." Rahab bowed to his master and turned. He had reached the door when Kain called softly after him,
"And Rahab?" Rahab looked back to see his master resume his search, "Don't tell Raziel."
Mioko dropped to the ground, weary and exhausted. She looked around at the rocky hills and the desolate stretches that surrounded her, "This doesn't look like Melchium, Chibi Kain," she whispered. The doll looked up at her with his blank expression, but still she smiled back, "We'll be alright," she said confidently, then she hesitated, "I wonder if Uncie Kain will be angry?" she thought aloud.
She didn't have time to contemplate this for long. Harsh hands caught her from behind, lifting her into the air,
"Well, well, well," a distinctly female voice sneered, "What's this?"
"She's a pretty little thing, isn't she?" another voice asked, mockingly, "The hunt wasn't a total waste after all." Mioko struggled in the arms of her captors, writhing and struggling, trying to break free. She couldn't see her attackers; her face was being forced to look down at the ground. She felt fangs brush against her neck, but not pierce the skin.
"Wait!" another female called, her voice commanded authority, and the two who held Mioko stopped, but still didn't release her, "he would like to see what we've found." The sneering female groaned,
"Oh alright!" she reluctantly relented, walking with Mioko under her arm, "Come on! The sooner we get her home, the sooner we can feed from her."
"Daddy!" Mioko screamed, "Daddy!"
"Daddy!" the female mocked, "Shut up," a hard hand whipped the back of her head as they dragged her off and Mioko fell silent. She stopped struggling and fell limp, staring at the passing ground, praying for Raziel to help her.
The females took her away from where they had found her, taking her to their home. They didn't notice that where they had picked her up she had dropped something. Chibi Kain lay against a rock, looking down the path the females had taken.
TBC