"Great, Janos, you're here," I sighed in relief as I closed the ballroom doors behind me. I don't know why I thought of it, but the ballroom seemed to be the perfect place to keep the 'kids' most of the time. It was probably because there was so much space for them to play.
"I came as soon as I got your message," Janos said, "though it was very unclear."
I smiled apologetically. "It's been stressful. From what I can tell, Moebius has found some way to make vampires into children."
"What?" Janos asked in confusion.
I opened the ballroom doors. Raziel came tearing out, clutching a stuffed duck. Kain and Vorador were following close behind. I grabbed Raziel by his collar and tripped Kain. Vorador had stopped in the doorway.
"Don't touch my duck, Kain," Raziel shouted.
"It's my duck!" Kain shouted from his undignified position on the floor.
Suddenly, the three noticed Janos. They simultaniusly screamed and ran back into the ballroom.
"They seem to have completely lost their memories," I commented.
"How did Moebius manage to get here?" Janos questioned.
I shrugged. "He probably managed to find a plothole."
"I thought there were no plot holes that led to Nosgoth," Janos said critically.
"It's hard to predict where they'll lead," I argued. "It was just that we never had a good chance of finding one."
"You shouldn't have stopped us from killing him," Janos said.
"Hey, don't blame this on me," I protested. "Moebius was in the middle of a nervous breakdown, and I am not without sympathy. Don't forget who was busy discussing what would be the best way to kill him when he got away."
"Vorador's suggestion was particularly appropriate," Janos nostalgically mused.
I huffed in annoyance. "We have a problem here. What am I going to do with three kids?"
Janos stared into the ballroom. "They are afraid of me. My mortal children died so long ago, and I know nothing about human youth."
"Still, I need help," I said. I couldn't keep the pleading tone out of my voice.
Janos sighed as he slowly followed me into the ballroom. Raziel, Kain, and Vorador were all standing in a lose knot in the middle of the room.
"Why don't you say hello?" I asked gently as I walked towards them.
"He's a monster," Raziel quietly whined.
"He's not a monster," I gently coaxed. "Come over here, he won't hurt you."
Vorador was the first to step forward. His eyes shone with fear, but there was also a candid fascination. With some difficulty, Janos knelt down so that he didn't tower over the child. Kain and Raziel also walked over, and soon the three were asking Janos questions like, 'Why are you blue?'
Janos suddenly yelped in pain and surprise as he stood up. Kain tumbled backwards, having caught a glancing blow from Janos' wing. Kain clutched an ebony feather in one hand.
"Keep an extra sharp eye on him," I told Janos, nodding towards Kain. Of the three, Kain seemed to be the greatest troublemaker. "Good luck," I added as I headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Janos asked.
"Someone's got to confront Moebius," I said.
"I'll go," Janos answered.
"You can't. Kain tried and he became young," I said.
"What will happen to you?" Janos questioned.
I took a moment to think. When I was that age, I didn't know anything about storytelling. I hadn't even mastered the use of a comma. "I'm immune," I decided.
"Do you know where he is?" Janos asked.
"I'm supposed to find him," I said. Janos still believed in fate even though I knew differently. "Listen, whatever's going on is probably going to affect you, too. Try to keep that in mind." I knew it sounded lame, but I couldn't think of any advice for this situation. I also couldn't think of anyone else to call on for help.