****Castle Wyvern
Brooklyn's emotional cry was loud enough to be heard by another nearby patrol team, Angela and Othello, and were able to quickly take the twins back home with Brooklyn and Lex leading the way.
They had been taken to the infirmary where Kwan Yin monitored their condition, while Lex studied their arm bands and the technology they comprised of.
While he was able to repair their arm bands enough to stabilize the twins' condition to slow any deteriorating health, Brooklyn stood outside of the infirmary waiting on any news about his children.
As he brooded with worry outside the infirmary, he felt a large hand place upon his shoulder in strong brotherly support.
Brooklyn looked to his right to find Goliath with a brooding look upon his craggy features equal to Brooklyn's own.
Brooklyn could only sigh heavily as he asked,
"Do we really have what it takes to raise hatchlings again? What kind of world will they grow up in, if they can't even get a chance to grow up?"
"I understand how you must be feeling, old friend," Goliath gently rumbled in worry, "Ever since Elisa told me about our new child, I've begun worrying for its future. However, I've come to remember that there's always danger when trying to rear hatchlings."
"That's true in a way," Brooklyn agreed contritely, "But what are you supposed to do when your own kids' lives are threatened?"
Goliath gave a slow rumbling sigh as he said,
"What happens to one of us greatly affects us all as a clan. You and Sata may have bred and raised them, but they are part of this clan and we are all worried for them. And more importantly, they have proven themselves to be very resourceful at such a young age, and they already make fine warriors and will be greater warriors still someday."
"Maybe," Brooklyn sighed, "But only if I hadn't made a careless decision of putting them on patrol tonight."
"There had been no way for any of you to know you would encounter Vlad and his scourge tonight," Goliath reasonably said to him.
Brooklyn turned to face Goliath full on, who could only feign confusion as he said,
"As much experience as I have, I've only been second in command for a little over three years of this clan. As a father I should know better than to willingly endanger my own kids, which is why I'm going to step down as second and you can chose someone else."
Goliath's eye ridge only raised a bit as he simply asked,
"And whom do you suggest to take your place as second, Brooklyn?"
"I don't know," he just sighed, "Definitely Elisa if she were a gargoyle. Most definitely Sata, because she's got a good head her shoulders and has always been more disciplined than I ever was, and she has some experience in her old clan. Maybe Angela because she too was a second on Avalon, and she's your daughter. You know how humans love to pass on social roles their kids. Broadway and Lex have their merits and either do make good choices if they weren't going through personal issues. Maybe Othello would make a good second, and he's always been one of the best warriors, even in the old days, next to you, Goliath."
Goliath gave a reserved sigh as he again strongly but supportively placed a hand on Brooklyn's shoulder and said,
"Brooklyn, my friend, I first chose you as second not only because you had proven yourself with your cunning and strategic thinking, but also because of your strength of character. Remember, I too have made occasional mistakes in my time as a second and as leader, and no doubt may make more. It's one of the burdens of leadership that must be faced. Before you truly consider stepping down as my second, Brooklyn, give yourself time to recover and learn from this experience. Graeme and Ariana will need their father, and more importantly the clan will need its second."
Brooklyn nodded to Goliath as he took his leave of his leader and walked to one of the outside turrets to be alone with his thoughts, part of him hoping the remaining night air will help to clear his head.
A few minutes later, he heard faint footsteps and sensed a familiar calm presence nearby. He turned to momentarily glimpse to his beautiful jade colored lifemate, Sata, but did not give any other awareness of her other than to frown.
He only turned away to continue to broodly stare out at the twinkling lights of the skyline of Manhattan and lighting sky as dawn slowly approached.
He then surprisingly felt Sata's warm presence upon his being as she gently wrapped her arms around him from behind and leaned her cheek against his back.
After only a moment's hesitation, he slowly turned to embrace her.
"I thought you'd never want to speak to me again," he softly said.
Though Sata's face had its ever disciplined warrior expression, it was softened by the glassy sheen in her almond shaped dark eyes.
She slowly stroked Brooklyn's prominent beak up to then gently cup his cheek as she began to say,
"You know I could never want that, My foolish Love. Though I greatly fear for our children's survival, being angry towards my own lifemate will not help them, nor does it befit me as a warrior or as a mother."
"But I . . ." She placed a finger on his beak before he could continue, while continuing herself,
"You are not responsible for what happened to them, the blame lays with their true attackers, and we will have retribution from them in due time."
Brooklyn sighed deeply as he looked into Sata's eyes.
"But what if Lex's is right? What if I am a screw up second for letting those vampires get away and I've allowed things to get worse? What if we lose them this time?"
Sata only gave a sorrowful smile as she patiently said,
"It's saddening how our brother is being misguided by his needless suspicions and want of vengeance, where as you remembered to put the needs of our children before the need of victory at the cost of their lives. That is our way. If Lex-san can remember that soon, then there is hope for all of them."
They gave faint smiles to each other, Sata leaned her head beneath Brooklyn's chin as the Sun steadily rose to freeze them together in a loving embrace reminiscent of classic Greco-Roman statues.
****Unknown location
Vlad took note of his prize as his recruited Halfling followers steadily unloaded the life sustaining chambers that held abandoned volunteers in mid transformation.
The count was a total of twenty, and he was certain it will make a sufficient start for the resurrection of the Black Court, the first scourge of many yet to come.
He was aware of a few survivors of his Court still lingered about elsewhere, and when the time proved right he will being summoning them.
Perhaps beginning with his old acquaintance, Mavra.
Not long after the last life support chamber was unloaded from the delivery truck, there came a rapid beeping noise that began to greatly annoy the former Prince of Wallachia.
"What is that irritating noise?" he demanded coldly.
"It's an alarm, Master," Vince said, "It means that the tanks are running low on reserved power and if they don't recharge soon the people inside them will die."
Vlad's family and the three free Halflings all looked to him about what they should do. For but a few moments he simply stood silently with a frighteningly calm smile on his sickly pale features.
"It's simple," he coldly said, "Allow their life sustaining prisons to run out of power, then release them and we shall begin their destined rebirth."
Minutes later, Vince blasted the first off-line container open with an energy sphere and freed the first would-be Halfling.
Vlad's own features then began a gruesome transformation as his face became paler and more transparent as everything caved in to give his face a more skeletal and corpse like appearance, while two sets of fangs on his canines and incisors began to elongate and sharpen, and his eyes glowed blood red.
****Nightstone Unlimited, three nights later
An important meeting between Thailog and his rag tag group of unlikely gargoyle allies was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a paunchy human male as he came running into the office completely out of breath.
"What is it, Fergus?" Thailog growled, clearly irritated at the interruption.
"That information you wanted, Mr. Thailog," Fergus gasped as he tried to catch his breath, "About that break in at Maddox Technologies a few nights ago."
He handed Thailog a folder with the information he referred to, the wounded dark skinned gargoyle grabbed it with a hard swipe from his business assistant hard enough to startle the paunchy human.
As he looked through the file, his allies, Darius, Coldsteel, and Typhon, stood silently waiting for an answer.
Thailog's expression steadily went from irritated to puzzled and then to mildly interested, and then finally to intrigued as he gave an unfriendly smile.
"Very interesting," he practically smirked.
He then looked back at Fergus, who waited nervously.
"Fergus," he finally said, "Take this report to Ms. Lilith. You and her are to begin finding any information you can on this gentleman, as well as finding a way of getting in touch with this Vladimir Tepes."
Fergus then left the office to begin his new assignment.
End of episode 9