Raziel watched as the two brothers circled each other, waiting for the right moment to dart in and break up the fight. Kain only let the boys fight if they did it properly – no way would he let them sissy fight, the sparrs helped them determine their own hierarchy and order among themselves. Raziel usually broke up any serious squabbles without too much trouble. He was not as strong as his year younger twins but had beaten the born warrior Dumah in a fight that had spanned a whole night with Raziel and the broken and battered victor although Dumah was just exhausted he was truly defeated. Raziel rarely used violence to solve his arguments, he preferred to talk it over and never yelled or cried. Kain found his eldest son to be a very passionate and affectionate vampire, although Raziel rarely let his emotions and spiritualism influence his choices. A Very strange vampire indeed as a much-loved hobby of his was to bring home the injured babies animals and raise them. He would even help full-grown bears, panthers – it really did not phase the young vampire - back to full health and even if the animal tried to kill him – Raziel would be there to set it free when it’s wound or illness had left. Kain hated Raziel’s room for that. The eldest son had his outside wall removed years ago. A large paddock with now replaced that wall, the paddock it self was growing larger by the year. Three different types of habitats made this little piece of land ideal for it to be home to a dozen or so ordinary, magical and exotic wildlife. When the rain came to the lands the animals would crowd Raziel into his room so they could have shelter. Raziel loved his room and made sure that he respected Kain by keeping his animals confined to that room and paddock. His brothers also enjoyed learning some caring skills from Raziel. They would spend all day watching him give his animals their vitamins and cleaning his room – but he made them help him – often playing some type of game to get them into it. Once he played ‘three little pigs’ to get them to help him. (This will eventually become be another g rated fic for kiddies)

The only animal allowed out was the nearly fully-fledged Night – Eagle Owl, Ebony, named by Rahab. She was usually upon Raziel’s shoulder or refining her flying by spreading her enormous wing span and flying after her foster parent. Raziel had found and saved the ground nest from a once dirty hound that also lived in his home now – a great half wolf half fox, a gleaming red fox the size of a wolf. Ebony had hatched and Raziel had used a puppet made by his younger brothers to imprint her upon and act the ‘mother’ of the owl. Many vampires could only marvel at the complete weirdness of Raziel’s twisted and complex personality. Raziel loved to watch the blood sports – like the roman gladiator tournaments and unreal tournaments but then would look after an animal as if he had sired it himself. Kain thought that personality had come from Ruby – certainly the young vampire had a red gleam to his black hair and that fine boned high-cheeked face like his mother, also she was gentle and loving, sweet and innocent. Kain was not so gentle and loving, nor was he sweet or innocent. Although he did care for his sons and any other children he would be soon to sire with jealous ferocity. He was not what a mother or father expects their daughter to bring home. Ruby’s parent had thrown her out of home so she and Kain did not really care what they thought.

Ruby, in Kain’s mind would represent everything good and pure – Kain would represent everything corrupted and the dark side. Raziel seemed to have the right balance of both with a love of both sides as well. Kain reflected on how and why his sons had not met their own mother face to face yet. She was a witch of ‘muggle’ blood and greatly educated. She had feared for her children and willingly accepted that all male children will live in the Sanctuary to be raised by Kain himself. Ruby would be pregnant again Kain knew. She rarely kept secrets from the Lord and he usually found them all out any way.

" Cheater!" Turel and Dumah yelled angrily at the same time at each other. Kain watched with interest as Raziel finally let a little annoyance grace his normally neutral face and grabbed each of his brothers heads as he leapt in-between them. The three rolled in a large somersault and Dumah and Turel went crashing into the younger twins Zephon and Rahab who had also started to fight over who would win the match. A bawl broke out with Raziel just watching. The four soon grew bored and separated from each other just to sit back down and play a new card game. Kain laughed and was quiet glade that the ancient pack of cards that had been given to the kids by Janos could bring hours of games and peace for all – except perhaps the fights. Though the occasional fight was natural and Kain knew that these not really serious fights would be good practice for when the boys begin their real lieutenant training. Raziel helped each of his brothers to cheat and win in turn. The boys had a good family bond that was almost unbreakable. 

Raziel got bored or restless and went to the window to watch the sun set. Raziel could not describe the calmness and tranquillity given by the mere vision of the golden orb sinking below the horizon it’s golden colours flowing after it like a gentle stream over white rocks. Lilac colours and pink raced after the light to stain the dawn on the other side of this world. Raziel sighed and his owl saluted the sunset with a haunting cry. Raziel gave her a gentle push towards the open window. She shoved back just as hard – her sharp talons digging into the rock of the windowsill. Raziel laughed and shoved hard. She flew out the window. Opening her great wings to catch a pocket of warm air blown in from the sea, that was located miles from the Sanctuary. Raziel bolted outside to catch the fallen, floating owl. She nipped his nose as she talon walked up his arm. She was given a chunk of dried meat as a treat for the good flight and perfect landing. Raziel ran back inside. 

" Raziel… Can I have a pat?" Melchiah called to his elder brother. Raziel relented almost immediately for his bald little sibling with out so much as a glance at the other four who had changed the game yet again to poker, pulling gold coloured rocks to use as coinage. Raziel ran over and Kain hardly managed to stop his eldest son from stepping on his ‘privates’ as Raziel leapt up from the ground and scuttled up to get a seat on one of the claws reaching out from behind the pillar of balance. Raziel took his owl and placed her on Melchiah’s little shoulder. Melchiah laughed and gently stroked the owl as his brother instructed him." Sing me a song – Razz – pwease?" Melchiah looked imploringly at his most favourite brother. Raziel thought about refusing – saw his brothers beautiful golden eyes and gave in. He sang the first song that came to him – a simple song a parent elf would sing to an infant trying to put it to sleep. Raziel blushed then sang to his owl and brother while stroking the black shining feathers, he sang softly, blushing harder as the song came out. That was in some exotic language – most likely elfin –Kain figured – which would explain why he could not understand. Raziel smiled knowing his father didn’t understand a word of it.

Vorador had told his eldest ‘grandson’ to learn the languages of the any place he went to or the people he meet and being a attentive and intelligent young vampire Raziel took the advice seriously. He would sit with a group of travellers, ogres, dragons, elfs, hobbits it really didn’t matter to him and listen to them intently as they spoke amongst themselves in their language then he would join in knowing somehow every word he wanted to say. Raziel then stored the language somewhere and spoke it or sung songs in that language when he felt inclined to do so. Although not real good in battle like Dumah or book smart like Rahab, Raziel had his own talents when it came to music and dancing, languages and animals. Kain pulled out the newspaper he had not read yet and opened it to read (although it was a little crimpled from being sat on). A notice on the front page told Kain about the criminal wizard Sirus Black on the run as he had escaped from the Azkaban prison. Interesting, idiots. Kain read this – many criminals from the human citadel and other places sent their thieves and all sorts of offenders there to pay off their dept to society, Kain had only ever meet one of the guards – a Dementor. Kain shuddered at the memory. Kain read the ministry of magic had lost Harry Potter – a teenager who’s parents where killed by the mysterious and dangerous Voldermort. Sad. 

As the song came to an end and Raziel let his finale words – even though not understood but still listened to – fade and Melchiah snorted from a light snooze he had fallen into. Kain frowned at how feminine Raziel’s voice had sounded but didn’t comment. Raziel smiled and read over his fathers’ shoulder, Kain let his son turn the pages so Raziel could finish reading. They both turned to the comics’ pages quickly while they laughed. The four other brothers finally got bored of the card games and ran over to join their immediate family on the throne. Kain gasped as his sons’ stood all over his legs and bits, his chest and abdomen (in Zephon’s case his fathers head.) as they scrabbled for a spot to seat themselves on the not – quiet – big – enough throne. Kain went back to reading his newspaper even though now had a huge tear in it from Turel left foot’s big claw. Raziel noticed his brothers where trying to get his attention and turned his face to look at their grinning faces and raised an eyebrow winking at them – they all sat silently and waited. Raziel grinned and held up one hand with his claws extended to the roof and put one down the brothers all grinned wider, fangs displayed – they knew this game. Raziel put down his second claw. The brothers including Melchiah, who had awoken when Zephon stood on him, got into pouncing positions, folding their legs underneath their bodies like springboards. Raziel put his last claw down and Kain found himself being swamped by his fledglings, no warning either. The newspaper was shredded at this point. They worked as one and pulled him from his seat and when they had him on the floor began to tickle their father till he was letting out that booming laugh echoed throughout the halls of the Sanctuary. 

This game was their most loved game, except perhaps bath time when they would play races with their father, he almost always won unless he was losing deliberately. He loved to play their games; it relaxed and rejuvenated his inner being. Raziel sensed their fathers’ joy (He figured their father would probably go mad with boredom if they were not there, even if he denied it) and they chased him around the pillars only to bring him down again and tickling him again. Kain’s guards outside could hear a lot of thumping around and cries for help. They ran in and found a pile of vampires on the floor in front of the pillar of death; they shook their heads laughing and left to go back to their stands. Mortanious laughed and watched the struggle. Kain laughed and tried to pry his sons off him – but even he the eight-foot vampire lord, the ruler of Nosgoth could not rid himself of their little soft claws and feet on his bare torso and neck. Raziel sat on his fathers’ chest, tickling his neck furiously. Kain finally dislodged his oldest son, who seemed to be the lightest of all of them - but there where still five firmly attached to him.

Vorador stopped by the front gates to the entry of the Sanctuary, his huge ears picking up the noises of a scuffle and even louder thumps. Vorador sook his head – he knew what they where doing – would Kain ever grow up? He moved to the entranced doorway and stood as the werewolf Pumba ran up the hill with the mail. The werewolves ran Nosgoth mailing. Vorador took the mail that was offered to him and headed into the source of the noise. On the floor seven bodies squirmed and struggled. 

" Kain – your mail has arrived." Vorador said loudly. 

" HAHAHAHHAHAHA _" Kain shoved his kids off him and walked over whipping tears of laughter from his eyes. He took the mail from Vorador with a quick swipe of his hand and sat back in his throne to read it. " AAARRRGGGHHH! Bills! Bloody buggering bills. Dear Raziel, Bills, hang on a minute – Dear Raziel? Hhhmmmmm? You got any girlfriends Raziel?"

Raziel fell off the pillar he had been climbing up to get away from his brothers tickling fingers – he blushed brightly. His brothers all laughed. Vorador sniggered.

" No, I have no girlfriends that I know of!" was all Raziel said as he took off around the pillars again to escape his brothers – he ran into the pillar of the mind head on with a resounding ‘crack!’ Vorador cringed at the sound.

" Hey watch it you ruffian!" Nupraptor yelled – appearing in ghost form. Raziel stuck his tongue out and found him self being thrown through the air, he crash into Vorador who pushed the vampling off himself quickly. Kain laughed and ripped open the envelope the moment his eyes fell onto the crest on the back with four little pictures on it. A number of sheets came out. Kain read the first note, a smile creeping across his usual scowl.

" Uncle Faustus! Uncle Marcus!" The boys all yelled waving. Raziel gave the older vampires a dazzling smile and then turned to watch the vampires caught up in embrace.

" Hey!" Faustus said catching Melchiah mid air as the youngest threw himself at the red-cloaked vampire. " How’s it going ya pains in the knees?" He asked the boys. 

" GOOD!" was all the little voices joined as one.

" I hope there is nothing going on here – Kain – because there are young vampires in the area!" Marcus said a look of shock on his face. " Faustus take the kids away!"

Faustus turned to walk out the door with the boys. Kain laughed good – naturedly while being shove into the pillar of conflict by Vorador with such force the dent made Malek get a migraine! 

" Marcus don’t be an idiot! Faustus get back here with my sons – I have to tell the eldest something!" Kain stamped his foot impatiently.

"Fine." Marcus mumbled ducking as Vorador went to hit him for the earlier comment.

" Okay…." Faustus walked back in with the confused sons – their faces lite up again instantly when a shadowy figure emerged from the hallway – a relaxed and well-fed Janos. He shook his wings and folded them tightly against himself. The boys ran over the their ‘great grand father’ to see if he had brang them any treats. Raziel lingered though. 

" Hello Janos – listen you fools! Be quiet boys!" Kain order happily. " I have very important news."

He cleared his throat looking at Raziel. Raziel frowned and looked at Vorador for clues. The older vampire shrugged. Raziel return the gesture and stood at attention.

" Raziel will be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Wonderful isn’t it?"

" All right!" Janos yelled thumping Raziel on the shoulder. 

" Excellent!" Shouted Vorador smacking Raziel upside the head by accident. 

" Great!" Yelled Faustus and Marcus as one, Raziel barely felt the next to hit on his head and back. His brother all sniggered at Raziel’s face. Cross-eyed and his tongue stuck out the side of his black lips. Dumah and Turel came over to congratulate their older brother (but also just to get close enough to hit him again so he would pull that face) the brothers all laughed again. Raziel shook his head and frowned at the little ‘brats’ as he snarled under his breath. They laughed harder. Melchiah was laughing while catching a ride on Faustus’s back. Janos smiled.

" I wonder Kain – How you plan on supporting your son through school may I ask?" Janos stood with his arms crossed. Raziel pulled out a feather, which looked like it was at an odd angle. " Oh thank you – I couldn’t get that one out and it was so annoying!"

" Janos do not worry I have a large fortune at the Grinngotts Bank that will let me put more than a whole village of children through school and Raziel will have his own key. I do plan to split the money between my sons and myself when they are all older." Kain explained. 

" I – I’m going to school?" Raziel said as the news sunk in. He gasped and stood looking so joyful but worried at the same time. Raziel loved the idea of going to explore and discover new things – but how about his creatures that depend upon him for tender loving care? Raziel put his head to the side and thought deeply and long about this.

"I will reply right this moment." Kain ran to the throne and opened a compartment in the armrest. Pulling out his quill made from one of Janos’s wing feathers, which was pulled out during a savage fight they had once, and some silver white ink made by the elfin folk from trapped moonlight rays. Raziel sat on his fathers throne on the top of the seat so he could watch while Kain wrote back to this school. Then the eldest leapt off the throne, stumbling in a somersault and rolling onto his feet and ran off out the doorway to his room. His footsteps could be heard through the walls. Kain took about three hours to write that one letter – he rarely wrote anything and his skills had not improved to say the least. Janos who wrote books and stories about everything and anything wrote with flowing clear and beautiful handwriting. He pre read Kain’s letter and made corrections then wrote it for Kain and they sent it away with Ebony who was puffed up with pride the hole time they tied the letter to her leg and she took off out the window towards the evening stars.

" Are you taking the lot of them to drop off Raziel?" Janos asked. 

" No! They would destroy something I’m sure of that – I’m planning on letting them stay here or at your retreat under your care." Kain said knowing the ancient would look shocked. Janos loved having the boys over but he was not real good at discipline and often tried to give the job of baby sitting to Vorador as Janos always had something destroyed or misplaced because of Kain’s brood. 

The boys all smirked at each other – normally they would whine about not going with their older brother but the chance to be with the one vampire who couldn’t control them had brought smirks to their faces – Janos was a sucker for them. They could tell he was about to refuse so they turned on their most beautiful and charming smiles and stared up at the ancient vampire with stars in their golden eyes – Janos looked at the faces and tried to force out the word no. His voice failed him and his wings drooped in defeat. 

" Fine I will baby-sit your boys." Janos said. Kain smirked and turned away from the little faces. " How can you resist their cute faces?"

" The trick is not to look at them Janos." Vorador said drinking a sip of blood he had ordered. Melchiah being the greedy one took the class while Vorador was not watching. Janos sniggered a little, Kan grinned and then sat down on his throne.

" Janos could you help me write a letter to Ruby before we go to the bath?" Kain asked the older vampire. Janos nodded. Kain called old man servant Watch to come and collect the three waiting vampires and his sons for their nightly bath.

" Okay." The older vampire relented. The ancient ordered for a chair to be brought to him and it was.
 
 

Mean while, in a huge room in the sanctuary of the clans. Raziel sat in his room drawing a table up on some old parchment – he was making up a simply and colourful roster for his brothers to follow. A simply way to care for his ‘extended’ family. He brushed the huge spider off his bed and just as he was about to pin up the poster on the front of his door, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. The fledgling paused and turned his head back with a grin as he saw his father standing there.

" Son?" Kain asked looking at the roster. " Interesting – are those animals of yours worth all that trouble?" He had read what has to be done about the animals’ toilet habits. Raziel grinned and nudged his father with his elbow.

" Every single moment Kain." Raziel answered grinning – He never called Kain ‘dad’ unless he wanted something. Kain pretended to be mad.

" It’s dad to you!" He yelled. " Oh yeah and our bath is ready!"

" Kain!" Raziel laughed and ran down the hall towards the bathroom. 

" Dad!" Kain said chasing his son as fast as his legs could go.