#random child

The tiny, shrill screams drew him closer to the alley. For a second, he was willing to drag the attacker out into the street, flay them alive, and leave them on display. But…there was no attacker. Nothing to cause the shrill screams, and nothing making them either. Unless…

He dug around in the boxes, listening to the screaming grow louder. Now that he thought about it…

A baby. There, under the cardboard and filth that people threw away, cast aside like the small infant had been. The cries quieted, and he lifted it up, blinking slowly. The baby looked at him, sucking on its- her hand. He bared his teeth, making a clear threat.

With a gurgle, she laughed, waving her tiny fists around. He did it again, listening to her shrill voice cackle in delight. With another bare of his teeth, he settled the still laughing infant into his arms, crouching down low and letting her gum on a claw.

Konrad glanced around, looking for any sign of her parents, before he leapt off into the night.

. . .

His sons had been curious, at first. It wasn't often Father brought something new, something this young. And it was never the case that he barred them from laying so much as their eyes on this newest toy.

She was certainly cute, gurgling happily every time they snarled at her. Soft curls of ebony hair stuck out on her head, and some of the newer, softer Night Lords liked to stroke it, cooing at her softly.

She was the gem of the legion, it seemed. Even Sevatar liked her company, when Konrad was too busy for her. Which was almost never. He rarely let her be alone around his sons, despite their constant promises to take care of her.

He hadn't named her yet, content to let her crawl around his room. Hell, he'd even taken the bodies down when he noticed how it frightened her. But a name? He was the Night Haunter, terror of Nostramo. He did not…name things. He still wasn't sure she'd be kept.

No, that was a lie. He was sure. She'd be kept, raised as his own. For once, his vision devastated him. Watching that sweet girl…he'd named her Senka.

Senka…the name felt foreign on his tongue, but it fit her. Yes. His little Shadow.

. . .

"Daddy!!" Konrad kept his footsteps light, as to not scare her. She sounded frightened enough already, he didn't need to add to it. Senka had been having nightmares, almost weekly now. As slightly annoying as it was, he'd rather make sure she was alright, than leave her to cry.

He nudged the door open, looking around the room. Senka wasn't in bed? Before he could take another step, small arms wrapped around his legs, and a tiny head pressed there, the small form shaking with sobs. "Hey…" he whispered, bending to her level. "What's all this about, little shadow?"

Senka hiccuped, still crying. Snot and tears ran down her face, and one of Konrad's claws reached out to wipe them away. "I had-," she tried, breaking down again. "I had a nightmare!"

"Again?" he asked. They were becoming almost nightly now. As much as he didn't want to consider it, he would take her to the apothecaries in the morning, just to see if it was something they could handle. "What was it about?"

"You died. You left and you died and you had forgotten about me!"

His heart tugged. He would die, of course. Not long after her, but he would still die. The fact Senka had dreamed it…was she like him, in a way? "I won't die for a long while yet," he comforted. "And I'll never forget about you." Picking her up, he carried her back to the bed. "But that wasn't all of it, was it?"

Senka buried her face into his shoulder, shaking her head. She refused to elaborate, small hands curling around his shoulders. "You don't have to tell me," he promised. "Not until you're ready. Do you want me here tonight?" She nodded. With a soft sigh, Konrad laid her in bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. Selecting one of the many books he had grabbed from the alleyways on his adventures, he laid down beside her, letting the small child clamber onto his chest and curl up.