Dawn of the Elements - Book 5: The Children of The Moth

Chapter Three: Victims of The Moth

Melody sat in her father's study, late at night, looking over every piece of information he had on The Mothman, and the Cult that was formed in his image. Something just didn't sit well with her. There was something about this Cryptid that wasn't adding up.

She had caught wind of something that had happened in the kingdom. One of the patrols had found the body of a teenage girl by the border. The part that didn't sit right with her was that she had been drained of all of her blood. Nothing that she had read showed anything about blood. The notes mentioned sacrifices, but nothing to this extreme.

Getting out of her father's chair, she decided to go and get some air. Leaving the room, she walked down the winding hallway towards the kitchens, in hope of getting a bowl of her Aunt Grenadine's special Chicken Soup. In her way down to the kitchen, she passed a maid, who was carrying a tray with water, bread, and an apple, the regular meal of her father's least favourite prisoner; her grandfather, Richter Dumon.

Entering the Kitchen, Melody found her twin brother, arm in a jar of chocolate chip cookies, another cookie hanging out of his mouth. "Uh...hey Mel." Xander asked, taking the cookie from his mouth. "Cookie?" He offered her one from the jar.

"No. Thanks though." Melody said, walking over to the stove. "I was just doing some late night reading, and was kind of hoping that Aunt Grenadine made some of her special Soup." She opened the lid of a steaming pot, finding her prize: a simmering pot of Chicken Soup. "When I first came back to the past, it was the first meal I'd eaten in ages. Father had Aunt Grenadine bring a bowl of this soup up for me. And it's been my favourite meal ever since. It..."

"Calms you?" Xander smiled, taking a bite out of a cookie. "I understand that. Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies do the same thing for me. Growing up, I've always looked forward to them." He took another bite of the cookie.

"So, sis?" he asked. "What were you reading about?" He jumped up, and sat on the counter next to her, who had begun shoveling soup into her mouth. "The last time I caught you up this late just reading, you were studying for your Doctorate."

"I was reading the material from Father's latest lesson. The one about The Mothman, and The Children of the Moth." Melody said, between spoonfuls. "And the report that the Patrol brought to him, about that dead girl found by the border."

"Let me guess." Xander stated, jumping off the counter. "You don't think they're connected, do you? You've found some discrepancy that doesn't fit." He chuckled. "Mel, The Children of The Moth don't exist. The Mothman doesn't exist. That girl's death was probably a remnant of Raigan's Vampire Coven."

"Your Majesties." A guard ran into the kitchen. "We have a problem." The twins followed close the guard, as he left the room. "We've gotten reports of numerous girls, all sixteen years old being kidnapped from their homes. Witnesses are all saying the same thing: that several hooded figures were seen fleeing the scenes."

"Was Father notified?" Melody asked, following the guard to the main atrium, where her father was standing, talking to some guards. "That answers that question." The Royal Twins approached their father.

"Melody, Xander." Silver addressed his children. "I assume you've heard what happened. Rest assured, we're doing everything we can to find these girls. Leaving no stones unturned."

"Father, if what we both know is going on here is true." Melody stated. "Then The Children of The Moth are in fact real, and they've changed the way that they perform their sacrifices. They didn't kidnap these girls to use as hostages. They kidnapped them to use as sacrifices. Blood sacrifices."

"What are you suggesting, Melody?" Silver asked, concern rising in his voice. "If you have a suggestion, you know I'm all ears." He watched, as his eldest child began pacing.

"Draining the blood out of a person isn't as easy as you might think. I've seen several medical cases where this exact this has happened, but couldn't never make a connection." Melody explained. "You either need to have medical training, or..."

"Be hold up in a location where it was done regularly as a food source." Silver began putting two and two together. "You think The Children of The Moth are holding up in Raigan's old castle, in the Valarian Mountains?"

"Yes, I do." Melody explained her reasoning. "But I don't believe they're using her castle to collect food. They're not Vampires." She kept pacing. "I think they're collecting blood to use in a ritual. What kind of ritual, I'm not certain of, but whatever it is, it's not good."

"What do you suggest we do, Mel?" Xander asked. "It's not like we can storm Raigan's castle, and save these girls. If we do this, we risk causing a much larger scene."

"We don't need to send everyone. Only a select few." Melody said. "Using Shadow Thrik Alloy, myself, and a smaller group can get in, grab the girls, and get out." She stopped pacing. "We would be in and out, without being seen."

"No! No way!" Silver shouted, seldom ever raising his voice towards her. "What do you take me for!? Some kind of an idiot!? What, in your right mind l makes you think I'd ever risk sending you in there!?"

"I'm YOUR daughter." Melody said, emphasizing the word "your". "You risked your life constantly. Father, the longer we discuss this, the less time those girls have." She looked her father in the eye. "Father, you have to let me do this. I won't disappoint you."

"Fine! Fine!" Silver shouted. "A small team. That's all. In, and out, no theatrics. Do you understand me?" Melody nodded, and ran off to grab her retrieval team.

"Dad, is it just me..." Xander asked, walking up next to his father. "Or did she make a decision that was less Doctor-y, and more...Princess-y?"

"Yes, son." Silver said, gaining back his composure. "I believe you're right. Maybe she's finally starting to properly break out of her shell. The Unwinding Clock incident was because she had no choice. This time she had a..."

A guard frantically ran up the stairs from the dungeons, and ran up to the Crimson King, and Prince of Light. "Forgive me, Your Grace, Your Majesty, I know you're busy dealing with these recent kidnappings." He said, catching his breath. "But we have a new problem. A slightly worse problem." He gasped for air, before screaming, "RICHTER DUMON HAS ESCAPED!"