The situation escalated into a bending failure. Clyde's dishonesty and fear dragged the three outlaws into a bloodthirsty demon's cave. Only one heart beated in that soulless house that reeked off blood and oil. Brando got himself a bargaining chip, and Abigail no longer had a choice but to abide to whatever he had to ask for, however, was Clyde's life important for Abigail? Matter of fact, was any life important to Abigail?
I. Brando, the master of disguise.
Little was known about Brando, in fact, The legion had no records of him, only written assumptions submitted by Carvo. While it was a known fact that many Mooncallers posses human intelligence and even slight emotion, the shifters were never sighted and were only a myth passed around the locals to make them doubt their own families.
It was half past six, Brando had forcefully seated Clyde in the living room where there was a dim lamplight and blood poorly scrapped off the walls. Brando hadn't spoken a word, Clyde pleaded for an explanation but Brando sat down facing him, reading one of a Lady Maria's books which left Clyde in a state of shock, how could Brando mimic a human so well when there's hardly anything that resembles a human in him?
According to Clyde's knowledge, the thinking Mooncallers were much alike Abigail. Some of them had their skin fully intact and some of them hardly had any skin or flesh in them except their brains. They were labelled "Thinkers" because they were the selected few who were allowed to keep their brains. Other Mooncallers -who's origin was human- were stripped off their brain functions and had tens of chips inserted into them, making thinking an impossible task. Those mindless ghouls were beyond saving. Clyde was surprised by Brando, the longer he starred, the more he realized Brando's body was hardly visible underneath Lady Maria's skin, it was as if Brando had no artificial limps or organs, because if that was true, a skin isn't thick enough to cover the screws and the indecent creation of Gabriel who hardly cared about how Mooncallers would turn out to be.
"Sir-uh, B-brando? Can we at least discuss this?" Clyde stuttered, looking anxiously at the clock as he saw the arrows speeding towards ten o'clock, and if Abigail were to come, Andrew would unravel the entire situation which he was involved in.
"Discuss what?" Brando scoffed, reading the book. "Why am I here?" Clyde sniffled like a little boy. "You are here because I want you here." Brando sighed, flipping the pages. "This is-isn't really the answer.." Clyde replied, and Brando refused to go further with this conversation.
"Listen, since you know everything, Andrew, uh- nevermind, a very very important guy, planted a bug on this place! He would find out something was going on if you don't let me out!" Clyde pleaded once again, to Brando and to himself, he was truly pathetic. He showed no spite, no fighter's courage, nothing but a coward's cry for life.
"You can't tell me something I don't know." Brando said, but not in Lady Maria's voice, he spoke through his croaked fearful voice that sent shivers done Clyde's spine. "You're leading Abigail here! If she comes, she will be involved! Why are you doing this to her?" Clyde tried to persuade Brando. "That's the point." Brando smirked, "I won't go down alone." He continued, Clyde was out of breath, lying down on that seat, facing a terrifying monster he was raised to despise and kill yet he feared to even raise his voice on that creature, Clyde despised himself.
The grave danger was rapidly approaching the city, Brando has maintained his gesture and still refused to reveal his motives. Clyde deciphered few more details about this being, mostly biological. The dim light sent Clyde's mind into a haze. The night's chill bite his skin as he felt powerless and hopeless. Soon, Abigail will carelessly come, unbeknownst to her that Andrew was piecing out the puzzle they scattered behind. The name "Traitor" was already resounding in his ear.
"As soon as she comes, and as soon as she realizes that you're willing to hurt me or anyone she knows, she'll bite your heart off your chest." Clyde threatened Brando underneath his breath, for a moment of clarity, he hoped that Abigail wouldn't fail him after he failed her.
"As soon as she comes here and understands who did this to her, she will bury you underneath this house." Brando replied, and Clyde sunk back on his seat in desperation.
The clock ticks, and the imminent fate approaches.
II. A step towards truth.
Abigail had isolated herself in the basement, moving back and forth between her seat and the mirror, eyeing the clock in despair as she feared what would follow that meeting. On the other hand, Carvo sat on a chair right in front the basement door, anxiously biting his nails and knocking on the door each hour, begging Abigail to talk to him and rethink her choices, but, he knew his sister, once she had made her mind, there was no going back.
Three hours have passed since Clyde was captured. It was now nine at night and Abigail begun to fix her attire and wear the fake persona she was handed. She thought to herself that whatever she was going to get herself into wouldn't be worse than her current situation. Something must be done.
"Abby, whatever this guy wants from you, it can't be good." Carvo spoke in a soft tone behind the door, and Abigail frowned. "You might not believe it, but I'm much more experienced than you are. I can read people better than you. Trust me." Carvo begged Abigail who seemed even more angry after listening to him.
"Cut this bullshit!" Abigail shouted from behind the door, "It may have been fifty years, but I am still your older sister!" Abigail cried, "I know better." She persuaded herself. "You called me a monster!" She shouted angrily.
"I didn't mean it, Abby! I meant him, not you!" Carvo jumped off his chair, sticking his mouth into the door, "If I thought so, I would have killed you already!" He assured her, "Look at this god forsaken place! Look at all these dissected and mutilated beasts, it was me who did it!" Carvo became enraged at his sister's accusations, in his shouting feast, Abigail opened the door and grabbed Carvo by his collar.
"You keep telling me how great you are, and what a big scientist you are and look at you, you only have ten coins in your wallet!" Abigail angrily shook Carvo who starred in disbelief, "Ever since I came here you hid me like a prisoner and every time someone came you looked even more powerless, you bow down to everyone!" Abigail's eyes turned red, and in her blinding rage, she slammed Carvo against the wall and he growled in pain, starring at her in utter surprise and pain.
As soon as Abigail had lost sense of how powerful she was and saw a bloody spot behind Carvo's head, she stepped back in fear and regret. Carvo sat still, frozen in time. Something between the two siblings broke, and Carvo felt as if he was stabbed in his heart. Abigail stormed out of the basement and ran into the streets she was clueless of, she was crying but there were no tears, the heart she didn't have gave her an agonizing phantom pain. She followed the directions Brando gave her till she reached Lady Maria's house, step by step, she walked right into the owls' sight and as it was nine and a half, Abigail confidently knocked on the door.
"A little bit early, aren't we?" Brando opened the door, smirking in victory as Abigail sensitive ears picked up Clyde's erratic breathing and muffled screams of agony.
"Who's inside?" She gulped, "See for yourself." Brando replied, dragging Abigail inside who took few steps into the living room, she froze like a statue once she was a bloody scene unfold in front of her.
Clyde was strapped down on a chair with bruises all over him. Blood was dripping from the chair indicating how fatally hurt he was but Abigail couldn't tell what was wrong. Abigail gasped as Clyde muttered gibberish words only she understood.
The bargain chip was actively playing its role in this hideous game of the heartless monsters.
III. Andrew's suspicions.
"I'm pretty sure I'll have my evidence soon enough." Andrew talked to himself as he walked back and forth between the observation screen, which was powered by the seer owls, and his chair where he anxiously sat, gluing his eyes to the dull view of the screen. Three hours had passed and he still hadn't seen anything unusual. Marclyn hadn't reported Clyde's whereabouts and she carelessly left him to deal with this unexpected situation. Andrew dissected every single frame and second, watching ever passer by and anticipating the reveal of the monster he had an eye on.
As soon as the clock approached nine and a half, Andrew jumped off his chair to attend an important meeting with Dunken and no one other than his estranged brother, Henry. Andrew was frowning as if he had an appointment with the devil himself, and in his rage, he wore his coat and weapons and slowly, his eyes left the screen unattended.
Once Andrew's bell rang, he had to leave. He took one last look and went on his way. Few seconds later, Abigail appeared into the sight of the owls, wearing a hood yet her fake long hair was apparent. Her face was hidden, the owls could catch her back. The owls memory was never discarded, and it was a bliss that Andrew hadn't seen it, however, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't replay it once again and unravel Abigail's involvement.
The meeting had begun seconds before Andrew arrived. Henry was handcuffed and seated on a chair while Sir Dunken, Andrew and two other higher-ups rounded around the meeting table. The interrogation was heated right from the start. Sir Dunken had given Andrew strict orders to only observe and not be involved. The two higher-ups were Anysa and Joseph, members of The city's legion council, the ones who assigned Sir Dunken.
"Henry, you were given the duty to oversee Jensen and his league in November of the last year, to our surprise, you didn't plan a counter attack and went on fully offensive costing us unimaginable losses. Soon after you were relieved from your position, you went into this state of isolation, and at last, you have been sighted scouting people and spreading rumors of an inside enemy and various other allegations." Anysa fixed her glasses as she read the document on Henry's case.
"The situation escalated when your neighbors complained of your behavior such as spying on them and going as far as to claim that we have a Mooncaller swarming the streets as we speak, yet, you offered no evidence and did nothing but spread panic among the citizens, making our image worse in the eyes of the public." Joseph picked up where Anysa left and Henry was breathing heavily as he sweated buckets of water.
"Before you stand in front of the high court, this is your last chance to explain your actions." Anysa eyed Henry is sympathy as he was breaking down, crying uncontrollably as he looked at his brother helplessly, almost begging him to offer a helping hand, but, Andrew only looked at him in despise and shame.
"Come on, Henry. Don't waste the chance you were given!" Sir Dunken encouraged Henry as the rest of the attendants were running out of patience.
"I-I have no evidence.." Henry sniffled, "But I know for sure that they infiltrated our city for years." He continued, "They are among us, right here." He cried, lowering his voice in fear.
"They are in the council." He whispered.
The attendants frowned, Anysa shook her head in disappointment and Andrew felt ashamed to be involved with this man. On the other hand, Sir Dunken seemed to take interest in Henry's word and Joseph leaned back, awaiting more information.
Henry carried vital information concerning Abigail and perhaps even Brando, he was accusing nameless figures of treason with no basis, claiming that the enemy has been planted in the city for far too long. Clyde was losing his life as Abigail stood powerless, Carvo had felt his heart die a second time and the pure vision he had of Abigail was slowly dissolving out of his memory. All these events occurred as the fullmoon was only three days away, will the city be strong enough for the upcoming attack?
