Tales of a Shifter (P5) The White Mountain

Chapter 28 - Malice

Chapter 28 - Malice

"Master Hovel!" cried a male voice Brandon had never heard before that both made him flinch in surprise and curiosity. But for a long moment all Brandon could see was a pair of nameless faces turned towards Hovel in adulation and rapt attention.

Finally the two figures disengaged from the outer grouping of white bodies...and with practiced graceful flicks of their wrists two very different looking people came before Hovel and bowed to their knees before him.

Eyes were down cast as though Hovel was the holy sun himself.

Hovel shared a critical eye over the two people at his feet and Brandon followed suit.

One of them was the male. He had dark black eyes. Not haunting and methodical like Jacobs eyes. No theses eyes were hard and very angry. Set deep into a round face, with a short nose and healthy lips, topped with a thick curly mess of black curls. His face was youthful and handsome, possibly early thirties, placing him a few years older than Brandon.

Hmmm....that skin and that face....why do he look strange to me?

Brandon asked himself as a niggling feeling of offense settled in the back of his mind.

Suddenly Hovel bent at the waist and touched the tips of his fingers gently and lovingly beneath the chins of the two kneeling Alchemists breaking Brandon's train of thoughts.

"Rise my Brother and Sister. Lift you gaze and speak to me freely on your feet..." Hovel beseeched with such sweet comeliness in his voice that Brandon nearly gaffed in shock then he stopped and shrugged.

This foul bastered is always being...nice to his underlings I guess....

Brandon thought to himself.

And with a small step back Brandon watched the second Alchemists speak. She was a very small woman of African descent floating around her fortyish year. With big pale green eyes. Skin the color of coffee, and hair cut close to her scalp. She seemed to fill out her robes, but also sink into them. Her small hands were clasped before her waist and the rest of her lower body was covered by bilious white robes.

"My Master we are not in any way trying to undermine your authority but we are not so willing to leave you alone with...that thing. If something were to befall you....." Sister Ann shook her head as if unwilling to speak the rest of her words. "You are vital to the Brotherhood...and as you Second and Third in command..." The woman continued flickering her eyes between herself and Brother Eric. "We feel it would be best if we did not leave your side." The woman, Sister Ann, cut Brandon a dirty look and he had to hold back the desire to make an obscene gesture towards her.

Hovel drew back from the two Alchemists his eyes hooded as he dipped his chin and softly replied. "Your concern for my well-being is misplaced Sister Ann." Hovel murmured softly. "As I have already explained to you all, certain compromises have had to be made, but I do nothing that will endanger our way of life. This boy, this creature, cannot harm me. I need not protection." Hovel glanced between the man and woman.

The man, Brother Eric, went to rebuff Hovels cool words, but before he did, his black eyes glared at Brandon...and with a small jolt Brandon's realized that there were the eyes that had been burning into his back all morning. Angry. Hateful.

"Compromises!? " Eric Hissed, his voice youthful, smooth and strong. "Master we have the two creatures responsible for the deaths of half a dozen of our Brothers and Sisters and what do we do with them? We cloth them? We take away their Wards!?" Eric drew his hands to his side and tempered his lividity. In a calmer voice he continued. "I follow you faithfully, but I and Ann are your Counselors because it is our job to guide your choices." With a step closer Eric reached out and grasped Hovels elbow and shared his gaze