Tales of a Shifter (P5) The White Mountain

Chapter 29 - Yes, Grand Master!

Chapter 29 – Yes, Grand Master!

With the painful vice-like grip of his father wrenching his arm up behind his back, Brandon was forced bent forwards into the room, and because he was struggling to look around, his eyes danced around the interior of the room getting a glimpse of things that had been too hard to see form the hall minutes before.

The room within was as oppressive and empty as Brandon's own room had been. The lone chair and table looked displaced or abandoned. And there was something about the walls and floor that spoke to some kind of wear and tear. The ceiling born odd tearing and burn marks and the opposite side of the white door was dented and misshapen by countless blows.

"What the hell is this room used for..?" Brandon whispered to himself as he was thrown stumbling deeper into the room and Hovel turned and slammed the door shut on the retreating backs of Brother Eric and Sister Ann. The metal hissed closed and the solid clack of a bolt slid home deep inside of the metal. The sound biting into Brandon's ear far too loudly for his own comfort.

Finally Hovel turned, and looked at Brandon. Analyzing him. What did he see?

A vicious monster that had just tried to kill a man in cold blood? Possibly. And Brandon couldn't have cared less. His hunger and his hate had reverted Brandon back to being the fouled tempered angry storm of violence that he had been before he had met the Shifters. With the Leopards he had had to soften his blood lust, but in this place. Around these people. Brandon used it. He indulged in it....because the fear festering beneath the rage was enough to make him void his bowels and crawl into a ball. Brandon would rather be an aggressive abomination capable of killing on a dime, then the broken child still suffering from past trauma.

Unexpectedly Hovel put a hand to his sharp chin, smiled softly and started to speak. "So you attacked one of my men...you tried to feed on him?" The Grand Master stopped, and smiled deeper clenching his teeth. "What do you think happens now boy?"

Brandon swiped at the throbbing area of his face that felt swollen and tender. "You kick me in the face again?" He quipped under his breath, sighing and dropping his hand after probing his tender left ear.

Hovel twisted his thin lips, and tapped at the glasses sliding down the bridge of his pale slim noses. "No." He replied as he adjusted his head to the side. "I'm not going to punish you Brandon. See I'm going to punish the Leopard. It's been nearly two days since we captured you both...and in all that time neither you nor the beast have been fed. Or watered." Brandon felt his gut bottom out with panic as his father spoke. "So....now because of your actions the Leopard will continue to go without food and water...for another day."

Brandon made to march up to his father, shouting. "Wait! He didn't do anything!"

"Make that TWO days!" Hovel bellowed past and over Brandon's argument. The Alchemists eyes burning with savage fury so tangibly that Brandon stuttered to a stop. "And if you say another word....I'll make it THREE DAY'S!"

Alarmed by the promise in his father's words Brandon chooses to calm up. Brandon's knew that the Alchemist didn't care about Ezekiel and would just as sure let him starve for as long as Hovel wanted him to starve. Days. Weeks. And as of right now there was no guarantee that Brandon or Ezekiel were going to find their way to escape. For now Brandon was operating hour by hour, day by day. Waiting for a chance to move....a chance that may never come. Until them....perhaps he had to do all he could to mediate the damage. It was honestly all he could do.?

Silence rode hard and painful on Brandon ears, but he didn't break it.

For a long moment the Grand Master just stood at the door, then he pushed away from it, and to Brandon's surprised Hovel walked over to the table, leaned back on a white corner and spoke to him once more.