Chapter 2: An Old Friend
Lord Reggar slammed his hands hard on the table. Nagtalsikan ang mga baso at bote ng alak na nakapatong doon. Nagkaroon din ng lamat ang lamesa. Naramdaman kong may tumalsik na alak sa mukha ko kaya pinunasan ko ito.
"You need to calm down, Lord Reggar. Holy crap!" nakangiwing pinagmasdan ni Lady Mystique ang tumalsik na alak sa kanyang puting damit.
"Alam mo ba kung ano ang ginawa mo dahil sa pagtatago sa amin nito?" nangangalaiti pa ring tanong ni Lord Reggar. His eyes flickered crimson red, hinting the intense feeling of disappointment in me. "You just put this clan in grave danger, Lord Oscar."
I've always known Lord Reggar as a silent but effective Senior, but he slowly changed ever since my father passed away. Ang dating walang kibong lalaki ay madalas mamuna ng pagkakamali. No matter how hard I worked, I was never able to win his approval. Over time, I gave up even trying.
"Please, calm down, milord." Inakbayan ni Lord Wenson si Lord Reggar para ibalik sa pagkakaupo. "Walang mangyayari kung mag sisigawan tayo rito. We are here to talk about our problem."
Tanging si Lord Wenson lang ang Senior na tila hindi nagbago ang pakikitungo sa akin. He always tries to lift me up whenever I am feeling down.
"The leader doesn't have faith in us. That's the problem," sabi naman ni Lord Varnes na katulad ni Lady Mystique ay bagong myembro pa lang.
The Four Seniours had already spoken, but I was yet to utter a word. They might have different ways of approaching me, but I knew they all shared the same sentiment. They don't want me to be their leader.
It's been almost a decade since I became the leader, but I've never really felt like I was in command. Particularly in presence of The Seniors. Parang isa pa rin akong paslit na walang alam sa mga bagay-bagay.
Kinapa ko ang alak sa harapan ko ngunit maging ito pala ang ay nahulog sa sahig dahil sa pagkalampag ni Lord Reggar sa lamesa. I wonder if he even once raised his voice in front of my father? Just like what he always does to me.
"I will be back. Magpapalit lang ako ng damit," sabi ni Lady Mystique. Inikutan niya pa ng mga mata si Lord Reggar bago lumabas ng assembly room.
"Speak up," hamon ni Lord Reggar. Nagpakawala siya ng buntonghininga. "Why didn't you tell us, milord? Bakit hindi mo sinabi ang mga nalalaman mo tungkol sa Caligo Clan?"
"The reason why I didn't tell you right away is that I still lack information. Why would I conclude something without fact-checking it first?" I said calmly.
Lord Reggar just stared at me intently. I remember how I used to be scared of him when I was still a kid. He was the most intimidating Senior next to my father. Even now that I am the leader, he still manages to shake me somehow.
"I understand," said Lord Wenson. "Sana lang ay hindi na maulit ito. You can tell us everything, Lord Oscar. You don't have to be right all the time. That's our purpose. To help you lead."
"I'm still disappointed," ani Lord Reggar. "I still feel that you never intended to tell us about this, if not solely because of what took place last night. You will never trust us, will you?"
I wanted to ask that same question. They will never acknowledge me, will they?
Lord Varnes cleared his throat. "What should we do now? Kung pinaslang ni Brixton ang pangkat at pamilya ni Lord Caezar ng Caligo Clan, ibig lang sabihin na ipaghihiganti niya ang mga ito."
"Exactly. But the bad news is that Caligo Clan is not a small clan anymore. Hindi natin sila puwedeng buwagin nang gano'n na lang. We need to come up with a solid plan immediately," desididong sabi ni Lord Wenson. "They are a threat."
