Chapter 3: The Prisoner
Witches are humans who engage in the practice of witchcraft. They are humans but far from normal ones. Not everyone can manipulate dark energy and summon it to reality. It's not genetically inherited, either. They are chosen.
Witchcraft can be performed in different ways. That's what makes them hazardous. You will never know when they are planning to attack. You will just know when it already happens to you.
They may be one of the most powerful beings, but that also poses a great danger to themselves. One wrong spell. One wrong whisper. One error. It can bounce back to them and kill them instantly.
They are somehow fascinating, except it takes enormous energy for them to take down a vampire. That also means they cannot just wield their power over us anytime they want.
Kung gano'n ay hindi nga magandang ideya na basta na lang kaming pumasok sa Caligo Clan. Even though I don't know very much about that woman, I do know that she will keep an eye on me from a distance. If this peace talk didn't end well, they would most likely use her ability against us.
The following day, I sent a letter to Lord Caezar Bolido of the Caligo Clan. Bago ring lumubog ang araw ay nakasagot sila sa akin. That letter confirmed two things. The first is that they are willing to let us in. The second is that they are confident in their force if ever we have a hidden motive, which is true.
Our main intention for visiting that clan is not for a peace talk at all. We need to have a complete understanding of the power that resides inside that group. The information that we have collected is insufficient. We need to see it ourselves.
Just when I thought everything was going according to plan, Lord Reggar decided to mess it all up. May iba pala siyang plano na hindi sinabi sa amin. He captured a very important member of the Caligo Clan.
Kumuyom ang mga kamao ko habang nakatingin sa isang babae sa likod ng rehas. May mga pasa ito sa katawan at mahinang humihikbi. Nakaupo siya at nakayuko sa kanyang mga tuhod.
"W-why did you do this?" Hinarap ko si Lord Reggar. Masidhi pa rin ang pagkakapula ng kanyang mga mata kaya alam kong siya mismo ang gumawa nitong paghuli at hindi niya pinautos sa iba. "This is not part of our plan!"
"There are no concrete plans, milord." Bumalik sa dating kulay ang kanyang mga mata. Saka siya ngumiti na parang nang-aasar. "If anything, this is the best one yet."
"No." I shook my head. "You have only made them more agitated."
"I don't think so..." Lumapit siya sa rehas saka hinawakan ang mga bakal. "This woman is not a vampire. She almost got me. She is a witch."
Napalunok ako. Shit.
"Did you hear me?" he turned his head on me. "I managed to capture their witch. Hindi na nila ito magagamit laban sa atin ngayon."
"What the hell is this?" Pumasok din bigla si Lord Wenson. "They have a witch? You captured it?"
"I love the smell of her blood," Lady Mystique sniffed. Sinubukan niyang itulak ang pinto pero nakakandado ito. "Where's the key?"
"No. Keep your distance from her!" Tinulak ni Lord Reggar palayo sa rehas si Lady Mystique. "We are not going to touch her yet. She will be our source of information from now on."
"This just means there's no more peace talk." Lord Wenson sighed. "This is war."
"There's no peace as long as there's a potential clan that can match us!" madiin na sabi ni Lord Reggar. "Habang hawak natin siya ay hindi makakakilos ang Caligo Clan. But they will try to reclaim her. We won't let them take her back."
