Declan roared at the crowd of Lupe below him. A thousand men had failed to catch a single teenage boy. It was demeaning to him, and difficult to accept. He had to admit that the boy’s senses were fine tuned. If he had left a moment later there was no doubt in Declan’s mind that the boy would be in his paws now. Unfortunately he could not leave the stage himself. He knew that he could not leave the stage until the countdown is over. It was annoying, but it was something he had to deal with. Luke had been very clear that if he left the stage then the power would disperse and instead of the Lupe--of him--receiving the power, it would all go back to the book, and its owner.
“ALL OF YOU ARE FAILURES,” he roared, before pacing up and down the six platforms. “HE WASN’T EVEN HEAVEN RANKED. HE WAS A SAINT”. Spittle covered the faces of the Heaven ranked Lupes who desperately tried to abate their leader’s anger, but still he raged. “HOW ARE YOU ALL SUCH WORTHLESS WASTES OF FLESH? If that boy manages to get word back to the clans and they see whatever we’re cooking up here then heads will roll!” Stopping, he began to take in deep breaths. His paws scrunched against his thighs, claws digging into his flesh to stop the rage building within him. He needed to be clear-headed for this rather than the misty clouds that filled his mind the rest of the time. It was something unnatural, but he could not place when it had come over him.
“It’s nothing to worry about,” Luke said behind him, snapping him out of his reverie. “While the boy is certainly an issue, he’s not an issue for the reason you think. I would very much suggest that you do not put the boy under unnecessary strain. He’s in an interesting situation and I would prefer it if we could avoid accidentally making the boy stronger than we can deal with right now”.
“What are you talking about, master? He’s just a boy. A Saint, at that”. This was the first time that he had ever seen Luke take care with any single act. Yes he was meticulous with his choices but he never showed caution around people. “Do you know him?”
“Yes, I do. The boy has a Destiny about him that is quite interesting”. Luke walked to the edge of the platform and looked out into the valley. “If you do come across him, just avoid him or kill him quickly. You’ll regret it otherwise”.
There was something in Luke’s voice that Declan did not like at all. He was not sure if it was fear or resignation, but he knew that there was a lot that he was not being told. Luke had far too many schemes going on for his tastes. It felt like a sign of poor time management, like Luke was rushing to do too many things.
“Well what now? We have the seal open and the timer is counting down. What else do we have to do in order to secure the Lupe’s place in the tower? What else is there to do?”
“There’s a lot left to do. You can still get in contact with your brother correct?
“Of course”. Tony was at Declan’s beck and call. He had been for years. “My brother is the most loyal of dogs”.
“Good, well after we’re done here, I am going to need to go to the Aria Grande on the fifteenth floor. If your brother would meet me there, I would be most appreciative”.
Declan smiled, and nodded willingly. “Of course, your wish is my obligation”. He turned, about to contact Tony when he realised how subservient he had been. It was so unlike him, he was a proud member of the Lupe! He was a soldier in an army that had no equal, that had been trained to fight for decades all for one cause and now he was reaching it. He could not fathom why he was being so subservient.
“Declan,” he heard behind him. “Just get in contact with Tony. It’ll do us all good”. A wave of relief washed over him as he began composing the message he would send his brother. He knew why he served Luke, it was to bring his clan to the next stage of power, to compete with the great clans at a minimum. It was to bring the power of the morninglight into his hands. Into his master’s hands.
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