Chapter Twenty Seven: ( Gray)

Chapter: 27 (Gray)

 

            “You think just because you are Cazador’s that you can come into this institution and do as you please?” The man under the hood spat out in our direction.

            “You are just like your parents. Cocky and pretentious. They roamed these halls just as you are now. They thought they could get away with their late night fieldtrips.” he hissed. Nicholas squirmed underneath his iron like grasp as he tried to get away. His fear turning to defiant anger.

            “They always thought that they could do as they please.” A thick jaw framed the man’s lips as they curled down into a frown. I felt Addison tense beside me. I knew that he didn’t like what this man was saying about our parents. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jackson quickly grab a hold of Addison's shoulder. Addison shoulders dropped a few millimeters; just enough for me to know that Jackson's presence was keeping him under control                              “Taunt and use whomever they pleased.” The voice rolled on as if in a far away memory. The man snapped his head up and stared at Addison, The Hood of the robe fell away from his face from the force of the movement. The man who had been behind the hood was not quiet what I had been expecting. His face was soft and pink. At first glance, I thought He might have been just a few years older then the three of us but upon a longer examination, I noticed that he was in his mid forties and not in the best of shape. His chin doubled up upon itself. His cheeks swelled out, red and puffy. The eyes which were merely small dots lost within the dough of his face gleamed with anger and amusement.      

            “Gray.” Nicholas barked back at him. “I should have known you would have been the one to run to the council.” Nicholas spoke as he tried to jerk free of Gray’s Grasp. He didn’t make any headway, his round pink fingers keeping Nicholas’s shirt collar in a vice like grip.

            “Afraid that we might actually have a bit of fun?” Nicholas smirked. His eyes turned icy cold as he spoke. He knew that he had to get away and he was willing to do whatever he had to in order to get Addison and Madison out of this situation.

            “Let me guess.” Nicholas laughed coolly. “You think that by finding us and making us go back to our rooms that Sawaya will finally let you on the council.” Nicholas’s mouth turned up on one side making a crooked grin. He might have looked cool and in control on the outside but he knew that messing with gray wasn’t a smart decision, but this was a decision made out of desperation.

            “You think that finally you will have the recognition you have deserved all these years, Gray?” He asked in Gray’s direction but not really wanting an answer. He was on a roll as he watched the man’s pink face slowly turn purple. He was striking a nerve that obviously, only someone who has lived in the Guild their entire life could know about.

            “You think I don’t know Gray? I pay attention to you. Most people don’t though do they? They do not see the hard work you do for this place. How dedicated you are to the Guild. How you help take care of them and their next generation. You are nothing more then a pet to them Gray.” Nicholas laughed deeply now, smacking his palm against his thigh in mock amusement.

            “And what a group of hooligans we are, aren’t we Gray?” He asked the soft pink man who had began to loosen his grip just slightly. His face contorted in confusion.

            “No one thanks you for all the hard work you do. Preparing meals for us, cleaning up after us, running the council’s errands, No one even tells you what a fantastic job you are doing.” Nicholas’s voice pitched low in sympathy. Addison and I stayed quiet in front of them. We were forgotten for the moment. Nicholas spoke to Gray in a tone that seeped understanding and sympathy. I could see that whatever he was doing was lowering the man’s defenses. Everything that Nicholas was saying was true. Gray’s eyes told the truth in that fact. He hadn’t yelled for the others yet which was good. I thought back to the man that I heard speaking while hiding in the dark depths of the weapons room. I suppressed back a shudder. I did not want to meet that voice anytime soon.

            “You do all these things for the Guild but you never get to do anything meaningful.” Nicholas whispered to Gray.

            “They leave you behind every time they need to go on a mission. You get stuck on the sidelines, forgotten and alone, don’t you Gray?”

            “What makes it even worse;” Nicholas bounced on his heels “is that these people are your peers. You grew up with them, here inside these walls.” He looked over his shoulder into Gray’s eyes. They looked dark and grew troubled as he listened to what Nicholas had to say.

            “Were they any nicer to you back then? Did they ever offer for you to go along when they went to town? Did they ever let you sit with them during breakfast?” Nicholas questioned as if he already knew the answers and Gray didn’t supply any either. He just looked down at the ground in what seemed to be shame.

            “They didn’t, did they?” Nicholas spoke to himself. “You sat alone during your meals reading or pretending to read as you listened to them talk about their classes or about how they were going to sneak out of the Guild that night.” Nicholas spoke softly and reached around to gently rest his hand on Gray’s shoulder.

            “I bet you even finally mustered up all of your courage and asked them if you could go along. And what did they do?” Nicholas’s voice was as soft as the shadows that lined the corridors around us. The voice that rang out around us was the complete opposite of Nicholas’s velvety voice.

            “What are you doing Gray? Grab the other three and bring them to me you useless loaf!” A figure on the opposite end of the long corridor yelled in our direction. We were to far away to tell who it was but obviously, Gray could tell immediately because he flinched under the sharp knife of the man’s voice. I could hear the pounding of the figures footsteps as he began to quickly dash down the hallway in our direction.

            “Don’t just stand there like a fool Gray. Grab them!” He shouted as he approached. Gray stiffened noticeably for a moment before looking down at Nicholas with his jaw rough as stone. He dropped his hand completely from Nicholas’s shirt collar.

            “They laughed at me and told me I would never be fit to become a true Hunter for the Guild.” His eyes danced in the dim lighting. Gray drew a ragged tired breath before speaking.

            “Your mother was the only kind soul in the Guild.” He spoke softly as he gently pushed Nick in our direction.

            “Go, before you get in deeper trouble. Ill hold him off as long as I can.” He spoke hastily before we turned around following Nicholas into the darkness of the Guild. The only sounds we could hear was the hammering of our own footsteps and far away shouts behind us.