Chapter Thirty Three: (Pawn)

Chapter: 33 (pawn)

 

 

            We all stared at the emblem for a few moments without saying anything. How could this be? Why would our parents have us come here to safety when there was a wounded Guild member? None of this made any sense and I was beginning to become increasingly worried. Nothing was going as I had thought it would.

            “He is a member of the Guild?” Addison asked incredulously as he looked up to Nicholas and Jackson for answers. As soon as Addison finished his sentence the man on the table began to scream and push himself up from the table.

            “Don’t let them get me!” He screamed in a pleading voice as he stared at us with wild eyes. He threw the sheet off the bed and tried to sit up completely. He was too weak and his muscles were straining under his weight. His arm shook as he desperately tried to get up.

            “They are monsters!” He spat out in our direction. Red droplets began to find their way out of his throat again. I was afraid that he was going to begin choking again and took a few steps in his direction before Jackson grabbed me by the elbow to hold me back.

            “Don’t,” He warned. “He is delusional and may not be safe.” His face was drawn tight and I noticed that there were dark circles under his eyes. I never thought about how this entire situation would have affected him just as much as Addison and I.

            “They kill their own brothers and sisters!” The man shrieked again as he began to wrestle with the other leather cuff around his wrist. The spikes that were studded around his ankles had begun to cut deeply into his skin. Blood had begun to run down his legs in thin web like patterns.

            “He is going to hurt himself!” I yelled, unable to sit by and watch this man torture himself any longer.” Do something!” I begged.

             Jackson and Nicholas sprang forward and wrestled the man back to the bed, each pinning down a shoulder. The man was to weak to struggle against them for very long.

            After a few moments he calmed down and looked up to Jackson and then over at Nicholas. His face contorted into a look of fear and hatred.

            “I know who you are young Hunter.” He growled into Nick’s face. “You are just like them. Cold and heartless and willing to do whatever you can to keep the Essence Stones in your power.”

            “We protect the stones.” Nicholas countered. “We do whatever in our power to protect them from people like Zavion. People who will abuse their power.” He spoke with raw emotions. He believed in everything the Guild stood for, that much was obvious.

            “What makes you any different then Zavion, Heir to the stone?” The man spoke clearly. The fear dissolving from his eyes completely. He held his head as straight as he could with the boys holding him down.

            “You keep the stones and use their powers do you not?” he asked. “You and your kind are the only ones who are allowed to hold their power in your hands.” He spoke as he stared deeply at Nicholas.

            “What makes you so much more worthy of that gift?” he questioned intensely before turning his head and chuckling. “Besides your blood.” The man smiled, teeth stained red. Nick stood frozen under his unwavering words.

            “You are right.” Nick said simply before letting his hands drop from the man’s shoulder. He took a step back and looked at the floor is silence.

            The man’s speech had drained him of his precious energy and he gave a ragged cough before looking back up to Nick with watery eyes.

            “You may have more of your father in you then you think young hunter.” He spoke softly. “He would be proud of you.”

            He spoke in almost a whisper, but the words he had uttered raged a war inside of Nicholas. His eyes snapped open and he stood stiffly in front of the man with his fist in tight balls at his sides.

            “How do you know my father?” Nick demanded. “How do you know if he would be proud?” His voice rang out in the room. The man looked away then and began to laugh. His throat rattling with a thick wetness.

            “Tell me you b*****d!” Nick shouted as he grabbed the man by his shoulders and shook him. The man’s thin frame seemed to almost rattle like a skeleton.

            “Stop Nick!” I shouted as I came up behind him, grabbed a hold of his arms, and tried to dislodge them from the man. Nick did not even notice me there. He kept his vice like hold on the man and demanded again.

            “Why would you say that?” His voice rose in pitch as he became more desperate. This only caused the man to laugh harder. As he laughed, red bubbles were beginning to form at the corners of his mouth. His laugh was becoming thick and choked as the blood began to openly pool out of his throat and mouth.

            “Tell me!” Nicholas shrieked as he shook the man harder causing blood to fly up in the air landing across nick’s shirt and arms.

            “Stop him!” I shouted towards Addison and Jackson, “Do something!” After what seemed like an eternity both of the boys jumped into action and grabbed Nick while dragging him backwards. This seemed to snap Nick out of his furry and he collapsed into the black floor in a heap. He was breathing hard and had a lost look on his face.

            I immediately went to the man and pulled him straight onto the table. During the confrontation, he seemed to have slid down. There were fresh bruises on top of the older bruises on his shoulder. Blood was pooling around his mouth now and his breath was coming in small gasps. He was still smiling and laughing the best that he possible could. I felt fresh tears lick down my cheeks. As I watched the man, whom I never even asked for his name, closed his eyes and let his chest fall to never rise again.

            “Help!” I shouted over to Jackson and Addison who was still holding onto Nicholas.

            “Help him!” I shouted in their direction. My voice cracking as sobs overtook my body.

            “Do something, please.” I moaned as I crumpled onto myself. My head laid down on the table beside the man’s hand. I grabbed a hold and squeezed his fingers under my own. They did not squeeze back. I felt hands on my shoulders and looked up to see Addison looking down on me with tired sad eyes.

            “He’s gone Maddy. There isn’t any thing we can do for him now.” He drew me away from the table and into his arms. I let myself be wrapped into his arms and felt my tears soaking into his shirt.

             This wasn’t fair!  My mind screamed. I have never known anyone who had died before and now tonight I had to watch a man die right in front of me? This was supposed to be a good night. We were supposed to go home today!

            I stood there and let everything drain out while Addison just held me close in silence. Over his shoulder, I saw Nicholas still sitting on the floor staring with blank eyes.  Behind me, I heard Jackson covering the body with the old, now blood stained sheet.