Chương 74: Drayton Senior
"You're kidding, right?" Cain asked Church.
They stood outside in the cold.
Although it wasn't winter yet, Greenland welcomed snow early into fall. As such, Cain and Church stood on the side of the street.
Snow fell around them.
They stood in front of a huge building covered in glass. Through the glass, they could see a sleek interior: a mixture of white marble, black trim, and wood accents.
The stone they stood upon outside of the building was heated so that the snow melted as quickly as it fell.
"No. I'm not kidding." Church responded.
Cain glared at him.
"Why would Leon's dad wanna talk to us?!"
Church shrugged.
"I don't know. To be honest, I didn't even get to talk to him. His secretary called me."
"His secretary?" Cain repeated.
Church nodded.
"I looked her up on Socials, she seems pretty cool."
Church pointed his chin towards the sky. For some reason, he seemed smug.
Then, the doors parted and an aged gentleman greeted the duo.
"Greetings to the Master's guests." He bowed. "If you will."
Cain and Church entered the home.
They removed their shoes at the door and placed their coats upon a rack nearby.
Shortly after, they were led further into the home.
They entered the living room. It was as wide as an auditorium. Adorned with a white couch and black coffee table, the couch rested atop a massive grizzly bear that had been turned to a mundane rug.
Sculptures of glass lined the walls and a lit fireplace crackled underneath a gargantuan television.
Beside the burning fire, Drayton senior sat in a throne of black leather. He wore silk robes, white, and his bare chest burned pink under the heat radiating from the fireplace.
In his hand, he held a glass of whiskey with an orange peel. He sipped the old fashioned before acknowledging his guests.
"Leave us, Martin." Drayton senior said.
"As you wish." The aged gentleman bowed and obliged.
Drayton senior stood from his leather seat.
He wrapped his robes and tied them at his waist.
Then, with his whiskey in hand, he strode past Cain and Church and began walking down his home's hallway.
Cain and Church looked at one another.
'Do we follow him?' Church asked with his eyes.
Cain shrugged.
'What are you asking me for?!' Cain glared.
'This was your idea!' Cain's facial expressions said it all.
Church snickered at Cain's annoyance.
And then…
"With me, gentlemen!" Drayton senior's voice bellowed from the hallway.
Cain and Church met eyes one last time before following Leon's father through his home.
They entered the hallway, which boasted an atmosphere different from the entrance.
Cain walked atop onyx marble.
Blue-light lanterns hung from the ceiling and coated the hallways' exterior. Meanwhile, the walls were made of thick, resilient glass.
On the other side of the glass walls, an indoor aquarium stuffed the space. Hundreds of fish swam around gleefully. The fish were of various sizes and colors and beyond them, a couple of sand sharks ruled their enclosed sea.
Cain and Church quickly caught up with Leon's father.
Upon a closer look, Cain noticed the gold watch around his wrist and the gold chain that hung around his neck.
Drayton senior had a head full of sandy blonde hair with wisps of silver interwoven throughout. Moreover, a single scar ran through his eyebrow, but failed to scratch the sapphire intensity of his royal blue eyes.
"I hear you gentlemen are acquainted with my son." Drayton senior said.
"Leon?" Church replied. "Yeah, we've met."
"A good heart in that boy —" Drayton senior said, "I only wish it pumped more blood to his head every once in a while."
Church forced a laugh.
"Haha well, he's still growing up isn't he?" Church scrambled for words.
Drayton senior stopped. He turned towards the glass wall and stared into the water. Sunken eyes, he watched the fish swim in his aquarium.
"Growing up, huh?" Drayton senior muttered, but then he very quickly re-collected himself.
"Do you know why I summoned you two here?" He asked whilst still looking into the water.
Church looked at Cain. He was hoping Mr. Silent would finally say something, but instead, Cain shook his head.
"Because we're…." Church trailed off.
"Because you're uncontracted." Drayton senior finished for him.
"Uncontracted?" Church repeated.
"Yes, uncontracted." Mr. Drayton sipped from his glass.
"Out of all the people who have returned from the Gate, apart from those who are underage such as Miss Lily Atwool, you two are the only ones left available for purchase."
"Purchase?" Church reiterated, "I'm sorry — hold on a -"
"What about Fey?" Cain suddenly interrupted.
At this, Drayton senior turned around.
For the first time since arriving, he looked at Cain and Church.
Then, Drayton senior smirked.
"It seems you're well-informed. I like that." He took another drink.
"Since returning Miss Fey has started her own business. Naturally, she too was excluded from the list of potential candidates… although I am personally interested in her new venture — it is not the appropriate time for her yet."
"I've also been informed of your little deal with the Secretary-General, but it is my understanding your cooperation is on hold, no?" Drayton senior asked Cain.
Cain met his gaze head-on. Although a mere human, Drayton senior possessed an aura unlike the others. Something about him felt wild.
His eyes seemed… almost ferocious.
"You seem to be well-informed yourself." Cain replied, "I wonder where you got your information?"
"Hahaha!" Suddenly, Drayton senior chuckled. "What can I say? Money talks."
"So what is it that you want?" Church cut back in.
Drayton senior returned his gaze to the fishes.
"My son left four days ago. Apparently you Awakeners can join the summons at the first of each month and my son, lacking enough blood to think straight, thought it a good idea to go."
Cain's eyebrows rose at the sudden news.
'You can get summoned after the fact?' He thought.
Cain glanced at Church to confirm, of which he did.
"Alright, but what are we supposed to do about that?" Church pressed on.
"I want you to bring him back." Drayton senior said with a straight face.
"Bring him… back?" Church mumbled.
"And how are we supposed to do that?" Cain asked.
But Drayton senior shook his head.
"Don't ask me. I haven't a clue."
He looked at Cain.
"But I was informed Mr. Cain here possesses some… how should I say… rather unique Abilities? Perhaps you're able to accomplish something others can not? For a premium, of course."
Drayton senior tipped his glass towards the ceiling. He finished his drink and met eyes with the duo that stood behind him.
"So what do you say? Are you interested?" He asked.
"Well, considering it's impossi-" Church began, but Cain's arm shot up and interrupted him.
"Let's talk pay." Cain said.
Drayton senior smiled. He cast his gaze down the hallway, past Cain and Church.
"Martin!" He shouted.
Within moments, the aged gentleman from before arrived beside Cain and Church.
"Please, take care of our guests." Drayton senior said.
"As you wish." Martin bowed.
***
It was the morning after Teddy and Morgan returned.
Sunlight burst through the infirmary's windows and streaked across the room.
On the receiving end of a particular ray of light, Teddy groaned in his bed. He rolled over and cracked his sealed eyes, only for them to burst open a moment later. Why?
When Teddy opened his eyes, he saw five figures standing at the edge of his bed.
The figures differed greatly in stature, but the gazes of all five of them succinctly narrowed onto Teddy's well-rested form.
Immediately, Teddy exploded out of bed.
"What? What?! What?!!" He panicked.
Then, a beefy hand pressed down on his shoulder, keeping him in place.
"Don't be alarmed, my son —" a deep voice resonated, "we're all here for you."
Teddy's vision cleared.
First, he traced up the arm that grappled him.
He saw a large man, his complexion that of dark chocolate. The black man was hairless, but intricate tattoos covered his arms and chest in addition to doddering scars that ran across his shoulders.
Beside the beefy black man, an old woman with short gray hair. Her hair was unstoppably curly and piercings laid rest in her ears, lips, nose, and eyebrows alike. She had gauges in her earlobes as well, which stretched down past her chin.
Next to her, another woman with a similar complexion although she was much younger, which could be seen reflected in her wild and unceremonious afro that topped her head.
Then, the final two staring at Teddy were familiar faces to the boy: Morgan and Clark who had previously awoken.
"This is Hannibal —" Morgan pointed to the black man, "she's Mama Chi and she's Anitry."
Morgan pointed to the older woman next, then the middle-aged woman last.
"Now tell us, my son. What happened to Sir Isaac and the others?" Hannibal asked, seeming deeply concerned.
Thus, Teddy told them what happened.
He described their venture into the forest and the destination with which they ended. He told them of the abrupt ambush in the bushes and the arrows that succinctly flew in afterward.
He told them about his Ability and what he saw with it, but most importantly, he told them that he and Morgan left before the crescendo.
"I don't know what happened to them…" Teddy clenched his fists. "I… I ran away instead."
Teddy shut his eyes. He turned away from the onlookers as shame flushed his emotions.
But Hannibal grabbed him once more.
"Do not be sorry for being alive, my son." He said.
Teddy's eyes watered.
Then, the infirmary door slammed shut behind them.
All those present guided their gaze towards the door.
"What was that?" Morgan asked.
"The round one is gone." Mama Chi said.
"The round one?" Morgan looked around. "Clark?!"
On the outskirts of camp, Clark sprinted down the grassy hill.
His thighs already burned quite badly.
And he felt tension rising in his chest making it difficult to breathe.
But the tension wasn't from his lack of athleticism.
'Olive!!' His thoughts were scattered.
She was all he could think about and now she was gone.
'I'll save you!' Clark swore to himself as he passed the tree line and disappeared into the forest.
///LostNoteFound///
Hey Hey Howdy!! Thank you moofin, DevilGod_of_Chaos AND
A new name around here!
Thank you SoBreeze1 :D
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TheLostBoy
TheLostBoy I’m going to Mexico next week!!! :D
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