Daylight was burning on the fourth day, yet neither Luna nor the boys had heard nor seen anything of Logan. Zeke had returned that morning, carrying two boxes of powder over his back with a side-bag full of Logan’s high-caliber ammunition. The hound had been exhausted from the journey and collapsed as soon as Mrs. Wellwater began to comb the brambles from his fiery fur.
Logan’s apprentices all stood atop the wall, staring towards the southeast in hopes they’d see those bumbling hounds, only to see nothing.
A slight drizzle tapped against the overhead platform the village elders had constructed to keep the cannons and the powder dry. Not that Luna complained - if there was one thing she’d had enough of thus far in her life, it was water.
Michael cracked his knuckles and sighed as the last of the sunlight died away, a motion soon followed by Marcel. “He’ll get here. I’m starting to see why he went with the setter, though. I can’t believe he made it to Simbra and back in three days. That’s twice the distance to Marelli - where Logan was going.” Michael’s mutters were more to Luna than to either of his other companions, but it would be Abraham who responded.
“Those hounds were well up in their nineties. Chances are they croaked on the journey - not a bad way to go, but it’d be a shit timing for it.” Marcel chuckled, briefly imagining Logan carrying the beasts on his back and the explosives in either hand.
“Couldn’t he have taken that one?” Luna asked, pointing down at the stables where the other Ghast’s gray bull-hound lay with its black eyes boring into Zeke’s side.
“No, he could not have.” She hadn’t heard that voice many times before, but she’d recognize it anywhere. She kept her gaze trained on the granite outside the wall as the Ghast’s footsteps clanged over the battlement. The boys all turned to see the Ghast’s form act as a screen for the creepin sunlight, darkening his black coat as the light faded.
He had his hands in his pockets and seemed to make a point of displaying the blade at his hip.
“Because that one’s mine.” Having been warned to stay as far away from his attention as possible, she simply nodded and kept the hood drawn low over her head.
“We’ve never been formally introduced, but seeing as you are wearing his clothes, I assume you are close to him. I wonder what the Governor would say if he knew of his golden boy’s harem, but knowing that pompous bastard he’d probably be fine with it as long as it’s him…” He growled at the end of his sentence. She could hear from the boys’ heavy breathing that they were frightened of this man.
“Oh please. You, whore. Fuck off. I’m here to talk to the boys.” She reared her head - the insult had come unexpectedly. Before she’d even had time to react, Abraham had stepped in front of her to stand his ground and demand: “You fuck off! Apologize to Miss Luna - that’s no way to talk t-”
“Shut up.” The voice sounded strange to Luna, but the whine of pain that came with it sounded far worse. She looked up to see Abraham gripping his throat with his back facing her, his white, fresh robes trembling with pain.
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“Leave.” Again, the voice seemed to reverberate inside of her head, yet it did nothing. She stayed there, staring over the wall while concealing her face.
He spat on the battlement and scoffed. “Twice now. Well, he’s trained you good - I was hoping you’d jump off the wall. Very well - stay here. I was coming to ask these boys for their assistance.” He snarkily added.
Michael spoke hesitantly, moving in front of Abe with his arms crossed and his chest puffed out as threateningly as he could. This time, he would not fall victim to the fiend’s voice.
“We’re Logan’s conscripts. You can’t order us around!” He protested, to which the Ghast laughed.
“That’s why I said ask and not order. That big brute of a man wandered off last night and I need him to give me some numbers. I don’t really care where he went, but I need that count. On the last caravan, how many crates were sent towards the Citadel?” There was an audible hesitance across the platform before Marcel questioned: “What do you mean wandered off? Where’d he go?”
The Ghast sounded annoyed with their inconveniencing questions. “He left. He probably went to the north to go deal with this supposed ‘Behemoth’, killing it before the gestation finishes. Imagine - conscripts and already a shame to the Order.” He clicked his tongue and by the sound of his hood, he shook his head.
Marcel continued: “That’s not how it works - Logan said it’ll activate if-”
“This ‘Logan’ is an idiot. If he were a decent Ghast, d’you think he’d be here toying with you children? The only reason I’m here is because the Governor needed someone capable to run this town. He’s apparently only here to play with children and impregnate whatever this thing is.”
Again, he clicked his tongue and turned around for the ladder, leaving Logan’s apprentices to discuss the implications of his message. Marcel and Michael both sprang to Abraham’s side, only to see that he had already recovered from the intrusion into his mind to glare at the departing, black form.
“I hope Logan kills that guy at some point…” Abraham muttered - reminding the twins that the priest had a darker side to him.
“Same. But what was that about Bear? Is it true? Have any of you seen him today?” Luna looked at the three worried boys and shook her head. He was easy to recognize and she could safely say that she hadn’t seen head nor hair of him all day.
Shaking heads revealed that all were in agreement - none of them had seen him.
“I think we should check with Isaac and the rest of them. I can’t imagine he’s gone off to the station, can you?” Michael suggested - seconded by his companions.
“Luna, stay here and we’ll check it out, all right? If Logan comes back, let him know what that guy said, but be careful around him… for some reason, his voice didn’t affect you, but he’s still scary.” Abraham advised her, his hopeful black eyes staring up at her.
“Right. When my shift ends, I’ll head back home - tell me what you find out, all right? Don’t go doing anything stupid without me.” She smiled with as much warmth as she could, battling the uneasiness that the Ghast had brought with him.
“Count on us, Miss Luna.” Marcel grinned and jerked his eyebrow playfully, actually making her giggle. She'd remember that giggle for the days to come...