The city was undergoing massive changes. Some leaders were laid to rest after the last battle that wounded the protector legions terribly, leaving dozens of corpses painting the white world with red.
Black ravens swayed over the city, drunk with the beloved ones' blood as the funerals were coming out of each house, Sir Dunken Helli, the new appointed leader of the protector legions, had scattered dozens of soldiers on the lookout of the Mooncaller hiding in the city.
Obvious panic between residents kept the soldiers on their toes, but, in a certain house at the borders between the city and the Mooncallers, a door was knocked once, twice and thrice, with no answer.
"This isn't good" Muttered the strategist division leader, Andrew Lee. He had three soldiers by his side, eyes swollen and lips dehydrated as if they hadn't eaten or slept in a decade. They had no swords, nothing but a gun in their waist belts. They weren't trained to fight, they were only trained to plan battles and dig tunnels and escape routes.
"Henry, for god's sake, I know you're inside, open the door!!" Shouted Andrew as he violently knocked on the door. Andrew was an early thirties man, he had thick black hair that mostly defined his beauty as well as light hazel eyes that dazzled all the ladies of Boneclad, he was also quite tall and pale. But, he also had a short temper that could makd him jump from being a sane strategist into a mad war machine, which was a downside to his character.
"If you don't open the door, I have the right to tear this house down into pieces, I don't think you'll like that" Andrew calmly whispered as he walked closer to the door, once he sensed a distant breath behind the door, he was sure Henry was losing his mind inside.
"Please..Please don't!!" He trembled behind the door, still refusing to open the door yet showing signs of massive distress.
"Then open the goddamn door!! You surely don't want a Mooncaller knocking on your door next you moron" Shouted Andrew who was at the verge of calling reinforcement and having Henry taken into the station.
"You don't understand, Andrew..T-that thing is..I-its coming for me, I can't do t-that!!" He cried, he was frightened by the thought of opening the door, fearing something only he and Andrew knew. The soldiers can only gaze at the the closed door with their dead eyes drifting somewhere away from Andrew's profound anger.
"You know what, Henry?! You're a fucking pussy, you do shit and hide waiting for others to work things out for you, I'll make sure you're the night's first prey, I'll lead them right to your doorstep" Andrew at last lost his temper, alerting the entirety of the neighborhood who stood watching fearfully with anticipation for what's about to happen.
"Fuck you, Andrew!! You don't get to decide shit, and what's even more important, you're more of a pussy than I'll ever be, do I need to remind you?"
The door swung open and Henry rushed out with his messy blonde hair and baggy eyes swollen with tears, he smelled of booze indicating he was definitely drunk, he swayed back and forth in an attempt to punch Andrew who was struck by Henry's last words.
Within the white sand, observers began to gather around the scene terrified of the outcome. At these crucial times, no one would dare to wish for a fight, every willing man and woman were protected dearly with every cost.
Andrew held Henry's arm steadily, bringing him forward to him. His hazel eyes turned red with anger, his fury drew a beast out of a gentleman, he heard a forbidden topic, and no one can stop him at this point, Henry's eyes grew terrified once he realized the calamity of his action, realizing it was better to hide inside, but it was too late, he knew he was going to be grilled meat.
"I-I didn't m-mean to-" He cried, pulling himself backwards only to find Andrew's grip tightening around his arm as well as his eyes burn with anger.
"You are going to pay for it" Andrew muttered, "But I'll not waste my time on a scumbag like you, an asshole who chose to kill his men over while hiding like a rat, you might be redeemed by the eyes of the society, but you don't fool me, Brother" This time, he whispered, and Henry's eyes were shameful and hurt, he subdued to his brother who quickly escorted him into the carriage with the observes sighing in relief knowing Andrew had contained his anger, the show was over, but for Andrew, it was just getting started.
By the time Henry was setting foot inside the strategy division's midtown unit, Carvo, Abigail and Clyde were all still in the basement. Carvo got a hold of Clyde and started convincing him of how Abigail was not dangerous, but Clyde still haven't broken out of his shock.
"Listen, Clyde, Abigail is my sister! My old sister, remember her?" Carvo said as he let Clyde sit down near to Abigail who in fact, fell asleep.
"O-old?! S-sister?!" Clyde trembled as he starred at her. "Carvo, are you out of your m-mind?" He cried out.
"Sit down, Clyde, let me explain!!" Carvo stress-fully forced Clyde to sit down and brought him a cup of water as he nervously starred at sleeping Abigail.
"We're all going to die..She's-its gonna kill us" Clyde cried in obvious fear.
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"No, look at her! She's harmless, she has the mind of a fifteen year old, can't even remember what happened to her.."
"You m-mean, she w-was asleep the w-whole time?"
"Yes, in a coma, ever since Gabriel kidnapped her and did ..did this awful wrong doing to her body"
"Then..She must be about fifty years old, right?"
"True, but her body no longer ages and her mind has stopped at that black day, Clyde..She's just an innocent young girl with no memories surrounding what happened to her. More importantly, She's my sister, Clyde..My sister" Carvo cried, unable to contain his emotions, he was at last facing his long dead sister, the one he lost decades ago and still till this day mourns her loss.
Conflicted feelings hit both men, Carvo's pain reached Clyde who slowly calmed down and became sympathetic, the two reached and agreement at last. "You don't get to mention anything about this to anyone, not even your pet, alright?"
"Yes..Don't worry about it, bu-"
"You get to see her daily if you want, just to make sure she's no danger. I'll let you observe her progress, so you don't have to worry"
"T-That's fine..by me. But, when the fullmoon comes, what will become of her?"
"I'll think about it. But first, we need to make sure she's not discovered here. We need to dispute any evidence of a Mooncaller being in the city, understood?"
"I can do that!"
"Good..Now, go, before things turn suspicious." Carvo said, tapping on Clyde's back.
"Clyde, I trust you." He continued, looking deep into Clyde's eyes, he was truthfully a pure young man, and although his fright was still present, he became more understanding because of one thing.
Abigail has the eyes of an innocent child.
As Clyde left, Carvo remained close to Abigail, swaying in past memories and cursing the world and its injustice, a pure tear fell onto her bloody sleeping face, the human half that still processed emotions, the ones Carvo doubt she lost.
As the loving siblings were reunited, the hateful ones were igniting a cold war in the office of Sir Dunken. Henry was strapped to a chair as Andrew confronted him in a violent manner.
"Please, Andrew. I ask you to remain calm and let me handle this." Sir Dunken said, Andrew excused himself and went backwards with his eyes burning with anger.
"I- I didn't do anything" Henry cried, genuine fear was present in his swollen eyes, but not even a bit of sympathy touched the two men.
"My reports say that you claimed to see a Mooncaller after the battle. But, for some reason, you refuse to give any insight or information surrounding the creature's location or features, you know this counts as a felony punishable by death?" Sir Dunken calmly said as he sat down facing Henry.
"I didn't see much I swear." He cried once more, begging him to release him.
"No. You did. In fact, you described seeing it in your diary yet avoided any details, this indeed sounds like a conspiracy, and you're no strange to that..Henry Lee, are you trying to spread fear?" Sir Dunken said, tightening his eyes in suspicion.
"Don't call him that" Andrew muttered.
"You've ten seconds to spit it out" Sir Dunken said, signaling Andrew to take out his gun, and so, he did so and pointed it at him.
As the seconds went by, Henry broke down cursing his brother and himself, only to find the gun pressuring harder against his forehead, and at this moment, Henry had no option but to spill out what he saw.
"Fine, fine!!" He cried, "It was an intelligent one, short as if it's a child, I swear I saw nothing behind the veil, nothing but a metallic jaw!! That's all I know..It looked at me..It saw me, I beg of you to protect me" He said, Sir Dunken sighed and hit the table with his fist, "A thinker, that's all we needed!" He muttered, ordering the guards to take him into detention as he kept screaming and shouting, "Please, It'll find me and finish me off, please!!" He cried, begging for protection.
"Keep him in detention till we find it. Make sure to update the information to keep everyone alerted for what we're looking for, a thinker.." Sir Dunken ordered Andrew who quickly granted his wish and went out, feeling distress building up inside of him, thinkers showed huge signs of supernatural intelligence even humans couldn't reach, and so, they can blend easily and prey even without the fullmoon.
As the night veiled the icy city, the iron doors were closed steadily and the streets were under a curfew, no one dared to step foot outside their houses as the protector legions swarmed each corner and alley, on the lookout for one Mooncaller, clearly, Abigail.
As the lamp posts lights grew more dim, in a very small house by the middle of the city, a slow footsteps where heard by the observer owls, they were quickly alerted, but the steps grew faster and faster till it reached the doorsteps, by the time the owls had sent their signals, the vicious hooded being had already entered the house, followed by a loud scream echoing from hell, blood was splattered on the snowy windows and a lifeless corpse lied on the wooden ground.
"That..that tasted, refreshing.." It said in pleasure, devouring the heart in great climax and separating the head off the body, the creature took off the hood only to reveal a mutilated face of a cyborg no less than forty years old, he was eyeless yet possessed incredible vision, the being quickly kissed the severed bloody head of the murdered lady as her blood nourished his insides, he let down the head aside and then lied on the ground with signs of pain, he kept twitching his head and kicking the ground, it became obvious he was transitioning.
Steam and smoke came out of his joints and not even minutes later, he was no longer the mutilated Mooncaller, he was in fact Lady Maria in full, eyes, face, body and every detail.
"You're one hell of a tasty lady" He lustfully said in his new disguise, hurrying up to hide the rest of Maria for later, now, he knew he blended in successfully, and for the first time in ten years, a thinker Mooncaller had fully transitioned into a human behind sight.
Abigail wasn't the only threat Boneclad faced.