Chapter 21 FOLLOW YOUR INSTINCTS.

SUNDAY
If anyone had told me that I would get a second, stranger visit with the higher court, I would have said they were lying. But this time I was merely a subject of examination.
They had peered into my mind countless times with their intrusive mind's-eye. The feeling they gave me was like a great blanket was thrown over your brain, preventing you from communicating with any other part of your body—they said they did it that way so I wouldn't be distracted.
You couldn't move your limbs, see through your eyes or even hear sounds around you, it only lasted about a second in reality though it could feel like hours had passed.
East valley was dubbed that because the main road between the two forest areas was significantly lower than the surrounding trees. It was like a valley at the Eastern side of town.
I was shackled down to a chair while the higher court did their evaluation. Each time the stopped I felt like I had been ripped out and then harshly thrown back into my body. It wasn't like this when Jhan did it so wondered why theirs had to feel this way.
I huffed out an exhausted breath.
"That's enough," Jhan said at last.
"One more..." The woman said and I felt the fog start to grow inside my mind until I was thrown back into the scene of the wolves. I could see the woman. She was standing right between my blood form and the pitch black creature.
She walked around in my thoughts so freely, examining the creatures to the very last details. Little did she know that entering my mind like this to specific memories also brought back the fright and dread I felt at that time, and placed it back into me. She stopped.
My head fell forward again and I drew in large breaths. My arm had grown back to the half of the forearm and the growth seemed to happen faster when I was asleep.
"Okay we are done here," She said. An adjudicator—the one who gave me a good beating before—unlocked the shackles and I stood up, fatigued.
"There has been multiple sightings over the past month of these creatures but non as clear as your encounter Kaldar," She said at last.
"So the legends—all of them," I said.
"Indeed, we have to come to a conclusion that all the legends are in fact not myths. The tales of another alpha creature is real. The Lupine humans are as solid as we are, intelligent, sentient and powerful," She said the last word with force.
"For now I advise that you lay low and keep this between us," The woman at the extreme right said. I had never heard her talk, I didn't think she could.
"Thank you," Jhan said.
The vast room was empty, it made me wonder if they sat on that high podium every day, facing an empty room. We got out of the building and Jhan supported me to the minivan.
Jhan drove rather fast and in no time we were pulling up at the garage. I peered out of the window to spot the mysterious man. He wasn't seated on his bench as usual. I wondered where he had gone to.
I got into the house and plodded up the stairs. Tia wasn't in view and so was Jereum.
"Kaldar?" Jhan said.
He standing on the first step.
I raised a tired brow.
"We are moving to a temporary location," He said, "we leave when it's dark. I'm sorry I didn't tell you this earlier I did not want to add to your mental burden at that time when you were most weak. There will be no need to pack anything, I have made the necessary arrangements just get some rest and we'll leave at dark." He looked sorry for me, no, Jhan had always treated me in a kind of fatherly manner.
"It's okay, Tia had told me."
He looked at me for a little while.
"Kaldar? Why did you still go to East valley?" He asked, but he didn't sound angry, in fact, he sounded curious.
"I wanted to see the environment, the possibility of another powerful creature apart from us got my curious. I'm sorry I disobeyed your instructions Jhan, it won't happen again."
"Well, since you have already received you're fair punishment." And he looked at my incomplete arm.
"The decisions I make are only for your own safety Kaldar, till today the higher court have not been certain of the existence off these Lupine, until you almost got yourself killed."
"I know."
"Nonetheless, you have contributed very important information to us, to all vampires. Information that could help in our survival."
And I felt proud, the story of my encounter will certainly be recorded and put in that library. The story of my brave, heroic encounter with the Lobo.
"You should rest," He said, tired and desperate to sleep, I nodded and plodded to my attic-room. I got in, lay down and I was easily taken away by sleep.
'Kaldar...'
'Kaldar...'
I heard the voice over and over again in my sleep.
'KALDARRRR!!!'
I gasped and woke up. My heartbeat fast. It was dark outside now. I looked at my left arm, it had almost recovered to the wrist.
"Wh-what..." I said, fuzzed up.
'Kaldar...'
I heard the voice again and wasn't even asleep. I looked around my dark room but I could still see quite well. I was to tired to use my Supreme sight and I knew it wouldn't work even if I tried.
'Your mother Kaldar... I know where to find her. I can help you meet herrrr....'
"Who are you?" I asked nervously.
'Follow your instincts Kaldar... Don't be late, I won't bite you this time...'
"What, Who is this?" I asked again, looking frantically around.
'I'll be waiting for you...'
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!" I shouted and I heard the sound of the door being thrown open.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Tia hurried to my side.
"I heard someone... In my head, I-I—"
"It was just a dream okay, I'm here now," She said.
"But it felt so real I-I... I wasn't even asleep I..."
"It is okay, it's okay." She brushed her thumb lightly, against the skin of my neck. I focused my gaze into hers. She looked at me reassuringly.
"The others are waiting, are you ready?" She asked, and I nodded.
"Okay, let's get going then."
I stood up, feeling much stronger than before, actually able to support myself quite effortlessly.
I put on my jacket, I was getting to like the ripped off arm style. I wasn't sure I even wanted a new one. Jereum had given me five more pairs of black boots. He was mindful to get the ones with straps instead of laces.
I got downstairs and saw Leya standing at the base of the staircase. It was the first time I had seen her in a long time, despite the fact that we lived in the same house.
She looked at me with pity. I got to the parlour, Jereum was sitting on one of the sofas and Jhan was peering out the window.
"Does it still hurt?" Leya asked, concern smudged all over her face.
"It's okay Leya, I'm better now." I gave a weak smile.
"I'm sorry this came abruptly, but after Kaldar and Tia's incident at East valley the higher court—",
"You Abnormals couldn't just do it here, huh?" Jereum said, "You had to go far away and to have—"
"Jereum!" Jhan said firmly. Jereum satisfied himself with low grumbles and grimaces.
But I couldn't let Jhan do that to Jereum especially when I knew he was saying the truth, we wouldn't have had to move if not for me. It was I who made Tia to take me to East valley which led to the beasts and that has led to this.
"No, Jereum is right." Everyone looked at me, perplexed. Even Jereum seemed surprised.
"This is my entire fault, it is all my fault that we have to move." I couldn't believe I was actually justifying Jereum scolds on me.
"I take full blame," I said, "Jereum is right and it is okay if he insults me, or scorns me for it because I deserve it. I deserve it all."
For the first time in a long time I saw a very satisfied looking Jereum. He wore a sly smirk and held his head slightly high. Even Jhan was surprised.
"It's not only you Kaldar," Tia said, "I knew about the dangers of East valley but I still took us there. I am also to blame." She looked away, and I could only imagine how she felt.
"Well, I thank you two for owning up to your actions. But Kaldar if you're hungry you could just—"
"No! Never! I'm not killing anyone," I spat.
"Okay, I wasn't going to say you should kill someone, I was going to say you could just ask. The higher court has people working in hospitals, they help smuggled in blood from the hospitals for us vampires—it saves the time of actually killing people. And with time Tia could continue training you on how to hunt animals properly... Although the blood from the hospitals is more beneficiary."
"Oh, okay," I said weakly.
"Okay, as I was saying, the higher court has deemed this place unsafe for us. Given the fact that you two had had a direct encounter with these creatures; it puts you in a position of attack. They may want to destroy you now that you know about them. So we will be moving south from here," Jhan said, and it dawned on me. Leya had told me, during the first torturous month of my stay in that attic, that the hospital Jhan brought me from was south from here. My heart did a somersault for joy—this could be my chance to get the answers I always needed.
"The area we will be moving to is newly vampire colonized territory. Very few live there and the place we will be going to is highly unpopulated. Also, there are no watchers or survey elites in that area, so I advise that you all stay indoors because of the low security."
I didn't think as well, this was a well coincided opportunity for me.
"Okay, without further ado, let's get going." Jhan headed for the main door. Leya, who was still sobbing silently, followed behind him.
We walked to the streets, waiting for Jhan to pull up with the minivan. I spotted two shadowy figures lolling against the front walls of our house. They must have been placed there to make sure no one is drawn towards the house or raised any suspicions.
As Jhan pulled up the minivan I tried tuning into Supreme vision, but nothing. I sighed in defeat; maybe my encounter with those beasts had mentally scarred and dampened my abilities.
We got on the road and Jhan drove at a steady, moderate speed. Tia would glance at me after every five minutes and she would make an attempt to prevent me from swaying too much at every turn we took. We drove for about ten minutes and I wondered why we couldn't just run there—it would be way faster but the risk of casualty's will be higher.
Glancing at the back of Jhan's head, I remembered what Leya had told me before; he was two hundred and sixty years. I wondered what his story might be, so far I only knew Tia's story. I didn't even fully know mine. Jhan's room was always locked, like he didn't want anyone to go in. As I sat in the minivan, resting my head on Tia's shoulder. I wondered just what secrets he might be concealing behind those doors.