Chapter 38 FIGHT OR DIE.

THREE WEEKS LATER. MONDAY
I had been shackled in this dark, moist and mould smelling cell for all I knew could have been up to a week. No one had come and from the looks of things, no one was coming. The only company I had were the two adjudicators that stood outside my prison. I was thrown into this place; the female adjudicator had taken much pleasure in shackling me to the walls. These chains were nothing; I could break out of them as easily as a hot knife through butter.
My feet were cold and bare. They must have taken away my boots. My thoughts drifted to Dawn. I wondered how she had healer so far an what she is thinking at my absence. I deserved what I was getting, the punishment from the higher court, I deserved it. I had caused Dawn to get hurt, almost dead. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if anything should have happened to her life.
I didn't know how long I would be here, and a part of me didn't even care. If staying away from her will keep her safe then I was ready—as much as I was sad—to let her go.
The shackles on my waist were right, too tight. I was shackled to a standing position with locks on my wrists, ankles, waist and chest. The shackles seemed to be a thousand years old as it had rusted at every part.
I thought about the folder that was safely hidden under my bed. I hoped no one will find it. The wolf was probably waiting our next meet—as it had scheduled four days ago—and therefore came across us. Jhan had broken the mind link just before the wolf spoke to me. Good, he would have heard it call my name and from there it would have been easier to find out our little arrangements which I omitted when I told them about my relationship with the wolf.
I heard the rusted metal bars of the cell as someone opened them. The sound of metal boots against ground and then I saw the shadow of an adjudicator on the ground in front of me. I still kept my head low, I knew it was the particular female.
"How does it feel?" She asked. "To be chained up like an animal."
I kept quiet, not even twitching a muscle. My head was pushed up as she grabbed my face with her fingers, squeezing at my jaws.
"I'm gonna enjoy every moment of this," She said, allowing my head to drop back.
I didn't say anymore, didn't do anything. I was ready to take any physical or verbal assault she'll throw at me. She crumpled the shackles that pinned my wrist and ankles and then ripped away the one that held my chest and waist.
I staggered to my balance and I felt her cuff me with heavy metal.
"Let's go."
She pushed me forward and out of the cell, the adjudicators that stood at he cell followed behind her. We passed several cells, some with vampire within but most empty. We turn a left and up a staircase. This entire part of the higher court seemed to have made out of stone.
We climbed higher and higher, passing more floors. We got to the a door which opened from the other side. I stepped into the vast familiar environment. Many clans were here, casting disdainful looks and murmuring to each other. If was dark and gloomy as always, with the high chandeliers being the only source of light.
The adjudicators gripped my neck, leaping into the air and throwing me to the ground on landing on to the podium landing atop the podium. I tumbled and rolled over a few times before stopping.
I made to stand but I felt the blow of her metal boots against the back of my knees. She definitely broke my leg and were on to stumping the back of my shin. I felt the bone snap in multiple places and I grunted in pain falling to my knees before the higher court. The whole room fell silent. I looked at the sharp gazes of the higher court, focusing my gaze to theirs.
The adjudicator stepped towards the end of the podium.
"Great clans of our most powerful society. Our existence as a whole society is being threatened."
There was a low murmur wave but it was over quickly.
"Humans and vampires have coexisted for millennia, side by side one another without even knowing it. This has brought peace to our nation and the same peace to theirs.
"But a powerful threat has arrived, one that would put us to an end."
A more powerful murmur wave spread through the crowd and this time took a bit longer to calm.
"Creatures once thought to be myths, the Lupine human."
There was a loud gasp.
"For most of you who know, these creatures are powerful wolves, they can destroy a vampire with ease. Not even a Supreme can stand in their way, and they pose a threat to the vampire existence..."
She ranted on and I wondered where she must have gotten this from. The wolves hadn't actually killed anyone, my incident with the was a minor mistake. If she kept on like this, she'd brainwash all those clans in no time.
"...they are our enemies and they will stop at nothing to destroy us—"
"Lies..." My voice was just loud enough for everyone to hear.
The adjudicator looked at me with a crooked smile on her face.
"This Supreme, an insolent, arrogant, disrespectful new blood, not even up a year old. He was the one who aided the escape of a valuable asset, a wolf that we would have used to get information about our soon to be attackers. Be has violated laws of higher court and even single handedly attacked this very same building. he is a traitor and shall be met with his due punishment—"
"You just keep on lying." My voice was cracked, and I knew it was because of what I was about to say. This was my chance to bring the truth about these wolves to the light. Everyone was here. Present in this enormous underground hall. I had to make them understand what the true threat that is to befall us, anyway I could.
"The Lupine humans are not what you think they are. I am the only one to have met and interacted with one of these wolves—"
"They must have brainwashed him and have been using him as an insider."
A hubbub was stirring up and I knew that once she got to the minds of the majority, there would be nothing I can do.
"She is wrong, the only enemy is ourselves. The black wolf I so called; aided in escape, is our only hope to survival. I have met with this wolf in the dark of night, interacted, spoken with—"
"But the wolves cannot speak—"
"They speak through thoughts, this wolf is our friend, is my friend, this wolf has given me information about the threats ahead. You have no idea what you face and yet you rant like a stupid child—"
I was caught off by the hard blow of her silver boot against my face. I grunted as I felt the blistering skin and broken facial bones.
"You are as ignorant and insolent as you claim me to be. And the total annihilation if our kind will be on your hands."
"SILENCE?" The adjudicator bellowed.
"No," it was Jhan's voice. " Let him speak unless you fear what he is saying is right."
When Jhan spoke, he spoke with authority. The others respected him and I could see why. He was older than most of them and yet he was still humble, not a tyrant like Dallas. He always stood up for his clan and in the worst case scenarios, he was ready to fight for us. He was a true and responsible leader that deserved the respect he was given.
I continued. "We have more than an enemy now, we have a full war on our heads. A war that we will never be able to win, a war that would kill us as easily as it would be to drain the life out of a human. If we do not join forces with the Lobos we shall be killed."
A loud gasp cane from the crowd below.
"It's either we fight with them, or we die by them."
"And how are you sure about this?" The woman seated behind the long table in the higher court asked. Her face grim.
"I had to trust the life of a member of my clan to the hands of that very same wolf, and if not for that wolf, my clan mate would have died."
"And how are we sure you are not lying? Brainwashed as she claimed." Another one of them said, the bald man.
"Why tell you, when I can show you..."
Jhan landed on the podium and his eyes lighted up and so did the members of the high courts. He carefully replayed the memory to them, erasing Dawn out of it. I went through the night again, but this time without Dawn in it. I saw all the members of the higher court, they stop beside us as we reasoned with the crazed old man.
They saw everything, how we tried reasoning with the man but he wouldn't listen. They heard the woods voice in my head the moments before it attacked the man. But no, not only were the members of the higher court present. I realized that every single vampire in the hall was sharing this event with us, witnessing the power of the wolves as if they were there. Feeling the emotion I felt and the relief when I had daggered the ginger wolf.
Once the reliving was over I heard the loud hubbub of murmuring voices that filled the hall and I saw the mixed looks of surprise and shock on the faces of the higher court.
"If what you have shown us is true, and there is to be a war on our hands. Then we have no time to spare." There eyes lighted up and they spoke together saying, "By order of the higher court you are given three days, three days to bring back useful information that would help our cause if not, you shall be treated as a traitor of deceit."
I nodded, satisfied with the results and also with the fact that they had totally fogot about my second conviction of assault on several adjudicators. I felt Jhan rip apart the chains from my wrists and he helped me to my feet. I looked at the raging look on the adjudicators face as I limped away. She must not have expected the tables to turn around in such a way.
But I knew this wasn't over and I still had other things to explain. I had Dawn to explain about to my clan and now I have to somehow make friends with the Lobos at East valley. And deep down, I hoped that what the black wolf was saying was in deed true.