NEPHLEM

CHAPTER FIVE

They carried on looking at me — waiting for me to say something. But I have no excuse to give them. Unless you count me trying to get information as an excuse.

“Mubanga, we don’t have all morning, for all we know, they are making their move with the ring. And the more time we take here, the more time they have to put their plan into motion. So, we need you to tell us why they hell you were at abundant angel church last night?” Roland asked.

I wonder how they even found out about me been there. I made sure no one saw me. How did father manage to spot me?

“After what you told me, I couldn’t wait for any longer. I just had to pay them a visit. And you can’t believe what I found there,” I spoke, looking from Roland to father Michael. But they didn’t have the expressions I was expecting them to have. “They are thinking we are involved in the killings. And the pastor is telling people that,” I added.

Roland sighed beside me, “we already know he held late night meetings. And we know about him blaming us for the whole thing that has been happening. So, you should have just waited for me. But you went alone, and you were almost caught,” he eyed me.

I just looked away, “how do you know about that?” I looked back at him.

“Because we don’t trust you that much when it comes to people talking bad about you. So, I knew you were going to make a move despite me telling you not to, that is why I followed you,” he said with a smile on his face. “I know you better than you think, Mubanga. Now for the love of God, we have other things that we need to attend to, leave the church thing aside for now.” He stood up.

“I will try to find out more about the church. You two take care of the vampires and the ring of the damned. Because that is the root of all this,” father spoke as he drunk the remaining of his tea.

“Just be careful. Don’t do anything in anger. You need to master your anger or that will be the thing that kills you one day,” Roland spoke and vanished out of sight.

“You need to be listening to him. He knows better than you do. He has been working in this department for a longer period than you do. So, please listen when he tells you to do something,” Father spoke as he walked to his table.

I just sighed and vanished out of sight myself.

A second from the other, I appeared at some kind of a castle. It looked odd, everything about it looked old, even though they kept it clean. That they made sure of.

There was a tall wall fence that would take about five people of my size to reach the top and the black gate which had a man with his fins out was even taller. At the gate stood two men with black suits and sunglasses. Then, to keep their heads from exploding, they had umbrellas.

I stood at a distant bush about ten feet far from them. They paced about the place, making sure no one enters their layer.

But they stole what almost killed them the night we took the ring from them. But this time I will have no mercy, I will make sure they never repeat stealing the damn ring ever again.

I shadow walked and appeared between them. Punched the one to my right and then threw a fireball at the one to my left. They both screamed in agony as they burned to nothingness. I’m sure the ones inside even heard their friend’s cry.

I took the umbrella and pushed open the gate – surprisingly; it wasn’t as heavy as it looked. Cheap bastards. They couldn’t even afford a gate that will assure them safety.

People were standing in the corridors of the castle, looking at me with more anger in their eyes. Their fins were out. I just smiled as I walked closer to them. 

“What do you want, wizard? I thought our business ended the night you took the ring,” the man that stood to my right spoke.

I turned and found the right-hand man of Sunny standing with his umbrella in his hands. “Well, not until you bastards thought it best to take the ring back again. Using your allies to fool us,” I spoke as I began walking to him. “I will ask you this once, where the hell is the ring? Tell me or I will be holding your umbrella next,” I threw the umbrella I was holding.

“What the hell are you talking about, man? We do not know where the ring is. Wait, did you guys lose it?” he spoke and walked to me. “Please tell me you are joking because we told you that we are just protecting the ring, but you and your mentor were too stupid enough not to understand us,” he spoke.

I looked at him if I can get something from his, face then what he just said. I mean, if he was telling the truth about them not having the ring, then we have more enemies of the ring than them. But he mentioned something about them keeping the ring safe. Was that the truth? Did we misjudge them?

Were the people that wanted to use the ring for the wrong reasons for the shapeshifters? But why should I listen to them? They might as well be lying to me.

I called to my wizard powers, and an orb appeared in my hand, “where the hell is the ring of the damned? Do I have to use force like last time or you will spare your people the trouble of going through burning process?” I spoke.

There was silence as he walked to me, “I’m telling you, Mubanga, we do not know where the ring is. Sunny told you that we were just keeping the ring from the wrong hands. But you guys didn’t believe us like most people don’t believe vampires. Blood suckers they call us. And just because we have the ability to control someone’s thinking,” he spoke.

“And you blame us for not believing in you?”

“No. but those people are long gone. We just want to leave peacefully with no fights. But you messed up things now. Those people will stop at nothing until they get what they want. They have the ring and now they will make their leader a stygian dragon,” he spoke, and I spotted fear in his eyes.

Could he be telling the truth? Was it possible that they were only keeping the ring safe and that we are the ones that messed things up because we didn’t listen to them?

Then this is bad. For all of us involved.