Upon reaching the house, the logical course of action was to call out to the vams. Ella knew that only her father would respond. Jason repeatedly called out for the vams to reveal themselves, but only silence greeted his words. Desperate, Ella cried out to her father, hoping for a response, yet silence persisted.
Frustrated, Jason, consumed by fury, declared that he would enter the house. Ignoring the warnings of the other wolves, he stormed inside. A minute later, he returned with a chilling declaration: "There's no one in the house," he announced. The rest of the group was incredulous, demanding an explanation.
"It's a ghost house," Jason replied, leaving them all bewildered by the inexplicable turn of events.
After Jason's startling discovery, all the wolves entered the house, leaving everyone, including Ella, in a state of confusion. What Jason had said was indeed true - there were no signs of life in the house. The wolves were agitated, and William vocalized his frustration, directing a question at Ella: "Did you not say this was the hideout of the Vams?" "Yes, this was our home," she quickly replied, realizing that any display of doubt could prove fatal at this point.
Even William, who typically seemed indifferent, was now pressing her, exuding an intimidating presence. Sara, who had been silent until now, interjected, "It was your home! A home for you or the burial ground you wanted to die at?" Ella could sense the lethal intent in Sara's tone and demeanor. How long had Sara waited for this moment, only for Jason to disrupt it once again? "Wait, all of you, I found something," Jason announced.
As Jason scanned the area, he noticed a specific clue - the scent of Vams was pervasive, but not just any Vams, they were Vamsages. These were ancient and powerful Vamsages. From the various scents he detected, it was evident that a confrontation had taken place before their arrival.
The Vam they had left to die, Badu, was part of it. "What did you find?" William inquired as he walked closer to Jason, leaving the others watching. "A fight happened here," Jason explained. "Are you saying a group of wolves got here before us?" William asked again. "No, it was Vamsages. They fought each other; one wielded a knife and blood was spilled."
As Jason pieced together the clues and recounted the events, Ella began to make sense of what had transpired.
A DAY BEFORE THEIR ARRIVAL...
Zonik, Ella's father, was relaxing on his throne, anticipating the arrival of the wolves. As he sipped his wine, he heard the sound of his gates breaking. Expecting an army of wolves, he was instead confronted by the sight of his own son wielding a blade, his shirt soaked in blood.
Behind him stood a league of Vamsages. His son's eyes glowed red, a sign of a Vam who had consumed blood for the first time. Without a word, his son lunged at him. Zonik, much stronger and faster, attempted to disarm him, leading to a prolonged struggle. As they both leaped into the air, Jason lost their scents, and the subsequent events remained a mystery.Ella couldn't bear the uncertainty; she yearned to uncover the full truth of what had occurred before their arrival.
Ella was overwhelmed with the fear and anguish of not knowing the outcome of her father and brother's confrontation. The thought of her brother potentially harming her father, or her father retaliating, was unbearable. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she struggled to contain her emotions. It felt as though the world around her had frozen, and she was being consumed by a void of sorrow, causing everything else to fade into insignificance.
From a distance, Jason observed Ella, struck by the sight of her desolation. He felt an unfamiliar pang in his heart, urging him to comfort her, but he also understood her need for solitude. Meanwhile, he was preoccupied with Sara and the wolves, who were deliberating their next course of action. Sara, in particular, was keen to steer the conversation toward the Vams.
Sara's demeanor was a mix of happiness and relief. She was pleased that they hadn't encountered any troublesome Vams at the house, as it spared her the physical exertion of dealing with them. Furthermore, the absence of the Vams Ella had mentioned allowed her to cast doubt on the Vam's credibility and integrity, which was particularly reviled by the wolves. This presented an opportunity for her to demand retribution, possibly even the Vam's execution.
The tension and emotional turmoil among the group were palpable, as they grappled with the aftermath of the revelations at the house. Each character was processing their own emotions and considering their next steps in this intricate and uncertain situation.
She successfully steered the conversation to focus on the Vam. "Am I the only one who feels like we've been fooled?" Sara probed. "It's basically an undeniable fact," she added. "There's no deceit on the part of the Vam," Jason interjected firmly.
"Are you defending her?," Sara challenged. All the wolves turned to Jason, making him feel backed into a corner. "I'm saying she had no idea about the events that unfolded before our arrival," he responded. "Oh, come on! Don't tell me you don't know the mischief Vams can play.
They left their scent everywhere and staged a fight to make us think they were in chaos," Sara exclaimed, almost insinuating that Jason was clueless about the real reason for the Vams' conflict. "Wait till the Vam leads us on another crazy road trip where we meet a legion of vamsages who wouldn't think twice about slaughtering us all," Sara concluded.
Jason fell silent, lost in thought. It seemed like Sara was now in charge. Instructing the others to consider her proposals, she then retrieved a new set of chains. Approaching the Vam with a diabolical smile on her face, she declared, "I've waited for this for so long; now no one can save you."
She then turned to Ella, whispering as she chained her, "Death's coming for you soon, since you're no longer of use to us."
The tension was palpable as Sara's actions and words heightened the unease within the group.