Nightclaw: Blood Moon Apex

Chapter 3: Return To Darkveil

The week went by quickly, and Friday finally came. In the early morning, Carla and Dave double-checked the luggage inside their packed car, then drove to the airport and hitched the first available flight that Dave could book; 7:00AM. The ride itself took most of the day—with Carla and Dave having to eat both lunch and dinner on the plane—and by the time they had disembarked, gotten into their rental car, and were en route to Darkveil Manor, it was nearly 8:00PM.

The familiarity of the town struck Carla almost as soon as she and her father entered the city limits. She saw the entrance where Dwayne and the Werewolf Hunters were stationed during her first night as a werewolf, the very same church where she had first met Jet—one of her close werewolf allies—and the Darkveil Cemetery, which served as the final resting place of her grandfather, Alfred Rosenblood.

As the Darkveil Manor came into view—past a set of gates and nestled within a wooded clearing at the end of a long dirt road—Carla was reminded of yet another memory; that fateful night when she had been attacked and bitten by Percy near the clearing's entry point, thus officially being turned into a werewolf. Had it not been for Percy's actions back then, she wouldn't have even been walking on this path today.

Carla leaned forward in her front passenger seat, focusing her eyes and attempting to hone her improved sight. Though it was already decently late into the night, the front garden of the manor was still well-lit through the usage of several tall lamps and bright porch lights. She could make out two figures; Countess Valeria, the manor's usually-aloof guardian, was trimming the rose bushes at the front of the manor, and Esther, the formerly-reclusive scientist, was at work pulling up weeds near her position.

The two manor caretakers soon heard the sound of the Rosenblood rental car's approaching engine, and turned around to see both Dave and Carla Rosenblood pulling into their driveway, promptly waving at the duo happily. The moment Dave parked the car outside the garage on the cement driveway, he and Carla got out and cheerfully headed for Valeria and Esther, with all four of them clearly happy to see each other again. While Carla ran up and hugged Valeria, Dave shared a firm, friendly handshake with Esther.

"It has been quite a while, girl," Valeria said with a proud smile after she split her embrace with Carla. "It is good to see you again; Esther and I hope you have been doing well. We were not informed of your visit in advance; this is quite the pleasant surprise. The two of us shall be happy to show you how much the town has changed since our last adventure."

"Nice to see you again, sir. I owe a lot to your daughter," Esther greeted Dave. "It feels like only yesterday that she helped me regain my lost reputation with the people of Darkveil. Since then, I've become more of an outdoors person; you know, connecting with the town's residents, helping Valeria around the manor, and other things like that."

"I can see that!" Dave reinforced, nodding understandably. "But.....I'm afraid things aren't so great at the moment."

Rather coincidentally, Valeria took a look at everyone in the front yard and realized something that momentarily confused her. "Halt. Where is the boy? The younger Rosenblood? 'Murray', I believe? Were there not three of you in the past?"

An eerie silence fell over both Carla and Dave at Valeria's inquiry, with Valeria raising an eyebrow. ".....Has he stayed behind in America, perhaps?"

"Valeria.....my brother has died," Carla answered, with Dave gesturing towards his daughter to confirm her statement.

Valeria and Esther gasped in shock. "Oh, no....." the countess said quietly.

"This is quite the tragedy," Esther mused. "He seemed so young and full of energy just a few years ago. Maybe if you three had stayed, I could have analyzed his condition. Perhaps even saved him."