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Hotel Emperador

Chapter 6 - Ascended Sun.

By Whitepython.

It was the morning of the day that both demon hunters chose to rescue Jantheno McRue. They were ready to perform the ritual that they had invested their faith and time as the way torescue their leader. All they had to do was to get through this meeting.

Xaduardosat down in the front row of a place that looked like a police briefing room along with his wolf friend Alroc. This room was packed most of the time. But with most of the clan gone, it was available only for the rookies.

It was a well-lit room with white walls. Four lines of modern desks and chairs were placed one next to the other. They only left room for a small hall connected to the entrance on the left.

The front of the room had a small podium and a table which was reserved for the leaders of the clan. There was a small projector at the top which was turned on and beaming towards a white screen at the front of the room.

Both rookies were fully geared for hunting so they could hit the hotel as soon as this meeting was over.

The Raptor was stressed about the success of the rescue mission. He was worried about being captured by the followers of Tenabochi. Or worse, by the demonic operator who roams the cursed hotel.

The saurian tried to remain serene under the uncertainty. But the wolf who was tapping his blunt clawed foot against the floor in a constant rate while he kept a smug on his face and his arms crossed was driving the reptile insane.

"Why on earth can't duster face begin his stupid meetings on time?" Alroc protested in apparent anger.

"Maybe he's picking up the other clan to bring them to the meeting."

"Riiiiiiiiight..." Alroc affirmed with sarcasm after rolling his eyes.

Xaduardo glared at the wolf in frustration. His attitude was getting worse and worse the closer the time approached to execute the ritual. The Raptor knew that he had to remain calm. To keep himself distracted, his mind traveled back a few hours ago. He recalled that ritual he and the wolf practiced all night long with a setup identical to what the lion had prepared in the video. He also remembered that briefing at the back of the coffee shop and the little threat the wolf had sworn to carry on.

But Alroc couldn't be serious, right? He hated Rantego, but he wouldn't take it to the limit to murder him. Isn't it?

That was the moment where Xaduardo noticed that the left side of the tactical vest on Alroc's chest was a bit too bulky.

"D...did you brought your little toy?" the saurian felt afraid to ask the question because he was terrified of hearing a yes.

The lupine turned his yellow eyes to the raptor before dismissing his question with indifference. Xaduardo hated that more than hearing a yes. What could the saurian do now?

However, there was no time for more reactions. The door at the entrance creaked as it was pushed open.

Rantego the Jaybird got all the attention on him, even if he was the shortest anthro in the room.

He exposed his black and purple feathered head as he made his way to the front of the room. The avian wore an outfit similar to what the lion wore in that video. However, this one looked brand new: A bright gray trench coat which he must have bought at one of those fancy clothing stores fordistinguished gentleman.

He carried a business portfolio with himself as dark feathers poked out of the wrist ends of his coat. He also wore some plain gray pants that only allowed his taloned feet to poke out.

"Mister Alroc Cangalo," Rantego broke the silence once he placed his briefcase on the table next to the podium. "What a surprise to see you here. You have skipped so many meetings as of late that I thought you had given up demon hunting and became a full-time coffee barista." The avian opened his briefcase and took out his personal laptop which he wired to a box placed on the table

"I'm here to listen about McRue, not to be lectured by you."

"That sounds so caring coming from you. I thought you were the kind of anthro who only cared about himself." The wolf replied with a growl which the avian dismissed as he kept on speaking:

"I am hoping for Jan's safe return like all of us Mister Cangalo, but you should have been here when he was still among us. I don't understand why he tolerated such things. However, as the temporal leader of this clan, I won't tolerate such lax discipline around here."

"Cut the chase already!" Alroc demanded in disgust with the avian "Where is McRue?"

"You need to mind your manners mister Cangalo. You are talking to the leader of the Clan of the Ascended Sun, and you must be respectful of me before and before your fellow undergraduate."

"The Real leader of this clan is Jantheno McRue!" the wolf barked in anger "You are a mister nobody! Just a..."

"Can't we begin this meeting already?" Xaduardo interrupted the argument, and the room fell in silence. The last thing the raptor wanted was to have a fight that was fated to end with a gunshot.

Rantego dusted his hands off once his personal computer was setup. Then, he moved his short and feathery self to the speaker podium.

"Thank you Xaduardo for being the mature one of the undergraduates."

The wolf released a soft growl which Xaduardo was sure it came mixed with profanity. The reptile decided to focus his attention on his substitute leader who was already speaking:

"As you both know, Jantheno McRue disappeared last Saturday night during an critical investigation at the place known as Hotel Emperador. He and I were working onthis high priority mission by ourselves because the rest of our active clan was programmed to aid the situation at Viru.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't be of much help myself in the long run. I had to part ways with him to render remoteassistance to the Viru group. I also took over the small responsibilities related to managing this clan. This allowed Jantheno to place his undivided attention to the mission.

"After his disappearance, I followed all the established protocols. The police were alerted once it was more than clear that he went missing. Jantheno or no Jantheno I have had to continue on rendering assistance to our members in Viru. At the same time, I have to keep this clan on running while also I have been trying to get help from another clan to sort out this delicate situation."

After those words, Rantego looked at the reptile and the canine with a grin of satisfaction and pride before he resumed to speak.

"Thanks to my efforts, our members from Viru are expected to return Saturday night at the latest. Also, I found a demon hunting clan willing aid us. 'The Crew of the Ghost Soldiers' will be cooperating with us in finding Jan."

As soon as the avian released the name of the clan, Xaduardo spotted a wide grin plastered on the snout of the wolf. The canine had obtained the prey he came here to hunt for.

"The Ghost Soldiers will be opening a sideinvestigation on their own in 48 hours or less. We will be starting our own side of the investigation on Monday morning once the rest of the clan is well rested and prepared. That should be more than enough to find Jantheno and close the Emperador case."

"And what are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Alroc the wolf snapped. "Sit down and chat on meetings?!"

"I'm glad that you asked Mister Cangalo. I have a little investigation for you two to run for me at once. It's going to be easy."

Xaduardo deduced that the avian was going to give them a side case to get them distracted from getting involved at Emperador. The Raptor also assumedthat the wolf was going to dump this side case into the trashcan as soon as they walked out through the door.

"This investigation you two need to run for me involves providing feedback on a strange video that was captured last Tuesday night. This doesn't need any background explanation because it will speak for itself as soon as you two watch it."

The avian pressed a button on his laptop, and the white screen behind him displayed his computer desktop with a video ready to be played. Rantego expanded the video to full screen before the video began to play.

The image displayed an office that looked familiar to Xaduardo, but he wasn't sure why. He was sure that he has seen that office with several, old looking books and a cherry oak desk somewhere. Those holy symbols and statues decorating its surface were familiar too. But it was recorded from a perspective the raptor wasn't familiar with.

However, everything was clear when a familiar figure entered the screen. It was the same figure that was sitting down next to him.

Alroc appeared in the video closing the entrance door to that familiar office at a slow pace, as if he were hiding from someone else. The raptor had his mind working at full capacity. After a few seconds, his memory connected all the dots. Everything made sense for the dinosaur.

Alroc was breaking into McRue'soffice.

The wolf moved behind the lion's desk, but it was impossible to see what he was doing. The camera that was recording everything was static at the top of one of the book shelves.

The wolf entered and left the frame of the camera several times. Out of sudden, he came out with a dark plastic bag which he dropped inside of a trash can at the entrance of the office. He took the can out with himself before the scene ended.

Xaduardo couldn't understand what was going on, but Alroc had a lot of explanation to do. The Raptorjust hoped this answers didn't end up with a gunshot.

"What kind of investigation do we have here MisterCangalo? And how do we solve it?" Rantego asked in a mocking spirit. The wolf sat there with the same face he would put if he saw the grim reaper in person.

The room remained in complete silence before Alroc shook his head.

"McRue... he-"

"McRue nothing!" Rantego slammed both taloned hands against the podium in anger. His calmattitude evaporated. "You are nothing but a theft!" Xaduardo was a solid ice statue in the middle of this scene. His tummy was once again twisted in a knot and turned upside down like it has been since he began the Emperor case. His mind was unable to understand if the wolf had stolen from McRue or if the wolf had permission to take those items and everything was a misunderstanding.

"Mister Viennomante phoned me yesterday morning to thank me for sending someone else to take over the Emperador case. He also told me that he wished for another meeting with 'a raptor' to brief him further. I saw myself ashamed to have to explain that I was the new leader of this clan and I had not sent anyone. I told him that the Ghost Soldiers were going to take the case in the meantime and I explained to him that I had two rogue members on my clan. A raptor and a wolf. I told him to keep his security up and to not to give any of you two access to his hotel.

"After that, I checked the security cameras, and I saw nothing suspicious, but I noticed that Jan's logbook was missing from his office. That's when I checked the hidden camera and found out about this little scheme."

The avian dug his eyes on the raptor as if he was ready to scold the reptile. Xaduardo felt so ashamed and afraid. He turned his eyes away in guilt.

"This is all your fault!" Alroc protested with energy before standing up and jabbing a finger at the jaybird. "You are a useless,good for nothing piece of shit who couldn't backup McRue for a night and you wouldn't allow me to do it either!"

Xaduardo could see the insult throwing the avian back. But the bird recovered after a few seconds to launch his comeback.

"You are one of the worst kind of scum a demon hunter clan can have in its ranks Alroc. You deactivated the security cameras and stole from our leader. That's a direct insult to our clan. You have no right to judge me for my actions when you are the worst of us."

"If you hadn't convinced McRue into not taking me along, I would have never had to steal those documents from his office!"

It was more than clear now that the wolf didn't had permission from McRue to take his items just like he once claimed.

"While it's true that I influenced Jan into his final decision, he was the one who ultimately made the choice to take me instead of you. He is not a seven-year-oldcub who can't decide on his own, Mister Cangalo. It was his choice to follow my advice in the end. If you aren't happy about it talk to him. Or maybe you won't..."

"What?!" Alroc asked in rage.

"With the disappearance of Jantheno McRue I have full authority over this clan. And as the Leader of the Clan of the AscendedSun, I expel you from our ranks, Alroc Cangalo."

The Raptor felt on the verge of fainting after hearing that. His stomach wasn't only knotted. It was already in pain after hearing such things. He was so afraid to be the second one in getting kicked out.

"That's crap!" the wolf protested in rage. "You can't do that! Only McRue can! You are not the real leader of this clan!" The wolf sounded locked in anger, but tears were rolling down his furred face.

"I can do it Alroc, and it's done..." The avian produced a folder with several papers inside of it. He picked up a single sheet at the top of the papers which he placed down. "This is your formal expulsion letter. You are not welcome among us anymore. As soon as Jan resumes with his position as leader of this clan, I am sure he will back me up one hundred percent with this once he watches the video. Stealing from the leader of the clan and refusing to meet up with him before his disappearance are things that can't go unpunished. Or did the clan that your family is running taught you to be disrespectful to the leader of the clan that is hosting you?"

"Don't get my family involved!" The gray wolf demanded. "They have nothing to do with this... You know what? I'm tired of you. I am not letting you ruin this clan any further!" A pair of deep yellow eyes that projected pure hatred focused on the avian.

Xaduardo saw in time the wolf sliding his right hand into his vest towards the strange bulge that the saurian spotted earlier.

The Raptor knew what that meant.

"Alroc!" Xaduardo stood up as fast as he could to shove the canine hard against the wall by the shoulders. The reptile hissed in anger. Alroc winced in pain after the slam. He shot his fierce yellow eyes to the saurian. The reptile was too upset to bend like he always did. The wolf was forced to leave his vest alone to place his hands on the raptor's chest to push shove back, but the raptor didn't yield.

The Raptor summoned physical strength he didn't knew he had. He pressed the wolf as rough as he could, wanting to cause pain as he squeezed the lupine against the wall. Those clawed fingers gripped those shoulders in rage.

Alroc managed to stretch a hand to grasp the reptile's broad snout and to push him back. The Raptor responded by raising his own right clawed hand to wrap it around the wolf's neck. He rose the lupine above the floor, applying a tremendous pressure over the soft furred body.

Both friends wrestled in cold rage for the control of the situation until the avian left the podium to shove the raptor away. Both rookies panted as they tried to recover. Xaduardo dug his reptilian glare on the canine. The wolf had his tiny ears bent down, and his tail was tucked between his eyes. His once fierce yellow eyes were now painted with fear as he pressed his canine self to the wall.

"What in the name of the God of the holy light are you two doing?" The substitute leader of the clan of the ascended sun demanded an explanation.

Xaduardo was debating to tell his leader about the gun. But he couldn't turn his friend down, not after looking into those canine yellow eyes filled with regret. The thirst for revenge was gone.

"Fighting for this won't solve anything you two!" Rantego scolded his two attendees. Alroc decided to go and take a seat near the entrance, on the opposite side from where the raptor stood.

"You Xaduardo" the avian spoke. "You participated with him all along! You knew that my orders were to stay away from the hotel. On top of everything, you attempted to impersonate a demon hunter before one of our customers when you are an undergraduate. These charges are heavy enough to ensure your expulsion from this clan as well."

The confusion turned into anxiety after hearing such thing. "I... I am sorry for everything I did..." The Raptor explained himself "Just don't kick me please!"

"We will have to talk about it. In the meantime, I will keep this video to myself" Rantego spoke in satisfaction "If I see the need, I could send this evidence to the police. They would be more than happy to get their hands on Alroc Cangalo, the prime suspect in this missing case. I am sure his detention in jail would look great with the management at the coffee shop. And most of all, his family would welcome him into their clan with a pat on the back."

"Are you blackmailing me?" the wolf turned his eyes onto the avian from the chair at the corner he used as a hideout. He looked broken even if he was peeling his canine fangs to the avian.

"I am doing whatever it takes to remain in control of this clan. If you don't obey me, I will see myself in the necessity to inform the police and your family about this video."

"This can't be happening!" The wolf placed his hands over his short and pointy ears before tugging them up and shaking his head in frustration.

"Alroc, I want you back to your apartment in less than thirty minutes. You must send me a picture of yourself at your entrance door. Keep your cell phoneon and running at all times. If you fail to answer my calls, I will have to use the evidence. I don't want to see you until the next meeting on Sunday night to welcome the group from Viru. I don't have anything else to say to you for the time being."

The avian moved to the desktop to unplug his computer and to put everything in his briefcase. Xaduardo turned his eyes to look at Alroc. The raptor didn't want to be kicked out. Being a demon hunter was the only nicething going on in his life.

"And you Xaduardo. Get to Jan's office at once."

The wolf was silent. But his eyes were wide open, Alroc looked tired of crying. He was devastated. The canine had no need to pronounce a word for his face told the Raptor everything he needed to know.

* * * * * * *

The Raptor felt confused.He wasn't sure what made him jump and stop the wolf from shooting Rantego. That wasn't like him at all. The wolf could have pulled his gun out and shoot both. What was he thinking?

Maybe it was sleep deprivation. He slept only 3 hours last night practicing a ritual that he wasn't going to need anymore. His only concern now was to convince the avian to keep him in the clan.

The avian and the raptor faced each other as they sat on the chairs that the lion kept to receiveguest right next to his cherry red desk.

"I am disappointed with you Xaduardo." Rantego spoke, but this time he sounded calm "You were supposed to be the mature one of the rookies. You followed Alroc into a foolish and dangerous thing when I made it more than clear that you two had to stay away from that hotel."

"Alroc told me that McRue was in a huge danger and that we had to rescue him from an alternate dimension."

"Alternate dimension?" the avian looked at the reptile in disbelief "A... are you joking? Forget that idea! Those things are such a rare thing that you can safely rule them out. Your chances of ending up with a case like that are so slim. You are more likely to guess the winning lottery numbers and get struck by both a meteor and lighting at the same time."

Xaduardo remained silent. He felt so foolish for believing in Alroc instead of talking to his superior.

"Do you know what did Alroc took from this office?" The avian inquired.

"No...nothing..." Xaduardo couldn't betray his friend even if he deserved to have his furred ass handled over for everything he did. However, the wolf looked sorry about everything. He was sure that he wounded the wolf with his sharp finger claws in the fight even if he didn't saw any blood. He felt terrible about that.

"What do you mean by nothing?!" Rantego lost his cool once again. "The video was more than clear that he took things from this office."

"Nothing that I'm aware I mean. He never showed me anything of that stuff. He just asked me to distract Viennomante while he did stuff on his own." Xaduardo lied the best he could. His mind became filled with the memories of the lion's hunting logbookand the Alderocobaldrite.

The avian nodded before taking a deep breath and resuming with his interrogation:

"Jantheno is in danger, that's true, but we need to act with a smart plan instead of jumping into reckless stuff. I am worried about him. He's my friend and my leader, but meanwhile he's away you and Alroc must do everything I command. I am doing everything I can to give support to the group in Viru while I handle the crisis here. The last thing I need is you two giving me even more problems to sort out. Or worse, having to hand over your dead bodies to your families after you two were slain by a demonic cult."

Xaduardo winced at the idea. The last thing he wanted was to depart this world and leave his family with the grief he saw on them so many years ago when his grandmother was killed. He also felt terrible for adding more troubles to Rantego. He never considered the avian during all of this.

"Just because you weren't in the video with Alroc and you seem sorry, I am going to give you one last opportunity. This is your punishment for disobeying my orders." Xaduardo felt still sick to his stomach, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as earlier because things have cooled down.

Rantego opened his briefcase and pulled out his folder with several sheets of paper. Inside the folder, he pulled out another one which he handed to the reptile.

"You need to solve this case and fast. I want you to go home and read this case thoroughly. If you have any questions about it, you phone me. We're going to be in constant phone connection from now on.

"I want you to get as close to solving this as possible for our Sunday night meeting. Our people will be back from Viru by then. If you don't bring me a good chunk of information and field research on this case, consider yourself expelled from the Ascended Sun. Am I clear?"

Xaduardo nodded as fast as his scaley neck allowed him as his clawed hands gripped that folder like a lifejacket in the middle of the ocean.

"I am also annexing in that folder a copy of your expulsion letter. It is not signed up, so it's not a valid letter yet. I'll let you carry this copy,so you remember that I won't tolerate further disobedience." The reptile felt as if he just had received his own death certificate.

"Along with the warning I made, I'll throw another two ones. First. If I know that you are talking to Alroc on the cell phone or in person, you can count yourself expelled. Second. If you set a foot within a 10 block radius near that hotel once again, not only I am expelling you from the Ascended Sun. I will make sure no other clan in the country even considers reading your application request..."

The Raptor shook his head in terror. He knew that the avian meant every word.

Rantego stood up, then he gave the raptor a soft pat at the top of his feathery head before he walked towards the exit. Once he stood under the frame of the door, he spoke to the dinosaur without looking at him.

"Don't worry about Jantheno. I will be handling everything from now on. I guarantee that you won't be leaving this world without seeing Jantheno once again..."