Echoing Gorge (1)

Vincent walked into the hospital casually. He had achieved his goal of getting the troll's blood and had left for work as soon as the curfew had ended. He had already informed Mrs. Lee yesterday that there was a good chance of him staying over at a friend's house.

Miss Mystique was questioned once she woke up. She was still a bit nervous but thanks to the groundwork laid by Big Joe, she got away without any suspicion.

Most of the other guests in the hotel were also checked. He was spared the troublesome checking because of his exemplary actions. Even if he were checked, he had already hidden all of the important things away. With how rushed the examination was and how vast the number of people the police needed to check was, it was almost impossible to get caught.

Any experienced supernatural with ample caution would be able to get away. Specially since the unit lacked a tracking supernatural or one adept at discovering others of their kind. Pushing the events to the back of his mind, he entered his office and continued with his day as if nothing had happened.

******

Mr. Collector looked at the man in front of him. It was a lanky man with stubby beard and graying hair. "What is it now? I paid you upfront as soon as you agreed to my words."

"Don't be so cold now. I did the job perfectly. I even took care of all the supernaturals good at tracking as you said. The least you should do is hear me out." The lanky man spoke reproachfully.

"Fine. Speak." Mr. Collector's tone did get a lot less colder but his words were incredibly short. It was almost as if he couldn't wait for the other party to speak and leave right away.

"I want you to sell me some of the troll's blood."

Mr. Collector looked at the stupid grin on Redwolf's face. He could feel his blood boiling but he forced himself to calm down. "You already know how important this is to me. To think that you would try and propose such a deal when knowing fully how I will respond. Are you sure you aren't here to pick a fight with me?"

"Of course not." Redwolf put on a 'shocked' expression and continued, "I just heard these rumors going around. A middle sized supernatural group exterminated a group of trolls. No one knows which group it is. And of course, you and I both want to keep it that way. Unfortunately, as it turns out, the payment you gave me earlier provides not nearly enough incentive for me to keep my mouth shut. I came here today hoping that we could that."

Mr. Collector grinded his molars in anger. He wanted nothing more than to tear apart the man in front of him. He had chosen Redwolf because he knew the man's temperament well. With how he had paid a huge sum in the beginning, the lanky man should have stayed put. He hadn't even considered the other party trying to blackmail him. It was an oversight on his part for not failing to take into consideration the allure of troll's blood.

"Are you sure you want to do this? You should know that I do not like being provoked like this." The anger in Mr. Collector's voice was apparent and it made his stance clear. He had absolutely no intention of giving in.

"Come on. You know I wouldn't do that to you. We have known each other for a long time. I just heard that you gave away quarter of your harvest to someone else called Mr. Secret. I just want you to tell me about him and we will be done. He doesn't matter to you anyways."

"If you know that I gave away a quarter of the harvest to him, then you should also know that all of his abilities are a mystery. Why don't you be direct and admit that you are here to ask me to not interrupt when you deal with him."

A serious look appeared on Redwolf's face for the first time. He looked straight into Mr. Collector's eyes and spoke, "I want your word that you won't backstab me when I deal with him. You do that and you getting your hands on troll's blood remains between us. As long as you ensure that none of your people talk about it that is."

Mr. Collector ruminated for a while. The room was cold and silent the entire time. While the host was taking his time, Redwolf didn't seem to try and rush him. As a sly man, he knew well that speaking now would only serve to agitate the other party. The lanky man waited patiently, assured that he would get what he came for.

He wasn't wrong. Mr. Collector sighed and spoke monotonously, "Fine."

The corners of Redwolf's lips rose to reveal a wide smile. He pulled a folded paper from his inner pockets and handed it to Mr. Collector. "A contract written by a word keeper."

Mr. Collector took the contract without speaking and unfolded it. He read through it once. Finding nothing unusual, he began reading it aloud. "I hereby swear that I won't interfere when Redwolf deals with Mr. Secret. Either directly or indirectly. If I break my words, may I die a slow painful death."

Redwolf touched the paper and continued, "I hereby swear that I will keep the identity of the person who obtained the troll's blood from Blackwood salt mine a secret. If I break my words, may I suffer the same fate as the other party agreeing to this contract."

As soon he completed his words, the paper caught fire. It burned with great vigor and went out just as quickly. Not even a wisp of smoke or any trace of ash was left behind.

"It was pleasure doing business with you." Redwolf turned around and left for the door.

Mr. Collector's face warped into one full of hate and anger. Being taken advantage of felt horrible and he could no longer keep his calm. He grabbed a bottle by his side and threw it at the wall. The fragile vessel shattered into thousands of pieces but it didn't quell the man's anger. He tossed around whatever he could find and the entire room was a mess in no time.

His head cleared up a bit and he looked around. Once the mess he created entered his sights, he grew calm and rational once again. Sighing, he plopped down on his chair.

'It's fine. This could work out to my advantage. While Redwolf is strong, the masked fellow shouldn't be too weak in comparison. If Redwolf comes out on top, I will have to let it go for now. Even if he fails, I will at least be able to learn of Mr. Secret's abilities. Him hiding all his abilities bugs me.

On second thought, this works out better for me both ways. Even better if they end up killing each other or at least tiring themselves out.'