Devil hunting chronicles of the impossible city.

Interlude III: The Forgotten Bride file 02

To call it awkward would be to cut it short. When Abram was in the middle of the hunter camp looking at Rush Collins, finally returning from the center again, he was given special leave to calm the situation down back in the town. Abram knew he was being followed and had worried for a moment that he may have tried to run for it, but true to his words, the man was back on the hunter's grounds, and there was no leaving the labyrinth if its owner didn't allow it. For a moment, Abram wished to just banish them altogether, but there was no evading his old friend if they were going to live in the same cramped little hideout.

''So there you are, you sneak. About time you showed your face.'' Collins stood in front of him with clear anger in his voice.

''I suppose we can't just let bygones be bygones, right?''

''You almost bled me to death, man. Don't expect me to just shrug that off.'' Abram felt he got beaten really badly too, but he honestly felt it was fair all around.

''I know, if someone else had gone after you, they would have just killed you. I just didn't want that to happen.'' Abram keeps his sight low under his cap.

''How generous of you, a real hero huh?'' Rush grabbed his shoulder and raised his cap with a finger, forcing him to look at his eyes.

''It was the same for you too right? You started working for them to not be killed. These people are some real monsters. "

''It was like that...at the beginning, but now, I don't think I'm against it anymore.'' He didn't seem that happy, with the answer, Rush stood back and crossed his arms.

"I should have guessed something bad happened to Nicolas. If you had the money for a drink, there was no way you two wouldn't have hit the bar together... is Aisha alright? You had a sister too if I remember.''

''She is here too, they gave her a home and a job.''Collins gritted his teeth.

''They sure have you by the neck. Well, I guess I'm stuck here too. You really drag me over to your hell. ''

''Sorry about that, I'm also sorry I wasn't able to take down that worm demon in time, is because I let it escape that so many of your men died.''

''Huh, well at the end you hunters finished the job, but hey I could have killed it off myself, don't you go forgetting that.'' Collins clapped his shoulder.

''About Nicholas...''

''No need to worry, he put Aisha in danger. He just got what was coming to him... all of us demon summoners get it eventually.'' Collins was visibly upset with his indifference.

''Maybe, but us demon summoners are still just humans. You know that right?''

''Are we really? Not that long ago we violently attacked each other and yet, it barely matters now.'' Collins got his point but Abram didnt seem convinced.

''Even though we are so numb to pain, that is just our bodies, and you know, living still hurts like hell.''Abram sighed, but it seemed that Collins didn't hate him at all. If that was an inhuman reaction, he could still only be thankful for it.

''So any place in this dump where we can get a drink?"

***

The closest thing to a bar you could find in the underground maze was nothing more than a food court. You weren't going to find alcohol that often, but if there was something that anxious soldiers were on the lookout for, it was a good drink and something the higher-ups delivered. There was only so much left, but it seemed the old lady wanted to please Rush and gave them permission to finish it off.