It was fortunate Theo came up with a twenty to pay off the peddler, for Matty was stone-broke. Quite frequently he'd find his pockets empty, as if someone had burnt a hole in them and the money he'd put in after each successful mission would simply vanish in thin air. It wasn't that he had a penchant for reckless spending, after all, he did not dress extravagantly or brandished diamonds or gold. He simply dabbled in gambling every so often, all or nothing being his chief game strategy as well as cheating.
The salesman grinned as he took possession of the money, visibly cheerful. "Alrighty then, I always keep me word." he hid his wares and beckoned the pair to follow him as he strutted over to a backdoor alley. As he moved, he spoke in a loud tone of voice. Those who were trying to sleep cursed him for waking them up but the salesman was barely affected. "Ye don't see 'im when he visits, no, ye feel it. Ye get gooseflesh in places ye never thought ye had. Most vamps, ye see, when they come 'round here, they strut like they own the place, and they do," he remained cheery and never wavered, "this one, he owns ye and the place. Ye never know who's next. Sometimes, he doesn't come, sometimes we just find blood,"
Mathian followed the salesman, wishing he'd just get to the point. True, it was unnatural for a vampire to behave in such a way; usually, they enjoyed being in the open and sinking their rotten teeth into anything they desired surrounded by horror-stricken spectators, but making their target into an undefeatable evil was over the top.
"Just tell us where to find him, I don't care if he's Satan incarnate," the tone of Mathian's voice was layered with sarcasm.
The salesman laughed and led them further into the alley where light dimmed and the smell became more unbearable. He pointed to a barred entry point, a vast pipe that leaked out black-colored waste. It was big enough for two grown men to pass through side by side, thought he wagered they'd have to slouch a bit further in.
"'ere we go, lads. There are many of these 'round 'ere. They all be connected. Now, watch yeself. It be dark in there." he warned and gestured them to proceed without him.
Mathian approached the entry way, finding that the lock had long been broken. He removed the bars and braved a look. It was pitch-black and it exuded fear. Yup, that was the place.
"Alright," he looked back at Theo. "How well can you see in the dark?" his eyes also looked for the salesman but there was no trace of him. He simply vanished, which was quite confusing but not in the least bit relevant, or so Mathian thought.
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