Eternity Book 1 chapter 1

ETERNITY I

Eternity in Aztaris

CHAPTER 0I:

"The honest cost of freedom, one will suffer while one will live free." - The Eternal king
A cowboy with shaggy crimson red hair and a sword on his back walks through an endless sea of thick green and a white seabed of steaming hot snow. A product of severe cold air and a severe hot spring underneath. His breath cold and steady, eyes tired, mind filled with years upon years of regret, his legs thrive with pain, his and his hands are washed in blood. The blood red leather overcoat he wears has seen too many battles and is either held together to the stitch with the upmost skill and patience or with the upmost half-ass skill and impatience. The puff of smoke from his poison stick doesn't help any in hiding his approach to the encampment of 250 cannibalistic men and women that terrorize many forests across Aztaris known as the Sn'amuh.
His reason for doing something this stupid, 3000 spinds to find and rescue the third daughter and soon to be new wife of the mayor of Bronch town. That's if she is still alive and unsullied, unsullied my sweaty ass. Once the smell of the bonfires enter his nose he spits his poison stick into the snow and steps on it ensuring its stench does not get in the nostrils of the Sn'amuh. He lifts his black scarf over his face to build the hot breath in his lungs. He arrives at their flank on a peak that goes down in a crescent moon shape which overlooks the camp. He quickly slides down with the snow even though he knows none will spot him for the feast they seem to be having. Once he's got a firm footing he takes off his gloves, rubs his hands together until they glow orange. He snaps creating a spark and his palms ignite. He moves over to the edge and he places his right hand on his left bicep as he aims it at the line of bonfires that run down the middle of the encampment. Where most of the tribe is awaiting their dinner. Immediately after his exhale he slides his right hand down his left arm at the bonfires and they violently grow and swallow many of the Sn'amuh.
They scream and curse while others that are unharmed smile and laugh as they kick, punch, and push them into the bonfire. The cowboy circles the encampment searching tent after tent ever so quietly and cautiously. He doesn't know what tent she's in because the moron didn't think to use a seeing stone to find her before he started his plan. Useless. He finally stops at a tent, the smallest tent in the entire encampment so small it can only hold about two or three people. He looks in and is immediately caught off guard by the beauty of his target. Not only her beauty, but her clothing as well. A light purple see through silk dress that encompasses her figure tightly from the sweat running down her body due to the fire pit on her right. As well as the fact that she's in a Sn'amuh encampment with a hell of a fate awaiting her. Her eyes and lips have purple makeup and her long black curly hair reaches all the way down her back and ends at her tailbone. She's sitting so elegantly as if she's waiting for someone or something but even her beauty cannot hide her fear.
He's cured from the petrification by the smell and sight of an almost naked obese Sn'amuh woman. That's only wearing what he could only describe as a fur thong and no bra or chest garment to hold up or well in this case to hide her saggy, long, chapped, scarred breasts. Her hair is all but gone and whatever is left is gray and her scalp is scarred. Her cheeks are fat and scabbed and are riddled with patches of warts and dead skin. He draws his knife, the Sn'amuh woman prepares a head piece, a brides head piece to match the dress and wedding which is why they had so many fires. He rushes in and plants the knife into the back of the flabby neck in between two rolls it doesn't take long for the body to fall. His target stands and her demeanor changes from a scared puppy to a happy puppy.
"My father sent you!" she says with such excitement if she had a tail it would be wagging which is why he immediately puts his hand over mouth.
"We don't have much longer until you're expected to be in the bed with the chieftain." He says as he plants his foot on the dead woman's back and pulls his knife out. She takes in the sight as if she admires it.
"okay" She assures him with wide agreeing eyes. The shouting of another female Sn'amuh is outside suddenly, cursing in her language at the bride to be because she is jealous and wanted to be the chieftain's wife. The cowboy quickly slides to the right side of the tent's entrance and waits behind some rack of hanging furs just in time. The woman walks in the tent and this one is very thin but carries all the same features as the obese one except for the hair, hers is red and healthy. She sees the obese ones corpse and she opens her mouth to scream but his blade finds her throat. Her soon to be corpse joins the obese one as she drowns in her own blood.
"Follow me and keep your voice down. like me." he whispers as he holds open the tent flaps making sure the coast is clear and when he sees it is, he looks to her to make sure that she understands.
"Okay" she whispers and nods. They exit the tent with haste crouching their way around the camp until just before they are to cut through the middle. He stops her and moves back behind a tent. He sheathes his knife before looking back at her.
"I'm going to need you to stay calm and run as fast as you can."
"I thought we were sneaking out?" she whispers
"We are." He waits pondering if he should tell her or let her just watch. "This is also going to burn." he takes a couple of more steps forward.
"What?" he ignores her closing his eyes, he touches the cold dead floor and imagines the world in front of him. His hands glow white. He can feel the land. His will moves through the land. The ground vibrates in a direct path up to the crescent overlook then a small avalanche comes racing down for the encampment.
"Do not let go." he shouts. They get up running at full stride and when he feels how easy is it is to pull her to her feet he's reminded the difference between him and the rest of mankind, whats left of it anyway. They make their way up the ridge surrounding the encampment free of snow as the entire encampment cries for the food, fires, homes, and broken bones. They reach the top of the ridge and the woman cries out that turns into a laugh.
"thank you." she looks at the encampment then at herself and realizes that she's intact with the exception of the sweat running down her body and ruining her eye ink "Thank you." she says as she jumps on him hugging him.
"Thank your father's sinds" he says as he lifts her off of himself and helps get her foot out of the snow once she lands.
"God this snow feels so amazing compared to that cold floor" she says wiggling her toes looking down at them and when she looks up to him smiling. It goes away seeing that he's already walking away.
"My horse is waiting up ahead with shoes for you." he looks back at her "and something warmer." he turns his head forward and picks up speed taking the lead for about 5 minutes until he unexpectedly stops in his tracks. His body behavior changes entirely which scares her. He runs full speed down the horizon out of her sight and when she catches up to him a minute later there's blood everywhere and his horse is in pieces. He turns around to face her.
"Run back for the encampment now!" he screams with his hand commanding her.
"why?" she whispers as something passes by the cowboy in a flash and he finds himself thrown against a tree. She screams in fright before something covers her mouth and she is lifted off her feet. The cowboy lifts his head to see she's being held up by one arm of a black hulking 7 foot tall werewolf with glowing yellow eyes and a majestic mane which proceeds down to his crotch and tail bone ending in a point.
"tell me cowboy, are his sinds really worth it?" he says with a smile and a lick of his lips.
"I'm not here for his." his pain filled voice strains as he gets to his feet.
"So you want this ass too?" the werewolf lifts her a little as if to show her off and runs one of his nails on his left hand across her left breast. Once his nail leaves her breast, a cut reveals itself. Untouched, damnit.
"No" he says straightening himself out.
"You a man-lover?" the werewolf asks. "such a shame." he rips her dress off completely and she squirms to get free, her muffled cries highlight her desperation.
"I knew you were hiding somewhere in the Hot forests." the cowboy says with an entirely new tone full of confidence and the werewolf's mouth twitches revealing his canines for a second.
"is that so?" the werewolf growls lightly hiding that the cowboy is getting to him.
"You're here ain't ya?" the cowboy says as he tightens his metal knuckled black leather gloves
"I am, with the ass in hand and you're here with no horse, no ass, and no sinds." The werewolf exclaims. She sobs uncontrollably as the fight leaves her body and hbody goes limp.
"she's just extra." The cowboy says as he walks from the tree into the path of the werewolf. "I came for you Gorman." Gorman chuckles as he puts the woman down squatting down with her for their heads to be at level. Her eyes meet his and she posses herself which makes Gorman chuckle.
"Do you really think you can do anything with that antique?" Gorman asks as he eyes the cowboy while he licks the woman's face, smiling as he does as if to brag. He wants to do more but before his tongue can make its way down further. The cowboy draws his sword and Gorman's ears perk up his smile goes away and he stands up and his bones pop. Gorman walks away from the woman, but still lingers on her arm as a lover not wanting to leave his significant behind as he goes off to war. Gorman flexes his hands out which extends his nails into good sized knives. "I may be old, but the body's new." Gorman brags with a chuckle as he smells his arm that held the woman. The cowboy readies himself flipping his blade, getting his hands used to the weight. Gorman stops sniffing and relaxes his arm as they both step to their right, gradually getting closer to each other. Creating a circle in between them "May I know your name before I eat you?" Gorman asks.
"It doesn't matter." The cowboy says.
"well I could just make up another name once I take your body." Gorman claims the idea for his own as he continues circling.
"there won't be another name." the cowboy says calmly as he circles.
"I sure do hope you taste good after the years of trouble you've caused me." Gorman says ands he stops.
"Who's the man-lover now?" the cowboy stops. Both study one another for the slightest advantage. Nothing. They charge at each other sword and claw meet again and again in a flurry of hacks, slashes, parries, and blocks. Sparks, sweat, and blood make their way out of the chaos and onto the snow and each other. With the mixture of amazement and fear the fight seems to last an hour to the woman, but it's a mere 3 minutes. At the end of those three minutes the cowboy rolls in between Gorman's legs and when he stands he turns with a slash. Slicing deep across Gorman's back. Gorman growls as he wildly turns around tearing through the air with his claws. The cowboy ducks and when straightening back up he brings his blade up with him rapidly slicing upwards in two different directions. Creating a deep X on Gorman's stomach. The cowboy bends back to dodge a hand and when he's clear. He leans forward fast with both hands on the handle and stabs the center of the X. He forces the blade upwards before stopping when the blade is in between his pecks. Gorman gags for a couple of seconds before finally coughing up blood as he holds his stomach from falling out. Once the cowboy knows the fight is over he takes a couple of steps back looking for the woman and sees that she's back in the hands of the Sn'amuh. He readies his blade and body to take on the 15 warriors before him making his way to them, but he stops. As he realizes they're terrified and aren't holding the girl, they're protecting her. He studies their gaze and realizes that they aren't afraid of the werewolf, they're afraid of the fact that they don't have a chieftain. Without one they'll be aimless until they stop fighting for whoever is going to be the next one.
Gorman finally falls onto his back behind the cowboy, but the cowboy's gaze does not move from his target. Although the Sn'amuh can't help but stare at Gorman and at the cowboy, the one Sn'amuh warrior that has the woman lets her go. She slowly walks back to the cowboy, afraid and humiliated while the Sn'amuh leave them be and go back into the forest to salvage what to eat. The woman reaches the cowboy and once again annoyingly throws herself around him. The cowboy removes the woman off himself when Gorman's body starts to twitch and jerk. His body transforms back into a human then another and another and it keeps going. The cowboy takes a couple of steps in front of her to get in between her and Gorman. "So why does a werewolf such as yourself end up with a clan of Sn'amuh?"
"Hungry." Gorman says in many voices.
"You look like a big and healthy to me" the cowboy counters pointing out Gorman's muscles with his boot.
"You have to know that this isn't my body. Besides not that kind of meal." that statement angers the cowboy, but he doesn't show it. He takes a step closer lifting his blade with one arm and as it rises over Gorman's head. It cleans itself disintegrating the blood off as the transformations keep going.
"I don't need to." he flips the blade upside down and plants it in between the werewolf's eyes halting the transformations. He flips his blade back as he brings it back and cuts Gorman's head clean off. The woman just stands there, her eyes wide, body twitching from the cold now that her bodies wet. He ignores her as he walks over to where the head rolled. He picks it up and looks up at her and he rushes over to her thinking she's about to die from hypothermia or something. He wraps her in his jacket.
"that was amazing!" she screams so loud before fainting. Great. He sheathes his blade on his back and when the scabbard kisses the swords guard he has the head of the beast in his satchel. He picks her up over his shoulder and walks the 15 miles back to town. Should've just came for Gorman.
Just as the sun rises for the next day he arrives at a 10ft metal gate with stone walls going on each side for about 100 feet. His arms are already raised before 10 men with crossbows are trained on him.
"Put the woman down and get on your knees!" One of the guards shouts. The cowboy lowers the young woman like you would a baby not wanting to wake it. He then starts to disarm when an arrow comes for him and he stops to catch it.
"Don't try anything! Move again and we won't miss!" A different guard shouts while the others look at him eyes wide and bodies tense. The cowboy chuckles and two of the guards make their way down to him with their aim true.
"I'm just disarming." the cowboy says in a friendly voice.
"well we didn't tell you to disarm." they say stupidly.
"no, but I thought I'd save you the breath and help myself." the two guards look at each other dumbfounded and when they look back at the cowboy he's on his knees with his sword, a pair of matching knives, and one dagger in front of him. Along with three empty ammo belts and holsters.
"where are your guns?" one of them asks.
"don't have any" the cowboy says with a smile.
"then why have the ammo belts and holsters." The one on his left asks.
"makes my outfit match." The cowboy says with an innocent smile. They run at him and kick him down and one of them continues to do so while the one other examines the daughter/wife "just tell your mayor there's a man at the gate that he owes 3000 Sinds." The cowboy says annoyed.
"3000 sinds for killing a woman?" the one on the right asks.
"She's not dead she's unconscious. I saved her." the cowboy says irritated now.
"for what? A good night in bed? Stole her from a bad husband did ya?" the guard on his left moves behind him.
"I would. look at these tis." The guard says squatting down next to her as he fondles her chest with both hands.
"This is the mayor's third daughter and soon to be wife, she's been missing for almost 2 weeks. she was captured when her convoy was ambushed by the Sn'amuh" the cowboy says as he's being cuffed.
"Yeah, yeah and we're the Ex brothers." he lets out a sigh letting his exhaustion overwhelm him, so he can sleep through this bullshit.
The cowboy awakens calmly in a dark cold and gray cell with a shit bed and a latrine that seems to not be functioning given the smell. He realizes his head is just by the steel bars, while the room itself is a good size, too good just for one man. Especially one who would be put in a maximum confinement cell after being accused for what he'd apparently done. It takes him awhile to bring his mind to the present and not the past and that's when he notices in front of him. A pair of female feet and when he raises his head, he sees a finely dressed woman of the upmost class with her face directly in his. He looks over her shoulder and sees a man a head taller than her with gray short hair with a pair of glasses and is dressed in the same class. Behind them are 20 Eternal guards well hidden by long black jackets each one having a claymore, double barrel shotgun, a crossbow, rifle, or a long double-bladed axe on their back. The woman leans back, and he looks at her and notices that she's the one woman he saved. She sees this in his eyes and giggles.
"Forgive me, I haven't seen you in clothes before." The cowboy says with a smile. The man behind her growls taking 2 steps to punch him across the face.
"Daddy." she exclaims as she looks up at her father.
"I asked for that." the cowboy has his left hand up telling her it's okay.
"And I hired you! To bring my third wife back! Unsullied and unharmed!" the mayor screams with his veins popping out, his face red. He then wipes his knuckles of the cowboys germs with a handkerchief before tossing it to the ground. The cowboy follows it down to the floor with his eyes. Contemplating whether he should keep it after they leave. It easily would go for hundreds of Sinds, in the right hands it could feed a small army of homeless children. But not in his, not anymore.
"You did" the cowboy says calmly.
"3000 was it?" the mayor asks.
"It was." the cowboy speaks as if he's changing the deal.
"Yes, it was." the mayor agrees.
"My freedom is my payment." the cowboy states leaning back against the wall disappointed.
"Very good." the mayor agrees hiding his loss of power over the cowboy with a cocky smirk.
"But daddy, I'm fine they didn't touch me." the girl grabs her father's arm still looking up at him.
"The muscle here, was just in case I got angry." the cowboy states raising an eyebrow as he looks at them unimpressed.
"Can never be too careful with your kind." the mayor frees his arm and immediately slaps his daughter/wife. This angers the cowboy, but he doesn't show it.
"I hunt only what I'm payed to. If I were payed to hunt you, then you'd need the muscle." he chuckles as he leans forward "more muscle I'm afraid. That's if I thought they were worth it." he looks the mayor in the eyes making him afraid and he backs off.
"Noted" the mayor says with his chin held high as if he has won the conversation.
"Is there a reason for this, oh so gracious visit, besides the shit punch?" the cowboy says no longer amused which scares the mayor further.
"My wife wanted--".
"Daughter." the cowboy corrects.
"wanted to thank you herself." he finishes with a growl.
"Since the sinds won't be thanking me. I guess I'll take it." he looks at the girl with a sarcastic smile "You're welcome."
"You may leave whenever you'd like. After, I have."
"Really what are you in here for?" the daughter giggles and the mayor looks to her with a stern face. One that tells her that she will pay for her insolence later in the bedroom tonight. The mayor walks out proudly then his daughter/wife follows like a puppy on a leash that doesn't like its owner. As for the muscle, he realizes that they were never there with the mayor. They probably were there before he came by. Which means they're here for a reason, a reason he could care less for, so he stands up and the knights take a step forward hands on their weapons.
"I thought I could leave." he says sarcastically knowing they'd do that.
"we have a couple of questions first." The middle one says. Being the only one with his hand off his weapon.
"you do?" he asks as if he's shocked.
"How did you kill Gormon?" he asks unamused.
"with a sword." The cowboy says rhetorically.
"Yet not a single scratch is on you." He says unamused.
"I have plenty of scratches, it's not like I started yesterday." The cowboy says rhetorically again. "What can I say?" he says normally with a smile.
"The truth." The middle guard rests his hand on his blade's handle.
"I can say whatever, and you'd still think I'm lying." The cowboy says with a stern tone.
"that's a possibility" the guard says amused taking his hand away from his weapon.
"okay here's the truth." he lifts his shirt which they reply by drawing their weapons. He reveals a series of many violent scars over his body with an annoyed look on his face. The middle guard puts his hand out and they sheathe their blades. Soon they become interested as they walk towards him inspecting the scars. He notices that a guard tries to peak at the scars on his back and the cowboy quickly moves his shirt down. "I'm a lifelong trained werewolf hunter, it's my families pride and trade since werewolves were discovered." he says eyeing that one knight.
"family name?" the middle guard asks.
"Orthios." He says with a sigh still eyeing that knight until they all back up into formation.
"That a first or last?" the guard asks. Still in front of the cowboy.
"last." The cowboy says like it's obvious.
"first?" the guard growls.
"Callen." the lead Guard barely looks behind to his left and some of the guards talk before one comes up to him.
"Very well, you're free to go." the leader takes his leave and the others soon follow in uniform.
"you're not interested about the tribe?" the leader stops but his men do not.
"they've been dealt with." he says and in perfect sync walk right after the last guard in line. Callen watches them leave and is about to follow, but he doesn't know whether the mayor was being literal or not. Also, he rather not deal with him again or he'll end up staying here for the rest of his life. So, he decides to stay in for the night. Free lodging at least.
A lone 10-year-old boy stands in complete darkness, he looks for his body and can't see it, so he looks around and around until he sees something. someone. No, he feels something, a presence of what he can only ascertain is of great force. Whether evil or a threat to himself and to all living things he cannot tell. "Are you the devil?" he mutters voice shaking.
A laugh is heard. "I'm the one who keeps him down there." the boy turns around.
"Your god?" the boy turns to what he thinks is the direction of this force.
"Heh, close, but no." he says in a flattered tone.
"Then who are you?" the boy turns again.
"The one that god fears." the boy feels this force right behind him and he quickly turns around only to feel the presence be behind him then all around him. Even below him. It closes in on him and he wants to drop and hide in his knees when a pair of indescribable eyes appear right in front of him. Stopping him and suddenly a pain like no other stabs his eyes and they bleed before the same pain spreads throughout his body. He becomes paralyzed except the occasional body twitch. He wants to cry, but can't and before the boy knows, he has defecated himself and his legs are warm with liquid and he's shaking erratically. "don't be too ashamed, you lasted longer than the men that have seen my eyes." he ends with a chuckle. Suddenly it all ends, and the boy lay on the wooden floor in his room in shame and in tears crying quietly.
Callen shoots up from his slumber breathing hard to find his clothes drenched in sweat, and... piss. He then finally realizes that his weapons are gone, were gone the whole time as is his gear and that he's shaking. He quickly gets out of bed and runs out of the cell and through the prison until he reaches the front desk to get his things.
"where's the inventory?" Callen asks out of breath. Finally, after an hour in a simple minute the guard finally responds.
"this is the checkout not the inventory" the guard says without even looking at him as he's writing something.
"so, where's the inventory?" Callen asks impatiently.
"you smell worse than my shit." the desk jockey says just before spitting some chuck onto a platter beneath the counter top missing it entirely ruining many of the records.
"where's the inventory?" Callen shouts.
"where the sign says prisoner inventory." The desk jockey says pointing behind him to his right with his pen. Callen looks at this blubbery dog werebaus amazed. "you want to go? Might as well just walk yourself back in that cell." Callen walks off to his left where the sign is.
"name?" the officer asks without looking up ready to look for the name and number.
"Orthios, Callen"
"Orthios?" the thin dog Werebaus hums as he rubs his chin.
"I came in for the mayor." Callen says tapping his feet looking to his left and right.
"you're the one that kidnapped the mayor's wife?" the guard asks still not looking up.
"daughter." Callen corrects still anxious now looking up and behind himself.
"so, you did it?" he looks up at Callen.
"I saved her." Callen says calmly.
"guess that explains how you're still breathing." He says disappointed after he looks back down at his list.
"do you have my things or not?" Callen asks now angry.
"just processed them, pain in the ass didn't know how to identify that head since it's never been confiscated before. I'll get them though." the man turns around and heads into the sea of items.
Ten minutes of agonizing paranoia pass until the man comes back "this is all of it." Callen violently takes his things and shifts through them.
"easy there don't kill the messenger." The guard says.
"It's all here." Callen says to himself out loud.
"congratulations. I knew that already, now sign here." Callen signs quickly.
"where can I go to sell a werewolf bounty?"
"Hmmm. Winchesters emporium is the best place in this city." He says scratching his chin.
"And where's that?" Callen asks eyes looking to his left and right.
"Just down the street to the left." Callen gives the man a puzzled look. "you can't miss it trust me." Callen squints his eyes at the man then leaves the station and when he goes through front doors. A flash of light hits him and he staggers to the right walking into a light post. He leans against to let his eyes adjust after they do the city slowly comes to him. Around him pristine marble streets and red wood structures everywhere all identical with the occasional difference in height, chimney, or sign of a shop.
In front of him a fountain, one of great size in height and with wine instead of water flowing within it. the statue itself is of Nefario, ruler of the east coast standing tall with a wide smile his arms spread wide, hands open with wine streaming out of his palms. Callen is taken aback but not from the statue or size of the city, instead it's from the fact that the city's silent and empty. Not silent or empty from a bad day of business or as if there is some main event going on. No this is different for there is no sound of anything except for the birds and creaking wooden signs blowing in the wind. He examines the sea of windows, doors, even the sewage drains yet nothing. No one's trying to peek at him or trying to take a shot. He looks around for a tavern and realizes there's many. Not knowing the difference between them, if there was one he chooses the one closest to him on his right to change.
Once inside he sees that it has people but they're very quiet, still, and scared. "you got a bathroom?" he asks the barkeep who only answers with eyes wide as if seeing him is a crime. "Alright I'll find it myself." he does and when he comes out back into the tavern no one has moved a muscle but this time none of them even dare to stare. "thanks for the hospitality." He makes his way out and heads to the Winchesters emporium down the street. He doesn't even cover half the distance before knowing which store it is among the sea of identical buildings. It's a big banner with big yellow and red letters with the name and a pair of 15ft teeth, one tooth on each side of the sign, around the name is a ring of blades around a ring of guns around a ring of bullets. Callen frowns at the sight thinking this must be a joke even so he needs the Sinds. He goes in with one arm still holding the door open and the store is empty despite the rows and rows of glass cases with many weapons and ammo in them. Bones and stuffed kills line the walls sitting on shelves. Shocker. He thinks to himself. Callen walks in further letting the door close and stops at the front counter placing the satchel on it. Right as he does
"what in the hell is that?" a voice comes from behind him. Callen quickly turns drawing a knife and by the time Callen has faced the man he has his knife at the man's gut.
"Calm down there cowboy, I mean no harm, except to your wallet that is." he cackles at his own joke. Callen takes his knives away and sheathes them.
"where is everybody?" Callen asks while he fixes his jacket to cover his knives and the man makes his way behind the counter.
"the curfew." He says pointing outside while standing comfortably behind his counter.
"I'm not from here." Callen says as he turns around to face the man.
"The Eternal guard are investigating the kidnapping of the mayor's third wife. So everyone has to stay indoors and wait for them to come and ask their questions." He says with distaste.
"they already got their suspects." Callen says as if its common knowledge.
"they aren't wanting the suspects." He leans over resting his elbows in his counter getting closer to Callen. "They want the one who leaked the route of the carriage to the Sn'amuh." He whispers as if someone else is in the store.
"They're not allowed to talk though?" Callen asks even though he knows the answer he just doesn't know why.
"they could be spreading lies, rumors or warning the person responsible." The old man says.
"Makes sense now." Callen says unsure.
"Ain't much to make. been like that for years." The old man says with disgust.
"As I said I'm not from here" Callen says with a raised eyebrow scanning the man for any abnormalities.
"It's this way everywhere in the east. Nefario's law." He says like he could care less.
"So why are you talking?" Callen asks genuinely interested.
"Because I got a business to run. If they suspect something, then they can have me." the old man says defensively. As if he's had this on his mind for a while and just now finally able to let it out.
"Admirable." Callen says genuinely.
"Yes, sir I am. Now to business what is that you got there for me?"
"The head of the mass murdering rapist werewolf Gorman"
"Well why is it in a bag?" The cowboy dumps the head out onto the counter.
"it's not" Callen says with an annoyed face.
"Well how do I know this is his head?" the owner asks.
"Got a lot of werewolf heads getting brought in here?" Callen asks unamused.
"Could be any wolf's" the old man says as he pokes at it shaking his head.
"So werewolves are regular around here then?" Callen asks aggressively
"too many to count cowboy." he grabs something from under the counter but keeps it to himself making Callen suspicious.
"You people wanted him dead, he's dead. I want my sinds." Callen says with his hands on the counter.
"I'm just busting your bulkers cowboy. I know that head and that you, are the real deal." the owner brings out a heavy black leather bag of sinds.
"how amusing." Callen grabs it and the owner is already reaching for something else from under the counter
"oh my jesus, I can't believe I've been so gosh darn rude. My names Sid." He says with his hand out.
"Callen, Callen Orthios" he says with a smile shaking Sid's hand.
"So, I guess you are as good as they say." Sid says as he wipes the blood off his glass counter with red rag. No. a stained rag.
"They can say whatever they want, sinds speak for themselves." Callen says as he puts the Sinds in one of his pockets.
"A man of your profession needs a reputation otherwise how would you get hired?"
"Who else is there?" Callen says solemnly before he walks out.
"nice doing business with you." Sid shouts.