[Blood Diary Entry]
The air around him changed, sharpened, and became more aware—from one moment to the next, all that playful madness was gone.
His eyes became cold and heavy, with the weight of someone who had already seen too much.
He ran his fingers through his tangled beard as he looked over us one by one.
"The city is dying." He said in a somber voice.
The rest of us were confused by what he said, and it showed as he kept his explanation going.
"One by one, the citizens are either leaving town or they are being killed."
"By what?" My mother asked.
He looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze. "Ghouls," he said and offered no other comment.
Mom was confused by that, and I could see her diving into her own memories in search of what this name entailed.
Rebekah, though, was quicker to catch on. "Here? How many?"
Nico laughed in an empty—almost lifeless—chuckle. "At first, not many, but enough. They devoured everything the cemetery had to offer…"
But before he could continue, Rebekah finished his thoughts for him. "And then they began to multiply."
He nodded somberly.
"What about the hunters? Isn't this something they should deal with?" My mother asked.
Both Rebekah and Nico snorted. Nico even spat on the ground beside him. "Those self-righteous bastards are only good at slaughtering shapeshifters, most of all the innocents." He said in a resentful tone.
"What do you mean?" Mother asked.
"These so-called hunters all specialize in going after the more normal supernatural beings. They have a penchant for Lycanthropes, though some also like going after vampires. This is always for one reason alone," he paused, rage visible in his eyes. "Profit. Werewolf packs, vampire covens, they all tend to amass quite a sum of wealth, and whenever they are hunted, that wealth becomes up for grabs. Both lycanthropes and vampires, no matter their breed, all have some glaring weaknesses that, if you are smart about it, make them easy to hunt. So, it's rare to see hunters actually go for more dangerous species like ghouls, without there being some serious pay behind it. Don't get me wrong, there are a couple of them who actually do their job, but they are few and far between."
Mother was surprised by what she heard and couldn't help but ask something that stuck with her. "Ghouls are more dangerous to hunt than vampires and werewolves?"
Nico nodded. "They are tricky, they are quite strong, but what's bad about them is the sheer number of them. If not dealt with fast enough, they grow to an absurd quantity, and then they become a real problem."
"How strong are they?" Mother asked.
"More than you'd expect.
They are a species of proto-vampires. Their skin is quite resistant, so low-caliber weapons don't do much against them. They aren't as fast as normal vampires, but their agility makes up for it; they jump around like crazy, sticking to walls and ceilings with ease. Their regeneration is also scary, by how fast it actually is.
Instead of drinking blood, ghouls actually eat flesh instead. Although they prefer it rotten and decayed, they won't say no to steaming fresh meat. They are also quite dumb.
Unless…" He trailed off.
"'Unless' what?" Mother asked impatiently.
But the one who answered her was Rebekah and not Nico. "Unless there is an alghoul amongst them."
"Alghoul?"
"They are the alpha of ghouls, bigger, stronger, and smarter. If a nest has gotten to the point of naturally developing alghouls, then you have a very big problem in your hands." Rebekah said seriously.
"You dealt with them before?" I asked.
"A few times," she answered, and in doing so surprised me. "What are you so surprised about? Whenever my family and I came across ghouls, no matter where we were, we always killed them. They are better off extinct, but no matter how many you kill, there is always more somewhere else."
Nico nodded agreeingly.
"If things are as bad as you say, why don't you simply leave this town?" I asked.
Nico shook his head. "I can't."
"Why?"
"Because druids are guardians. Once upon a time, we guarded groves and old forests; now we guard cities and supernatural hotspots."
"And?"
He smiled. "And a guardian never leaves what he is guarding behind. No, I live and die with this place…"
"So, you won't sell us what we need?" I asked and got a nod of confirmation. "So, I guess you want to exchange the items for our help?" Another nod. "No."
Nicodemus and Rebekah frowned. Nico looked at Rebekah, but she saw me taking the lead and decided to see where I was taking this. But I could also see she wasn't keen on leaving this place without dealing with this problem.
Nico sighed. "What do you mean by 'no', boy? Haven't you heard? They are an infestation that needs to be dealt with."
"That is true." I nodded.
"Then what is the problem here?" His tone grew angrier and more unsatisfied.
"The exchange isn't equal," I answered, earning a grin from Rebekah and the widened eyes from Nico.
Nico rubbed his head tiredly. "How so?" He asked after not coming to an answer himself.
"We can get what we need with any other druid, and money isn't really a problem in our case. Whereas for you, we may very well be your last option. So, the scales aren't balanced. If you want our help, you're going to have to sweeten the deal."
I saw a hint of the previous madness flashing behind his eyes, then I heard him mumble in a low, almost whispering tone. "…sweeten deal…chocolates?" Then the madness vanished, and he got back into 'serious mode'. "What do you want?"
I smirked. I raised my index finger and shook from one side to the other, denying his question. "The correct question is what can you offer?"
Mother and Rebekah snorted, though there was an amused glint in Rebekah's eyes. Nico's eyes narrowed. "You would make an excellent cross-roads devil; do you know that?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
"Why don't you actually consider it? I can get you in touch with someone." Noticing my odd gaze, he grinned. "You can never know too many devils."
'So, devils do exist, huh? I'll think about that later.'
"Shouldn't it be the opposite?" I asked.
"No, devils are easy to deal with if you know what to expect and how to handle them. But I digress…" He leaned forward. "You do this job, and I will not only give you what Rebekah asked for, but I'll also do a couple of spells for the three of you."
His offer intrigued not only me but Rebekah as well. "What spells?" She asked.
"For you and her," he pointed to my mother, "I'll perform a ritual of severance, meaning no witch or druid can track you, or use objects to harm you from a distance." Then he turned his gaze to me. "And for you, a simple masking. Because while I can't actually get much from you, you're emanating power, and that can draw unwanted attention."
Rebekah seemed immensely satisfied with the offer. And honestly? So, did I. I was expecting a couple more druid stuff, or some useful potions, but these spells of his were so, so much better.
Grinning like a conman, I extended my small hand forward. "It's a deal!"