"Well well well. What do we have here?" A gruff voice asked from the approaching group. Parish instinctively threw his gaze towards the direction of the group when his gaze landed on this bulky man. He had a smug look on his face, his ears pointy while a dagger rested on the tips of his fingers. His face was the perfect definition of ugly, and so was his minions. He flashed his ugly smile at Parish revealing his almost brown teeth. Gods! His face would scare the life out of a child, if not an adult.
"Is he yours?" He asked and Mike knew he was the one being referred to here. Panic strikened in his forlorn heart when Parish hesitated to answer that question. Hell he had to say yes or else…Damn it! He couldn't imagine being someone's meal. Did he escape from Zed's father near death experience to even face a more fierce and gruesome one?
"Why do you ask?" Parish finally breathed some words. But was that supposed to make Mike happy. He could have said a simple yes but he went as far as to question them. He must be joking with fire whilst he wasn't the one to get burnt.
"Yes. I am his," Mike took the initiative to stamp his ownership. He couldn't just wait for a careless Parish to say yes. It was his life on line here.
"A nice catch I see," the leader complimented eyeing Mike the way a predator would to its prey.
"How about you give him to us and we'll let you have some water, or even money if you like," the leader offered. Mike's heart began racing again and coupled with the looks on the minion's face, he wished the ground to open into two and swallow him whole. Only parish could save him now. But even if he refused to sell him, would these guys take a no for an answer. They didn't look like the type to negotiate. Whatever they wanted, they had to get it no matter the means, and Parish was the only one standing in their way. They were as good as dead meat.
"I'm afraid that will not happen," Parish answered simply as if he cared for nothing in the world. The leader looked at him crazily before he let out a sinister laughter, joined in by his minions. Parish did not however waver a little. And turning to Parish with a serious look on his face, he said,
"We do not ask…boy, we take. Count yourself lucky we presented an offer to you." And turning to his crew, " get the snake boy."
The men behind the leaded swung into action and before Mike could process what was happening, he was already being dragged away with strong arms wrapped around his small figure. He looked up to only be met by the same ugly faces now licking their lips. Parish had casually said that they ate desert snaked, but Mike was a weresnake. Did that mean there were weresnakes here as well? If that was so, then he was as good as dead. And where was Parish? Did they kill him? He was too small to confront the big and bulky men. Maybe they spared him because they thought he was human.
"Do you have any objections, human?" The leader asked bringing his face closer to Parish's. Hell, the man stinks! Be it his mouth or his whole body, Parish could not help but feel the need to retch in his mouth. And as if to make it even more worse, the man brought his face even closer sniffing Parish like a dog.
"Mmmh. Why do you smell like a weresnake as well?" He asked bringing his face even more closer that the tip of his nose nearly collided with Parish's. A smirk formed on his face but it quickly faded when he noticed the no-nonsense look on Parish's face.
"You are lucky you are human. Otherwise I wouldn't hesitate to drive this dagger in your guts," he said placing the tip of his dagger on Parish's stomach. This didn't scare Parish though and this angered the leader. Was this guy even human to begin with? He spat on the side at the thought.
"I don't like you but your friend over there will make a good meal for us. Thank you by the way. The water is all yours, your Majesty," he said in a mocking tone while curtsying in retreat.
"Light the bonfire!" He commanded his minions earning a hail from them. Seems it has been a long time since they had a 'proper' meal. Mike tried freeing from the men's grip but all in vain. He had escaped death once, but this time he was sure he couldn't. Or maybe another miracle would happen and he would materialize into some other unknown place. Would that even be possible?
Parish squatted on the side of the oasis before he drew water from it with his hands. Damn it! Was he just going to watch as Mike got butchered and served as a meal. Hell no. He had to do something, but what? Come on Parish, the power is there to use and it's yours, so make use of it! He could just rain fire from heaven or something. Could he really do that? He didn't even know what himself could even do in the first place.
But if he had teleported, that meant he anything was possible, right? What else could he do with these godly powers? Rain sulphur? Bring an earthquake? Freeze the damn pointy ears men? Could he do all that? Maybe it was the high time he put his new profound powers into a test.
"Hey?" He called catching the attention of the already merrying group. The leader turned his gaze towards Parish irritated by his annoying voice. Maybe he should have just driven the knife through the damn human's guts.
"I forgot to tell you something mister," Parish said addressing the leader specifically. This fueled the anger of the smug faced guy.
"In second thought, i should have just killed you. And what is it that you forgot to tell me, before you die as well?"
"I ain't just a normal human. Your friends might testify that in a few minutes. Unfortunately, they'll not be able to tell." Parish's voice carried a tone of arrogance that irritated the leader to the core.
"Is that so? Then you die!"