Parish and Mike had gone for quite a distance but it seemed no one came to their pursuit. Mike shielded his eyes with the back of his hand scanning for a life on the vast area but there was none.
"It's all clear Parish. No one followed us," he said slithering closer to where Parish stood, a knife still placed on the leader's neck. He lifted the knife off the leader's neck earning a frown from him. Were they going to let him leave?
"Turn around!" Parish commanded. The leader flinched at the words before he slowly turned around only to be met by a blow. He held his stomach in pain letting out a groan that made Mike's lips twitch.
"Jeez! Did you have to do that?" He asked Parish who had his fists clenched into tight balls.
"That will teach you a lesson. Never touch what belonged to me!" Parish said, staring coldly at the helpless man. He could have just slit his throat but he chose to spare him instead.
"What are we going to do with him?" Mike asked. The fact that the guy wanted to have him as a meal didn't settle well with him. The least he could give this guy was death, a gruesome one at that.
"He wanted to kill you, so I'll leave the rest to you." Parish handed the knife to Mike who was now grinning from ear to ear. "You know what you have to do."
"The pleasure is mine," Mike replied flashing that evil smile. The leader heard everything they were saying making his heart to beat erratically. Run! His mind screamed at him. But the blow he had received wasn't just an ordinary blow. It was as if his intestines had been squeezed, rendering him inactive. He had received many blows but this…
Before he could think further, he saw Mike's scales closer to him, a oh not so happy look on his face.
"Tell me, how do you want it?" Mike took the initiative to scare him more when he noticed the fear in him. He wanted him to feel how he felt when they wanted to make him their meal. Was that not scary for him?
"Please forgive me," he raised his hands in a defensive gesture. "I was only doing what was right, looking for food for my gang."
"And I am doing what is right as well, killing my predator before he turns me into his prey," Mike said, a playful smirk printed on his face. This left the leader speechless.
Mike ran his fingers on the edge of the dagger making him swallow nervously. "Nice dagger by the way. Such a pity it will be the cause of your death."
"I… I will do everything… anything you want..please spare me!" He begged tugging at Parish's legs since Mike just didn't seem to be the merciful type.
"Get off me!" Parish said kicking his hands off his legs.
"I'll give you food… I'll do anything you ask me. Please spare me, " he pressed on relentlessly clutching at Parish's feet even tighter, despite the pain he got from the kicks.
".....I want information," Parish stopped and thought before he said, sighing at the stubbornness of the guy. This made Mike crease his brows.
"Don't tell me you'll let him go after giving you whatever information that you want?" He asked, unable to retain his curiosity.
"I'll decide about that," Parish said absentmindedly.
"What information my Lord? I'll tell you everything you want if you promise to let me go, alive." He stressed the last part as if they would let him go dead.
"He is giving you conditions when his life is in your hands? How dare you?" Mike asked, pointing at him with the knife. God knew how much self restraint it was taking him to drive the dagger through his belly. Only then would he be content.
"I want to know about the humans mages," Parish said ignoring Mike's question.
"The human race is a complicated one sire. Their structure is based on magic classes with the weak being treated as outcasts…"
"Would you shut up?" Mike interrupted.
"You are the one who should shut up Mike!" Parish said, raising his voice. Damn it! He cursed. Why was Mike making this look so difficult?
"Tell me Parish, why would he be spared when he actually tried to kill me? Did you forget that already?"
"I know. And yes, he'll be spared." Parish said, his nose flaring.
"You are not my friend!" Mike said, shaking his head. "The Parish I know cannot do this to me. You've changed…" Mike pointed. "This is not who you were."
"It's still me Mike. I haven't changed…apart from the legs," he said earning a frown from the leader. Since when did legs become a change? He was human and legs were natural for humans… But wait! Why would a human enquire about his fellow humans? Strange! And coupled with the fact that this 'human' was a were snake's friend, it only acted to confuse him more.
"No, it's not! You have started acting like them Parish. Maybe Zed was right. Following you was a mistake," he added, taking a few steps back.
"It's not what you think Mike, why don't you listen to be first."
"I want to hear nothing coming from your dirty mouth. Look at yourself, you're not even close to one of us," Mike said letting his gaze travel Parish's length. One of us? Now the leader was even more confused. Wait! Did that mean this 'human' was initially a snakeman? That could not be possible! How could a snakeman the the form of a human?
But taking into consideration the fact that he, a human, was friends with a snakeman, and that he wanted information on humans made it clearer than day. Who would have thought such a being existed? This might be a new species! The leader smiled to himself. With this new discovery, he would get a hefty sum from the humans. He just needed to keep this Parish closer.
"You want to leave? Fine! You'll be someone's food even before you know it. Can you even be able to trace your way back home?"
"I don't care if I die, but I'll die trying. I want to get far away from you. I should have listened to the Lord."
"You are committing a grave mistake my friend.. "
"Friend you say, uh? What friend betrays his friend?"
"Well, Zed did that," Parish said with shrugged shoulders. Little did he know he had poured gasoline to the already blazing inferno.