Soul Lovers

The Bounty Collector.

All these doesn't make sense. Not minding what was around him at all Node only saw the dismay on Sniffia's face, well as for Peirce he hasn't spoken a word ever since the ice bear incident.

What is going on? To know I need to get to the bottom of this.

“You mean, we will be sold here?!” Node said, Aghul laughed while putting his hand on his hair.

“Are you just knowing? You are really a slow-witted brat. Selling you will be great as the only cook in all Kingdoms it will definitely increase our profit. But sadly selling you off will be a loss for me.”

He turned to Aghogho.

“Aghogho, he should cook for us for the last time before we leave here.” He smirked.

“Who do you think you are? Blabbing your mouth after what you did to us?!” Sniffia blurted.

Everyone turned to her.

“Ooh! the Silver Maned Beast still talks.” Aghul said, moving to her. Sniffia looked at him with her venomous little eyes which got Aghul slightly scared.

He flinched. “This brat eyes just gave me a goosebumps.”

“We stop here.” Azra ordered, they all stop looking at the huge shop in front of them, Aghogho walked to Azra.

“I will go in for the negotiations. Azra Miller.” Aghogho said.

Azra nodded as Aghogho went in the huge shop. Node and Priscilla watches as some moments passed, Aghogho came out with a bald, full figured middle-aged man dressed in harem pants having a long beards on his chiseled face.

He stared at the Alpha of the Expats with his hollowed eyes, smiling.

“Welcome! Welcome! My beloved customers! Come on in. You are highly welcome, The Bounty collector wants to see you. All of you!” he glanced at Aghogho near him.

“Long time no see old friend.”

Aghogho smirked while Azra and his kind went in gently carrying Peirce, Sniffia, Node with Jared on Aguda's back.

Inside the huge shop, the Expats was stunned by how huge the shop was, full of junks and stuffs. Pacing in between the things in the shop, they came across a large closed door at the end of the path leading to the Bounty collector's dwelling.

“Welcome! You are in the right place.” Someone said in a munchy way behind the large closed door, the man in harem pants extended his hand forward with a smile.

“Master wants to see you, bring with you those that you wish to sell. Others should wait here.” He said while he opened the large door.

Azra looked at Aquila and nodded, she waved her hands as the Expats carrying Peirce, Node, Sniffia and Jared walked inside while the remaining Expats including Ade stayed behind.

“Peirce.” Sniffia whispered, she and Node looked at him,

“I will definitely save you from here, no matter what.” Node said to himself as his eyes met with Sniffia's then she shot him a cold glance before turning her face to Peirce back.

Why the cold stare? Why is everyone like this? Where is Vanilla... gosh so many questions I have to ask when we escape from them... He shook his head as he reasoned. Let's not jump into conclusion yet.

He looked at Sniffia again. Come on! Am right here also. As the youth leader it is my responsibility to protect those-- ! What kind of place is this?! He marvelled with his jaw wide opened staring at what was in his front.

Sniffia turned her face also. In front seated on a throne of carcasses. A gigantic, hairy half-naked fat man having his red hair on his head covering his eyes while eating all sorts of food on a long table in front of him and before him on both sides were prison cells mostly filled with chained beings of all kinds.

“Ha! Nice… Am the Bounty collector.” He said while he chewed on a meat then he spat it out, “Not sweet enough!” he looked at the Expats. “Sorry for that, foods this days are getting sower and tasteless, you know what I mean, ugh! Come clean this up!” He shouted, immediately, two little girls dressed in rags, bonded with chains on their little neck came in from one of the doors at his left and swiftly packed the food on the table while the other cleaned the floor.

Then he smiled to Azra direction.

“Now, is time for business. Shall we?”

Azra sighed then he nodded. His fellow Expats brought the two boys and Jared forward.

He looked at Sniffia.

“What about the girl?” he questioned, Azra shook is head.

"But I said if you wish to sell any of them you should bring them in to the Bounty collector." the man in harem pant recalled,

"... ... " Azra ignored him.

“Well, if you change your mind--” The Bounty collector suddenly, stood up seeing Jared bonded in a weird cast.

“Jared?! Jared Airbrock?!” He yelled falling the long table in front of him. “Your kind captured him… how possible?!”

The two little girls rushed back to stand the long table, but couldn’t carried it due to how long, heavy the table was, Aquila suddenly appeared in front of the table, she helped out in lifting the long table for the two little girls. The Bounty collector peered at her, she looked at the Bounty collector’s eyes also then walked back to Azra while the two little girls rushed back to where they came from.

“Aguda. Let’s go of him.” Azra ordered, Aguda nodded walked in front of the Bounty collector, removed the chains binding the Divine Humane from his back and dropped him, which created a crater in the ground.

The man in harem pants went closer to Jared.

“Truly this is Jared the Divine humane. I could recognized him anywhere even if he does makeup.” He said looking at him, “why is he not moving or blinking?”

He glanced at Aghogho.

“Hmm. I see. The silver bracelets from the Inhumane! What a strange material!” He walked to the Bounty collector, “Master! This is huge. Your collections will be complete if-when Jared is bought by you, right here, right now. Gathering the strongest from all Kingdoms to serve under you as your slave is a dream come true.”

“Yes! Yes! Yes! My collections will be complete at last!” he cheered as he sat on his carcasses throne.

Aghogho smirked.

“Not only that. This will exhilarate your mind as to your stomach, we have here… ” Aghogho said, pointing at Node inside his cage. “A cook!”

Both the Bounty collector and the man in harem pants were stunned.

“A cook?!” The Bounty collector shouted falling the long table in front of him once again then clomped towards Node in his cage, happily, “Are you sure he is a cook? You know your kind killed all of them out of jealousy,” He said.

“Am I-I... that important... ?” Node stammered.

“We once tasted his food, it was delicious! you can only imagine.” Aghul said rubbing his belly.

“Hmmm.” The Bounty collector placed his hand on his chubby chin. “We are buying him first, then!” he clomped back to his throne. “We will give you a million huge diamonds for the cook and for Jared... a million huge diamonds also.” He bided.

“The Bounty collector and I know that, they are much more than that.” Aghogho dissented.

“You have no shame! Lives are never to be discussed like this. Aren’t you feeling a little bit of sympathy?!” Sniffia yelled.

Seriously the words coming from her also surprised her. How far as she change under the roof of Peirce's grandma.

Node looked at her as he back her up.

"Yeah! You have no shame! how is this allowed in this world we live in now?"

The man in harem pants laughed,

“Sympathy you want, contempt you shall get. If it's shame you are expecting in us, you can’t possibly shame the shameless in short this is the city of the Bounty Hunters and no one from outside this city ever disturbed us even if they dare. I thought old friend here has cut off your tongues, surprisingly they are still intact.” He removed a strange scissors from his cloth, walking to Node first. “I should help an old friend.”

Moving closer Azra held his arm, squeezing on tightly.

“If you want to make a mess out of them, do it only if we are done doing business with you, if still you can’t touch them cause' you haven’t bought them yet.” Azra said, the man in harem pants stood still as chains slowly crawl out from his cloths, Aquila sensed it, she placed her hands on both of her daggers about bringing it out while Aguda groaned.

“Sheik, please stop. Customers are always right. Please, let’s get back to business. I will pay one billion huge diamonds for the little cook and also one billion huge diamonds for Jared to complete my collections.” The Bounty collector reputed, the Expats that once carried the cages were shocked by the amount.

Aghogho smirked.

“Still not enough.” Aghogho stated.

Sheik coughed.

The Bounty collector put his hand on his forehead.

“We are dragging this thing for too long, dear customer. Tell me, tell me, how much should we pay for both of them?!” He pleaded.

Aghogho smirked the looked at Azra for an answer.

Azra removed his hand from Sheik's arm. Aquila let go of her daggers.

“We want hundreds of billions for both of them.” He countered, the Bounty collector narrowed his eyes while Sheik shrugged his shoulders. “If you can’t pay it. They are many other people that won’t miss this opportunity.” Azra slightly smirked.

He wishes the Bounty collector never paid that amount because it will be too expensive to come by for the two of them but he could sell off Jared when the opportunity comes that was his plan all along so leaving the shop slightly disappointing his fellow Expats while he will find a place to drop off Node and Peirce to find their way back to their village.

While on the verge of his successful plans. The sound of silent embedded for a moment.

Azra turned to leave.

“We will be on our way if you can’t pay the amount. Good bye.” Azra said as he walked away.

Suddenly, the Bounty collector stood up, looking fixedly at him as the atmosphere suddenly changed.