The hearth crackled weakly as the fire faded to a glowing smoulder. What was left of the pig glistened as droplets of fat rolled from the carcass into the embers below. It had been a good meal, if simple. The loyalty of the hungry is not difficult to obtain. The low light cast weak shadows across the room. Two small shadows, one with four legs, and one that dwarfed all others. “How did it go, Matthias?” “Just like you said, sir!” the small boy paused to lick the grease from his fingers. “They only played one or two more hands before they made excuses to leave. I think we got them for sure!” “Perhaps, boy. Tell me more of your delivery. Did you stroke their egos? Pump the bellows of their pride?” Luff held out a few scraps from the table to a distinctly stray-looking dog. “I did just like you taught us. Let them win a few hands, cursed the Silver Hills for my bad luck, and then let it slip in passing. You should have seen their eyebrows!” “I have no doubt that shall not be the last time a look of surprise crosses their face,” Luff chuckled. “And you, Luke, has anything changed with our friends’ routine?” “No sah,” the young goblin drawled, “the same every Friday night. Shipment hasn’t changed size or time.” “Perfect, you’ve done well my friends. Enjoy the rest of your night,” And with that, the meeting was over. Luff stood without waiting for the young ones to leave and strolled towards the back of his shop. As he brushed through the thick plastic curtain that separated the place where he did the actual butchering from the store counter, he cracked a slight grin. The large blocks of dry ice kept the place at a bracingly low temperature. No matter how many years it had been since he lived in Africa, it was still always so lovely to be shocked by the cold of his back room. Meat hung on hooks from chains attached to the ceiling. He walked slowly through the sides of beef and pork, thinking all the while. The plan had been laid, now he would wait. Wait for Liu-jhan to get fucked by those militia fools and come running to Luff. He was smiling wider when he reached the far side of his cooling room. With a leathery gray hand, he opened the door to his quarters. With how gung-ho the militia was, he could expect Liu-jhan to come calling as early as tomorrow. It was a good plan, well executed. And so he deserved to rest. [center]****[/center] Luff wasn’t sure if it was the first rays of sunshine coming through the window or the loud, distant knocking that woke him from his slumber. Those militia brats don’t waste any time. He slipped on a pair of loose linen pants, one of the few styles that he could find off the rack, and padded through his cooling room to the front of the store. To Liu-jhan. To the first step in acquiring what he needed. “Do you have any idea what time it is?” Luff grumbled, feigning a mental fogginess. “I’m so sorry to bother you Luff but you gotta help me. If I don’t fix this it won’t just be me on the chopping block. Luff, you gotta help me please!” “Slow down boy,” Luff let out a heavy sigh. “Come inside. Tell me what happened.” And just like that, the plan was set into motion. Liu-jhan informed Luff of the events of the night. Somehow the Worker’s Militia had heard about a shipment of Demon’s Blood the Tong was bringing into Santa Somabra. They had struck hard and fast. Four Tong members had died with no casualties for the Militia and they made off with the shipment. “Not only is my life at risk because of this but think of what those fucking low-lifes could do with a shipment of demon’s blood. It would be a massacre!” “Look, Liu, I understand the kind of situation you’re in but I can’t just go sticking my neck out every time the gangs fight each other. We met during my enforcer days, yes, but now I’m just a butcher. I’ve put that rough and tumble life behind me.” “Luff please! I’ll give you anything, whatever you want! I can pay!” “Liu, you know I won’t take your money,” Another sigh. “It sounds like you’re really in a bind here. I'll see what I can do. But just for you, Liu,” Luff’s heart began beat slightly faster in anticipation. “But you’ll have to be forthcoming with me. I’ll need to know the details so that I don’t get myself killed on your behalf,” “Of course! I’ll tell you anything you want to know!” Hook, line, and sinker [center]****[/center] It had been easy to get the name. True, Luff had gotten quite a few names from Liu-jhan, but it was one name in particular that he cared about. This whole game was orchestrated over that name. The name of the Tong’s snuff supplier. A high ranking member of the Hanged Men. That name would probably cost Liu-jhan his life. And this game of Luff’s would certainly cost the lives of a few Militia members. It couldn’t be avoided, however. Luff always kept his word. What good is an information broker if you can’t trust what they tell you. So off he went to retrieve the demon’s blood. Even if Liu-jhan wouldn’t be alive to take receipt of it. That night Luff made his way to the Narrows, a festering sore on the already filthy Santa Somabra. He was not well known here, though many of his eyes and ears called this place home. Fortunately for Luff, he was actually quite inconspicuous. Tall, certainly, but no lumbering giant like most ogres and he lacked tusks to draw the gaze of those passing by. He was simply a butcher, his bloody apron cementing that fact to all the people milling about him on the streets. The dog that trotted by his side was dirty and passed off as a stray easily enough. He made his way with a quick efficiency to the Militia outpost where he knew the shipment would have been taken to. His network of eyes and ears let him listen in to the beating heart of Santa Somabra. Pausing for a moment across the street from the outpost, an old abandoned house with rotting shudders and peeling paint, Luff gave the dog a quick scratch behind the ears. And motioned for him to wait. He had found the dog a few weeks back. A lucky stroke of foresight encouraged him to keep the mutt around, feeding it scraps from his butcher’s block. That foresight would enable tonight’s plan to be that much sweeter. Luff crossed the street in a few short strides and kicked open the door. Immediately his cleavers were in his hands. Without stopping to look, he flung a horizontal chop to the right upon entering the doorway, his sense of smell cluing him in to the guard’s location. As the man’s headless body slumped to the floor, Luff continued into the house. Being only an outpost, it was only a few short minutes before all six of the Militia members lay dead. He had refrained from decapitating anymore in order to preserve the charade he was weaving. Luff gave a dusky whistle. The dog came running and began to tear into the corpses of the Militia members. Fifteen minutes later, the corpses were barely recognizable. Chunks of flesh had been ripped out and teeth marks adorned each body. Another whistle and the dog dropped the hand from its mouth and followed Luff out the front door. As he began the walk home, vials of demon’s blood hidden in the pockets of his apron, he grinned and shook his head, “Tsk, seems the Hunters are at it again, huh boy?”