Devil of Salt City

-Story begins long time ago, so long that humans should not have memories or history about it. Back then this City was only a small village on much bigger river then it is now. In that village there was family called Serpents and everyone believed that they were witches. This family was feared and hated but also envied 'cos even as outcasts of society Serpent family still held all of the power. They owned most of the land, they had money, they had numbers and strength, they were invincible. The legend has it that third child of this family was always born as Devil, with dark powers, red hair and great beauty. With time this village grow, first into small town, then into this big City and river grow smaller but Serpent family stayed on top of power chain all this time. Till this day. It grow with this City and their power grow with it. But you see power's fluid alive thing, it tends to change but it will always belong to family. -in half darkness of basement room smirking, red lips were talking like narrating some story to kid. Leonardo was tied to a chair, facing side profile of beautiful girl. He was blindfold the whole ride here but he supposed that he was somewhere in South center of City. The room was bare and cold with weak, red light giving the vibe of entrance to hell. Girl in front of him could be the devil itself, he could see why they called her Devil of Salt City. Her body's tin, clad in leather clothes but there's no spot of weakness on that tin body. Her hair is bright red reaching her shoulders, framing perfectly shaped and beautiful face, all sharp edges and shadows only her eyes are bright green burning with unknown fires. For some reason looking at her sure posture and stormy eyes makes him shiver. There's beauty that we seek, beauty we desire and then there's beauty that we fear. That terrifying sight of beauty that shouldn't be touched, doomed beauty of fallen angel. Leonardo wants to kneel to her beauty and in same time he wants to run away as far as he can from her.

-But you see… -she said turning around to face him. -Because power's alive and changing this City's been divided for awhile now. That tinny river is now border between what's mine and what belongs to my sister. So tell me who sent you to start chaos in my part of City? Who wants war?

Leonardo was confused with whole situation, feeling ungrounded. For a soldier like him not having plan and control was scarier then pain and death. When he was brought here he was sure they would torture him for all information they could get, he was prepared for that. This shit wasn't about loyalty either way, it was job he took in desperate situation that he knew he would be punished for. Tho why was it that his bones were chilling in uncomfortable feeling and he hasn't been even hit ones yet? Story about Devil of Salt City's long and horrible, filed with blood and pain but all he could see right now is beauty he wanted to worship.

-It's better to just talk. Didn't you say to Jack that you have massage for me? -she said in final voice like she was passing the judgment. It's then that sound came to him, wet sound of hissing and slithering over the concrete floor. In panic he started turning around just to see huge, bright red snake moving on the floor, past him towards Luna Serpent. Now he was sweating, heart beating crazy towards heart attack, his calm posture broken. Not many people can handle sight of snake without fear. He especially didn't like snakes.

-Oh, don't mind Joker. -Luna said chuckling like he was silly for fearing snake. -He just gets jealous when I don't pay attention to him.

Leonardo' beautiful, blue eyes were still wide in shock and he waited in fright for snake' huge body to engulf him and crash him to death but it never came. Red snake coiled around Luna' body, slithering to her shoulders and resting there without even looking at him. She was still calm and smirking and like never before in his life he felt that he was in presence of something inhuman. She didn't look real, normal with that snake around her. And he wanted to scream like little girl but his body was already frozen by this sight.

-Didn't I aske you something? -she frowned like he was rude, blind date who didn't know how to communicate and answer simple questions.

-I… -he somehow chocked out. -I…

-Yes, you. -she nodded in amusement. -You were paid to kill my men. By whom? And how did you know that they'd be there?

-I… -he tried again breathing deeply to calm himself, he was in worse situations, he just had to stop looking at that snake. -I don't know by whom, I got phone call with information what to do, when and where. Money would be wired to my account. I've never met this person face to face. I could only tell you that it's man, not from City. He has Eastern accent even tho he tried to hide it. But I'm trained to notice those kinds of things.

-Damn it. -she cussed suddenly in low angry voice and he flinched.

-You fool doomed yourself without even knowing who you were working for. -she growled at him like he personally insulated her. -Why must I kill you foolish people? Why do you do this to me pretty? Am I not good to people of this City? Tell me, huh?

-I… I needed money. I really needed money. -he whispered lowering his head, he felt shame for killing people of his City in front of her. -My son's dying. I really needed money.

-Then why didn't you come to me if you needed money? -she sighed tiredly. -Or why didn't you go to my sister, anything's better then killing your people for those Eastern bastards.

-I… -he tried but couldn't say anything. He was ex- soldier, went to military straight from high school, married his high school sweetheart that he accidentally didn't know all that well aside from beauty. About life he only knew how to fight and kill. He was discharged do to phonological problems, they said he's honorably discharged do to illness but he knows it was punishment for losing his shit in last mission. Man from war came back home to find his son dying in hospital with bills his parents couldn't pay and his wife with another man, forgetting both him and their son. When that man called him with an offer he didn't even try to think of another solution. But all of this didn't matter to Devil of Salt City. He didn't matter just like he didn't matter to government of this Country he constantly risked his life for.

-I wanted to tell you that I don't know your sister, I never saw her. -he said remembering why he let himself be caught. -You're in trouble and your men are rusty. I killed them too easily. That man you call Jack wouldn't be able to get me if I didn't surrender myself. I'm not saying that they're not good, they just forgot the hassle of battle.

-Is that why you surrendered, to save my men' face?

-Yeah. -he said honestly. -You are after all the strongest foundation of this City. I don't know you but I respect what your father did for this City. And also I didn't want you to hunt me down, that could always mean unneeded casualties of innocent.

She looked at him for a long time still with those tired, almost sad green eyes then she sighed.

-What's wrong with your kid?

-He… -Leonardo looked at her shocked again. He just couldn't predict or read any of her actions. -He has blood cancer. Therapy costs a lot and I'm not match for bone marrow, so all I can do is try to pay his therapy and pray that it works.

-What about your wife, his mother? She's not match either?

-She doesn't care. -he sighed. -She's with another man now. Panther, small drug lord in North Lake street. She won't talk to me or him at all.

-Damn it. -Luna cussed again in that angry, low voice, snake on her shoulders hissed like it was cussing too. -I'm about to give you offer you can't refuse and you're gonna sell yourself to me. This is good night as any for making deal with the Devil.

*flashback dream*

Fourteen year old Dona was running through woods like she was running for her life. But it was worse. Their home was just on other side of woods, big house they grow up in, one away of city' noise and pollution. House had a lot of guards but it meant nothing to Dona when she heard echo of gun shooting from that side. She was training in woods, Sky was in City with their father, it's only her mother, Luna and little brother back home. Ace is only five, Luna's only ten years old, their mother wasn't good in killing people like their father was. And all the gourds meant nothing to her when she wasn't there, she wasn't there to protect them. She was losing her breath but wasn't stopping. She checked her waste out of habit, gun her father gave her was there, loaded and ready, she was carrying that gun for two years now and wasn't afraid of using it.

It was silent when she reached house all shooting already stopped. She saw few men laying on the ground but didn't stop to check them, she run for house. Big living room was first room from doors and she saw scary sight there. Two men were dead on ground bloody mess with dagger wounds and there was ten year old Luna covered in blood smiling and patting small red snake on her shoulders.

-Little Red! -Dona sighed running to little girl eyes wide in worry.

-Do! -Luna looked at her with frown like she was caught doing something bad, she looked around then smiled at Dona. -Joker did it. What a bad snake.

-Little red are you hurt? -Dona asked checking her for wounds.

-Fine. -Luna nodded still smiling. -Bad men' blood only.

-Good. -Dona smiled too. -Those were bad men, Joker's good snake. Where's mum? Ace?

Luna only shook her head and Dona took her hand and led them both two second floor.

-Mum! -she called rounding hallway carefully gun ready in hand. -Ace!

Five year old boy run out of one room crying running straight to Dona.

-Do! -he cried. -'Una kill men.

-It's okay honey. -Dona hugged him rubbing his back. -Those were bad men, Luna saved you. Where's mum?

-Sleepin'. -he said still crying. Dona pushed him towards Luna in panic and ran into room just to find their mum on the floor.

-Mum! -she screamed checking her for wounds but there was non, she checked her pulse it was there but very weak. She was still alive. Dona took phone then and called ambulance by then Luna got Ace back into room still covered in blood.

-Little Red. -Dona said waiting for ambulance to answer. -Call dad. Call him now from that phone in room and tell him what happened.

Luna nodded seriously and went to phone still holding Ace' hand. Ambulance finally answered and in rush of words Dona explained them what happened. The moment she says Serpent she knew everyone in this City would jump into action. Luna was talking to their dad on phone but Dona stayed by their mum' side checking her pulse all the time till ambulance comes. House was silent seemingly empty, like everyone was dead and she couldn't understand how did two men kill all of the people here just to be killed by ten year old girl. Luna was trained to fight but she was still far from being that good. Little Red Devil was smart too.

-It's so pretty. -Luna whispered to herself and Dona looked at her startled. Luna was looking at her bloody hands smiling. -Blood is so pretty.

*end of flashback dream*

Dona woke up suddenly hitting her head onto table lamp. She fell asleep on table in her office like many times before, and like many times before she had nightmare. She woke up with whisper of "Little Red". Dona shook her head with sigh and rubbed her face with both hands. Sleeping was coming as bad choice those last days, once again she felt old, traumatized like soldier with PTSD. She looked outside of window and it was down, weak light of day just starting to graze the sky. It looked like day will be beautiful but she could feel storm coming towards their City.