Chapter 3: Meeting New Friends

(Chapter 3)

In hindsight, I really should have known that carrying a mutilated corpse, through a place called 'Cannibal town' would draw some attention. Not the kind it would have up top, but attention nonetheless. Despite following Annabella, I was still stopped four times on our way to our destination, and asked if I needed help finding a good butcher. Each time, I had to politely decline, tell them I was quite useful with a knife myself, and that the any meat would be going to Annabella.

Cannibal town was honestly a very delightful place in hell. It was clean, the hollow eyed people, polite, and well dressed, with sharp smiles. It had plenty of nice, neat looking little shops, cafés, and restaurants lining the streets.

Annabella lead me through, what looked like the town square, behind a large building named 'Franklin & Rosie's emporium', and to a smaller row of townhouses, that were so close, that they very nearly connected to the back of the large emporium. The beautiful victorian style buildings just as neat as the rest of cannibal town. Following the blonde cannibal lead me to the town house in the middle of the row of three, and up the stairs to the front door. She then took me through the house and to the basement, that looked as though it had been built to hold, house and butcher bodies. Which makes sense given her and the other residents dietary needs.

"You may use the facilities here as long as you find yourself in need of it. In exchange I expect you will make good on your promise to gift me what remains." Annabella says as she stands next to a chair placed by the stairs, moving to sit and talk until she can watch the show. Smoothing out her pretty green 1900's style dress.

"Of course!" I smile back, walking into a small holding cell in the corner of the room, tossing the temporary corpse on the ground like a sack of potatoes, and chaining it to the wall. "I'm sure the curiosity must be eating at you, you are welcome to ask what ever questions you have." I turn back to her after locking the cell, placing the key on the butchers table across the room out of reach, but in sight of the cell.

"You made a deal for three favors, yet you are unlikely to collect them if you do this. What is your motivation for this?"

"Hmm, I wanted to see how deals worked, it didn't matter to me if his deal was kept. The moment I walked into that alley, my intention was to kill him. If I can use him to test some theories, learn more about deals, and the limitations they hold? Well then, I believe he is a bit more entertaining to keep around. For a short time at least. I always have liked to test my theories. One being that knowledge makes life more fun." I had always been the type to watch documentaries, or read knowledgeable articles for fun, soaking up information like a sponge. I had a wide variety of knowledge at my disposal, though most was a moderate knowledge on the subjects at best. "I take great joy in learning new subject matter, this is simply feeding my own curiosity. I have no doubt that my deadly sins are sloth, pride, and wrath." Though my true temper hardly ever shows due to my patience.

"You made a deal simply to test the waters?!" Annabella looks mortified.

"Eh, basically."

"What is wrong with you! You could have given your soul away to anyone on the street, just to satisfy your curiosity!" She scolds. "And then you followed a cannibal home, to a town named 'Cannibal town', do you know no fear?"

My ears flick back, and my tail that had been swishing happily behind me, stops moving, my tone becoming serious. "It has a long time since I've feared death or destruction." My depression had killed that long ago. "Though I admit my curiosity, or need for entertainment can lead me by the nose at times, I'm good at reading people, and seeing through any masks they wear. I don't go in blind, I can feel the emotions of others far better than you'd ever think possible, and can change my mask to match their energy if needed."

"You have said this is your first day in hell, you do not yet know of the extent your own capabilities, nor do you know how to effectively use them." Her scolding continues.

"Fair point." My annoyance in myself causing my tail to flick. "I need practice. Normally, trial and error is how I learn best, which fits given my craving to test theories and push boundaries. I fell into habit. You are right, I need to learn my limits before I try to test my theories."

"Any experiment can wait, that is until you have power behind your words. From the form you took in the alley, you have an excellent potential for power. Very few can change forms that early, if they have the ability at all."

"So I'm above average? Nice to know." I smile. "If I told you, I was holding back in that alley. Does your impression change? I also rarely feel true rage, yet my protective nature triggers my anger when my bottom line is touched. My guess is that a full transformation will need a much larger trigger."

"The shift in your form was because you wanted to protect me?"

"Yes, and no. The type of people I hunt trigger my protective nature anyway." I shrug. "If you had been someone with ill intent, then I would have simply added your body to the pile. Like I said, I can see through people."

"I suppose I should be thankful for my honest nature." Annabella giggles.

I grin. "You got that right, Tinkerbell."

"Tinkerbell?"

"It's the name of the blonde fairy, that wears a green dress, is always depicted as having her hair styled like yours, and likes to scold her friends." I teasingly explain, moving to the other side of the butchers table to look at the wall of knives, cleavers, sharpeners, and other butchery tools.

Annabella blushes. "I am certainly no fairy."

"Why not?" I give her look over my shoulder, pulling down various knives and testing their sharpness against the pad of my thumb. "I have dubbed thee Tinkerbell, so Tinkerbell is what I shall call you... Unless you absolutely hate it." I shrug with a grin.

"I do not hate it." She looks thoughtful for a moment. "You can stay in the spare room while you have a need for accommodations."

"I shall take you up on your offer, thank you. Once I've delt with our racoon friend, and found another place to stay, I'll be out of your way." I say, sharpening any of the blades I felt below my standard.

"Do not rush. You have much to learn about hell, and the extermination is less than a month away."

I pause. "Extermination?"

"Once a year the angels send an army to exterminate sinners for a select time."

"And I bet they call demons ruthless. At least we are more honest with our dark intentions." I sneer.

"You need lessons on hell if you are going to thrive here..." Annabella says drifting off at the end as a door closes upstairs.

My ears are at attention twitching at every small noise, as the sound of footsteps make their way from the front door to the door that leads to the basement. Baring my fangs a small growl building in my chest at the unexpected visitor with unknown intentions. My form changing like it did in the alley.

A woman's friendly voice rings out, halting any farther thoughts of violence. "Anna! Anna, dear! I've heard you have some unusual company, and despite the bad manners of coming in without invitation, wished to make sure you are safe, darling." Annabella calls out to let her know where we are.

My form shifts back just as fast.

As the doorknob turned my form went back to normal, and a tall, well dressed lady walked down the stairs, her red 1900's style hat matching her beautifully designed dress, and her white hair styled to complete the look.

"Aunt Rosie, I had planned to visit you after my new guest was settled." Annabella says standing to greet the tall cannibal.

"Tinkerbell, of course they would be concerned about you, you still look a little ruffed up, and you had a strange demon following you, carrying a mutilated corpse." I lean back on the butchers table.

Her aunt Rosie looks at me with curiosity. "And who do we have here, Anna dear?"

"A new friend I picked up, much the way you picked up Alastor." Annabella says, "Though because it has been a while since I left town, I was reckless, and did not eat today. I was truly in a pinch."

"Oh?" Rosie's pretty void-like eyes narrowed. "You are old enough to know better than that, darling." She scolds. "Can I assume that creature in the cell, was the one responsible for your predicament?"

"Yes." I answer. "I took care of him. Someone else unfortunately already owns his soul, or it would now be mine. A shame really."

"Oh you. You simply wish to toy with him longer." Annabella giggles.

"And? There's far less entertainment in it this way, even if I get to test a theory or two." I fire back.

Rosie cocks her head. "It's like I'm looking at a reflection of a certain someone. Don't you agree, Anna dear?"

"You see why I brought her home then." Annabella giggles again. "They will either get along swimmingly, or fight like a cat and dog."

"It's too bad he's been gone for 7 years."

"Tinkerbell, it's rude to keep someone out of the conversation loop." I tease going back to sharpening the knives.

"She's right dear, and introductions are still necessary." Rosie smiles, her sharp teeth on full display.

"Snow, this is my aunt, Rosie. Aunt Rosie, this lovely demoness is named Snow." Annabella says.

I hold out my hand to shake, with a smile to be polite. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Rosie."

Rosie chuckles into her hand, shaking mine with her other. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well. Thank you for taking care of little Anna."

"It was no problem. Right place, right time. I guess we are both lucky I dropped into hell directly across the street." I scratch the back of my head, my fuzzy fox ears twitching.

"You're that new?" Rosie looked surprised.

"I was quite shocked as well. She handled herself quite well." Annabella giggles.

"Eh. I caught my choice of prey in the act and couldn't help the rise in my bloodlust. Letting go of the instinct to hunt was... Freeing." I respond.

"Your control over your ice magic was a phenomenal display." Annabella adds.

"Thanks." I rub the back of my neck. "I used it by instinct. I'm sure with proper practice, I'll really be able to blow some minds."

"It looks like you already blew his." Rosie points to the raccoon demon's body.

I let out a laugh, then smirk "I like you. Great humor, and a nice sense of style. This town is quite nice as well."

"I shall take all of those as compliments." Rosie's smile grows.

"Aunt Rosie, is the Overlord of Cannibal town. She is the one in charge here." Annabella shares.

"Well then, allow me compliment you directly. You've done a wonderful job with the place, it feels homey." My demeanor doesn't change, as my tail sways behind me.

Rosie looks me over, before giving me an approving nod. "You have my thanks for the compliments. You hold no greed for what you can get from me, and your compliment is from the heart. Most are uncomfortable with my people due to our diet, yet you seem at ease. Your quite a strange one."

"I'll take that as a compliment. All of your people's fangs aren't bared at me, why should it bother me? And while I never partook in the flesh of my kills, I am no stranger to blood, nor it's taste."

"Wonderful!" Rosie smiles with a clap of her hands. "You truly are a joy. Now you don't have any clothes do you? Let's fix that while you wait for the little creature in the cell to heal, shall we?"