Finding Andria

"Their much closer," He barely heard Meleden said.

Charles widens the gaps of the door and pasted himself closer on the wall, trying to eavesdrop discreetly as much as possible. He wasn't allowed to go out of the little room and he told himself he wasn't, he convinced himself he was only trying to see what's outside.

"We have to move out," he heard again.

There was a shuffling and a second voice said, "We will."

Another pause as if it was finality, then after a moment Malden spoke again.

"Aren't you going to do something?"

Charles didn't expect any response, but a few moments passed he heard it again.

"They've been killing the last one of us. I'm not about to let them kill the others and find new ones."

"So we're still off to run to find them." Malden said as a matter-of-fact.

"No. We're off to get them off the others track."

There was another pause, and Charles could tell they were moving away when the next voice rang a little fainter.

"The next time I see him, it will be the last."

Charles felt an exciting shiver and dread at the same time, but which he didn't mind the latter. Because he knew it from his heart, finally, this was what he had been waiting for.

******

It had been raining all day, the street was slick and wet, it had gotten colder and Charles had been having a very bad day.

He was watching the little damp store behind the alleyway, he couldn't find himself to walk in it and ask for Dragon tattoo to come out. Seriously, he thought. It would feel like tipping that person of his intention before he even figures out who it was.

Having the encounter with that woman half a month ago had given him ideas what they are, not exactly who and what they really are, but someone who he wouldn't even believe if he didn't had the encounter himself.

He was still barely grasping the full truth of what had taken place. He couldn't remember what secret he had given her, but it couldn't be that important that his family business might be in danger, no it seems she intent to keep it for herself which ease him a little bit.

Trying to find Dragon Tattoo was done the day after of his encounter with the woman, whoever she was.

He had hired a private detective and bribed him in finding the said person for just days, supplying only the knowledge that the person were residing a temporary residence on the city. The detective though had gone two full weeks tracking the person personally, and avoiding being caught at the same time.

The man in job had asked him if he was serious having business with the Dragon, which they both found out was a dangerous big man. He said yes, just to lie and backed his stories up, and the detective told him he was barely caught snooping around Dragon's life, though after being paid the detective stopped asking him questions himself.

But because he found out what Dragon was, he begun to have this sense of foreboding. He couldn't stop now, he told himself firmly. He already has leads to find Andria, and who knows how much closer he already is to her. Maybe just another step and he'll already find her.

Charles stopped his brooding when the door of the old store swung open and voices came echoing on the silent alley.

A man turned around his back in front of Charles, speaking silently that he couldn't hear him anymore, and another taller, big built man half appeared on the open door and nodded to the other. The shadows hid his features but Charles felt the sense of recognition. For no reason he already knows who Dragon Tattoo was.

The other man gave his final farewell and left walking on the opposite direction from Charles, much to his relief.

He watched again as the door closed. He shivers beneath his jacket. The damn cold was getting through his attire and if he continues lounging out there his going to freeze himself eventually.

He rallied with himself. He had to get this over with, whatever he felt now it wouldn't help him in finding her.

Pulling his jacket closer to him, he took a deep breath and pushed himself away from the wall and strode straight onto the old store.

The place was a lot older than he thought. It was a horrible example of a damaged, dirty, shabby building. He was afraid it might go down on his head and bury him dead underneath it.

He straightened and stopped himself from imagining those things. And eventually he found the strength to pull the iron-wooden door and stepped inside.

He sighed in relief. The room was obviously warmer, and he could smell fresh baked cinnamon bread that made his stomach grumble in hunger. He was surprised to find himself starve that he didn't paid attention on the man who appeared from behind another door.

There was two table shoved on the wall. Candles burnt on candelabras that rested on the tables making shadows dance everywhere, though from outside it looked very dangerous the place wasn't bad at all. But what surprises him more was that the detective he had hired had been mistaking about the store. There was nothing there to sell. There were only furniture on what he guessed might be the living room.

"What do you want?" The voice boomed dangerously on the small space that Charles felt like a child guiltily caught snooping around.

He cleared his voice and straightens his shoulders, stopping himself to fidget.

"I am…" he paused unsure if he needs to mention the name or pretend he was lost. Well from the looks of the bigger man he wouldn't be fooled of the lie.

"I'm sorry. My name is Charles, and I'm looking for a man named Dragon Tattoo, I have been told I can find him here."

He couldn't see his face, not when the man narrowed his eyes to look at Charles.

Charles waited a reply, but didn't hear one; he was very uncomfortable on the way the man loomed there standing in silent. He couldn't just stand there and wait to get himself kick out, he needed to do something and babbling his head off was way better than doing nothing at all.

Since he eerily begun to believe the big man might be who he was looking for he decided to get it over with.

"I will pay any price, any memory, anything at all. Just please, let me know where I can find Andria."

He couldn't remember the last time he sounded squeaky and full of thick emotion, that he shivered right then and there so severely that he begun to chatter his teeth.

What the hell is wrong with him now?

He clutched himself tighter hugging his lean body on himself and willed his mind to stop shivering. It wasn't cold for God sake, it was warmer when he entered and the big man appeared to be as before. He was the only one feeling ice cold.

He watched as the stranger folded his thick arms in front of himself and leans on the door frame. He was watching him, and when the dancing light barely caught his face, Charles knew the stranger was watching him in amus.e.m.e.nt.

"What's so funny?" He asked his teeth chattering so hard it might break.

He felt a sense of déjà vu. The woman had laughed at him too and it made him feel foolish and stupid.

"Why am I cold?" He asked his voice turning accusatory.

"Why ask me?"

He heard the man speak, voice a little shaky that meant he was barely containing his laugh.

Charles cursed under his breath. If he hears another laugh he promises himself that it would be the end of all the insult.

"Stop doing whatever you're doing!" Charles almost screamed. "Make this cold go away!"

"Are you telling me you have no idea what you have gotten into?"

Charles looks at the man; face once again silhouetted by darkness. He couldn't see the stunned face of the stranger. And he easily mistook what he said to more obvious thing.

"Whatever price it takes, I need to find her."

"You said you are cold, and yet you have no idea why." The big man suddenly said.

Charles lifted his head and glared at him. "You of course have an idea."

Finally the big man pushed himself away from the door and stepped towards the light. Charles stared stupefied. The man has long beard. There was a tattoo of something drawn on the right side of his big face, he was taller, bigger, and staring down at him in the most dangerous look he have ever experienced.

His breath had caught on his throat.

He realized the bigger man can easily lift him off of the floor and throw him out.

"You are in a stranger's place, unwelcomed and annoying, and yet accusing me of doing something that obviously is not."

Charles could only stare.

What?

"I can just throw you out of here for trespassing young man."

It was those moment when Charles realized he was terrified that his body recognized the threat feeling cold without any change of temperature.

The man just stared down at him and scowled as if he couldn't believe that Charles is an idiot.

The tension lifted when they heard the door open, both stared to the person who came in.

"You didn't tell me you have company tonight." A young girl of maybe 18 stared at both of them, pulling her hood out of her head revealing a crop curly hair of dark color. Charles also stared, the girl has caramel skin, big eyes and pointy nose, and she was pretty even though wearing casual clothes.

"He is an uninvited guest." Dragon Tattoo grumbled.

"Oh." The girl said. She walked passed Charles and stood next to Dragon Tattoo. "Then who is he?" She whispered to him.

"He said he was looking for someone."

The girl stared at Charles. "I guess it wasn't me?"

Dragon Tattoo grumbled under his breath again, annoyance clearly written on his bearded face.

"I am looking for Andria." Charles suddenly said, hearing the two whispers to each other.

The girl looked taken aback. She wasn't expecting that.

"Well..." She started. "Her huh..." She whispered.

Charles could see the new girl knew who his talking about but looked as unwelcoming as the big man.

"A clueless boy barging in, and demands something what he didn't understand." The big man said shaking his head. He looked as if he was ready to kick Charles out.

The man pinched his forehead, not anywhere happy that his stock with Charles.

"There's something about you too." Charles begun saying. "Just like the woman I had met before. She took something from me, a secret that I couldn't remember anymore. She gave me information's about Andria, though the only help I get is that a man named Dragon Tattoo might know where she is. I know the moment she laid her eyes on me she was something different. And I can sense that to you too. If, if you can tell me where she is, I can go on my way. I can pretend that I never been here, didn't know you and never saw you. I just need to find Andria."

The girl glanced towards Dragon Tattoo. Wondering what his going to say, the man seems well off, but is treading on a wrong side of the coin. She can understand asking for Andria if only his not human, but clearly this man has no idea who and where his trying to get himself into.

"I should kick you out of here boy. You're as innocent as a new born baby you do not belong here." Dragon Tattoo said.

Anger bubbled up from within Charles, his no longer so innocent. He saw his parent's deaths. He watched as his sister died in front of him, his so weak he couldn't even understand what is going on. How can he have his revenge if this is how he will always be?

"Then why does my whole family have to die just because of my sister having the Red disease? Why do people have to resort to deaths only because they said my sister needs to die? That man, he told me to find Andria. That she has the answer I seek. I need to find her for my whole family dying unjustly!" Charles burst out, his emotion clearly written on his face.

The two have been surprised. It was that Red Disease that had plagued everyone out there.

The girl sympathizes, she clearly know what that virus had done to its victims and to tell that his whole family died because her sister caught the virus.

She glanced towards Dragon Tattoo again waiting for his response. This is his place, and the man is speaking to him, clearly it wasn't her place to answer though she knew why.

"You said your sister caught the disease?" Dragon Tattoo asked only to confirm what he heard.

"And she's dead," Charles said dead pan.

The man walked to the door and turned every locked available. He walked near to a table and sat down on a chair. Charles suddenly felt claustrophobic. Both the woman he had his first information and this has a way of unnerving him.

"The way you describe your experience, I assume you already encountered one of them. Let me give you the options so that you may choose which to take. You are indeed correct that I am Dragon, I am known with that name around my own people. I trade on information's. With it a price I place in exchange of what I release. What I need is five years of your lifespan for the information's you seek."

Charles has gone speechless. He expected him to ask for his secrets, but instead he asked him something he never even thought possible. Is the information worth it to give up five years of his lifespan? Is it even possible for someone to have it from someone else? But Charles knew Dragon isn't just another human.

"You may open the door and walk right out of here, and pretend that we never had this conversation. Or you may accept. I'll give you a worthy information's for a price of five years of your lifespan. You may not answer me right away, think through this first. Once you're in, there's no turning back because this will change your entire life."

Charles had lived for this purpose. He badly needed to understand his family's deaths. If giving something vital of his being just to find Andria, then he has no choice. What will happen to him if he walks out of there and pretend to live his life normally? He will forever live in guilt. His parents died protecting them. His sister caught the virus and died in a very gruesome way. He knew he can never forgive himself if he let this chance go.

"Where is Andria?" Charles finally said.

Dragon sighed, disappointed at Charles decision.

"Then it's a deal." Dragon confirmed and Charles nodded.

"This is not worth breaking. Once a promise is made we will proceed through it." Dragon glared at Charles. "Or face rather more complicated consequences." Dragon added.

What more complications are out there rather than taking 5 years of his lifespan from him? He couldn't even believe it if he didn't encounter the woman at the hotel.

Charles eyed the man and the pretty girl standing near the side door watching them. He wondered what she is truly.

Dragon Tattoo then said, "Irife, prepare a cup of coffee for the young man, his obviously out of his wits right now to ask for my payment."

Irife, the pretty girl nodded once and disappear behind the door at the back, she was in a hurry to hear what his old man is going to say.

"You sit here," He gestured for the other chair in front to Charles, clearly demanding him not to loiter in the center of the room.

When Charles complied he realized how tense he was, though he still can't relax his anticipation keeps his b.u.t.t stock on the chair.