P.A.L.E. G.A.S.

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Rules: 2) The candidates chosen MUST participate or they die within 30 days. The Vice is cast out of the mortal world.

Eastern District

Harland strode down the street, tucking his hat underneath his arm as he reached up to knock on the broad, intimidating, overly decorated wooden door leading into the house of the landlord who held his mother in an impossible debt.

The house was as close to the Central District without actually being so, still legally in the Eastern, which is exactly what gave the lord authority over Ms. Nox. Har grinned charmingly at the servant girl who answered the door, causing the young girl to blush deeply.

"I'm here to speak with your lord," he said quite chipper.

She nodded, not quite looking him in the eye and closed the door behind him as he entered the expensive house. It was probably three times as large as the house he and his mother lived in, also owned by Lord Trent. Though he hid it, Harland was ready to smack that man off the surface of the earth into another realm if need be.

As Harland followed the servant girl up the stairs, he couldn't help but be glad that the lord hated him so much that he didn't even bother to tie him down as well as his mother. Though, if the debt hadn't been paid by the time his mother died, then Har was stuck trying to fulfill it.

A thief's nimble fingers could only do so much for one man.

"Lord Trent is inside," the girl said softly, still avoiding eye contact with him.

Har smiled at her again, and the poor thing's ears turned a deeper shade of pink. "Thank you." Har rubbed his hands together, mentally preparing himself for the deal of a lifetime, and, once he had risen his hand to knock on the door, it swung inwards to reveal the disgustingly rotund lord in the entryway.

"Don't you have anywhere else to be, boy?" he said irritably, turning around back into his office of sorts.

Harland strode in carefully. "Not when I can make you a bargain that could ease my mother's debt."

Trent scoffed. "Even if you were to thief your way through life, I doubt you could already have the requirements to our deal made just last week. You know what I require."

Harland scratched his scalp and chuckled a little nervously. "Yes, but . . . like I said, I have a bargain."

Trent sat behind his desk, looking mildly intrigued but otherwise ready to be finished. "Go ahead. I won't rid of you otherwise."

Har pulled out the ring from his trouser pocket. "It came to my attention that your wife was missing her wedding ring."

This grasped the lord's attention rather quickly and he arose sharply, the face behind his large mustache slowly flushing in anger. Harland took a moment to enjoy how the red spread across his face and neck like water on a flat stone.

"Y-y-y-you little --" Trent began to stalk towards the young man who nimbly dashed on the other side of a well cushioned chair.

"First: you have no proof that I stole this." Har dashed behind the desk as Trent grabbed for his throat. "Second: it does seem like you want this desperately so it would benefit the both of us if you would --"

Trent stopped, practically sputtering in anger. Harland felt his stomach drop in unease. It seemed like he definitely should have approached this quite differently. Trent rushed to his desk and picked up the phone, his fingers going around the dial as he entered the number he was to call.