“Hey you,” Darren shouted at the man standing silently at entrance of the market for more than and hour. “Why are stalling the entrance of the market?”
“Interesting,” said the man. “You think I am stalling?”
“I asked you a question and I don’t accept the answer to be another question,” Darren talked in a firm voice, as he resisted his desire to growl.
“Well, I am not stalling,” the man said, “did you see anybody slowed down from entering or leaving the market from where I stood?”
“Yet another question.” Darren was getting furious on the man.
“Humor me for a moment,” the man said with a smile. “You have been standing at the spot, staring at me for almost an hour, was I stalling the entrance?
Darren was silent for a moment too long.
“I see,” the man laughed and continued, “but as you see yourself the protector of this backward village, you decided to occupy your time by harassing an old man, right?”
“Can’t you at least talk without framing every statement as a question?” Darren was growling, a low rumble in the deepest reach of his chest.
“I can, and I will,” the man started to move away, then he turned back all of a sudden and looked intently to Darren and said, “You are happy, and you enjoy your role as village guardian, even though they hate you for being a red.”
Darren reached to pull the scruff of the man, but his hands landed on nothing, they just went through the still smiling man’s body.
The man just laughed, to the terror of Darren.
“Who are you?” Darren squinted his eyes, in an attempt to see the aura of the ethereal stranger, but when he saw none, he shouted, “What are you?”
“My name is Black, Mr. Black,” the man continued smiling as he continued, “and I am here to offer you the Deal of a lifetime,” he paused for effect, reading the face of Darren told him that the young man was ready to hear what he has to offer, so he said, “I can change your aura from red to orange, as you desire.”
“How do you know that?” Darren whispered in fear.
“Why, I am your best friend,” Black smiled and continued, “or I will be, once we strike a Deal.”
Characters from Agartha