Alex could not understand why there was a Demon in the room, and why he was being treated this way by the humans. In fact, he couldn’t understand why a Demon had tanned skin just like the men around him.
‘In the first place, what is a Demon doing in Hell?’ Alex thought. The questions piled up in his head with no answers whatsoever.
His pause didn’t go unnoticed, however. Everyone looked at him, waiting for him to speak, while some even seemed offended.
Tala nudged him from the side. “This is our chief, Yulan.”
Alex moved again, lowering his head slightly. “It is a pleasure to meet you, chief Yulan. My name is Alex, a medicinal paste maker. Please forgive my rudeness just now.”
“Where do you come from, man with such a weird name,” the chief asked.
“From a land far away, chief Yulan.”
“From where? It should have a name,” the man said.
“It is far in the east that would take you months to go. I come from a tribe called the Blue Silk tribe, who live in the valley of Silvermist, deep in the Dawnblade mountains.”
The man raised an eyebrow. “I see. I do believe I have heard of such a place before. But I have also heard that it is very far away. We would never go there.”
Alex didn’t show any emotion on his face.
“Since you are an outsider, normally we would be sending you away, regardless of whether you live or die. However, since you say you can be of some help to us, we shall let you live in this city so long as you prove to us that you deserve it.”
Alex nodded and instantly brought out the many jars of pastes he had. The moment they appeared, all eyes in the room turned to it.
Alex watched those eyes carefully, trying to see if these people were the same as the ones in Longcreek. How would they react to his wealth?
“My tribe is very talented in making pastes. These are just some of the ones I have made in my time while coming here. If you wish for it, I can help make you more.”
The chief finally stood from his seat, coming in close. “May I look at them?” he asked.
Alex nodded.
The chief opened the jars and began smelling inside, sometimes tilting it toward the sunlight that came from the windows. He even called a few people to check it before placing it all back.
“These are incredible. We will allow you to stay in our city, so long as you sell these to us and make some more for us,” the chief said, before quickly adding, “of course, we will pay you handsomely for all of that.”
Alex nodded. “I do not doubt you, chief Yulan. But, could I make a request on what I wish to be paid with?”
The chief narrowed his eyes for a moment before nodding. “Tala told me you were looking for sunhearts. What is it that you need it for?”
“I have my reasons, chief Yulan. I humbly request you to not ask me for them.”
The others around the chief appeared to find offense in that request, but the chief showed no emotions. “I won’t ask you of that if you do not wish to answer,” he said. “But I must as something else of you.”
Alex frowned. “What is it that you wish to know?”
“What you look like,” the chief said. “I wish to remember the face of the person that I’m doing a trade with.”
Alex frowned at that moment. That was one thing he didn’t want to happen considering how the people outside of the desert talked about him with their tiny influence from the desert people.
“Would it be possible to refuse that?” Alex pleaded, but the way they reacted by putting on a serious look on their faces made it clear that he wasn’t going to get away with just words here.
He sighed. “Well, I will show my face, but I must warn you beforehand, I have a really pale skin and have been compared to Death before.”
His words caused a commotion before he even pulled down the mask around his face. As he showed his pale white skin, many of the people in the room immediately reacted by moving away from him.
The chief took a step back, while Tala nearly ran to the door.
“Wow… you weren’t joking,” the chief slowly said, coming in closer. “Your face… its so pale.”
“The place I come from doesn’t get much sunlight,” Alex said. “So I am like this. I do not know what old legends you have of Death, but I will hope that you do not treat me any differently because of that.”
“Legend?” Tala looked at Alex from the side, shaking his head vigorously. “Death isn’t a legend. Death is real.”
He quickly turned toward one of the men next to the chief, an older man with a bald head and a scar next to his eyes. “Inga, you saw Death once, did you not?”
“I did,” the old man said. “I ran away the moment I saw. No man should have to face that thing.”
Alex frowned. Death… was truly real?
“Are you sure you did not just meet someone who looks like me? Someone with a pale skin,” he asked.
“I know Death when I see it,” the old man suddenly got angry at Alex’s accusation. “I have lived 700 years, and I have met many a danger in my life. But nothing has ever come close to being as terrifying as meeting Death.”
“I ran away with my life that day. Do not accuse me of being a liar.”
“My apologies,” Alex quickly said. “I meant no accusation. I am just surprised that the Death everyone talks about truly does exist. I am now quite curious to meet this being.”
The chief quickly shook his head. “May you never be so unlucky to meet Death.”