The Preying City

A plethora of materials were laid out on the kitchen table. Some of them were everyday use items like salt and sugar. Beside these common materials lay items of unknown origin kept in containers of all kinds.

Vincent had a serious look in his face as he held the wolf's fang with a pair of tweezers. Submerging it in a gelatinous liquid, he picked it back up and let it dry on a glass. He repeated the procedure for the other fang and boiled some water in a pot. After the water started bubbling, he added some salt after measuring it and proceeded to pour in a cloudy liquid.

The contents of the pot evaporated at a rapid pace and a gooey green substance was all that remained. Moving the remnants of the process to a laboratory glass tube, he dropped the fangs coated in a gel into the tube. The contents sizzled and the fangs melted at a pace discernible to the n.a.k.e.d eye.

Vincent breathed a sigh of relief and let the reaction complete. The sizzling sound gradually stopped and all that was left in the container was a light green liquid that had a light sheen to it.

A soft knock came from the door and Vincent hurriedly cleared the table. Transferring the product to a small glass bottle, he composed himself and opened the door.

Mrs. Lee was standing by the door and smiled at him. "I was wondering if you would like to join us for lunch. My children and the governess just returned from the library. It would be a good opportunity to get to know them. We will all be living under the same roof after all."

"It would be my p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to join you. Could you give me a moment? I will be out in just a second."

He hid the glass bottle inside a drawer and put on a waistcoat over his shirt. Following his landlady, he joined her kids and a young lady for lunch. The kids were both very young and energetic. The older girl looked about eight and had a cute chubby face while the boy was probably a year or two younger and had a face full of curiosity.

"This gentleman is Mr. Burns. He is a certified doctor and just moved in today." Mrs. Lee introduced Vincent to the young woman and continued after turning to him. "The young lady is Beth Swan. She is working as a governess for us right now."

Nodding to acknowledge the introduction, Vincent put on a gentle smile. "It's a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to make your acquaintance miss Swan."

The lady in turn, got up and slightly lifted the hem of her dress while bowing. "Likewise, Mr. Vincent. I heard about you from Mrs. Lee. Welcome back to Kindlewich." She wore a light blue dress topped by a matching shawl and a bonnet. She looked very demure and carried herself like a true lady.

"Thank you"

"The girl is Marie. She will be nine soon. Though she looks demure, she is quite the trouble maker. Issac on the other hand might look full of energy but is very well behaved. I just hope he grows up to be a fine gentleman." Mrs. Lee introduced her children as the timid maid from the morning along with her companion served lunch.

The atmosphere was merry and Vincent enjoyed the never ending questions from the kids. They were curious about anything and everything. Vincent talked a great deal about Arcadia and his travels. The duo were greatly fascinated by his descriptions and grew increasingly excited with each answer. The look in their eyes conveyed their strong interest and they wanted to hear a lot more. Sadly for them, Mrs. Lee had miss Swan take them away for their studies.

"My husband will be back later. Do join us for dinner. I am sure you two will get along very well." Mrs. Lee wanted her husband to meet with Vincent himself. Though she had been given the authority to settle on a suitable tenant, she felt like her husband should at least get to know the other party personally.

"Forgive me for not being able to oblige Mrs. Lee. I already have a dinner appointment tonight. Maybe some other time."

"That's too bad. Do you want supper to be prepared?"

"Yes. That would be excellent." Vincent got back to his room and unpacked. The suitcase was soon emptied and he moved all the earlier apparatuses and materials in it. Locking it secure, he pushed it below his bed.

*****

7:30 pm

White pearl district

Inside a luxurious restaurant, Vincent was dressed in a formal attire and waiting for someone. A middle aged man with a handsome face walked in and joined Vincent.

"Dr. Watson. It is a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to be able to finally meet you. Teacher told me a lot about you." Vincent got up to welcome the man.

"It is good to see you too, young man. Is Dr. Fredrick doing well?" The man had a soothing voice and a charismatic personality.

"Yes. The teacher is doing great. He entrusted me with handing these letters and doc.u.ments to you. He also asked me to convey his wishes to see you at the next medical convention."

Taking the letters and folders off of Vincent's hands, the man placed them inside his briefcase. "I don't have it easy like him. I need to run my hospital while he can talk in front of his students and research. I regret being unable to attend the convention every year too you know. Don't mind my rambling. I will write to him personally so that it won't be hard for you."

"I am sure teacher is just complaining because he wants to see you. He understands that your duties as the hospital's director leaves you with little time." Vincent consoled the man and ordered some dishes. The two men enjoyed their conversation as they ate.

"Vincent. I am greatly impressed by your knowledge. I can see why Frederick praised you so much. Your thinking is indeed ahead of time. Now I can't wait to see you in action. He wrote to me saying that you have the most steady hands he has ever seen."

"It's nothing much when compared to the vast knowledge you have amassed. I look forward to learning a lot from you."

"Haha, don't be so modest. Alright then, I will see you next week in the hospital. I have to go for now. My wife will get angry at me if I get home late." Watson patted Vincent on the shoulders and left after paying the bill.

Vincent popped open his pocket watch. It was just about to hit eight and a half. Grabbing his leather briefcase, he walked out of the restaurant and headed for the Singing Siren bar.

Walking the streets he used to frequent as a child in such a chilly night gave him a refreshing feeling. The street lamps burned bright adding a calming beauty to this city and it awakened a lot of sweet memories in him. Just as he had begun relishing in the wonderful sensation, images filled with blood and gore invaded his mind. A bitter taste filled his mouth and his mood dropped instantly.

He could never get rid of these horrible images from six years ago. They came back to haunt him again and again. Dark thoughts began filling his mind his senses dulled. Cries filled with pain echoed inside his mind and his body started trembling. Reaching for his inner pocket with shaky hands, he took out a bottle of pills. Struggling to put strength into his fingers, he gripped the top and gave it a twist. He poured out the contents and swallowed a pill.

His trembling subsided and his mind calmed down slowly. Putting the extra pills back into the bottle, he closed it firmly and placed the glass container back in his inner pocket. He took consecutive deep breaths and resumed walking as if nothing had happened.

*****

The Singing Siren bar was a popular establishment. Droves of men and women were occupying the huge lounge as they enjoyed the performance of the singing woman on stage.

Vincent looked around and took note of several things. Walking past the couples enjoying their time together, he sat in a corner. A beautiful server dressed scantily approached him and asked if she could take his order.

Handing her a 5 pound note, he leaned closer to her ears and asked, "What's special on the menu?"

The server pushed the money down her cleavage and put on a brilliant smile. "What are you looking for? Guns? Drugs? Or a good time?"

"Get me your most powerful revolver and 50 rounds of ammunition."

"That will be 20 pounds."

Vincent ignored the high price and handed a 20 pound note to the girl. The guns here came with no records and no strings attached. So the higher price was perfectly fine for people in not the most well respected professions. Vincent had his custom pistol but he couldn't waste it's ammunition as he had a limited number of it. He would have to be frugal with them until he found a skilled ammunition maker working outside the authorities' radar.

The server returned with a glass of wine and a neatly wrapped present box. She sat next to him and handed the box over to him in a loving manner. Vincent undid the wrapping and checked the content. Satisfied with the merchandise, he nodded and pushed the wine to her. "For you my lovely lady."

"You don't have to be so skeptical you know. We are fair when it comes to trade, there's nothing in the drink." Saying so, she downed the entire glass and made a satisfied expression.

Vincent put the gift box inside his briefcase and got up to leave. The server leaned on him and brought her face next to his. The smell of her perfume assaulted his nose and a soft seductive whisper made its way into his ears inducing all sorts of emotions that made a man lose his reasoning, "If you are this generous all the time and want to have a good time. Look for me, I will give you a special service."

He pretended to shrug off her advance and swiftly exited the bar. Calming his nerves, he thought to himself, 'Women really are dangerous. Their attacks are lethal in their own ways. Too bad I couldn't get a single clue regarding the violet room. I will lay low for now. I will come back after I have sufficient information and ample preparations.'