Interlude III, Creak District surveillance.

''After spending weeks down at the Labyrinth, it feels strange to come back to the Creak district.'' Abram leaned against an iron fence as he looked at the streets he had to called home for such a long time.

"I figure we may as well check the area again. You are a local, so it's best if you give me a tour. We have only done a few hunts around here, so I'm not familiar, I only know so much about this place. Only the boss has been in the city before. Aurora with her hands in her pocket, looked at the city in the distance.

They were both looking at the district center with an unmissable landmark. Three skyscrapers were collapsed onto each other, still holding themselves in place. They had collapsed in such a way that their ruins still held each other up, but they still looked as if they could simply crash down at any moment.

Around them was the pieces of a city that was never built, but still full of people going about their lives.

''Back fifty years ago, the six great families fought for this city. Their battle ended here in this exact spot. They collapsed the entire center of the city and left it a complete ruin. The families agreed to a cease-fire and divided the city among themselves, with the winner calling themselves the founders.''Abram always kept himself on the move, so he rarely if ever visited the center of the district.

"Everyone knows that, but seeing it sure feels different. This whole town was truly built on the center of a crater.'' Aurora looked at the bustling people making their way through the crowd.

The buildings were trashed and collapsed, and there was a clear unbalance on the ground where homes were built on top of each other. The farther away you went from the center, the less damaged everything looked.

''This is the only real town in the district. We call it Center City. Finding yourself a place here is rather hard because there are too many refugees. Most people who want to immigrate to the city come and get stuck here for life. You may think you will be safer in the middle like so many people, but almost every gang in the district is going to prey on you in there, is better to stay out of sight.'' Abram fixed his cap as they both walked away.

''So that over there, that little fortress, what is that exactly?'' Aurora looked at what seemed to be an abandoned small stadium with multiple guard towers around it. There were armed guards on watch.

''That is the snake nest, the slaver's main hub, and somewhere we don't want to get closer to.'' Aurora laughed as she took off the binoculars, he could see her eye was shining red again.

''Was this the place where you three escaped from? Is this where you arrived in the city? " The demon's happy tone in her voice annoyed him a little, but he let it go.

''Not at all, it was a smaller place, they were probably going to ship me there if things hadn't gone wrong. This is their nest, I believe their leader lives here. The snake gang kidnaps refugees and children from the outskirts and brings them to the city from here. What happens next I have no clue and I would rather not know.''

''Wow, it must be like a marketplace for demon sacrifices, I'm very curious to see it now.'' The demon Amy was going to jump from their hideout, but Abram grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back.

''Get her under control Aurora please.''He held her back, annoyed.

''Is not the time yet, my friend.'' Her smile disappeared as Aurora recovered control of her body. They both walked away without being seen by the guards.

***

Fog rolled down the side of a broken-down car, Arhama slowly looked from behind the car with Aurora at his side. They were in the middle of a junkyard that seemed to stretch for miles, Abram stopped when they heard the barking of a furious dog.

A man with a black coat was walking multiple ferocious dogs that were violently barking. He had a rifle on his back and seemed to be wearing a necklace with bones.

''This is the junkyard of the wolf pack, right? I heard they are extortionists and robbers.''

''Among many things, they tend to be the most violent group around the area, and that is saying something with slavers on the left district. They usually send raiders on to the city. It is hard to live here at all without having to pay them to keep them off your head. We had no money, so Nicholas and I had to fight them off multiple times, so I rather we keep moving please.''Abram held his breath as the wolf guard disappeared deeper into the junkyard.

''That sounds just fine to me.'' She said as the fog surrounded them both as they quietly disappeared.

                                                                               ***

There was the sound of water cascading down. This sound always grew louder as one got closer to the border of the district. Abraham and Aurora looked up. In front of them was a massive wall of steel that raised into the heavens, the city's pipelines releasing water like a cascade.

''This is the borderlands. Farther to the east you can find the gate of the city of Argia. If we get closer to it the guards will get us shot on the spot. Besides, I figure you guys wanted to hear about this place too.''

Within the wall underneath a cascade of waste, there was a massive water entrance. There seemed to be a building within it as one could see multiple lights. Armed guards were walking with brown raincoats that covered their entire bodies.

''They are the worms. We don't know much about them. As far as I know, they are smugglers, but I heard that both the snakes and wolves tried to attack them and ended up pulling back. Honestly, whoever these people are, they are too crazy to live this close to the wall. This is the place where all those demon thralls come from. They all seem to rise from the water, just like so much waste from the city at the other side of the wall above.'' Abram tried to look as far above the wall as he could, but the sun was hurting his eyes as always.

''Interesting, so this is the place where those demons come from, I´ll keep a note on that, I'm honestly surprised at how many dangerous groups there are in the area I wonder why Center City wasn't completely taken over by any of them.'' Abram looked back at her as they walked away from the horrible smell of the borderland.

''They may not have the protection of the Capitol, but they aren't helpless. The center has a citizen guard and that man as well...''

                                                                                ***

''Now everyone, please behave.'' A tall man took a drunk man out of a bar; he was the bartender at the most well-known bar in town, the Devil's Fix, and he was dressed as such in a black tuxedo. He was a black man with short hair and a strong build, but a very kind expression. He gently led the man outside, but the man violently attacked him back. The bartender took the hit to the face and with one hand just raised the drunk man from his feet.

''I will tell you this, not as a bartender, but as the captain of the citizen's watch, I don't mind you hitting me, but if you hurt a neighbor, I will protect you no more.'' He threw the man into the busy streets where multiple people began to surround him. They were all ordinary folk, but they all had a badge on their clothing.

''Now then, I'm sure he got his lesson, Everyone makes sure you all are having a good day, and please take a visit to the Devil's Fix, if you want to take a good drink and get your spirit back up.'' He waved at the people while the guards helped the man stand up and gave him some water to help with the hangover. The man returned to his bar without his tuxedo even getting ruffled.

''That man's name is Rush Collins, the founder of the City Guard. Though that is just a hobby, he mostly works as a bartender there. He is a bit of a hero for the people of this city.'' Aurora giggled, or rather Amy did, as Abram introduced him from within the darkness of an alley.

''I see, that man has a demon with him. I think we should take a trip back below the ground before night falls.''She walked into the ally as Abram looked at the bar one last time.

It is a pity that I was so scared of being found out as a demon summoner, or I could have joined the guard a long time ago. It doesn't matter now.

As the central town went about its daily life of strife, Abram vanished within the white fog of an empty alley.