"Zaretta wants to kill him," a thick, commanding accent said.
"We can't just kill him because he happened to be here," another feminine voice countered.
"Let's wait and see what Raye and Zaretta decide," a male voice grumbled. Slowly, my eyes opened.
I realized I was still lying on the cold, hard floor. Pushing myself up on my hands, I carefully sat.
"He's awake!" the woman with the thick accent exclaimed.
She was tall and striking, with stormy grey eyes and a commanding presence. She wore a deep red overcoat that contrasted sharply with a bright yellow ushanka cap.
Beside her were two others: a short, bald man with a thick beard, layered in heavy clothing, his expression one of irritation as if this entire situation were a nuisance; and a young woman, delicate and compact, with short blond hair swept to one side and dark, observant eyes.
Instinctively, I inhaled, letting my senses register the room.
Their aromas mingled—a swirl of cigarettes, faint fruity perfume—but it was overwhelmed by something far fouler: the metallic, sickly stench of blood.
Then it hit me.
The Hulaka.
Blue blood.
A creature meters long.
"Don't worry," the blonde woman said, her tone oddly reassuring. "It's already been taken care of."
Taken care of? That behemoth… taken care of?
Questions erupted in my mind like a torrent as I struggled to stand, desperate to comprehend what had happened.
"You must be confused," a voice said from behind me. A strong hand landed on my shoulder.
I turned to face the owner. A tall man, a head above the others, with thick, dark hair streaked with grey and a broad, solemn face.
His eyes were dark, yet warm, and he smiled gently. His black overcoat was splattered with thick blue stains.
It didn't take long to recognize the source of that smell.
Hulaka blood.
Beside him stood a shorter man, his once-handsome face marred by scars, eyes sharp and green, assessing me as if I were the monster.
"I know you heard our conversation… and saw the Hulaka," the short man said, voice rough. "Kind of a pussy for fainting after that, though."
I opened my mouth to respond, but his partner interrupted.
"I doubt you would have done any better when you first saw a Hulaka, right, Zaretta?"
Zaretta grumbled to himself and stepped back, clearly irritated.
"I'm Raye Jerhy," the taller man said, extending his hand and shaking mine firmly. "Now, why don't we start with how the hell you ended up here?"