It was a few hours into the night when a couple showed up on the food cart queue, the man was tall for the slums standards, but other than that and the fact that they both spoke in a hushed voice not much stood out about them.
The line was long and people was starting to feel anxious about not getting their share of free tacos, but the cook appeased the crowd from time to time saying there was enough to go around while stirring his pot with a smile.
People in the slums loved him, though they did not know his name or where did he come from. All they knew about him was that everyday, after sunset, he would show up and offer a free meal to everyone without ever taking cash even when offered.
He didn't provide an explanation nor did he make small talk and his was was always set on the food he was preparing. At first, not many trusted him, but far from being discouraged he always performed his task dutyfully.
He would arrive at sunset and leave only when the last customer was served. He always dressed the same even when rainning, but he never complained about being soaked wet and always did his job with a soothing smile on his face.
But was it actually a soothing smile? Uriel, who was now looking at the man from his spot on the line, doubted it. Something about his smile seemed off, it was teethy and although his face was gentle, his fangs looked uncanny.
It was so weird for Uriel, he suspected he might be a hybrid, but the line moved slowly and he would only be able to confirm it in close proximity. Unless the man showed his true nature before that, of course.
The more Uriel looked at the man, the stranger he looked. Watching him work was the same as watching an assembly like worker, he repeated the same movements mechanically at the same pace. He was skilled, but more than a form of art other street vendors turned serving food into, he was just like a machine, a well oiled one but lacking a soul.
"Hey, don't do anything rush, these people revere that guy and you'll only get us into trouble." Emma whispered after tugging Uriel's shirt. Contrary to Uriel who was an adept fighter, her trait was absolutely useless in combat and she was scared of what could happen if the people got angry.
Even if there weren't any hunters among them, even regular people posed a threat when in big numbers, especially in the slums were it wasn't that rare for people to carry weapons.
Uriel himself wasn't willing to risk a fight, but not for the same reason. He knew that he would be able to take on as many people as he wished, but that was precisely the issue. He didn't want to harm innocent people, but he knew that if push came to shove there would be a lot of blood.
The line was so long it was taking forever for them to get their meal and Uriel deemed it appropriate to ask the person in front of him a couple questions thinking that maybe he too would be tired of waiting.
"Hey, do you know what kind of meat is in those tacos?"
"I don't know, I'm so hungry."
"Don't you think it's suspicious they're handing out food for free?"
"So hungry..."
Uriel asked a couple more questions but something was off. There was nothing strange with the man's voice or his expression, but he kept repeating he was hungry during their conversation and Uriel thought it better to ask somebody else. He walked a couple steps forward and asked a woman, but her reaction took him aback.
"Don't cut the line! I'm hungry!"
"I'm sorry, I was just going to ask you something..."
"I don't care! I already said I'm hungry!"
"Yeah, I'm hungry too." Another man sighed, but then another shouted.
"Hey! someone's trying to cut the line!"
People began mumbling and cussing at him, but Uriel could clearly hear the words 'I'm hungry' coming from most of those people. Had that been all, Uriel would have apologized and gone back to the line, but something else called for his attention.
There was a strange drawing on the floor right beneath the man's feet. Anyone would have thought it was nothing but graffitti, but Uriel knew that symbol and a paralyzing fear struck him on the spot.
"We need to run." Uriel said as drops of sweat began forming on his forehead.
"What's wrong? Just apologize." She scoffed at him trying to hide the fact that she too was scared.
"I know that symbol, it's a native american glyph."
"Why are you flaunting your knowledge in anthropology here of all places?"
"You don't get it... this is worse than I could have imagined. We need to go now, this whole district is doomed." Uriel grabbed Emma's hand and tried to pull her from the line.
"Stop, you're scaring me! What does it mean? Tell me!"
"We need to hurry." Uriel said as he dragged Emma up north, trying to appear there was nothing wrong, but it was too late as Emma was already on the verge of crying.
"Please stop, I need to go back to at least take a picture. If I can't get at least a bit of the reward money I'll have to continue living in the slums and..."
"I don't know if they'll give us the reward without any proof, but it's certainly not worth the risk to go back and take a picture."
"Where are you taking me?"
"I'm taking you to the only expert on this subject, the only person who can help confirm my suspicions, my friend Luna."
"Luna? No, no please! Not that thing! Please, let me go back to my apartment." Emma cried as she didn't want to ever see Luna again, but Uriel ignored her plead and finally explained.
"You wanted to know what that symbol means, right? It means Wendigo."
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