A MAZE OF GREED

Edwin smirked when the spy of the Centaurs agreed for playing his game.

"I believe you will play fairly and truthfully." He commented.

"Y-yes... yes... My Lord!"

The spy hurried to agree. The spy of the Goblins had a look of hesitance in his eyes. He was not sure if the other man was right about his decision.. He knew Edwin O'Dell well enough to know that when that man was in question, there was no room for a mistake.

But the fourth spy- of the Council- looked resentfully at Edwin and the man beside him. He knew they were doomed. They were going to die anyway then why spill the beans?

"Here comes tonight's first question for you. Do you know each other?" Edwin began the game from right where he had to left it last night.

The spy avoided eye contacting with the other two and nodded. "Y-yes, My Lord!"

"Good! The second question- how?"

This time the man's eyes darted to the other two. But he answered anyway.

"I was told by my Master that I will have some allies in Vincardine, and have to work in cooperation with them. When... when I came to Vincardine a month ago, I was told to visit the church at midnight.

We all... met there for the first time." He finished.

~"So it was all planned in great details."~

~"Edwin, I think the first one knows more. Keep going on with your game and make him open his mouth too."~ Lester suggested.

"You are playing well!" Edwin smiled that relaxed the man's tensed features.

"Now the third question- Why Centaurs decided to send you as a spy in Vincardine?"

Feeling confident and sure than before, the man answered. "My Master... wanted to know what is happening in Vincardine. The rumour that you are not the chosen one reached everywhere. And...."

~"Of course!"~ Lester scoffed.

~"Garfields!"~ Edwin clenched his fists behind his back but maintained his composure.

Finally, he was getting some answers. He could not lose this opportunity by scaring off the man. The bait of life always worked!

"Your Master? But your leader avoided any contact with the werewolves. Then what suddenly piqued his interest in Vincardine?" It was Lester who got more immersed in the game.

The man paused. "Is... is it the fourth question?"

Lester wanted to slap him across the face, but before that, Edwin nodded his head.

The man's face brightened, and he answered. "My M-Master is not our leader. It... it is...."

"Alita!"

The man looked up with surprise. He opened his mouth to ask how Edwin knew it but closed it as there was no use in asking such foolish questions to one of the strongest leaders of all the breeds in the world.

He only nodded in confirmation. "Y-yes, My Lord!"

"You are going good human! Now I will ask you the fifth question and if you answer it truthfully... you will get a small reward." Edwin said genuinely.

"R-reward?" The Goblin's spy mumbled in surprise.

"Y-yes My Lord! I will answer all your questions. But do not forget that you have given me your word. You will grant me my freedom after I win this game."

"Do not worry! My Master has always been true to his word. You will get your freedom IF you win this game." Rees assured the man.

"Fifth question." Edwin deliberately spared a fleeting glance in the first spy's way. "Why Alita got involved in this?"

More than the first spy, Edwin's question made the fourth one shift in nervousness.

"My Lord... I... I..."

"Oh, before that. Let me show you your reward if you answer this question. Rees!" Edwin tilted his head a little.

Rees stepped ahead and removed the cover from a small table that was placed in the middle of the room. All three pairs of eyes bulged out at the sight of delicious food and the bottle of alcohol.

These spies were chained on the walls for more than three days. Since they were brought in here, they were not given a single morsel of food or a sip of water.

"You are running out of time, human. Hurry up or else..." Edwin deliberately trailed off, and Rees started covering the table again.

"No. Stop, please stop! I... I will answer your question My Lord. Please!" The spy pleaded. His bruised mouth watered at the sight of food, the monsters in his stomach growled loudly.

"My Master... she... she was convinced by... someone. They told her that the repetition of history can only be prevented by... defeating the werewolves before things slipped out of hands.

And..."

Edwin only raised his brows to usher him continue further.

"And... Master saw how... how demonic you are at the meeting of the leaders." The man avoided meeting Edwin's gaze, his head bowed low.

Edwin suck a deep breath, his wolf who was dormant for weeks due to the aftereffect of heavy doses of the wolfsbane potion, stirred inside him.

He knew it must be that. The night that sparked the wildfire. The night when it all begun. The night that Edwin lost control of the course of the events. The night became the foundation of the prediction that was written in the Black Book centuries ago.

~"Edwin, calm down! I can hear your heart racing."~ Lester warned.

Lester was not present that night with Edwin, but he knew all the details. Thus he understood the change in Edwin's heartbeats.

Rees stilled momentarily. He had witnessed that night with his own eyes. He was there in that one faithful night with Edwin.

"Very well!" Edwin again tilted his head.

The two guards loosened the restraints on the man's hands, and the joy on his face was indescribable. The other two watched with shocked eyes. They had not expected Edwin to be true to his words.

Rees then pulled the table ahead, and after another nod from Edwin, the man fell on his knees, his legs still chained and started gobbling the food and chugging the wine as a man escaped from the desert after weeks.

"I always keep my words. And now if you answer more of my questions, you will get what you want- freedom!" Edwin said.

"Th-then what about us?" The first spy stuttered. His mouth watered, and his stomach grumbled as the aroma of the food entered his nostrils.

Edwin did not answer but kept looking at the man who was on the verge of giving up.

"Master has already given everyone of you a fair chance. If you do not want to cooperate and play the game fairly, it is your loss."

The man was in dilemma. It was clearly written on his face. The way his eyes darted from left to right, the way his forehead wrinkled, his lips thinned in a straight line, his nervous gulps moving down the throat, the beads of sweat rolling down his body- it all showed in which direction his mind was running.

Lester watched curiously. But he knew that the man would give in. He had to! The bait was luring. Although he was a human, he must be trained in the Goblin world.

The creatures who were known for treachery and greed. Humans tend to pick the traits of others, let them be animals or other humans.

"M-my Lord... I also want to play this game. Please, My Lord!"

"What the hell are you doing? You can not trust them! You know you can not trust them!" The fourth spy cried angrily.

"SHUT UP!" The first spy thundered. "If you want to die then you can. I want to live! My Lord, please allow me playing this game, please!"

Edwin still stayed silent.

"I... I know more than him. I will tell you everything. Please, My Lord!" He tried convincing.

The spy of the Centaurs was busy in stuffing his mouth with food, to pay any attention to what was happening around him.

"Alright! You can join the game." Edwin finally said.

"Sixth question." Edwin announced, making the spy pause eating.

The fourth spy only glared and cursed inwardly.

"Does Centaurs know anything about the six murders in Vincardine?"

"No... No... My Lord! My Master and my breed are as confused and worried as everyone else. We do not know anything about it."

Edwin moved his eyes from the man to look at the first spy.

"He is right! They do not know anything about it." He confirmed.

"Seventh question- Do Goblins have anything to do with these murders?"

That question made the first spy nervous.

"You know that the werewovles can hear the beating of the heart. If you try to lie, your heart will give it out." Lester warned.

After a moment of pondering, the man lastly answered. "The Goblins... they... they know about those six murders. But My Lord, they are not involved in them. They just know who-"

The man instantly bit his tongue, regretting his uncontrollably running mouth. He should not have said that.

Edwin acted to ignore that and kept on asking more questions. With every question asked and the answers are given to them, he was getting near to the conclusion of the investigation.

During that whole time, only he knew how difficult it was for him to keep his animal at bay.