I decided to deviate from the main cast this time around and do a little exploration on some side characters. This particular chapter is a sort of prequel to chapter six of A Promessa, a spin-off about Alessio.
"Hey, guys, think we're gonna take too long? I wanna go to that saloon we passed by in Desolation. There might be some lovely people in there too!"
Deathslinger's tail rattled as Chaz went on with his rambling.
"Why did we bring him along, again?" he murmured to Alessio.
"Crimson wanted him out of his hair for a while." was the blunt reply.
"Well, couldn't he have sent him to get milk or something like that? Why did he have to saddle us with him?"
"If he's going to be taking... Moxxie's place in the organization, he should be learning the ropes."
Deathslinger covered his face with his hat and went back to sleep with an irritated grunt, leaving Alessio to deal with their 'charge's' annoying rambling for the time being.
"Say, Al, why did we come all the way to Wrath again?"
Alessio sighed. Surprise, surprise. Chazwick hadn't paid attention at the briefing.
"We're going to make Mr. Flotz an offer he can't refuse," he explained.
"Is this about the singer he's been blackbailing? I think Crimson mentioned something like that."
Alessio nodded. "If Mr. Flotz listens to reason, I should be able to get him to see things our way. Now if not, Deathslinger knows what to do."
The car pulled up at a beautiful villa half an hour later. Alessio awoke Deathslinger with a tail smack before getting off the car, followed soon after by Chaz and the groggy rattlesnake. Alessio was politely received by the villa's proprietor—a tall mongoose hellborn—and led into the house.
Deathslinger grabbed Chaz by the collar of his jacket before he could follow.
"Oh no, you don't. You'll probably make everything go to Hell with that big mouth of yours." the rattlesnake hissed, gesturing for the shark to look around. The place was heavily guarded for a simple 'vacationing home'.
Half an hour later, Chaz whined loudly.
"It's not fair!" the shark pointed to the dining room window, where Alessio sat across Mr. Flotz with a delicious-looking steak in front of him. "How come Alessio gets to eat while we have to wait outside in this heat?!"
"Oh, quit your whining and deal with it, you little dipshit."
Chaz and Deathslinger—the former with crossed arms and a somewhat childish pout—leaned against the car and waited.
Some time later, Flotz got to his feet and started to yell—at least, he seemed to be yelling judging from how wide he was opening his mouth, his bristled fur, baring teeth and the irate look on his face, slowly changing into his true demon form.
Alessio didn't even flinch on the other end of the table. He calmly took a sip of wine, got to his feet, said something and was escorted out of the dining room.
"He said: 'thank you for the dinner and a very pleasant evening. Now, if you'll excuse me, Mr. Knolastname is a man who insists on hearing bad news immediately'." Deathslinger explained.
"Oh, so now you can read lips?"
"Nah. Alessio's simply too predictable for his own good some times."
Chaz whimpered. "I guess that means the saloon will have to wait, right?"
"Look on the bright side, kid," Deathslinger patted Chaz's head. "You'll have a pretty cool story to brag about to those ladies."