"I ought to be thy Adam,

  but I am rather the fallen angel."

  - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

  He kept the hood on concealing as much of his face as possible. Micah looked around in different bars as well as places that seemed crowded. Seeing people have intercourse out in the open was distasteful. He knew about Sodom and Gomorrah, Micah knew their entire history. God had burned this place down with sulfur and flames, and Micah thought it was a exceptional choice. He had never felt this uncomfortable in his life, being raised in a monastery and spending his entire life in nothing other than cathedrals. The monks and priest would go around Sodom beating everyone with planks of wood, and holy water would have been thrown on them as well. Micah said a small prayer as he walked through the mob.

  The cleanliness of this place was atrocious. His best choice was to keep his hands inside his pockets. Only God knew what certain liquids were or where they came from. The smell was rancid, and he covered his nose. Bless the fact that this city was not known to be real, as only a specific kind of human would willingly visit here. Other than himself, but honestly he was not here by his own free will. Micah still wished this was all a horrible dream. He heard men arguing by a bar, a punch thrown here, a kick thrown there. 'Animals.' he thought to himself. He was about to give up, except then he saw her. Micah ran over, grabbing her arm.

  "Ruth!" She had given the impression that she was just as pleased to see him. Virgil wagged his tail. Even seeing the mutt put a smile on Micah’s face. They both were safe and not a scratch on their bodies.

  "We have had no luck." she put her sword back and released Virgil from his leash. Micah pet the dog, he would never complain about the dog’s breath ever again after having to smell the worst of the worst. In fact, the dog was ten times cleaner than the people of Sodom. He would gladly share a bowl of water with Virgil after everything he saw and witnessed.

  “Let's stay together, I know Nicodemus said splitting up would be better, however I was not aware how bad this place was. I am sorry you had to see most of it." He knew Ruth was engaged. She must have been uncomfortable witnessing it all. She agreed, and Virgil lead them through different alley ways and street corners.

  "Have you seen Nicodemus?" she asked,

  "No... I was hoping you did." Micah felt nothing but intense regret leaving him. Worse, he had no success finding Cain. Ruth wrapped her arm around his and rested her head on his shoulder. He leaned his head on top. The three of them found a small outside bar, it was the only one that looked clean and empty. Micah pulled a chair out for her and sat next to her. Virgil rested on Micah’s boots.

  "How did things end up between you and him? From my understanding there is a slight tension in the air." Ruth commented.

  "Demus and I? I don't know, we were fine at the inn." Micah rubbed the back of his neck, remembering everything. "I have noticed he seems to rely too much on those pills you give him. And I am curious, why am I nor you being affected. We have traveled together for two days and only he is suffering."

  "It's for his anxiety. His majesty has gone through many experiences. He has nightmares and does not get enough sleep. I was surprised, he looked well-rested when leaving the inn. Did he sleep a lot?" Ruth knew they stayed up a bit, just not as long as they truly had.

  "..." Micah would not tell her what happened. He did not know fully how bad it was for Nicodemus. If he knew, he would have sent him straight to bed. Was that why he ended up reading instead? Micah stayed quiet and chose not to respond to her question.

  "Micah, a simple yes or no would be better than—"

  "He stayed up reading a book." Micah would not answer more. The bartender came up to them handing them both menus. Ruth ordered them water. Micah turned his head and saw a brothel, inside a few ladies gathered by. A tall figure glanced back a few times before walking straight in. He appeared human. He did not wear a mask and his face was not a blur like everyone else. Micah pulled Ruth's arm to get her attention. He leaned and whispered in her ear.

  "Hey... I think I found the guy were looking for."

  "Nicodemus?" Ruth looked back with a smile. Micah felt bad to disappoint.

  “No—Cain, he stepped inside that building." Ruth glanced over, then noticed a sign.

  ' Angel's Trumpet Bar and Women! '

  Once the bartender delivered their drinks, he grabbed the cup and chugged the water. He was about to do, as well as say, something tremendously stupid—except that to Micah, the plan would be perfect, brilliant even. He knew he would be the best one to pull it off. Ruth arched her brow, when she noticed how red his cheeks had gotten. He leaned in.

  "I need you to help me look like a woman." Micah said

  "???" Ruth spilled the water on her cloak due to the sudden shock of his brilliant plan. Micah grabbed a few napkins and helped her clean. He was not thinking and blurted it out, he could have said it a better way, but sometimes getting straight to the point was the best solution. Either way, was there even a way to make it seem less extreme? He pointed back at a smaller sign, trying to get her to understand his plan.

  "Female entry is free, so are the drinks I assume."

  "We have money."

  "Yes, however I need to get close to that pervert. Who goes into a brothel? Worse! Who goes into a brothel in Sodom?!"

  "Micah, I am a woman, just tell me what to do. There is no need for you to cross-dress." She got up, and went to pay the bartender. Micah followed behind her.

  "No, Listen, I’d rather not actually risk a woman, or you. Lets trade clothes." He took off his cloak, and handed it to her. She declined and helped him put it back on.

  "My clothes do not fit you. If we are going to do this, at least...buy an outfit that would work for your body." She pulled him out of the bar calling for Virgil to follow behind. Micah was surprised to see how she did not question it much after. He liked that about Ruth, she was much the 'Whatever let’s try it.' type of gal.

  The three of them walked over to a small shop. A few ladies had asked if Micah was shopping for his wife, he would assume they were taking about Ruth. They brought out some short skirts and decorative bras. Most certainly not, Ruth would even hate it. Micah had found a skirt and sheer shirt that would fit him just fine. He turned to Ruth raising it in the air. She nodded, that was her seal of approval. Ruth grabbed a headscarf and some cheap makeup.

  Luckily, Micah had softer features and long hair, hiding in the red light of the lanterns and torches would make it harder for any sane person to be able to notice that he was in fact a man. They ran back into the bar and stepped into a bathroom. Micah quickly undressed and Ruth turned her gaze to the door. Once he had the clothes on he had Ruth put Kohl on his eyes, light red lipstick and some blush. He put on the head scarf and allowed a few silver curls to escape, he wet them just a bit to re-gain their springiness. Micah stretched the shirt out a bit, his shoulders were a bit bigger than the average woman's.

  "You seem to know plenty about being a lady." Ruth said as she folded his clothes into a bag. Ruth had some make up on as well, Micah was not going to do this alone. They had agreed to go in together in case one needed backup.

  "Not my first time, not my last." He smiled wide. Micah examined himself in the mirror and fixed some final touches. "I was raised by women, don't get the wrong idea. I had once snuck out in a habit, sister Gabriela was upset with me when she found out I had accidentally ripped her new one. I will say it is much easier to pass off in nuns clothes, all the clothes those ladies sold were too scandalous. " He turned and glanced at Ruth, he stood up and did a small spin.

  "Pretty!" she said cleaning a bit of lipstick off his face.

  "Thanks!" He got up and opened the door for her. They both walked out arm in arm. The bartender did a double take, it was weird, for a man and woman walked in, only this time two women walked out. Micah would make sure to never return to this bar.

  They made their way to the entrance, torches lit the entire place up. They were both fully aware that they had absolutely no idea where they were headed, and or which room the man was in. Virgil was left outside—to keep guard—if anything he would run in and help, at least Micah had hoped. Micah held and waved a fan in front of his face, trying his best to look as if he were nothing except a damsel in need of a good time. Ruth held his arm as they gossiped about people who did not exist. They were exceptional trash talkers. Micah peeked in a small dining area. He saw inside and noticed that same man sitting alone at the edge of the diner. He had his hood off. The man appeared to be young, he was handsome too. His hair was shoulder-length and curly.

  Ruth scanned the area as well, they both agreed that this was him. Micah pushed Ruth in and she stopped herself from stumbling on a chair, she looked backed and pointed a not so nice finger at Micah, soon he walked in still waving the fan. She led the way and sat two seats distance from the man. A sweet server stopped and welcomed her in. Micah sat down next to her and put his fan down.

  "Ladies, welcome to Angel's Trumpet. May I start you off with anything?" The server said, offering them waters to start. Micah kicked Ruth underneath the table making her talk for the both of them.

  "Me and my... Cousin will start off with your best red wine." Ruth said, They should have planned their roles off beforehand.

  "Great, by the way, ladies drink free. Many gentlemen leave prepaid and open tabs. You two might get lucky tonight." She winked at both of them. Micah tried his best to hide his disgust by smiling and giggling. They sat in silence for a bit. Micah turned to face Ruth, it was a helpful spot for her to be sitting in since he had the perfect view of him.

  "So, my beautiful cousin! Would you look at this, there is a handsome young man right next to you! Heeellllooooo!" Micah raised his voice by a few octaves. He saw the man slightly turn his head to look at them, he held what seemed like whiskey in his hand. He turned back to take a sip ignoring them both. Micah opened his mouth in shock. Never had he, as a woman, been ignored like that. Ruth chuckled.

  "I am sorry about her, she had a few drinks." Ruth turned to the man and extended her hand. The man peered at her and shook it.

  “It's alright, I am not paying for your drinks. I pay for myself, so don't get any ideas.” He said, turning to drink the rest. Micah rolled his eyes. He was not asking him to pay for anything, it is rude to ignore a woman.

  "Do not worry, handsome. We are covered anyways. What brings you in here?" Micah asked, He hoped to get the man comfortable enough to talk to them. That way finding out his name would be easy. If worst comes, trapping him inside a room until he stated his identity was the second best option. Micah could tell he was a regular human. He did not hide his face like everyone else. His eyes also showed the signs of having a soul, unlike most, including the bartender and server. Their eyes were dull, and lifeless.

  "I come here just for the drinks. This is the only place where I can trust they do not contain other...fluids." He raised his hand and mouth a 'One more.' and gestured a 'Bring the tab.' Micah had to act fast or they would lose him.

  "Oh we understand, we come here cause of the free drinks too." Micah said, he checked the man's body language. He looked relaxed.

  "Well, congrats on your free drinks. Stay safe. There are many weirdos, so be careful who you go home with." Bingo! Micah thought. This had to be a clue.

  "What is your name?" Ruth asked. Micah pinched her. In any red-light district, no smart person goes by their actual name. The man turned his body fully and got up. He was headed straight for the exit. Micah ran after him.

  "Wait!"

  "Why would I tell you my name?" He grabbed the glass of whiskey and drank it all in one go. Ruth just had to speak. Micah couldn't be mad. She couldn’t have known that in Sodom no one truly goes by their name.

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  “No, no you're absolutely right! We apologize, good sir. Please just join us for this last drink." Micah blinked a few times, and pleaded. The man probably was not aware how tall Micah was now that they both stood up. His eyes scanned his body. Micah gulped hoping his secret was not exposed. He was staring at him for too long.

  “No, thank you." The man said.

  "Wait! I-" Micah would have to take one for Ruth. "I want to sleep with you. You are so handsome, so strong, I promise to show you a good time." Micah cringed at what he had just said. He got closer. He felt super bad seeing that he was in fact much taller than him. This better have been Cain if it meant putting his pride aside and show no shame. Ruth face-palmed behind him.

  "No." He stated, there was no way in heavens this man was changing his mind. 'Thank God.' Micah thought. He was happy to get rejected this once. The man kept looking at Micah almost as if he was trying to read him. His expression darkened. He scanned his face. There was a look of suspicion, the same look one makes when they can recognize something, simply just can't figure out what it is.

  "I know what you are." He said. Micah panicked, was his cover blown?

  "What do you mean by that?" Micah stepped back and bumped into Ruth. She held on to his arm, Micah felt his heart start to race. If he had found out he was not a woman things could get ugly. Ruth might get hurt too. He thought about calling Virgil in nonetheless he held off on the idea for a moment.

  "You look like someone I once knew." The mans eyes flashed downward. Micah and Ruth made the same facial expression 'The fuck?' Micah had not seen this man once in his life, if this was Cain this certainly would be their first time meeting. If not, they wouldn't have pulled this entire trick just to talk to him.

  "You must be mistaken." Micah said, he did not realize when he had dropped his voice back down to his normal tone. The man was shocked and embarrassed. Ruth punched his back. Ah, his cover was definitely blown now. He did not care much anymore, talking in a higher voice than his was a strain to his throat anyways.

  "Anywho! We should get going!" Ruth walked forward pushing Micah before they got into a deeper mess. The man reached out and stopped them. He had threatened them.

  "Unless you plan to leave without both your hands, you have some explaining to do. You can't fool me. You're a succubus. Explain yourself." The man pulled Micah close to him and pointed his dagger to his throat. Micah felt a sense of relief. He could get away with being a succubus. Ruth pulled out her sword and pointed it at Cain. Micah did not enjoy being in the middle of two blades. He tried to speak to Ruth with only his eyes, however she did not seem to take notice.

  "Let him go." She stepped closer, Micah, for once, knew it was better to stay silent. He felt the dagger press lightly on his Adams apple. He extended his neck up a bit. If he was going to die, could he not be dressed like this and in Sodom of all places. If the sisters back home found out they would try to kill him a second time.

  "No, tell me what your deal is." The man tightened his grip on Micah even more. Micah bent his knees slightly, arching his back was a little too uncomfortable for him. 'Call the mutt.' he mouthed. Ruth squinted but alas, she did not know how to read lips. In the background the server dropped the glasses of wine. This was not the best picture. The three of them turned back. Micah elbowed the man in his chest the second the dagger was away from his neck. Ruth charged and hit him with the hilt of the sword, he fell over knocking down a few chairs. Micah quickly pinned his arms and got on top of him.

  "I am so sorry, you need to come with us." Micah apologized. Now, they had an idea of who this man was, two options. One he was Cain, two he was a weird pervert. The man snarled. He raised his pelvis up, Micah fell forward. The man trapped his left arm and locked his leg in between his own, fully turning Micah over on the other side. Being scissor swept caught him off guard. The man was on top now, he scanned the area for his dagger, however Ruth had snuck and rear choked him into submission. She tightened her grip on his neck, and lifted her arms up.

  "We said, you need to come with us." She pulled him off Micah, the man tapped her arm fast letting her know he was unable to breath.

  "Why do you need me?” he asked.

  Ruth loosened her grip slightly. Her bicep had him gasping for even a sliver of air. Micah got up fixing his skirt, he was a mess. His hair was undone and the scarf had fully fallen off. He heard a small tear on the shirt again. Chances of returning it was little to none now.

  "GET OUT!" The server yelled. They had made enough of a mess by now. Ruth tried her best to apologize and pay in silver for the inconvenience. After the fee was paid she held on to Cain.

  Micah called for Virgil, and waited for him to arrive. He took the man out of Ruth’s grasp and tied his headscarf around his arms. He was grateful that this treatment was considered normal in Sodom. Virgil stood behind the man. Ruth ran ahead and paid for a private room. The woman behind the counter saw the mess. She took the gold coin and handed Ruth the key. No further words asked, and went back to reading her book. Micah had the man’s mouth covered with a piece of cloth. He would not be able to call for help nor bite his hand off. If he needed to scream, he was more than welcome to in the privacy of their lovers suite.

  .    .   .

  They struggled as they made their way into the bedroom. The man fully resisted until Micah punched his stomach and threw him over his shoulder. Room 53 X was their room, Ruth opened the door and inside was a giant bed. The room had an artificial and almost too sweet smell of rose incense. They must have looked absolutely insane to the guests walking past them. Seeing a man tied up and struggling yet not one person chose to help. Micah was prepared to have anyone at least try to save the man, merely no one bats an eye anymore. In the room, Micah put him down and front kicked the man to the bed. The man fell over the bed and turned his body, to get a better look at what would happen next. He was enraged. Ruth walked over and hooked the scarf to a chain near the bed. Micah would rather not question why there was a long chain in the room. He had a pretty lively imagination already. Virgil jumped on top of the bed and laid himself in-between pillows.

  "We will set you free eventually, we just have a few questions." Micah said, he pulled a chair in front of him and sat down, the skirt covered most of his legs still. He was positive he looked not a bit intimidating. Ruth took the mouth gag off and allowed the man to open his mouth and speak. He moved his jaw a bit and stretched his neck out.

  "WHAT THE HELL?" He spat right after. He tried to move around yet was held still by the chain.

  "Just answer a few questions." Ruth stood by the door, sword in hand. Micah sighed and got a bit closer to him. He wished they could get over this, there were much more important matters at hand, dealing with this man was taking up too much time.

  "You're the only other human in Sodom, We wanted to know if you knew of a man we were looking for." Micah would have to get straight to the point now. They had wasted too much time. If he was the wrong guy, they had done all of this for nothing. He would pay the man in gold and hope things would clear out. He hoped he would be okay taking the gold at least.

  "Could you have not started with that? I do not know who you are-"

  "Do you know Cain?" Ruth interrupted. She was aggravated now. The man was appalled and gave them a look as if it was not supposed to be spoken. He stayed silent. Micah leaned in, he tilted his head and grinned.

  "Is that a yes?" Micah was hopeful. If this man was Cain, they could go straight into finding Nicodemus, running out of Sodom and carrying on with their small mission. He thought of Nicodemus, it was odd they had not crossed paths yet. He felt a bothersome feeling in the pit of his stomach. They needed to find him soon.

  "How do you know his name?" The man appeared to be holding something back, He was answering a question with a question. The typical response of 'you tell me first before I tell you.'

  "We've been searching for him. We are here on a small quest to help Samyaza." Micah would rather be honest now. They had no time to play guess or beat around the bush. He just needed answers now, the faster they came they faster they could go find Nicodemus.

  "Samyaza? He did not say you would be looking for me, How do you know him? Who are you here with, other than that girl and dog?" Micah knew this was the right man, he got up and wiped the lipstick off, he no longer had to pretend to be a woman, although his cover was blown a while back. He sat back more relaxed now, the rest was smooth sailing.

  "I am here with the emperor of Avernita, Empress Silas is dead." Micah noticed the way the man flinched at the statement.

  "Dead? How? That is impossible- Where is Nicodemus? He would be the next in line to the throne." He tried to escape from his chains, Micah got up and untied him. He would not run away. He in fact, seemed to know exactly what was going on.

  "We will only say, confirming that you are Cain." Ruth said. Micah nodded.

  "I am Cain. Son of Adam. Samyaza and former Empress Silas are my...acquaintances." He cracked his back a bit before settling down back on the bed. Virgil got up and leaned in closer.

  Micah and Ruth had half-explained the reason for their mission. Both had enough detail and understood what was happening, yet Cain was still skeptical. He paced around the room, as if in a trance. Obviously, he knew the people involved. Finding out about Samyaza's condition, and that Empress Silas had passed had taken a small toll on him. He had mentioned previously that he was well aware of the 'No Speak Oath' placed on Samyaza, and that the Empress had asked for his help. However, why would he send Nicodemus? Micah made sure to touch upon the fact that Nicodemus refused to listen to anyone’s opinion and was stubborn. Ruth was also quick to add, that it was his full idea for them to separate.

  None of that seemed to matter now, Cain mentioned that he wasn't fully aware of Nicodemus' life nor had he met him as a young adult. Last time he saw him was on the day of his birth. The emperor and empress had invited him, he stayed a month and after Cain went back into hiding. Recently, Samyaza had asked for his help. He was not aware why, but they would be meeting in the Ghost cities. A small warning would have been appreciated instead of having them be in this uncomfortable scenario.

  Micah was glad that Cain seemed to be a lot more easy going. He was trying hard to not bombard him with questions like 'Can I see your curse mark? Is it true that you cannot die? What was Adam like? Eve?' He had to control himself, but meeting the first son was something he would brag about to the boys back home.

  Virgil's head shot up all of the sudden, he froze and gave the impression that he heard or sensed something the others couldn't.

  "What's wrong with the mutt?" Micah asked Ruth. She proceeded to kneel down in front of him and grabbed his face. Virgil blinked and moved aside, running to the door he barked.

  "We should follow him." Cain stated. Ruth nodded. Micah did not know much about dogs, however, due to his uncontrollable barking and howling there was something clearly wrong. The three of them gathered their few things and put on their cloaks. Virgil bolted out the room once the door was opened.

  Micah started to sense a similar feeling, they moved past a few alley ways and corners. Virgil was too fast to keep up with at moments, yet due to his fur, he was able to be seen. Cain managed to grab his leash and held on tight. Virgil was normally a relaxed dog, it was easy to forget he was even around. Seeing the alertness in his eyes and power in his run made Micah nervous. 'Nicodemus, where are you?' Micah at moments wished he could call upon him with his mind.

  Virgil ran past a door and stopped, he smelled the air before turning back and began to scratch. Cain handed the leash to Ruth and asked for her sword.

  "What are you doing?" Micah put himself in between the two. Did he really think that Ruth would hand him her sword that easy? No one knew what was going on.

  "Whatever is happening in there is dangerous. I’d much rather your cousin stay out with the dog, be a man and come with me if I yet hold your trust." Cain reached to pull her sword out, Micah grabbed his and assured Ruth things would be alright, it would be the best if she stayed out to watch, worst comes, she could call for help. Ruth pulled Virgil back and his barks got louder.

  Cain side kicked near the lock, the smell of blood broke free and there he was. Micah’s heart stopped. Nicodemus looked at him, his eyes shone a bright, chartreuse green. He had blood on his lips and his hands. Cain stormed in.